Israel is a cornerstone of GOP foreign policy and presidential hopefuls are seeking to stand out from the crowded field as they proclaim their views on Israel, Hamas and the Middle East.
The cause of the explosion has not yet been confirmed. Protests broke out in Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey, Iran and Jordan in response to the blast, with crowds chanting against Israel.
President Biden plans to head to the region ahead of what's expected to be an intense ground battle inside Gaza as Israeli forces look for Hamas militants involved with the Oct. 7 attacks.
"Gaza is running dry," and families are turning to unsafe water, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said on Monday. The crisis comes as masses of people try to flee northern Gaza.
The Rafah border crossing is a modest, isolated outpost at the southern end of the Gaza Strip. Yet it could be a critical lifeline as Gazans face a growing humanitarian crisis.
Israeli forces are planning a widespread offensive, but didn't say when the assault would happen. The announcement came as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians scrambled to leave northern Gaza.
In a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll, public opinion about Israel in its war with Hamas is supportive, though the role of the U.S. in the region isn't as clear as Biden faces sharp disapproval.
The evacuation order from Israel affecting 1 million people faced immediate objections, including from the U.N., which warned such an evacuation would have "devastating humanitarian consequences."