Macron Urges Israel to Prioritize Hostage Releases During Visit
French President Emmanuel Macron urged Israeli leaders today to prioritize securing the release of hostages held by the Palestinian militant group Hamas since its October 7 attack; while Macron said it was “our duty to fight against these terrorist groups” without widening the conflict, he also called for more aid to be allowed to enter the Gaza Strip before an anticipated Israeli ground invasion (FT)
He suggested the creation of an international coalition against Hamas (Reuters)
Macron is also meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas today after requesting a revival of peace talks around Palestinian statehood (Bloomberg)
Hamas freed two Israeli hostages yesterday, but negotiations over the release of fifty more captives were held up over Israeli resistance to allow fuel to enter Gaza, the Wall Street Journal reported; Israeli officials said they worry the fuel could be diverted for military purposes (WSJ)
Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces said that they bombed four hundred targets in Gaza overnight (AP)
More Aid Enters Gaza as U.S. Urges Delay of Ground Invasion, Bolsters Mideast Force Posture
A second aid convoy of fourteen trucks entered the Gaza Strip from Egypt today, but UN officials say at least one hundred aid trucks per day are required to meet Gaza’s urgent needs (Reuters)
The Israeli military, meanwhile, said that one of its tanks accidentally hit an Egyptian position near its border with Gaza and is currently investigating the incident. The Joe Biden administration has advised Israel to delay its planned ground invasion of Gaza to allow for more aid delivery and hostage negotiations, according to unnamed U.S. officials (NYT). U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned of the risk of war spreading, and the Department of Defense has moved a carrier strike group toward the Persian Gulf and placed additional troops in the region on standby (FT)
Israel has continued its air campaign on Gaza and carried out a rare air strike in the West Bank, while Palestinian armed groups have continued launching rockets toward Israel (NYT)
First Humanitarian Aid Reaches Gaza
The Rafa crossing briefly opened to allow the first convoy of aid trucks to enter Gaza from the Egyptian Red Crescent; UN aid trucks are expected to enter Gaza on Monday (CNN)
Egypt to Host Weekend Summit on Israel-Hamas Crisis
Several Middle Eastern leaders and UN Secretary-General António Guterres are expected to attend today’s summit, which is due to discuss the current war and the prospect of a comprehensive solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Ahead of the summit, the leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates held their first public meeting yesterday in more than three years to discuss the threat of the war becoming a wider regional conflict (Bloomberg)
Hamas Releases Two U.S. Hostages
Hamas spokesman Abu Ubaida announced the release of two American hostages “for humanitarian reasons” as a result of Qatari mediation efforts (Reuters)
Biden Cites ‘Inflection Point in History’ in Call for Continued Support of Israel, Ukraine
U.S. President Joe Biden said the current wars in the Middle East and Ukraine represent an “inflection point in history” in a speech from the Oval Office yesterday; both the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Russian President Vladimir Putin aim to “completely annihilate a neighboring democracy,” he said (NYT)
To stop them, he urged Congress to support new military aid for Israel and Ukraine; the full request package is expected to total some $100 billion and will go to a still-leaderless U.S. House of Representatives as the House struggles to choose a new speaker (Bloomberg)
Biden also denounced antisemitism and Islamophobia and emphasized the need to abide by the laws of war (NBC)
Biden’s address came as humanitarian aid for residents in the Gaza Strip was delayed by disagreements between Egypt and Israel, and Israel’s defense minister told troops that they would soon see Gaza “from inside” (NYT; Reuters)
As diplomats pushed to contain the threat of a wider war, a U.S. Navy warship in the northern Red Sea shot down three cruise missiles and several drones launched from Yemen that the Pentagon said could have been aimed at Israel (Reuters)
Israel also ordered the evacuation of its largest town near the border with Lebanon and conducted raids in the West Bank amid clashes there (LA Times)
Biden Calls for Careful Military Choices, Humanitarian Access During Israel Visit
On a visit to Tel Aviv yesterday to voice U.S. support for Israel in the wake of Hamas’s surprise attack, U.S. President Joe Biden also warned Israel not to be “consumed” by rage, adding that the United States made “mistakes” following the September 11, 2001, terror attacks (FT)
He also announced that Egypt has agreed to allow up to twenty humanitarian aid trucks to enter the Gaza Strip (AP)
The U.S. Senate has moved to accelerate the confirmation process to approve Biden’s nominee for ambassador to Israel (AP)
Meanwhile, the White House said U.S. intelligence suggests Israel was not responsible for Tuesday’s deadly explosion at a Gaza hospital yesterday (NYT)
Israeli air strikes continue over Gaza, where many residents are eating only one meal a day and have resorted to drinking unsafe water (AP)
At the UN Security Council yesterday, the United States vetoed a draft resolution calling for a humanitarian cease-fire, saying that it was important to focus on direct diplomacy efforts; UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for an immediate cease-fire and to allow for humanitarian aid to the region and hostages to be released (Reuters)
Biden, Netanyahu Meet in Israel Following Deadly Hospital Blast
U.S. President Joe Biden is meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the country’s war cabinet in Tel Aviv today on the heels of a deadly explosion yesterday at a Gaza hospital that inflamed tensions across the region (NYT)
Gaza’s health ministry blamed Israel for the blast, while the Israeli Defense Forces denied that claim, saying it was due to a rocket fired by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (NYT)
Following the hospital explosion, Jordan canceled a four-way summit that Biden was due to attend (Reuters)
Ahead of Biden’s visit, a National Security Council spokesperson said he would show support for Israel while also asking Israeli leaders “tough questions” about their plans going forward; he is also expected to press for humanitarian aid in Gaza (Reuters)
The hospital blast sparked protests across the Middle East, with many held in front of U.S. or Israeli diplomatic missions (WaPo)
Airstrikes Kill Hundreds at Hospital, UN School in Gaza
The Palestinian Health Ministry said at least five hundred people were killed in an explosion at the Al Ahli Hospital in north Gaza with the number of casualties expected to increase as medical teams struggle to respond; the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) denied responsibility for the attack (NYT)
Meanwhile, a suspected Israeli airstrike hit a United Nations school sheltering four thousand Palestinians, killing at least six and injuring dozens, according to the the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) (WSJ)
Biden to Visit Israel Amid Efforts to Contain War’s Military, Humanitarian Escalation
U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to visit Israel tomorrow in a show of support following the Palestinian militant group Hamas’s surprise terror attack; while Iran’s foreign minister warned of retaliation if Israeli forces continued to kill civilians in Gaza, U.S. officials have used backchannels to caution Iran against escalation (NYT)
The United States has sent military reinforcements of about two thousand Marines and sailors to the eastern Mediterranean Sea (AP)
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for almost nine hours yesterday, said the United States and Israel were developing a plan to allow humanitarian aid to reach civilians in Gaza; though Israel told Gazan civilians to flee south to protect themselves ahead of a potential ground invasion, Israeli air strikes killed dozens of people in southern Gaza today (AP)
Air Campaign on Gaza Continues as Border Passage for Aid Remains Closed
Diplomatic efforts to allow hundreds of tons of humanitarian aid to enter Gaza and foreign nationals to exit through Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt have not yielded immediate progress (Reuters)
The United Nations warned that hospitals in Gaza are expected to run out of fuel within twenty-four hours, while food and water across the territory are dwindling (Reuters)
Though Israel is believed to be preparing for a ground invasion of Gaza, U.S. President Joe Biden said in a televised interview yesterday that such an invasion would be “a big mistake” (NYT)
Meanwhile, multipronged diplomacy continues in the hope of preventing the war from spreading; U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is back in Israel today after visiting several countries in the region over the weekend (Reuters)
Israeli officials announced that they have identified at least 199 hostages being held in Gaza by Hamas (Times of Israel)
Syria Says Israeli Air Strikes Target Aleppo Airport
Israeli air strikes temporarily put the Aleppo airport out of service today, Syria’s defense ministry said; a senior Israeli foreign ministry official said that Israel aims to preempt efforts by Iran to move weapons into Syria to help open a second front against Israel (Times of Israel)
The UN estimates tens of thousands have already left their homes following an Israeli order for civilians to evacuate northern Gaza yesterday (Guardian)
Meanwhile, Israeli forces made their first raids into the Gaza Strip since the Hamas attack; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was “only the beginning” (Reuters)
Israel Calls for Half of Gaza to Evacuate as UN Warns of Humanitarian Disaster
Israel’s military told more than one million people in the northern part of Gaza to evacuate immediately to the territory’s south ahead of an expected ground invasion targeting the Palestinian militant group Hamas; the United Nations called on Israel to rescind the order, saying it would have “devastating humanitarian consequences” (AP)
Gaza’s health ministry said it was impossible to evacuate wounded people from hospitals and that hospital staff would stay put (Guardian)
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin are in Israel today, while U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with the leaders of Jordan and the Palestinian Authority before traveling on to Qatar (NYT)
Yesterday, the United States and Qatar blocked Iran from accessing $6 billion that had recently been unfrozen in a prisoner swap deal (NYT)
Damascus, Aleppo Airports in Syria Crippled by Israeli Strikes
Simultaneous Israeli missile attacks in Damascus and Aleppo damaged Syria’s main airports on Thursday (Al Jazeera)
Both airports were put out of service by the attacks which some sources have linked to Israeli efforts to disrupt Iranian supply lines into the Levant region (Reuters)
Israel Forms Emergency Cabinet to Plan War’s Next Phase
The leader of Israel’s second-largest opposition party, Benny Gantz, joined Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and top military officials yesterday to form an emergency war cabinet to plan the next phase of the war; Netanyahu said Israel’s next steps would leave the Palestinian militant group Hamas “crushed and eliminated” (NYT)
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv today to support Israel and coordinate conflict response with regional partners, and the leaders of Iran and Saudi Arabia discussed the conflict yesterday on their first phone call since they restored ties in March (NYT;Reuters)
While negotiations to protect hostages and civilians trapped in Gaza continue, Egypt rejected a proposal to open corridors for the general civilian population to leave the territory, unnamed Egyptian security sources told Reuters
Gaza’s only power plant shut down yesterday, leaving hospitals dependent on generators with only a few days’ worth of fuel left as Israel continues its bombing campaign (WSJ)
Israel Secures Gaza Border in South, Masses Troops for Potential Offensive
Israeli forces regained effective control over the country’s south and its border with Gaza from Palestinian Hamas militants, the Israeli military said yesterday (AP)
Israeli troops are now gathering near the border ahead of a potential ground invasion of Gaza in retaliation for Hamas’s weekend attack that killed more than 1,200 Israeli citizens (NYT)
In a speech yesterday, U.S. President Joe Biden denounced the attack as “pure, unadulterated evil” and said Israel had a “right” and “duty” to respond, while drawing a distinction between terrorists and people who uphold the laws of war (White House)
Meanwhile, Israel has blocked aid from entering the Gaza Strip, and humanitarian groups have called for the creation of aid corridors as hospitals are overrun and supplies are dwindling (WSJ)
Biden to Speak on Mideast War Following Joint Statement With European Leaders
U.S. President Joe Biden’s anticipated remarks today come after a statement with the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom (UK) yesterday that voiced “steadfast and united” support for Israel and unequivocal condemnation of the Palestinian militant group Hamas and its attacks on Israel; the attacks have killed more than nine hundred people in the country (NYT)
Yesterday, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff warned Iran to stay out of the brewing war; as Israeli forces moved to retake towns near the border with Gaza, they reported having killed around 1,500 Hamas fighters (FT)
Israel’s ruling coalition said today that it aims to form an emergency government that includes members of the opposition (Bloomberg)
While it remains unclear whether Israel will conduct a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces have bombed the enclave, where the UN humanitarian office says nearly 200,000 people have fled their homes since the start of hostilities (Reuters)
Citizens of at least sixteen countries, including the United States, have been confirmed dead or missing in the conflict (Al-Monitor)
U.S., European Allies Sign Joint Statement Supporting Israel
U.S. President Biden, French President Macron, German Chancellor Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Meloni, and UK Prime Minister Sunak released a joint statement on Monday expressing unified support for Israel’s self-defense efforts, condemning Hamas, and urging actors hostile toward Israel not to use the moment to their advantage (Times of Israel)
President Biden: Americans Killed in Israel-Hamas Conflict
On Monday, President Joe Biden confirmed that eleven Americans are confirmed dead in the recent fighting between Israel and Hamas; it is possible that more U.S. nationals have been killed in the clashes (ABC)
The president said in a statement that it is likely Americans are among the hostages being held by militants in Gaza; the Israeli ambassador to Washington previously indicated that Americans are being held by Hamas (NBC)
Israel Orders Full Siege of Gaza in Response to Shock Hamas Attack
Israel’s defense minister ordered a “complete siege” of the Gaza Strip today in response to the Palestinian militant group Hamas’s surprise weekend offensive; Hamas’s attack, the deadliest on Israel in recent history, has killed more than seven hundred people in Israel and triggered Israeli attacks on Gaza, stoking fears of a wider regional conflict (NYT)
Israeli forces battled to regain control of towns near the border with Gaza today, while both Israel and Gaza militants exchanged rocket fire; at least 560 Palestinians have been killed since Saturday, Gaza authorities said (Reuters)
In the wake of Hamas’s attack, the United States deployed warships near Israel, as well as pledged to provide munitions (NYT)
Qatar is reportedly mediating efforts to free Israeli hostages currently held in Gaza (Reuters)
A spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry denied that Tehran was involved in the Hamas attack, though analysts said its sophistication required outside backing and Iran is a longtime Hamas sponsor (Reuters)
The conflict has also fueled concerns that the prospect of Israeli-Saudi normalization could be at risk (NYT)
Israeli Cabinet Formally Declares War Against Hamas
The government made a formal declaration of war against the terrorist organization on Sunday, one day after Hamas militants launched a deadly attack in southern Israel (CNN)
The Associated Press reported at least 700 people have been killed in Israel, and more than 400 people have been killed in Gaza (AP)
Israeli Soldiers and Civilians Reportedly Taken Hostage by Hamas
According to Israel’s military spokesman, Hamas fighters took Israelis hostage during the early hours of their surprise attack on cities in southern Israel (NYT)
The Israeli government set up a special command center for missing persons issues on Sunday (CNN)
President Biden Pledges Support For Israel
U.S. President Joe Biden pledged support to the government and people of Israel; the UN Security Council will meet on Sunday to discuss recent fighting in and near Gaza (VOA)
The fighting began when Hamas militants stormed and bombed Israeli cities in a surprise attack on Saturday morning, which also marked the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah (ABC)
Hamas Launches Surprise Attack Against Israel
Hamas, the terrorist group that controls Gaza, launched a coordinated attack against Israel on Saturday; the group fired rockets across the Gaza border and militants stormed nearby Israeli cities and towns (AP)
Approximately 600 Israelis and 370 Palestinians were killed in the first day of attacks and Israeli retaliatory operations (FT)