<p>Initial report - sirens sounded in the area of Nir Am, the details are under review.</p>

In the incident in which Staff Sergeant Amit Cohen fell, an officer in the 13th Battalion, Golani Brigade, was severely injured.

<p>Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in the area of Nir Am, it was determined to be a false identification.</p>

European Jewish Association criticizes investigation as politically driven, warning it legitimizes extremists and undermines democratic values.

US Ambassador to Israel announces that following meetings with Netanyahu, the issue of the recent bureacratic hurdles preventing Evangelical groups from obtaining visas to Israel has been resolved.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee criticized the joint statement by 25 Western nations condemning Israel and calling for it to end the war: "Disgusting! 25 nations put pressure on Israel instead of the savages of Hamas! Gaza suffers for one reason: Hamas rejects EVERY proposal. Blaming Israel is irrational."

<p>Hamas issued a statement welcoming the Western nations' statement that called for an immediate end to the war and condemned Israel's policies. This prompted Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar to comment: "If Hamas embraces you, you are in the wrong place."</p><p>Sa'ar added: "Hamas’s praise for the statement by the group of countries is the best proof of the mistake they made - part of them out of good intentions and part of them out of an obsession against Israel.</p><p>The Israeli Minister explained that "we are at a very sensitive moment in the negotiations for the release of hostages and a ceasefire. Hamas is entrenching itself in its positions and refusing a ceasefire and at the same time it is running a false campaign that is misleading many in the international community. Countries must act responsibly and avoid playing into Hamas’s hands!"</p>

Actor, director, and Grammy-winning poet drowns while vacationing in Costa Rica.