Oct. 23: Elderly hostages brought by helicopter to Tel Aviv hospital

Blinken meets with Jewish, Arab community leaders as Gaza war slated to intensify

From left, US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and US President Joe Biden listen during a meeting with European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in the Cabinet Room of the White House, October 20, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held separate meetings earlier today with Jewish and Arab American community leaders to discuss the ongoing Gaza war.

“In both discussions, the Secretary condemned Hamas’ horrific terrorist attacks against Israel, reaffirmed the United States’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s security, outlined his recent engagements and travel to the Middle East, and described the United States’ efforts to see to it that all civilians are protected and to prevent the widening of the conflict,” the State Department says.

Blinken “stressed that no civilian life is worth more than another — whether Christian, Jewish, or Muslim – and emphasized ongoing US efforts to facilitate a steady flow of humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza, as we work with partners across the region to secure the release of additional hostages,” the State Department says.”He made clear that the United States continues to support the Palestinian people and a two-state solution and reiterated that Hamas does not represent Palestinians.”

“He strongly condemned racist, antisemitic, Islamophobic, and anti-Palestinian incidents, including appalling violence in this country and around the world, and underscored that hate has no place in America or anywhere else. The Secretary invited participants to share their perspectives, listened to the ideas put forward, and pledged that the Department would remain in close contact with their organizations and broader communities,” the US readout says.

In latest call, Gallant briefs Austin on IDF preparations ahead of expected Gaza ground incursion

US Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant at a press conference on October 13, 2023. (screen capture)

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant holds another phone call with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to update him on the latest IDF efforts to restore security for Israeli citizens following the October 7 Hamas onslaught

Austin during the call stressed the importance of Israel allowing in humanitarian aid from Gaza and working to protect civilians during the fighting, the US readout says.

“The two leaders also discussed the United States’ continued provision of security assistance and reviewed actions the Department of Defense is taking to deter any state or non-state actor seeking to escalate this war,” the readout adds.

London train driver suspended for leading ‘Free Palestine’ chant on intercom

Passengers chant 'Free Palestine' while riding the train in London on October 21, 2023. (Screen capture/X)

A train driver on London’s underground was suspended Monday for apparently leading passengers in a chant of “free, free Palestine,” transport officials says.

The driver has been temporarily removed from duty pending further investigation, Transport for London (TfL) — which runs the metro network — says in a statement.

The incident happened on Saturday as about 100,000 protesters took part in a pro-Palestinian demonstration in the British capital.

Video footage that circulated on social media appears to show the driver saying “free, free” over the train’s tannoy system.

Passengers in a packed carriage then respond by shouting “Palestine.”

The chant is popular at demonstrations in solidarity with Palestinians.

London tube driver is suspended after he appears to lead passengers in chant of 'free, free Palestine' over train's speaker system during weekend pro-Palestinian protest https://t.co/LVlPYtzEYs pic.twitter.com/VBzKHWfLHf

— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) October 23, 2023

“We have been urgently and thoroughly investigating the footage appearing to show a Tube driver misusing the PA system and leading chants on a Central line train on Saturday,” Glynn Barton, TfL’s chief operating officer, says.

“A driver has now been identified and suspended whilst we continue to fully investigate the incident in line with our policies and procedures.”

Britain’s security minister, Tom Tugendhat, had written on X (formerly Twitter) that many will have found the video “intimidating.”

Israel’s embassy in Britain said it was “deeply troubling to see such intolerance” on London’s underground.

IDF strikes Hezbollah posts in response to launches

The IDF says it has struck Hezbollah sites, including a military post and a watch tower, presumably in southern Lebanon.

The army says the strikes are in response to projectiles launched from Lebanese territory over Monday.

A video shows two buildings being hit by air strikes.

צה"ל תקף לפני זמן קצר תשתיות טרור של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה, ביניהן מתחם צבאי ועמדת תצפית ששימשו את הארגון.

התקיפה בוצעה בתגובה לשיגורים משטח לבנון היום pic.twitter.com/IowbYVGXjn

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) October 23, 2023

Hostages apparently seen exiting helicopter, entering hospital

A military helicopter has landed on the roof of Ichilov hospital in Tel Aviv, and several people appear to have exited, including one person on a gurney who appears to be Nurit Cooper and one person in a wheelchair, who appears to be Yocheved Lifshitz, according to footage from a neighboring building.

Reports in Hebrew-language media indicate that family members are with the freed hostages, who are seen being wheeled into an elevator and into the building.

The 2 Hostages that were Released tonight by Hamas, Nurit Cooper aged 79 and Yocheved Lifshitz aged 85 have just arrived at Ichilov Medical Center in Tel Aviv, Israel via a IAF CH-53 “Sea Stallion” Transport Helicopter. pic.twitter.com/VzGT6xXnCw

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) October 23, 2023

????FOOTAGE JUST IN: ISRAELI HOSTAGES ARRIVE TO ISRAEL

Yochaved Lifshitz and Nurit Koper Menir Oz arrived in Ichilov accompanied by their family members.

Source: Channel 11

pic.twitter.com/nvFCGjfnZz

— The Night Report ???????? (@The_NightReport) October 23, 2023

There is no official statement from the hospital.

Ichilov helipad awaiting arrival of freed hostages

A military helicopter carrying freed hostages Nurit Cooper and Yocheved Lifshitz, or possibly one carrying their families, appears to be approaching Ichilov hospital in Tel Aviv.

Crews are waiting for the choppers on the hospital roof.

In Washington, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says on X that the US welcomes their release and is continuing to work for the freedom of the other 220 or so people kidnapped by Hamas.

We welcome today’s release of two Israeli citizens held hostage by Hamas. We continue to do everything possible to secure the release of all remaining hostages in Gaza.

— Jake Sullivan (@JakeSullivan46) October 23, 2023

US pushing for UN resolution condemning Hamas attacks, backing Israeli self-defense

The UN Security Council’s monthly meeting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Tuesday is turning into a high-level event, with ministers flying to New York and the US pushing for adoption of a resolution that would condemn the Hamas attacks in Israel and violence against civilians, and reaffirm Israel’s right to self-defense.

The new US-drafted resolution was still being negotiated late Monday afternoon, but a recent draft obtained by The Associated Press also demands the immediate release of all hostages, urges respect for international laws on conducting war and protecting civilians, urges all countries to intensify efforts to prevent a spillover, and demands immediate humanitarian access to Gaza.

Among those expected at Tuesday’s meeting are the foreign minister of Israel, the Palestinians, Iran, Jordan, France and Brazil, council diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of any announcement.

A resolution proposed by Russia, which called for a “humanitarian ceasefire” and would strongly condemn all violence and acts of terrorism didn’t mention the Hamas attacks. It failed to get the minimum nine “yes” votes needed for approval by the 15-member council.

Diplomats say one issue with the US draft resolution is Russia’s demand for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Iran-backed groups claim fresh attacks on US bases in Syria

Iran-backed militias in Iraq say they attacked two US bases in eastern Syria, their fourth attack in one day.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iranian-backed militias, says two drones attacked US military bases by the Al-Omar oil field in Deir el-Zour province and in al-Shaddadi further north. Officials in Washington do not immediately comment on the attack.

The attack comes hours after the group claimed responsibility for drone attacks on the al-Tanf garrison near the Jordanian and Iraqi borders, and a stone’s throw away from the desert Rukban camp home to tens of thousands of Syrians.

There have been a string of similar attacks on US bases in Iraq and Syria over the past week. In one attack, the same group attacked two US bases in Iraq with drones, causing minor injuries among US forces.

Hamas releases video claiming to show handoff of hostages

Hamas’s Qassam Brigades has published a video showing hostages Nurit Cooper and Yocheved Lifshitz being handed over to the Red Cross.

In the video, the two women, wearing identical purple robes, walk unsteadily holding the hands of masked gunmen, who also offer them snacks and drinks. Both appear terrified through much of the footage.

The pair are then seen walking to a vehicle where a person in a Red Cross vest waits. Just before the propaganda video ends, Lifshitz turns to shake the hand of one gunman as she walks away.

US general who fought ISIS in urban setting to advise Israel

This image provided by the U.S. Marine Corps shows U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. James Glynn, on July 14, 2023. (Cpl. Mitchell Johnson/U.S. Marine Corps via AP)

Among the “military advisers” being dispatched to Israel is Marine Corps Lt. Gen. James Glynn, who previously helped lead special operations forces against the Islamic State and served in Fallujah, Iraq, during some of the most heated urban combat there, according to a US official who is not authorized to discuss Glynn’s role and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Glynn will also be advising on how to mitigate civilian casualties in urban warfare, the official says.

Former hostages in Israeli custody

Former hostages Yocheved Lifshitz and Nurit Cooper have been handed over to the Israel Defense Forces custody. They are making their way to a hospital in Israel especially set up for them, where they will be reunited with their families, the Prime Minister’s Office says in a statement.

The statement thanks Egypt “for its help” and the Red Cross “for its important life-saving role,” and indicates that the Israeli military also played a role in their release.

“The IDF and security forces did much work in the last days via all channels to bring about their release and overcome the many obstacles raised by Hamas,” the statement says.

Netanyahu wraps meeting with defense brass

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has wrapped up a meeting with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and other defense chiefs, his office says, releasing a picture of him speaking to Mossad head David Barnea and Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar.

Netanyahu has yet to comment on the release of Israeli hostages Nurit Cooper and Yocheved Lifshitz.

According to Channel 12 news, Cooper and Lifshitz are being brought to Tel Aviv’s Ichilov hospital, next door to Defense Ministry headquarters, where Netanyahu held his meeting.

At the start of the situational assessment, Netanyahu’s office released a video of him sitting next to Gallant and IDF chief Herzi Halevi vociferously insisting that the three were of one mind, after reports indicated serious disagreements between the officials.

“We are working together like an iron fist for one goal, eliminating Hamas,” Netanyahu said.

Larger hostage deal said held up by fuel demand

The Wall Street Journal reports that talks over the release of 50 hostages holding dual citizenship hit a snag Monday over the issue of fuel deliveries into the Gaza Strip, which Israel opposes.

Thomas White, the Gaza director of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, says the agency has only three days of fuel left for its trucks. Distribution of aid will grind to a halt when it can no longer fuel its trucks, the UN says.

Gaza hospitals are also struggling to keep generators running to power life-saving medical equipment and incubators for premature babies.

However, Israel feels certain that the fuel will be commandeered by Hamas to use for military purposes, as Israel prepares to invade the territory and eliminate the terror group.

IDF says rocket crew bombed in southern Lebanon

The Israel Defense Forces says it has carried out a drone strike against another terror cell in southern Lebanon.

The IDF says the cell was preparing to launch rockets at the Mount Dov area on the northern border.

כלי טיס של צה"ל תקף לפני זמן קצר חוליית מחבלים שזוהתה במרחב הר דב וניסתה לשגר רקטות משטח לבנון לעבר שטח ישראל pic.twitter.com/NiqsxamwM7

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) October 23, 2023

It marks the fourth cell the IDF has struck today, during repeated missile and rocket attacks by Hezbollah and allied Palestinian terror factions.

Biden intimates he could support Gaza ceasefire after all hostages released

US President Joe Biden says any discussions about a Gaza ceasefire can only take place if Hamas frees all hostages seized from Israel in its October 7 attack.

“We should have those hostages released and then we can talk,” Biden says at a White House event, when asked if he would support a “hostages-for-ceasefire” deal.

The comment indicates that the US may not support Israel’s goal of eliminating Hamas, should the 220 people kidnapped by the group be released.

Earlier, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the US opposed a ceasefire, as it would allow Hamas to recoup strength.

Israel says it wants all hostages released, and also must ensure that the terror group never again be able to repeat the slaughter it carried out on October 7, when it invaded communities near the border and massacred some 1,400 Israelis.

Obama criticizes Israeli move to sever Gaza’s food, water and power

Former US president Barak Obama says Israel’s decision to cut off food, water, and electricity to Gaza “threatens not only to worsen a growing humanitarian crisis [but] could further harden Palestinian attitudes for generations, erode global support for Israel, play into the hands of Israel’s [enemies], and undermine long term efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region.”

The criticism is part of a lengthy statement issued by Obama, the second since the start of the conflict, after his first comments focused largely on condemning Hamas and offering support for Israel.

Obama backs US President Joe Biden’s approach, which has included diplomatic and military support for Israel, while urging the IDF to follow international law and limit civilian casualties.

He calls on the international community to engage with Palestinian leaders who recognize Israel in order to achieve a two-state solution, recognizing that previous ones have rejected previous peace offers and that “the settler movement too often has received tacit or explicit support from the Israeli government.”

Pictures, videos show hostages in ambulances after release

Pictures and videos broadcast on Egyptian TV show both Yocheved Lifshitz and Nurit Cooper lying down in ambulances as medics check them over, at the Rafah crossing.

Lifshitz looks relaxed, while Cooper looks to be somewhat uncomfortable.

Nurit Cooper in an ambulance after her release from Hamas captivity on October 23, 2023. (screen capture)

Yocheved Lifshitz in an ambulance after her release from Hamas captivity on October 23, 2023. (screen capture)

Grandson of Yocheved Lifshitz says family hopes she is okay, waiting to see her

Daniel Lifshitz speaks, after learning that his grandmother, Yocheved Lifshitz, had been freed from Hamas captivity in Gaza, October 23, 2023. (Channel 12 screenshot; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Daniel Lifshitz, the grandson of released hostage Yocheved Lifshitz says he and his family are “excited and happy” that his grandmother “is coming back to us.”

He says she is in Egypt and should cross into Israel soon, where they hope to see her. The family has already spoken to her, he says, speaking from a hotel near Eilat.

“We simply hope she’s okay, that her health is good, and we’re waiting to see her,” he says, a broad smile on his face.

He adds that he is hoping for the release of all other hostages, without mentioning his grandfather, Oded Lifshitz, who remains in Hamas captivity.

“We hope this is just the start of the release of all the hostages,” he says.

Palestinians protest in West Bank after Hamas official dies in Israeli custody

A mass demonstration has erupted in the Palestinian city of Tubas following the death of a local Hamas official, Omar Daraghmeh.

The man was arrested by the IDF one week ago and died on Monday in an Israeli prison in unclear circumstances.

تغطية صحفية: مشاهد جديدة.. مسيرة غاضبة في طوباس، بعد ارتقاء الأسير عمر دراغمة داخل سجون الاحتلال. pic.twitter.com/EHkuvrnz4G

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) October 23, 2023

Tubas is located in the northern West Bank, between Nablus and Jenin, a region marked by a strong Hamas and Islamic Jihad presence.

Detroit police close to naming suspect in synagogue president’s stabbing

Investigators have identified several people of interest in the fatal stabbing of a Detroit synagogue president, but will not talk about their connections to the woman.

Detroit Police Chief James E. White said police know Samantha Woll — who led the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue — attended a wedding Friday night and that she left the celebration around 12:30 a.m. He said there was no sign that anyone forced their way into her home and investigators believe Woll was stabbed inside before stumbling into the yard.

“We have a number of people that give us interest. We are just short of calling one of the people a suspect,” he says, adding that investigators believe a suspect “acted alone.”

Police have repeatedly said they have found no evidence that Woll’s killing “was motivated by antisemitism,” and White asked people not to draw quick conclusions as the investigation continues, including analyzing forensic evidence with support from the FBI.

“We believe that there are no other groups or anyone else at risk in regards to this particular incident,” White says.

At the White House, spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre says US President Joe Biden is following the case closely. She adds that there are no concrete threats to the Jewish community.

Hostages Nurit Cooper, 79, Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, said released

Nurit Cooper (left) and Yocheved Lifshitz. (courtesy)

Channel 12 news reports that the families of Nurit Cooper, 79, and Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, have been notified of their release from Hamas captivity.

Both were abducted from their homes in Kibbutz Nir Oz. Their husbands remain in Gaza.

The two are yet to be seen at the crossing, where they have apparently been handed over to Red Cross custody.

Israel confirms two hostages released from Hamas captivity — reports

Hebrew media outlets are reporting that Israel has confirmed the release of two hostages from Hamas captivity.

Israel says it had no part in the process, according to the reports.

Reports also indicate that the ICRC says it took part in their release from captivity.

Egyptian station says 2 hostages released

Egyptian TV station Al Qahera News says that two Israeli hostages have been released at the Rafah crossing with Egypt.

The station claims the release is the result of intense Egyptian efforts.

Hamas says the release was for “humanitarian reasons.”

There is no Israeli comment.

IDF chief says army ready for invasion

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi (center) speaks to commanders of the 146th Division in northern Israel, October 23, 2023. (Israel Defense Forces)

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi says ground forces are “very well prepared” for an offensive in the Gaza Strip.

“We want to bring Hamas to a point of disintegration. Its leadership, its military wing. That is why we attack with great force. We are killing senior commanders, killing operatives, destroying infrastructure, and acting with great determination,” Halevi says to commanders of the 146th Division in northern Israel.

“A maneuver in the south has been very well prepared,” Halevi says.

Referring to apparent delays in the ground offensive, Halevi says, “There are tactical, operative, and strategic considerations, which gave us more time. and forces that have more time prepare better, and this is what the forces are doing now.”

Reports indicate movement toward 2 hostages being released

Israel’s major TV networks Channels 12 and 13, citing unnamed political sources, say there is movement toward the release of two hostages, though not a wider deal.

Earlier, reports had indicated that 50 dual-citizens might be set to be released or the subject of talks.

US says it sent ‘military advisers’ to Israel

The United States has sent a “few” military advisers to Israel following the October 7 Hamas attacks, the White House says.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby says the officers have experience in “the sorts of operations that Israel is conducting, and may conduct in the future,” and were “over there to share some perspectives.”

He also says Iran is “actively facilitating” attacks on US bases in the Middle East.

“Iran continues to support Hamas and Hezbollah, and we know that Iran is closely monitoring these events and in some cases, actively facilitating these attacks and spurring on others who may want to exploit the conflict for their own good or for that of Iran,” Kirby says.

“We know Iran’s goal is to maintain some level of deniability here, but we’re not going to allow them to do that,” Kirby adds.

Hamas claims it released two hostages; no confirmation

The spokesperson for Hamas’s military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, who goes by the nom de guerre Abu Obeida, claims to have released two Israeli hostages who were being held in the Gaza Strip.

Abu Obeida names the two hostages, and says they are being released for “humanitarian reasons,” following Egyptian and Qatari mediation.

On Saturday, Abu Obeida claimed that the terror group wanted to release the same two hostages, but that Israel declined to accept them. Following the claim, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says it would not respond to “Hamas’s propaganda lies.”

There is no immediate comment from Israeli officials about Hamas’s latest claim.

Italy confirms second national killed in October 7 slaughter

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has confirmed the death of a second Italian-Israeli citizen from the October 7 Hamas massacres.

Tajani, writing on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, says Liliach Le Havron, the wife of Evitar Kipnis, whose body was recovered last week, was confirmed dead.

The couple had lived on Kibbutz Be’eri. Both were reported missing by their loved ones.

“For Italy, another day of mourning,’’ Tajani wrote.

A third Italian-Israeli citizen, a young man who was attending the music festival that Hamas assaulted, remains missing.

Macron to push for resumption of peace process on Israel visit, US still has hope

French President Emmanuel Macron will call for the “resumption of a genuine peace process,” for the creation of a Palestinian state, and “halting the colonization” of the West Bank, while visiting Israel on Tuesday, his office says.

“The only way to be useful is to one, show solidarity to Israel; two, make commitments against terrorist groups very clear; and three, to open up a political perspective,” Macron’s office says ahead of the trip.

At the White House, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby says the US has not given up a two-state solution or normalization with Saudi Arabia.

“We still believe in the promise of a two-state solution. We’re still going to work on that,” he says.

“A key to eventually getting a two-state solution is normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia and we’re still going to work on that as well,” he adds.

The off-the-cuff comment seems to be the first time a US official has drawn a causal relationship between Saudi normalization and a two-state solution.

White House refuses to comment on hostage-release report

Asked to comment on reports that some hostages will soon be released by Hamas, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby says he cannot say anything.

He says the effort to bring hostages home is an “hour-by-hour” matter at the White House.

US pans the idea of Gaza ceasefire, says it would help Hamas

The United States warned Monday that any Gaza ceasefire by Israel would benefit Hamas, as the European Union considers a call for a humanitarian pause.

A ceasefire would “give Hamas the ability to rest, to refit, and to get ready to continue launching terrorist attacks against Israel,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller tells reporters.

Municipal elections pushed off to January 30, 2024, Knesset decides

Municipal elections will be pushed back to January 30, 2024, instead of held on October 31 as planned, after the Knesset finalized wartime legislation to give voters and municipalities a three-month campaign pause.

The bill passed into law with 17 votes in its third and final reading, with zero against.

The government can order a further election date delay to February 27, 2024, on the recommendation of the Knesset’s Interior Committee and pending Knesset approval.

Explanatory notes accompanying the law quote a High Court of Justice ruling, which says: “The existence of a state of emergency, in which a significant part of the nation is drafted into the army and the other part of the home front is threatened by enemy attacks, is liable to make it difficult to hold a democratic election process that will achieve its main goals.”

Israel assassinates Hamas commander directing anti-tank missile attacks

The Israel Defense Forces says that in an airstrike this morning, the head of Hamas’s anti-tank guided missile array in northern Gaza, Ibrahim al-Sakher, was killed.

The IDF says al-Sakher was responsible for the missile attack that killed Staff Sgt. Omer Tabib during the May 2021 war.

Tabib’s family has been updated, the army says.

Additionally, the IDF says al-Sakher “was responsible for planning and directing multiple anti-tank guided missile attacks toward Israeli territory and specifically against IDF soldiers.”

צה"ל חיסל את המחבל שביצע את הירי שהרג את סמ"ר עומר טביב ז"ל בשומר החומות@Doron_Kadosh pic.twitter.com/Rz3uwnk410

— גלצ (@GLZRadio) October 23, 2023

Five commanders of Hamas air defense force killed, IDF says

The Israel Defense Forces says it has killed five commanders in Hamas’s aerial forces in strikes in the Gaza Strip in recent days.

The Hamas aerial array, according to the IDF, is responsible for air defenses in the Strip, and also took “a significant part” in the October 7 massacres in southern Israel.

On October 14, the IDF announced that it had killed the head of Hamas’s aerial array, Murad Abu Murad.

In the last few days, the IDF says it has killed four more commanders in the aerial array.

IDF says it has killed five commanders in Hamas’s aerial forces in strikes in the Gaza Strip.

On October 14, the IDF announced that it had killed the head of Hamas’s aerial array, Murad Abu Murad. In the last few days, the IDF says it has killed four more commanders in the… pic.twitter.com/Sgsqhf17Bi

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) October 23, 2023

The IDF names them as Moathe Abed al-Rahman, responsible for the unit’s training; Othman Hamdan, commander of air defenses in the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood; Muhammad Alrifi, responsible for the unit’s supplies in Gaza City; and Ghassan Shakfouh, responsible for the unit’s training in northern Gaza.

The IDF publishes a video it says shows a strike against three of the aerial forces commanders, as well as a number of other operatives in the unit.

Hagari says the Air Force targeted Hamas staging grounds in the Gaza Strip today, killing dozens of terrorists.

He says the airstrikes are focusing on neighborhoods surrounding Gaza City.

“We continue to strike with full force,” Hagari says.

Report claims 50 hostages with dual citizenship set to be released

The i24 news network reports that 50 hostages with dual citizenship are on their way to southern Gaza where they are set to be released into the custody of the Red Cross.

The report cannot immediately be confirmed.

A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office attributed to a senior diplomatic source says “Israel will not be a party to a ‘selection’ for holders of foreign passports for release,” referring to a process that singles out certain groups.

IDF Spokesman Daniel Hagari does not deny the report, but says the public will be updated when there is something to know.

IDF publishes video of Hamas attacker describing orders to kill, rape

The IDF has sent journalists a video it says shows a Hamas terrorist who took part in the October 7 attack on southern Israel admitting to being ordered to carry out atrocities in an apparent interrogation.

In the video, the person, whose face is lightly blurred, says that gunmen were given instructions to kill everyone they saw, including beheading victims and cutting off their legs.

He also says they were given permission to rape the corpse of a girl.

The terrorist was captured during an attack on Kibbutz Alumim, according to the IDF. During the attack, the kibbutz’s local security team managed to repel the terrorists, though they had already managed to infiltrate a part of the kibbutz where foreign workers lived, killing 16 Thai and Nepali nationals there, and abducting eight others to Gaza.

Hamas urges international pressure for permanent aid corridor

A convoy of trucks carrying humanitarian aid enters the Gaza Strip from Egypt via the Rafah border crossing on October 21, 2023. (Eyad BABA / AFP)

The Hamas terror group is calling on Arab and Muslim countries and the UN to intensify efforts to open “a permanent humanitarian corridor for the Gaza Strip,” and thereby stave off Israeli efforts “to starve Gazans.”

In a statement issued on Monday, Hamas says the aid that has entered the Strip over the past two days does not cover the increasing needs of the civilian population, calling to increase the supply of fuel, food, and medical supplies.

The first aid convoy of 20 trucks entered Gaza on Saturday, followed on Sunday by a second convoy of 14 trucks. Hundreds more trucks are on the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing awaiting entry, UN sources say.

On Saturday, an IDF official denied that there is a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip: “As of now, I can tell you that there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza. There are hardships in moving people within days to the south of the Gaza Strip, but the population is getting along,” the official told reporters.

Over the past days, the military has continued to order Gazans to move toward the south of the coastal enclave. According to the Israel Defense Forces, some 700,000 people of the estimated 1.1 million population of northern Gaza have evacuated south.

On October 16, UNRWA, the United Nations organization that works with Palestinian refugees, indicated that Hamas members had stolen fuel and medical supplies meant for refugees from its premises.

White House: Israel will decide on Gaza strategy, we’re just asking questions

White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby says Israel’s political and military leaders are the ones who will decide how to operate their military campaign in Gaza.

The White House spokesperson also says he is hopeful an additional convoy of humanitarian aid will enter Gaza from Egypt in the coming hours, which would be the fourth such shipment in three days.

The remarks follow reports — including from The Times of Israel — that the Biden administration has been privately urging Israel to hold off on launching a ground incursion in order to give more time for hostage negotiations.

A senior diplomatic official has told The Times of Israel that the US will refrain from publicly pressuring Israel on its military strategy, while taking a nuanced approach behind closed doors.

Kirby tells reporters in a briefing that the US will continue asking Israel questions in order to better understand its military strategy.

He says US military aid for the IDF has been landing in Israel on a near daily basis and that the US has taken additional steps aimed at discouraging other actors from joining the war.

Gallant to sailors: No backing off ‘lethal’ ground offensive in Gaza

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant speaks with Israeli Navy sailors of the 916th Patrol Squadron at the Ashdod naval base, October 23, 2023. (Ariel Hermoni/ Defense Ministry)

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant vows that Israel will carry out a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, saying it will be a “lethal” attack.

After touring an area near the Gaza coastline with the Israeli Navy, Gallant told forces that they should “keep remaining prepared for the offensive because it will come,” his office says.

“We are preparing thoroughly. It will be a lethal attack. It will be a combined attack from land, sea, and air,” he said.

“Do your job, get ready, we will deploy you,” Gallant added.

The statement is released shortly after the army indicated it was chomping at the bit for the order to invade and complained that soldiers could not remain at the border at full readiness indefinitely.

UK intelligence finds hospital blast likely caused by Palestinian rocket

People search through debris outside the site of the Ahli Arab hospital in central Gaza on October 18, 2023 in the aftermath of a blast there. (Mahmud Hams/AFP)

The British government says it has concluded that a devastating explosion at a hospital in Gaza was likely caused by a misfired missile from within Palestinian territory, rather than an Israeli strike.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told lawmakers in the House of Commons that based on an intelligence assessment, “the British government judges that the explosion was likely caused by a missile, or part of one, that was launched from within Gaza towards Israel.”

The conclusion tallies with assessments by US and French officials about the cause of the explosion at the al-Ahli hospital on Tuesday. Israel has blamed a rocket fired by Islamic Jihad.

Officials in Hamas-ruled Gaza have blamed it on an Israeli airstrike and said the blast killed almost 500 people. A US intelligence report estimated that somewhere between 100 and 300 Palestinians were likely killed.

IDF says it hit two cells in Lebanon preparing missile attacks

The Israel Defense Forces says it has carried out drone strikes against two more Hezbollah cells in southern Lebanon allegedly preparing anti-tank guided missile attacks.

The IDF says one of the cells was planning a missile attack in the Mount Dov area and the second near the northern community of Matat.

כלי טיס מאויישים מרחוק תקפו לפני זמן קצר שתי חוליות מחבלים שזוהו במרחב הר דב ובמרחב מתת וניסו לשגר טילי נ"ט לעבר שטח ישראל.

צה"ל תוקף בארטילריה בשטח לבנון בתגובה לזיהוי החוליות pic.twitter.com/S48ZfuRuU0

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) October 23, 2023

The military adds that it is also shelling the area with artillery.

The airstrikes mark the second and third Hezbollah cells the IDF has hit in southern Lebanon today.

Prime minister, defense minister and IDF chief deny reports of beef

As reports swirl of disagreements between the army and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the delayed ground operation, a joint statement claims they are working in lockstep.

“The prime minister, defense minister and IDF chief are working together in close cooperation, around the clock, to bring Israel total victory over Hamas,” the statement from Netanyahu’s office, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s bureau and the IDF spokesperson says.

“There is full trust between Prime Minister Netanyahu and the defense minister and IDF chief, who are united in a clear purpose,” the statement continues.

“We ask the media to act responsibly and keep from publishing mendacious reports that only hurt our unity and strength.”

Reports have indicated tensions between Gallant and IDF head Herzi Halevi on one side and Netanyahu on the other as an expected ground invasion continues to lack a green light from the premier, who appears to be giving time for hostage negotiations to bear fruit.

UK pledges extra $24 million for Gazans

UK leader Rishi Sunak says Britain is sending an additional £20 million ($24 million) of aid to help civilians in Gaza affected by the war between Israel and Hamas.

“We need a constant stream of aid pouring in, bringing the water, food, medicine and fuel that is so desperately needed,” the British prime minister tells parliament after his trip to the Middle East.

Reports claim some hostages with foreign citizenship could be released soon

The New York Times, citing a senior Israeli military official, says talks are underway for the release of some 50 dual-nationals from Hamas captivity, “based on conversations between the United States and Qatar.”

Rhode Island Senator Jack Reed, who heads the Armed Services Committee, tells the Times from Cairo that Israel should delay a ground invasion to allow for the hostage negotiations.

“There are so many factors, rushing into this probably is not the best approach,” he says.

Channel 12 news, citing an Israeli source, says a deal could be sealed soon.

Two hurt by missile shrapnel in Kiryat Shmona

Police say two people in Kiryat Shmona have been wounded by shrapnel and a house suffered damage after a missile attack nearby.

The two are identified by Channel 12 news as children who were in a bomb shelter as sirens sounded in the city, which has largely been evacuated.

The IDF says that a missile was launched from Lebanon at a military post near Misgav Am, setting off sirens in Kiryat Shmona.

Officers and sappers are at the scene to clear the shrapnel, police add.

The army says it has returned fire toward the source of the launch.

Dutch activists occupy entrance to ICC to protest Netanyahu

Dutch authorities have briefly detained 19 activists who occupied the entrance to the International Criminal Court on Monday, denouncing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for Israel’s actions during the war with Hamas.

Activists from the Extinction Rebellion group took over a bridge in front of The Hague-based court just after noon, carrying a banner that read “Netanyahu is a war criminal.”

The Dutch branch of the activist group, which was originally set up to campaign against climate change, has staged several other pro-Palestinian actions since Hamas terrorists rampaged through Israel on October 7, killing some 1,400 people.

An ICC spokesperson says the demonstration did not disturb the court’s normal activities.

Police release the 19 following a brief detention, and they join a small pro-Palestinian protest outside the ICC’s grounds.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is in the Middle East to meet with both Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Netanyahu to Dutch leader: This war is civilization vs. barbarism

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meeting Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte in Jerusalem on October 23, 2023. (Kobi Gidon/GPO)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in Jerusalem, telling him that “we are in a battle of civilization against barbarism.”

Using language he regularly returns to, Netanyahu says “Hamas is ISIS, and just as the world united to defeat ISIS, the world has to unite against Hamas, unite with Israel to defeat them,” referring to the Islamic State terror group.

Rutte underlines his “respect for what your team is doing to try to fend off this attack and restore the safety of Israel.”

Deri claims ground invasion held up by underprepared army

Aryeh Deri speaks during a Shas party faction meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, on January 23, 2023. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Shas leader Aryeh Deri denies that a ground invasion of Gaza is being held up by politicians refusing to give the army a green light.

“You can’t just go in at a moment’s notice. I can’t divulge all the details, but it’s not like the army is ready and the political side isn’t letting it [invade],” Deri tells his faction at a weekly meeting.

The MK, who is not a minister and has no military experience, is nonetheless one of the few politicians named as an observer to the three-man war cabinet.

“There’s a lot of baseless reports causing confusion, in society and also among the soldiers,” he charges.

The army says it is ready to go in but waiting for politicians to okay the move, The Times of Israel has learned.

IDF says it is ready for Gaza ground invasion, can’t sit on its thumbs forever

A convoy of Israeli army trucks carrying mortar shells advances on a road near the southern city of Sderot, on October 23, 2023. (Thomas COEX / AFP)

The Israel Defense Forces believes that in order to attain the objectives of the war against Hamas, laid out by government officials, the military must begin its ground offensive in the Gaza Strip sooner rather than later, The Times of Israel has learned.

Israel says its war on Hamas is aimed at destroying the terror group’s infrastructure, and has vowed to eliminate the entire organization.

After 16 days of airstrikes, the IDF has told the government that it is fully prepared for a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, and believes it can achieve the goals set out for it, even at the risk of heavy casualties to soldiers, and amid repeated attacks by Hezbollah in the north, The Times of Israel learned.

Should the army need to move its focus to the north instead of Gaza, it is confident that it could pivot within just a few days. The IDF has already heavily bolstered the Lebanon border, but most forces remain near Gaza ahead of the ground offensive.

Regarding the 222 confirmed hostages held by Hamas and other terror groups in the Gaza Strip, the military is preparing for the possibility of rescue operations amid the ground offensive, according to information seen by The Times of Israel.

The military fears that further hostage releases by Hamas could lead the political leadership to delay a ground incursion or even halt it midway. On Friday night, Hamas released an American mother and daughter, which, according to reports, led to the ground offensive being postponed.

Still, the military believes that a ground offensive may actually pressure Hamas to release further hostages.

The military is looking to the government to make a decision soon regarding the ground offensive, as the forces stationed by the border can only remain in a heightened state of readiness for so long.

The Israeli Air Force has so far carried out strikes against more than 10,000 targets in Gaza belonging to Hamas and other terror groups, according to the information.

Strikes in recent days have focused on removing potential threats to ground forces, including sniper and missile positions.

Rocket alarms sound in Kiryat Shmona

The IDF says it is investigating after rocket sirens sounded in Kiryat Shmona in Israel’s north.

Ankara officially denies booting Hamas chief over October 7 massacres

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, shakes hands with Hamas terrorist movement chief Ismail Haniyeh, prior to their meeting in Istanbul, February 1, 2020. (Presidential Press Service via AP, Pool/ File)

Turkey officially denies reports that Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was kicked out of the country by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“The allegations that ‘Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ordered senior Hamas officials to leave Turkey immediately’ are completely false,” tweets the Center for Combating Disinformation, an office subordinate to the Turkish Presidency.

“Do not believe the baseless and false claims.”

Al-Monitor journalist Fehim Tastekin earlier claimed that the Qatar- and Turkey-based Haniyeh was visiting Turkey on October 7 and was “politely sent away” by Turkish authorities as details of Hamas’s barbarism against Israeli civilians emerged, along with a video that showed Haniyeh offering a thanksgiving prayer for the atrocities.

PA’s Shtayyeh accuses West of giving Israel ‘license to kill’

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh is accusing Western nations of giving Israel a “license to kill” in its war against Hamas.

“What we hear from the mouth of the occupation leaders on preparations for a land invasion means more crimes, atrocities and forced displacement,” Shtayyeh says at the start of a PA government meeting.

“We condemn the statements that constitute a license to kill and give Israel political cover to commit massacres and spread destruction in Gaza,” he adds.

US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and other leaders have visited Israel in recent days, reaffirming its “right to defend” itself while calling on the Israeli government to stay within the bounds of international humanitarian law.

Bank of Israel shaves growth forecast, keeps interest rate steady as war bites

The Bank of Israel decides to leave interest rates steady, and cuts its growth outlook for 2023 as the shekel continues to weaken and the ongoing war with the Hamas terror group poses an economic burden on households and businesses.

The central bank holds the benchmark rate at 4.75 percent, in line with forecasts by the majority of economists. The central bank’s monetary policy decision to keep borrowing costs unchanged for a third time since July comes as Israel is more than two weeks into a war with Hamas, which began October 7 when some 2,500 terrorists streamed into Israel by land, sea, and air, murdered some 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and injured thousands more, while taking at least 212 hostages of all ages into Gaza.

Assuming that the war will be concentrated on the southern front during the fourth quarter of the year, the economy is expected to grow by 2.3% in 2023 and by 2.8% in 2024, the central bank forecasts. That is down from its previous forecast of 3% growth this year and next year, which was published by the bank last month.

“The war is having various economic effects, both on real activity and on the financial markets,” the central bank says in a statement.

The Bank of Israel is “focusing on stabilizing the markets and reducing uncertainty, and it has activated a program to sell foreign exchange and to provide liquidity in the swap and repo markets.”

The government’s budget deficit is forecast to increase to 2.3% of GDP in 2023 and 3.5% of GDP in 2024.

UAV strikes cell in Lebanon reading missile attack — IDF

The Israel Defense Forces says it carried out a drone strike against a terror cell in southern Lebanon allegedly preparing to carry out an anti-tank guided missile attack in the Mount Dov area on the northern border.

Earlier today, IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said the military has carried out strikes to eliminate more than 20 Hezbollah cells in southern Lebanon since the start of the war.

כלי טיס מאויש מרחוק תקף מוקדם יותר היום חוליית מחבלים שזוהתה במרחב הר דב ותכננה על פי החשד לשגר רקטות לעבר שטח ישראל pic.twitter.com/I0DFNFYzr5

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) October 23, 2023

The Iran-backed Hezbollah has named at least 29 members killed, apparently by Israeli strikes, in the past two weeks.

Government asks Israelis to buy local produce, with growers under fire

A Israeli army APC in a field near the southern Israeli city of Sderot, on October 23, 2023. (Photo by Thomas COEX / AFP)

The Agriculture Ministry calls on the big retail chains, smaller greengrocers and consumers to give preference to produce grown in Israel.

It says it will push for a law to ensure Israeli produce is labeled as such so that consumers are better informed to choose local.

“This is a rallying cry to defend Israeli agriculture,” says ministry director general Oren Lavi.

A large percentage of Israeli vegetables are grown in areas near the Gaza border, which have largely been cleared of civilians since October 7, when Hamas terrorists launched a murderous invasion of that area.

Much of Israel’s fruit is cultivated in the north, where communities are also being moved, against the backdrop of skirmishes between Israeli forces and terror groups such as Hezbollah.

Illustrative: A foreign worker at an onion farm on August 12, 2016. (Yaniv Nadav/Flash90)

Growers have been hard hit over the past two weeks by the departure of some 2,000 Thai farmhands, upon whom Israeli growers have come to rely.

Volunteers are being enlisted to help harvest seasonal produce and milk cows.

Drone from Lebanon knocked down near Acre — IDF

The Israel Defense Forces says the Iron Dome air defense system shot down a drone that entered Israeli airspace from Lebanon via the sea.

The drone was intercepted over Ein Hamifratz, south of Acre.

Incoming rocket sirens had sounded in Ein Hamifratz and Kfar Masaryk, apparently as a result of the Iron Dome missile, not the drone.

Sirens sound in Beersheba for second time today

Rocket sirens sound in Beersheba for the second time in hours.

There are no immediate reports of injuries.

Gazan drones ‘thwarted,’ fresh rocket alarms in Sderot

The Israel Defense Forces says two drones launched from the Gaza Strip a short while ago were “thwarted.”

The IDF says the drones entered Israeli airspace, setting off sirens in the southern communities of Nir Oz and Ein HaBesor.

Hamas had claimed to have launched two “suicide drones” at two IDF positions in the south.

The IDF does not elaborate on how the aircraft were downed.

Meanwhile, fresh rocket sirens are sounding in Sderot and surrounding communities.

Hamas health authorities claim Gaza death toll above 5,000

Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry says the death toll in the Strip since Israel’s bombing campaign began has risen to 5,087, including over 400 killed in the last 24 hours.

The ministry claims 2,055 of the victims are children.

The figures cannot be verified independently, and likely include Hamas’s claim of 471 fatalities in a blast at the Ahli Arab hospital last week, despite evidence showing the explosion was caused by a misfired Palestinian rocket and the toll likely inflated.

The ministry claims over 15,000 people have been injured since Israel began bombarding the Strip on October 7, with the aim of eradicating the terror group after its massacre of some 1,400 people in southern Israel.

Acre-area residents report large boom after sirens

Residents in the Acre area report hearing a large explosion in the area, indicating a possible interception or rocket impact.

The Magen David Adom ambulance service says there are no reports of injuries.

The area is 17 kilometers (10 miles) from the Lebanon border, and 160 kilometers (100 miles) from the Gaza border, the two most likely sources of fire.

Rocket sirens sound in towns close to Acre

Incoming rocket sirens are sounding in Kfar Masaryk and Ein Hamifratz, just north of Haifa, close to Acre.

The alert comes amid repeated missile and rocket attacks from Lebanon by the Hezbollah terror group in the last two weeks, which have largely focused on border towns.

It is not immediately clear if the rockets were launched from Gaza or Lebanon.

Turkish official denies report Hamas leadership was kicked out of country

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh speaks during a press conference after meeting with Lebanese President Michel Aoun, at the presidential palace, in Baabda, east of Beirut, Lebanon, June 28, 2021. (Dalati Nohra/Lebanese Official Government via AP)

A Turkish government official tells The Times of Israel that Al Monitor reports that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan kicked the Hamas leadership, including Ismail Haniyeh, out of the country are “not true.”

Al-Monitor journalist Fehim Tastekin claimed that Haniyeh was “politely sent away” by Turkish authorities after October 7, when a video emerged of Haniyeh offering a thanksgiving prayer while details of Hamas’s barbarism against Israeli civilians were sweeping through world capitals and the media.

Smotrich defends economic response to war

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attends a press conference at the Finance Ministry in Jerusalem on October 19, 2023. (Noam Revkin Fenton/Flash90)

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich responds to criticism of the government’s economic actions amid the war, saying that his plan is a rapid response geared at maintaining keeping the economy going.

“The goal is continuity of the Israeli economy. We want the economy to function as much as possible, even during the war,” Smotrich says, addressing the media ahead of his far-right Religious Zionism party’s faction meeting in the Knesset.

Alluding to frustration over NIS 14.7 billion in discretionary funds that had been allocated to political interests, Smotrich reiterates that Israel’s 2023-2024 state budget is being reevaluated to support the war effort.

“All of the priorities in the budget are changing in light of the war,” he says.

The government has faced widespread criticism that it has been too slow to respond as the economy shows signs of strain amid the war, and that it has left citizens without support.

Drone infiltration alert sounds in Gaza border communities Nir Oz, Ein HaBesor

A suspected drone infiltration alert is sounding in the southern communities of Nir Oz and Ein HaBesor, close to the border with the Gaza Strip.

Hamas claims to have launched two drones from the Gaza Strip at Israeli military positions in southern Israel.

The sirens come amid repeated rocket attacks from the Strip on Israel.

Trust in government falls to 20-year low, poll finds

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a press conference in Tel Aviv, Oct. 17, 2023. (AP/Maya Alleruzzo, Pool)

Trust in the government is at a 20-year low, according to new polling by the Israel Democracy Institute.

Only 20.5% of Jewish Israelis and 7.5% of Arab Israelis polled say they have trust in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, when polled in the aftermath of Hamas’s brutal October 7 terror attack.

In June, these populations polled at 28% and 18%, respectively.

Earlier on Monday, Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported that three unnamed members of Netanyahu’s cabinet are considering resigning, in response to the government and security establishment’s failure to prevent October 7 and handling of the assault’s aftermath.

School marks 9th birthday of Ohad Zichri, held captive in Gaza

A poster for an Israeli campaign to send birthday wishes to an Israeli boy who is slated to celebrate his ninth birthday in Hamas captivity on October 23, 2023. (Courtesy)

A Bnei Brak school holds an event to mark the 9th birthday of Ohad Zichri, an Israeli boy who is one of the some 30 children and babies held by terrorists in Gaza.

The event is held at the school where Ohad’s mother Keren teaches. She and the boy’s grandparents, Avraham and Ruti, were also abducted and taken to Gaza from Kibbutz Nir Oz during the Hamas onslaught on October 7.

“This is a virtual party for a child who is held hostage. He is not just any child, he is our child,” says principal Rachel Stein.

Addressing Ohad, she says: “Be strong, remember we are waiting for you.”

עם עוגה, בלונים והרבה דמעות: בבית הספר עציון בו מלמדת קרן מונדר, חגגו לבנה אוהד יום הולדת 9 – בזמן ששניהם נמצאים בשבי החמאס ???? pic.twitter.com/BJD2CBB03i

— נעם גולדברג | Noam Goldberg (@noam_goldberg1) October 23, 2023

Ohad’s father Avi says he is desperate for information.

“I just want a clue as to where they are,” Avi tells Channel 12 news. “He wears glasses. Maybe he doesn’t have them anymore.”

“How are they doing? These are the thoughts going through my head,” he says.

The public has been asked to send birthday cards to Ohad via KIDnappedBday@washington.mfa.gov.il or can sign the e-card at https://recocards.com/greeting-card/happy-birthday-ohad-66353956788

Gallant holds assessment with top security and defense officials

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant leads a security assessment at the Kirya in Tel Aviv, October 23, 2023 (Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry)

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has wrapped up an assessment with top security and defense officials at the military’s headquarters in Tel Aviv, his office says.

Participating in the meeting were IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, Mossad director David Barnea, director general of the Defense Ministry Maj. Gen. (res.) Eyal Zamir, and Maj. Gen. (res.) Nitzan Alon, who is commanding intelligence efforts to find the hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, along with other military and defense officials

3rd aid convoy enters Gaza Strip from Egypt

An aid convoy enters the Gaza Strip via the Rafah border crossing, AFP correspondents on both the Egyptian and Palestinian sides say, the third since Hamas carried out its massacre in southern Israel on October 7.

More than a dozen trucks crossed Rafah, the correspondents say, adding to a previous total of 34 trucks that entered Gaza on Saturday and Sunday according to an Egyptian Red Cross official.

An aid worker and two security sources confirm to the Reuters news agency that the third convoy has entered the enclave.

The United Nations says at least 100 trucks a day are needed to provide the basic needs of Gaza’s 2.4 million inhabitants.

A defense source said yesterday that Israel will allow food, water, and medical supplies — but not fuel — to enter southern Gaza from Egypt, for Palestinian civilians of the area and those who have evacuated there, as long as the supplies do not reach the Hamas terror group.

Rocket sirens in Gaza border towns

Rocket sirens sound in a number of communities close to the border with the Gaza Strip.

There are no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

New York Times says its coverage of Gaza hospital blast relied too heavily on Hamas claims

Palestinians check the site of an explosion at al-Ahli hospital, in Gaza City, October 18, 2023. (Abed Khaled/AP)

The New York Times, which repeatedly and prominently featured Hamas’s claim that the blast last week at Gaza City’s al-Ahli Baptist Hospital was caused by an Israeli airstrike, publishes an editors’ note acknowledging that its coverage should have been more journalistically rigorous.

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza immediately blamed last Tuesday’s explosion on an Israeli airstrike.

However, Israel produced evidence showing it was caused by a failed rocket launch from Gaza at Israel by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group, an assessment endorsed by the United States, which has said it has its own data to this effect.

While the New York Times story was updated as time went on, “editors should have taken more care with the initial presentation, and been more explicit about what information could be verified,” the editors’ note reads.

The initial reports “relied too heavily on claims by Hamas, and did not make clear that those claims could not immediately be verified.

“The report left readers with an incorrect impression about what was known and how credible the account was.”

Earlier today, the newspaper said the terror group has not provided, or even described, any evidence to back up its accusation that the explosion was caused by an Israeli strike.

An investigation by the Wall Street Journal has backed Israel’s version of events, as do assessments by CNN and the Associated Press.

The Israeli military has presented an intercepted conversation between Hamas officials saying the explosion was caused by a Palestinian Islamic Jihad projectile that fell short inside Gaza, and has provided images showing that the parking lot where the blast occurred didn’t have a crater in the ground and no structural damage had been dealt to nearby buildings — both of which would typically have been left by an IDF strike.

The US intelligence community believes that 100-300 people were killed at the Al-Ahli Hospital, while a European official put the toll at 50 or less.

Hamas health authorities swiftly put the death toll at 500, a number that was widely reported worldwide despite the fact that the terror group’s figure could not be independently verified.

Tent city erected in Ramat Gan to house those who left their homes amid war

A tent being set up in a new tent city at Kfar HaMaccabiah in Ramat Gan on October 23, 2023, for evacuees from northern and southern Israel. (Channel 12 screenshot, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

A tent city is being built at the Kfar Maccabiah complex in Ramat Gan to house some of the tens of thousands of people who have left their homes since the outbreak of the war.

Amir Gissin, the CEO of Maccabi World Union, tells Channel 12 that Kfar Maccabiah will provide temporary homes for 1,000 people.

Families from the south are already staying at the village, and the tents will enable people from the north to stay there.

The northern families are expected on Thursday.

Gissin also says that the number of people who are staying in the tents in the grounds will be limited to ensure that they can all reach shelter if there is a rocket siren in the Tel Aviv suburb.

He says that the tents are robust enough for people to remain dry in wintery conditions.

Amir Gissin, CEO of Maccabi World Union, at Kfar HaMaccabiah in Ramat Gan on October 23, 2023 (Channel 12 screenshot, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

The southern city of Eilat is also preparing to set up a tent city to house those who need it.

More than 200,000 Israelis are internally displaced, according to a spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

Half of that number were ordered to evacuated from 105 communities near the Gaza and Lebanon borders, while half left areas close to the front of their own volition, the government says.

IDF says 800 Palestinians arrested in West Bank since start of war

Palestinian gunmen attend the funeral of a man killed in an Israeli military raid in Nur Shams refugee camp, in the West Bank city of Tulkarem, October 20, 2023 (Nasser Ishtayeh/Flash90)

The Israel Defense Forces says troops have arrested 800 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank, including more than 500 affiliated with Hamas, since the war in the Gaza Strip began on October 7.

Overnight, 37 Hamas members were arrested, the military says.

There have been numerous clashes between IDF forces and Palestinians in the West Bank in the past two weeks, and several attempted terror attacks, according to the army.

According to the Palestinian Authority health ministry, at least 97 West Bank Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and, in some cases, settlers since October 7.

Rocket sirens in Beersheba and surrounding communities

Rocket sirens sound in Beersheba and a number of the communities surrounding the southern city.

There are no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

Eilat mayor says southern city preparing plans to set up tent city for evacuees

Aerial view of the southern Israeli city of Eilat, October 21, 2015. (Moshe Shai/FLASH90)

The southern city of Eilat is preparing to potentially set up a tent city to house more of the tens of thousands of people who have left their homes in the north and south of the country since the outbreak of the war.

“Eilat has doubled in size. More than 60,000 evacuees have arrived,” Eilat Mayor Eli Lankri tells Channel 12.

“Since the beginning of the war, they have been staying in our 12,000 hotel rooms, in special hospitality centers that we opened, in hostels, and in almost 4,000 Airbnb rooms in the city,” he says.

“The hotels are fully booked and we are preparing for the next step, to cater for the tens of thousands more who will apparently make their way to Eilat,” he says.

“We are looking at all kinds of options, including the establishment of a tent city. We are ready with the plans we prepared last week and will present them to the decision makers,” he says.

“We are clearing four different areas in the city and we are following the situation closely,” he says.

More than 200,000 Israelis are internally displaced, according to a spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

Half of that number were ordered to evacuated from 105 communities near the Gaza and Lebanon borders, while half left areas close to the front of their own volition, the government says.

IDF says it intercepted ‘suspicious target’ that entered Israeli airspace from Lebanon

The Israel Defense Forces says it launched an Iron Dome missile at a “suspicious target” that entered Israeli airspace from Lebanon.

The target may have been a drone, but the military is still investigating.

An alert was activated in an open area due to the missile fire, the IDF adds.

NYT: Hamas failed to produce evidence to back allegation that hospital blast was caused by Israeli strike

An overview of the al-Ahli Hospital (center) in Gaza City after a deadly explosion on October 17, which according to AP video analysis and other investigations was likely caused by a failed rocket launch from within the enclave. (Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies via AP)

The New York Times, which repeatedly and prominently featured Hamas’s claim that the blast last week at Gaza City’s al-Ahli Baptist Hospital was caused by an Israeli airstrike, now says the terror group has not provided, or even described, any evidence to back up its accusation.

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza immediately blamed last Tuesday’s explosion on an Israeli airstrike.

However, Israel produced evidence showing it was caused by a failed rocket launch from Gaza at Israel by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group, an assessment endorsed by the United States, which has said it has its own data to this effect.

The New York Times says Hamas refused requests to show evidence of the munition that it claimed had hit the hospital.

“The missile has dissolved like salt in the water,” senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad tells the newspaper. “It’s vaporized. Nothing is left.”

In a text message to the newspaper, Salama Maroof, the head of the Hamas-run government’s media office, says: “Who says we’re obligated to present the remnants of every rocket that kills our people? In general, you can come and research and confirm for yourself from the evidence we possess.”

An investigation by the Wall Street Journal has backed Israel’s version of events, as do assessments by CNN and the Associated Press.

The Israeli military has presented an intercepted conversation between Hamas officials saying the explosion was caused by a Palestinian Islamic Jihad projectile that fell short, and has provided images showing that the parking lot where the blast occurred didn’t have a crater in the ground and no structural damage had been dealt to nearby buildings — both of which would typically have been left by an IDF strike.

The US intelligence community believes that 100-300 people were killed at the Al-Ahli Hospital, while a European official put the toll at 50 or less.

Hamas health authorities swiftly put the death toll at 500, a number that was widely reported worldwide despite the fact that the terror group’s figure could not be independently verified.

Former PM Bennett: ‘Of course I also bear responsibility’ for October 7

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett speaks to Channel 12 news from southern Israel, October 9, 2023. (Screenshot used in accordance with clause 27a of the Copyright Law.)

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett says that he also bears responsibility for the staggering failures that led to Hamas’s devastating onslaught on October 7.

“Of course I also bear responsibility. I served as prime minister for 12 months. There were things I didn’t have time to do and then the government fell. Certainly I bear responsibility,” he says.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayhu has not yet publicly said he will shoulder any of the blame for the failures that led to the Hamas attack in which some 1,400 people were killed — most of them civilians — and 200-250 were taken hostage in Gaza.

Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and Shin Bet head Ronen Bar have already taken responsibility, as have Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, also a minister in the Defense Ministry.

A poll published Friday found that 80% of Israelis say Netanyahu should follow suit.

Greek PM arrives in Israel to meet with Netanyahu

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis lands in Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and French President Emmanuel Macron are also due to land today in Israel and meet with Netanyahu.

Sirens sound in Ashkelon for 2nd time within minutes

Sirens sound in Ashkelon for the second time in a number of minutes as another barrage of rockets is fired toward the coastal city.

Alerts are also heard in the Gaza border community Zikim.

After lull of 14 hours, rocket alert sirens in Ashkelon and Gaza border communities

After a lull of some 14 hours, rocket alert sirens sound in the coastal city of Ashkelon and a number of Gaza border communities.

There are no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

FM Cohen heads to New York with families of Gaza hostages

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen seen during an interview at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, June 12, 2023. (Yossi Aloni/Flash90)

Foreign Minister Eli Cohen is heading to New York tonight to speak at the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday on the Hamas attacks and Israel’s war against the terrorist organization.

The Foreign Ministry tells The Times of Israel that he will bring families of Israelis kidnapped by Hamas, and will participate in events with them in New York.

He is also expected to meet UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, as well as other foreign ministers who will be attending, but that is yet to be finalized.

Hundreds of Jerusalemites gathered outside the home of Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s parents to farewell them to the US on their journey to seek his freedom

Few dry eyes
???? pic.twitter.com/8jgBX8YN9P

— Ittay Flescher (@ittay78) October 23, 2023

IDF says it has hit 20 Hezbollah cells since start of war

A shell from Israeli artillery explodes over a house in al-Bustan, a Lebanese border village with Israel, south Lebanon, Oct. 15, 2023. (AP/Hussein Malla)

IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says the military has carried out strikes to eliminate 20 Hezbollah cells in southern Lebanon since the start of the war.

The Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group has been carrying out daily missile attacks from Lebanon against IDF positions and towns in northern Israel since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7.

IDF says families of 222 hostages notified that loved ones are being held in Gaza

Families of Israelis held hostage by Hamas terrorists in Gaza hold up photographs of their abducted relatives, at "Hostage Square," outside the Art Museum of Tel Aviv, October 21, 2023. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says the military has so far notified the families of 222 hostages that their loved ones are being held in the Gaza Strip.

He says that the number includes a not insignificant number of foreign nationals, and that it has taken time for them to be identified and for their families to be notified.

The number does not include Judith Raanan and her daughter Natalie, who were released by Hamas on Friday night.

When asked whether the ground operation is being delayed to allow more time for attempts to secure the release of further hostages, Hagari says “we are working in all ways to free the hostages and bring them home.”

You can read the stories of some of those who are captive in Gaza, here.

Some 150 Haredi men arrive at recruitment office to be drafted into IDF

Haredi men who decided to join the military amid the war between Israel and Hamas, at the IDF recruiting offices in Tel Hashomer, near Tel Aviv, October 23, 2023 (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

Around 150 Haredim arrive at the recruitment office at Tel Hashomer as the Israel Defense Forces begins to draft them as volunteers in an unprecedented mobilization.

According to the Walla news site, most of the volunteers are members of the Lithuanian stream of ultra-Orthodoxy in Israel and are aged 26-39.

On Saturday, IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Hagari said the IDF had received more than 2,000 requests from Haredim since the October 7 massacre by the Hamas terror group.

Haredi women and male yeshiva students are generally exempt from military service thanks to a controversial status quo agreement. In 2017, the High Court of Justice invalidated the legal exemption and ordered the government to pass a new conscription law. The government has extended the non-conscription policy and Haredi politicians have sought to pass legislation cementing the exemptions.

Many Haredim believe that studying Torah helps protect the Jewish people and even the state, while serving time in the army would dilute adherence to their strict ways of life and lead impressionable members of the community astray.

Among non-Haredi Jews, this is often perceived as draft dodging by a group that refuses to integrate into mainstream society.

Ben Gvir demands Netanyahu add another minister to war cabinet

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir attends a cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem on September 10, 2023. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir demands that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu add a minister to the three-person war cabinet who isn’t from the premier’s Likud party or Benny Gantz’s National Unity.

“As a member of the coalition, a senior minister in the government and a member of the cabinet, I accepted your unilateral decision on the composition of the ‘restricted cabinet’ which does not include me — the national security minister,” the leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party writes.

“I do not intend to confront you on the matter, despite the fact that it is appropriate that the position of the huge number of voters who put their trust in us and asked us to represent them should be heard in the limited cabinet,” Ben Gvir writes.

“I hereby demand that a member or even an observer be added to the cabinet,” Ben Gvir writes, adding that Netanyahu should be the one to select the person.

Five National Unity lawmakers joined Netanyahu’s cabinet shortly after the Hamas massacre on October 7 and Israel’s subsequent declaration of war, forming a national emergency government meant to add decades of high-level security experience to the management of the war and isolate far-right influence.

The war cabinet is made up of Netanyahu, Gantz and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

National Unity MK Gadi Eisenkot, a former IDF chief of staff, and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a Netanyahu confidant, are observers to the cabinet.

Hundreds gather to support Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s parents as they travel to US to campaign for his release

This undated photo provided by Rachel Goldberg shows her son Hersh Goldberg-Polin. (Courtesy of Rachel Goldberg via AP)

Hundreds of people gather in Jerusalem to support the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin as they leave their home to travel to the United States to campaign for the release of their son, held captive in Gaza by terrorists.

Goldberg-Polin was taken hostage when gunmen stormed the Supernova desert rave at Kibbutz Re’im on October 7.

His arm was blown off below the elbow by a grenade during the attack, adding to his parents fears that he may not be receiving the care he needs.

מאות מלווים את משפחת גולדברג-פולין בצאתה לשדה התעופה. המשפחה נוסעת לארה"ב במאמץ להביא לשחרורו של בנם הירש שנחטף לעזה@YairEttinger pic.twitter.com/3fuwZhESRa

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) October 23, 2023

Hundreds of Jerusalemites gathered outside the home of Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s parents to farewell them to the US on their journey to seek his freedom

Few dry eyes
???? pic.twitter.com/8jgBX8YN9P

— Ittay Flescher (@ittay78) October 23, 2023

IDF says it hit 320 Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror targets in Gaza over past day

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, October 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

The Israel Defense Forces says it struck some 320 targets belonging to the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror groups in the Gaza Strip over the past day.

As the IDF prepares for a ground offensive in Gaza, the military says the strikes are focusing on sites that could potentially endanger forces.

Overnight, the IDF says, the Air Force struck tunnels where Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives were hiding, military sites, observation positions, and mortar and anti-tank guided missile positions.

Additionally, the IDF says infantry, artillery, and tank forces struck a number of Hamas terror cells in Gaza, including one planning to carry out a missile attack on the border.

בין היעדים שנתקפו בהכוונת שב״כ ואמ״ן, מנהרות בהן פעילים של ארגון הטרור חמאס, עשרות מפקדות מבצעיות שבחלקן הסתתרו מחבלי חמאס וגא״פ, מתחמים צבאיים ששימשו את הארגון ועמדות תצפית >> pic.twitter.com/ilUnf6iT1Z

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) October 23, 2023

Asian stocks fall as concerns rise over potential wider Middle East war

A person stands in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 index at a securities firm Oct. 23, 2023, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Asian shares are lower as higher risks of broader conflict in the Middle East cloud market sentiment and bond yields further pressured stocks.

US futures rose while oil prices fell back.

A barrel of benchmark US oil fell 80 cents to $87.30. It has been bouncing around since the latest Hamas-Israel war began, after leaping from $70 to more than $93 during the summer. It slipped 62 cents to settle at $88.75 on Friday. Brent crude, the international standard, slipped 64 cents to $91.52 per barrel.

Ohad Zichri turns 9 while held hostage in Gaza; brother: ‘He should stay strong and know we love him’

A poster for an Israeli campaign to send birthday wishes to an Israeli boy who is slated to celebrate his ninth birthday in Hamas captivity on October 23, 2023. (Courtesy)

Ohad Zichri, an Israeli boy who is one of the some 30 children and babies held by terrorists in Gaza, has his 9th birthday today while in captivity.

Ohad was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on October 7 and taken to Gaza along with mother Keren and his grandparents.

His brother Roi tells Channel 12 that if he could speak to the boy, he would tell him that “he should stay strong and know that we love him.”

“We planned to do a big party, and now we are in a totally different situation,” Roi says. “Now we are having frightening thoughts about what might be happening to him.”

“He is a child with a lot of potential. A happy child who is smart and sporty. It’s fun to be with him,” he says.

Roi calls on the public to send birthday cards to Ohad via KIDnappedBday@washington.mfa.gov.il or they can sign the e-card at https://recocards.com/greeting-card/happy-birthday-ohad-66353956788

Footage shows October 7 victims dancing, laughing at desert rave ahead of massacre

Channel 12 news airs a film of some of the victims of the October 7 massacre in their final hours at the desert rave in Kibbutz Re’im.

Hamas terrorists terrorists killed over 260 partygoers as part of the devastating massacre in which over 1,400 people were slain, the vast majority civilians.

An unknown number of partygoers are among the 200-250 people held hostage in Gaza. Some of the women who attended the festival were also raped, according to eyewitness accounts.

The footage — some of it professional and some amateur — is set to music without a voiceover, and shows some of those killed and kidnapped as they dance and enjoy themselves at the festival, not knowing the carnage that lay ahead.

Watch and Share with the world.
A special project by @N12News.
This video contains footage taken by the young partygoers at the Nova Music Festival prior to the 7.10 terror attack.
You’ll only see a handful of the 260 victims and dozens of those abducted or still missing doing… pic.twitter.com/vRlkD5xpdb

— Elad Simchayoff (@Elad_Si) October 22, 2023

Report: US officials advising Israel to delay ground op to allow hostage negotiations, aid into Gaza

Merkava tanks roll into position outside Kibbutz Be'eri, near the border with the Gaza Strip on October 20, 2023. (RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP)

Several US officials tell The New York Times that the White House wants Israel to allow more time for negotiations over the hostages held by terrorists in Gaza and for aid to enter the Strip, before the launch of the ground operation.

The report says the Biden administration also wants to increase readiness for any potential attacks on US targets in the region from Iran-based groups, which it believes are likely to increase as the war goes on.

Two officials told the newspaper that the message has been conveyed to Israel via US Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin, who speaks with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant almost every day. A spokesperson for Gallant would not confirm the report to the newspaper.

Additionally, US President Joe Biden spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again yesterday.

However, the report notes that US officials are concerned that the continued delay of the ground invasion could be seized upon by Iran and its allies, who have long claimed that Israel is controlled by the US.

The report notes that the US is not demanding Israel delay the ground invasion, but is instead advising it to wait, and that Washington still fully supports Israel’s aim to destroy the Hamas terror group in the wake of the deadly October 7 onslaught.

IDF says it struck cell planning anti-tank missile attack along Lebanon border

The Israel Defense Forces says it again targeted a cell of fighters in southern Lebanon and destroyed an anti-tank missile launcher.

The cell is suspected of planning to launch a missile near the border town of Shlomi, according to the military.

IDF names soldier killed in Hamas attack as Cpl. Tamir Barak, 19

Cpl. Tamir Barak, a soldier in the IDF's Combat Engineering Corps, who was killed on the Israel-Gaza border on October 23, 2023. (Israel Defense Forces)

The Israel Defense Forces names a soldier who was killed in a Hamas attack on troops operating in Gaza as Cpl. Tamir Barak, 19.

The military says Barak, from Nir Eliyahu, served in the Combat Engineering Corps.

IDF said to carry out strikes near pair of hospitals in Gaza City

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, October 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Israeli military aircraft carried out airstrikes near the Al-Shifa and Al-Quds hospitals in Gaza City, according to the Palestinian Authority’s Wafa news site.

There is no immediate information on casualties or the targets of the strikes, which came after the Israel Defense Forces announced it was bombing dozens of Hamas-linked sites in the Strip.

Led by Biden, Western leaders stress Israel’s right to self-defense, say it must protect civilians

US President Joe Biden listens as he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participate in an expanded bilateral meeting with Israeli and U.S. government officials, Oct. 18, 2023, in Tel Aviv. (AP/Evan Vucci)

The leaders of the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom have issued a joint statement stressing their support for Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas while calling on Jerusalem to protect civilian lives.

“The leaders reiterated their support for Israel and its right to defend itself against terrorism and called for adherence to international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians,” says the statement from US President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak following a joint phone call they held earlier today.

The leaders “welcomed the release of two hostages and called for the immediate release of all remaining hostages. They committed to close coordination to support their nationals in the region, in particular those wishing to leave Gaza,” says the statement organized by the US.

This is the second joint statement in support of Israel that Biden has led with Western leaders since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war following the terror group’s assault from Gaza on October 7.

“The leaders welcomed the announcement of the first humanitarian convoys to reach Palestinians in need in Gaza and committed to continue coordinating with partners in the region to ensure sustained and safe access to food, water, medical care, and other assistance required to meet humanitarian needs.”

“The leaders committed to continue close diplomatic coordination, including with key partners in the region, to prevent the conflict from spreading, preserve stability in the Middle East, and work toward a political solution and durable peace,” the statement adds.

IDF launches further strikes in south Lebanon, targets Hezbollah posts and fighters

The IDF says it struck a number of Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon, including a “military compound” and observation post.

The Israel Defense Forces says military aircraft also targeted “a terror cell” along the border and destroyed armaments possessed by the operatives.

צה"ל תקף לפני זמן קצר מטרות צבאיות של ארגון הטרור חיזבאללה, ביניהם מתחם צבאי ועמדת תצפית ששימשו את הארגון.

כמו כן, כלי טיס של צה"ל תקף חוליית מחבלים שפעלה במרחב הגבול והשמיד אמצעי לחימה שהיו ברשותה pic.twitter.com/vjgmvSyJWP

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) October 22, 2023