Tuesday morning news: December 5, 2023

SOUND: [Gaza fighting]

Israeli assault » It is day-60 of the war between Israel and Hamas.

SOUND: [Gaza fighting]

A firefight heard there between Israeli Defense Forces and Hamas militants in Gaza.

HAGARI: [Speaking Hebrew]

IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari says fighter jets also struck across Gaza Monday. He described the operations as “precise, and intelligence-based strikes” hitting Hamas strongholds.

Israel's military called for more evacuations in southern Gaza as it expands its offensive.

SOUND: [Gaza hospital]

Gaza civilians » But U.N. officials say people are running out of safe places to go as a humanitarian crisis worsens by the day.

Outside a hospital in southern Gaza:

SOUND: [Gaza hospital]

Local residents rushed the wounded into an emergency room with a crowd spilling out the front door.

Mirjana Spoljaric is president of the International Committee of the Red Cross. She said that visited that hospital and said the suffering was hard to describe.

SPOLJARIC: What shocked me the most were the children with atrocious injuries and at the same time having lost their parents with no one looking after them.

U.S. officials continue to press Israel to work harder to curb civilian deaths and injuries. And they say Israeli forces are trying, but it’s a challenging task as Hamas deliberately hides among civilians.

Hamas hostages » Meantime, Israeli families of hostages being held by Hamas continue to hold out hope. But U.S. Sen. John Cornyn says regrettably,

CORNYN: I don’t think Hamas is ever going to completely give up their hostages because they believe in using them as human shields against an attack by Israeli forces.

But there may be another reason. The U.S. government believes Hamas is refusing to release some women and children, because they would reveal abuses at the hands of their captors.

And Israeli Gov. spokesman Eylon Levy told reporters:

LEVY: We hear the silence of international institutions, about the barbaric sexual abuse of Israeli women and girls. And that deliberate silence is complicity.

Hamas is believed to still be holding well over a hundred hostages.

Ukraine funding / Zelenskyy » Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address U.S. senators by video today during a classified briefing.

That follows a White House warning to Congress that funds for aid to Ukraine will run dry by the end of the year.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan said Congress has a choice to make as to whether it will defend freedom.

SULLIVAN: Or whether Congress will ignore the lessons we’ve learned from history and let Putin prevail. It is that simple. It is that stark a choice. And we hope that Congress on a bipartisan basis will make the right choice.

President Biden has requested more than $100 billion to cover several priorities including aid for Ukraine.

Terror attack thwarted » In Las Vegas, law enforcement officers say they thwarted a potential terrorist attack. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher has more.

JOSH SCHUMACHER: In social media posts on Tuesday, a 16-year-old suspect declared intentions for "lone wolf operations" in the city, targeting “enemies of Allah.”

Quick action by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force and Las Vegas police identified and located the suspect. SWAT teams raided the teenager’s residence and found explosive device components and ISIS propaganda.

The suspect faces numerous terror-related charges.

For WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

Former U.S. diplomat charged » Former U.S. diplomat Manuel Rocha has been charged with serving as an undercover agent for the Cuban government working in the U.S. government.

Attorney General Merrick Garland:

GARLAND: The complaint alleges that roaches sought out and used his positions within the United States government to support Cuba's clandestine intelligence gathering mission against the United States.

Authorities arrested Rocha in Florida as part of an FBI counterintelligence investigation.

Rocha was an ambassador for more than two decades, mostly during the Cold War in Latin America.

He represented the U.S. in Cuba during the years Fidel Castro led the Communist government.

Burgum out » The Republican presidential field is narrowing once again.

Burgum: One thing that I'll do as President, I'll secure the border, I'll get this economy sprinting, not crawling like it is right now.

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, heard there in the first GOP debate back in August has pulled the plug on his campaign after failing to qualify for tomorrow night’s debate.

The two-term governor’s campaign for president never really gained traction. He was polling at less than 1% in recent GOP polls.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: religious liberty and customer service. Plus, the Classic Book of the Month for December.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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