Hamas said it was not participating in the municipal elections in Deir al-Balah, set for this weekend. Residents said it was a long-awaited opportunity to address the city’s problems

The demand reflects both the U.S. administration’s eagerness to secure a lasting cease-fire in Gaza and its growing impatience with the Palestinian militant group.

The United States is discussing ways to end hostilities with Iran, even as the Pentagon dispatches more troops.

The Israeli military said it had killed the spokesman for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, and Iran warned that it could target American and Israeli military personnel.

Accounts from Israeli officials and footage verified by The New York Times show that Iran has targeted Israel with the weapons. Experts say this has exposed civilians to indiscriminate attacks.

The ordered departure of U.S. employees in the kingdom indicates that senior diplomats are bracing for a possible surge in violence in the war with Iran, officials say.

The Israeli general has long been focused on the threat from Iran and its proxies, and has called for a regional alliance against the country.

U.S. and Israeli military officials are talking as often as 4,000 to 5,000 times a day, divvying up targets across Iran.