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Georgians gather to show solidarity to Israel
Thousands rallied in Sandy Springs to show their support for Israel. Those who knew one victim with ties to Atlanta joined faith leaders and politicians just a little while ago.
ATLANTA - Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank's foundation is giving hundreds of thousands of dollars to Israeli organizations in response to the deadly attacks by Hamas.
On Twitter, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation announced it has issued $750,000 in emergency grants to three organizations to help in the treatment of victims of the violence and to support first responders.
The first organization is the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, which is one of the two frontline hospitals treating victims and has multiple underground areas to protect infants and critical patients.
Another medical center receiving a grant is Be'erSheva's Barzilai Medical Center, which is a main trauma treatment area around the Gaza Strip.
Owner Arthur Blank of the Atlanta Falcons looks on during the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bears at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on November 20, 2022 in Atlanta. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Also receiving a grant is United Hatzalah, a network of over 6,500 volunteer medics. The grant will be used to buy protective vests and medical supplies for 1,000 volunteers to aid in the response to the violence.
"The unimaginable, distressing terrorist attacks on Israel that have resulted in death, injury and trauma for scores of people over the past few days are an attack on all of humanity, and there is no place in this world for the horrific violence we have witnessed," Blank said in a statement. "We grieve for the innocent Israeli and Palestinian souls who have lost their lives, the families who have experienced incomprehensible pain, and send our strongest prayers for the thousands who continue to fight for their safety."
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Are war crimes being committed in Israel?
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict dates back decades. It’s cost thousands of lives on both sides. The problems are as complex as they are brutal.
Israel has vowed an unprecedented offensive against Hamas, after the Islamic militant group’s fighters broke through the border fence and stormed into the country’s south on Saturday, gunning down hundreds of Israelis in their homes, on the streets and at an outdoor music festival.
The Israeli military said more than 1,200 people, including 155 soldiers, have died in Israel since Saturday’s incursion. In Gaza, 1,055 people have been killed, including 260 children and 230 women, according to authorities there. Israel says hundreds of Hamas fighters are among them. Thousands have been wounded on both sides.
In Israel and beyond, families feared for the lives of more than 150 people kidnapped by Hamas and other militant groups. The armed wing of Hamas has warned it will kill one of the hostages every time Israel’s military bombs civilian targets without warning.
More than 250,000 people in Gaza have fled their homes, the United Nations said. Most of them have crowded into schools run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees. Most of the territory’s residents are unable to leave due to a years-long blockade maintained by Israel and Egypt.
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Georgia church members trying to get home from Israel
Two churches from Loganville were in Israel during the surprise attack. A group from Graystone Church flew into Tel Aviv when the bombing started.
Israel has cut off supplies of food, fuel, electricity and medicine into Gaza, and the sole remaining access from Egypt was shut down Tuesday after airstrikes hit near the border crossing. Gaza’s power authority says its sole power plant will run out of fuel within hours, leaving the territory without electricity.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.