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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Antoun Issa

Afternoon Update: US rejects calls for ceasefire; Céline Dion on loudspeaker causes anger in NZ; and Yotam Ottolenghi’s 10 spring recipes

IDF soldiers clean the barrel of a tank
IDF soldiers clean the barrel of a tank as Israel prepares to invade the Gaza Strip. The US has rejected calls for a ceasefire, saying all hostages taken by Hamas must be released before negotiations can begin. Photograph: Alexi J Rosenfeld/Getty Images

Good afternoon. The Biden administration has rejected calls for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, insisting all hostages held by Hamas must be freed before negotiations.

More than 5,000 Palestinians have now been killed in the Gaza Strip, including 2,055 children, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. Washington is remaining steadfast in its support for Israel with reports it is sending military advisers and sophisticated air defence systems ahead of an anticipated Israeli ground assault into Gaza.

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