Israel’s military said it made a limited ground raid into northern Gaza with infantry and tanks, before withdrawing, as it kept up airstrikes on the besieged territory. A series of Israeli incursions have previously sought to gather intelligence on Hamas and hostages.
US President Joe Biden confirmed he’s asked Israel to delay a full ground invasion to help secure the release of more people held by Hamas, which the US and European Union designate a terrorist group. That came hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated such an operation is being prepared.
A small number of humanitarian aid trucks went into Gaza through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, but fuel has not been allowed in yet. The United Nations said that, with fuel supplies running out, relief operations in the territory may be forced to halt.
(All time stamps are Israeli time)
EU Leaders Seek Unity to Call for ‘Pauses’ in the War (2:15 p.m.)
EU leaders are moving closer to calling for a humanitarian pause that would allow aid to reach Gaza in bigger quantities. Member states wrangled over the wording of a joint statement due to be signed off by the leaders, according to people familiar with the issue.
The latest version calls for “continued, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access and aid to reach those in need through all necessary measures including humanitarian corridors and pauses,” according to a text seen by Bloomberg.
EU Leaders Seek Unity on Urging Aid ‘Pauses’ in Israel-Hamas War
Israel Says 60 Arrests Made in the West Bank (1:05 p.m.)
Israeli defense forces said that more than 60 arrests were made in the West Bank last night, according to a post on X. It added that 46 of those detained were Hamas operatives, bringing the total number of arrests in the area, which is governed by the Palestinian Authority, to over 1,000 since the war started.
Some Aid Trucks Enter Gaza (1:02 p.m.)
The Palestine Red Crescent Society said it received 12 trucks of aid from its Egyptian counterpart, according to a post on X. The trucks, which entered Gaza through the Rafah border crossing, contained water, food and and medical supplies. Fuel has not been allowed to enter yet.
The UN has also warned that its shelters are overwhelmed by almost 600,000 Palestinians fleeing their homes, and that it might have to halt humanitarian operations if no fuel is delivered. A total of 74 aid trucks have been allowed into the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, short of the circa 100 trucks of humanitarian supplies per day a UN official estimated last week were needed.
Israel Says 309 Soldiers Killed in Conflict So Far, 224 Hostages Held in Gaza (11:50 a.m.)
The families of 309 soldiers have been notified by the Israel Defense Forces that they were killed since the Oct. 7 infiltration by Hamas, spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a televised statement. The military also updated the number of hostages who are believed to be held in Gaza to 224.
Police said that 808 civilians who died following the attack by Hamas have been identified, or 84% of the bodies that were recovered.
Israel Bonds Pressured, Shekel Falls (11 a.m.)
Israel’s dollar bonds remained under pressure as the war with Hamas threatens to hit the nation’s debt ratings. Yields on notes due 2030 rose 16 basis points to 6.2%.
The shekel weakened 0.1% to 4.0704 against the dollar, reversing an earlier gain of as much as 0.5%. The benchmark stock index slid 0.3%.
Israel Says It Hit Over 250 Hamas Targets in Past Day (10:24 a.m.)
Israeli fighter jets struck more than 250 Hamas targets in Gaza, including infrastructure, operational command centers and tunnel shafts, the military said. Rocket-launching sites were also hit, the Israel Defense Forces said, accusing Hamas of putting them in civilian areas.
Army Attacks Cells Inside Northern Gaza (7:46 a.m.)
Israeli tanks and infantry entered northern Gaza overnight in the latest limited incursion, according to the Israel Defense Forces. The military attacked numerous cells, infrastructure and anti-tank missile launch posts before returning to Israeli territory, it said.
The incursion was to “prepare the battlefield for the next stages of combat,” the IDF said. Earlier this week, an Israeli soldier was killed and three others wounded during a Gaza raid that aimed to locate missing people and bodies and target Hamas infrastructure and weapons.
Sudan’s New Iran Ties Seen Jeopardizing Normalization Push (7:01 a.m.)
Iran is quietly rebuilding ties with Sudan, stoking US and European concern the Islamic Republic will widen its military influence on the Middle East’s fringes and deepen a disastrous civil war.
Stronger Iranian relations may also definitively end the prospect of Sudan fully normalizing relations with Israel, an initiative already derailed by the Sudanese conflict, according to foreign officials.
Revived Iran Ties Throw Wildcard Into Sudan’s Deadly Civil War
Biden Discusses Hostages, Aid, Post-Crisis (4:12 a.m.)
Biden and Netanyahu discussed the situation in Gaza, including efforts to secure the release of hostages and ways to ramp up aid deliveries, during a phone call, according to a White House statement.
Biden also “reiterated that Israel has every right and responsibility to defend its citizens from terrorism and to do so in a manner consistent with international humanitarian law,” the statement said.
The US president urged Israel’s government to focus on “what comes after this crisis, to include a pathway for a permanent peace between Israelis and Palestinians.”
US Says 21 Suffered Minor Injuries in Iraq, Syria Attacks (1 a.m.)
The Pentagon said 21 US personnel received minor injuries in drone attacks targeting the Al Assad Airbase in Iraq and the Al-Tanf Garrison in Syria. All have returned to duty.
The injuries were suffered between Oct. 17-18, Brigadier General Pat Ryder, a Defense Department spokesman, said in a statement. The US has accused Iran-backed militias of the attacks and warned it would ultimately hold Iran responsible, comments that have helped fan fears that the Israel-Hamas war could turn into a regional conflict.