Israel widened its ground offensive in Gaza as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came under criticism over his unwillingness to accept responsibility for apparently failing to anticipate the deadly Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.
He caused a furor with a social media post over the weekend where he pointed the finger at security chiefs for the country’s biggest security lapse in decades only to then delete it and apologize for it. Meanwhile, Israeli ground forces have stepped up operations inside the coastal enclave as fears over the scale of the humanitarian crisis escalate.
Israeli officials have said the campaign will last anywhere from six weeks to six months. But the timeline is unclear as tensions run high in the Middle East and beyond. Republican leadership in the US House of Representatives is likely to vote on an aid plan for Israel, this week, Politico reported, defying President Joe Biden’s request for a broader package that includes support for Ukraine.
(All time stamps are Israeli time)
Oil, Bonds Fall as Investors Temper Mideast Bets (3:17 a.m.)
Oil slipped with gold and government bonds at the start of the trading week in Asia as investors unwound some of the geopolitical risk premium factored into global markets after Israel stepped up operations in Gaza more cautiously than anticipated.
Oil fell as much as 2.1% early Monday, paring gains from Friday. The Swiss franc, euro and Japanese yen were little changed versus the dollar as markets digested what Israel calls the second and longer phase of its war against Hamas.
House GOP Plans Thursday Vote on Aid, Politico Says (2:45 a.m.)
House Republican leaders announced a Thursday vote on a bill to provide aid to Israel during a conference call Sunday night, Politico reported. It will be a stand-alone Israel bill with a price tag of $14.5 billion, it said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said previously he believes an Israel-only bill would receive bipartisan support in the House and the US Senate.
Read: Johnson Says He Expects House to Pass Israel Aid Bill This Week
Mob in Muslim Area of Russia Rushes Plane From Israel (12:24 a.m.)
The airport in Makhachkala, the regional capital of Dagestan, will be closed until Nov. 6. That is after Russian aviation authorities acknowledged reports that the airstrip was invaded by “unknown people.” It took hours to restore order.
A crowd of people, some carrying Palestinian flags, massed at the airport where a Red Wings plane from Tel Aviv was arriving, according to reports. Unverified footage abounded on X, formerly known as Twitter, showing people shouting “Allahu Akbar!” rush onto the runway, with one person seen climbing onto the engine and then onto the wing of the jet.
Israel Continues Expanded Ground Operations in Gaza (11:26 p.m.)
On the second day of expanded Israeli ground fighting in Gaza, the Israeli military said Hamas militants exited a tunnel and opened fire on troops near the Erez border crossing. Several militants were killed, the military said. Israeli aircraft, guided by troops, struck Hamas military structures, some of which contained Hamas operatives, the IDF said.
In the north, Israel and Hezbollah exchanged tit-for-tat fire throughout the day across the Lebanese border.
Pressure Rising on Netanyahu to Resign (11 p.m.)
Netanyahu is coming under growing internal pressure to resign because of the security failure ahead of Oct. 7 and his own unwillingness to accept personal responsibility. But so far there’s little evidence he will.
Overnight, he deleted a controversial social media post, published around 1 a.m. Sunday, in which he said he hadn’t been warned by security chiefs about an impending Hamas attack and placed responsibility with them. He later apologized for the post.
Biden and Netanyahu Discuss War, Hostages (9:05 p.m.)
Biden and Netanyahu spoke by phone to discuss “developments in Gaza,” according to a White House readout of the call.
“The President reiterated that Israel has every right and responsibility to defend its citizens from terrorism and underscored the need to do so in a manner consistent with international humanitarian law that prioritizes the protection of civilians,” according to a statement. They also discussed efforts to “locate and secure the release of hostages,” which Israel says number above 200.
Threat of War Spillover Remains Elevated, US Says (3:10 p.m.)
The US sees an “elevated risk” of regional spillover from the war between Israel and Hamas and will keep responding to any attacks on its troops by Iranian proxies, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said.
Sullivan, one of Biden’s top aides, renewed US requests to Israel to protect the lives of innocent civilians as its war against Hamas enters the “second stage.”
Read more: Threat of Israel-Hamas War Spillover Remains Elevated, US Says
Israel Drops Flyers in Gaza Calling on Hamas Militants to Surrender (2:39 p.m.)
Israeli aircraft dropped leaflets over the Gaza Strip calling on Hamas militants to turn themselves in, Ofir Gendelman, a spokesman for Israel’s prime minister, said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
The flyers instruct Hamas members who want to surrender to remove all their military gear, put their hands up and wave a white cloth if they can.
Three Palestinians Killed in West Bank, Ministry Says (12:30 p.m.)
Three Palestinians were killed in confrontations with Israel’s military around the cities of Nablus, Tubas and Ramallah, raising to 115 the number of fatalities in the West Bank since Oct. 7, according to the local Health Ministry, which gave no details on the latest casualties.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas late Saturday called on the world to pressure Israel to stop the bloodshed and confront what he called a “criminal” war. Gaza will remain an integral part of the Palestinian state, Abbas said after a meeting with the Palestinian Liberation Organization executive committee.
Abbas warned the Gaza conflict may lead to a “regional and global war” at a meeting with Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani in Ramallah, according to a statement from his office.
Israel Says Aid Allowed Into Gaza Will Increase (11 a.m.)
Israel in the coming week will “increase dramatically” the amount of aid allowed into Gaza, the army said. “The amount will be much higher in the next few days,” Colonel Elad Goren told reporters on a conference call.
The aid is being inspected by Israel and allowed through the Rafah border crossing from Egypt for delivery to UN distribution centers in southern Gaza, he said.
State broadcaster Kan News reported that the goal is to allow as many as 100 aid trucks a day into Gaza via the Rafah border with Egypt.
Ex-Israel PM Suggests Permanent Buffer Zone (9 a.m.)
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett suggested the war plan should include establishing a 2-kilometer (1.2 mile) permanent buffer zone inside Gaza and attempts to suffocate Hamas fighters inside the territory’s tunnels.
Israel should block all fuel supplies for Gaza to deprive tunnels of ventilation and light and avoid a deeper ground incursion, Bennett, who is not part of Netanyahu’s so-called war cabinet, said in a post on X.
