Israel-Gaza updates: Biden speaks with Netanyahu about hostages' release, Gaza humanitarian assistance
The hostages are two elderly women who are both Israeli nationals.
Thousands of people have died and thousands more were injured after the militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel retaliated with a bombing campaign and total siege of the neighboring Gaza Strip, leaving the region on the verge of all-out war.
At least 1,400 people have died and 4,629 others have been injured in Israel, according to Israeli authorities. In Gaza, 5,087 people have died and 15,273 have been wounded, according to the Palestinian Health Authority.
Aid workers and officials fear that Israel's call for an evacuation of the northern part of Gaza is precipitating a humanitarian disaster as electricity and other supplies have been cut off in preparation for what appears to be an imminent ground offensive.
Humanitarian groups have urged Israel to call off the evacuation and agree to a cease-fire, even as the country has asserted a right to defend itself -- a right the United States endorses.
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Rallies for cease-fire take place around the world
Large crowds gathered in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, Washington D.C., London and other cities around the world to rally for Palestinians and call for a cease-fire for the conflict.
Many rally attendees waved Palestinian flags as they marched through the streets in all of the cities waving Palestinian flags and chanting "free Palestine."
There were no reports of arrests and the rallies went through peacefully.
On Friday, over 100 arrests were made for acts of civil disobedience as protesters sat down and blocked traffic in Manhattan, according to the NYPD.
Israel is about to step up attacks on Gaza, IDF says
Israel plans to step up its attacks on the Gaza Strip starting Saturday as preparation for the next stage of its war on Hamas, Israel's military spokesman, Daniel Hagari, said Saturday.
Asked about a possible ground invasion into Gaza, Hagari told reporters that the military was trying to create optimal conditions beforehand.
"We will deepen our attacks to minimize the dangers to our forces in the next stages of the war. We are going to increase the attacks, from today," Hagari said.
Hagari also said the IDF will conduct the invasion when it serves the IDF best. He repeated his call for residents of Gaza City to head south for their safety.
Hamas claims all of Israel's targets in Gaza are civilian
In a statement Saturday, Hamas claimed all of Israel's targets in Gaza were civilian in addition to its blockage of electricity, water, fuel and medicine.
"The Israeli targets across Gaza were all civilian including children, women, civil defense rescue teams, hospitals, ambulances, media and press offices, bakeries, mosques, churches and the public infrastructure," Hamas said in a statement.
Hamas said that four hospitals are now out of service and 25 others have been damaged due to Israeli bombing. It also claimed that Israel has told the Red Crescent Society to evacuate Al-Quds Hospital which Hamas claims is currently hosting about 12,000 displaced people.
Hamas also said the aid convoy delivered through the Rafah crossing will not meet the needs of the people in Gaza, calling for more aid to be sent and for safe passage of injured civilians to be allowed.
"We call for the urgent entry of fuel for the hospitals and health centers as they are almost running out of fuel for their generators, and to avoid turning these hospitals into mass graves," Hamas said.
King of Jordan calls 'relentless bombing' of Gaza a 'war crime'
World leaders gathered in Egypt for the Cairo Summit for Peace, as part of efforts to end the war in Gaza. Jordan's King Abdullah II condemned Israel's "bombing campaign" of Gaza, calling it a war crime.
"The relentless bombing campaign underway in Gaza as we speak, is cruel and unconscionable on every level. It is collective punishment of a besieged and helpless people. It is a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law. It is a war crime," King Abdullah II said.
King Abdullah called for an end to the war and the protection of civilians lives. He also called for an end to the displacement of Palestinians and for the continuous passage of humanitarian aid.
"Anywhere else, attacking civilian infrastructure and deliberately starving an entire population of food, water, electricity, and basic necessities would be condemned," he said.