Canada urges citizens to leave Lebanon while flights are available
Canadians should consider leaving Lebanon while they can because of heightened security risks in the region, Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said on Monday, after Ottawa helped evacuate a group of Canadians from the West Bank into Jordan.
"Canadians in Lebanon should consider leaving while commercial flights remain available," Joly said.
Like other countries, Canada is trying to evacuate citizens, permanent residents and their families from the region after Hamas' deadly attack on Israel this month and the subsequent Israeli military retaliation.
Canada has been using two military planes to airlift people who needed help leaving Israel, and earlier on Monday, Joly said the first group of Canadians had safely crossed from the West Bank into Jordan.
There are also about 300 people in Gaza that Canada is seeking to bring out through the Rafah border crossing into Egypt.
Five Canadians have been killed in the Hamas attack on Israel, an official from the foreign ministry said on Sunday, while three are still missing.
Netanyahu speaks with Russia's Putin, discuss Gaza war
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Monday.Credit: Gavriil Grigorov /AP
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a telephone discussion with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Earlier on Monday, one of Putin's aides noted in a conversation with reporters that the president had already engaged in talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
Jewish discourse in North America continues to focus on perceived betrayal of the left
As the Israel-Hamas war entered its 10th day, the Jewish discourse in North America, as reflected in the op-ed pages of major news publications, continued to focus on the perceived betrayal of the left.
Writing in The Wall Street Journal, Daphne Merkin, the distinguished novelist and critic, expressed incredulity at the legitimization Hamas has received in liberal circles, despite its barbaric acts against innocent Israeli civilians. “Many of the young and those on the progressive left have responded with enthusiasm, their thinking muddled by disinformation and a profound ahistoricism—and, in some cases, Jewish self-hatred,” she wrote.
In a piece dedicated to an Israeli artist she adores from one of the border kibbutzim hardest hit by Hamas, Merkin noted: “A sense of apprehension, not felt since the Holocaust, is building in Jews across the world.”
In The New York Post, Ritchie Torres, the Democratic congressman known as a big supporter of Israel, denounced the New York City branch of Democratic Socialists of America for “romanticizing the terrorism of Hamas as ‘resistance’” during a rally it held last week.
“The time has come to confront not only the symptoms but the disease: a Democratic Socialist industrial complex that indoctrinates young Americans with an anti-Israel hatred so virulent that it renders them indifferent to the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust,” he wrote.
In a guest essay in the Los Angeles Times, Nadav Ziv, a Stanford graduate, noted that while the savagery of Hamas had broken his heart, “the callous rationalization of Hamas’ killing of Jews by some groups in the U.S. are a poison pill from which many Jews like me will never recover. I will not forget how groups including the Democratic Socialists of America and Black Lives Matter Los Angeles looked at reports of Israelis being kidnapped and killed and then deflected blame onto the victims.”
Jewish media outlets reported widely on Monday about members of their respective communities who were finally able to get out of harm’s way. The Canadian Jewish News dedicated its podcast to some of the first Canadians evacuated from Israel, while the Atlanta Jewish Times shared the stories of a group of local teens on a high school program in Israel who managed to charter a flight out.
Coverage continued to focus on emergency fundraising efforts on the North American Jewish community on behalf of Israel. The Forward spotlighted the rabbi of a large Conservative congregation in New York who, during Shabbat services, launched an $18 million campaign for Israel. The Cleveland Jewish News reported on a much more modest fundraising effort: a local outerwear designer who announced she would be donating all of her profits in the foreseeable future to Israel.
'I don't think I'll see them again:' Scottish leader says wife's parents risk running out of food in Gaza
First Minister and SNP leader Humza Yousaf, center attends a conference in Aberdeen, Scotland, Sunday.Credit: Jane Barlow /AP
Scotland's leader Humza Yousaf said his wife's parents were fast running out of food and drinking water in Gaza and could die if unable to leave soon.
Yousaf's parents-in-law live in Scotland but were visiting relatives in Gaza when Hamas militants poured into Israel and killed 1,300 people last weekend.
Yousaf, 38, said Elizabeth and Maged El-Nakla had limited themselves to an egg a day and sips of clean water as they rationed food so there was enough for their grandchildren.
"Their supplies are going to run out very soon. They are down to their last rations… They are obviously thinking about the kids," he told Reuters in an interview, citing information gleaned from short calls over patchy phone lines.
"If the border is not reopened, and there is no way out, people will die… My parents (in law) - I don't think I will see them again."
Yousaf, the first Muslim leader of a Western European country in modern times, said Israel had a right to defend itself and expressed "absolute" sympathy for Hamas' victims.
He visited a synagogue in Scotland last week to comfort the family of a Jewish man who died in Israel, telling them: "Your grief is my grief".
Knesset greenlights bill to postpone Israeli local election by three months
The bill to postpone the local and municipal elections by three months was approved in its first reading by the Knesset. The vote passed with a majority of 10 Knesset members in favor and no opposition. On Tuesday, the bill will be deliberated in a Knesset committee as part of the legislative process for its second and third readings.
Head of Shin Bet says 'we failed to provide a sufficient warning to thwart attack, responsibility falls on me'
Shin Bet director Ronen Bar, last year.Credit: Moti Milrod
Ronen Bar, head of the Shin Bet, took responsibility for the failures that led to the Hamas massacre, following the IDF chief of staff, senior IDF commanders, and the head of the national security council.
Netanyahu and Gallant have not yet done so.
In a letter to the organization's employees, Bar stated that the lack of warning for the Hamas attack is his responsibility. He conveyed, "Despite a series of actions we undertook, regrettably, on Saturday, we failed to provide a sufficient warning that would have allowed us to thwart the attack. As the head of the organization, the responsibility for this falls on me."
Bar stated that, "There will be a time for investigations. Right now, we are at war."
According to his statement, released by the organization's spokesperson, he added, "We lost ten of our best people, many of us were injured, and our service members lost their loved ones. Countless stories of bravery." According to him, "from the very first day of the conflict, we established a special system, in cooperation with the IDF, for locating, identifying, and concentrating efforts to bring back the hostages and the missing persons."
In his letter, Bar further declared, "We are in a war, not a round. Rounds are won in an image of victory and quiet, wars end in a decisive change in the situation. There are no limits, no time constraints. Until the end."
344 individuals hospitalized, 4,121 wounded since war erupted, Israeli health ministry reports
Israel's health ministry stated that as of Monday, there are 344 wounded individuals hospitalized, including 82 in critical condition, 178 in moderate condition, and 81 in light condition.
Since the beginning of the war, a total of 4,121 people have sought medical care, with 26 in critical condition, 311 in serious condition, 720 in moderate condition, and 2,724 in light condition. Among the wounded, 212 are with anxiety-related issues, and 128 are under medical evaluation.
Israeli right-wing lawmakers lash out at Arab MK for saying there is 'symmetry' between Israeli and Gazan children
Lawmakers Tally Gotliv of Likud and Meirav Ben-Ari of opposition party Yesh Atid lashed out at Arab lawmaker Aida Tuma-Suleiman at the Knesset on Monday for comparing Gazan and Israeli children.
After the Hadash lawmaker said in her speech that there is "symmetry" between Israeli and Gazan children, Ben-Ari yelled out "[these are] children of my friends," followed by Gotliv saying to Ben-Ari "don't try to convince her."
The commotion continued well after Tuma-Suleiman concluded her speech.
'Blame Hamas:' Israeli ambassador to U.K. denies Gaza humanitarian crisis
Israel's Ambassador to the U.K. Tzipi Hotovely said Monday there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza, despite warnings from the world community and international bodies that it is fast running out of water, food, medicine and other essential supplies.
"There is no humanitarian crisis, she told Sky News. "Israel is in charge of the safety of the Israelis. Hamas is in charge of the safety of the Palestinians."
When pressed on the images emerging from Gaza, Hotovely asked the host if she was a mother and "what would you think if your children had been executed in front of your eyes? Would you expect your government to think about those Nazis committing those crimes?"
"So blame Hamas and ask Hamas why they started those atrocities," she continued. "There is a war in Gaza, a war that Hamas started by committing a horrible massacre on innocent Israelis. The world has seen that."
IDF exchanges fire on Lebanese border
Gunfire was directed at several IDF posts, and anti-tank fire was also aimed at an IDF tank on the Lebanese border. In response, the IDF targeted the shooting's sources in Lebanese territory.
Netanyahu speaks with UAE President bin-Zayed
Mohammed Bin Zayed, 2019.Credit: AP Photo/Markus Schreiber
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Monday that he held talks on Sunday with the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed.
"Both leaders discussed regional developments in the wake of the deadly Hamas attack against Israeli civilians," the statement read.
According to his office, "Prime Minister Netanyahu emphasized that Israel is determined to destroy the military and governing capabilities of Hamas and is making every effort to prevent harm to non-combatants. Both leaders agreed to maintain communication between them."
'We should call it by its name. It was a pogrom,' says Britain's Sunak on Hamas attack
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Monday at least six UK citizens had been killed after Hamas militants attacked Israel nine days ago, characterizing the incident as a "pogrom."
"We should call it by its name. It was a pogrom," Sunak said of the attack.
"The terrible nature of these attacks means it is proving difficult to identify many of the deceased but with a heavy heart I can inform the House (of Commons) that at least six British citizens were killed, a further ten are missing, some of whom are feared to be among the dead.".
Sunak added that "Israel must defend itself in line with international humanitarian law."
The British government is increasing its aid to the Palestinian people by a third with 10 million pounds ($12.18 million) more in support, the prime minister confirmed.
"We must support the Palestinian people because they are victims of Hamas too," he stated.
U.S. readout of Blinken's meeting with Netanyahu fails to mention need to protect innocent civilians or abide by laws of war
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Tel Aviv, Monday Oct. 16, 2023, from Jordan. Jacquelyn Martin/Pool via REUTERSCredit: POOL/ REUTERS
A U.S. readout of Secretary of State Antony Blinken's meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to mention the need to protect innocent civilians or abide by laws of war.
"The Secretary discussed his engagements with partners in the region and received an update on the situation on the ground. The Secretary underlined his firm support for Israel’s right to defend itself from Hamas’ terrorism and reaffirmed U.S. determination to provide the Israeli government with what it needs to protect its citizens," according to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.
Miller added they discussed ongoing regional coordination to facilitate the provision of humanitarian aid to civilians, as well as U.S. commitment to recovering hostages held captive in Gaza.
The U.S. readout of Blinken's meeting with Israel President Isaac Herzog mentioned similar points, though did not delve into humanitarian aid — instead focusing on the U.S. commitment to Israel, and efforts to bring to the safe and quick release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
U.S. working 'very, very hard' on opening Rafah crossing on the Egypt-Gaza border, White House spokesperson says
The U.S. is working "very, very hard" on opening the Rafah crossing on the Egypt-Gaza border, while consulting with Egypt on how to manage it in a way that protects Egypt's interests.
“We’re hoping that sometime later today, it can be open for a period of hours. But again, we just have to kind of wait and see how this goes,” U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Kirby told CNN.
“We had had those hopes over the weekend, only to see that those hopes were dashed,” he continued, noting that Egypt “has to be willing to have that gate open and have flows of human traffic through that. We’re in discussions with them about what that could look like.”
Senate to hold Jack Lew's confirmation hearing to be next U.S. ambassador to Israel on Wednesday
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold Jack Lew's confirmation hearing to be the next U.S. ambassador to Israel on Wednesday.
Committee chair Sen. Ben Cardin has stressed that confirming Lew is among the most immediate actions the U.S. can take to support Israel in its war against Hamas.
Republicans on the committee, however, have indicated that Lew — an Orthodox Jew widely lauded by the pro-Israel community — may have a difficult path forward, dismissing him as an "Iran sympathizer" who is supposedly hostile to Israel evidenced by his role in the Obama administration.
Knesset session halts as rockets sirens sound in Jerusalem
Knesset members take to shelter amid rocket sirens in Jerusalem, Monday.Credit: Noam Revkin Fenton
Israel's Knesset was forced to halt its first session since returning from a summer recess as rocket sirens are sounded in Jerusalem.
Opposition head Lapid says 'Israeli system faltered' amid disconnection from democratic 'DNA'
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid spoke at the opening of the Knesset's winter session, and said that, "The Israeli system faltered because it disconnected from its DNA. Israel has always proclaimed to the world, 'We are the only democracy in the Middle East, and we are the strongest country in the region.' However, we forgot that these two things are not disconnected but rather cause and effect."
Netanyahu acknowledges 'many questions over disaster,' commits to 'investigate thoroughly'
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke at the opening session of the Knesset's winter session, and acknowledged that "there are many questions surrounding the disaster that befell us ten days ago. We will investigate every aspect thoroughly."
However, he emphasized that at this moment, "the nation is united towards one goal, victory. We will triumph because it's about our very existence in this region, which is fraught with dark forces. Hamas is part of the evil axis of Iran and Hezbollah. They aim to plunge the Middle East into an abyss of chaos," he stated.
Netanyahu added that "Now, many around the world understand who Israel is facing. They comprehend that Hamas represents a new version of Nazism. Just as the world united to defeat the Nazis and ISIS, so it must unite to defeat Hamas," he stated.
Netanyahu also mentioned his meeting with representatives of the hostage's families. "We are committed to all the families. We will not relent in our efforts to bring our brothers and sisters back," he pledged.
'The Israeli public is experiencing a crisis of trust,' says Herzog to Knesset members and gov't ministers
President Isaac Herzog addressed the Knesset during the opening session of the winter session, acknowledging a crisis of trust within the public.
"Many in the Israeli public are experiencing a crisis of trust. The state and its institutions must align themselves with the standards set by the people," he remarked. "The people demand responsibility and the restoration of trust and rehabilitation of affected communities. They demand to be heard; they demand a helping hand," Herzog added.
"Even in the midst of the ongoing conflict, with our fallen soldiers not yet laid to rest," the President expressed concern over "dangerous voices attempting to sow seeds of division and hatred."
"Our adversaries eagerly seek any hint of division among us," he said.
UNRWA says Gaza health ministry affiliates seize fuel and medical equipment from Gaza city compound
A UN vehicle moves as the Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) says it relocated its central operations centre and international staff to the south of Gaza Strip, amid Israeli strikes, in Gaza City, Friday.Credit: AHMED ZAKOT/ REUTERS
The UN agency dedicated to Palestinian refugees said people claiming to be affiliated with the Gaza health ministry seized fuel and medical equipment from their compound in Gaza City.
However, approximately two hours after the announcement, UNRWA has deleted the statement but did not clarify why. People familiar with the matter confirmed the incident with Hamas and UNRWA happened, though UNRWA has yet to respond to a request for comment.
"Hamas stole fuel and medical equipment from UNRWA in Gaza. The amount of fuel stolen is enough to power Gaza’s water desalination facilities for six days," the Israel Defense Forces said.
"Hamas does not care about the people of Gaza. This remains true even if UNRWA deletes its tweets," the IDF added.
In their initial statement, UNRWA wrote that "Our staff were compelled to evacuate UNRWA headquarters in Gaza City on a few hours’ notice during the night of Friday 13 October. Since then, UNRWA has had no access to the compound and no additional details about the removal of the assets."
It noted security cameras covering the compound's entrance and exit were damaged in recent days due to the conflict and have not operated.
"UNRWA fuel and other types of material are kept for strictly humanitarian purposes - any other use is strongly condemned," it added.
The organization said Sunday it is no longer able to provide humanitarian assistance, warning Gaza is running out of food, water and medicine.
'No one has been in touch with me since Saturday,' Lieberman says on joining emergency gov't
MK Avigdor Liberman, head of Yisrael Beiteinu party, in the Knesset, Monday.Credit: Noam Revkin-Fenton
MK Avigdor Lieberman, head of the opposition Yisrael Beiteinu party, addressed the possibility of joining the emergency government and stated that since the incorrect announcement by the Likud party about his potential joining last Saturday, contact between the parties has been severed.
Lieberman revealed that he tried to reach Netanyahu's military secretary but received no response. He criticized the government's handling of the situation and emphasized, "There should be no humanitarian assistance without the Red Cross seeing our captives… there's no more electricity coming from Israel, no more water."
According to him, eradicating Hamas would involve a ground incursion into Gaza City and the tunnels beneath it, where all the infrastructure and what we call command and control are located. He added that such an operation would come at "heavy prices to pay." He added that, "We need to go in and out; we have no reason to stay [in the Gaza Strip]."
When asked about who he believes could control the area after the war, he replied that the Palestinian Authority would not be capable of doing so. "What will happen after we leave? There's an Arab League, there's an Organization of Islamic States, they can take responsibility."
French media shifts between initial empathy toward Israel and widespread disapproval of its military response
The morning after the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, the surge of global support for Israel encompassed French media, including the publication of strikingly explicit reports and photos of the massacres. However, within days, expressions of support for Israel rapidly shifted to condemnations in the French press, with the spotlight moving to images of destruction in Gaza. Initial empathy swiftly transformed into widespread disapproval.
Discussions on French television and radio are now centered around whether Israel's response adheres to international law, if its retaliation is proportionate, and whether Israel is considering the fate of its own hostages.
Media coverage of the conflict seems to be falling back into familiar patterns observed in past Israeli operations in Gaza. The focus is no longer solely on Israel's right to self-defense but also on the fate of Gazans, innocent victims caught in what appears to be an unending conflict.
In a Monday article, Le Monde highlighted: "In Gaza, asphyxiated hospitals try to treat thousands of wounded under bombardment." The piece delved into the strengths and weaknesses of the Israeli army in anticipation of a massive ground offensive in Gaza.
In Nouvel Obs's coverage on Monday, attention turned to the EU's aid to the Palestinians and the discord within the EU regarding aid to Palestine. The European Commission faces challenges in deciding whether to maintain its annual 300 million euros in aid to Palestine amid suspicions about the financing of Hamas's terrorist activities.
Liberation, acknowledged as France's most prominent left-wing daily, presented a feature on the West Bank, exploring the Palestinian "support for Hamas" and their solidarity with the people of Gaza.
News channels are on high alert, bolstering their editorial teams, as reported by France Info, anticipating an imminent Israeli ground offensive. Questions persist about the ground offensive delay—whether Israeli troops are unprepared or if the Israeli government is deliberately exercising restraint, potentially to allow time to evacuate northern Gaza.
France has the largest Jewish community in Europe, comprising 500,000 members. There have already been expressions of deep concern that the events in Israel and Gaza will have dramatic repercussions on French Jews.
Indeed, 48 hours after the tragic events of October 7th, the French Interior Minister reported a surge in antisemitic acts, citing 189 incidents since the Hamas attack. Instances included swastikas on walls, "Death to the Jews" slogans, and disturbingly, individuals arrested with edged weapons near a Jewish school—24 people in total. Social media witnessed a surge in hateful messages against the Jewish community, perceived as the symbolic gatekeeper of Israel in France.
Other security events, not directly related to the Jewish community, have worried the French authorities. On Friday afternoon, the Château of Versailles was evacuated following a tip-off that 900 kilos of explosives had been left inside the monument in support of Palestine on behalf of Islamic Jihad. The bomb disposal unit and the RAID carried out an investigation using three explosive detection dogs.
Another example occurred on Saturday evening, when an Internet user logged on to a French police website, introducing himself as the "spokesman for Hamas in France". This individual stated that several bombs had been hidden at the Stade de France, while adding that he wanted to "put an end to the occupation of Palestine by Israel.”
Putin speaks with Assad, Iranian president, is expected to speak on Monday with Netanyahu, Abbas
Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Russia, Monday.Credit: Gavriil Grigorov /AP
German language media addresses worries of prolonged Israel-Hamas war
“‘We are at war,’” states the cover of this weekend’s edition of the Austrian newsweekly Profil over a picture of a Hamas rocket being fired off into Israel. Germany’s Jüdische Allgemeine simply calls the events of October 7, 2023 “Israel’s 9/11.” The Welt am Sonntag dedicates their front page to the names of those “murdered during Hamas’s brutal assault on Israel.”
In Austria, Monday’s Presse leads on the possibility of Iran opening up a second front in the war on Israel’s northern border through its proxy Hezbollah. In Munich-based Süddeutsche Zeitung, the paper’s former Israel correspondent Alexandra Föderl-Schmid quotes the INSS’s Yoel Guzansky, worrying that Hezbollah is far better equipped than Hamas and would, by opening up a second front, test Israel’s air defense capabilities to the limit, threatening far more civilian casualties.
In the Standard, the Austrian liberal-leaning paper, Eric Frey wonders about Israel’s military response to Hamas’s invasion last weekend. “The military logic is clear: without direct control of the Gaza Strip, Hamas will re-establish itself, but a permanent occupation over a hostile population of millions living in narrow, cramped conditions would be a nightmare for the army.” Israel, he writes, may not know itself how to solve its Gaza problem.
“In view of the latest atrocities, anyone who remains impartial and neutral is a silent accomplice to terror,” declares the Austrian Jewish writer and historian Doron Rabinovici in Profil. The magazine also looks at who is behind Vienna’s pro-Palestinian demonstrations: Palestinian Solidarity Austria, an umbrella organization for various far-left, pro-BDS splinter groups in the capital.
In Germany’s Tageszeitung, Klaus Hillenbrand notes that Germany’s latest demonstration in solidarity with Israel attracted only 2,000 participants: far fewer than came out onto the streets for Ukraine. Pro-Palestinian rallies, however, have also been relatively small. “It seems—and please excuse my language—that people living in Germany, whatever their color, simply don’t give a damn about the war in Israel.”
Blinken speaks with Turkish counterpart who slammed Israel's 'inhumane' response in Gaza
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan meets with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry (not pictured), amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Cairo, Egypt, October 14, 2023.Credit: MOHAMED ABD EL GHANY/ REUTERS
U.S. Secretary of State spoke with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday regarding diplomatic efforts to prevent the conflict from widening and the Gaza humanitarian crisis.
Blinken welcomed Turkey's constructive engagement, according to the State Department. Turkish state TV reported last week that Turkey began a negotiation process concerning the hostages in Gaza, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erodan has spoken with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and other Middle Eastern leaders in recent days.
Fidan has slammed Israel's "inhumane" response in Gaza, condemning any plans for Gazan refugees to be relocated to Egypt.
Families of kidnapped Israelis meet Netanyahu, only to find unknown family boosting PM
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met on Sunday with representatives of the families whose members are being held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Israel's coordinator for hostages and missing persons, Brigadier General (res.) Gal Hirsch, chief of staff at the Prime Minister’s Office Tzahi Braverman and Netanyahu's media adviser Topaz Luk have also attended the meeting.
Representatives of five families were present at the meeting that was coordinated between the Prime Minister's Office and the Families' Headquarters for Captives and Missing People (hereafter: the Families' Headquarters). During the meeting, however, members of another family, unknown to the headquarters' personnel, had unexpectedly joined the discussion. According to sources, the unknown family's claims spurred an uproar in the room.
Israel did not agree to provide any 'humanitarian aid to Hamas,' Netanyahu's office says during meeting with Blinken
During the meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the Prime Minister's Office announced that "Israel did not agree to provide any humanitarian aid to Hamas. We are at war and will continue with full force until victory."
Biden cancels Colorado visit for national security meetings amid rising Middle East tensions
U.S. President Joe Biden canceled a planned trip to Colorado on Monday, instead remaining in Washington for national security meetings.
The cancelation comes as Biden mulls visiting Israel following an invitation from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, though no decision has been made.
Netanyahu is currently meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who returned to Israel on Monday following days of shuttle diplomacy efforts across the Middle East.
As Israelis praise Biden, GOP presidential candidates blame him for Hamas assault
U.S. President Joe Biden speaking at a rally in Philadelphia on Friday.Credit: MARK MAKELA - Getty Images via AP
WASHINGTON – Republican presidential candidates and lawmakers are increasingly trying to place blame for Hamas’ attacks on Israel squarely on U.S. President Joe Biden, trafficking in conspiracy theories while attempting to reframe the worst day in Israel’s history as a domestic U.S. political matter.
Both the tone and tenor of the attacks, however, are disconnected with the widespread approval Biden’s response has engendered from within Israel itself. His full-throated defense of Israel has earned significant praise in the Jewish state, with billboards praising his historic remarks and many Israelis noting how the U.S. president has offered more support and leadership than their own prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
The praise for Biden extends to pro-Israel Republicans in America, as well. Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman lauded Biden’s stance in the week since the attack as “exceptional,” while Republican Jewish Coalition CEO Matt Brooks told The New York Times that policy differences do not betray the fact Biden has offered “tremendous and unwavering” support.
'May she die,' Israeli man shouts towards a father whose daughter was kidnapped
A passerby confronted the father of a female soldier abducted by Hamas who was demonstrating in front of the Military Headquarters in Tel Aviv's Kaplan Street.
The father of Liri Elbag, who served as a military spotter, was protesting when a motorcyclist yelled at him "traitorous leftists." After learning that he yelled at the father of an abductee, he said to him: "I don't care, may she die with you." The two then began fighting and people separated them.
Police who were in the area arrested the suspect, a 42-year-old resident of the central city of Petah Tikva, and took him in for questioning.
Lebanese prime minister: 'Working to distance Lebanon from the war in Gaza'
Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian (L) meets with Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati at the government palace in Beirut on Friday.Credit: Anwar Amro / AFP
The Prime Minister of Lebanon, Najib Mikati, said that his country "is in the eye of the storm. The region is in a difficult situation and no one can predict what might happen", according to a quote published on Al-Jazeera.
"The government continues internal and external contacts to maintain calm and distance Lebanon from the consequences of the ongoing war in Gaza," Mikati added.
Deadly Hamas rampage constitutes 'international crime of genocide,' hundreds of legal experts say
Hamas' October 7 massacre of over 1,300 Israelis and foreign citizens constituted the “crime of genocide,” hundreds of international jurists and academics, including the former Justice Minister of Canada, declared Monday.
In an open letter, some 240 legal experts, including experts from Harvard and Columbia Law Schools, King's College London and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, asserted that last weekend’s attack constituted a “gross violation of international law, and, in particular, of international criminal law.”
According to Israeli news site Ynet, the letter was the initiative of former acting State Prosecutor Dan Eldad and ex-Deputy Attorney General Raz Nizri.
RECAP: IDF says at least 291 soldiers killed, 199 civilians and soldiers kidnapped
Israel’s war against Hamas passed its tenth day, a week after the merciless assault by Hamas that left over 1,300 Israelis slain and at least 3,968 wounded. In the Gaza Strip, where at least 2,750 Palestinians have reportedly been killed since the war began, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad are holding hostage more than 199 soldiers and civilians, including foreign nationals. Egypt claims Israel agreed to a temporary ceasefire, but Israel issued a denial as it prepares for a ground incursion into the Gaza Strip. On Israel’s northern front, the confrontation with Hezbollah continues to escalate.
Here’s what you need to know ten days into the war.
What happened on Monday:
■ U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken returned to Israel and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
■United Nations aid chief Martin Griffiths said on Monday he would be travelling to the Middle East to support negotiations on getting aid into the blockaded Gaza Strip. Griffiths said his office was in "deep discussions" with Israel, Egypt and other actors. Additionally, EU leaders called on Hamas to immediately release the hostages without preconditions and for humanitarian aid into Gaza.
■The Knesset is expected to resume its work Monday, and at the beginning of the session and is expected to discuss advancing two laws – the law to postpone municipal elections that are planned for the end of the month and the law allowing permitting the overcrowding of the cells for Palestinian security prisoners.
■ Israel is allowing humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza from Egypt, via the Rafah crossing under Egyptian supervision, which the United States demanded. The aid includes mostly water and medicine. The Health Ministry in Gaza reported 2,750 dead and 9,700 wounded in the Strip since the war began.
■ Israel ordered the evacuation of 28 communities located 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the Lebanese border for their safety and increased freedom of action for the army as tensions with Hezbollah rise.
■ Hundreds of U.S. citizens began departing from the Haifa port to Cyprus as part of the American emergency evacuation of citizens.
■ In his first interview since the outbreak of the war, U.S. President Joe Biden said that it would be a big mistake for Israel to occupy Gaza. Israel's ambassador to the UN responded saying that Israel does not intend to occupy Gaza.
■ Tensions have escalated precipitously in Israel’s north when Hezbollah began firing anti-tank missiles at Israeli military targets, as well as an Israeli community near the Lebanon border early on Sunday, killing one man and wounding several others. The IDF returned fire at Hezbollah targets and created a 4 kilometer buffer zone along the border. Exchanges of fire continued into the evening, when the IDF said it was striking military infrastructure in Lebanon after eight people were wounded from Hezbollah fire. In addition, Hamas forces in Lebanon claimed they fired 20 rockets at Israel.
■ Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said at a press conference at the Gaza border that "This will be a fierce war, a deadly war, a precise war, and it will be a war that changes the situation permanently,” adding that Israel “has no interest in waging a war on its northern front.”
Rocket sirens heard in southern Israel, Gaza-border communities
Rocket sirens were activated in several Gaza-border communities, as well as the city of Be'er Sheva.
IDF strikes strategic Hamas centers in Gaza
The IDF destroyed dozens of headquarters and launching positions in the Gaza Strip, including the headquarters of a senior operative in Hamas' elite Nukhba unit.
The IDF spokesman said that in the last several hours dozens of Hamas operational headquarters and launch positions have been destroyed, including the headquarters of Ali Kadi, one of the senior officers of the Nukhba Force" who was eliminated a few days ago.
Also, fighter jets eliminated a number of terrorists while they were in a Hamas military compound.
Prime Minister Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Blinken meet in Israel
The meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has begun. It's the second meeting between the two within the past week, following Hamas' deadly attack on October 7.
UN aid chief to travel to region to assist in Israel-Gaza aid negotiations
United Nations aid chief Martin Griffiths said on Monday he would be travelling to the Middle East to support negotiations on getting aid into the blockaded Gaza Strip.
Griffiths said his office was in "deep discussions" with Israel, Egypt and other actors.
"I shall be going myself tomorrow to the region to try to help in the negotiations, to try to bear witness and to express solidarity with the extraordinary courage of the many thousands of aid workers who have stayed the course and who are still there helping the people in Gaza and in the West Bank," he said in a statement.
The fate of aid deliveries and limited evacuations through the only entry to Gaza not controlled by Israel remains in doubt after Egyptian sources said a temporary truce was struck but Israel and Hamas said no deal was in place.
Pete Davidson reflects on Israel-Hamas war in somber opening of ‘Saturday Night Live’
A screenshot of Pete Davidson's SNL cold open, on Saturday evening.Credit: Screenshot from Youtube
“Saturday Night Live” returned to the air for its 49th season with a somber reflection on the Israeli-Hamas war by former cast member Pete Davidson.
In the “cold open,” the Staten Island native spoke directly to the camera, reminding audiences that his father, a New York City firefighter, was killed in the Septempter 11 attacks on the World Trade Center.
“This week we saw the horrible images and stories from Israel and Gaza,” he said. “And I know what you’re thinking: Who better to comment on it than Pete Davidson?”
Knesset set to open Monday, discuss legislation aimed at making prison conditions harsher for Palestinian security prisoners
The Knesset is expected to resume its work Monday, and at the beginning of the session, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana will speak as well as Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Yair Lapid.
The Knesset is expected to discuss advancing two laws – the law to postpone municipal elections that are planned for the end of the month and the law allowing permitting the overcrowding of the cells for Palestinian security prisoners.
The Justice Ministry is promoting a law that would prohibit the consumption of content that includes incitement or praise of terrorism
The Justice Ministry is promoting a law that would prohibit the consumption of content that includes incitement or praise of terrorism. The addition of the proposed section to the Anti-Terrorism Law is intended to serve as an additional tool in the fight against individual attacks which are characterized, among other things, by the fact that "That the motivation to do so stems from intensive consumption of terrorist publications."
The memorandum of law was published at the request of security officials and with the approval of Justice Minister Yariv Levin.
A top EU official convenes a summit to deal with a fallout in Europe from the Israel-Hamas war
European Union leaders will hold an emergency summit on Tuesday as concerns grow that the war between Israel and Hamas could fuel intercommunal tensions in Europe and bring more refugees in search of sanctuary.
“This conflict has many consequences, including for us in the European Union,” EU Council President Charles Michel said in a video statement announcing that he had convened the virtual meeting. “The conflict could have major security consequences for our societies.”
Since the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, triggering the latest Gaza war, France has ordered a ban on pro-Palestinian demonstrations and the number of antisemitic acts has risen. Low-level rallies have been held in other EU countries. Both the 27-nation bloc and the United States consider Hamas as a terrorist organization.
The Louvre Museum in Paris and Versailles Palace evacuated visitors and staff after receiving bomb threats over the weekend, and the French government started deploying 7,000 troops to increase security around the country following a fatal school stabbing by a suspected Islamic extremist.
Germany too has ramped up security. Berlin has offered military help to Israel and promised to crack down on support for Hamas at home. Chancellor Olaf Scholz has underlined Germany’s historical responsibility for Israel’s security.
Foreign diplomats: Talks on humanitarian deal for release of some Israeli hostages ongoing
Talks have been conducted over the last days on a humanitarian deal to release some of the Israeli hostages being held by Hamas, foreign diplomatic sources say. At this point in time it is not clear whether such a deal can be reached and if so at what timing.
“The work [on the deal] is ongoing and over the last days we have become more optimistic that it can be achieved,” said one of the sources.
Rocket sirens sound in Gaza-border communities
Rocket sirens have been activated in Sa'ad and Nahal Oz.
Israel's Health Ministry: 351 wounded remain hospitalized, 89 are in serious condition
Israel's Health Ministry reported that 351 people wounded from the war are currently hospitalized across the country and 89 of them are in serious condition, 181 in moderate condition and 81 in light condition.
Since the beginning of the war, 3,968 have been wounded and received treatment in hospitals.
Israel ramps up GPS jamming to thwart Hezbollah, Hamas drone attacks
GPS jamming in Israel and surrounding areas this week, as observed by gpsjam.org
Israeli defense forces have increased GPS jamming in the region to try to thwart drone attacks by Hamas and Hezbollah.
Hamas’s surprise attack a week ago Saturday included extensive use of drones to observe and attack Israel Defense Forces communications and firing positions along the border fence with Gaza and to fire at soldiers from the air at bases adjacent to the fence. Hezbollah has a much more advanced unmanned aircraft force, and in the week or so since Hamas’ deadly assault, a number of warnings have been issued alerting the public along the Lebanese border of possible aerial infiltrations into Israeli territory.
The IDF has confirmed that Israel is disrupting satellite navigation systems "in a proactive manner for various operational needs. Citizens should be aware that the disruption can cause various and temporary effects on location-based applications.”
Political source: No ceasefire, only water is permitted into Gaza strip's south
A political source addressed the comments regarding humanitarian equipment being provided to Gaza through the Rafah crossing: "There is no ceasefire. No commodities of any kind are being allowed in. There are American humanitarian demands. At this stage only water is allowed in to the south of the Gaza strip, which is supposed to have an area for humanitarian evacuation."
U.S. citizens begin boarding emergency evacuation ship to Cyprus
U.S. citizens boarding the ship to take them to Cyprus on Monday.Credit: Allison Kaplan Sommer
Israeli army: At least 291 soldiers killed in Hamas attack, 199 Israelis kidnapped
IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Monday that the army has so far notified 199 Israeli families whose loved ones were abducted to Gaza.
According to Hagari, "There is a top national priority effort regarding the abductees and we are focused on this effort as top national priority. The IDF is working around the clock to return the abductees."
IDF Spokesman: The evacuation of northern residents was to allow the army broad freedom of offensive action
IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari said Monday that the evacuation of 28 settlements on the Lebanese border, which was announced today, was decided to allow the IDF broad offensive freedom of action.
According to Hagari, "If Hezbollah makes the mistake of testing us, the reaction will be deadly."
IDF: 40 wanted persons were arrested overnight in the West Bank, about half are Hamas operatives
The IDF announced that it arrested 40 wanted persons in the West Bank early Monday morning, about half of them are Hamas operatives, and confiscated a large amount of weapons.
According to the army's statement, the security forces also sealed off a printing press that produced Hamas propaganda.
Hamas official says no truth to reports about opening of Rafah border crossing or temporary ceasefire
Palestinians with dual citizenship gather outside Rafah border crossing with Egypt in the hope of getting permission to leave Gaza, amid the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Monday.Credit: Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters
Hamas official Izzat El Reshiq told Reuters on Monday that there was no truth to reports about the opening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt or a temporary ceasefire.
Egyptian security sources had told Reuters earlier that an agreement had been reached to open the border crossing to allow aid into the enclave.
China says four Chinese nationals killed in Israel-Hamas conflict
China's foreign ministry said on Monday that four Chinese nationals had been killed, with two missing and six injured in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
At present, commercial flights between China and Israel are still in operation, the ministry said.
936 non-combatants have been confirmed killed with 615 of the bodies identified so far
Israelis put up photos of dead and kidnapped relatives on the walls of the IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv on Sunday.Credit: Moti Milrod
The police released a statement that Israeli authorities have received the bodies of 936 citizens, residents and foreign workers who were killed during the war, and 615 bodies were identified and 494 were moved for burial.
The number of soldiers killed currently stands at 293. The families of 155 people abducted by Hamas have been notified.
Germany's Olaf Scholz to visit Israel in coming days
New German Chancellor Minister Olaf Scholz in Berlin, last week.Credit: Tobias Schwarz / AP
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will travel to Israel on Tuesday, local broadcaster NTV reported, citing government sources. A government spokesperson did not immediately comment on the reported travel plans.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock was in Israel last week, where she expressed Berlin's firm support for the country to defend itself against an attack launched by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas on Oct. 7, in which over one thousand Israelis were killed or taken hostage.
Baerbock then travelled to Egypt, as Western nations rush to prevent an escalation of the conflict in the region.
No ceasefire or humanitarian aid in exchange for removal of foreigners from Gaza, Israeli PM says
The Prime Minister's Office said on Monday morning that "there is no ceasefire and humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the removal of foreigners."
However, trucks with humanitarian aid are entering the Gaza Strip via Egypt's Rafah Crossing.
U.S. citizens who didn't pre-register are told to wait until afternoon to board ship set to evacuate to Cyprus
U.S. citizens waiting at the Haifa port on Monday.Credit: Rami Shllush
The ship meant to take U.S. citizens to Cyprus is the Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas with a capacity of 2,400. The ship is set to depart at about 5 P.M. and people arriving until 3 P.M. will be permitted on if there is space available. Only a few hundred people have arrived thus far, but they are still only allowing people to board who have pre-registered with the embassy as citizens wishing to leave.
There is a sense of frustration for those who arrived after the press release was sent out and were told to come without registration information and are told to wait to register to get a cabin at 1 P.M. The trip is expected to take between 10–12 hours and will arrive at its destination at night.
U.S. citizens waiting at the Haifa port on Monday.Credit: Rami Shllush
Analysis: Hezbollah isn’t Hamas, so Israel fights them differently
Hezbollah and Iran are apparently leaving the decision on whether to start a war in Lebanon up to Israel. The antitank missiles launched from Lebanon at Israeli army positions and Moshav Shtula over the past week don’t demonstrate a willingness to join the war fully, and to implement the “united front” strategy that the two agreed on with leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad over the past year.
An attack on an IDF post on the Lebanese border yesterday.Credit: Hussein Malla/AP
We don’t know what orders Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian brought with him when he met on Friday with Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati. After the meeting, he said that “opening additional fronts against Israel remains a possibility.” But in the same breath, he added, “The most important thing to us is Lebanon’s security and preserving the country’s peace. That’s the goal of my visit, and I suggest convening a meeting of regional leaders to discuss this issue.”
National Security Committee approves regulations making it easier to obtain a gun license
The National Security Committee in the Knesset approved regulations on Monday easing the conditions for obtaining a gun license.
According to data presented at the hearing, 41,000 license applications were submitted since the beginning of the fighting. The Justice Ministry proposed that the regulations remain in effect for one year, but the Council members decided to approve them as permanent regulations.
The committee's chairman, MK Tzvika Foghel from Otzma Yehudit, said that the regulations will come into effect on Tuesday.
According to the new regulations, a man aged 21 or older who has served as a soldier for a year or who has completed another two-year military service, and a woman who has done a year of national or civilian service – will be entitled to carry guns, if they live or work in a locality defined as an eligible locality.
This is in contrast to previous regulations that granted similar eligibility only to those who completed full military or civilian service. In the new regulations, additional criteria for carrying guns were also expanded, including those that grant eligibility to active volunteers in the police or rescue organizations.
Israel allowing humanitarian aid to Gaza through Egypt crossing
A view of trucks carrying humanitarian aid for Palestinians, as they wait for the re-opening of the Rafah border crossing to enter Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in the city of Al-Arish, Sinai peninsula, Egypt, on Monday.Credit: STRINGER/ REUTERS
Israel is allowing humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza from Egypt, via the Rafah crossing. The aid is being transferred into the Strip under Egyptian supervision, which the United States demanded.
The aid includes mostly water and medicine. Fuel, however, will not be given to Gaza, since Israel claims Hamas is using the remaining fuel supply - both from hospitals and from civilians - to operate generators in its tunnels, and not for humanitarian purposes.
Israel's defense establishment says that Israel has been acting under international law in order to preserve international legitimacy and continue with the military operation in Gaza.
U.S. Secretary of State Blinken to arrive in Israel on Monday
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to arrive in Israel at around 12:00 P.M. on Monday. Blinken is expected to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant before departing back to the U.S.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu make statements to the media on Thursday.Credit: Jacquelyn Martin /AP
Blinken last visited Israel on Thursday, following Hamas' deadly attack last weekend.
Analysis: Tensions rise in the north as Hezbollah tries to deter Israel from invading Gaza
An IDF cannon at the Gaza border, on Sunday.Credit: Ohad Zwigenberg/AP
As talk of a ground operation in the Gaza Strip increases, the sensitivity of the situation on the Lebanese border is growing. Hezbollah has adopted a pattern of launching daily attacks along the border, which the IDF prepared for in the past. The intensity of these attacks increases each day.
Under normal circumstances, it’s likely that Israel would have already embarked on a full-blown campaign in Lebanon in response to Hezbollah attacks, which have so far included the firing of anti-tank missiles, mortar shells and rockets. In the meantime, Israel is responding with artillery, airstrikes along the border and with pursuing squads trying to enter Israel. On Saturday, one civilian was killed when an anti-tank missile hit a house in the moshav of Shtula, with other people hurt in other incidents along the border.
The reason Israel is showing restraint for now, one may assume, is its wish to focus on the campaign in the Gaza Strip. Hezbollah is trying to deter Israel from embarking on an extensive land invasion in the northern Gaza Strip, making Israel deliberate whether to send its forces there in a move which could seriously damage Hezbollah’s partner, Hamas. Hezbollah has not declared war so far, even though talk of such a move is heard on media channels associated with it.
Israelis in 28 communities near Lebanon border to be evacuated by army
The Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli defense ministry announced Monday that it will evacuate residents from 28 communities along the border with Lebanon.
According to the statement released by both parties, the 28 communities are located within 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) of the border with Lebanon. The residents will be taken to hotels and guest houses that will be paid for by the Israeli government.
The 28 communities are: Adamit, Arab al-Aramshe, Avivim, Bar'am, Betzet, Dafna, Dishon, Dovev, Ghajar, Hanita, Kfar Giladi, Ma'ayan Baruch, Malkia, Manara, Margaliot, Mattat, Metula, Misgav Am, Netu'a, Rosh Hanikra, Shlomi, Shomera, Shtula, Ya'ara, Yiftah, Yir'on, Yuval, and Zar'it.
U.S. prepares to evacuate its citizens gathered at Haifa port
U.S. citizens at the Haifa port on Monday.Credit: Rami Shllush
Several hundred American citizens and their families are gathered at Haifa port to board a cruise ship, hired by the U.S. government to ferry its nationals to Cyprus. From there, the travelers will have to arrange their own flights back home to the United States.
Levi FamilyCredit: Allison Kaplan Sommer
Aidl, Ezra, and Emuna Levi from Katzrin in the Golan. Their mother, Sara, is an American immigrant, and they all hold U.S. citizenship qualifying them to board the ship.
Sara said the plan is to leave the country for safety, wait in Cyprus “for a week or so to see what happens.” Some of her children say they are stressed and anxious about the war and are happy to leave.
“There is a range of feelings among the family,“ Sara said. Emuna, 14, wishes she could stay. “I don’t want to leave. I think it’s good to stay and stand with your people and your nation.”
Hamas' media office: No info on ceasefire
Hamas' media office said on Monday morning that it has no information about a humanitarian truce being agreed upon, following reports that Israel has agreed to a ceasefire and opening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.
Israeli lawmaker: A large portion of the Gazan public participated in the massacre; some of the kidnapped are in the hands of private citizens
MK Danny Danon of the Likud party said Monday that according to information he received, "there was a large Gazan public that took a large part in the riots... in murder, massacre, kidnapping, rape."
In an interview with 103FM, Danon said that the attack last Saturday was not carried out only by Hamas terrorists, but also by "a public that just came."
Danon added that even today "some of the abductees are in the hands of private citizens" in the Gaza Strip.
Report: Israel agrees to temporary ceasefire in southern Gaza, Rafah border crossing set to open
Israel has agreed to a ceasefire in southern Gaza, to begin at 6 A.M. GMT (9:00 A.M. local), coinciding with re-opening of the Rafah border crossing, according to two Egyptian security sources.
Hamas: We have no official information about the opening of the Rafah crossing
Hamas sources say that they have not received official information about the intention of opening the Rafah crossing with Egypt and allow humanitarian aid to enter into the Strip.
On the Egyptian side of the crossing, many trucks with aid equipment sent by Jordan and the World Food Organization, among others, are waiting to enter.
According to Palestinian sources, the Egyptians have expressed a willingness to receive any assistance and have made the El Arish airport available for this purpose, but in Cairo they want to ensure the safety of the representatives stationed at the crossing, prior to its opening.
In Egypt, they demanded that any Israeli threat be removed before opening the Rafah crossing. They also said that the exit from Gaza into Egyptian territory will be possible mainly for foreign citizens who will continue to their countries. According to the sources, Egypt emphasized that it will not allow the free passage of Palestinian refugees into its territory while "legitimizing the Israeli plan to deport the residents of Gaza to Sinai."
Earlier, The American MSNBC channel reported Monday from a Palestinian source that the Rafah crossing will be opened at 9 A.M. for a few hours. According to the report, humanitarian equipment will be brought into the Gaza Strip, and exits will be allowed to those holding foreign citizenship.
Operations at Syria's Aleppo airport to resume on Monday after Israeli air strike
Operations at Syria's Aleppo airport will resume on Monday morning after an Israeli-attributed airstrike put it out of service, the country's transport ministry said.
According to Syria's state news agency, the transport ministry said on Sunday operations will restart on Monday at 8 A.M. local time.
Biden considering trip to Israel in the coming days, but travel isn’t final
President Joe Biden is considering a trip to Israel in the coming days but no travel has been finalized, a senior administration official said Sunday. It would be a powerful symbol of sympathy and support following the brutal attack by Hamas.
A trip would be a chance for Biden to personally affirm to the Israeli people the U.S. is standing firm behind them. But it would come amid growing fears that a looming Israeli move into Gaza could spark a wider war with devastating humanitarian consequences.
And Biden’s presence could be seen as a provocative move by Hamas’ chief sponsor, Iran, or potentially viewed as tone-deaf by Arab nations as civilian casualties mount in Gaza. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has already been traveling around the Mideast this past week trying to prevent the war with Hamas from igniting a broader regional conflict.
The official could not publicly discuss internal deliberations about the potential presidential travel and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
U.S. offered Hamas humanitarian aid in exchange for release of civilians, Lebanese newspaper reports
The Lebanese Al-Akhbar newspaper reported that the U.S. submitted a compromise proposal to Hamas for the release of kidnapped civilians in Gaza in exchange for humanitarian aid to the Strip.
According to the report, which was signed by the editor of the newspaper Abraham Al-Nim, who is close to senior Hamas officials and the Hezbollah leadership, Hamas set several conditions, and demanded to find out which of the abductees were foreign citizens and which of them served in the IDF.
RECAP: Biden warns against the occupation of Gaza; tensions grow on the Lebanese border, as Israel prepares for next stage of the war
Israel’s war against Hamas passed its ninth day, a week after the merciless assault by Hamas that left over 1,300 Israelis slain and at least 3,300 wounded. In the Gaza Strip, where at least 2,450 Palestinians have reportedly been killed since the war began, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad are holding hostage more than 150 soldiers and civilians, including foreign nationals. The U.S. is leading international efforts to organize humanitarian aid and the evacuation of the wounded from the Strip as Israel prepares for a ground incursion into the Gaza Strip. On Israel’s northern front, the confrontation with Hezbollah continues to escalate.
Here’s what you need to know nine days into the war.
What happened on Sunday:
■ In Illinois, a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy was stabbed to death, and his mother injured, in an attack that targeted them for their Islamic faith on the backdrop of the war in Israel and Gaza.
■ In his first interview since the outbreak of the war, U.S. President Joe Biden said that it would be a big mistake for Israel to occupy Gaza. Israel's ambassador to the UN responded saying that Israel does not intend to occupy Gaza.
■ Overnight, the UN agency dedicated to Palestinian refugees says it is no longer able to provide humanitarian assistance, and the World Health Organization said Israel's order to evacuate 21 Gaza hospitals violates international law.
■ Hamas continued to launch rockets at Israel, targeting mainly the south and Gaza border communities, but with three heavy barrages directed at Tel Aviv.
■ Tensions have escalated precipitously in Israel’s north when Hezbollah began firing anti-tank missiles at Israeli military targets, as well as an Israeli community near the Lebanon border early on Sunday, killing one man and wounding several others. The IDF returned fire at Hezbollah targets and created a 4 kilometer buffer zone along the border. Exchanges of fire continued into the evening, when the IDF said it was striking military infrastructure in Lebanon after eight people were wounded from Hezbollah fire. In addition, Hamas forces in Lebanon claimed they fired 20 rockets at Israel.
■ Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said at a press conference at the Gaza border that "This will be a fierce war, a deadly war, a precise war, and it will be a war that changes the situation permanently,” adding that Israel “has no interest in waging a war on its northern front.” According to Haaretz’s Anshel Pfeffer, the unprecedented size of the military reservist call-up, together with the evacuation order to 1.1 million Palestinians in Gaza, indicates that Israel’s imminent ground offensive will be longer and more intensive than any previous incursions since the 2005 Disengagement.
■ In interviews Sunday, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the U.S. never "took its eye off the ball" concerning threats to Israel prior to last week's vicious attack by Hamas. He also stated that Israel has restored the water supply to southern Gaza.
■ Gaza’s health ministry reports 2,450 Palestinians have been killed and around 9,200 wounded, with over 423,000 displaced from their homes. The IDF meanwhile said hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have left Gaza City to go further south, and that Hamas was trying to stop them from leaving. Egypt also said it is intensifying efforts with its international and regional partners to deliver aid to Gaza.
■ U.S. President Joe Biden said the overwhelming majority of Palestinians had nothing to do with Hamas’ appalling attacks and now suffer as a result of it. Egypt took a harsher tone, with President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi telling U.S. Secretary of State Blinken, set to return to Israel Monday after shuttling across the Middle East, that Israel's reaction to Hamas' attack went beyond self-defense and amounted to collective punishment. Blinken noted: "The way Israel does this matters. It needs to be done in a way that affirms the shared values we have, taking every possible precaution to avoid harming civilians."
■ On Sunday, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna landed in Israel and met with family members of Israeli hostages. Israeli President Isaac Herzog met with a bipartisan delegation of visiting U.S. senators led by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who vowed to lead the Senate in providing Israel “with the support required to defend itself from this monstrous attack.”
■ Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian again warned that if Israel doesn't stop its "aggression in Gaza," there is a growing chance of the scope of the war expanding. Israel accused Iran of trying to open a second war front by deploying weapons in or through Syria.
■ At least 12 journalists were killed and eight wounded in the first eight days of the Israel-Hamas war, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Two journalists are said to be missing.
■ About 1,500 ultra-Orthodox Israeli Jews over the age of exemption from army conscription have applied to join the IDF reserves since the outbreak of the war.
■ In the West Bank, the IDF said it carried out counter-terror operations Saturday night, arresting 49 suspects, 33 of which are Hamas members, and confiscating weapons and 50,000 shekels earmarked for terrorism, the IDF Spokesperson stated.