Eurasia Press & News
On a solidarity visit Tuesday, France’s president expressed support for Israel’s fight against Hamas but warned against the risk of regional war as the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate.
The US Department of Defense said on Tuesday that American and coalition troops in Iraq and Syria came under attack at least 13 times in the last week amid intensified fighting between Israel and Hamas.
Between Oct. 17 and Oct. 24, US coalition troops came under rocket and drone attacks at least 10 separate times in Iraq and three separate times in Syria, US Defense Department spokesperson Pat Ryder said on Tuesday.
The elevated threat has led the US to increase its military presence in the region, and evacuate non-emergency staff at its embassies in Iraq and Lebanon. Saudi Arabia evacuated some of its diplomats in Beirut on Tuesday, the Associated Press reported.
Separately, Turkey is attempting to expand its mediation role as its top diplomat Hakan Fidan visited the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday and will head to Qatar afterwards.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Israel on Tuesday, expressing solidarity with the Jewish state in its war against Hamas but also warning against widening the conflict into regional war.
“You can fight without hesitation,” he said, “but without widening the conflict. A targeted operation is essential.”
While meeting Israeli President Isaac Herzog, the French leader said that his government warned “other potential terrorist groups wanting to join this operation” against doing so, and stated that France “clearly warned [Lebanese militant group] Hezbollah with direct messages.”
Macron also met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who compared Hamas to Nazis.
After his talks with the Israeli leaders, the French president also met with his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah and will head to Jordan Wednesday to meet with King Abdullah II.
The French visit comes as the situation continues to deteriorate in Gaza.
Hamas’ Health Ministry in Gaza said on Tuesday that 12 hospitals and 32 clinics have stopped operating due to airstrikes. The death toll in Gaza stood at 5,791, including 2,360 children.
Al-Monitor’s Rina Bassist, Adam Lucente, Ezgi Akin, Jack Dutton, Beatrice Farhat, Jared Szuba, Ben Caspit and Al-Monitor’s contributors on the ground in Gaza contributed to this blog.
Live updates (all times EDT):
Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023
2:49 am: Hezbollah chief meets with Hamas, Islamic Jihad leaders
The head of Lebanon’s paramilitary Hezbollah group, Hassan Nasrallah, met with Hamas deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri, and Islamic Jihad head Ziad al-Nakhala, the Hezbollah-owned Al-Manar channel reported. The three leaders discussed the latest developments in the Gaza Strip and the cross-border fire on the southern Lebanese border with Israel. “The meeting assessed the positions taken internationally and what the Axis of Resistance must do,” Al-Manar said, in reference to the alliance between Iran and its proxy groups in the region.
1.19 am: After feeling south, some Gazans return home despite Israeli bombardment
Muhammad Hussam is among the hundreds of thousands of Gaza City residents who evacuated to the south with his family on Oct. 13, following an Israeli army directive to head south for their safety.
However, after one week, Hussam, 22, like many others, chose to return to his home in the north, due to the ongoing Israeli airstrikes in the south and the lack of basic facilities. Read more.
Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023
8:00 pm: Israeli army hits Syrian military targets
Israeli military jets struck overnight several Syrian military targets and mortar-launching sites, after rockets were fired from Syrian territory toward Israeli communities in the Golan Heights. Also overnight, Israeli troops exchanged fire in two incidents with armed Palestinians in the West Bank city of Jenin.
4:00 pm: Turkey’s FM Fidan visits UAE, meets MBZ
Turkey’s top diplomat Hakan Fidan visited the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, and will head to Qatar, as Ankara seeks to expand its mediation role in the Israel-Hamas war. Ezgi Akin reports.
3:50 pm: Israeli army says it killed 6 Hamas divers
The Israeli army said on Tuesday that it killed 6 Hamas divers who were trying to infiltrate southern Israel from the sea. Hamas-affiliated news agency Safa reported Tuesday that a number of divers infiltrated Israel and have been clashing with the IDF.
2:50 pm: Saudi Arabia evacuates embassy staff, diplomats’ families from Lebanon
Saudi Arabia has evacuated the families of its diplomats and employees at its embassy in Beirut on two military planes, the Associated Press reported, citing Lebanese airport officials. The Saudi government did not immediately comment on the news.
The Saudi Embassy in Lebanon urged citizens to leave the country last week amid the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The US Embassy in Lebanon took similar action last week amid border clashes between Hezbollah and Israel.
Earlier on Tuesday, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan called for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and the lifting of the siege over the enclave.
2:30 pm: 13 attacks target US forces in Iraq, Syria
The US Department of Defense said on Tuesday that American and coalition troops in Iraq and Syria came under attack at least 13 times in the last week.
2:00 pm: Macron meets Abbas in Ramallah
French President Emmanuel Macron met with his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday in Ramallah after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier in the day. Macron stressed to Abbas the importance of maintaining humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The French president will head to Jordan on Wednesday to meet with King Abdullah II.
1:20 pm: Israel relayed to Russia ‘dissatisfaction’ over its Hamas position
Israel has quietly expressed to Russia its displeasure over statements issued by Moscow on the Hamas war, a senior Israeli diplomatic source confirmed to Al-Monitor’s Rina Bassist.
12:00 pm: 33 Americans killed in Israel-Hamas war
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that the number of Americans killed in the Hamas attack now stands at 33.
11:53 am: Five Israelis wounded by rockets fired at Tel Aviv
Five Israelis were wounded in a barrage of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip at the Tel Aviv region. Rockets were also fired at the central Sharon region, the south of Israel and the West Bank.
10:00 am: Israel sees Gaza ground invasion as inevitable
With the Gaza war in its third week, Israeli security officials tell Al-Monitor that Israel will not necessarily wait for approval from the Biden administration to launch the ground offensive against Hamas, but that it is taking messages relayed by Washington very seriously. An insider read from Ben Caspit.
9:43 am: China calls on Israel to ‘protect Chinese institutions’
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a call with his Israeli counterpart Eli Cohen, during which the Chinese diplomat called for de-escalation and dialogue in the ongoing war in Gaza and urged Israel to “take effective measures to protect the safety of Chinese citizens and institutions in Israel,” according to a Tuesday readout.
China has criticized Israel’s conduct in the war, but has not explicitly condemned Hamas. China has significant economic interests in Israel, including a port in Haifa. Adam Lucente reports.
8:12 am: Hospitals in Gaza at ‘total collapse’ as death toll reaches 5,791
Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry reported that 12 hospitals and 32 clinics have stopped operating due to airstrikes. Speaking at a press conference in Gaza City, ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qudra said 12 hospitals in the territory are now out of service as the number of injured continues to increase. He added the Israeli bombardment since Oct. 7 has killed at least 5,791 Palestinians, including 2,360 children, and wounded 16,297 others.
5:51 am: Israeli airstrikes near Palestinian Red Crescent hospital in Gaza leave number of casualties
Israeli airstrikes hit a residential house near a hospital affiliated with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in Khan Yunis, leaving a number of deaths and injuries. The PRCS said in a post on X that Al-Amal hospital is sheltering more than 4,000 displaced people who fled northern Gaza.
2:15 am: Qatar’s emir says no ‘green light for unconditional killing’ by Israel
Qatar’s ruling Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani condemned Israel’s indiscriminate bombardment of civilians in the Gaza Strip. “Israel should not be given a green light for unconditional killing,” Sheikh Tamim said in a speech before Qatar’s Shura Council. Doha hosts several senior Hamas officials.
1:30 am: Dozens killed in overnight Israeli raids across Gaza
At least 140 Palestinians were killed in a series of Israeli airstrikes that hit various areas of the Gaza Strip overnight, according to the Hamas-run government media office in Gaza. More than 5,000 Palestinians have been killed and at least 15,000 injured since the Hamas-Israel war erupted Oct. 7.
12:47 am: France’s Macron lands in Israel
French President Emmanuel Macron has landed in Israel for a solidarity visit. He will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog and families of French nationals kidnapped by Hamas. Thirty French nationals have been killed by Hamas and seven are missing.
12:21 am: Israeli army strikes 400 Hamas targets in last 24 hours
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said the Israeli army attacked over 400 military targets in the Gaza Strip and killed several Hamas field commanders. Israeli air force jets struck dozens of infrastructural targets and various Hamas meeting points in the northern Gaza Strip neighborhoods of Shujaiya, Shati, Jabaliya, Darj Tafah and Zeitoun, as well as the entrance of a Hamas tunnel on the Gaza coast.
Monday, Oct. 23, 2023
10:00 pm: US warns Iran as doubts grow about Israel’s abilities in Gaza war
A Pentagon official speaking on condition of anonymity to reporters on Monday acknowledged that top American military officers with experience in counterterrorism operations in urban environments have been advising the IDF. News of the advisory mission comes as doubts have grown among senior American military officials about the IDF’s capability to successfully launch and sustain a mechanized ground invasion of Gaza to eradicate Hamas, Al-Monitor has learned. Jared Szuba reports.
5:00 pm: Is Hezbollah heading for open conflict with Israel?
Cross-border exchanges between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have been gaining pace as Israel battles Hamas militants in Gaza. But does the powerful Lebanese movement really seek to enter open conflict with Israel? Read more.
2:25 pm: Two Israeli hostages released by Hamas
Two Israeli hostages were released on Monday from Hamas captivity as a result of Qatar’s mediation efforts, Al-Monitor has learned. Israel’s official broadcaster KAN confirmed that the hostages arrived at the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt and that Israeli representatives are on their way to meet them. Elizabeth Hagedorn reports.
1:01 pm: Bank of Israel leaves interest rates unchanged, citing Hamas war
Israel’s central bank kept interest rates unchanged on Monday as the war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip continues, creating economic uncertainty in the country, Adam Lucente reports. The Bank of Israel decided to keep interest rates at 4.75%, citing the effects of the war.
12:50 pm: Israeli army says it intercepted two drones from Lebanon
The Israeli army said on Monday that it intercepted two drones launched from Lebanon across its border, in first such incident since the conflict started on Oct. 7. The Israeli army reported that a projectile was fired from Lebanon toward a military post near Misgav Am, setting off sirens in the northern city of Kiryat Shmona. Later, it said it carried out strikes targeting missile launchers in southern Lebanon.
Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported Israeli strikes against several towns in southern Lebanon, including Kfarchouba.
12:30 pm: Israeli official says Hamas might release 50 hostages
Hamas might release some hostages today, a senior Israeli source told Haaretz. However, the source added that negotiations are complex and that the deal has not “matured” yet. This comes after an IDF source told the New York Times that talks between the United States, Qatar and Hamas could soon lead to the release of 50 hostages of foreign nationalities.
12:00 pm: Turkey says it didn’t ‘order’ Hamas’ Haniyeh to leave country
A Turkish official said Monday that Ankara did not “order” Hamas’ political head Ismail Haniyeh and his entourage to leave Turkey. The statement came in reaction to Al-Monitor’s Fehim Tastekin reporting Sunday that Haniyeh and Hamas members with him were in Turkey during the militant group’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel, and that an annoyed Ankara “kindly asked” them to leave the country. Footage had circulated on social media showing Haniyeh and others prostrating themselves in a “prayer of gratitude” while watching news of the incursion on television. Read the full article here.
11:00 am: Israel prepares for ‘prolonged’ invasion of Gaza
Israel expects a “prolonged” Gaza ground war that would target Hamas commandos and bases. The operation will go deep into Hama’s underground tunnel infrastructure on an undecided timeline. Lilach Shoval writes from Israel.
5:50 am: Third convoy enters Gaza via Rafah crossing
A third convoy of aid trucks has crossed the Rafah border crossing into Gaza, which is under intense Israeli bombardment, Reuters reported. A total of 34 aid trucks entered the besieged enclave on Saturday and Sunday, the first delivery of much needed humanitarian assistance since the escalation erupted two weeks ago.
5:44 am: Israeli army intercepts suspicious aircraft coming from Lebanon
The Israeli army said in a post on X that it downed a suspicious target that crossed into Israeli airspace from southern Lebanon. There has been no comment from the Lebanese side yet. The Iran-backed Hezbollah has been engaged in intense cross-border fire with Israel since Oct. 7.
1:38 am: Israel strikes over 320 Hamas/Islamic Jihad targets in last 24 hours
The Israeli army has struck and destroyed over 320 Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror targets in the last 24 hours, the IDF and Shin Bet said in a joint statement. Targets included Hamas tunnels, headquarters where Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad assailants were hiding and mortar and anti-tank launchers. IDF spokesperson Jonathan Cornicus said that absent the surrender of Hamas and return of all the hostages, Israel will have to enter the Gaza Strip.
The Thai Foreign Ministry updated its counts to 30 of its nationals killed by Hamas and 19 kidnapped.
Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023
8:22 pm: Israel strikes Hezbollah targets in south Lebanon
The Israeli military struck two cells of the Lebanese Hezbollah movement in southern Lebanon. The airstrikes hit a cell in the southern Lebanese village of Aitaroun and another in the disputed Shebaa Farms area. The IDF reported that they were planning to launch rocket attacks toward Israel.
Earlier, the Israeli army said a military compound and an observation post of Iran-backed Hezbollah near the border area were also targeted.
Hezbollah said overnight that one of its fighters was killed without giving details.
8:00 pm: US reportedly asks Israel to delay ground invasion of Gaza
The US government urged Israel on Sunday to delay its Gaza ground invasion to allow time for negotiations to free Hamas-held hostages.
CNN, The New York Times and Bloomberg reported the news on Sunday. US defense chief Lloyd Austin reportedly made the request to his counterpart Yoav Gallant.
“American officials also want more time to prepare for attacks on US interests in the region from Iran-backed groups, which officials said are likely to intensify once Israel moves its forces fully into Gaza,” The New York Times reported.
2:00 pm: Israel says Gaza war may take ‘months’
Israel’s defense chief Yoav Gallant said the looming ground offensive in the Gaza Strip could take months to eliminate Hamas.
“This needs to be the last [ground campaign] maneuver in Gaza, for the simple reason that after it there will be no Hamas. It will take a month, two months, three, but in the end, there will be no Hamas,” Gallant said on Sunday.
“Before the enemy meets the armored and infantry forces, it will meet the bombs of the air force,” he added. Israel has carried out three incursions into Gaza since Hamas took over in 2007.
12:20 pm: UNRWA running out of fuel, 29 staffers killed
The UN refugee agency in Gaza said on Sunday that 13 more staff members have been killed since the conflict began, bringing the total to 29, while a further 17 have been injured. Agency head Philippe Lazzarani warned on Sunday that UNRWA’s fuel supply will run out in three days, putting the humanitarian response in Gaza at risk.
12:10 pm: US advises citizens against travel to Iraq
The US State Department updated its travel advisory on Sunday, urging citizens to avoid travel to Iraq. The warning follows the ordered departure of eligible family members and non-emergency personnel from the embassy in Baghdad and the consulate in Erbil.
12:05 pm: Israel fires on Egyptian post by mistake
The Israeli army said one of its tanks accidentally fired and hit an Egyptian position near the border crossing in the Kerem Shalom area on Sunday. The incident is being investigated and Israel “regrets” it, the statement read.
11:50 am: Hamas confirms senior commander killed
Hamas-affiliated news agency Safa confirmed on Sunday that Talal al-Hindi, a field commander in the group’s military wing, Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, was killed with his wife and members of his family in an Israeli airstrike on their house overnight. The Israeli army first announced the news on Sunday morning as the death toll in Gaza now exceeds 4,400.
9:30 am: Germany’s Scholz vows support for Jews at synagogue opening
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed to stamp out antisemitism at the opening of a new synagogue on Sunday amid a spike in anti-Jewish incidents in the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
“There must be zero tolerance for antisemitism in Germany,” Scholz said at the synagogue in the eastern city of Dessau.
8:00 am: Second convoy of 17 trucks enters Gaza
Egyptian news outlets reported a new convoy of 17 trucks with aid for the Palestinians crossed into Gaza. On Saturday, 20 trucks were allowed in but humanitarian organizations called it a drop in the bucket, given the extent of the crisis in Gaza.
6:00 am: IDF-Hezbollah clashes spike
Israel struck more targets inside south Lebanon as the Hezbollah militant group continued to fire artillery and rockets in the direction of Israel. The IDF struck a cell within Lebanese territory that was preparing to launch anti-tank missiles toward the Avivim area near the border, said spokesperson Daniel Hagarith.
The renewed fighting has eroded the deterrence formula established in 2006 between Hezbollah and Israel.
1:00 am: Additional 14 communities in northern Israel to be evacuated
After evacuating most of the residents of 28 towns and villages close to the border with Lebanon, Israel is evacuating 14 more communities, said the Defense Ministry.
