Hamas-Israel War: One Month In
The hostages, the state of the conflict, and escalation concerns
Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up!
Good morning!
This should help jolt you out of bed: The New York City Marathon crowned two more winners yesterday… both ran 26.2 miles in under 2 ½ hours. 🏃🏼♀️💨
Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia won the men’s division in 2 hours, 4 minutes and 59 seconds.
Hellen Obiri from Kenya won the women’s race with a finish time of 2 hours, 27 minutes and 23 seconds. The women’s race was neck-and-neck, and came down to a dash to the finish among 3 runners.
And then there were the fans, who trained all year to hold these amazing signs.
Okay Monday, let’s do this.
Mosheh, Jill, & Courtney
🗞 HAMAS-ISRAEL WAR: WHERE ARE WE AND WHAT COMES NEXT?
This weekend marked one month since the October 7th attack on Israel by Hamas, when at least 1,400 Israelis were brutally murdered and about 240 people taken hostage in Gaza. It led to an Israeli counterassault that has upended life for more than 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, leading to several thousand deaths and an escalating humanitarian disaster in the territory. The impact of the conflict has been felt regionally and globally.
Here’s where we stand one month in:
📍HOSTAGE SITUATION
The Biden administration is urging Israel to agree to brief “humanitarian pauses” in fighting (as little as a few hours) to allow more aid into Gaza and help get the estimated 240 hostages out.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pushed back on those requests, saying there will be no humanitarian pause without the release of all hostages. All but five hostages (4 released and 1 who was rescued) are still in Hamas or other terror group hands. Qatar has been taking the lead in trying to negotiate a hostage release—they have sway with Hamas as several leaders are based in the country. The Israelis believe Hamas is dragging out the talks.
Family members of the hostages have been protesting in Israel for the government to take more urgent action, and are traveling around the world to rally attention to their loved ones. The Red Cross has not yet been given access to them inside Gaza.
📍CIVILIAN DEATHS & SITUATION ON THE GROUND IN GAZA
The Israel-Hamas war has quickly become the deadliest and most devastating of the five wars the two sides have fought since Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007.
Israel says it has taken out more than 2,500 terror targets with its strikes on Gaza since Hamas’ attack. The civilian death toll has risen daily, with thousands of women and children reportedly killed, according to the latest local estimates from Hamas.
Parts of Gaza look like an apocalyptic battleground that has been leveled by Israel’s air strikes and ground assaults in its attempt to eradicate Hamas. A recent estimate found that 1 in 4 buildings in Gaza has been damaged or destroyed in the war.
Hamas continues to use Palestinians as human shields according to the US, EU and Israel. The terror group has built rocket launch pads and command centers under buildings like hospitals, mosques, and kindergartens.
The IDF maintains it is only targeting infrastructure it believes is housing Hamas terrorists. Yesterday, it published what it claims is new evidence of Hamas hiding under civilian targets:
1,400: The number of people killed in Israel
9,400: The number of people killed in Gaza
24: The number of Israeli soldiers killed since the start of the ground offensive.
23,516: The number of Palestinians injured in Gaza.
5,400: The number of Israelis injured.
250,000: The number of Israelis displaced.
1.4 million+: The number of Palestinians displaced in Gaza.
At least 241: The number of soldiers and civilians being held hostage in Gaza.
5: The number of hostages released or rescued.
421: The number of aid trucks let into Gaza.
300+: Americans who have been able to leave Gaza
Of note: The numbers of Palestinians killed & injured are according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, which is run by Hamas. The terror group also doesn’t distinguish combatants vs. civilians. President Biden and the Israelis have said they do not trust the figures.
“Humanitarian Pause:” It comes as the United States tried to convince Israel to take more humanitarian pauses and allow more aid in–including fuel to Gaza.
The Israelis attempted to set up humanitarian corridors on Saturday and Sunday in Gaza to get more of the 300,000 Palestinians still in the main war zone in northern Gaza down to the south. It comes as more than half of the territory’s 2.4 million residents have already been uprooted from their homes, according to the UN.
The weekend “pause” attempts were not very successful: The Israelis came under attack from Hamas while setting up those windows, and Palestinians complained that they didn’t feel safe moving, nor were there roads they say were still drivable.
U.S. and Arab leaders clashed over the weekend about the need for a cease-fire. Arab leaders say the war must stop immediately because of the rising casualty numbers in Gaza. But Israel and the Biden administration fear any pause in fighting would only benefit Hamas by allowing the terror group time to re-group, and re-arm.
📍POLITICS AT HOME AND ABROAD
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators rallied across the globe this weekend.
An estimated 100,000+ protesters took to the streets in Washington, DC calling for a ceasefire on Saturday in one of the biggest pro-Palestinian protests in the U.S. yet. At the rally, demonstrators demanded the U.S. stop supporting Israel, accusing President Biden of backing a "genocide" of Palestinian people. Several people poured red paint on the White House fence.
Pro-Palestinian protests in Turkey quickly became violent as fury grew over Blinken’s upcoming visit there. Turkish police deployed tear gas to break up demonstrators who were trying to break into an airbase that houses U.S. troops. The protest was timed to coincide with a visit by Blinken, who is expected to meet with the Turkish Foreign Minister today.
President Biden continues to face backlash from the left wing of his party as a deep split divides Democrats on the Israel-Hamas war — and it could spell trouble for Biden’s re-election in 2024.
Axios reports a splinter growing amongst his White House aides mirrors the splinter within his voter base: “some aides see the White House as abetting an immoral attack on Palestinians — while others believe Biden is showing "moral clarity" in protecting Israel from terrorists.”
📍THE ENDGAME
There appears to be no end in sight to the war, as of right now. The main focus of the IDF is to eliminate Hamas, which will be a major military challenge that could take months, if not years— and that would be the easy part. If Israel destroys Hamas, finding a legitimate replacement to govern Gaza and lead the Palestinian people is an entirely separate challenge. The Gaza rebuilding effort could also take years and cost billions.
Over the weekend, Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. He currently rules the West Bank and would like to control Gaza again (Hamas took it in a 2007 coup).
Abbas said the Palestinian Authority would only assume power in Gaza as part of a “comprehensive political solution” to the overall conflict. He condemned Israel’s bombardment of Gaza as a “genocidal war” and urged Blinken “to immediately stop them from committing such crimes.”
There are also fears of the war expanding:
Hezbollah, a terror group based in Lebanon, continues to attack northern Israel. The leader of Hezbollah spoke for the first time on Friday and effectively said they would be waiting to see what happens next. The takeaway: a larger regional war looks less likely, for now. The group is under pressure in Lebanon not to drag the country into the war.
Iran is an ally to both Hamas and Hezbollah, providing the terror orgs with money, weapons, and training.
The Pentagon is trying to dissuade Iran from expanding the war and has moved two aircraft carrier groups into the region. However, there have already been at least 32 attacks on US military sites from Iran-affiliated groups in the last month.
⏳ SPEED READ
🚨NATION
📌 Supreme Court takes on major new gun case (AP NEWS)
📌 Bombshell Poll: Trump leads in 5 critical states as voters blast Biden (NY TIMES)
📌 Democrats criticize Rep. Rashida Tlaib for her pro-Palestinian comments (NBC)
📌 Zelensky pushes US for more aid, invites Trump to Ukraine (REUTERS)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
📌 Netanyahu suspends Israeli minister over Gaza nuclear comment (REUTERS)
📌 Blinken makes unannounced visit to Iraq (CNN)
📌 Russia said it test-fired ICBM from submarine (AXIOS)
📌 C.I.A. Director visits Israel and the Middle East amid Israel-Hamas War (NY TIMES)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
📌 Elon Musk unveils Grok, an AI chatbot with a ‘rebellious streak’ (THE GUARDIAN)
📌 Tyson recalls 30,000 pounds of dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets (ABC)
📌 William Lewis is named publisher and CEO of the Washington Post (CNN)
📌 Uber, Lyft agree to pay combined $328 million for withholding money from drivers (ABC)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
📌 Kourtney Kardashian welcomes first baby with Travis Barker (TODAY)
📌 “Friends” Costars Attend Matthew Perry's funeral (YAHOO)
📌 Russell Brand Accused of Sexual Assault on ‘Arthur’ Movie Set in New Lawsuit (VARIETY)
📌 David Fincher calls for Hollywood to get “back to work,” “very soon” at LACMA Art+Film Gala (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER)
🗓 ON THIS DAY: NOVEMBER 6
1860: Americans elected Abraham Lincoln as President. He was the first Republican to win the White House. The Civil War begins just a few weeks after his inauguration in 1861.
1917: The second phase of the Russian Revolution of 1917 began as the Bolsheviks seized power in Russia.
1984: U.S. President Ronald Reagan won reelection in a landslide victory over Democratic candidate Walter F. Mondale. He wins 525 electoral votes and 49 states.
2001: Britney Spears released her third studio album 'Britney'
2012: Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat from Wisconsin, became the first openly gay person to be elected to the U.S. Senate.