Israel is massing troops near the Gaza Strip as it calls up reservists ahead of an offensive against Hamas militants in the densely populated Palestinian territory. Hamas said Wednesday that Israeli strikes targeted the leader of its military wing, killing his brother, as Israel pledged to focus its fire on Hamas leaders following Saturday’s unprecedented cross-border assault. On another border, Israel exchanged fire with Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, as flare-ups near Lebanon and Syria fuel fears of a spillover. The United States has said it sent an aircraft carrier to the eastern Mediterranean Sea as a “message of deterrence” to others in the region against widening the war. A plane carrying U.S. ammunition has landed in Israel ahead of a visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a show of support.
