Sides Prepare for Final Hours of Latest Israel-Gaza Fighting

With talks of an imminent cease-fire in the works and the growing likelihood that the latest round of fighting between Israel and Hamas is nearing its end, Jerusalem’s Operation Guardian of the Walls entered its 11^th day on Thursday. Barrages of rockets launched by the terror group in control of Gaza and its supporters resumed after a relatively quiet night, with no civilian injuries reported on the Israeli side. Hamas on Thursday fired an anti-tank missile at an empty Israel Defense Forces bus parked near the border; one soldier standing near the bus was injured. Overnight and throughout Thursday morning, Israeli Defense Force jets continued their airstrikes, mostly against underground tunnels and missile manufacturing facilities belonging to Hamas. On Wednesday, United States President Joe Biden conveyed his most explicit message yet to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, saying he expected to see “a significant de-escalation today on the path to a cease-fire” during their afternoon phone call. Officials in both Hamas and Israel have relayed that they expect a cease-fire will be reached in the next 24 hours, with Friday afternoon widely seen as the final deadline.