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Israeli airstrikes on Gaza continued a day after President Biden visited Tel Aviv and gave the country's leaders and people his firm support as the Jewish state grapples with the perilous realities of its war against Hamas militants. Tension in the region was still rising Thursday over Israel's relentless strikes on Gaza — and warring narratives over what happened at the Al Ahli hospital in Gaza City on Tuesday night, where Palestinian officials say an explosion killed hundreds of people.

U.S. and Israeli officials, including Mr. Biden, said Wednesday that evidence shows the explosion was caused by a rocket fired by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group that fell short of its target, but many in the region still blame the carnage on the Israeli military.

Protests have erupted across the Middle East in the wake of the deadly blast, including in Tunisia, Bahrain, Egypt, Lebanon, and Morocco. At demonstrations in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestinian officials said two teenagers were shot dead by Israeli forces. The Israeli military said it was reviewing the report.

Biden supported Israel's right to destroy Hamas, which has ruled the Gaza Strip for nearly 20 years, but urged Israelis not to get consumed by anger, saying war decisions made without careful consideration lead to mistakes. he warned.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant visited ground forces stationed near the Gaza border and urged them to "organize and be ready" to receive invasion orders. However, he did not say how soon the expected invasion would begin.

Israeli Defense Minister meets with troops on Gaza border

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant meets with Israeli soldiers near the Gaza Strip border in this photo released by the Israeli Ministry of Defense on October 19, 2023. Israeli Ministry of Defense/Ariel Harmoni/Document/Anadolu, via Getty Images

President Biden secured a commitment from Israel to halt bombing of areas near the Egypt-Rafah border with the Gaza Strip, marking the first time since Israel imposed a total blockade on October 7 that urgently needed humanitarian relief It allowed aid supplies to flow into the Gaza Strip.

But on Thursday, it remained unclear when the border would open, and Israeli rockets continued to reach the Gaza Strip's 2 million residents in lieu of aid. On Wednesday, a residential building just meters from Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City was attacked, forcing medical staff and civilians to flee indoors for shelter.

Health officials in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip said Israeli airstrikes had killed about 3,800 people and injured about 12,500, most of them women and children, as of Thursday. This figure includes more than 470 people who are said to have died in the hospital explosion, which Israel denies being the cause.

In Israel, authorities said around 1,400 people were killed and 3,500 injured in Hamas attacks.

The U.S. State Department announced Thursday that the death toll includes 32 Americans and 11 Americans are missing. A State Department spokesperson said efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas are "ongoing."