Israel-Hamas war live updates: Biden will visit Israel on Wednesday, 2,000 U.S. troops prep for possible deployment to Middle East

The
top
U.S.
general
overseeing
American
forces
in
the
Middle
East
made
an
unannounced
trip
to
Israel
on
Tuesday,
saying
he
hoped
to
ensure
its
military
has
what
it
needs
as
it
fights
a
deepening
war
against
Palestinian
militant
group
Hamas.

The
trip
by
Army
General
Michael
“Erik”
Kurilla,
head
of
U.S.
Central
Command,
is
the
latest
by
a
senior
U.S.
official
to
Israel
ahead
of
an
expected
ground
assault
by
Israel’s
military
in
Gaza.
It
comes
a
day
before
a planned
visit by
U.S.
President
Joe
Biden
to
the
country.

The
U.S.
military
is
increasing
its
firepower
in
the
region,
aiming
to
prevent
Iran
and
other
Iran-backed
groups
from
getting
involved
in
the
conflict
as
international
fears
of
a
wider,
regional
war
grow.

The
Pentagon
is
also
rushing
weaponry,
including
air
defenses
and
munitions,
to
Israel.

“I’m
here
to
ensure
Israel
has
what
it
needs
to
defend
itself,
particularly
focused
on
avoiding
other
parties
expanding
the
conflict,”
Kurilla
told
Reuters,
which
is
traveling
with
him,
in
brief
remarks
before
landing.

A
U.S.
official
told
Reuters
Kurilla
was
scheduled
to
hold
high-level
meetings
with
Israel’s
military
leadership,
ensuring
a
clear
understanding
of
the
close
U.S.
ally’s
defense
requirements.

—

Reuters

The
Israel
Defense
Forces
claims
to
have
struck
unspecified
Hezbollah
military
infrastructure
in
Lebanon
early
Tuesday
local
time,
in
response
to
earlier
strikes
by
the
Iran-backed
militia
group,
the
IDF
said
in
an
update
on
its
official
Telegram
channel.

Hezbollah
reportedly
targeted
five
Israeli
outposts
in
its
Monday
strikes,
Lebanon’s
National
News
Agency

reported,
citing
a
Hezbollah
statement.

—
Clement
Tan

President
Joe
Biden
said
he
will
travel
to
Israel
on
Wednesday
to
“stand
in
solidarity
in
the
face
of
Hamas’s
brutal
terrorist
attack.”

“I’ll
then
travel
to
Jordan
to
address
dire
humanitarian
needs,
meet
with
leaders,
and
make
clear
that
Hamas
does
not
stand
for
Palestinians’
right
to
self-determination,”
Biden
wrote
on
X,
the
social
media
platform
previously
known
as
Twitter.

—
Amanda
Macias

New
satellite
images
taken
by
Maxar
Technologies
show
crowds
of
people
and
vehicles
gathering
on
the
Gaza
side
of
the
Rafah
border
crossing
into
Egypt.

President
Joe
Biden
discussed
ways
to
alleviate
the
worsening
humanitarian
crisis
in
Gaza
with
President
Abdel
Fattah
El-Sisi
of Egypt,
in
coordination
with
the
UN,
Jordan,
the
Palestinian
Authority,
Israel,
and
other
regional
partners,
the
White
House
said.

They
also
discussed
the
need
for
stability
in
the
Middle
East.
Biden
“condemned
Hamas’
terrorist
attack
on
Israel
and
reiterated
that
Hamas
does
not
stand
for
the
Palestinian
people’s
right
to
dignity
and
self-determination,”
the
White
House
said.

Hundreds
of
thousands
of
Palestinians
are
being
displaced
as
they
flee
to
the
south
as
Gaza
runs
out
of
food,
water,
electricity
and
critical
supplies,

the
United
Nations
warned.

—

Riya
Bhattacharjee

President
Joe
Biden
will
travel
to
Israel
on
Wednesday
to
meet
with
Israeli
Prime
Minister
Benjamin
Netanyahu
as
the
conflict
intensifies.

“He’s
coming
here
at
a
critical
moment
for
Israel,
for
the
region
and
for
the
world,”
Secretary
of
State
Antony
Blinken
announced
during
a
brief
press
conference
at
the
U.S.
Embassy
in
Tel
Aviv.

Blinken
said
that
Biden
will
receive
security
briefings
and
coordinate
with
regional
partners
to
mitigate
the
expansion
of
the
war.

Biden
will
also
work
to
implement
a
plan
that
will
allow
for
humanitarian
aid
and
resources
to
safely
enter
Gaza
Strip.

—
Amanda
Macias

Secretary
of
State
Antony
Blinken
met
with
Israeli
Prime
Minister
Benjamin
Netanyahu
for
nearly
eight
hours
in
Tel
Aviv.

The
meeting,
which
included
Netanyahu’s
war
cabinet,
was
interrupted
twice
by
air
raid
sirens.
Blinken
and
Netanyahu
were
forced
to
take
cover
along
with
traveling
press
in
a
shelter
during
the
alerts.

Blinken
has
visited
Israel
twice
since
the
start
of
the
war
on
Oct.
7.

—
Amanda
Macias

A
spokesman
for
Hamas
said
that
the
group
is
prepared
to
release
non-Israeli
hostages
when
certain
conditions
are
met.

It
was
not
immediately
clear
how
many
hostages
would
potentially
be
released.

The
White
House
has
previously
said
that
they
believe
“less
than
a
handful”
of
Americans
are
being
held
by
Hamas.

Here’s
more

from
MSNBC.

—
Amanda
Macias

Secretary
of
Defense
Lloyd
Austin
spoke
with
King
Abdullah
II
of
Jordan
as
the
ongoing
crisis
intensifies.

“The
two
leaders
agreed
on
the
importance
of
ensuring
that
civilians
have
access
to
humanitarian
aid,”
Pentagon
deputy
press
secretary
Sabrina
Singh
wrote
in
a
readout
of
the
call.

“The
secretary
reaffirmed
the
strength
of
the
U.S.-Jordan
partnership
and
reiterated
the
U.S.
commitment
to
Jordan’s
security,”
Singh
added.

—
Amanda
Macias

President
Joe
Biden
is
strongly
considering
traveling
to
Israel
as
early
as
this
week,
three
U.S.
officials
tell
NBC
News.

Officials
say
planning
has
begun
for
a
potential
ground
visit
from
Biden.

The
White
House
declined
to
comment.

Biden
on
Sunday
was
invited
to
Egypt
for
an
international
summit
on
Oct.
21
centered
on
the
future
of
Palestinians.

NBC
News
reported
on
Sunday
the
White
House
was
considering
an
invitation
from
Israeli
Prime
Minister
Netanyahu
for
Biden
to
travel
to
Israel.

—

Emma
Kinery

Donald
Trump
said
that
if
elected
president
again
in
2024,
he
would
widen
the
travel
bans
from
his
first
term
in
office
to
include
residents
from
Gaza
and
“anywhere
else
that
threatens
our
security.”

“I
banned
refugees
from
Syria,
I
banned
refugees
from
Somalia,
and
from
all
the
most
dangerous
places
in
the
world
—
and
in
my
second
term,
we
are
going
to
expand
each
and
every
ban
to
keep
America
safe,”
Trump
announced
at
a
campaign
stop
in
Iowa,
according
to
remarks
prepared
for
the
event.

Trump
in
those
remarks
also
vowed
to
implement
“strong
ideological
screening”
for
all
U.S.
immigrants
and
“aggressively
deport
resident
aliens
with
jihadist
sympathies.”

He
also
said
that
his
administration
would
send
immigration
officers
to
“pro-jihadist
demonstrations
to
enforce
our
immigration
laws
and
remove
the
violators
from
our
country.”

The
speech
in
Iowa
shows
Trump,
the
top
contender
in
the
Republican
presidential
primary,
reacting
to
the
Israel-Hamas
war
by
ratcheting
up
his
hard-line
views
on
immigration.

The
Trump
administration
in
2017
issued
an
executive
order
restricting
travel
to
the
U.S.
from
seven
majority-Muslim
countries,
among
other
measures.
The
Supreme
Court
narrowly

upheld
that
order
in
2018.

In
2020,
the
administration
expanded
the
travel
ban
to
include

six
additional
nations.

President
Joe
Biden

revoked
those
bans
on
his
first
day
in
office.

—

Kevin
Breuninger

The
Pentagon
has
placed
approximately
2,000
U.S.
troops
on
preparation
to
deploy
orders
to
the
Middle
East,
a
Defense
official
confirmed
to
NBC
News.

The
U.S.
servicemembers
will
likely
deploy
to
neighboring
countries
in
support
of
Israel.

—
Amanda
Macias

Hundreds
of
protesters
gathered
outside
of
the
White
House
urging
President
Joe
Biden
to
call
for
a
ceasefire
in
Israel
and
Gaza,
including
actor
Wallace
Shawn.

The
protest
was
organized
by
If
Not
Now
and
Jewish
Voices
for
Peace,
two
Jewish
organizations
advocating
for
equality
for
Israelis
and
Palestinians.

Shawn,
known
for
his
role
in
The
Princess
Bride,
held
a
sign
that
read
“My
grief
is
not
your
weapon.”

—

Emma
Kinery

Secretary
of
State
Antony
Blinken
was
forced
to
shelter
in
place
for
a
second
time
during
his
meeting
with
Israeli
Prime
Minister
Benjamin
Netanyahu,
according
to
a
note
from
press
traveling
with
the
State
Department.

During
the
first
air
raid
sirens,
Blinken
and
Netanyahu
waited
in
a
bunker
for
approximately
five
minutes.

—
Amanda
Macias

United
Nations
Secretary-General
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric
said
that
humanitarian
teams
have
supplies
that
are
ready
to
be
moved
into
southern
Gaza
through
the
Rafah
crossing.

Dujarric
added
that
a
World
Health
Organization
aircraft
arrived
in
Egypt
near
the
Rafah
passage
with
additional
supplies.
Meanwhile,
the
World
Food
Program
is
working
to
reach
approximately
225,000
displaced
people
in
at
least
19
United
Nations
shelters
throughout
the
Gaza
Strip.

—
Amanda
Macias

Secretary
of
State
Antony
Blinken
and
Israeli
Prime
Minister
Benjamin
Netanyahu
were
forced
to
shelter
in
a
bunker
for
at
least
five
minutes,
State
Department
spokesman
Matt
Miller
said.

Miller
said
a
meeting
between
the
two
in
Tel
Aviv
was
interrupted
by
sirens.
Over
the
weekend,
a
congressional
bipartisan
delegation
also
had
to
shelter
in
place
during
meetings
in
Israel.

—
Amanda
Macias

Martin
Griffiths,
United
Nations
Under-Secretary-General
for
Humanitarian
Affairs
and
Emergency
Relief
Coordinator,
will
travel
to
the
Middle
East
as
the
conflict
between
Israel
and
Hamas
intensifies.

Griffiths,
who
is
expected
to
stay
in
the
region
for
a
few
days,
will
begin
in
Egypt
with
a
possible
stop
in
Israel.

The
trip
was
announced
by
United
Nations
Secretary-General
spokesman
Stéphane
Dujarric
during
a
daily
press
briefing.

United
Nations
Secretary-General
Antonio
Guterres
has
previously
called
for
a
ceasefire
and
immediate
humanitarian
access
to
the
Gaza
Strip.

—
Amanda
Macias

The
direct
market
impacts
stemming
from
geopolitical
are
typically
short-lived,
according
to
Principal
Asset
Management
chief
global
strategist
Seema
Shah.
However,
she
believes
that
the
impacts
on
the
macroeconomy
can
linger.

“The
key
macro
concerns
from
the
developments
in
Israel
lie
with
the
threat
of
upward
pressure
on
oil
prices,
and
how
its
corresponding
effect
on
core
inflation
could
potentially
prompt
central
bank
action.
…
The
indirect
impacts
via
inflation
and
economic
growth
can
be
more
persistent,”
Shah
said.

The
strategist
believes
the
critical
macro
concerns
lie
with
the
oil
market.
While
Brent
crude
prices
have
not
risen
as
much
as
had
been
expected
initially
following
the
outbreak
of
the
attack,
an
escalation
in
tensions
would
likely
put
further
upward
pressure.

“Higher
oil
prices
can
work
their
way
into
core
inflation
and
inflation
expectations
if
sustained,”
said
Shah.
“Safe
haven
flows
have
contributed
to
a
sharp
fall
in
bond
yields
this
week.
Yet,
if
oil
prices
rise
further
and
price
pressures
do
re-emerge,
expectations
of
additional
monetary
action
from
policymakers
could
threaten
a
renewed
bond
rout.”

—
Hakyung
Kim

Read
more
about
the
war’s
effect
on
markets
and
the
global
economy
at


CNBC’s
markets
live
blog.

British
Prime
Minister
Rishi
Sunak
announced
that
the
U.K.
will
make
available
£10
million
(about
$12
million
U.S.)
in
humanitarian
aid
for
civilians
impacted
in
Gaza.

“An
acute
humanitarian
crisis
is
unfolding,
to
which
we
must
respond.
We
must
support
the
Palestinian
people
–
because
they’re
victims
of
Hamas,
too,”
Sunak
in
a
speech
before
the
House
of
Commons.

The
funding
will
go
to
providing
critically
needed
items
and
services
like,
emergency
shelters,
food
and
water.

—
Amanda
Macias

President
Joe
Biden
and
Vice
President
Kamala
Harris
were
briefed
by
their
national
security
team
on
the
ongoing
conflict
between
Israel
and
Hamas,
a
White
House
official
said.

Director
of
National
Intelligence
Avril
Haines,
who
oversees
America’s
intelligence
agencies,
ran
the
briefing
alongside
National
Security
Advisor
Jake
Sullivan
and
Director
of
the
Central
Intelligence
Agency
Bill
Burns.

—
Amanda
Macias

Israeli
Defense
Minister Yoav Gallant
warned
Secretary
of
State
Antony
Blinken
that
the
ongoing
conflict
between
Israel
and
Hamas
“will
be
a
long
war.”

“Mr.
Secretary,
this
will
be
a
long
war.
The
price
will
be
high,
but
we
are
going
to
win
for
Israel,
for
the
Jewish
people
and
for
the
values
that
both
countries
believe
in,”
Gallant
said
alongside
Blinken
in
Tel
Aviv.

Blinken’s
visit
to
Israel,
his
second
in
the
past
week,
follows
a
series
of
high-profile
meetings
in
the
region.
The
top
U.S.
diplomat
is
slated
to
meet
again
with
Israel
Prime
Minister
Benjamin
Netanyahu.

—
Amanda
Macias

The
U.S.
Attorney’s
Office
for
the
Northern
District
of
Illinois
on
Monday
opened
a
federal
hate
crimes
investigation
into
the

fatal
stabbing
of
a
6-year-old
Palestinian-American
child
in
Chicago,
a
spokesperson
tells
NBC
News.

Joseph
Czuba,
71,
was
arrested
and
charged
by
the
Will
County
Sheriff’s
Office
on
Saturday
for
allegedly
stabbing
the
child
and
his
mother
because
they
were
Muslim
and
because
of
the
ongoing
situation
in
Israel.

President
Joe
Biden
in
a
statement
on
Sunday
said
he
and
First
Lady
Jill
Biden
were
“shocked
and
sickened”
by
the
murder.

“This
horrific
act
of
hate
has
no
place
in
America,
and
stands
against
our
fundamental
values:
freedom
from
fear
for
how
we
pray,
what
we
believe,
and
who
we
are,”
Biden
said.

“As
Americans,
we
must
come
together
and
reject
Islamophobia
and
all
forms
of
bigotry
and
hatred.
I
have
said
repeatedly
that
I
will
not
be
silent
in
the
face
of
hate.
We
must
be
unequivocal.
There
is
no
place
in
America
for
hate
against
anyone.”

—

Emma
Kinery

U.K.
Prime
Minister
Rishi
Sunak
on
Monday
said
attacks
carried
out
last
week
by
Palestinian
militant
group
Hamas
were
tantamount
to
a
pogrom.

“We
should
call
it
by
its
name:
it
was
a
pogrom,”
Sunak
said
of
the
attacks
against
Israel
on
Oct.
7.

At
least
1,400
people
were
killed
in
Israel
following
the
attacks,
while
nearly
2,700
people
have
been
killed
in
Gaza
as
a
result
of
Israel’s
retaliatory
offensive.

Among
those
killed
in
Hamas’
attack
on
Israel
were
at
least
six
Britons,
Sunak
told
the
House
of
Commons,
adding
that
a
further
10
were
still
missing.

—
Karen
Gilchrist

Israeli
Prime
Minister
Benjamin
Netanyahu
on
Monday
likened
Israel’s
war
against
Palestinian
militant
group
Hamas
to
an
existential
battle
between
light
and
darkness.

Addressing
the
Knesset,
Israel’s
parliament,
Netanyahu
said
that
Hamas
and
other
allied
groups
represented
a
new
form
of
“Nazism,”
the
Times
of
Israel

reported.

“Hamas
is
part
of
the
evil
axis
of
Iran
and
Hezbollah.
They
aim
to
plunge
the
Middle
East
into
an
abyss
of
chaos,”
he
said,
dubbing
the
groups
“dark
forces.”

“Now,
many
around
the
world
understand
who
Israel
is
facing.
They
comprehend
that
Hamas
represents
a
new
version
of
Nazism.
Just
as
the
world
united
to
defeat
the
Nazis
and
Isis,
so
it
must
unite
to
defeat
Hamas,”
he
added.

—
Karen
Gilchrist

U.S.
Secretary
of
State
Antony
Blinken
met
with
Israeli
President
Isaac
Herzog
on
Monday
and
emphasized
the
United
States’
promise
to
support
Israel.

“Secretary
Blinken
reaffirmed
the
U.S.
commitment
to
provide
Israel
with
the
assistance
it
needs
to
protect
its
citizens,”
State
Department
spokesman
Matthew
Miller
said
in
a
statement.

Blinken
and
Herzog
also
discussed
protecting
civilians
impacted
by
Hamas
and
the
continuing
push
to
free
the
hostages.

—

Emma
Kinery

The
U.N.
Relief
and
Works
Agency
for
Palestine
Refugees
(UNRWA)
said
it
has
received
reports
that
a
group
of
people
with
trucks
on
Sunday
removed
fuel
and
medial
supplies
from
its
compound
in
Gaza
City.

The
individuals
purported
to
be
affiliated
with
the
Ministry
of
Health
of
Gaza.

UNRWA
staff
evacuated
the
compound
on
Oct.
13,
and
the
agency
has
not
had
access
to
the
site
since.

Its
“fuel
&
other
types
of
material
are
kept
for
strictly
humanitarian
purposes
–
any
other
use
is
strongly
condemned,”

the
UNRWA
said
Monday
on
social
media.

CNBC
could
not
independently
verify
the
reports.

The
Gaza
Strip
has
been
under
complete
siege
by
Israel
since
the
start
of
last
week,
deprived
of
Israel’s
water,
electricity,
fuel
and
food
supplies,
following
the
Oct.
7
terrorist
offensive
of
Palestinian
militant
group
Hamas.
Amid
fears
of
an
impending
ground
incursion,
Israel
at
the
end
of
last
week
instructed
the
residents
of
Gaza
City
to
evacuate
south
of
the
Wadi
Gaza
river.

The
Gaza
ministry
of
health
has
repeatedly
warned
that
electricity
and
supply
shortages
are
critically
straining
the
local
health
system.

—

Ruxandra
Iordache

U.S.
Treasury
Secretary
Janet
Yellen
said
predicting
the
consequences
of
the
Israel-Hamas
war
on
the
global
economy
was
premature.

“I
think
it’s
too
early
to
speculate
on
whether
or
not
there
will
be
significant
consequences,”

Yellen
told
CNBC’s
Wilfred
Frost.

“I
think,
importantly,
it
depends
on
whether
the
hostilities
extend
beyond
Israel
and
Gaza
and
that’s
certainly
an
outcome
we’d
like
to
avoid.”

Yellen
who
is
currently
attending
the
Eurogroup
Finance
Ministers
Meeting
in
Luxembourg,
added
that
the
Treasury
Department
is
“monitoring
the
situation
at
this
point.”

Read
the
full
story

here.

—Chelsey
Cox

A
White
House
official
is
hoping
that
the
Rafah
crossing
bridging
Egypt
and
the
Gaza
Strip
can
be
opened
for
a
few
hours
over
the
course
of
Monday
to
allow
the
safe
passage
of
some
civilians
before
an
anticipated
Israeli
ground
incursion.

“Right
now
it’s
still
closed,”
said
National
Security
Council
spokesman
John
Kirby,
in
Reuters-reported
comments
from
a
CNN
interview.
“We’re
hoping,
hoping,
that
sometime
later
today,
it
can
be
open
for
a
period
of
hours.
But
again,
we
just
have
to
kind
of
wait
and
see
how
this
goes.”

He
signaled
that
hopes
of
the
crossing
—
the
only
point
of
transit
out
of
the
besieged
Gaza
Strip,
which
is
otherwise
enclosed
by
Israel
and
the
sea
—
being
open
over
the
weekend
were
“dashed.”

The
White
House
is
currently
present
at
the
top
level
in
Israel,
with
U.S.
Secretary
of
State
Antony
Blinken
arriving
earlier
in
Tel
Aviv.

Earlier
in
the
day,
Israel
appeared
to
contradict
reports
of
a
humanitarian
corridor
that
would
facilitate
the
passage
of
foreign
nationals
out
of
the
Gaza
Strip
through
the
Rafah
route.
Egyptian
Foreign
Minister
Sameh
Shoukry
later
in
the
day
said
that
Israel
had
yet
to
take
a
stance
that
allowed
the
opening
of
the
crossing,
Reuters
reported.

—
Ruxandra
Iordache

Russian
President
Vladimir
Putin
will
hold
separate
phone
conversations
with
Israeli
Prime
Minister
Benjamin
Netanyahu
and
Mahmoud
Abbas,
president
of
the
Palestinian
Authority.

“Today
we
have,
one
might
say,
such
a
‘powerful
shot’:
five
telephone
conversations.
The
President
has
already
spoken
with
the
President
of
Syria
[Bashar
Assad]
and
the
President
of
Iran
[Ebrahim
Raisi].
During
the
day,
more
telephone
contacts
will
take
place
with
the
Presidents
of
Egypt
—
[Abdel
Fattah]
al-Sisi,
Palestine
—
Abbas,
as
well
as
Israeli
Prime
Minister
Netanyahu,”
presidential
assistant
Yuri
Ushakov
said
in
Google-translated
comments

reported
by
Russian
state
news
agency
Tass.

Earlier
on
Monday,
Putin
and
Assad
urged
an
end
to
the
violence
that
has
erupted
between
Israel
and
Palestinian
militant
group
Hamas.
The
conflict,
sparked
by
the
Oct.
7
terror
attacks
perpetuated
by
Hamas,
has
seen
Israel
declare
a
complete
siege
of
the
enclosed
Gaza
Strip
and
call
on
residents
of
the
northern
half
of
the
region
to
evacuate
south
of
the
Wadi
Gaza
wetlands.

Russia
—
which
is
itself
carrying
out
a
full-scale
invasion
of
Ukraine
—
has
had
to
strike
a
fine
balance
to
preserve
its
ties
with
both
Israel
and
Iran,
a
historical
supporter
of
Hamas.
Moscow,
heavily
sanctioned
by
Western
nations,
has
yet
to
fully
condemn
Hamas
and
instead
characterized
the
group’s
conflict
with
Israel
as
a
failure
of
U.S.
diplomacy.

—

Ruxandra
Iordache

U.S.
President
Joe
Biden
stressed
his
belief
in
the
need
for
eventual
Palestinian
statehood
—
something
that
Israel’s
current
government
led
by
Prime
Minister
Benjamin
Netanyahu
opposes
—
while
also
supporting
Israel’s
mission
to
eliminate
the
Palestinian
militant
group
Hamas.

“There
needs
to
be
a
Palestinian
Authority.
There
needs
to
be
a
path
to
a
Palestinian
state,”
Biden
said
in
an
interview
with
CBS
News’
“60
Minutes,”
which
aired
on
Sunday
evening.

Biden
reiterated
his
administration’s
support
for
Israel
and
its
right
to
defend
itself
and
neutralize
Hamas,
saying
that
the
group
does
not
“represent
all
the
Palestinian
people.”

While
Biden
has
so
far
not
vocally
criticized
Israel’s
military
response
—
which
the
UN
says
is
causing
a
humanitarian
catastrophe
and

falling
foul
of
international
law
—
the
president
cautioned
that
“it
would
be
a
mistake
for
Israel
to
occupy
Gaza
again.”

—
Natasha
Turak

The
nature
of
the
likely
urban
warfare
and
the
resource
deficit
already
experienced
by
the
civilians
of
the
Gaza
Strip
mean
that
an
Israeli
ground
incursion
into
the
region
will
greatly
exacerbate
the
local
death
toll,
warns
Rajan
Menon,
director
of
the
Grand
Strategy
program
at
Defense
Priorities.

Israel
is
expected
to
launch
a
ground
incursion
into
the
Gaza
Strip
following
the
Oct.
7
terrorist
attacks
of
Palestinian
militant
group
Hamas.
After
amassing
troops
at
the
border,
the
Israel
Defense
Forces
late
last
week
instructed
residents
of
Gaza
City
to
move
south.

“When
the
[Israeli
military]
begins
its
ground
operation,
because
of
the
density
of
population
in
Gaza,
there
are
going
to
be
very
many
more
deaths,
and
the
campaign
is
going
to
be
very
brutal,”
Menon
told
CNBC’s
Dan
Murphy.

“Hamas,
in
my
view,
probably
anticipated
an
Israeli
retaliation
of
some
sort,
if
not
a
full
ground
invasion,
and
I
think
they
are
prepared
to
fight,
and
urban
warfare
by
its
very
nature
is
very,
very
dangerous
and
bloody.
So
the
worst
is
yet
to
come,
unfortunately.”

He
stressed
that
the
Israeli
military
has
shown
“every
indication”
of
preparing
to
proceed
with
a
ground
campaign,
which
he
believes
the
residents
of
the
besieged
Gaza
strip
are
unequipped
to
handle.

“The
population
not
only
lacks
basic
necessities
for
survival,
they
are
now
facing
an
incoming
army.
And
so
the
civilian
casualty
toll
will
reach
very,
very
high
levels,”
he
said,
adding
that
the
Arab
community
may
put
some
of
the
fault
of
the
attack
at
the
feet
of
the
Washington
administration,
which
has
firmly
condemned
Hamas
and
expressed
support
for
Israel.

“Of
necessity,
because
the
U.S.
is
supplying
Israel,
is
backing
Israel,
there
will
be
some
association
in
the
minds
of
the
Arab
population
at
large
that
this
is
an
operation
that
is
…
backed
by
the
U.S,
no
matter
what
the
words
of
Mr.
[national
security
advisor Jake]
Sullivan
and
Mr.
[Secretary
of
State
Antony]
Blinken.”

Blinken
on
Monday
arrived
in
Tel
Aviv,
marking
his
second
visit
to
Israel
within
five
days.

—

Ruxandra
Iordache

More
than
1
million
people,
or
nearly
half
the
population
of
Gaza,
have
been
displaced,
the
United
Nations
Relief
and
Works
Agency
for
Palestine
Refugees
in
the
Near
East
(UNRWA)
said
in
its

latest
report
on
the
Gaza
Strip
and
the
West
Bank.

The
mass
displacement
follows
an
evacuation
order
from
the
Israeli
Defense
Forces
on
Oct.
13,
which
urged
the
1.1
million
residents
of
the
northern
half
of
Gaza
to
relocate
to
the
south,
ahead
of
an
anticipated
Israeli
ground
offensive.
The
U.N.
has
warned
that
such
a
large
migration
is
not
possible
without
“devastating
humanitarian
consequences.”

“Some 600,000
Internally
Displaced
Persons
(IDPs)
are in
the
Middle
Area,
Khan
Yunis
and
Rafah,
of
those,
nearly 400,000 are
in
UNRWA
facilities
–
much
exceeding
our
capacity
to
assist
in
any
meaningful
way,”
the
UNRWA
report
wrote.

“Despite
the Israeli
Forces’ evacuation
order,
an unknown
number
of
IDPs remain
in
UNRWA
schools
in Gaza city
and the
North.
UNRWA
is
no
longer
able
to assist or
protect them,”
the
agency
said,
adding
that
“the
number
of
killed
is
increasing,”
and
that
“there
are
not
enough
body-bags
for
the
dead
in
Gaza.”

—
Natasha
Turak

Iran
accused
Washington
of
being
militarily
involved
in
the
conflict
between
Israel
and
Palestinian
militant
group
Hamas.

“We
believe
the
U.S.
is
militarily
involved
in
this
war
right
now,
because
they
said
that
they
would
send
an
aircraft
carrier
to
the
region,
and
they
also
sent
a
second
aircraft
carrier,”
Foreign
Ministry
spokesperson Nasser
Kanaani
said

in
Google-translated
comments
reported
by
Iran’s
state-owned
Islamic
Republic
News
Agency.

Kanaani
further
said
that
the
alleged
U.S.
military
involvement
included
providing
roughly
$8
billion
to
Israel
and
help
with
the
Iron
Dome
missile
defense
system.
He
also
said
that
the
United
States
should
be
“held
accountable”
for
the
purported
crimes
of
Israel.

U.S.-sanctioned
Iran
has
historically
backed
Hamas
and
praised
—
but
denied
involvement
in
—
the
group’s
terrorist
attack
against
Israel
of
Oct.
7.
The
Iranian
foreign
minister
has
been
on
a
tour
of
the
Middle
East
that
included
a
visit
to
the
leadership
of
Lebanese
militant
group
Hezbollah,
which
has
been
exchanging
fire
with
Israel
last
week.

Israel
has
meanwhile
accused
Iran
of
ordering
attacks
carried
out
by
Hezbollah
at
the
Lebanon-Israel
border
on
Sunday.

“Hezbollah
carried
out
a
number
of
shooting
attacks
in
order
to
distract
from
our
war
efforts
in
the
south
[Gaza],
under
Iranian
instruction
and
with
[Iranian]
support,”
chief
military
spokesperson
Rear
Admiral
Daniel
Hagari
said
in
a
Monday
briefing,
according
to
Reuters.

—

Ruxandra
Iordache

Egyptian
Foreign
Minister
Sameh
Shoukry
on
Monday
said
that
Israel
had
yet
to
take
a
stance
that
allowed
the
opening
of
the
Rafah
border
crossing
between
Egypt
and
the
Gaza
Strip,
Reuters
reports.

Earlier
on
Monday,
Israeli
Prime
Minister
Benjamin
Netanyahu’s
office
appeared
to
deny
reports
of
a
humanitarian
corridor
that
would
facilitate
the
safe
passage
of
foreign
nationals
through
the
Rafah
crossing
—
the
only
exit
point
out
of
the
Gaza
Strip
enclosure,
which
is
otherwise
bordered
by
Israel
and
the
sea.

Fears
have
mounted
over
the
possibility
of
a
military
Israeli
incursion
into
the
Gaza
Strip,
following
an
Israeli
instruction
for
the
residents
of
Gaza
City
to
evacuate
south
of
the
Wadi
Gaza
wetlands.
Israel
has
launched
a
complete
siege
that
seals
off
Israel’s
own
supplies
of
water,
electricity,
fuel
and
food
to
Gaza,
following
a
multi-pronged
terrorist
attack
from
Palestinian
militant
group
Hamas
on
Oct.
7.

Shoukry
urged
“joint
efforts
to
calm
down,
reduce
escalation,
and
address
the
crushing
humanitarian
crisis
in
the
Gaza
Strip,”
during
a
meeting
with
his
French
counterpart
Catherine
Colonna,

the
Egyptian
foreign
ministry
said
Monday
in
a
Google-translated
post
on
social
media.

—

Ruxandra
Iordache

The
Oct.
7
Hamas
attack
on
Israel
will
eventually
result
in
a
political
reckoning,
Avi
Mayer,
editor-in-chief
of
the
Jerusalem
Post,
told
CNBC.

“This
is
a
military
and
intelligence
failure
that
is
unprecedented
in
Israeli
history,”
Mayer
said.

“Just
as
in
the
aftermath
of
that
war
[the
1973
Arab-Israeli
war]
there
was
a
commission
of
inquiry
that
essentially
brought
down
the
rule
of
Golda
Meir,
I
am
absolutely
certain
that
there
will
be
a
similar
commission
of
inquiry
once
the
dust
settles,
once
things
return
to
some
sense
of
normalcy.
I
would
not
be
surprised
if
blame
were
placed
on
the
prime
minister.”

Opinion
polls
show
a
majority
of
Israelis
hold
the
government
responsible
for
the
“terrible
failure,”
he
added.

“I
am
absolutely
certain
that
there
will
be
a
re-shifting
of
the
political
map
in
Israel,
I
don’t
know
that
Prime
Minister
Netanyahu
will
survive.”

—
Jenni
Reid

Israel’s
Ministry
of
Defense
announced
it
would
implement
a
plan
to
evacuate
residents
of
northern
Israel
living
up
to
2
kilometers
(1.24
miles)
from
the
Lebanese
border
to
state-funded
guesthouses.

The
evacuation
would
involve
28
communities
and
will
be
overseen
by
the
heads
of
local
municipalities,
the
Ministry
of
Interior
and
the
National
Emergency
Management
Authority,

according
to
a
statement
published
by
the
Israel
Defense
Forces
on
social
media.

The
order
comes
after
Israel
last
week
exchanged
fire
on
multiple
occasions
with
Lebanese
militant
group
Hezbollah,
which
has
stated
its
readiness
to
intervene
in
Israel’s
conflict
with
Palestinian
militant
group
Hamas.

On
Sunday,
Hezbollah-affiliated
news
outlet
Al
Manar
said
that
the
militant
group
launched
strikes
at
the
Israeli
settlement
of
Shtula
near
the
Lebanese
border
—
one
of
the
areas
that
Israel
plans
to
evacuate.
Hezbollah
attributed
the
strikes
to
“retaliation
for
the
aggression
on
Lebanon
which
killed
three
Lebanese
in
the
last
two
days.”

—

Ruxandra
Iordache

Chinese
Foreign
Minister
Wang
Yi
met
with
his
visiting
Russian
counterpart
Sergey
Lavrov
in
Beijing
and
exchanged
views
on
the
ongoing
war
between
Israel
and
Palestinian
militant
group
Hamas,

China’s
foreign
ministry
said,
according
to
a
Google
translation.

China
reiterated
its
condemnation
of
harm
to
civilians,
with
Wang
Yi
saying
“the
top
priority
is
to
cease
fire
and
end
the
war,
push
both
sides
to
return
to
the
negotiating
table,
establish
emergency
humanitarian
relief
channels,
and
prevent
greater
humanitarian
disasters,”
according
to
the
ministry.

China
supports
a
two-state
solution
to
the
conflict
between
Israeli
and
Palestinian
people,
which
would
create
an
independent
state
of
Palestine
alongside
that
of
Israel.

Both
China
and
Russia
have
previously
advocated
a
cease-fire
of
hostilities
and
denounced
violence,
without
explicitly
condemning
Hamas.

—

Ruxandra
Iordache

U.S.
Secretary
of
State
Antony
Blinken
landed
in
Israel
for
a
second
time
within
five
days,
following
stops
in
several
Middle
Eastern
capitals,
in
an
attempt
to
address
the
Israel-Hamas
war
and
prevent
broader
regional
spill-over.
He
first
traveled
to
Israel
on
Thursday
to
express
support
for
the
country
and
its
government,
as
it
battles
Palestinian
militant
group
Hamas
in
Gaza.

“From
here,
we’re
heading
back
to
Israel,”
Blinken
said
from
Cairo
on
Sunday,
in
comments
reported
by
NBC
News.
“I
want
an
opportunity
to
share
everything
that
I’ve
heard,
that
I’ve
learned
over
the
last
few
days
visiting
with
our
other
partners
and
to
talk
about
the
way
forward
with
our
Israeli
allies
and
friends.”

“We
stand
with
Israel
as
it
defends
itself,”
Blinken
posted
on
Monday
morning
on
his
official
account
on
social
media
platform
X,
previously
known
as
Twitter.
“The
United
States
is
also
actively
working
to
ensure
the
people
of
Gaza
can
get
out
of
harm’s
way
and
the
assistance
they
need
—
food,
water,
medicine
—
can
get
in.
Hamas
does
not
care
if
Palestinians
suffer.”

—
Natasha
Turak

The
office
of
Israeli
Prime
Minister
Benjamin
Netanyahu
appeared
to
deny
the
existence
of
a
humanitarian
corridor
allowing
the
passage
of
foreign
nationals
out
of
the
Gaza
Strip.

“There
is
currently
no
cease-fire
and
humanitarian
aid
in
the
Gaza
Strip
in
exchange
for
the
expulsion
of
foreigners,”

it
said
in
a
Google-translated
statement.

Earlier
on
Monday,
Reuters
had
reported,
citing
anonymous
Egyptian
sources,
that
the
U.S.,
Egypt
and
Israel
had
agreed
a
ceasefire
coinciding
with
the
re-opening
of
the
Rafah
border
into
Egypt
—
the
only
crossing
out
of
the
besieged
Gaza
Strip
enclosure,
otherwise
surrounded
by
Israel
and
the
sea.

Netanyahu’s
office
did
not
clarify
if
the
statement
referred
to
this
report,
which
CNBC
could
not
independently
verify.

An
alert
on
the
site
of
the
U.S.
embassy
to
Israel
said,
“According
to
media
reports,
the
Rafah
crossing
will
open
at
9am
local
time
on
October
16. 
We
anticipate
that
the
situation
at
the
Rafah
crossing
will
remain
fluid
and
unpredictable
and
it
is
unclear
whether,
or
for
how
long,
travelers
will
be
permitted
to
transit
the
crossing.”

The
Israeli
Defense
Forces
late
last
week
urged
the
1.1
million
residents
of
the
northern
half
of
Gaza
to
evacuate
south,
stoking
concerns
over
the
possibility
of
an
Israeli
ground
incursion
into
the
region.
Israel,
which
has
amassed
substantial
troops
at
the
border,
said
it
exclusively
targets
Hamas
military
positions.

Humanitarian
agencies
have
repeatedly
warned
that
such
a
short
window
for
evacuation
in
the
Gaza
Strip,
which
is
blockaded
on
all
sides
and
has
been
cut
off
from
Israel’s
electricity,
water,
food
and
fuel
supplies,
will
compound
the
local
civilian
crisis.

—

Ruxandra
Iordache

Re-occupying
the
Gaza
Strip
would
“be
a
big
mistake”
for
Israel,
U.S.
President
Joe
Biden
said
during
an
interview
with
CBS
News
that
aired
Sunday.

Asked
by
the
interviewer
during
the
program
“60
Minutes”
if
Biden
would
support
an
Israeli
occupation
of
Gaza,
Biden
replied:
“I
think
it’d
be
a
big
mistake.”

The
Oct.
7
Hamas
attack
on
Israel
has
triggered
a
ferocious
Israeli
response,
with
an
aerial
bombardment
and
full
siege
of
the
Hamas-controlled
Gaza
Strip. To
date
in
the
conflict,
officials
say
that
1,400
people
have
been
killed
in
Israel,
and
2,750
have
been
killed
in
Gaza. 

Israel
has
mobilized
more
than
300,000
reservists
and
amassed
a
large
number
of
troops
near
the
Gaza
border,
suggesting
a
possible
ground
invasion
of
the
battered
enclave.

Many
military
analysts
say
a
re-occupation
of
Gaza
by
Israel
would
create
an
immediate
disadvantage
for
Israeli
troops
who
are
not
familiar
with
the
lay
of
the
land
and
would
be
fighting
a
deeply
embedded
enemy
waiting
to
ambush
them.

—
Natasha
Turak

The
latest
hostilities
triggered
by
the
terrorist
attacks
of
Palestinian
militant
group
Hamas
have
not
ended
efforts
to
normalize
relations
between
Israel
and
Saudi
Arabia,
U.S.
President
Joe
Biden
said
in
a
TV
interview
with
CBS
News.

Saudi
Arabia
and
a
spate
of
other
Arab
nations
have
historically
supported
the
Palestinian
people,
refusing
diplomatic
ties
with
Israel
on
that
account.
The
U.S.
has
been
pushing
for
a
normalization
of
relations
between
its
two
key
allies
in
the
Middle
East,
Riyadh
and
Benjamin
Netanyahu’s
Israeli
administration.

“Saudis
and
Emiratis
and
other
Arab
nations
understand
that
their
security
and
stability
is
enhanced
if
there
is
normalization
of
relations
with
Israel,”
Biden
said.
“And
so
I
think
that
it’s
still
alive,
it’s
going
to
take
time.
Look,
this
[is]
going
to
take
time
to
get
done.
It’s
going
to
take
time,
but
the
direction,
the
moving
into
normalization,
makes
sense
for
the
Arab
nations,
as
well
as
Israel.”

Israel
made
significant
inroads
in
reconnecting
with
the
Arab
world
through
the
September
2020
Abraham
Accords
brokered
by
the
government
of
former
U.S.
President
Donald
Trump.
The
agreement
re-established
relations
between
Israel
and
the
United
Arab
Emirates
and
Bahrain,
with
Sudan
and
Morocco
also
recognizing
Israel
in
the
years
since.

In
March
this
year,
a
China-mediated
deal
pushed
long-feuding
arch-rival
Iran
—
which
has
backed
Hamas
—
and
Saudi
Arabia
to
rekindle
diplomatic
ties,
raising
questions
over
the
future
of
Riyadh’s
relations
with
Israel.

—

Ruxandra
Iordache

The
U.N.
Palestinian
refugee
agency
said
its
staff
are
“no
longer
able
to
provide
humanitarian
assistance
in
Gaza.”

“Gaza
is
running
out
of
water,
and
Gaza
is
running
out
of
life,”
the
commissioner-general
of
United
Nations
Relief and
Works Agency for
Palestine
Refugees

(UNRWA)

said
in
a
statement
Sunday,
warning
they
will
soon
run
out
of
food
and
medicine
too.

“There
is
not
one
drop
of
water,
not
one
grain
of
wheat,
not
a litre of
fuel that has
been
allowed
into
the
Gaza
Strip
for the
last eight
days,”
said
Philippe
Lazzarini.
“An
unprecedented
humanitarian
catastrophe
is
unfolding under our
eyes.”

In
a
statement
to
CNBC,
Israel’s
Defense
Forces
said:
“Israel
has
no
legal
obligation
to
supply
Gaza
with
electricity,
fuel
or
goods.
Gaza
is
independently
capable
of
generating
electricity
and
supplying
water.”

The
IDF
claimed
that
“90%
of
Gaza’s
water
is
sourced
within
the
Gaza
Strip,”
and
blamed
Hamas
militants
for
destroying
the
infrastructure
at
crossings
“through
which
goods
pass
through
everyday.”

The
IDF
also
claimed
the
militants
were
diverting
resources
in
Gaza
for
their
own
use.

The
UNRWA
has
lost
14
of
its
staff
members
and
said
most
of
its
13,000
staff
in
the
besieged
enclave
are
now
displaced
or
out
of
their
homes.

“Unless
we
bring now supplies
into
Gaza, UNRWA and
aid
workers will not, be
able
to
continue humanitarian operations,”
Lazzarini
said.

—

Joanna
Tan,
Natasha
Turak

The
death
toll
in
Gaza
has
risen
to
2,670
and
9,600
people
have
been
wounded,
according
to
Gaza’s
health
ministry,
as
Israel
continues
its
offensive
against
Hamas
militants
in
the
besieged
enclave.
Deaths
in
the
occupied
West
Bank
also
climbed,
with
55
people
killed
and
1,200
others
injured.

In
Israel,
more
than
1,400
people
have
died
while
3,500
were
wounded,
according
to
the
government
press
office.

The
number
of
hostages
believed
to
be
held
by
Hamas
in
Gaza
jumped
to
155,
according
to
IDF
spokesperson
Daniel
Hagar,
who
did
not
confirm
if
it
was
due
to
an
increase
in
civilian
abductees
or
combined
military-civilian
hostages.

—

Joanna
Tan

Senate
Majority
Leader
Chuck
Schumer
said
on
Sunday
that
the
senate
would
push
through
a
military
aid
package
to
help
Israel
in
its
war
against
the
Palestinian
Islamist
group
Hamas.

“We
will
work
to
move
this
aid
through
the
senate
ASAP,
and
the
Israeli
leaders
made
it
clear
to
us
they
need
the
aid
quickly,”
said
Schumer
during
a
trip
to
Israel.

He
said
among
Israel’s
requests
are
additional
interceptors
for
its
Iron
Dome
missile
defense
system,
which
has
been
operating
non-stop
shooting
down
Hamas
rockets
from
Gaza,
and
precision
munitions.

—

Reuters

China
urged
Israel
to
heed
calls
from
the
international
community
to
end
its
collective
punishment
of
Palestinians
in
the
Gaza
Strip.

“Israel’s
actions
have
gone
beyond
self-defense
and
it
should
heed
the
call
of
the
international
community
and
the
Secretary-General
of
the
United
Nations
to
stop
its
collective
punishment
of
the
people
in
Gaza,”
China
Foreign
Minister
Wang
Yi

reportedly
told
his
Saudi
Arabia
counterpart
Faisal
bin
Farhan
Al
Saud

in
a
call
on
Sunday.