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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip killed a top Hamas weapons maker and several other fighters, the Israeli military said Wednesday. The airstrikes were part of the Israel Defense Forces’ air and ground offensive on Hamas’ tunnel network beneath the Palestinian enclave.The entire Gaza City, which is the main territory used by Hamas, is now encircled by Israeli forces, with the war entering its second month. Nidal Al-Mughrabi and Maytaal Angel report for Reuters.
A senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel will have a “security presence” but not “any sort of ongoing occupation of the Gaza strip” after the war ends. He added that post-war, “it is crucial there won’t be a resurgent terrorist element, a resurgent Hamas…there will have to be an Israeli security presence, but that doesn’t mean Israel is occupying Gaza…We are interested in establishing new frameworks, where the Gazans can rule themselves, where there can be international support for the reconstruction of a…demilitarized, post-Hamas Gaza.” CNN reports.
More Palestinians are fleeing northern Gaza on foot following intensifying violence, with the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimating that 15,000 people fled yesterday compared to 5,000 on Monday. The northern area of Gaza and specifically Gaza City have been the recent focus of Israel’s campaign, with reports that civilians flee during a four-hour daily window prescribed by the Israeli military. Most of those fleeing were children, people with disabilities and the elderly, the U.N. agency said. AP News reports.
A total of 637 foreign nationals — the highest daily number since evacuations began last week — crossed the Rafah border into Egypt yesterday, according to an Egyptian border official. According to a CNN tally yesterday, the total number of wounded Palestinians who crossed was 116, with 15 having crossed yesterday. Asmaa Khalil and Zeena Saifi report for CNN.
A Red Cross convoy of five trucks and two other vehicles carrying supplies to Al-Quds hospital came under fire yesterday, wounding a driver and hampering aid delivery efforts. The shooting forced the convoy to deliver supplies to Al-Shifa Hospital and later accompany six ambulances to the Rafah border crossing. A spokesperson for the Red Cross said the organization could not “verify any additional information” about the incident, including who was responsible for the attack. Liam Stack reports for the New York Times.
Approximately 520 aid trucks have entered Gaza in the past month, according to the U.S. State Department — roughly the same number that the U.N. sent in daily before the war broke out. Aid organizations say at least 100 such trucks are needed daily and that the figures demonstrate the inadequacy of current resources. Lauren McCarthy reports for the New York Times.
Doctors in Gaza have been performing operations, including amputations, without anesthesia, a World Health Organization spokesperson said yesterday. Speaking at a press briefing, WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said, “nothing justifies the horror being endured by civilians in Gaza” and called for “unhindered, safe and secure access” for 500 aid trucks to get “all the way through to the patients in the hospitals.” Lindmeier said that at least 16 healthcare workers have been killed while working in Gaza. Sharon Braithwaite, Hamdi Alkhshali and Tamara Qiblawi report for CNN.
Israeli archaeologists are digging through the rubble in Be’eri, one of the communities hit hardest by the Hamas attack, to try identify human remains and missing victims presumed dead. Those archaeologists have helped identify 10 victims, but 25 still remain unaccounted for. Dedi Hayun and Maayan Lubell report for Reuters.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR – REGIONAL RESPONSE
Iranian-backed Lebanese Hezbollah threatened to widen the Israel-Hamas war, and, in reference to continuing attacks on Israel, a leader of the group said, “Hezbollah participates for the sake of lowering the pressure on Gaza.” The comments were made in an NBC interview with Naim Qassem, Hezbollah’s deputy secretary-general, who said their growing attacks were “a clear message that if you expand there will be serious consequences.” On Monday, rockets launched from Lebanon reached deeper into Israel than any previous attacks since 2006. Qassem added, “How does America and the rest of the world have the right to stand on the side of Israel that kills civilians and children and destroys homes while we don’t have the right to support our people and our loved ones in Palestine and the region?” Matt Bradley and Natasha Lebedeva report for NBC News.
Saudi Arabia is hosting emergency summits of Arab and Islamic nations this week to discuss the war, the Kingdom’s investment minister Khalid Al-Falih confirmed Wednesday. “In the short term, the objective of bringing these three summits and other gatherings under the leadership of Saudi Arabia would be to drive towards peaceful resolution of the conflict,” he said. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will travel to Saudi Arabia on Sunday. Tom Westbrook and Maha El Dahan report for Reuters.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR – INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
The G7 foreign ministers issued a “unified message” in a joint statement calling for humanitarian pauses and a “peace process” following a two-day meeting in Tokyo, Japanese foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa said yesterday. The statement emphasized that a two-state solution “remains the only path to a just, lasting, and secure peace.” The joint statement comes after the divided vote on a resolution calling for a humanitarian pause on Oct. 26, with France voting in favor, the United States opposing, and all other members abstaining. John Geddie, Sakura Murakami, Satoshi Sugiyama, Kiyoshi Takenaka and Chang-Ran Kim report for Reuters.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR – U.S. RESPONSE
The White House cautioned Israel yesterday against reoccupying Gaza following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s comments of his country maintaining security in Gaza for “an indefinite period” once the war is over. “We’re having active discussions with our Israeli counterparts about what post-conflict Gaza looks like…the president maintains his position that reoccupation by Israeli forces is not the right thing to do,” John Kirby, the White House national security spokesperson said. Lauren Irwin reports for The Hill.
The White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre condemned the tearing down of photos of Israeli hostages yesterday, after initially avoiding the question at a news briefing. Jean-Pierre initially said she was “not going to go into specifics on that particular thing” when asked by reporters, but later said on X, formerly Twitter, that “tearing down pictures of [those] who are being held hostage by Hamas…is wrong and hurtful.” Megan Lebowitz and Peter Alexander report for NBC News.
The U.S. State Department has helped more than 400 U.S. citizens and other eligible people leave Gaza, a spokesperson said yesterday. They added that work is continuing to ensure the safe passage of those eligible and that the situation is “ongoing and fluid.” Humeyra Pamuk, Daphne Psaledakis and Paul Grant report for Reuters.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
China’s foreign ministry warned Estonia not to allow Taiwan to open a representative office in the country, with China’s ambassador to Estonia, Guo Xiaomei, cautioning that he may leave Estonia if Taiwan is permitted to open any official organization in the Baltic nation. Chinese ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said, “China urges the Estonian side to abide by its solemn commitment to the one-China principle, refrain from allowing Taiwan to set up any official organizations and effectively safeguard the political basis of bilateral relations.” Ethan Wang, Ella Cao, Ryan Woo and Ben Blanchard report for Reuters.
Refugees in Darfur, Sudan, report a surge in ethnically-driven killings, as the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces took over the main army base in Darfur’s capital last week. Refugees are fleeing to Chad as the war in Sudan continues to cause widespread crisis, with the International Organization for Migration saying more than 500,000 displaced people have crossed into Chad. Maggie Michael, Nafisa Eltahir and Aidan Lewis report for Reuters.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE DEVELOPMENTS
A Ukrainian army chief was killed and his 13-year-old son seriously wounded by a grenade disguised in the serviceman’s birthday present. Maj Hennadiy Chastyakov, 39, was surrounded by colleagues and his son when the grenade exploded. Five other grenades were located in the flat. Reports say his colleague allegedly told him his gift was “combat grenades” prior to opening it. Speculation as to the cause and alleged target of the explosion continues, as Chastyakov has been described as a “reliable shoulder” in the military since the war broke out. Paul Kirby reports for BBC News.
Ukraine’s military said yesterday its forces beat several Russian assaults, including 15 attacks near Kupyansk in the northeast and 18 attacks further south. In its evening report, Ukraine’s General Staff said nine attacks were defeated in and around Avdiivka — the frontline eastern town viewed as the hallmark of Ukraine’s resistance. Ron Popeski and Nick Starkov report for Reuters.
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS – TRUMP LEGAL MATTERS
Former President Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial continues as his daughter, Ivanka Trump, is set to take the stand today. Ivanka is no longer a defendant in the trial. Unlike her brothers Eric and Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka was an executive vice president at the Trump Organization before working as an unpaid senior adviser in Trump’s White House. She claims to hold little knowledge of the Trump Organization’s annual financial statements, including how they were prepared or by whom. Jennifer Peltz and Michael R.Sisak report for AP News.
OTHER DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
The House passed a measure yesterday to formally censure Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich), Congress’ only Palestinian-American lawmaker. Representative Rich McCormick (R-Ga) accused Tlaib of “calling for the destruction of the state of Israel ” and “promoting false narratives” about Hamas. Twenty-two Democrats voted for the measure. Tlaib said yesterday, “the idea that criticizing the government of Israel is antisemitic sets a very dangerous precedent.” The measure comes after Democrats introduced a censure on Monday of Brian Mast (R-Fla) after he compared “innocent Palestinian civilians” to “innocent Nazi civilians.” Nicholas Wu and Daniella Diaz report for POLITICO.
Yesterday’s national abortion debate saw several victories for Democrats across the United States. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear won reelection to a second term having campaigned on reproductive rights, and Ohio voters approved a constitutional amendment ensuring access to abortion and other forms of reproductive healthcare. Late yesterday, Judge Dan McCaffery won an open seat on Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court after expressing himself as an abortion rights defender. Democrats also took control of the Virginia statehouse General Assembly, in a move blocking Republicans from passing new abortion restrictions. Nicholas Riccardi reports for AP News.
A 34-year-old woman who allegedly drove her car into a building in Indianapolis which she believed to be an “Israel school” has been arrested. Four children and one adult were inside the Israelite School of Universal and Practical Knowledge at the time of the crash on Friday, but no injuries were sustained. The woman said, “‘Yes, I did it on purpose,’” and “told one officer she [had] been watching the news and couldn’t breathe anymore…she referenced her people back in Palestine,” a news release from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said. Marion County Prosecutor’s Office said the woman was being held at County Jail on a preliminary charge of criminal recklessness, but she has not been formally charged as of Monday afternoon. NBC News reports.