U.S. F-15 jets attack two Iranian-linked targets in Syria
The U.S. military on Thursday carried out strikes against two facilities in eastern Syria used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and groups it backs, the Pentagon said, in response to a spate of attacks against U.S. forces in both Iraq and Syria.
The strikes targeted weapons and ammunition storage facilities using F-15 planes, an official said, and were not coordinated with Israel.
"These precision self-defense strikes are a response to a series of ongoing and mostly unsuccessful attacks against U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militia groups that began on October 17," U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement.
"These narrowly-tailored strikes in self-defense were intended solely to protect and defend U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria," Austin added. "They are separate and distinct from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. and do not constitute a shift in our approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict."
An unnamed U.S. defense official told Reuters that “Iran is responsible for strikes by its proxies against U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria.”
The strikes were ordered by President Joe Biden, the Pentagon confirmed.
Islamic Jihad: One person killed during clashes with IDF in Jenin
Islamic Jihad says that one person was killed and at least two others were injured during clashes with Israeli forces in the West Bank city of Jenin early Friday. Palestinians say that the IDF conduct large-scale arrest operations across the West Bank.
A large number of IDF forces reportedly entered the Jenin and the adjacent refugee camp.
The Red Crescent also said that one person was injured by IDF fire in Nablus.
Missile strikes Egyptian Red Sea town near Israeli border
A missile struck a medical facility in an Egyptian Red Sea resort town near the Israeli border early on Friday, injuring six people, Egypt's Al Qahera News reported, and Israel's military said it was aware of a security incident in the area.
Citing sources, Al Qahera reported the blast in the town of Taba was related to fighting between Israel and Gaza's Hamas militants.
This week, Israel said a rocket claimed by Hamas hit an area outlying Eilat, opposite Taba on the Israeli side of the border.
A witness in Taba, which lies some 220 kms (136 miles) from Gaza, reported hearing an explosion and seeing heavy smoke and dust rising.
Al Qahera reported the missile struck a Taba ambulance facility and a residential building for the administration of the Taba Hospital.
Reuters was not immediately able to confirm the reports.
The Israeli military said it was aware of a security incident in the area, saying it unfolded "outside of our border."
Republicans seeks to split Israel aid from Ukraine package
Republican senators introduced legislation aiming to split the Biden administration's proposed emergency Israel assistance and Ukraine assistance.
The four Republicans - Sens. Roger Marshall, JD Vance, Mike Lee and Ted Cruz - are aiming to expedite the $14.3 billion in emergency aid to Israel without bogging it down in the internal DC politics of Ukraine funding.
The bill will assuredly not move forward, but portends deep internal party divides on the matter - particularly after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell supported Biden's initiative.
The issue is even more contentious in the House, where more than half the Republican conference is opposed to further Ukraine funding - including new House Speaker Mike Johnson.
IDF says it is 'aware of security incident' in Egypt near Sinai border
An explosion was heard and heavy smoke and dust were seen rising early on Friday in an Egyptian Red Sea resort town near the Israeli border, a witness told Reuters.
The Israeli military said it was aware of a security incident around the town of Taba, saying it unfolded "outside of our border".
Egypt's Al Qahera News TV said five people were wounded in the blast and that a residential building was damaged. It broadcast images of the blast on live television.
Citing sources, Al Qahera reported the blast was related to ongoing fighting between Israel and Gaza militants.
It was not immediately clear what caused the blast. Reuters was not immediately able to confirm reports of injuries.
Taba is a resort town on the Red Sea that is popular with tourists. It sits just opposite Israel's Red Sea port city of Eilat, over 350 kilometres (220 miles) from Gaza.
More Jewish Dems join call for 'humanitarian pause' in Gaza
Three more Jewish Democrats called for a humanitarian pause in Gaza — bringing the total to make the call today alone to six.
Reps. Sara Jacobs, Jamie Raskin and Susan Wild called the aid delivered to date insufficient, saying The two million civilians in Gaza cannot survive without access to water, food, medicine, and fuel – and resources cannot get to those who need it without a temporary cessation of hostilities for humanitarian workers to do their jobs safely. That’s why we echo Secretary Blinken’s call for a temporary cessation of hostilities to establish safe passage for civilians and allow humanitarian aid to resume."
The statement stands somewhere between previous dueling statements that called for a humanitarian pause, with one calling on Hamas to provide fuel while the other called on the U.S. and allies to help facilitate its delivery.
Doctors Without Borders calls for an immediate Gaza ceasefire
Doctors Without Borders calls for an immediate Gaza ceasefire.
“It’s time to end the indiscriminate bloodshed and the massive attacks on Gaza. Today it’s impossible for our colleagues to work safely because of widespread attacks on health care, which have impacted hospitals, ambulances, medical personnel, and patients. MSF staff who remain in northern Gaza tell us they are exhausted, both mentally and physically,” said Executive Director Avril Benoît.
“They describe a medical emergency that is worsening every day, with constant bombings and dwindling supplies to treat the victims. They’re seeing mass casualty events that would test even the most well-equipped hospitals,” she added.
Jewish religious leaders call for immediate release of Israeli hostages
600 rabbis, cantors, and rabbinical and cantorial students from around the U.S. and Canada signed an open letter calling for the immediate release of the 200-plus hostages held in Gaza, while urging all parties to follow laws of war and ensure of both Israeli and Palestinian civilians.
Among the signatories of the letter, organized by the T’ruah rabbinic human rights organization, include prominent U.S. rabbis representing some of the largest congregations around the country.
U.S. Senate passes bipartisan resolution denouncing antisemitism on campuses
The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution denouncing antisemitism at higher education institutions and pushing leaders, administrators and faculty to voice their opposition to antisemitism on campus.
“After the horrific atrocities committed by Hamas in southern Israel on October 7, we witnessed a wave of antisemitism on college campuses by anti-Israel groups praising Hamas’ mass murder of Jews,” said Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn. “Let me be clear: this kind of hatred has no place in America. I appreciate my Senate colleagues for swiftly and unanimously passing my resolution condemning antisemitism in our higher education institutions and urging campus staff to take action when it arises.”
“I’m appalled by the recent antisemitic incidents we’ve seen on college campuses across our nation, aimed at intimidating Jewish students and celebrating Hamas’s horrific terrorist attacks on Israel,” said Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen. “Schools have a responsibility to protect their Jewish students in the face of this blatant bigotry. I’m proud to have helped lead this bipartisan resolution to show that Republicans and Democrats in the Senate are united in calling out this kind of hatred.”
Students participate in a "Walkout to fight Genocide and Free Palestine" at Bruin Plaza at UCLA on October 25, 2023.Credit: FREDERIC J. BROWN - AFP
ADL urges probe of pro-Palestinian campus group for support of terrorist organization
Students participate in a walkout during a national day of action called by the "Students for Justice in Palestine" in New York on Wednesday.Credit: Ed Jones / AFP
The Anti-Defamation League sent a letter on Thursday to nearly 200 universities and colleges in the United States requesting that they investigate their campus chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine for possible violation of the law prohibiting support of a foreign terrorist organization.
“We certainly cannot sit idly by as a student organization provides vocal and potentially material support to Hamas, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization,” the letter says.
SJP has been at the forefront of anti-Israel protests on campuses across the United States since the Hamas incursion into Israel on October 7. The ADL letter, jointly signed by the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, suggest that SJP could be in violation of 18 U.S. Code 2339A and B, and its state equivalents, for providing material support or resources to a terrorist organization, in this case Hamas.
“Many of the organization’s campus chapters have explicitly endorsed the actions of Hamas and their armed attacks on Israeli citizens, voicing an increasingly radical call for confronting and ‘dismantling’ Zionism on U.S. college campuses,” the letter says. “Some SJP chapters have issued pro-Hamas messaging and/or promoted violent anti-Israeli messaging channels.”
“SJP chapters are not advocating for Palestinian rights; they are celebrating terrorism,” it charges.
The letter urges university and college leaders to investigate whether their respective SJP chapters have improper funding sources, have violated either the school’s code of conduct or state and federal laws, and whether they have provided material support to Hamas, which was designated a terrorist organization by the State Department in 1997.
“If universities do not check the activities of their SJP chapters, they may be violating their Jewish students’ legal right to be free of harassment and discrimination on campus,” the letter warns.
It notes that in sponsoring and preparing for its Day of Resistance events two weeks ago, SJP provided its chapters with public relations material that refers to the Hamas attack on Israel – the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust – as “the resistance.” SJP also organized walkouts on campuses across the country on Wednesday to protest what it described as “Zionist Genocide.”
Earlier this week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ordered all chapters of SJP on campuses in his state shut down. He is the first governor to initiate such a crackdown.
Rocket shrapnel fell in central Israel, ignited utility pole
A utility pole was damaged and caught fire in central Israel after a barrage of rockets was launched at the country.
No injuries have been reported. Israel Police called on residents to avoid the scene, as well as avoid approaching or touching remains of rockets and shrapnel.
Senior Hamas official says expected stronger intervention from Hezbollah
A senior Hamas official told The Associated Press on Thursday that the Palestinian militant group had expected stronger intervention from Hezbollah in its war with Israel, in a rare public appeal to its allies in the region.
Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas’ decision-making political bureau, said in an interview that “we need more” from allies, including Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, in light of an Israeli air campaign that Palestinian health officials say has killed more than 7,000 people, mostly civilians, in the besieged Gaza Strip.
The relentless Israeli bombardment of Gaza came in response to a brutal Oct. 7 surprise attack by Hamas that killed more than 1,400 people in Israel, many of them civilians. More than 200 people were dragged back to Gaza as hostages.
Wellesley students: ‘There should be no space, consideration or support for Zionism’
Students housed a dormitory in Wellesley College received a message from their resident advisers this week saying “there should be no space, no consideration and no support for Zionism” within their college community.
The message was sent out as part of a fundraising pitch for Palestinians in Gaza.
“With all historical, political and territorial aspects considered, Israel’s Zionist government needs to be condemned,” the message said. “Furthermore, individuals who endorse the forced removal of Palestinians should be recognized as supporter of colonization.” It was signed by the resident advisers of Munger Hall, located on the Massachusetts campus of the private liberal arts college for women.
Wellesley President Paula Johnson issued the following statement in response: “It recently came to my attention that a small number of student residence hall leaders from one dormitory sent a letter to their housemates in their capacity as resident assistants that expressed views on the Israel-Hamas conflict. Our Student Life team met with these students and talked about their role and responsibility to support all students. They have since sent an apology to all students in the residence hall. That these young leaders were able to learn from this episode gives me hope.”
A day after publishing the apology, one of the resident advisers clarified that she had not meant it. “Btw when y’all see the next munger email, just know I had a gun to my head and I still stand on business,” she wrote on social media.
Significant progress in negotiations for release of hostages, sources say
Families of hostages held in Hamas captivity in Gaza rally for their release at the Tel Aviv Museum on Thursday.Credit: Hadas Parush
Significant progress has been made in hostage negotiations led by Qatar over the past day, sources familiar with the talks confirmed.
The goal that Israel laid out in negotiations last week was the release of all hostages held by Hamas in Gaza in one event, but it is not clear if the ambitious proposal will come to fruition.
Mohamed Bin Mubarak Al-Khulaifi, a Qatari minister who serves as a senior member of the negotiating team, noted Thursday that "we have reached a breakthrough, there are positive developments."
Pentagon: US. troops were attacked 12 times in Syria and 4 times in Iraq by Iranian proxy organizations
Explosive ordinance troops, which would potentially help with Gaza tunnels, are not being sent to Israel at this time, the Pentagon said.
Jewish U.S. lawmakers call for humanitarian pause 'to allow aid to be delivered and unloaded'
Reps. Jerry Nadler and Dan Goldman – two of the most stalwart pro-Israel lawmakers, and both Jews from New York – called for a humanitarian pause "to allow for aid to be delivered and unloaded in Gaza and for civilians to have sufficient time to access secure areas."
"This also requires an agreement from Hamas to allow aid to be delivered to civilians, and not siphoned off for their own terrorist aims. We also urge Hamas to release fuel and electricity used for its terrorism to the hospitals in Gaza to ensure that injured civilians receive medical care," the lawmakers added.
Rep. Jan Schakowsky, another Jewish Democrat, joined calls for a humanitarian pause in Gaza.
"The human cost of this war is staggering. It is time the U.S. and its allies help facilitate a humanitarian pause in fighting to allow additional food, water, medicine, fuel, and other aid into Gaza," she said.
"Hamas must immediately and unconditionally release all hostages. Israel must take all possible measures to avoid further harming civilians. A wider regional conflict must be prevented. Hamas can and must be stopped to ensure long-term peace in the region, but, at this time, a humanitarian pause is critical to preventing unprecedented disaster and human suffering in Gaza, Israel, and around the world," the Illinois lawmaker added.
900 U.S. soldiers deploying or have been deployed to Middle East amid Israel-Hamas war
900 U.S. soldiers are deploying or have deployed to the Middle East, including a variety of air defense operators, the Pentagon confirmed. They will not be sent to Israel specifically, but to the greater Middle East as part of U.S. efforts to bolster its regional posture.
Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder also confirmed it will provide its full Iron Dome stockpile, both interceptors and batteries, to Israel.
IDF spokesman: Limited raids in Gaza to continue in coming days
IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari said Thursday evening that limited ground raids into the Gaza Strip, of the sort the military has carried out in recent days, will continue.
"Military forces are continuing today, as they did last night, with ground raids into the Gaza Strip," said Hagari at a press conference. "The purpose is to eliminate terrorists, prepare the area, clear explosives and clear positions in order to be ready for the next steps.
"The raids will continue tonight as well, and even more so in the coming days."
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene introduces resolution to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib for 'leading pro-Hamas insurrection'
Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib speaking on Capitol Hill last year.Credit: CHIP SOMODEVILLA - AFP
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene introduced a privileged House resolution aimed at censuring Rep. Rashida Tlaib for "leading a pro-Hamas insurrection into the Capitol complex, repeatedly displaying her antisemitic beliefs, and showing her hatred for Israel."
Since the resolution was introduced as privileged, the House must vote by next week on the matter.
Republicans like Greene, deeply embroiled in the January 6 insurrection, compared protests by American-Jewish activists calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war to the storming of the U.S. Capitol in 2021.
GOP lawmakers and media figures are calling for the hundreds of Jewish activists detained by Capitol Police to be charged with committing an insurrection, as well as Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American lawmaker in Congress, for fomenting the sit-in inside a congressional office building.
Tlaib said Greene's "unhinged resolution is deeply Islamophobic and attacks peaceful Jewish anti-war advocates. I am proud to stand in solidarity with Jewish peace advocates calling for a ceasefire and an end to the violence. I will not be bullied, I will not be dehumanized and I will not be silenced."
U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Kirby: Can't take Hamas' death toll 'at face value'
U.S. White House spokesman John Kirby speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., on Thursday.Credit: Ken Cedeno / Reuters
U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the death toll put forth by Hamas' Health Ministry in Gaza can't be taken "at face value."
"We all know that the Gaza Ministry of Health is just a front for Hamas," Kirby said. "We can't take anything coming out of Hamas – including the so-called Ministry of Health – at face value."
"There is an added burden here on Israel to make sure that they're doing everything they can to minimize civilian casualties, and we're in constant communication with them about that."
U.S. National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby: 74 trucks of aid entered Gaza
Palestinians unload boxes of medicine from a truck that entered the Gaza Strip from Rafah crossing Sunday.Credit: Mohammed Dahman /AP
74 trucks of humanitarian aid have entered Gaza through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, including 12 over the last 24 hours, U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said.
"It's not enough, more needs to go, and we're working with partners on the ground to see if we can accelerate and increase the flow of humanitarian assistance," he said.
Israeli army spokesperson: No fuel entering Gaza at this time
The Palestine Red Crescent receives a batch of humanitarian aid from their Egyptian counterpart, at the Rafah crossing, in this handout image released on Tuesday.Credit: Palestine Red Crescent Society / Reuters
IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Thursday night that no fuel is currently entering the Gaza Strip, according to orders from the political establishment.
"Fuel is a central issue," Hagari said, "Part of their [Hamas'] activity relies on fuel."
Three killed in airstrike in central Syria
Three people were killed and two were wounded in an airstrike in a suburb of the city of Hama in central Syria, Syria's official news agency reported.
Israeli justice minister and attorney general hold meeting on supporting terror
Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin and the Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara held a meeting to discuss the policy of dealing with cases of support for terror and incitement to terror since the beginning of the war.
Baharav-Miara said her policy and the policy of the state attorney is to prosecute all crimes of incitement to terror and identification with terror. Levin emphasized the importance of determined action on the part of law enforcement agencies to prevent these, particularly amid the war in Gaza.
Israeli army, Shin Bet kills three senior commanders of Hamas' Gaza City Brigade
The Israeli army and the Shin Bet killed three senior commanders of Hamas' Gaza City Brigade including the commander of Hamas' Daraj Tufah battalion, Rafat Abbas, his deputy, Ibrahim Jadbah and Hamas combat and administrative assistance commander Tareq Ma'ruf.
The attack was carried out using combat helicopters with intelligence guidance.
Daraj Tufah is a battalion within the Gaza City Brigade, which is considered Hamas' most important brigade. Its fighters played a significant role in the massacre in southern Israel on October 7.
Israel calls on Russia to deport Hamas delegation: 'Legitimizing the horrors'
Israel slammed Russia for hosting a Hamas delegation in Moscow, one day after Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution condemning Hamas for the October 7 attack.
"Israel condemns the invitation of senior Hamas officials to Moscow, which is an act of support of terrorism, and legitimizes the atrocities of Hamas terrorists.," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lioir Haiat said, further calling upon Russia to expel the delegation immediately.
Israel's public criticism of Russia is rare in the grand scheme of things, considering it has withheld military assistance to Ukraine in order not to burn bridges with Moscow.
Since the Hamas attack, however, it has become increasingly emboldened in its public criticism.
"Those who have voted against the U.S.-led resolution have shown the world that this council is incapable of doing the most basic task of condemning ISIS like terrorists and cannot confirm the right to self-defense of the victim of these heinous crimes," said Israel Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan following Russia's veto.
Israeli Chief Rabbis issue call urging not to harass Arabs in Jerusalem
Israeli Chief Rabbis David Lau and Yitzhak Yosef, among other rabbis, issued a joint call not to harass Arabs in Jerusalem.
The move came at the initiative of the mayor of Jerusalem, Moshe Leon, after many complaints he received from Arab municipal employees who had suffered humiliation and violence.
"Unfortunately, news reached us about those from the fringes whose blood boils upon hearing terrible rumors, and who behave violently towards workers engaged in service to the residents of our city," the rabbis wrote.
"We have come here to express our protest, because apart from the fact that this is completely contrary to the way of our holy Torah, there is also a matter of pikuach nefesh, as warned by those in charge of security matters," the rabbis said, referring to the principle of Jewish law that values the preservation of life over almost anything else.
UNRWA: Current stocks of fuel in Gaza are almost completely exhausted
The UN agency dedicated to Palestinian refugees said its current stocks of fuel in Gaza are almost completely exhausted, "forcing life-saving services to come to a halt."
This includes the supply of piped water as well as fuel for the health sector, bakeries, and generators.
Israeli defense minister: We are setting the ground for next stages of war
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Thursday.Credit: Itai Ron
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Thursday evening that Israeli citizens must prepare for a long fight in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
"We are setting the ground for the continuation of the campaign, and more stages will follow," said Gallant, adding that "the ground operation will take place."
Referring to some 224 people being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza, Gallant said "I am determined to make every effort to return the hostages to their families. This is my highest duty, along with a complete victory in the war."
Netanyahu: We need to crush Hamas so residents of southern Israel have the confidence to return
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised that a law aimed at rehabilitating the Gaza border communities would be passed as soon as possible.
"First of all, the law will allocate money, so that you don't have to beg with an outstretched hand to some clenched fist," he said. "In the final stage we can also build and expand, and make this [area] prosperous and safe. There is a national, primary, even historical mission here."
White House condemns rising antisemitism on college campuses stemming from Israel-Hamas war
- Columbia students participate in a rally and vigil in support of Israel in response to a neighboring student rally in support of Palestine at the university on October 12, 2023 in New York City.Credit: SPENCER PLATT - Getty Images via AFP
The White House sharply condemned rising antisemitism on college campuses in recent days stemming from the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, with recent events at George Washington University and Cooper Union standing out.
“Amidst the rise in poisonous, antisemitic rhetoric and hate crimes that President Biden has fought against for years, there is an extremely disturbing pattern of antisemitic messages being conveyed on college campuses. Just over the past week, we’ve seen protests and statements on college campuses that call for the annihilation of the state of Israel; for genocide against the Jewish people. Jewish students have even had to barricade themselves inside buildings," said White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates.
"These grotesque sentiments and actions shock the conscience and turn the stomach. They also recall our commitment that can’t be forgotten: ‘Never again.’ Delegitimizing the State of Israel while praising the Hamas terrorist murderers who burned innocent people alive, or targeting Jewish students, is the definition of unacceptable – and the definition of antisemitism. President Biden is proud to have been an enemy of antisemitism and hate his entire life, and he always will be,” Bates added.
Dept. of Homeland Security, FBI issue warning that threats targeting U.S. Jews, Muslims and Arabs increased in past three weeks
The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI issued a joint public service announcement warning that threats targeting U.S. Jews, Muslims and Arabs over the past three weeks have increased, "raising our concern that violent extremists and lone offenders motivated by or reacting to ongoing events could target these communities."
Threats have included hoax bomb threats targeting houses of worship and violent rhetoric online encouraging attacks against the communities in question.
"While we have no specific information that foreign adversaries are plotting attacks against the homeland, some are seeking to take advantage of the conflict, calling for violence in furtherance of their respective goals," they said, citing threats from Al-Qaida, ISIS and disinformation campaigns from Iran-linked media outlets.
Iran warns U.S. will 'not be spared' if war in Gaza continues at UN General Assembly
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian speaks to an emergency special session of the UN General Assembly on the ongoing Israel-Hamas war at UN headquarters in New York City, October 26, 2023.Credit: Mike Segar/Reuters
Iran's Foreign Minster Hossein Amirabdollahian warned on Thursday that if Israel's retaliation against Palestinian militants Hamas in the Gaza Strip doesn't end then the United States will "not be spared from this fire."
"I say frankly to the American statesmen, who are now managing the genocide in Palestine, that we do not welcome an expansion of the war in the region. But if the genocide in Gaza continues, they will not be spared from this fire," he told the United Nations General Assembly.
RECAP: Israel-Hamas War Day 20
The Israel-Hamas war has entered its twentieth day, almost three weeks after Hamas slaughtered at least 1,300 Israelis and wounded more than 3,300 in a merciless assault. In the Gaza Strip, the Hamas-controlled health ministry reports that at least 7,000 Palestinians have been killed. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad are holding more than 224 soldiers and civilians hostage, including foreign nationals.
Hamas rocket fire at Israel, including long-range missiles, and Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, including targeted assassinations, continue. Tensions on Israel’s northern border simmer with Hezbollah rocket fire and drones. Despite its combat readiness, reports suggest an IDF ground offensive into Gaza may be delayed, as the U.S. transfers defensive supplies for Israel and mobilizes its own forces to the area in efforts to deter Hezbollah and Iran. A total of 74 humanitarian aid trucks have entered Gaza via the Rafah crossing so far. Qatar’s prime minister said he hopes there’ll be a breakthrough on hostages held by Hamas “soon.”
Here’s what you need to know 20 days into the war.
What happened today:
■ IDF said it attacked more than 250 targets in an overnight ground offensive in the northern Gaza Strip. It also claimed it assassinated Hamas' rocket firing system commander. Hamas continued to target Tel Aviv and its environs with rockets on Wednesday.
■ Israeli forces continued to sporadically trade fire with Hezbollah on the Lebanese border.
■ The Israeli military said 224 families have now been informed that their relatives are held hostage by Hamas. Police have confirmed the identity of 1,117 soldiers and civilians killed in the war. More than half the estimated 224 hostages hold foreign passports, including 54 Thai nationals, 15 Argentinians, 12 Germans, 12 Americans, six French, and six Russians.
■ Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz said that an Israeli ground incursion into Gaza would only be the first stage of a "combined effort" to include "security, governmental and social aspects that will take years."
■ Hundreds of residents of the Gaza border community of Kfar Azza, which suffered a ferocious blow in Hamas’ onslaught, rallied in front of the defense ministry in Tel Aviv to call for the immediate release of hostages.
■ Israeli security forces arrested 46 Hamas operatives in the West Bank on Thursday overnight, according to reports from the IDF and Shin Bet.
■ According to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry in Gaza, 7,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed since the start of the war. A Hamas spokesperson claimed that around 50 hostages were killed in Gaza due to Israeli strikes.
■ The Palestinian Red Crescent said that 12 humanitarian aid trucks have entered Gaza through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, but that no fuel trucks have entered yet. Since the start of the war, 74 aid trucks have entered Gaza.
■ The Oxfam charity says that only 2 percent of food earmarked for Gaza has been able to enter since October 9, when Israel tightened restrictions on supplies allowed into the Strip.
■ In an audio recording published by the IDF, a Gaza resident is heard saying that Hamas is setting up roadblocks to prevent Gazans from moving south away from the area Israel has called on them to evacuate.
■ Hezbollah cells in Iraq attacked the Ain al-Asad air base, which hosts U.S. and other international forces in western Iraq.
■ A Hamas delegation is visiting Moscow, according to Russia’s Foreign Ministry. Russia says it held talks in Qatar with Hamas representatives regarding the hostages held in Gaza. The deputy chief of Hamas' political wing, Saleh al-Arouri, said that senior Hamas officials have met with Hezbollah Secretary General Nasrallah on the day the deadly assault was launched.
■ European Union leaders met on Thursday to discuss the Israel-Hamas war.
■ In a joint statement, the UAE, Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt and Morocco said Israel’s right to self-defense does not justify violations of international law, collective punishment and the targeting of civilians in Gaza
■ Israel is collecting digital evidence to serve future war crimes and crimes-against-humanity trials against the Hamas terrorists who perpetrated the October 7 attack.
IDF drone strikes terrorist cell attempting to fire anti-tank missiles at an army post on the Lebanese border
An IDF drone hit a terrorist cell in Lebanon that tried launching anti-tank missiles from Lebanese territory at an IDF post on the border, the IDF spokesperson said.
New poll shows Biden's support for Israel-Hamas war harming his standing among Democrats
A new Gallup poll indicates U.S. President Joe Biden's support for Israel's Gaza war, in response to the Hamas attack, is harming his standing among Democratic voters.
Democrats' approval of Biden has dropped 11 percentage points over the last month from 86 percent to 75 percent — Democrats' lowest assessment of Biden since he assumed power in 2021.
His overall approval rating dropped four points from 41 percent to 37 percent, matching his personal low.
The survey was not designed to allow for statistically reliable estimates for any subset of the three-week polling period, Gallup notes, but the daily results strongly suggest a correlation between the slipping numbers and Biden's Israel policy.
Palestinian ambassador to the UN: Palestinian casualties would be equivalent to 28,000 Israelis killed
Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour condemned the international community's indifference to the death toll in Gaza.
He noted the Palestinian casualties would be equivalent to 28,000 Israelis killed (including 12,000 children and 6,800 women), 72,000 wounded and 5.6 million displaced.
"Is it more shocking now," he asked, "more unacceptable, more outrageous?"
Israeli missions in Russia, Poland, and several other countries restrict public reception of non-Israeli audiences until further notice
Israeli missions in Russia, Poland, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Belarus and Uzbekistan have ceased receiving non-Israeli audiences until further notice due to stricter security guidelines.
This means that aliyah applicants will be unable to get immigration visas or be approved for an interview with a representative of the Eastern European aliyah agency, Nativ, to determine their eligibility. The Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the matter.
This week, media outlets in Russia reported that public reception at Israel’s missions had been halted due to the “security situation” until Friday. Israel’s ambassador to Russia, Alexander Ben Zvi, told TASS news agency that this was due to “fear of demonstrations outside the embassy or something similar.”
Gaza humanitarian crisis has reached 'catastrophic proportions,' WHO says
Palestinians inspect the rubble of destroyed buildings following Israeli airstrikes on Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023.Credit: Mohammed Dahman /AP
The Gaza humanitarian crisis has reached "catastrophic proportions," according to the World Health Organization.
"It is our moral duty, an imperative that transcends political boundaries, to demand unobstructed access for delivering life-saving aid. Any further delay or hindrance is simply unacceptable," said WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr. Ahmed Al-Mandhari.
“We insist on immediate and unrestricted access to provide urgent aid. Each passing moment places countless lives in jeopardy. The world should not tolerate further impediments to our mission of saving those at risk,” he added.
Public health officials have warned about rising instances of diseases such as acute respiratory infections, diarrhea, scabies, lice and chicken pox due to poor sanitation conditions and consumption of water from agricultural wells. This further puts Gazans at risk of violent intestinal diseases like dysentery and cholera.
Israel kills top Hamas commander who planned October 7 attack with Sinwar
The Israeli army killed Deputy Head of the Hamas Intelligence Service, Shadi Barud.
A joint statement by the IDF and the Shin Bet security service said that Barud planned the murderous raid on Israel on October 7 with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
Barud was previously a battalion leader in the Khan Yunis area and was involved in planning several terrorist attacks against Israeli citizens. After that, he held various posts in Hamas' military intelligence.
Jordan's foreign affairs minister: Israel making Gaza a perpetual hell on earth, trauma will haunt generations to come
Jordanian Foreign Affairs Minister Ayman Safadi criticized the mounting civilian death toll in Israel's bombardment of Gaza on Thursday, saying "Israel is making Gaza a perpetual hell on earth. The trauma will haunt generations to come."
"The Israeli government has cabinet members who openly, shamefully call for wiping out Palestinians from the face of this earth, call them animals unworthy of life, tell you this is not a war on the Palestinian people," Safadi said. "If it's not, then why on earth would they kill [the infant grandson of a Palestinian journalist]?"
Safadi implicitly criticized Israel's ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan for showing footage of Hamas attempting to behead a Thai worker at the session. "I don't have videos to show you. We respect the dead too much, we respect the pain of their families too much. But thousands of videos depict the abomination, the horror, the inhumanities to which Palestinians are being subjected and have been subjected."
Israeli ambassador to UN: Israel at war with the genocidal, jihadist Hamas terror organization
Credit: Mike Segar/Reuters
Speaking at the United Nations on Thursday, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan said "This emergency session has nothing to do with peace."
Erdan added that "This resolution is a disgrace to your intelligence. It is unfathomable that such a resolution – one that doesn’t even mention Hamas – could possibly be voted upon." Calls for a ceasefire, Erdan said are "not an attempt at peace" but "an attempt to tie Israel’s hands, preventing us from eliminating a huge threat to our citizens."
"The October 7 massacre and what ensued has nothing to do with the Palestinians or the Arab-Israeli conflict or the Palestinian question. This is not a war with the Palestinians, Israel is at war with the genocidal, jihadist Hamas terror organization," Erdan said.
"Hamas do not care about the Palestinian people," he continued. "They do not care about peace or dialogue. Hamas has only one goal – to annihilate Israel and murder every single Jew on the face of the earth."
Erdan said that "ISIS was the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, and Hamas is the Islamic State of Gaza. So just as was done with ISIS, Hamas must be no more. Our goal is to completely eradicate Hamas’ capabilities, and we will use every mean at our disposal to accomplish this. Not for revenge. Not for retaliation. But to ensure that such depravity never occurs again."
Israeli drone fell on balcony in northern Israeli city of Ma'alot-Tarshiha, lightly wounding seven
The spokesman for the Israeli army said that a military drone fell Wednesday night on the balcony of a house in the northern Israeli city of Ma'alot-Tarshiha, wounding seven people.
Five adults and two children, aged 11 and 5, arrived at the Galilee Medical Center where six of them were treated in the emergency room and released. One casualty, a 66-year-old, was treated elsewhere.
UN General Assembly holds emergency session on Israel-Gaza war
The UN General Assembly is holding an emergency session on the Israel-Gaza war.
The request for the session, made by Jordan and Mauritania, comes after repeated failed efforts within the UN Security Council to issue a resolution on the matter.
UN GA President Dennis Francis, the representative of Trinidad and Tobago, called for an immediate ceasefire and condemned both the indiscriminate targeting of civilians and the scale of destruction caused to Gaza's critical infrastructure.
Francis added that Israel's right to self-defense does not provide lawful license to reprise unlawfully and disproportionately.
The session is technically a resumption of the UN GA's tenth emergency special session, which has been ongoing since 1997. This will be the 39th time the tenth emergency special session has met on the matter.
Switzerland suspends financial support to Israeli and Palestinian human rights NGOs due to 'resumption of Middle East hostilities'
Switzerland is suspending its financial support to 11 human rights NGOs — five Israeli and six Palestinian — "In view of the new situation that has prevailed since the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October and the resumption of hostilities in the Middle East."
The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs said the suspension will enable it to analyze whether the NGOs in question comply with anti-discrimination requirements.
"The FDFA's cooperation activities in the Middle East must adapt to the new context that has prevailed since the resumption of hostilities. The relevance and feasibility of programmes will therefore have to be analysed in general terms," it said.
The NGOs losing funding include: Adalah, Al-Shabaka, Gisha, Hamleh, Hamoked, Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Centre (JLAC), MIFTAH: The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy, Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), Palestinian NGO Network (PNGO), Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) and the Women's Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling (WCLAC).
Hamas delegation, Iran's deputy foreign minister are visiting Moscow, according to Russian Foreign Ministry
A delegation from Hamas, the militant Palestinian group that controls Gaza, is currently visiting Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a weekly briefing on Thursday, without providing any further details.
Russia's state-run RIA news agency, quoting a source from the Palestinian delegation, said senior Hamas member Abu Marzook was among those visiting Moscow.
Russia has ties to all key players in the Middle East, including Israel, Iran, the Palestinian Authority and Hamas.
Moscow has repeatedly blamed the current crisis on the failure of U.S. diplomacy, and called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the resumption of talks aimed at finding a peace settlement.
Separately, Zakharova also said that Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Baghiri Kani was also currently visiting Moscow and had held talks with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin. Baghiri Kani is Iran's chief nuclear negotiator.
Global charity Oxfam says only two percent of food delivered to Gaza has been able to enter since October 9
Oxfam, a confederation of 21 global charities, says only 2 percent of food that would have been delivered to Gaza has been able to enter since October 9, when Israel tightened restrictions on supplies able to enter following the Hamas attack.
Oxfam only 30 of the 62 trucks that have entered Gaza via the Rafah crossing contained food – amounting to one truck every three hours and 12 minutes since Saturday.
“The situation is nothing short of horrific – where is humanity? Millions of civilians are being collectively punished in full view of the world, there can be no justification for using starvation as a weapon of war. World leaders cannot continue to sit back and watch, they have an obligation to act and to act now," said Oxfam Regional Middle East Director Sally Abi Khalil.
“Every day the situation worsens. Children are experiencing severe trauma from the constant bombardment, their drinking water is polluted or rationed and soon families may not be able to feed them too," she added. "How much more are Gazans expected to endure?"
IDF emphasizes need to stop arms smuggling through Gazan-Egyptian border on 'day after' the war
IDF advises against building expectations if there's no intention to allow the army to acheive the objectives the political leadership set, and emphasized the need to stop a renewal of arms smuggling through the Philadelphi route, along the Gazan-Egyptian border.
The IDF said that the raid on Thursday in north Gaza was executed by Division 162, the armored corps, and the engineering corps, and that the objective was to prepare the area for a ground manuevre and collect data from the border region. The IDF estimates that the Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, does not have intelligence and he is following Israeli media outlets.
Hamas spokesperson says estimated number of captives killed in Gaza due to Israeli strikes is around 50
The estimated number of Hamas-held captives killed in Gaza due to Israeli strikes is around 50, Abu Obeida, a spokesman for the al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's armed wing, said on Thursday according to the al-Qassam Brigades' Telegram account.
The spokesperson did not give any further details.
Arab countries make a joint statement condemning forced displacement and collective punishment in Gaza
UAE, Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Morocco condemn targeting of civilians, violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza.
In a joint statement, Arab countries condemn forced displacement and collective punishment in Gaza. According to the statement, Arab countries say right to self-defense does not justify violations of international law and deliberate neglect of Palestinian people's legitimate rights.
UN humanitarian coordinator for Palestinians decries IDF's advanced notifications airstrikes in Gaza as ineffectual
The UN humanitarian coordinator for Palestinians decried the Israeli military's advanced notifications on its airstrikes in Gaza as ineffectual given the lack of freedom of movement.
"For people who can’t evacuate – because they have nowhere to go or are unable to move – advance warnings make no difference. When the evacuation routes are bombed, when people north as well as south are caught up in hostilities, when the essentials for survival are lacking, and when there are no assurances for return, people are left with nothing but impossible choices. Nowhere is safe in Gaza," said Lynn Hastings.
"The conduct of armed conflict, anywhere, is governed by international humanitarian law. This means that civilians must be protected and have the essentials to survive, wherever they are and whether they choose to move or stay," she continued, adding "it also means that hostages – all hostages – must be released, immediately and unconditionally."
Guardian: Head of UNWRA warns 'Gaza is becoming a graveyard'
Palestinians inspect the rubble of destroyed buildings following Israeli airstrikes on town of Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Thursday.Credit: Mohammed Dahman /AP
British news agency The Guardian ran a report on Thursday written by the head of UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNWRA), Philippe Lazzarini, warning that "Gaza is becoming a graveyard."
In the report he details how Gazans are living in unsanitary conditions which have affected their water, food and health services.
France's Macron seeks international support for his proposal to build an anti-Hamas coalition
French President Emmanuel Macron listens during a joint press conference with Egyptian President following their talks in Cairo, on Wednesday.Credit: CHRISTOPHE ENA - AFP
French President Emmanuel Macron sought to promote – with little success so far – the creation of an international coalition to fight the armed Palestinian group Hamas, during a two-day trip to the Middle East that started in Israel.
Leaders he met with in Israel, the West Bank, Jordan and Egypt didn't publicly address the issue.
Israeli NY-based artist threatened after her satirical video is distorted by pro-Palestinians
Video and performance artist Tamy Ben Tor is facing invective and threats against her life by radical leftists and pro-Palestinian activists after a sarcastic video she published online was distorted and distributed. As a result, on Monday, she filed a complaint with the New York Police Department.
Ben Tor has lived for the past 20 years in New York. Last week, she published a short theatrical performance on her Instagram page, which only has about 500 followers. Ben Tor played the character of a nameless American academic who was seemingly appealing to Hamas in a sarcastic text and polite tone, full of political correctness. She wore a mask of a wrinkled and ugly figure, a character that she has been portraying for a long time.
Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister talks to Hamas about hostages
The Russian leadership says it held talks in Qatar with representatives of Hamas regarding the fate of hostages held by the Palestinian Islamist organization.
"Of course, we met the political leadership," Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said on Thursday, according to Russian news agencies. He did not share the results of the discussion.
Hamas is reported to be holding more than 220 Israeli hostages in the Gaza Strip, with at least two of them reportedly holding Russian citizenship, according to Moscow.
Russia maintains relations with the Arab world and has a significant number of its own citizens living in Israel. Moscow has offered its services as a mediator since the outbreak of the latest Gaza conflict.
President Vladimir Putin has attributed the responsibility for the flare-up of violence in the Middle East to the United States, claiming that US Middle East policy did not address the needs of the Palestinians. Russia, in turn, has been accused of exploiting the escalation in Israel to divert attention from its own war against Ukraine.
In the UN Security Council, Russia and China recently rejected a draft resolution from the United States that emphasized Israel's right to self-defence and called for a humanitarian ceasefire. A Russian proposal, which included a demand for a ceasefire, was also voted down.
Israel's envoy in Taipei says Taiwan has been 'good friend' whose support Israel has appreciated, but China's response has been 'disturbing'
Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks at the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) to mark the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing last week.Credit: EDGAR SU/ REUTERS
Israel's envoy in Taipei said on Thursday that Taiwan has been a "good friend" whose support Israel has appreciated, but China's response to the attack by Hamas militants has been "disturbing".
China has condemned violence and attacks on civilians in the war and declared Israel's actions "beyond the scope of self-defense," refusing to name Hamas in their statements.
Israel’s LGBTQ Task Force releases letter calling on the global LGBTQ community to condemn Hamas’ massacre of Israelis
The Aguda – Israel’s LGBTQ Task Force released a letter on Thursday calling on the global LGBTQ community to condemn Hamas’ massacre of Israelis on October 7. The letter also takes some international activists from the community to task for legitimizing the attacks, which killed about 1,400 people.
“Legitimizing or ‘understanding’ these acts taken by Hamas undermines and violates any sense of human dignity, and the core values which stand at the heart of the LGBTQI+ liberation movement,” the letter reads. “Regardless of political views and possible criticism, any person with clear conscience must realize that Hamas’ inhuman and brutal attack is not a ‘legitimate’ response under any moral queer thinking.”
The letter, signed by Aguda Chairwoman Hila Pe’er and board members Nurit Shein, Maggi Mor and Nimrod Gornstein, adds, “We protest the alarming sights of activists who claim to advance human rights while justifying or even expressing their support for the hideous acts of a brutal, antisemitic and homophobic terror of an organization whose primary goal is to hurt innocent individuals.”
The letter also notes the treatment of LGBTQ people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and how Hamas’ intolerance of the community has put the lives of queer Gazans at risk. “We see and recognize the suffering of the people in the Gaza Strip,” it adds. “We must all promote tolerance, inclusion, justice and dignity and take all necessary steps to reduce violence. Nevertheless, under the Hamas regime, neither Palestinians nor Israelis are safe, especially LGBTQI+ people from both groups.”
Turkey's Erdogan: What more needs to happen in Gaza for West to call for ceasefire
Turkey's President and leader of the Justice and Development (AK) Party Recep Tayyip Erdogan attends his party's group meeting at the Turkish Grand National Assembly in Ankara on Wednesday.Credit: Adem Altan - AFP
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday that nobody should expect Turkey to remain silent in the face of the violence in Gaza.
In a speech in Ankara, Erdogan said there was no difference between Gazan, Palestinian, Israeli, and Syrian children in the eyes of Turkey. He also said Turkey would intensify its efforts with Egypt to get humanitarian aid into Gaza.
He also asked "What more needs to happen in Gaza for West to call for ceasefire?" and said "Western countries are providing unconditional support for Israeli attacks instead of calling for restraint".
"Israeli attack on Gaza exceeded self-defense," he added.
Hamas' Health Ministry in Gaza: Over 7,000 killed from IDF attacks, among them 3,000 children
The Hamas-controlled Health Ministry in Gaza reported on Thursday that over 7,000 Gazans have been killed from IDF attacks. According to the report, 2,913 were children and 1,709 women. They also stated that 1,650 are missing, and according to their estimation, are trapped under the rubble.
Israeli deputy finance minister quits, returns to her position as member of Knesset
Israeli Deputy Finance Minister Michal Waldiger quit her role on Thursday. She will continue in her capacity as a member of Knesset.
Al-jazeera: IDF attacks in south Lebanon
According to reports in Al-jazeera, the IDF is shelling Ayta al Shaab, a village in southern Lebanon.
Israeli security forces: Over 60 were arrested on Wednesday night in the West Bank, most of them Hamas members
Israeli security forces arrested 60 people in the West Bank on Wednesday night, 46 of which are Hamas members, according to reports from the IDF and Shin Bet. The report said that the forces made arrests and confiscated two M-16 guns in the city of Tubas near Nablus, and a clash between the residents ensued. According to the report, the residents threw rocks and munitions at the forces, who retaliated with fire.
The announcement also mentioned that since the start of the war, about 1000 people have been arrested in the West Bank, 660 of which are Hamas members.
Israeli Opposition leader Lapid: "If everyone is responsible [for the war] then no one is"
Israeli Opposition leader Yair Lapid answered the question regarding his own responsibility for the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war and said that if everyone is responsible then also "no one is responsible."
Lapid was asked about his part in the failures that led to the Hamas attack, in light of Israeli politician Naftali Bennett publically taking responsibility. "I think that if they keep trying to get everyone to take responsibility, then everyone will be responsible and also no one will be responsible. And there are those who are responsible," he said. "Furthermore, this isn't the time to be dealing with this," he added.
Rocket sirens sound in Tel Aviv, central and southern Israel
Rocket alarms blared in Tel Aviv, the Sharon Area, and southern Israel.
Director of hospital in Khan Younis in Gaza: Over 70 killed in the last few hours from bombing southern Gaza
Manager of Nasser hostpital in the Gazan city of Khan Younis reported that in the last few hours over 70 have been killed from bombing in southern Gaza.
Head of the Hamas' Propoganda Ministry Salameh Ma'aruf said that on Thursday they have "surpassed the bar of 7,000 killed in the Gaza strip and there are thousands missing under the rubble." According to his statement, "The aid entering Gaza hardly satisfies the needs of one refugee center."
Kremlin: Efforts to agree balanced UN Gaza resolution must continue despite setbacks
The Kremlin said on Thursday that efforts to agree on what it called a balanced UN resolution on the situation in Gaza should continue.
It was commenting a day after Russia and China vetoed a U.S. push for the United Nations Security Council to act on the Israel-Hamas conflict by calling for pauses in fighting to allow humanitarian aid access, the protection of civilians and a stop to arming Hamas and other militants in the Gaza Strip.
A rival Russian-drafted text that called for a humanitarian ceasefire and withdrawal of Israel's order for civilians in Gaza to relocate south ahead of a ground assault failed to attract the minimum number of votes for support.
Palestinian Red Crescent: 12 aid trucks with medicine, food and water have entered Gaza
The Palestinian Red Crescent said that humanitarian aid has entered Gaza through the Rafah border crossing. According to their announcement, 12 aid trucks with medicine, food and water have made their way into Gaza.
They also mentioned that no fuel trucks have entered the Gaza strip yet, and since the start of the war, a total of 74 aid trucks have entered Gaza.
Higher Arab Monitoring Committee chairman on cancelling ceasefire convetion: The government is persecuting and silencing the Arab public
Higher Arab Monitoring Committee chairman, Muhammad Barakeh, blames "Ben-Gvir's thought police" for cancelling a convention of Jews and Arabs calling for a ceasefire, that was supposed to take place on Thursday in Haifa.
In a press confrence he called following the event's cancellation, Barakeh calified that theHigher Arab Monitoring Committe strongly condemns the harm of "innocent people and civilians on both sides." According to him, "only those who are morally twisted can distinguish between babies."
Barakeh also criticized Israel's response to the Hamas attack, and the marking of the Arab population in Israel as an additional front in the war. "We will not accept a war of revenge against the Palestinians. Israel cannot build security on the bodies of Palestinians." He added that the government is "persecuting the Arab public trying to prevent political meetings and silence them."
Former chairman of the Knesset, Avraham Burg, who attended the press conference, condemned Hamas and said that "there will never be moral justification that could justify it's actions with the injustices of the occupation." However, he also said that "there is occupation and there is discrimination. There is suffering and a deep elimination of human rights, Hamas' crimes won't hide that reality and cannot justify it."
RECAP: IDF conducts overnight ground raid into Gaza; 224 confirmed hostages held by Hamas
The Israel-Hamas war enters its 20th day, almost three weeks after Hamas carried out a deadly assault on southern Israel that left at least 1,300 Israelis slaughtered and more than 3,300 people wounded on October 7. At least 220 people – more than half of whom are foreign nationals – are being held hostage by Hamas.
Israel responded with heavy aerial bombardment of the Gaza Strip, which according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry has left at least 6,546 Gazans dead – including 2,704 children. 17,439 Gazans have been wounded since the start of the war. A slow trickle of humanitarian aid has entered the Strip in recent days, after Israel imposed a siege on the enclave, cutting electricity, water and fuel.
Here's what you need to know:
■ Police, IDF confirm the identity of 1,117 soldiers and civilians killed in the war.
■ IDF says 224 families were informed of their relatives being held by Hamas in the Strip.
■ IDF reports of a ground offensive in the northern Gaza Strip overnight, attacked Hamas members and destroyed terror infrastructures.
■ Israeli Minister and member of the War Cabinet Benny Gantz says that restoring security to Gaza border communities 'will take years.'
■ In an audio recording published by the IDF, a Gaza resident is sound saying that Hamas blocks paths to Gaza's south.
■ Arab-Jewish conference canceled after Israel Police warn venue owner of ‘consequences.’
■ The IDF reports that the army has attacked more than 250 Hamas targets during the night and destroyed command posts, tunnels and rockets launchers.
■ Israel collects digital evidence as part of a war crimes and crimes-against-humanity investigation it is conducting into the Hamas terrorists who perpetrated the October 7 attack.
■ Two Israelis wounded near West Bank settlement, police say attacked by Palestinians.
■ The Deputy chief of Hamas' political wing, Saleh al-Arouri, said that senior Hamas officials have met with Hezbollah Secretary General Nasrallah already on October 7.
■ Hezbollah cells in Iraq attacks the Ain al-Asad air base, which hosts U.S. and other international forces in western Iraq.
■ European Union leaders meet on Thursday to grapple with the conflict between Israel and Hamas while also aiming to show continuing support for Ukraine in its war against Russia's invasion.
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel demands AG to investigate Minister Ben-Gvir for calling a judge 'an enemy from within'
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel asked Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to State Prosecutor Office to open an investigation against National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for calling Nazareth District Court Judge Taha Arafat "an enemy from within."
Ben-Gvir referred to Taha's decision to release to house arrest well-known Israeli Arab actress Maisa Abd Elhadi that was detained Tuesday on suspension of praising and promoting terrorism online when commenting on Hamas’ October 7 attacks.
Gantz: Restoring security to Gaza border communities 'will take years'
Minister Benny Gantz speaks at a funeral, last week.
Israeli Minister and member of the War Cabinet Benny Gantz said on Thursday in a press conference that the ground manuvre is only the first stage of many on the way to acheiving the objective of the war. The objective, he said, will be acheived only through a "combined effort" that according to him will include "security, governmental and social aspects that will take years."
He also mentioned that the "battle will soon enter additional stages of higher intensity." Gantz commited to act towards "redesiging the area" and added that "the combat against terror in Gaza will continue in the Gaza strip and in any place and at any time that will be required."
Answering Haaretz regarding how long he plans to stay in government, Gantz said "I didn't do politics when I entered the government, and I am not planning to do politics. Just like I knew when to enter, I will also know when to exit."
Gantz was also asked about his responsibility in building the conception against Hamas, to which he answered "Anyone who was part of the Israeli leadership in any position cannot rid themself of responsibility, including me. For over 20 years I have worked in key positions in Israel, I do not release myself from taking responsibility."
In an IDF recording, Gaza resident says Hamas blocks paths to Gaza's south
A man speaks with a worker of UNRWA in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday.Credit: MAHMUD HAMS - AFP
The IDF Spokesperson unit released a recording of a conversation between an Israeli officer of unit 504 of army intelligence and a resident of the Gaza Strip.
In the recording, the resident can be heard saying that Hamas is setting up roadblocks along the Gaza Strip in an attempt to prevent Gazans from moving south toward the Khan Yunis area.
"For your own personal safety, I implore you to go toward Khan Yunis now," the Israeli officer is heard saying. "All roads are blocked," is the reply.
UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Occupied Palestinian Territory says IDF telling Gazans to evacuate is 'an impossible choice'; calls for all hostages to be released 'immediately and unconditionally'
UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Lynn Hastings, said in a statement that "The IDF continues to notify people in Gaza City that those who stay in their homes will put themselves in danger."
The statement continued to say that "For people who can’t evacuate – because they have nowhere to go or are unable to move – advance warnings make no difference. When the evacuation routes are bombed, when people north as well as south are caught up in hostilities, when the essentials for survival are lacking, and when there are no assurances for return, people are left with nothing but impossible choices. Nowhere is safe in Gaza."
Hastings added that "The conduct of armed conflict, anywhere, is governed by international humanitarian law. This means that civilians must be protected and have the essentials to survive, wherever they are and whether they choose to move or stay. It also means that hostages – all hostages – must be released, immediately and unconditionally."
Police, IDF confirm the identity of 1,117 soldiers and civilians killed in the war
As of Thursday, 808 civilians were identified by the police and 309 soldiers were identified by the army.
Arab-Jewish conference canceled after Israel Police warn venue owner of ‘consequences’
Former MK and Chairman of the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee Muḥammad Baraka (left), in February. According to him, this is "part of a political siege on the Arab citizens, which includes preventing dialogue with the democratic elements in Jewish society."Credit: Fadi Amun
The owner of an event hall in Haifa made a last-minute decision to cancel a Jewish-Arab conference calling for an end to Israel’s war with Hamas. Israel Police informed him that holding the conference, scheduled for Thursday, would have “various consequences.”
The theme of the conference was “our partnership in the struggle for justice and against war.”
Officials from the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee said that the Haifa hall-owner in question backed out after the police threatened to order the closure of his venue. They added that the owner of a venue in Shfar’am – who was supposed to host a separate conference – received a similar threat.
Police said that “Upon receiving information about the intent of extremists to hold an event that would include calls against the State of Israel and actions by security forces against Hamas, it was explained to the hall owner that hosting such an event could have various consequences.”
EU leaders to call for 'humanitarian corridors and pauses' to get aid into Gaza
European Union leaders will call for the establishment of "humanitarian corridors and pauses" to get urgently-needed aid into Gaza, according to the final draft of a text to be approved at a summit in Brussels on Thursday.
"The European Council expresses its gravest concern for the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza and calls for continued, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access and aid to reach those in need through all necessary measures including humanitarian corridors and pauses," the text says.
"The European Union will work closely with partners in the region to protect civilians, provide assistance and facilitate access to food, water, medical care, fuel and shelter, ensuring that such assistance is not abused by terrorist organizations."
IDF spokesperson says 224 families were informed of their relatives being held by Hamas in the Strip
In a statement Thursday morning, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said that to date, the army has informed 224 families that their relatives are being held hostage by the Hamas in the Strip. The families of 309 of the army's fallen soldiers were also notified.
The number of those being kept hostage is not final and changes according to the intelligence gather by the army.
Hagari further noted that the army has raided the northern Gaza Strip overnight. The offensive's objective was to "prepare the area for the future stages of engagement," he said, adding that during the attack many Hamas terrorists were killed and Hamas infrastructure was destroyed.
Minister Miki Zohar: Internal rift among Israelis is sole cause for October 7 disaster
Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar last year at the Knesset.Credit: Ohad Zwigenberg
In an interview with Army Radio Thursday, Israeli Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar said that the internal rift among Israelis is "the sole cause for the disaster that occurred on October 7."
Zohar added that once the war is over, he will take it upon himself "to stand up to anyone who incites, no matter his or hers politics."
IDF: We have attacked more than 250 Hamas targets during the night
The IDF spokesperson said Thursday morning that the army has attacked more than 250 Hamas targets during the night and destroyed Hamas command posts, tunnels and rockets launchers.
The statement further noted that the attack involved the Israeli navy which attacked a ground-to-air missile launchers that Hamas posted near Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.
Hamas claims of intercepting an Israeli army helicopter, IDF denies
According to the IDF, the Hamas did try to intercept an army helicopter with a ground-to-air missile on Thursday, but was unsuccessful.
Israel collecting digital evidence for war crimes case against Hamas
Hamas terrorists' GoPro cams documented the murder of a thousand Israeli civilians
Israel is collecting digital evidence as part of a war crimes and crimes-against-humanity investigation it is conducting into the Hamas terrorists who perpetrated the October 7 mass slaughter of a thousand Israeli civilians and the kidnapping of hundreds into Gaza.
On Monday the police announced that the international crimes unit of Lahav 433, popularly known as Israel’s FBI, was leading a “national” war crimes investigation with the help of the Shin Bet security service and Israel Defense Forces. As Haaretz reported, witness testimony was already being collected from first responders and paramedics from Zaka, who provided medical assistance to survivors and helped collect and identify the bodies of those killed. This is part of an attempt to build a body of evidence to serve future legal proceedings in Israel and abroad.
Jewish students at NYC college take refuge in library from pro-Palestinian protesters
- Columbia students participate in a rally and vigil in support of Israel in response to a neighboring student rally in support of Palestine at the university on October 12, 2023 in New York City.Credit: SPENCER PLATT - Getty Images via AFP
Jewish students at Cooper Union college in New York were forced to take shelter on Wednesday afternoon in the school library from a group of masked anti-Israel protesters who had stormed the building shouting “Free Palestine.”
Video circulating on social media shows the Jewish students, among them several boys with yarmulkes on their heads, huddling in the library while the protesters pound loudly on the door.
According to Taylor Lent, a Jewish sophomore who was present, campus security guards barricaded the door of the library to prevent the anti-Israeli protesters from entering. She said that faculty present in the library told the Jewish students they would help them find hiding places if that became necessary.
As long as Israel's ground invasion delays, efforts to release hostages intensify | Analysis
An Israeli mobile artillery unit fires a shell from southern Israel towards the Gaza Strip, in a position near the Israel-Gaza border, on Wednesday.Credit: Tsafrir Abayov /AP
The waiting period in the Gaza Strip is lengthening, and it is characterized by continued heavy airstrikes alongside heightened efforts to obtain the release of additional hostages before the Israeli ground operation begins.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani expressed hope Wednesday for an imminent breakthrough toward that end. Israel made sure to thank Qatar for its efforts, after thanking only Egypt for the release Monday of two additional hostages, bringing the total to four.
All this requires taking anti-nausea pills. The ties between Qatar and Hamas are very deep, and Qatar still hosts the political leadership of the organization – a full partner in the terrorist acts – at luxury hotels in Doha. On the other hand, Israel doesn’t have a lot of options at the moment if it wants to rescue additional hostages.
Two Israelis wounded near West Bank settlement, police say attacked by Palestinians
A 25-year-old Israeli man was seriously wounded and another was lightly wounded near the central West Bank settlement of Rimonim.
The police suspect that the two, who were transported to Jerusalem's Shaare Zedek Medical Center, were attacked by Palestinians. The police are searching for the suspects.
Freeing the hostages comes before destroying Hamas | Opinion
A protest in Tel Aviv calling for the return of the hostages, on Monday.Credit: Tomer Appelbaum
There is no public demand more justified than the demand that Israel secure the release of all the hostages immediately, at any price. But when it is joined to calls to destroy Hamas once and for all, a no less justified ambition, these two desires clash in a frustrating manner.
After all, what do we know about the price for freeing all the hostages? Hamas still hasn’t presented its full demands, so we can only assume that in exchange, it will “only” want the release of all Palestinians jailed in Israel for terrorism – both its own members and those of other organizations, including the ones captured during the current war.
Hamas senior al-Arouri: We have met with Hezbollah chief already on first day of fighting
Hezbollah's secretary-general Nasrallah, right, meets with the Palestinian secretary-general of the Islamic Jihad movement Nakhale, second from the left, and Hamas' deputy chief of political affairs Saleh al-Arouri, left, earlier this week.Credit: AFP
The Deputy chief of Hamas' political wing, Saleh al-Arouri, said Thursday that senior Hamas officials have met with Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah already on October 7, the first day of the organizations' war with Israel.
"We maintain a continuous coordination and close communication with all resistance forces, and with our brothers in the Hezbollah," al-Arouri said in an interview with the Hezbollah-run television channel al-Manar. "This battle is their battle, and we all have one goal and one destiny," he added.
On Wednesday Haaretz reported that Hezbollah chief Nassrallah met with the head of Palestinian Islamic Jihad Ziad Nahleh and deputy head of Hamas' political bureau Saleh al-Arouri, according to a report by Hezbollah's al-Manar TV.
According to a Hezbollah statement, the three discussed the latest events in the Gaza Strip including the ongoing clashes on Lebanon's border with Israel. It was agreed to continue coordination and regular monitoring of developments on a daily and regular basis, the statement added.
Medical sources in the Gaza Strip say dozens were killed overnight in IDF strikes in Khan Younis and Gaza City
Palestinians inspect the damage to destroyed buildings following Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City, Wednesday.Credit: Abed Khaled /AP
Medical sources in the Gaza Strip reported that dozens of people were killed overnight in a series of attacks by the Israeli army in Khan Yunis in the south of the Gaza Strip, and in Gaza City.
In Khan Yunis, rescuers reported 17 people were killed in an attack on a complex of buildings, and said that there are dozens more wounded and missing under the rubble. Gazan media also reported massive attacks in Gaza city and in the north of the strip.
Israeli army reports of a ground offensive in the northern Gaza Strip overnight, attacked Hamas members and destroyed terror infrastructures
In a statement Thursday morning, the IDF spokesperson said that Israeli army forces have raided the northern Gaza Strip overnight.
The offensive's objective was to "prepare the area for the future stages of engagement," the statement said, adding that during the attack many Hamas terrorists were killed and Hamas infrastructure was destroyed.
Negligent Netanyahu Battles for Political Survival, Refuses to Face Israeli Public | Analysis
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with French President Emmanuel Macron in Jerusalem, Tuesday.Credit: CHRISTOPHE ENA - AFP
IDF Chief of Staff Herzl Halevi convened a press conference on Monday, the third since the war began. Not a pompous proclamation on prime time, and not a meticulously edited video clip. He was asked questions and gave answers. That is what is expected of a democratic country’s military commander, even one who failed horribly. That is what is expected of the political leadership. But even on the 18th day of the war, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant have not mustered the courage to face the media.
Yes, it’s a question of courage and integrity, not of free time. The chief of staff is as busy as they are. Unlike Netanyahu, for instance, Halevi is 24/7 about the war. He has already deposited his de facto resignation, publicly speaking. He is not preoccupied with survival. Netanyahu, by comparison, spends at least half his time on survival. It shows, more and more, with each passing day.
He is already trying to jury-rig the government commission of inquiry – a government commission, mind you, not a state commission. But even a half-worthy government commission will sentence him to a public stoning. The difference is its legal power. Whatever the conclusions of a government commission, in his twisted mind, he can drag and stonewall, and survive that too. His strategy looking forward is the same as in any field he touches – to buy time, sitting still on his throne, looking ahead to his trial.
EU leaders tackle Middle East war but aim to keep up Ukraine support
European Union leaders meet on Thursday to grapple with the conflict between Israel and Hamas while also aiming to show continuing support for Ukraine in its war against Russia's invasion.
The summit in Brussels will be the first in-person meeting of the EU's 27 national leaders since the deadly Oct. 7 assault on Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas, which prompted Israel to bombard and blockade Hamas-run Gaza.
While EU countries have all strongly condemned the Hamas attack, leaders have struggled to stick to the same message beyond that, with some stressing Israel's right to self-defense and others emphasizing concern about Palestinian civilians.
In the lead-up to the summit, EU countries were wrangling over whether to call for a "humanitarian pause", with some arguing such a measure was vital to get aid into Gaza while others said it could limit Israel's ability to defend itself.
Diplomats said the EU appeared to be coalescing around a compromise call for "pauses" in the plural, as this suggested short breaks in fighting for specific missions such as hostage releases or aid convoys, rather than a formal ceasefire.
EU leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have visited the Middle East to express solidarity with Israel and bolster diplomatic efforts to prevent the conflict spiraling into a regional war.
While the EU's influence on the conflict is modest, officials fear that an escalation could have grave consequences for Europe, including a rise in tensions between communities, possible Islamist militant attacks and a large flow of refugees.
"Our meeting comes at a time of great global instability and insecurity, exacerbated most recently by developments in the Middle East," said Charles Michel, president of the European Council of EU leaders, in an invitation letter to the summit.
"These developments require our immediate attention, without distracting us from our continued support to Ukraine."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will address the summit by video link and support for Kyiv will have first place in the summit declaration.
The EU and its member countries have provided billions of euros in assistance to Ukraine since Russian forces invaded in February last year.
But some officials and diplomats have voiced fears that Ukraine may now struggle to get the same political attention and resources from the West, particularly the United States, due to the new crisis in the Middle East.
The summit will not be able to sign off on multi-year plans for 50 billion euros in financial aid and up 20 billion euros for military aid for Ukraine, as they are part of a broader budget battle that officials hope to conclude by year's end.
At the summit, the leaders will have their first debate on that budget package, which diplomats expect to be contentious.
"It's hard to ask for more money for the EU budget when national budgets are getting squeezed," said one EU diplomat.
Diplomats say there is broad support for more money for Ukraine, but other elements of the proposal by the European Commission - the bloc's executive - are more contentious, as countries clash over priorities and sources of funding.
Qatari PM hopes for Gaza breakthrough 'soon'; Israeli Official lauds Doha’s 'essential' efforts
Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani makes statements to the media Doha, Qatar, Oct. 13, 2023.Credit: Jacquelyn Martin /AP
Qatar's prime minister expressed on Wednesday that he hopes there will be breakthroughs on hostage releases "soon." Simultaneously, Israel's National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said that Qatar's diplomatic intervention in Gaza "is crucial."
According to a source engaged in the negotiations, there has not been a breakthrough for the release of additional hostages at this stage.
"The number of children killed in Gaza exceeds the number of children killed in Ukraine, but we have not seen the same reaction," Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, who is also the minister of foreign affairs, said in a press conference with the Turkish foreign minister in Doha.
Biden says two-state solution must follow Israel-Hamas war, slams 'extremist' West Bank settlers
WASHINGTON - U.S. President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that a two-state solution must follow the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, with there being no returning to the status quo that existed before the October 7 attacks.
In his most extensive remarks on the quickly escalating conflict in recent days, Biden expressed a lack of confidence in the Palestinian self-reported death tolls in Gaza while sharply criticizing "extremist" West Bank settlers for "throwing gasoline on the fire" in their attacks against local Palestinians.
RECAP: The release of many hostages from Hamas captivity may happen within days, IDF continues to strike in Gaza
The Israel-Hamas war enters its 20th day, almost three weeks after Hamas carried out a deadly assault on southern Israel that left at least 1,300 Israelis slaughtered and more than 3,300 people wounded on October 7. Some 220 people – more than half of whom are foreign nationals – are being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza.
Israel responded with heavy aerial bombardment of the Gaza Strip, which according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry has left at least 6,546 Gazans dead – including 2,704 children. 17,439 Gazans have been wounded since the start of the war. A slow trickle of humanitarian aid has entered the Strip in recent days, after Israel imposed a siege on the enclave, cutting electricity, water and fuel.
Here's what you need to know:
■ The release of a large number of hostages from Hamas captivity in Gaza may happen within a few days, according to Israeli and foreign sources familiar with negotiations on the matter.
One of the sources said that the parties hope to finalize the deal "within two days, maybe even less," and that whether it comes to pass depends on progress in negotiations with Hamas.
■ House Speaker Mike Johnson said the first bill he will bring to the floor is a resolution "in support of our dear friend Israel and we are overdue in getting that done." Nearly 400 lawmakers co-sponsored a resolution condemning the Hamas attack in the immediate aftermath of October 7, condemning "the barbaric war launched by Hamas" and calling on all countries to condemn the organization.
It further calls upon Hamas to cease its attacks, release hostages and return bodies of the deceased, as well as avowing continued commitment to maintaining U.S. aid, enforcing the Taylor Force Act and urging the full enforcement of sanctions against Iran.
■ A Jerusalem man was arrested today for hanging a sign on his balcony with the inscription "No Sanctity in an Occupied City," alongside a Palestinian flag placed in a flowerpot.
The police received reports of the declaration and the flag, leading officers to arrive at the residence in the city center. Attorney Naser Odeh, who represents the young man, stated that the police arrived at the scene after a crowd gathered under the man's apartment and shouted derogatory slogans responding to the sign.
■ The Israel Defense Forces intercepted a surface-to-air missile fired from Lebanon towards an IDF drone. In response, the Israeli Air Force is attacking the area from which the missile was fired.
■ The World Health Organization is "gravely concerned" about the condition of Israeli hostages captured by Hamas during the October 7 attack, calling for their immediate release and urgent access to each of them and delivery of medical care.
"There is an urgent need for the captors of the hostages to provide signs of life, proof of provision of health care and the immediate release, on humanitarian and health grounds, of all those abducted," said WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
■ Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Wednesday that Israel's conflict with Hamas could spread well beyond the Middle East and said it was wrong that innocent women, children and old people in Gaza were being punished for other people's crimes.
Putin, who made the comments in a Kremlin meeting with Russian religious leaders of different faiths, said bloodshed in the region had to stop. He said he told other world leaders in phone calls that if it did not, there was a risk of a much wider conflagration.
Putin said: "Our task today, our main task, is to stop the bloodshed and violence," said Putin, according to a Kremlin transcript of the meeting... Otherwise, further escalation of the crisis is fraught with grave and extremely dangerous and destructive consequences. And not only for the Middle East region. It could spill over far beyond the borders of the Middle East."