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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the weekend. Here’s today’s news
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
Israel has found 800 shafts leading to Hamas’ network of tunnels and bunkers “located in civilian areas, many of which were near or inside civilian buildings and structures such as schools, kindergartens, mosques and playgrounds,” according to a statement released yesterday by the Israeli military, which began its ground operations destroying the tunnels on Oct. 27. Before the war broke out, Hamas said it had hundreds of kilometers of tunnels to serve as operational bases. Out of the 800 shafts discovered, 500 have been destroyed by methods including “detonation and sealing off.” Ari Rabinovitch reports for Reuters.
The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim A. A. Khan KC, said in a video message on X that investigating Hamas and Israeli forces for possible war crimes is a “priority” for his office, and that the investigation is “moving forward at pace, with rigor, with determination and with an insistence that we act not on emotion but on solid evidence.” Khan visited Israel and Ramallah recently and issued a written statement following his visit, stating he witnessed “scenes of calculated cruelty” at locations of the Oct. 7 attacks, which he described as “attacks against innocent Israeli civilians [that] represent some of the most serious international crimes that shock the conscience of humanity, crimes which the ICC want to address.” Khan also expressed “profound concern” for the “significant increase” in settler violence, saying “no Israeli settler armed with an ideology and a gun can think it’s open season on Palestinians.”
The IDF have refuted claims that it had prior knowledge of Hamas’ plans following a recent report by the New York Times saying Israel had known of the attack plan for over a year. “It’s ridiculous to try to promote any conspiracy theory,” IDF spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus said in a live briefing held on X. Conricus added that “the IDF failed to deliver what it was supposed to deliver – that is protection, and security – for Israelis” on Oct. 7. He added that after Israel defeats Hamas, “a professional inquiry will go through everything with a fine-toothed comb.” BBC News reports.
Israel’s domestic security agency Shin Bet said yesterday in a recording aired by Israel’s public broadcaster that the Israeli “cabinet has set us a goal, in street talk, to eliminate Hamas. This is our Munich. We will do this everywhere, in Gaza, in the West Bank, in Lebanon, in Turkey, in Qatar. It will take a few years but we will be there to do it.” The reference to Munich relates to the 1972 killing of 11 Israeli Olympic team members when gunmen from the Palestinian Black September group attacked the Munich games, and Israel responded by carrying out targeted killings of the suspected perpetrators and organizers over several years. Maayan Lubell reports for Reuters.
Israel issued a new order for people to evacuate out of Khan Younis today, as its ground campaign in southern Gaza continues. The IDF posted a map on X this morning identifying which part of the city needed to be immediately evacuated, with arrows pointing south and west, urging people to head toward the Egyptian border. Meanwhile, IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said that the “IDF continues to extend its ground operation against Hamas centers in all of the Gaza Strip.” Arafat Barbakh reports for Reuters.
Israeli airstrikes hit an estimated 200 targets in Gaza, the IDF said in a statement on X today, just one day after it announced it was expanding its ground operations into Gaza. The IDF said its targets include a school in the northeastern town of Beit Hanoun, which they claim houses a “terror infrastructure,” including explosives and weapons. The statement also said the Israeli Navy struck “the Hamas naval observation posts and terrorist infrastructure at the Gaza harbor.” Amir Tal reports for CNN.
Israel is not “giving effective warning” to Gaza civilians because it has been “telling people to flee when there’s no safe place to go,” and “there are reports of people being killed as they try to evacuate…there’s been no guarantee, no statement, that if people move to those areas they will not be bombed,” the Human Rights Watch program director said today. BBC News reports.
Israel recalled its negotiators from Qatar on Saturday after reaching a “dead end in talks” for an agreement. “The Director of the Mossad thanks the Director of the CIA, the Egyptian Intelligence Minister and the Qatari Prime Minister for their extensive joint mediation efforts,” a statement issued by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said. Tamar Michaelis and Simon Cullen report for CNN.
At least 15,207 Palestinians have been killed so far as a result of Israeli attacks in Gaza since Oct. 7, according to Dr. Ashraf Al-Qudra, a spokesperson for the Hamas-run health ministry. Speaking at a news conference on Saturday, Al-Qudra said at least 193 Palestinians have been killed since the temporary pause agreement expired on Friday, and added that the intensive care unit occupancy in Gaza’s hospital is at 221%. Abeer Salman, Kareen Khadder, and Hamdi Alkhshali report for CNN.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — REGIONAL RESPONSE
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani emphasized the need for a ceasefire in Gaza during a call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday, according to state-run media. The Prime Minister highlighted its country’s commitment to mediating an agreement and expressed concern that the continuation of bombings after the recent pause has worsened the humanitarian crisis. A statement released by the U.S. Department of State added that both leaders “discussed ongoing efforts to facilitate the safe return of all remaining hostages and increase aid to civilians in Gaza.” Hamdi Alkhshali reports for CNN.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — US RESPONSE
Israel risks “strategic defeat” in its war with Hamas if it fails to “avoid civilian casualties” and “prevent violence by settlers in the West Bank,” U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned on Saturday. Austin’s comments were made at the Reagan National Defense Forum where he confirmed that he has “personally pushed Israeli leaders” to limit civilian casualties. Top U.S. officials have made increasingly public comments expressing caution and warnings to Israel about the death toll in the Gaza Strip. Peter Martin reports for Bloomberg.
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said yesterday he has “lost all confidence” in Lloyd Austin following his comments that “protecting Palestinian civilians in Gaza is both a moral responsibility and a strategic imperative.” Graham said that Austin is “telling Israel things that are impossible to achieve,” and added he should “quit criticizing Israel in public.” Shauneen Miranda reports for Axios.
National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby said yesterday that the US had “no indication” or “any advance warning” of Hamas’ attack plan, which was reported to have been provided to Israel intelligence officials over one year before the Oct. 7 attacks. In an interview yesterday, when asked whether it was a failure on part of Israeli and U.S. intelligence not to act on the report, Kirby said, “I think there’s going to be a time and a place for Israel to do that sort of forensic work. [Israeli] Prime Minister Netanyahu has already spoken pretty candidly about this and [called] it… a failure on their part.” “They’ll take a look at this at the right time… right now, though, the focus has got to be on making sure that they can eliminate this truly genocidal threat to the Israeli people.” Summer Concepcion reports for NBC News.
House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Turner (R-Ohio) said yesterday that the US is “being selective as to the information” being provided to Israel, as part of the ongoing Israeli intelligence community operation to track down Hamas. Turner confirmed the US is “assisting in the location of Hamas leadership as Israel moves to eliminate the threat of Hamas,” but noted that CIA Director William Burns “has been very clear that we are not just providing direct access to our intelligence.” Sarah Fortinsky reports for The Hill.
Kirby said there are an estimated eight American hostages in Hamas captivity, and added that the Israel-Hamas agreement “fell apart because Hamas were unwilling and refused to come with additional [hostage] lists of women and children – which we know they are holding.” ABC News reports.
IRAN-BACKED MILITANTS
A U.S. warship shot down three drones after three commercial vessels in the Red Sea were struck by ballistic missiles launched by the Iran-backed Yemen Houthis yesterday, the U.S. military has said in a statement. The Houthis have claimed two of the attacks and while the U.S. military has not said its navy ships were targeted, it said there is “every reason to believe that these attacks, while launched by the Houthis in Yemen, are fully enabled by Iran. These attacks represent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security.” Houthi military spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree did not mention any U.S. vessel involvement, but said, “the Yemeni armed forces continue to prevent Israeli ships from navigating the Red Sea until the Israeli aggression against our steadfast brothers in the Gaza Strip stops.” Iran has not directly commented on the incident, although Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian commented that, “if the current situation continues, the region will enter a new phase…all parties who are after igniting a war are warned.” Jon Gambrell reports for AP News.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
China accused a U.S. navy ship of “violat[ing] China’s sovereignty and security” yesterday, after a USS vessel appeared near the Second Thomas Shoal. In a statement, the Chinese military said the ship “undermined regional peace and stability” and showed that the US “is the biggest threat” to peace in the South China Sea. The statement highlights the tense relations between both nations following the Pentagon’s analysis report that claimed China is growing its nuclear arsenal more rapidly than first believed. Lauren Irwin reports for The Hill.
A German tourist was killed and several others injured in Paris on Saturday after a man with serious psychiatric disorders attacked them with a hammer and a knife, according to French authorities. The authorities added that the man told them he was upset over muslim deaths around the world, and had been previously convicted in 2016 for an attempt to carry out a “violent action.” He was released in 2020. French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne said on X after the attack that, “we won’t give in to terrorism.” Aurelien Breeden reports for the New York Times.
The self-styled Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for a deadly bombing at a Catholic Mass yesterday in the Philippines which killed four people and injured 50 others. Before the Islamic State claimed responsibility, the Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr commented the attack was “the senseless and most heinous acts perpetrated by foreign terrorists.” Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said law enforcement investigations are “continu[ing] unabated” to find the perpetrators of the “terrorist activity.” Karen Lama and Neil Jerome Morales report for Reuters.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE DEVELOPMENTS
Ukrainian prosecutors are investigating whether Russian troops killed two surrendered Ukrainian service members. Video footage released on social media by the Ukrainian government allegedly shows the executions, along with a statement which read, “the killing of prisoners is a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions and is classified as a serious international crime.” The Ukrainian human rights ombudsman said on Saturday that the killing of the allegedly unarmed and surrendered soldiers was “not an isolated case.” Yulia Kesaieva and Benjamin Brown report for CNN.
Former National Security Adviser John Bolton urged Congress to “act quickly” to support Ukraine, otherwise “Russia will win.” Speaking at an interview yesterday, he added that, “I think people in the House and the Senate should press Biden harder to develop a winning strategy with Ukraine, not just preventing Ukraine from losing, but figure out how Ukraine can win.” The Biden administration has stood by Ukraine with military aid, although support has split the GOP and made Congressional approval more difficult for such funding and military support agreements. Nick Robertson reports for The Hill.
Russian forces hit a commander post of Ukraine’s air defense in the central city of Dnipro, the Russian defense ministry said yesterday. The ministry said it used combined strikes of unmanned aerial vehicles, missile forces, artillery, and army aviation. Vladimir Soldatkin reports for Reuters.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said defenses must be increased across the front line and that the “building of structures” must be sped up, as his country enters “a whole new phase of war” this winter. Zelenskyy said “maximum attention” must be paid to eastern towns in the Donetsk region. Jessica Parker and Paul Kirby report for BBC News.
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
A former American diplomat who served as U.S. ambassador to Bolivia was arrested on a criminal complaint last Friday after an FBI counterintelligence investigation accused him of secretly working as an agent of Cuba. Manuel Rocha, 73, is expected to make a court appearance today where further details of the case will emerge, according to two anonymous sources. One of the sources said the Justice Department accuses Rocha — who spent his 25-year diplomatic career under both Republican and Democratic administrations — of working to promote the Cuban government’s interest. Much of Rocha’s diplomacy included working in Latin America during the Cold War, and acting as top U.S. diplomat in Argentina between 1997-2000. Joshua Goodman and Eric Tucker report for AP News.
The House voted 311-114 on Friday to pass a resolution expelling Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) from Congress. The vote was prompted by a report from the House Ethics Committee which alleged a “complex web” of wrongdoing by Santos, which preceded Santos being twice criminally indicted on charges including wire fraud, conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, credit card fraud, falsification of records, and false statements. Santos has pleaded not guilty and maintains his innocence. Andrew Solender and Juliegrace Brufke report for Axios.
TRUMP-LEGAL MATTERS
Former President Donald Trump’s defense witnesses, Deutsche Bank executives, provided support for his defense in his New York civil fraud trial, testifying last week that the Bank wanted to work with the Trump Organization and carried out its own due diligence before doing so, which found no evidence of fraud. However, trial Judge Arthur Engoron said, “I would point out that the mere fact that the lenders were happy doesn’t mean that the statute wasn’t violated.” Ella Lee reports for The Hill.