Israel-Gaza - latest: 5 key developments on Tuesday 17 October

Israel is delaying an anticipated invasion of Gaza, but the conflict showed no signs of slowing as its latest war with Hamas entered its 11th day.

On Tuesday, Israel denied it was responsible for a rocket blast at a hospital in Gaza City it is thought killed hundreds of people. Hamas claims the explosion at the Al Ahli hospital was an Israeli strike.

The blast was the bloodiest single incident in Gaza since Israel launched an unrelenting bombing campaign against the densely populated territory in retaliation for a deadly cross-border Hamas assault on southern Israeli communities on 7 October.

Meanwhile, US president Joe Biden is set to visit the Middle East in an attempt to resolve the humanitarian crisis in Gaza while also showing support for Israel.

Here are the main stories from today:

1. Conflicting claims over hospital bombing

• About 500 Palestinians were killed in the blast at a Gaza hospital that Palestinian health authorities said was caused by an Israeli air strike but that the Israeli military blamed on a failed rocket launch by a separate military group called the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which it also denied.

• The health minister in the Hamas-run government of Gaza, Mai Alkaila, accused Israel of a massacre. A Gaza civil defence chief said 300 people were killed and a health ministry official said 500 were killed.

• However, Mark Regev, the senior adviser to the Israeli prime minister, said: "My information, that I have just received from the highest authority... is that all indications are that this was not Israeli orders, that this was rather, a Hamas rocket that fell short."

Read more: Hundreds killed in Israeli airstrike on Gaza City hospital - report (Politico)

2. US 'preparing 2,000 troops'

• Around 2,000 US troops have been told to prepare to deploy to support Israel, according to Pentagon officials. The troops are not expected to partake in any combat, but instead aid with medical and organisational tasks on the ground.

• The move shows “a heightened state of readiness through a prepare to deploy order, which increases Department of Defense’s ability to respond quickly to the evolving security environment in the Middle East,” Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said.

Read more: Thousands of US Marines are sailing to Israel (Business Insider)

3. Hamas releases hostage video

• Hamas has released what appears to be a hostage video showing kidnapped French-Israeli national Maya Shem receiving medical treatment. The 21-year-old was taken from the Nova music festival during an attack by Hamas that left more than 250 revellers dead.

• Maya's aunt, Galit, told Israeli media: "Today [the family] called me screaming and told me that they saw Maya in a video on Telegram. I saw her, and I thought I was dreaming ... She looks hurt and scared - but at least she's alive."

Read more: Mother of woman seen in hostage video pleads for help, saying: 'She looks terrified' (Sky News)

4. British girl, 13, murdered

• A British teenager is among those murdered by Hamas during its attack on Israel. Yahel Sharabi, 13, was killed along with her mother, Lianne, while her elder sister, Noiya, 16, and her father, Eli, are still missing.

• The teenager disappeared after militants attacked Kibbutz Be’eri and murdered her British-born mother. At least six Britons were killed in the Hamas attacks on October 7, with a further 10 missing – some feared dead.

Read more: British teen missing in Hamas attack confirmed dead (Evening Standard)

5. Guardian cartoonist won't apologise

• Cartoonist Steve Bell said he will “not apologise” for his artwork depicting the Israeli prime minister. Bell's sketch of Benjamin Netanyahu was “spiked” by the newspaper, which then decided not to renew his contract.

• The image shows Netanyahu wearing boxing gloves and preparing to operate on his own stomach, on which an outline of the Gaza Strip can be seen, and the caption “Residents of Gaza, get out now”. He said: “I don’t promote harmful antisemitic stereotypes… Never have I done such a thing."

Read more: Steve Bell defends artwork of Netanyahu (PA)

Where is Gaza?

Gaza, also known as the Gaza Strip, is a densely-populated Palestinian enclave on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, north-east of the Sinai Peninsula.

Bound by the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Israel to the north and east and Egypt to the south, it is just 25 miles long and six miles wide.

Gaza is one of two Palestinian territories. The other is the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Read more: Where is Gaza and who lives there? (Yahoo News UK)

Read more

• Israel-Hamas war: 5 developments on Monday