Israel-Palestine conflict: IDF search continues at Gaza hospital

• Israeli army deployed bulldozers at Al-Shifa hospital,

• Biden 'mildly hopeful' about freeing Hamas-held hostages

Biden says 'mildly hopeful' on deal to free Hamas hostages

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday said he was "mildly hopeful" there would be a deal to free more than 200 Hamas-held hostages in Gaza.

"I don't want to get ahead of myself here because I don't know what's happened in the last four hours, but we have gotten great cooperation from the Qataris," he said.

"I'm going to stop. But I am mildly hopeful," he added.

Qatar is leading the mediation with Hamas for the release of hostages held by the terrorist group.

Hamas took some 240 people hostage during terror attacks in southern Israel on October 7 which also left 1,400 dead.

Hamas is designated a terror organization by Israel, the United States and Germany among other nations, and the European Union.

Gaza Health Ministry says Israeli army deployed bulldozers at Al-Shifa hospital

The Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza said Thursday that the Israeli army had deployed bulldozers at the Al-Shifa hospital.

"Israeli bulldozers destroyed parts of the southern entrance," the ministry said in a brief statement in Arabic.

The Israeli army confirmed to the AFP news agency that an operation was in progress at the hospital complex.

"Tonight we conducted a targeted operation into Shifa hospital. We continue to move forward," Major General Yaron Finkelman, head of Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip, said on the army's Telegram channel.

The army began an operation at the hospital on Wednesday, sparking international concern. They said they found "military and combat equipment" in the compound. The Health Ministry in Gaza denied the claim.

An AFP source who was trapped in the hospital said Israeli soldiers burst into the hospital, shot in the air and told young men to surrender.

Israel and its top ally the United States have said Hamas militants have a command center below the Al-Shifa complex. Hamas and the hospital authorities have denied this claim.

IDF attacks Hezbollah targets in Lebanon

IDF attacks Hezbollah targets in Lebanon

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a post on X, formally Twitter, that they attacked several Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, including a "weapons depot, military infrastructure, observation posts and launch positions."