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Scott Neuman Scott Neuman works as a Digital News writer and editor, handling breaking news and feature stories for NPR.org. Occasionally he can be heard on-air reporting on stories for Newscasts and has done several radio features.
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Saturday

Wednesday

Israel says it is engaged in the heaviest fighting yet in Gaza

A photo taken from southern Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, shows smoke billowing during an Israeli bombardment in Gaza amid continuing battles between Israel and the militant group Hamas. Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images

Middle East crisis — explained

Israel says it is engaged in the heaviest fighting yet in Gaza

Israel's intensified combat operations throughout Gaza come as Palestinian civilians are being pushed farther south to escape the fighting.

Israel is trying to arm more citizens with guns since the Hamas attack

Israeli men, armed with U.S.-made M16 automatic assault rifles, walk in a shopping center in Jerusalem on Oct. 25, amid the ongoing battles in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas. Yuri Cortez/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Yuri Cortez/AFP via Getty Images

Middle East crisis — explained

Israel is trying to arm more citizens with guns since the Hamas attack

Israel was already known for having lots of firearms. But since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, the Israeli government has moved to loosen gun restrictions and fast-track permits for civilians.

Tuesday

Israel is expanding its offensive in Gaza, forcing more Palestinians to flee south

An Israeli artillery unit is pictured near the border with the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, amid continuing battles between Israel and the militant group Hamas. Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP via Getty Images

Middle East crisis — explained

Israel is expanding its offensive in Gaza, forcing more Palestinians to flee south

The apparent drive to encircle Gaza's second-largest city of Khan Younis was forcing people to flee further south to escape the fighting.

Israel is expanding its offensive in Gaza, forcing more Palestinians to flee south

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Monday

Saturday

Israel says it has hit more than 400 targets in Gaza since end of truce with Hamas

A Palestinian man carries a child wounded during an Israeli bombardment in Rafah, on the southern Gaza Strip, on Saturday. Mohammed Abed/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Mohammed Abed/AFP via Getty Images

Middle East crisis — explained

Israel says it has hit more than 400 targets in Gaza since end of truce with Hamas

The temporary truce that collapsed early Friday followed seven weeks of fighting in Gaza sparked by simultaneous attacks on southern Israel by Hamas militants on Oct. 7.

Friday

Israel resumes airstrikes after it says Hamas violated truce

Workers rush injured people to Mohammed Yousef al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah as Israel resumed its bombing Friday morning in the Gaza Strip. Anas Baba/NPR hide caption

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Anas Baba/NPR

Middle East crisis — explained

Israel resumes airstrikes after it says Hamas violated truce

Israel's military resumed combat operations in the Palestinian enclave after a seven-day cease-fire broke down. During the pause, Hamas freed some 100 hostages in exchange for 240 Palestinians.

Thursday

Six more hostages released by Hamas as talks over extending the Gaza truce continue

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, listens as Israeli President Isaac Herzog speaks Thursday in Tel Aviv. Blinken urged Israeli officials to take "more effective steps" to avoid harm to civilians in Gaza. Saul Loeb/Pool/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Saul Loeb/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Middle East crisis — explained

Six more hostages released by Hamas as talks over extending the Gaza truce continue

As both sides prepared for the final planned hostage-for-prison swap, gunmen killed three Israelis in an attack on the outskirts of West Jerusalem early Thursday.

Wednesday

Tuesday

What to know about the hostages still held by Hamas

Israelis gather to witness the first batch of released hostages being brought to Schneider Hospital via helicopter on Nov. 24. Maya Levin for NPR hide caption

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Maya Levin for NPR

Middle East crisis — explained

What to know about the hostages still held by Hamas

Under an extension of a temporary cease-fire, Hamas freed 12 more hostages on Tuesday, including 10 Israelis and two foreign nationals, Israel's military said. About 160 hostages remain in captivity.

Israel releases more Palestinian prisoners as part of extended exchanges for hostages

Israeli protesters call for the release of the Bibas family, whose members are being held hostage in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Tuesday. Ariel Schalit/AP hide caption

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Ariel Schalit/AP

Middle East crisis — explained

Israel releases more Palestinian prisoners as part of extended exchanges for hostages

Hamas had earlier Tuesday released 10 Israelis and two foreigners before 30 Palestinians were freed from Israeli prisons on the fifth day of a temporary truce between the two sides.

Monday

More captives are freed as Israel and Hamas agree to extend their truce in Gaza

Palestinian prisoner Khalil Zama, right, hugs his mother after being released from an Israeli jail in exchange for Israeli hostages released by Hamas from the Gaza Strip, at his home in Halhul village north Hebron in the occupied West Bank on Monday. Hazem Bader/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Hazem Bader/AFP via Getty Images

Middle East crisis — explained

More captives are freed as Israel and Hamas agree to extend their truce in Gaza

Hamas released 11 Israelis and a bus with Palestinian prisoners arrived in the West Bank after the two sides announced a continuation of their temporary cease-fire to facilitate more exchanges.

Sunday

Hamas says it wants to extend truce after latest exchange of captives with Israel

A Red Cross vehicle carrying Israeli hostages drives by at the Gaza Strip crossing into Egypt in Rafah on Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023. Fatima Shbair/AP hide caption

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Fatima Shbair/AP

Middle East crisis — explained

Hamas says it wants to extend truce after latest exchange of captives with Israel

The announcement from the Islamist militant group came after a third hostages-for-prisoners swap with Israel in which 17 captives and 39 Palestinian prisoners were released.

Saturday

Friday

Scores of Palestinians and Israelis freed from captivity on first day of Gaza truce

A mother and her children react to the news that Hanna Katzir, who the Palestine Islamic Jihad claimed died in captivity, is among the 13 Israelis released. They are watching the news on their phone outside the Museum of Tel Aviv on Friday. Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images hide caption

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Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images

Middle East crisis — explained

Scores of Palestinians and Israelis freed from captivity on first day of Gaza truce

As the pause in fighting appeared to hold, Hamas released 13 Israelis and 11 foreigners who were also seized in Hamas' attack on Israel last month. In exchange, Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners.