Israeli tanks blocked the main southern route from Gaza City, with Defense Minister Israel Katz calling it the “last opportunity” for hundreds of thousands still inside to leave as the army expands its offensive to isolate Hamas (Reuters)
Gaza Aid Boats Blocked
Israeli forces intercepted more than a dozen boats sailing to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza and protest Israel’s war (NYT)
Organizers of the flotilla—which included more than five hundred participants from dozens of countries—called the interception an “illegal attack” on humanitarians; Israel countered that the activists were “not interested in aid, but provocation” (CNN)
Israel maintains a blockade around Gaza and tightly controls what aid can enter, even as Gazans in parts of the enclave have been suffering from famine (CFR)
Middle East and European Leaders Welcome U.S. Plan for Gaza
The foreign ministers of Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates announced their readiness to finalize and implement the plan, which they stated should lead to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (Haaretz)
The Palestinian Authority called Trump’s peace efforts “sincere and determined” (BBC)
The leaders of France, Germany, India, Italy, and the United Kingdom also welcomed it (TIME)
Qatar is holding talks with Hamas negotiators and representatives from Turkey today (Guardian)
In Gaza, Israeli forces shot and shelled civilians seeking aid in the Netzarim corridor and struck sites in Muwasi and Nuseirat, killing at least thirty-one Palestinians (AP)
Netanyahu Endorses Trump’s Peace Plan for Gaza
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release plan is nearing agreement, though both Israel and Hamas “will come out somewhat unhappy” (Times of Israel)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu endorsed the plan at the White House (AP)
The plan would see Palestinians allowed to stay in Gaza, Hamas release all remaining hostages and disarm, and an international stabilization force deployed to the territory (Reuters)
Trump said that if Hamas rejects the proposal, he would fully back Israel’s course of action (NPR)
Netanyahu said in a video posted to social media following his White House visit that Israeli forces would “remain in most of the territory” as part of the plan (Guardian)
He reiterated his opposition to a Palestinian state; Trump had also acknowledged that opposition in the joint press conference (Axios)
Meanwhile, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed warned Netanyahu against annexing the West Bank, urging him to accept Trump’s Gaza peace framework instead, while suggesting that annexation could undermine further normalization with Arab and Muslim states (Reuters)
Hamas Lost Contact With Two Hostages During Israeli Assault on Gaza City
Hamas’s armed wing called on Israel to halt operations in the area while it looked for them; the Israeli military did not immediately comment on the request (Reuters)
Israeli Airstrikes Kill Dozens in Gaza
Israeli airstrikes killed at least fifty-nine people across Gaza, including in camps, residential homes, and tents in Gaza City and Shati, while others were reportedly shot while seeking aid; the attacks come as hospitals face collapse and famine conditions worsen in northern Gaza (AP)
Doctors Without Borders Suspends Operations in Gaza City
Doctors Without Borders said the Israeli military’s ground offensive in Gaza City posed a danger to its staff, explaining that its clinics were encircled by Israeli forces (NYT)
Additionally, the World Health Organization announced Israel’s Gaza City offensive has forced four hospitals to shut down this month, reducing the number of functioning hospitals in the Strip to fourteen (UN)
Israel Deepens Gaza City Offensive
Israeli forces pushed further into Gaza City, striking 170 targets and killing at least 19 people, according to local health officials (Reuters)
Before departing for New York, Netanyahu told reporters he intended to lay out Israel’s case regarding the war in Gaza and condemn the prospect of Palestinian statehood (AP)
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, addressing UNGA via video after the Trump administration denied him a visa, rejected the idea that Palestinians would leave their territories, called for Hamas to disarm, and said that Hamas would play no role in the postwar governance of Gaza (NYT)
U.S. President Donald Trump said that he “will not allow” Israel to annex the West Bank—a step some Israeli politicians have pushed for after multiple Western countries recently recognized Palestinian statehood (CNN;NYT)
In the West Bank, Israel announced it would reopen the Allenby Bridge with limited hours, having shut the crossing down for Rosh Hashanah and following an attack in which a Jordanian truck driver fatally shot two Israeli personnel; the reopening is limited to passenger travel, as aid shipments to Gaza remain suspended pending new security measures and an investigation into the shooting (AFP)
Meanwhile, Microsoft announced that it had disabled some of its services to the Israeli military, saying that mass surveillance of civilians violated its terms of service (AP;Microsoft)
Witkoff Presents Peace Plan to Muslim-Majority Countries
U.S. Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff added that he believed the 21-point peace plan addressed both Israeli and regional concerns (Reuters)
Trump separately told Arab and Muslim leaders that he would not allow Israel to annex part of the West Bank, meeting attendees told multiple news outlets (FT)
Those leaders said that West Bank annexation would imperil the Abraham Accords, Trump’s first-term deal that saw Israel normalize ties with multiple Arab countries (Politico)
Israel Closes Allenby Bridge Crossing to Jordan
Israel indefinitely shut the Allenby Crossing, the main gateway between the West Bank and Jordan, following last week’s deadly attack; Israel had previously reopened the bridge following an earlier closure (Reuters)
Palestinian authorities called the closure a form of collective punishment, while analysts suggested it may also be a response to the recent wave of international recognition of Palestinian statehood (Al Jazeera)
Meanwhile, in Gaza, Israeli tanks pushed deeper into Gaza City, as the IDF suggests it is targeting Hamas infrastructure; hospitals have shut down amid shortages, with the Red Cross describing “astronomical levels of need” (CNN)
Israel Reopens Allenby Crossing Following Deadly Attack
Israel reopened the Allenby Crossing to car traffic four days after a Jordanian aid truck driver killed two Israeli soldiers; the crossing remains closed to Gaza-bound aid shipments pending Jordan’s investigation and updated driver inspections (Times of Israel)
Australia, Canada, Portugal, and UK Recognize Palestinian Statehood
The four Western countries called for peace and a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (NYT)
The West Bank-based Palestinian Authority welcomed the move, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a Palestinian state “will not happen” and that those endorsing Palestinian statehood following the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel were rewarding terrorism (Reuters)
Netanyahu—who is due to speak at the UN on Friday and meet with U.S. President Donald Trump this week—said that Israel would announce its official response to recognition in the coming days (Times of Israel)
Israeli Forces Kill Dozens in Gaza Amid Intensified Assault
Israeli forces killed at least ninety-one Palestinians in Gaza, medics said, including individuals sheltering in schools and residential homes; the attacks occurred as part of Israel’s ongoing push to seize Gaza City (Al Jazeera)
Israel Halts Gaza Aid Through Jordan After Deadly Allenby Crossing Attack
The IDF suspended humanitarian shipments from Jordan and closed the Allenby Crossing after a Jordanian truck driver fatally shot two Israeli soldiers; Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered stricter inspections of aid trucks and drivers moving forward (Times of Israel)
Israeli Military Operation Advances in Gaza City
Gaza experienced a telecommunications blackout as Israeli forces pressed deeper into Gaza City, leaving nearly one million Palestinians without phone or internet access (Middle East Eye)
At least eighty-five Palestinians were killed across the territory, the Gaza Health Ministry said (Reuters)
In the Jordan Valley, a Jordanian driver carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza fatally shot two Israelis at the Allenby Crossing with Jordan (Jerusalem Post)
Meanwhile, the United States and Israel issued formal complaints accusing UN staff in Geneva of political bias after hundreds protested the killing of aid workers in Gaza (Reuters)
In New York, the United States vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that called for an immediate Gaza ceasefire and hostage release, saying it did not sufficiently condemn Hamas (AP)
EU Weighs Steps Against Israel
The European Commission today officially proposed suspending part of the European Union’s trade agreement with Israel and sanctioning two hardline Israeli cabinet members, along with Israeli settlers and Hamas members; EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the measures sought to “improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza” (Politico)
It was not immediately clear that the steps had sufficient support to pass (Reuters)
Israel Expands Ground Assault in Gaza City
After Israel bombarded Gaza City heavily overnight, the West Bank-based Palestinian foreign ministry called today for an “urgent international intervention” to protect civilians, while several world leaders called for a halt to the offensive (BBC; BBC)
A UN commission investigating the war said that Israel’s actions in Gaza constituted genocide under the 1948 Genocide Convention; Israel’s foreign ministry rejected the determination (NYT)
After concluding his visit to Israel, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled on to Qatar, which has been rallying Gulf allies following last week’s Israeli attack targeting Hamas negotiators in Doha (FT)
In the wake of the Doha strike, Rubio said that the United States will soon finalize an enhanced military partnership deal with Qatar, one of its closest regional allies (Reuters)
Marco Rubio Visits Israel
Rubio discussed the U.S. stance on the war in Gaza during his visit, telling reporters that while Washington is working towards a peace agreement, “we’re not counting on that” (NYT)
Rubio said in Israel that U.S. President Donald Trump wants the war “to be finished” and that Washington would continue to pursue a diplomatic end to the conflict (WaPo)
He added that there was only a “short window” to achieve a truce (Al Jazeera)
Rubio said ahead of the trip that Washington is “not happy” about the strike, which risked undermining Gaza truce talks (Times of Israel)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a news conference with Rubio that Israel would prefer Hamas “surrender;” he said that Israel would “take over and destroy” a Hamas stronghold in Gaza City (State)
Israeli forces escalated operations in Gaza, flattening high-rise buildings and killing at least thirteen Palestinians, with malnutrition deaths continuing amid worsening humanitarian conditions (AP)
Leaders from multiple Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt, convened in Doha to condemn Israel’s strike, but did not immediately commit to concrete consequences; in a joint statement, the countries vowed to take “legal and effective measures to prevent Israel from continuing its actions against the Palestinian people” (FT)
UN General Assembly Backs Two-State Solution Despite Israeli Opposition
The body voted 142–10 to endorse the New York Declaration, which outlined a phased plan for a Palestinian state, hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to prevent a Palestinian state (AP)
UN on Qatar Strike
The UN Security Council’s fifteen members agreed to a statement that condemned Israel’s Tuesday strikes in Doha that targeted Hamas officials; the statement did not name Israel but voiced support for “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar” (Reuters)
Netanyahu’s West Bank Escalation
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed plans to expand a settlement that would cut across the West Bank, saying “there will be no Palestinian state;” in the past, Israel had avoided moving forward with the plan, known as E1, amid international condemnation (Times of Israel)
Meanwhile, Germany is now among the countries expected to back a France-led proposal for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, unnamed sources told multiple news outlets (Bloomberg)
Israel Strikes Hamas in Qatar
Israel announced it carried out a strike against senior Hamas leaders (BBC)
A senior Israeli official told media outlets the strike targeted Hamas’s lead negotiator, Khalil Al-Hayya, among others (CNN)
Hamas later announced that its senior leadership team was unharmed, but five lower-level members and a member of the Qatari security forces were killed (BBC)
Qatar’s foreign minister said the country only learned about the strike as the bombs were falling, while the prime minister described it as “state terrorism” (Al Jazeera)
The White House said the strike “does not advance Israel or America’s goals” (Economist)
The United States said Israel notified it of the impending attack, but U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters he was “very unhappy about the way that it went down;” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was a “wholly independent Israeli operation” (BBC)
Qatar, which is a major non-NATO ally of the United States and hosts a U.S. military base, had been a mediator in the ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas (AP)
Gulf countries including Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) condemned the attack, which Riyadh called “a flagrant violation of international laws and norms” (Times of Israel)
Meanwhile, an Israeli military spokesperson ordered all remaining one million residents of Gaza City to evacuate today as Israel prepares to operate in the area with “great force;” though the military already issued evacuation orders for parts of the city, only 10 percent of residents had left as of last Wednesday (CNN)
Israel says the operation is necessary to defeat Hamas, while the UN humanitarian office warned last week that it would lead to civilian “catastrophe” (NYT)
Palestinian Gunmen Kill Six at Jerusalem Bus Stop
The attack injured twenty others at Ramot Junction on the outskirts of Jerusalem; Israel alleged the two gunmen were from the West Bank (Reuters)
In Gaza City, Israel threatened a “mighty hurricane” of drone strikes to force Hamas to capitulate; Hamas said it was studying the latest U.S. ceasefire proposal (Reuters)
Israel’s Advance in Gaza City
The Israeli military said that it now controls 40 percent of Gaza’s main population center and plans to expand its military offensive there in the coming days (Times of Israel)
Israeli attacks killed at least fifty-three people across Gaza, Gaza health authorities said; Israel has told civilians to leave Gaza City, but many have stayed put in fear that there is no safe place to go (Times of Israel)
Smotrich Calls for Annexation of West Bank
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said most of the territory should be annexed in the latest effort to block the possibility of a Palestinian state (NYT)
His threat came after a string of countries have announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state at this month’s UN General Assembly (CFR)
The call prompted public rebuke from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which normalized ties with Israel in 2020 (BBC)
The UAE’s condition for signing the Abraham Accords to normalize ties with Israel was that Israel suspend plans to annex parts of the West Bank; Israeli officials say that commitment has expired (Axios)
In Gaza, Hamas said that it was ready for a comprehensive deal to end the war and release all Israeli hostages; Netanyahu called that statement “another spin by Hamas” (Reuters)
He said the war would only end if, in addition to the hostage release, Hamas and Gaza were demilitarized, Israel established security control over the enclave, and an alternative civilian administration were established (Times of Israel)
A Palestinian-American activist who has been mediating between Hamas and the Trump administration said that a comprehensive U.S. proposal to end the war in Gaza and free all hostages is on the table (Times of Israel)