What are the short-term and long-term goals?

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Good morning,

It’s been a tough week. A reminder that it’s ok to take a break from social media and the news if you need to.

Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by this weekend’s attack.

Mosheh and Jill

🗞 THE LATEST FROM THE MIDDLE EAST

THE LATEST
Israel now says more than 1,000 people were killed in Saturday’s massacre by Hamas, as Israel continues to find more people murdered in the weekend terrorist attack. Hamas has also taken about 150 Israelis hostage.

Hamas says 900 Palestinians have died in Gaza as Israel has begun to pummel Hamas sites across the territory, vowing to eliminate the terror group.

And more than 200,000 Palestinians have been displaced as the Israeli counter-attack continues to pummel the Gaza Strip. That’s about 10 percent of the population.

The first ammunition delivery from the US landed in Israel overnight.

BIDEN BACKS ISRAEL
President Biden gave a forceful address to the nation saying that the US stands with Israel.

Biden said that Hamas is threatening to execute the hostages— in what he says is “in violation of every code of human morality.”

He confirmed that 14 U.S. citizens were killed in the attacks.
Biden’s national security adviser stated that “20 or more” Americans were missing, with some being hostages, but did not specify the exact number.
A U.S. official said: “We are not urging restraint right now,” regarding Israel’s force.
Biden said he will work with Congress to secure funding for Israel.
He also warned governments in the region not to exploit the situation.

❝

“There are moments in this life, and I mean this literally, when the pure unadulterated evil is unleashed on this world. The people of Israel lived through one such moment this weekend.”

President Joe Biden

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to travel to Israel today "to engage our Israeli partners directly about the situation on the ground."

🧠 This is something we haven’t seen in a long time: US and Western powers essentially saying that Hamas’ attack was so sadistic and horrific that Israel can do whatever it needs to do to eliminate the terrorist organization.

WARNING: In one of the more gruesome discoveries, Hamas terrorists killed at least 40 babies in one Israeli town– including some who were beheaded. It is beyond the pale, and why for many Israelis—they are telling their government that it has to do whatever it takes to eliminate the terrorist group that lives on its border.

ON THE GROUND IN GAZA
As for what’s happening on the ground in Gaza as Israel targets Hamas infrastructure.

Hospitals in Gaza are running out of supplies to treat people who’ve been wounded.
The only power plant is on the brink of shutdown.
In a new tactic, Israel is warning civilians to evacuate neighborhood after neighborhood, and then inflicting devastation, in what could be a prelude to a ground offensive.
- The sole remaining access to evacuate the area through Egypt shut down Tuesday after Israeli airstrikes hit near the border crossing.
  - Israel says Hamas was using tunnels there for weapons. Part of this tragedy is that the Palestinian people suffer with terrorists governing the territory.
On Tuesday, the Israeli military told residents of the nearby al-Daraj neighborhood to evacuate, and soon after new explosions rocked it and other areas, continuing into the night.

NOW WHAT?
Israel stepped up its offensive on Tuesday, expanding the mobilization of reservists to 360,000.

It came as Israel’s military said it had regained effective control over areas Hamas attacked in its south, and of the Gaza border.

GROUND ASSAULT? A looming question is whether Israel will launch a ground assault into Gaza— the 25-mile strip of land wedged among Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea that is home to 2.3 million people and has been governed by the Hamas terror group since 2007.

Israel has been pounding Gaza with deadly airstrikes, destroying hundreds of buildings.
- Hamas continues to fire rockets into Israel.
Israeli Tank units have been sent to the south, fueling speculation a ground war in Gaza may be imminent.
The border in the north with Lebanon has also been reinforced amid some skirmishes with terror groups there in the last 48 hours.

WHAT IS ISRAEL’S GOAL?
In the short term: Get the hostages, stop the missile attacks, and find and eliminate Hamas leadership.

Four previous rounds of Israel-Hamas fighting between 2008 and 2021 all ended inconclusively, with Hamas battered but still in control.
This time, Israel’s government is under intense pressure from the public to topple Hamas, something the west supports as well.
The Israeli argument: They intentionally murdered babies, raped women, kidnapped the elderly and paraded dead bodies through the streets. Using ISIS tactics mean they need to be destroyed like that terror group.

In the long term: Total victory would mean destroying Hama, but also effectively conducting regime change in Gaza. That’s something Israel has avoided in the past because of the casualties that would bring to both sides and that it would require at least a temporary reoccupation of the Gaza Strip. And then, who rules the territory next?

WIDER CONFLICT?
The fighting also threatens to become a wider regional conflict, which could mean Hezbollah’s involvement.

Hezbollah is a terrorist organization based in Lebanon, considered stronger, more organized and better equipped than Hamas. Both groups are funded and supplied by Iran.
Hezbollah fought a war with Israel in 2006.
In a statement, Hezbollah says that it was “closely following the important developments in the Palestinian situation with great interest.”

⏳ SPEED READ

🚨NATION

📌 Former Trump finance chief in testimony says penthouse, assets were overvalued (WSJ)

📌 Who's going to be the next speaker of the House? Republicans are scrambling to crown a new leader (USA TODAY)

📌 Democrat Thomas Suozzi launches bid to take back George Santos’s seat (WASHINGTON POST)

📌 RFK Jr. super PAC raises $11 million within hours of announcing independent run and courts Elon Musk’s support (POLITICO)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

📌 Hurricane Lidia takes aim at Puerto Vallarta (AP)

📌 Families of American hostages in Gaza plead for assistance (JEWISH INSIDER)

📌 Guatemala’s attorney general asks authorities to act against pro-democracy protests (AP)

📌 Europe gives Elon Musk 24 hours to respond about Israel-Hamas war misinformation and violence on X, formerly Twitter (CNBC)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

📌 California will require VC firms to report founder diversity statistics (AXIOS)

📌 Caroline Ellison, adviser to Sam Bankman-Fried, says he ‘directed’ her to commit crimes (NY TIMES)

📌 California becomes first US state to ban 4 potentially harmful chemicals in food (CNN)

📌 General Motors gets quick deal to end Canada workers’ strike (BLOOMBERG)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

📌 Wednesday's Powerball jackpot up to $1.73 billion as lottery losing streak continues (NPR)

📌 LIV Golf loses its bid to earn ranking points over questions about a closed shop (AP)

📌 104-year-old skydiver dies days after jump that could put her in the record books (NBC NEWS)

📌 Jerry Seinfeld says he’s up to something related to the ‘Seinfeld’ finale: ‘Something is going to happen’ (CNN)

🗓 ON THIS DAY: OCTOBER 11

1971: John Lennon’s Imagine was released as a single; an iconic song of hope and peace, and one of the best-known works of his solo career.
1975: The TV sketch comedy and variety show Saturday Night Live debuted on NBC and became a landmark in American television.
1984: American astronaut Kathryn Sullivan became the first woman to walk in space.
1991: Anita Hill testified that Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas had sexually harassed her.