October 23rd

Intelligence shows Iranian-backed militias are ready to ramp up their attacks against US forces in the Middle East (CNN)

launching attacks against US forces
drone attacks on forces in Iraq and Syria
might get involved in Israel/Hamas
guidance without providing weaponry
- directly contradicts their past with Hezbollah

author: AAMER MADHANI, ZEKE MILLER and ELLEN KNICKMEYER publication: Associated Press (AP)

White House says Israel agreed to a four-hour daily humanitarian pause
- I read like 3 days later that they didn’t obey by this, yike
At the behest of Biden Presidency
Asked for 3 day pause for hostage negotiation
“No possibility” of a formal cease-fire at the moment
Still 239 hostages from the October 7 attack
Indirect talks of Qatar
CIA Director William Burns

Gulf countries conditional financial aid on significant changes in the PA and a road map from Israel
coordinated by US officials, asked Gulf States to assist Gaza Strip
Netanyahu doesn’t trust the PA, incapable of “accepting responsibility for the Gaza Strip”
PA President Mahmoud Abbas still refuses to condemn Oct 7
Senior ministers celebrate

Israel tells its Arab neighbours it intents to erect a buffer zone on the Gaza border on the Palestinian side as a part of ending the war
Egypt and Qatar are “established Arab mediators” but Israel is reaching out to others
Israel’s foreign policy adviser Ophir Falk - three-tier process: destroy Hamas, demilitarizing Gaza, de-radicalizing the enclave
senior Israeli security source says it’s not clear if it’s 1 km or 2 km or hundreds of meters
mirrors what Israel did in south Lebanon (15 km deep) in 2000 after fighting with Lebanon’s Hezbollah
plan includes deporting leaders of Hamas, which mirrors attack against Lebanon in 1980 with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)

publication: CBC

US vetoed UN Security Council demand for immediate humanitarian ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, “diplomatically isolating Washington”
13 members voted in favour, 1 (Britain) abstained
- Britain were the second most involved Western country in the region, maybe relevant
Put forward by UAE
US’ logic is that it would only benefit Hamas , support more “pause in exchange for hostages” moves
Britain abstained because there was no condemnation of Hamas
Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan said “A ceasefire will be possible only with the return of all the hostages and the destruction of Hamas.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was the guy who raised it, his logic was that Gaza’s at a high risk of total collapse of humanitarian support systems
UN anticipates pressure for mass displacement into Egypt
US continues to put pressure on Israel to do more to protect Palestine
- How though?
Residents and Israeli military both report intensified fighting in both the north and the south, where they launched a new assault this week
I love how this article randomly adds “Hamas has also launched rockets at Israel since Oct. 7” like “even steven” or something
Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza said death toll has surpassed 17,400, more than 46,000 wounded
- Doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants
- Deemed credible by the UN
- RUN BY HAMAS

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, leader of the PA
“If they are ready to come to an agreement and accept the political platform of the PLO, then there will be room for talk. Palestinians should not be divided.”
President Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine and leader of the PLO
- Also a member of Fatah
Shtayyeh will fly to Qatar this weekend, ask them to switch it’s financial support from Hamas over to the PA
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded with “there won’t be a Hamas, we’ll eradicate it”
He says that the fact that the PA talks about it this way shows he’s right not to want PA in the solution
US wants PA involved in Gaza’s rehabilitation, but also wants to transform and strengthen a “reformed and revitalized Palestinian Authority”
Israel has told other Arab states that it wants to carve out a buffer zone on the Palestinian side of Gaza’s border to prevent future attacks
US official says they oppose any plan that reduces the size of Palestinian territory

Interview with Yossi Beilin, former Israeli justice minister
Says Netanyahu has said “a great many things”, points out many examples of Netanyahu saying the exact opposite (2013, 2016, agreeing with Trump’s plan)
Seems like he’s just saying this new thing to stay in power by appealing to his small coalition, but it seems like he’s just trying to cling to support Israel urging US not to talk publicly about two-state solution — officials - Times of Israel
“Other war cabinet members including Benny Gantz, President Isaac Herzog and even Opposition chairman Yair Lapid have also conveyed their discomfort with the Biden administration’s revived rhetoric regarding the need for a two-state solution since the war’s outbreak, according to two Israeli officials.”
Lapid has called for a two-state solution in the past (2022)
- Received condemnation from the right for this
Lapid has also opposed PA’s control in Gaza, later specifying that it could not include Abbas in particular