Foreign ministers from Group of Seven nations called for pauses in fighting to allow safe passage of hostages held captive in Hamas-run Gaza. Israel says it won’t halt ground and air operations until hostages are freed.

Israeli troops entered the middle of Gaza’s main city in operations to destroy the main stronghold of Hamas, which is designated a terrorist group by the US and European Union and attacked Israel a month ago.

For more stories on the Israel-Hamas war, click here.

(All time stamps are Israeli time)

Singapore PM Urges Two-State Solution (2:20 p.m.)

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said “there is no alternative” to a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian crisis, calling the current conflict an “enormous human tragedy.” A one-state solution would mean that “one side or the other has to be squeezed out and that is unimaginable,” said Lee, speaking at Bloomberg’s New Economy Forum in Singapore.

Lee added that he sees a risk of terror attacks in Southeast Asia, citing radicalized teenagers who were arrested for allegedly plotting attacks in the city-state and the existence of terrorist groups in the region such as Jemaah Islamiyah. “It can happen in this part of the world,” Lee said.

Singapore Says Two States Only Solution for Israel, Palestinians

South Africa to Rebuke Israeli Ambassador (1:38 p.m.)

South Africa will issue a formal diplomatic protest note — a so-called démarche — to the Israeli ambassador over what it called “disparaging remarks” made against critics of the war, a spokesman for South Africa’s foreign ministry said.

“We will definitely démarche him,” Department of International Relations and Cooperation said by text message on Wednesday. “This was an instruction from cabinet that we should do this, so we will. It will be before the end of this week.”

This escalates a dispute between the two nations after South Africa recalled all of its diplomats earlier this week for consultations and criticized the Middle Eastern nation’s conduct in the conflict. Calls to Israeli Ambassador to South Africa Eliav Belotsercovsky’s office for a comment remained unanswered.

Romania Says About 100 Citizens Evacuated From Gaza (1:10 p.m.)

Romania evacuated about 100 of its citizens from Gaza through the Egyptian border checkpoint Rafah on Wednesday and plans to increase efforts to return others, according to the country’s Foreign Minister Luminita Odobescu. It had received about 300 requests for evacuation.

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu is traveling to Egypt on Wednesday to help with the evacuation efforts.

Hezbollah Says Targets Israeli Infantry Near Shomera Base (1:08 p.m.)

The militant group said they attacked Israeli infantry near Shomera Base, located close to the border with Lebanon, with “appropriate weapons,” according to its Al Manar TV.

Lebanese state-run National News Agency also said that Israel shelled some border villages in Lebanon.

UK Sees ‘Short-Term’ Gaza Security Role for Israel (12:00 p.m.)

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said it’s “inevitable” Israel will play a security role in the Gaza Strip in the short term, “because they have the troops in Gaza.” But at the same time, he reiterated Britain’s long-standing position in support of a two-state solution.

“As soon as practicable, a move towards a peace-loving Palestinian leadership is the most desired outcome,” Cleverly, who is attending a meeting of Group of Seven foreign ministers in Japan, said in a statement. “The UK position is clear. It is unchanging. We want to see a two-state solution where a Palestinian state and an Israeli state are living side by side.”

G-7 Foreign Ministers Call for ‘Pauses’ in War (11:15 a.m.)

Group of Seven Foreign Ministers agreed on the need for humanitarian “pauses” in Israel’s war with Hamas, according to a joint statement issued after the group met in Tokyo.

“We support humanitarian pauses and corridors to facilitate urgently needed assistance, civilian movement, and the release of hostages,” the ministers said. “All parties must allow unimpeded humanitarian support for civilians.”

US President Joe Biden has also urged Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a three-day pause in fighting to allow progress in releasing some of the hostages held by Hamas, Axios reported, citing unnamed US and Israeli officials.

Blinken Says Gaza May Need Governance ‘Transition Period’ (11 a.m.)

It’s possible Gaza will need to have a transition period at the end of the war in terms of who runs it, the US secretary of state told reporters in Tokyo. Antony Blinken was speaking after Netanyahu appeared to acknowledge Israel would keep a military presence on the ground in remarks earlier this week.

“Gaza cannot continue to be run by Hamas. That simply invites a repetition of October 7,” Blinken said. “The reality is that there may be a need for some transition period at the end of the conflict, but it is imperative that the Palestinian people be central to governance in Gaza.”

Israeli leaders, however, have no intent to reoccupy Gaza, he added and said the US seeks “unity of governance” between Gaza and the West Bank.

Shekel Surpasses Pre-War Level (10:30 a.m.)

The shekel strengthened for a sixth day to surpass the level it was at before Israel’s war with Hamas started on Oct. 7. The Bank of Israel said Tuesday it had sold $8.2 billion in October to defend the currency.

At the onset of the war, the central bank had pledged to sell as much as $30 billion from its foreign-currency reserves — and to provide as much as $15 billion more via swaps — to support the shekel.

Israeli Army Enters ‘Heart’ of Gaza’s Main City (8:59 a.m.)

“IDF forces are in the heart of Gaza City,” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said late Tuesday, referring to the Israel Defense Forces. “They came from the north and the south. They stormed it in full coordination between land, air and sea forces.”

Israel describes Gaza City as the “center of gravity” of Hamas’s operations. The government is determined to end the militant group’s rule over the strip following its attack on southern Israeli communities on Oct. 7, which killed around 1,400 people.

House Votes to Censure Representative Tlaib Over Israel Stance (6:40 a.m.)

The US House voted to censure Representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan over her condemnation of Israel in its war against Hamas.

The resolution, put forward by a member of the Republican majority and passed 234-188, accused Tlaib, the sole Palestinian American in Congress, of “promoting false narratives” about Hamas’s incursion into southern Israel on Oct. 7 and for “calling for the destruction of the state of Israel.”

Twenty-two Democrats voted in favor.