Plight of Americans stuck in Gaza grows more dire as fighting rages

Despite the latest heavy fighting in southern Gaza, the State Department has yet to secure safe passage for at least 350 American citizens stuck inside the besieged enclave since Israel's war with Hamas began two months ago -- just some of the tens of thousands of civilians caught in the crossfire.

Even given the severity of the situation, some family members of the Americans there say the Biden administration has not done enough -- and there's little public evidence of an intensified diplomatic push in recent weeks to expedite their departure.

"It continues to be something that we are focused on," department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Wednesday. "We continue to work with the government of Israel, with the government of Egypt to try and get more Americans out."

In addition to the hundreds of U.S. citizens, roughly 600 legal permanent residents and immediate family members of Americans eligible to depart Gaza were also still stuck, Miller said.