The Israeli army has acknowledged for the first time a major depletion in its ranks amid the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, local media said on Monday. “For the first time, the Israeli army admits that its forces are significantly depleted. It estimates a shortage of around 7,500 soldiers,” the Hebrew-language daily Maariv said.

A visit to one distribution site shows how a system designed to squeeze out the U.N. and Hamas continues to draw hungry Palestinians into deadly encounters.

Americans are increasingly skeptical of Israeli actions in Gaza, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS that also finds rising sentiment that the US should pull back on military aid to Israel.

The Israeli military has issued evacuation orders for a crowded part of central Gaza where it has not launched a ground offensive during its 21 months of war against Hamas.

Hundreds of people have been killed in days of violence in southern Syria which began with clashes between members of the Druze minority group and Bedouin tribes and drew a military intervention from Syria.

Violence in Syria's Druze province has triggered Israeli military action, complicating relations with Turkey and creating a power vacuum that Iran could exploit.

Explosions could be seen going off in the distance in the Gaza Strip on Friday. There has been little visible progress in months of indirect talks between Israel and Hamas aimed at a new ceasefire and hostage release agreement,