Amidst reports of an imminent ground invasion of Gaza by Israel, President Joe Biden has said that Israel can make its own decisions, as the US firmly backs its ally while urging caution.

MOSCOW: The Kremlin has refuted recent reports suggesting that President Vladimir Putin is unwell and has categorically denied persistent rumors about the use of body doubles to substitute for him during public appearances.

Taipei (AP): China has replaced Defense Minister Gen. Li Shangfu, who has been out of public view for almost two months with little explanation, state media reported on Tuesday.

Gaza: In a recent development, the Palestinian group Hamas released two elderly Israeli hostages, Nurit Cooper and Yocheved Lifshitz, late last evening. The release, facilitated through mediation efforts by Qatar and Egypt, was attributed to "compelling humanitarian" reasons.

Two cargo ships collided in the North Sea off the German coast on Tuesday and several people were missing, German authorities said.

Journalist and fact-checker Mohammed Zubair on Tuesday raised concerns over the sources that were being quoted to report that Russian President Vladimir Putin suffered a cardiac arrest and was found lying in his bedroom.

Hamas released two elderly Israeli women held hostage in Gaza on Monday, as the United States expressed increasing concern that the escalating Israel-Hamas war will spark a wider conflict in the region, including attacks on American troops.

 Israel ramped up its airstrikes on Monday in Gaza, where the death toll was rising rapidly, and the United States advised Israel to delay an expected ground invasion to allow more time to negotiate the release of hostages taken by Hamas militants.

A third small aid convoy from Egypt entered Gaza, where the population of 2.3 million has been running out of food, water and medicine under Israel's two-week seal. With Israel still barring entry of fuel, the UN said its distribution of aid would grind to a halt within days when it can no longer fuel its trucks.