Fri Apr 18 11:06:17 UTC 2025: ## Israeli Airstrikes Kill 17 in Gaza as New U.S. Ambassador Arrives

**Jerusalem, April 18, 2025** – At least 17 Palestinians, including children, were killed in Israeli airstrikes across Gaza early Friday, as the newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, made his first public appearance at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Hospitals in Jabaliya and Khan Younis reported receiving the bodies of the victims. These strikes follow a day of intense fighting, where over two dozen more Palestinians died in Israeli attacks aimed at pressuring Hamas to release hostages and disarm.

Ambassador Huckabee placed a prayer note, reportedly handwritten by President Donald Trump, into the Western Wall. He stated that his mission is to secure the release of remaining hostages held by Hamas and work towards peace. While acknowledging his past support for Israel’s annexation of the West Bank, he clarified that implementing such a policy is not within his current purview.

The escalating violence comes amidst stalled peace negotiations. Israel demands Hamas release hostages and disarm before any ceasefire, intending to maintain occupation of large “security zones” within Gaza. Hamas, however, insists on the release of Palestinian prisoners and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in exchange for the hostages. Currently, 59 hostages remain, with 24 believed to be alive.

The conflict, which began on October 7, 2023, following a Hamas attack on southern Israel, has claimed over 51,000 Palestinian lives, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ongoing Israeli blockade of Gaza, now over six weeks long, is causing widespread suffering, with thousands of children malnourished and the majority of the population surviving on one meal a day. While Israel defends the blockade as a pressure tactic, aid organizations and rights groups denounce it as a “starvation tactic.” The war has displaced approximately 90% of Gaza’s population. International mediators are attempting to revive a broken ceasefire.

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