Israel Latest: Netanyahu Sees a Role in Gaza Security After War
(Bloomberg) -- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he sees a role for Israel to manage security in Gaza after the fighting has ended, while US President Joe Biden held a phone call with the Israeli leader and discussed the possibility of “tactical pauses” in the ongoing conflict.
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Israel’s military said it exchanged fire with Hamas and Hezbollah, after Israeli forces advanced to encircle Gaza City. Gaza health officials said the death toll there has passed 10,000. The territory is run by Hamas, which is classified as a terrorist organization by the US and European Union.
The United Nations issued an emergency appeal for $1.2 billion in funding to maintain humanitarian support for Palestinians in Gaza and parts of the West Bank. In Israel, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s calls for humanitarian “pauses” were met with more air attacks and ground operations, worsening a crisis for hundreds of thousands of trapped civilians in Gaza.
For more on the Israel-Hamas war, click here.
(All time stamps are Israeli time)
Netanyahu Speaks of Post-Fighting Gaza in Interview (2:02 a.m.)
The Israeli prime minister held an exclusive interview with ABC News, and when asked who should govern Gaza when the conflict is over, Netanyahu said it should be “those who don’t want to continue the way of Hamas.”
“Israel will for an indefinite period” have overall security responsibility “because we’ve seen what happens when we don’t have it,” he said in a excerpt of an interview released on social media.
US Submarine Arrives in Persian Gulf Region (2 a.m.)
The Pentagon deployed the nuclear-powered USS Florida attack submarine to the Persian Gulf region as the US makes a show of force to deter Iran, according to US defense officials.
The Florida’s arrival was confirmed by the officials after the US Central Command posted on X, formerly Twitter, about an Ohio-class submarine in the region without specifying whether it was of the type that carries nuclear-armed ballistic missiles.
The Florida, though nuclear powered, doesn’t carry nuclear weapons. It is one of four US Navy submarines converted from carrying sea-launched nuclear missiles to Tomahawk land-attack weapons.
Biden Aid May Double Israel’s Iron Dome Arsenal (11:15 p.m.)
The Biden administration’s $14 billion aid request for Israel would significantly expand its missile defenses, including new Iron Dome launchers equivalent to more than twice the current deployment, and nearly double the amount of US spending for the systems.
The package includes funds to build up to 100 more Iron Dome launchers and as least 14,000 of its Tamir interceptors, according to US officials, who asked not to be identified as the details aren’t public. Currently, the 10 existing Iron Dome batteries each include three to four launchers, 20 Tamir missiles and a battlefield radar.
US Approves $320 Million Sale of Guided Bomb Kits to Israel (10:45 p.m.)
The State Department approved the sale of $320 million in equipment for Israel to turn bombs into precision-guided munitions, according to an Oct. 31 congressional notification letter.
The sale would allow bombmaker Rafael USA to transfer the kits to its Israel-based parent company, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. It adds to a previous $403 million contract for the same equipment.
US Says 45 Personnel Injured in Iraq, Syria Attacks (10:00 p.m.)
Drone and rocket attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria since Oct. 17 have injured 45 US personnel, Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder told reporters. The original number of people hurt was 21 but others were reported after the fact, and US officials have described the injuries as minor.
Ryder said the US had recorded a total of 20 so-called “harassing attacks” on its forces in Iraq and 18 in Syria. All the injuries were recorded before the US launched what it described as a “self-defense strike” late last month against two facilities in eastern Syria it believes were used by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps and affiliated groups.
Biden, Netanyahu Discuss ‘Tactical Pauses’ in Gaza (9:32 p.m.)
Biden “discussed the possibility of tactical pauses” in Gaza during a call with Netanyahu, according to the White House. The leaders also discussed “the need to hold extremist settlers accountable for violent acts” in the West Bank, where tensions have flared since the war started.
Biden’s administration has stepped up calls for temporary pauses in fighting to allow aid in and hostages and other civilians out. Netanyahu has rejected those calls unless Hamas explicitly agrees to release some of the more than 200 hostages it took during its Oct. 7 assault on Israel.
Israeli Jets Strike Hezbollah in Response to Launches (9:12 p.m.)
Israeli fighter jets and artillery struck Hezbollah targets in response to launches from Lebanon, the Israeli military said. The targets included sites containing Hezbollah’s technological assets as well as a weapons storage facility and launch posts, it said.
Earlier, the army said about 30 launches from Lebanon targeted northern Israel. Hamas’s military wing said it fired 16 rockets from Lebanon in response to Israel’s attacks on Gaza. Hezbollah said it launched missiles at two Israeli sites and destroyed equipment at another site in north Israel. The group said two of its fighters were killed.
Yemen’s Houthis Say They Launched Drones at Israel (8:40 p.m.)
Yemen’s Houthis, a Shiite militia backed by Iran, said they launched drone attacks against Israel, according to spokesman Yahya Saree. The group says it has carried out several such strikes. Last month, the US said its naval forces in the Red Sea intercepted missiles fired by the Houthis toward Israel.
Israel Says It Killed Four Militants in West Bank (8:15 p.m.)
Israeli security forces said they killed four men in the West Bank town of Tul Karm. The men were responsible for carrying out dozens of shootings and were planning further attacks, according to the Israeli police and the internal security service Shin Bet.
UN Seeks $1.2 Billion to Maintain Gaza Aid (7:00 p.m.)
The United Nations issued a funding appeal for $1.2 billion to “meet critical needs” for the 2.2 million Palestinians in Gaza and another 500,000 of the most vulnerable West Bank residents. It said implementing the aid plans would require safe access for humanitarian missions and a drastic increase in the amount of supplies allowed into Gaza.
“We do not expect to see full implementation of the plan by the end of 2023,” given the typical lags between pledges of funds and their delivery, the UN said. Earlier, the heads of 18 UN agencies and major N Gos issued a rare joint statement calling for an immediate cease-fire.
Gaza Deaths Exceed 10,000, Health Ministry Says (3:15 p.m.)
Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip have now killed more than 10,000 people, the Hamas-run health ministry said. The number of casualties include over 4,100 children while another 25,408 people have been wounded, it said.
Gaza Death Toll Reported Above 10,000 as Conflict Escalates
Israel Closing In on Hamas, Spokesman Says (2:03 p.m.)
Israel is “slowly closing in” on Hamas in the Gaza Strip, military spokesman Richard Hecht said during a briefing on Monday.
The air force has attacked some 450 Hamas targets in the past day, and fighter jets have killed Hamas commanders including one responsible for “special security,” the IDF said in an earlier post on social platform X. Troops have entirely encircled Gaza City and effectively cut off the northern part of the Gaza Strip from the south, the military said in an update on Sunday.
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