The Israel-Hamas war enters its 19th day, almost three weeks after Hamas carried out a deadly onslaught that left more than 1,400 Israelis dead and at least 5,400 wounded on October 7. Some 220 hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza, more than half of which, are foreign nationals.
Military Endeavors
The United States has expressed its intention to send its entire Iron Dome stockpile to Israel as calls for a ‘humanitarian pause’ are made amid an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
Israel responded with a heavy aerial bombardment of Gaza, which according to the Gaza Health Ministry has left at least 6,546 Gazans dead, including 2,704 children and more than 19,000 wounded. A slow trickle of humanitarian aid has entered the Strip, after Israel imposed a blockade on the enclave, cutting out water, electricity, and fuel.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the Israelis agreed to delay their ground invasion under US pressure, in a bid to buy time for the Americans to bolster defenses across the Middle East. In a separate statement, US President Joe Biden said that he “did not demand” that Israel delay a ground invasion of Gaza until hostages held by Hamas are freed.
Hamas claimed responsibility for firing a rocket onto the southernmost Israeli city of Eilat. Hamas also took responsibility for firing at the northern city of Haifa, saying it launched an R-160 rocket in response to the killing of civilians in Gaza.
Notable Casualties
The family of an Al Jazeera journalist have been killed in an Israeli strike on Gaza, the Qatar-based network said in a statement. Al Jazeera said the wife and two children of its Arabic-language channel’s Gaza correspondent Wael Al-Dahdouh were killed in a strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp in the Gaza strip.
Diplomacy
The United Kingdom said it would push for a humanitarian pause in Gaza to facilitate the provision of aid, but does not want a complete ceasefire as it could mainly benefit Hamas.
While French President Emmanuel Macron met with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, he called for a return to the Israel-Palestinian peace process, on the latest leg of a whistle-stop crisis tour.
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Netanyahu’s PR Stunts
In a televised speech, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel is preparing a ground invasion of Gaza, but declined to provide any details on the timing of the assault, or further information about the operation.
In a televised speech, the PM stated that “everyone will have to answer [for the attack], including me, but that will only happen after the war,” acknowledging responsibility for the governmental and military failure.
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Khalil Wakim, with AFP
