Israel at War: What happened on day 20?

Israeli air strikes have killed approximately 50 Israeli hostages, Hamas's al-Qassam Brigades spokesperson, Abu Obaida, wrote on the terrorist group's Telegram channel on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the Jerusalem Post reported that the IDF revealed Abu Obaida's true identity as Hudhayfah Kahlot.

"Al-Qassam Brigades estimates that the number of Zionist prisoners killed in the Gaza Strip as a result of Zionist bombing and massacres reached approximately 50 people," the Telegram statement said.

The spokesperson did not give any further details and the Jerusalem Post has not been able to verify the numbers.

An explosion was heard and heavy smoke and dust were seen rising early on Friday in an Egyptian Red Sea resort town near the Israeli border, a witness told Reuters.

The Israeli military said it was aware of a security incident around the town of Taba, saying it unfolded "outside of our border."

Egypt's Al Qahera News TV said five people were wounded in the blast and that a residential building was damaged. It broadcast images of the blast on live television.

Citing sources, Al Qahera reported the blast was related to ongoing fighting between Israel and Gaza militants.

It was not immediately clear what caused the blast. Reuters was not immediately able to confirm reports of injuries.

Taba is a resort town on the Red Sea that is popular with tourists. It sits just opposite Israel's Red Sea port city of Eilat, over 350 kilometers (220 miles) from Gaza.

Rocket sirens were heard in Kibbutz Be'eri.

The IDF targeted a cell of terrorists who attempted to launch anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) from Lebanese territory towards an IDF position on the border, the IDF said on Thursday.

An Israeli UAV struck the terrorist position in response to the attack.

Over 200 family members of the kidnapped and missing, along with other supporters, demonstrated on Thursday outside the Egyptian embassy on Basel Street in Tel Aviv.

They demanded the return of their loved ones who were being held captive by Hamas. The protest took place with police permission and was overseen by security forces. The demonstrators gathered at the embassy's entrance and shouted in English, "Bring them home now!" They also displayed photos of their family members held by Hamas.

India Abraham, a new immigrant from California who is also a medical tattoo artist, is offering free consultations and reduced-rate scar camouflage for victims of the October 7 massacre.

"I felt a desire to give back," the mother of two told The Jerusalem Post. "Being able to heal from the physical scars can help you heal emotionally and mentally. Sometimes, when you look at physical scars, you recall the horrific events [that led to them]."

Hamas launched a large barrage of rockets at central Israel on Thursday. Cities including Tel Aviv, Rishon LeZion, Ramat Gan, Herzliya, Holon, and Givatayim were all targeted.

For 2022-2023, until October 7, there was no question where Israel’s greatest security challenge was: the West Bank.

In comparison to earlier years, more Israelis had been killed by West Bank terror by the summer of 2023 than in any prior year of West Bank terror since the Second Intifada almost 20 years earlier.

A delegation from Hamas, the terrorist group that controls Gaza, is currently visiting Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a weekly briefing on Thursday, without providing any further details.

Russia's state-run RIA news agency, quoting a source from the Palestinian delegation, said senior Hamas member Abu Marzook was among those visiting Moscow.

Russia has ties to all key players in the Middle East, including Israel, Iran, the Palestinian Authority and Hamas.

Moscow has repeatedly blamed the current crisis on the failure of US diplomacy, and called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the resumption of talks aimed at finding a peace settlement.

Separately, Zakharova also said that Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Baghiri Kani was also currently visiting Moscow and had held talks with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin. Baghiri Kani is Iran's chief nuclear negotiator.

The UN agency providing aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza warned it may have to shut down operations shortly if no fuel reaches the enclave, amid an increasingly desperate need for shelter, water, food and medical services.

The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said it urgently needed fuel to maintain life-saving humanitarian operations in the Islamist Hamas-ruled enclave that has been under Israeli bombardment for almost three weeks.

"If fuel is not received into Gaza, UNRWA will be forced to significantly reduce and in some cases bring its humanitarian operations across the Gaza Strip to a halt. The coming 24 hours are very critical," it said.