More than 4,000 people have died in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas after the terror group carried out a brutal attack on Oct. 7, which included the slaughter of more than 1,400 Israelis in communities surrounding Gaza. The deaths also include 260 attendees of a music festival that Hamas terrorists killed that same day. 

In addition to the rising death toll, at least 199 others, including children, were captured by Hamas and taken into Gaza, according to the Israeli government. The Gaza Health Ministry said 2,750 Palestinians have been killed and 9,700 wounded.

While the identities of all those who have been killed in the violence or taken hostage by the terror group are unknown to the public, the Israeli government has identified several victims as: a daughter who initially decided not to go to the Tribe of Nova music festival but changed her mind at the last minute, an Israeli jewelry designer described as ‘the softest soul,’ an elderly couple married more than 50 years, a third-generation Israeli soldier, and many others.

As officials have identified those who died, remain missing or those taken hostage by Hamas, surviving family members have begun to shed light on who they were, their personalities and their lives.

A dancing daughter texted her family, ‘I am not coming home’

Karin Journo, 24, recently fractured her leg and talked herself out of going with her friends to the Tribe of Nova music festival on Saturday, Oct 7. Content with her decision, she even sold her ticket. However, a week before the event, she changed her mind — a decision that changed her life forever.

That same morning, as about 3,500 young Israelis had come to the venue for a joyous night of electronic music to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, dancing and singing together, dozens of Hamas terrorists had blown through Israel’s heavily fortified separation fence, crossed into the country from Gaza and opened fire on the crowd.

At 8:43 that Saturday morning, the 24-year-old French-Israeli airport worker sent a final text to her loved ones.

According to her father, Doron Journo, the text read, ‘To the whole family, I want to say that I love you a lot, because I am not coming home.’

‘Since that message, we have heard nothing. We don’t know if she is dead, if she is in Gaza. We know nothing,’ the father told The Associated Press.

‘My daughter didn’t go to war,’ he says. ‘She just went to dance.’

An Israeli jewelry designer with the ‘softest soul’ remains missing

Moran Stela Yanai’s jewelry reflected cultures around the world as she embedded delicate pearls into silver and stainless steel chains. However, she has not had a chance to revisit her art after she went to the desert rave on Saturday and was among hundreds who remain missing after Hamas terrorists attacked.

Days before the music festival, Yanai posted a video on Instagram on her way to the rave, and she has not been seen since, her family said.

Yanai’s brother-in-law, Dan Mor, said Thursday in a telephone interview with The Associated Press that he had a tough time describing her in the past tense, but that is the reality the family faces after members recognized her in a video on TikTok being carried away by Hamas.

‘Moran is the softest soul,’ recalled Mor, whose wife, Lea, is Yanai’s sister. ‘She could almost be annoying with how much she was so kind and sensitive to animals. You couldn’t eat meat next to her because she was so sensitive to animals being harmed.’

He added, ‘My beautiful dear sister-in-law, auntie to my kids. She had a big heart, she has a big heart, and I’m hoping that heart is still pumping.’

A grandfather killed by Hamas and a grandmother taken captive

Adina Moshe, 72, and her husband of more than 50 years, David, huddled together in a bomb shelter in a kibbutz near the Israel-Gaza border when Hamas fired rockets onto civilian communities on Oct. 7.

The terrorists then invaded the surrounding communities, indiscriminately attacking civilians, including the Moshe family in kibbutz Nir Oz.

Adina’s granddaughter, Anat Moshe, 25, said in a telephone interview Thursday that her family viewed a video of Adina Moshe in a red shirt being driven off on a motorbike by Hamas terrorists from her home.

Anat said her grandmother had had heart surgery a year ago and has not been heard from since the Hamas insurgency. The fighters also had killed her grandfather, she said.

‘They were so in love, you don’t know how in love they were,’ she said. Adina ‘would make him his favorite food, Iraqi food. Our Shabbat table was always so full,’ the granddaughter said.

Adina and David’s romance and family started in Nir Oz, after the two first met at the community pool.

A teenage Israel Defense Forces soldier remains missing

Roni Eshel, a 19-year-old Israel Defense Forces soldier, assured her mother that she was busy but OK in a text message roughly three hours after the Hamas attack started last Saturday.

‘I love you so much,’ Eschel told her mother, Sharon, hours after Hamas terrorists launched the deadliest attack in Israel’s 75-year history.

More than a week later, her parents still have not heard from her.

Her father, Eyal Eshel, said that waiting on any updates on his daughter has been ‘hell.’

‘I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to think, actually. Where is she? What is she eating? If it’s cold for her? If it’s hot? I don’t know nothing,’ Eyal Eshel told The Associated Press.

Roni Eshel worked in a communications unit at a base near Nahal Oz and only returned to work the Wednesday before the attack.

Eyal said his daughter was proud to be the third generation of her family to join the Israeli military. Her father, uncle and grandfather also served.

‘She was very happy to serve the country,’ her father said.

She was three months into her second year of mandatory military service.

The death toll and the number of missing persons reported by Israeli government continue to increase more than a week after the terror attack. Both figures are expected to continue to rise as Israeli Defense Forces prepare a ground invasion into Gaza.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, pledged to unite the GOP conference and give members without leadership roles a louder voice in party discussions in a letter to colleagues sent Monday.

‘The principles that unite us as Republicans are far greater than the disagreements that divide us. And the differences between us and our Democratic colleagues vastly outweigh our internal divisions,’ Jordan wrote in the letter obtained by Fox News Digital.

‘The country and our conference cannot afford us attacking each other right now. It is time we unite to get back to work on behalf of the American people.’

The letter comes as Jordan is quickly consolidating support ahead of an expected House-wide vote for speaker on Tuesday. Jordan won a closed-door GOP conference vote to be their next candidate, but his conservative credentials and reputation as a bomb-thrower have stirred concerns among moderates. 

Jordan is also tasked with convincing lawmakers to come around who were unhappy with the treatment of ousted ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and the previous speaker-designate, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., who stepped away from the race when it became clear too many people were refusing to back him over Jordan. 

‘As Republicans, we are blessed to have an energetic conference comprised of members with varied backgrounds, experiences, and skills — just like the country we represent. We may not always agree on every issue or every bill, and that’s all right,’ Jordan wrote. ‘It’s an honor to receive our conference’s nomination as Speaker-designate. Over the past weeks, each of you have communicated the issues that matter most to you and your constituents.’

‘We’ve discussed frustrations about the treatment of Kevin McCarthy and Steve Scalise and the events of the past month. You’ve been honest and open, and I appreciate the candid conversations. In these conversations, we’ve also discussed your thoughts on how we can best move forward. And we must move forward.’

Jordan’s letter appears to be an indirect olive branch to moderates and other Republicans who may have been skeptical of his leadership. It comes after reports that some moderates may be considering working with Democrats to find a consensus speaker candidate.

Jordan promised to empower members outside of those in leadership and heads of the ‘Five Families,’ what the GOP calls its formal separate factions.

‘The role of a Speaker is to bring all Republicans together. That’s what I intend to do. We will make sure there are more Republican voices involved in our major decisions beyond the Five Families. Our goal will be to empower our committees and committee chairs to take the lead on the House’s legislative work through regular order,’ he said.

‘This will bring us together to pass responsible legislation to fund our government and support our military. I will tirelessly work to defend and expand our majority and help every Republican member back at home.’

Jordan told reporters on Monday that he intends to hold a vote at noon Tuesday, regardless of whether he knows he has the 217 votes necessary to win the speaker’s gavel.

EXCLUSIVE: The Biden campaign is launching an account on former President Trump’s Truth Social, Fox News Digital has learned.

Biden campaign officials told Fox News Digital that they are joining Truth Social for the purpose of ‘meeting voters where they are.’

‘Republicans can’t even agree on a Speaker of the House, so clearly, not every Republican thinks the same,’ a Biden campaign official told Fox News Digital.

Biden campaign officials say they are ‘injecting our message’ into GOP primary coverage and plan to combat ‘mis and disinformation’ about President Biden that may appear on the social media platform.

‘There’s very little ‘truth’ happening on TruthSocial, but at least now it’ll be a little fun,’ a senior Biden campaign aide told Fox News Digital on Monday.

The Biden campaign’s handle is expected to be @BidenHQ. Campaign officials said their first post is expected to publish later Monday.

‘Well. Let’s see how this goes. Converts welcome!’ The campaign’s first post is expected to read.

Campaign officials said they plan to hold ‘MAGA accountable on their own platform.’ The officials pointed to the campaign’s existing account on ‘X,’ previously known as Twitter, in which they post content of Republican politicians and candidates attacking their opponents. 

‘We will be leveraging the fact that Republicans can sometimes be our best messengers!’ a campaign official told Fox News Digital. 

The officials likened the move to the Biden campaign ‘going into the lion’s den to point out Republicans’ hypocrisy and have a little fun at their own expense.’ 

Truth Social told Fox News Digital that it is a ‘free, open platform’ and ‘welcomes anyone around the world to join.’ 

Former Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., is the company’s CEO.

And when asked for comment on the Biden campaign’s move to join Truth Social, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung told Fox News Digital: 

‘Crooked Joe Biden and his team are finally acknowledging that Truth Social is hot as a pistol and the only place where real news happens,’ Cheung said. ‘Unfortunately for Biden, his continuation of spreading misinformation to gaslight the American people in order to distract from his disastrous record won’t work and they’ll be ratioed to oblivion.’

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, appears to be consolidating support within a very fractured Republican conference ahead of a planned vote for speaker on Tuesday.

‘I’m guessing he gets there tomorrow,’ one GOP lawmaker told Fox News Digital of Jordan’s bid.

Several Republican lawmakers who were critical of Jordan’s campaign for the speakership last week said they would support the conservative firebrand on Monday morning after he spent the weekend trying to convince holdouts.

‘Too much is at stake to hand control of the House over to radical liberal Democrats, which is why we must elect a conservative as the next speaker. Throughout my time in Congress, I have always been a team player and supported our Republican nominees out of Conference,’ said Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Mo. 

Wagner had told reporters on Friday that she could be open to supporting Jordan but hoped someone else would get into the race.

‘Jim Jordan and I spoke at length again this morning, and he has allayed my concerns about keeping the government open with conservative funding, the need for strong border security, our need for consistent international support in times of war and unrest, as well as the need for stronger protections against the scourge of human trafficking and child exploitation,’ she said Monday. ‘Jim Jordan is our conference nominee, and I will support his nomination for speaker on the House floor.’

While Jordan is still facing some evident GOP opposition, it appears to be far less than the 55 Republicans who refused in a secret ballot vote last week to commit to voting for Jordan on the House floor. 

Jordan said Monday he’d hold a House-wide vote on his leadership at noon on Tuesday, no matter what.

Meanwhile, the Ohio Republican has also faced concerns from moderates about his alliance with former President Donald Trump and his tenure as chairman of the hardline-right House Freedom Caucus. 

Jordan scored a key victory there when Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., whose district is rated a ‘toss-up’ by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, wrote on X, formerly Twitter: ‘Keeping America safe is my top priority in Congress. After having a conversation with Jim Jordan about how we must get the House back on a path to achieve our national security and appropriations goals, I will be supporting him for Speaker on the floor.’

And before that, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., stunned political watchers on Monday morning when he said he’d back Jordan. 

Rogers said he was staunchly against Jordan last Friday and also suggested late last week that Republicans may have to work with Democrats to find a new leader. ‘We’re still the majority party, we’re willing to work with them but they gotta tell us what they need.’ he told reporters.

But Rogers said Monday morning that he and Jordan ‘had two cordial, thoughtful, and productive conversations over the past two days,’ and that he would be supporting him for speaker.

Meanwhile, Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., a moderate who has not said whether he will vote for Jordan, bashed the notion that he would work with Democrats on an alternative candidate from their own party.

‘By the way, this is just stupid and a 100% falsehood. Not a SINGLE (not ONE) Republican in the House will be voting for Mr Jeffries. Don’t fall for social media spin and pressure campaign to elect a certain Republican,’ he said on X. 

A source familiar with discussions told Fox News Digital that Jordan had been working through the weekend to unite the conference. 

‘Jordan worked the phones aggressively throughout the weekend, having discussions with members on how to best unite the Conference. He’s maintaining that momentum and is actively meeting with his colleagues in-person ahead of Tuesday’s vote,’ the source said.

A federal judge imposed a partial gag order against former President Donald Trump, blocking him from making statements targeting Special Counsel Jack Smith, his staff, witnesses and court personnel.

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan of the District of Columbia, who is presiding over Smith’s case against the former president for charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, made the decision during a court hearing on Monday.

Chutkan said Monday that the former president is able to criticize the Justice Department in general terms and has the right to post his view that the case against him is politically motivated. However, the judge said Trump cannot post attacks against prosecutors or court staff.

‘No other criminal defendant would be allowed to do so, and I’m not going to allow it in this case,’ Chutkan said, adding that, if necessary, she would impose sanctions if Trump violates the partial gag order.

The former president was not in court in Washington, D.C., on Monday. He was not required to appear. Trump, instead, campaigned in Iowa. 

‘Today’s decision is an absolute abomination and another partisan knife stuck in the heart of our Democracy by Crooked Joe Biden, who was granted the right to muzzle his political opponent, the leading candidate for the Presidency in 2024, and the most popular political leader in America, President Donald J. Trump,’ a Trump spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

‘President Trump will continue to fight for our Constitution, the American people’s right to support him, and to keep our country free of the chains of weaponized and targeted law enforcement,’ the spokesperson added.

The move comes after the judge presiding over the New York Trump Organization trial imposed a partial gag order to prevent all parties from engaging in any verbal attacks against court staff after Trump criticized a member of the judge’s office on social media.

Judge Arthur Engoron earlier this month issued an order that he said applies to both the defense and New York Attorney General Letitia James’ team. The gag order only applies to verbal attacks on staff.

Trump pleaded not guilty in federal court to all four federal charges stemming from Smith’s investigation into 2020 election interference and the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. 

Trump, the current 2024 GOP front-runner, is charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights. 

Fox News’ Lauren Shank and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A secretive Hamas group known as the ‘Shadow Unit’ is likely overseeing the holding of any Israeli or American hostages, putting those held by the group in danger and complicating any attempts at a rescue.

The Shadow Unit, whose existence was only disclosed by Hamas in 2016, is likely in charge of guarding an unknown number of Israeli and international hostages who were captured after the outbreak of hostilities in Israel this month, according to a report in the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ (FDD) Long War Journal.

Joe Truzman, the FDD author behind the report, told Fox News Digital that the group’s involvement in overseeing the hostages will likely complicate efforts by the Israeli government to secure their release.

‘It just complicates matters so much,’ he said.

Truzman noted that the Shadow Unit is one of several specially trained Hamas units, groups that are different from ordinary fighters and whose expertise makes them more difficult for Israeli forces to combat. In the case of hostages, the group’s role in overseeing them would make it more difficult for Israel to run any sort of recovery operation.

‘This is what they do,’ Truzman said, noting that the group’s members are unlikely involved in combat operations or kidnappings and instead focus solely on guarding hostages.

The reason for the development of the unit, according to Truzman, was a need for a way to bargain for the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, who he argued are basically ‘revered’ by Hamas. By having a specially trained unit oversee the hostage operation, Hamas could more successfully engage and negotiate for the release of Palestinian prisoners.

But the volume of prisoners taken in the most recent conflict could also increase the danger for hostages, with Truzman pointing out that the unit is likely unable to care for so many prisoners at once.

‘I’m not quite sure if Hamas knew or fully understood how many hostages they would be able to abduct. … I think they probably didn’t expect this many,’ Truzman said, pointing to the case of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and other prisoners who were likely held by the unit, noting that when they were released from captivity they suffered from multiple health issues.

‘If they had trouble taking care of one guy … I’m not sure they have the capacity to care for every hostage here,’ Truzman said.

Complicating matters further is that it is unknown just how many hostages the group currently holds, with Truzman noting that there are other terrorist groups in the area who have likely taken hostages of their own. That reality makes it hard for Israel and other countries to have an accurate accounting of where their prisoners are, making any rescue attempts or negations more difficult.

While Truzman said that it is possible some Americans are currently held captive by the Shadow Unit, he argued that the group would be more likely to prioritize Israelis, who they believe they could use to bargain with Israel’s government for the release of Palestinians.

However, with Gaza being cut off from many resources and a looming offensive by Israeli forces, the fate of the hostages in the care of the Shadow Unit could remain a mystery.

Some experts have questioned whether that reality has delayed the Israeli offensive, with Israel Defense Forces veteran Aaron Cohen telling Fox News that the operation could be put on hold to allow time for sophisticated hostage rescue attempts.

‘Israel is no junior varsity when it comes to this. They’re masters at the craft, so what they’re doing right now is taking 40 years of experience, and they’re buying as much time as they can to be able to collect actionable intelligence,’ Cohen said Sunday on ‘FOX & Friends.’ ‘The reason why that is critical when it comes to hostages is because you have grandmothers, grandfathers, babies whose parents were murdered in front of them being held up in the air by Hamas. And you’ve got civilians that are essentially placed throughout Gaza in multiple locations.’

‘I just don’t know how this is going to end exactly,’ Truzman said. ‘Are the Israelis going to be able to go in there with ground forces and capture or release the hostages or is this going to be done in another manner … involving negotiations and prisoner swaps?’

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin put a significant number of U.S. troops on stand-by to ‘be ready to deploy,’ over the weekend, though officials say the U.S. role would not be for combat.

A U.S. official confirmed with Fox News that Austin issued orders to troops that they should be ready to be deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean within 24-hours of receiving an order.

Specifically, top officials say troops would be sent to advise and provide medical support to Israeli forces.

The order is less of a deterrence posture like what has been seen with the mobilization of the USS Ford and USS Eisenhower strike groups in the Mediterranean, but instead appears to be a more direct support role for defense of Israel, if needed.

Fox News confirmed on Monday that 2,000 U.S. troops were notified to prepare to be ready within 24 hours if needed.

The order was issued just days after a special operations Marine Corps unit participating in exercises scheduled through Oct. 22 departed early ‘as a result of emerging events.’ These troops are not designated for combat roles, but for advising and medical support. 

Last week, the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea to ‘deter any actor seeking to escalate the situation or widen this war,’ according to a press release from U.S. Command Central, and on Friday, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower departed out of Norfolk, Virginia for a ‘scheduled deployment.’

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Sunday that the Eisenhower strike group and its escort ships were heading toward the area so it would be available for regional deterrent operations.

The Biden administration has continuously expressed support for Israel after the country was attacked by Hamas terrorists on October 7.

‘We must be crystal clear: We stand with Israel,’ Biden said during a speech last week. ‘We stand with Israel. And we will make sure Israel has what it needs to take care of its citizens, defend itself and respond to this attack.

Andrea Vacchiano of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.

The super PAC aligned with Tim Scott is canceling its massive ad blitz on behalf of the South Carolina senator’s Republican presidential campaign.

Trust In the Mission PAC, also known as ‘TIM PAC,’ outlined in a memo to donors that was obtained by Fox News on Monday that ‘we aren’t going to waste our money when the electorate isn’t focused or ready’ for an alternative to former President Donald Trump, the commanding frontrunner for the GOP nomination. 

The group emphasized that instead of continuing to run ads, it will ‘fully fund’ its current grassroots and door-knocking program on behalf of Scott.

But the move by TIM PAC to pull the plug on the $40 million it reserved to run ads in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina – three crucial early voting states in the GOP nominating calendar – is the latest warning sign for Scott. And it comes as the senator’s poll numbers, and fundraising, have flatlined.

‘We’ll continue to do what we have been doing and spend more time on the ground,’ Scott said in a Fox News Digital interview on Saturday in New Hampshire when asked how he’d boost his standing in the 2024 Republican race with just three months to go until the first votes. 

Pointing to his campaign stops in Iowa, New Hampshire and his home state, Scott said, ‘We’ll continue to make our journeys… the more we do that, the better we’ll be, and I’m looking forward to being the nominee of our party.’

Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate and a rising star in the GOP, entered the presidential race in the spring on high notes and with his campaign coffers stocked with over $20 million left over from his overwhelming re-election last November. 

But Scott’s poll numbers are edging down in the early voting states – and he stood at just 1% in the most recent Fox News national survey in the Republican race. 

The senator’s fundraising has also failed to ignite, and he spent more than he hauled in during the past three months.

TIM PAC co-chair Rob Collins emphasized in the memo, ‘We have done the research. We have studied the focus groups. We have been following Tim on the trail. This electorate is locked up and money spent on mass media isn’t going to change minds until we get a lot closer to voting.’

‘Starting today, we are going to release all of our fall media inventory. We will continue to fully fund our grassroots door knocking, conduit fundraising, event hosting, and earned media efforts,’ he announced.

Collins noted, ‘This summer we built up Tim’s name identification, likability and brand. In July, we laid down a fall media reservation as a second phase to be prepared for the possibility of a coalesced field and the resulting protracted head-to-head election. The field remains splintered, so we will be patient.’

It’s unclear how much of the $40 million television ad program the super PAC is canceling – although a person with knowledge of the plan said it’s close to $15 million, adding that some spots in Iowa scheduled to run ahead of the Jan. 15 caucuses will remain.

Scott’s campaign, responding to the TIM PAC news, emphasized in a statement that ‘from Day One, Tim’s campaign was built for the long haul – powered by the most primary cash on hand and the highest candidate favorability of anyone in the field.’

‘On issues ranging from foreign policy to abortion, he has been the clearest and strongest voice, leading while others have followed. We’re ready, as ever, to take our message into the early states and beyond,’ the campaign highlighted.

Russian President Vladimir Putin called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, reportedly offering his help in preventing a humanitarian disaster, while also sharing information about recent calls with regional leaders.

During the call, Putin offered his condolences over the considerable number of deaths, with over 1,300 Israelis dying on Oct. 7 when Hamas-led terrorists poured into the country in a brutal attack against Israel.

Reuters reported that according to the Kremlin, Putin said he was willing to work toward ‘ending the Palestinian-Israeli confrontation and achieving a peaceful settlement through political and diplomatic means.’

But the Russian read out of the call, the newswire noted, did not mention anything about a ceasefire sought by Russia, which introduced a resolution on the matter with the United Nations Security Council.

Putin also told Netanyahu about conversations he has had with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. 

‘A unanimous opinion was expressed on the need for an early ceasefire and the establishment of a humanitarian truce in order to urgently provide assistance to all those in need,’ the Kremlin said of those conversations. ‘There was also serious concern about the likelihood of the conflict escalating into a regional war.’

After the meeting, Netanyahu’s office provided a statement on the meeting.

‘Israeli Pm Netanyahu spoke this evening with Russian President Vladimir Putin,’ the translated statement read. ‘The PM clarified that Israel was attacked by despicable and cruel murderers, and went into a war determined, and united, and will not stop until it will destroy Hamas’ military and governmental capabilities.’

Russia has also continuously blamed failed U.S. policies for putting conditions in place that sparked the most recent violence in the Middle East. Russia has long had warm relations with Iran, which considers the United States the ‘Great Satan’ and Israel the ‘Little Satan.’ Iran has provided drones and other support for Russia’s war in Ukraine. Iran also backs Hamas financially and with training and other support, and has openly cheered the latest attacks on Israel.

Putin said publicly last week that Israel had a right to defend itself against Hamas, but executing a ground offensive in Gaza would lead to the killing of an ‘absolutely unacceptable’ number of civilians.

When Putin and Raisi spoke, Iranian state media reported, the president of Iran said supporting Palestinians was Iran’s foreign policy priority, though ‘resistance’ groups were responsible for their own decisions.

‘There is a possibility of the conflict between Israel and Palestinians expanding to other fronts,’ Raisi said, according to Iranian state media.

Reuters contributed to this report.