Israel Readies Ground Invasion Amid Push To Hold Off For Hostage Talks
First hostages released; First trucks with aid arrive In Gaza
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Good morning,
Congress has 99 problems and finding a speaker is number one. The House is still paralyzed and going on Week 3 with no leader, the second in line to the presidency.
Jim Jordan has left the building—the second straight nominee to fail to get enough votes. GOP members will meet today to discuss the latest crop of nine Republicans (see above) now running for speaker.
We’ll have all the latest developments on the Mo News Instagram account.
See ya there,
Mosheh, Jill and Lauren
🗞 ISRAEL READIES A GROUND INVASION AS AID ENTERS GAZA
Israeli warplanes continued to strike Hamas targets across Gaza this weekend, plus a mosque in the West Bank where terrorists were reportedly planning an attack, and two airports in Syria over the weekend. It comes as the 2-week-old war launched by Hamas threatens to spiral into a broader conflict.
In Gaza, the humanitarian crisis continues to escalate, but a second aid convoy arrived late Sunday, offering much-needed help for millions of Gazans.
This weekend, 34 trucks entered the territory where more than two million Palestinians live— the first aid since Israel imposed a complete siege two weeks ago. The UN is hopeful a steady daily stream of aid will follow.
THE FIGHTING
The fighting is happening on multiple fronts. Israel has been firing back at the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon since the war began, and fighting is happening in multiple West Bank towns, where another 4 million Palestinians live.
Israeli forces are carrying out raids targeting Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the West Bank— and carried out two airstrikes in recent days.
It comes as the IDF has increased airstrikes across Gaza to hit targets, reducing the risk to troops in the next stage of the war— a highly anticipated ground offensive which could come in the next few days.
WHAT’S THE HOLDUP?
The US and other countries are reportedly trying to get Israel to hold off on an invasion the Israelis hope will destroy Hamas capabilities. Several Western governments are asking for more time to get Hamas to release the more than 200 hostages–including many civilians—women, young children, the elderly and a Holocaust survivor. At the same time, US Secretary of State Blinken says now is not the time for a ceasefire, and again defended Israel’s right to defend itself on Sunday.
TWO AMERICAN HOSTAGES FREED
On Friday, Hamas freed Judith and Natalie Raanan, a 59-year old American mom and her 17 year old daughter, who had been held hostage in Gaza. It was the first release among more than 200 people the terrorist group abducted from Israel during its Oct. 7 attack.
The mother and daughter had been on a trip from their home in suburban Chicago to Israel to celebrate Jewish holidays. Several family members were murdered and 8 others are still being held hostage.
President Biden spoke with the pair.
The International Committee of the Red Cross, which transported the freed Americans from Gaza to Israel, said their release was “a sliver of hope.”
HOW IT HAPPENED: Hours after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack began U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Qatar’s prime minister.
Over nearly two weeks, U.S. and Qatari officials, along with representatives from Turkey, Egypt, France and many other countries held talks about how to get the captives out of Gaza.
🧠 Qatar is an American ally with open lines to Hamas — many of Hamas’s political leaders reside at least part-time in Qatar.
WATCH THE GRILLING OF A HAMAS LEADER ON A MAJOR SAUDI-BASED TV STATION BELOW:
WHERE ARE THE HOSTAGES?
Hamas still has over 200 civilian hostages, 10 are Americans.
Hamas has likely split up the hostages into small groups, separating the Israeli soldiers they captured from the civilians, who span ages from less than 1 year old to more than 85.
Hamas is believed to be holding the captives in a maze of tunnels beneath Gaza.
Several hostages were badly injured before they were captured, including one California native who had half of his arm blown off by a grenade.
The U.S. government has pressed Israel to delay its imminent invasion of Gaza to allow for the release of more Hamas hostages and aid into Gaza, CNN reported.
Gaza Aid Convoy
AID ARRIVED
Over the weekend, highly anticipated aid trucks crossed into the Gaza Strip from Egypt. Twenty trucks crossed Saturday and another 14 Sunday night.
The aid included water, food and medical equipment.
All of the equipment was inspected by Israeli security personnel
The U.N. said Saturday’s convoy carried about 4% of an average day’s imports before the war and “a fraction of what is needed after 13 days of complete siege.”
Hospitals packed with patients and displaced people are running low on medical supplies and fuel for generators, forcing doctors to perform surgeries with sewing needles, using vinegar as disinfectant, and without anesthesia.
The critical Rafah crossing with Egypt in the south has been touted as the last hope for Gazans to escape, and many Palestinians have begun moving in its direction. So far, however, the opening has only been opened for aid — not evacuees. The US blames Hamas for blocking evacuees from leaving.
WORLDWIDE RISE IN HATE
London police said on Friday they had recorded a 1,353% increase in antisemitic offenses this month compared to the same period last year, while Islamophobic offenses were up 140% in the wake of the attack by Hamas on Israel.
Here in the US, on Oct. 15, a 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy, Wadea Al-Fayoume, was killed when he and his mother were allegedly stabbed in their Chicago home by their landlord, according to police.
The suspect, 71-year-old Joseph Czuba, a U.S. Air Force veteran, was charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder.
And on Saturday, the president of a Detroit, MI synagogue was found stabbed to death.
Samantha Woll, 40, led the congregation of Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue since 2022.
Police said they haven’t released a motive or suspect, and as of now cannot connect the murder to antisemitism but are continuing the investigation.
⏳ SPEED READ
🚨NATION
📌 Trump co-defendant Kenneth Chesebro pleads guilty in Georgia election case (WASHINGTON POST)
📌 These 9 candidates have joined the House speaker race after Jim Jordan dropped out (NBC NEWS)
📌 Nashville Chief’s Son Is Sought in Shooting of Two Officers (NY TIMES)
📌 Some GOP lawmakers back Biden's Ukraine and Israel aid package (AXIOS)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
📌 Argentina election: Vote count starts as chance of run-off rises (REUTERS)
📌 Iran sentences 2 journalists for allegedly collaborating with US. Both covered Mahsa Amini’s death (AP)
📌 Defense secretary issues plan to 'bolster regional deterrence efforts', move warships, increase forces (FOX NEWS)
📌 South Korea, US, Japan to hold joint aerial drill, Yonhap says (BLOOMBERG)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
📌 New ways to treat bladder cancer improve survival and shake up the standard of care, new studies show (CNN)
📌 Foxconn, Apple’s manufacturer in China, is said to be under tax audit (NY TIMES)
📌 GM and Ford will answer to Wall Street and the UAW with third-quarter earnings this week (CNBC)
📌 Paramount’s Shari Redstone is open for business, but business may not be open for her (CNBC)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
📌 Actors and Hollywood studios to restart negotiations (NY TIMES)
📌 Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly present Snoop Dogg with birthday cake mid-show: 'my brothers surprised me' (PEOPLE)
📌 Pedro Pascal drops by ‘SNL’ to help Bad Bunny nail his monologue (CNN)
📌 American League Championship Series To Go To Game 7 Between Astros and Rangers (ABC)
🗓 ON THIS DAY: OCTOBER 23
1941: The Disney animated classic Dumbo had its world premiere.
1983: Suicide bombers drove truckloads of high explosives into the barracks of U.S. Marines and French paratroopers in Beirut, killing 241 U.S. servicemen and 58 French troops.
It was the deadliest day for marines since WWII. Iranian bombers— an unknown group at the time called Islamic Jihad— took responsibility. It was later connected to Hezbollah and Iran. Several months later, President Reagan pulled troops out of Lebanon without any military response.
1998: Britney Spears released her song ‘Baby One More Time.’
2001: Apple released the iPod, a portable media player that became one of the most successful and revolutionary products of the early 2000s.