Israel-Hamas War

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Israeli defense minister lays out vision for next steps of Gaza war ahead of Blinken visit Israel’s defense minister laid out his vision for the next phase of the war in Gaza, describing how Israeli forces would shift to an apparently scaled-down “new combat approach” in northern Gaza, while continuing to fight Hamas in the south “for as long as necessary.” Read more.

Why this matters: Yoav Gallant also outlined a proposal for how Gaza would be run once Hamas is defeated, with Israel keeping security control while an undefined, Israeli-guided Palestinian body runs day-to-day administration and the U.S. and other countries oversee rebuilding.   The United States has pressed Israel to shift to lower-intensity military operations in Gaza that more precisely target Hamas, but the vagueness of Gallant’s provisions made it difficult to assess how much they mesh with the U.S. calls.   The document issued by Gallant is not official policy, which would have to be set by Israel’s war and security cabinets. Israel has come under heavy international pressure to spell out a postwar vision but so far has not done so.

Related coverage ➤  Families in Gaza search desperately for food and water, wait in long lines for aid Houthis launch sea drone to attack ships hours after US and allies issue final warning  Blinken heads to the Mideast again as fears of regional conflict surge

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🌐 U.S. drawn deeper into Middle East

An Israeli artillery unit fires northern Israel toward southern Lebanon on Dec. 11. Photo: Jalaa Marey/AFP via Getty Images As the fighting in Gaza continues to intensify, the U.S. is increasingly becoming more involved, militarily and diplomatically, in three other hotspots in the Middle East — with fears growing that rising tensions could spiral into a much bigger war, Axios' Barak Ravid reports. Why it matters: One of the Biden administration's main goals since the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack has been to prevent fighting in Gaza from spilling over to other parts of the region. As time passes, that's tougher. State of play: The U.S. has over the last three months sent dozens of Navy ships, hundreds of fighter jets and other aircraft, and thousands of soldiers to the Middle East in hopes of deterring Iranian-backed groups from launching attacks that could lead to a regional war. But tensions have continued to escalate across the region. Three theaters to watch: 1. Iraq and Syria: Since Oct. 7, there have been more than 100 attacks by pro-Iranian militias against U.S. forces in Syria and Iraq, with the U.S. conducting several strikes in retaliation. The most recent took place in Baghdad yesterday, when the U.S. killed a leader of the Shiite militia Harakat al-Nujaba and one of his aides in an air strike. The Pentagon says the militia leader was involved in planning and conducting attacks against U.S. forces. This was the most significant U.S. air strike since Oct. 7 — both because it was done in the Iraqi capital and because the target was a senior figure in Iraq. The strike increased tensions between the Biden administration and the Iraqi government, which denounced the U.S. attack. 2. Houthis and the Red Sea: Tensions are also rising in the Red Sea, where Yemen's Houthi rebels have attacked more than 25 commercial ships and U.S. Navy vessels since November, according to the Pentagon. U.S. officials said the Biden administration has been considering taking military action against the Houthis for several weeks, but President Biden has been hesitant. That's partly because of concerns it could drag the U.S. further into the crisis militarily, and fears it could hurt the Yemen peace process. Instead, the administration has focused on building an international coalition of countries and a multinational naval task force aimed at trying to deter the Houthis. But the situation has continued to deteriorate. 3. Hezbollah and Lebanon: Tensions between Hezbollah and Israel along the Lebanon-Israel border continue to escalate, despite U.S. efforts to contain the situation. The assassination by Israel of senior Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut earlier this week has heightened concerns even more. ✈️ What's next: Secretary of State Tony Blinken is heading to the region for the fourth time in three months.

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Scoop: Hostage families told deal harder now

Protesters demand the release of hostages in a Tel Aviv rally yesterday. Photo: Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg via Getty Images The Qatari prime minister and other officials told the family members of six American and Israeli hostages that this week's killing of senior Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut has made efforts to secure a new deal much more difficult, Axios' Barak Ravid has learned. 💨 Catch up quick: Qatar and Egypt have been trying to relaunch indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas to secure the release of at least 40 hostages in return for several weeks of pause in the fighting and the release of Palestinian prisoners. Nearly a week ago, Hamas gave Israel a new deal proposal, which also included a demand for Israel's withdrawal from Gaza. Israel rejected it, and the two sides remain far apart. On Tuesday, a strike in a southern Beirut suburb killed Hamas' Al-Arouri, causing Hezbollah to vow to retaliate. Go deeper.

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CNN Runs Gaza Coverage Past Jerusalem Team Operating Under Shadow of IDF Censor

The Jerusalem bureau has long reviewed all CNN stories relating to Israel and Palestine. Now, it’s helping shape the network’s coverage of the war.

https://theintercept.com/2024/01/04/cnn-israel-gaza-idf-reporting/?

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With each strike, fears grow that Israel, the US and Iran's allies are inching closer to all-out war In the past week alone, Israel has killed a senior Hamas militant in Beirut, Hezbollah has fired barrages of rockets into Israel, and Iran-backed rebels in Yemen have traded fire with the American Navy. Each strike and counterstrike increases the risk of the already catastrophic war in Gaza spilling across the region. Read more.

Why this matters: Hamas says the Oct. 7 attack was an act of purely Palestinian resistance and there is no evidence that outside groups played a direct role in the attack. But when Israel responded by launching one of the 21st century’s most devastating military campaigns in Gaza, the so-called Axis of Resistance — Iran and the militant groups across the region — could hardly stay on the sidelines.   Of all Iran’s regional proxies, Hezbollah faces the biggest dilemma. If it tolerates Israeli attacks, it risks appearing to be a weak or unreliable ally. But if it triggers an all-out war, Israel has threatened to wreak massive destruction on Lebanon, which is already mired in a severe economic crisis.   The last thing most Americans want after decades of costly campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan is another war in the Middle East. But in recent weeks, U.S. forces have killed a senior Iran-backed militia commander in Iraq and 10 Houthi rebels, spilling blood that could call out for a response.

Related coverage ➤ Palestinians flee from central Gaza’s main hospital as fighting draws closer and aid groups withdraw Blinken brings US push on post-war Gaza planning and stopping conflict to UAE and Saudi Arabia An Al Jazeera journalist is the fifth member of his family killed by Israeli strikes on Gaza

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Israeli strike kills an elite Hezbollah commander in the latest escalation linked to the war in Gaza

BEIRUT (AP) — An Israeli airstrike killed an elite Hezbollah commander Monday in southern Lebanon, the latest in an escalating exchange of strikes across the border that have raised fears of another Mideast war even as the fighting in Gaza exacts a mounting toll on civilians.

https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-01-08-2024-18fbc9af50000c94fed59017fe82481e?

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Scoop: Israel to tell Blinken Palestinians can't return to north Gaza without hostage deal

Israeli officials will tell Secretary of State Tony Blinken on Tuesday that Israel won't allow Palestinians to return to northern Gaza if Hamas doesn't agree to release more hostages, according to two senior Israeli officials.

https://www.axios.com/2024/01/08/israel-hamas-gaza-hostages-blinken-palestinians?

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Blinken urges Israel to engage with region on postwar plans that include path to Palestinian state

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday called on Israel to work with moderate Palestinians and neighboring countries on plans for postwar Gaza, saying they were willing to help rebuild and govern the territory but only if there is a “pathway to a Palestinian state.”

https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-01-09-2024-017066376ac06026622ee0b83dc2b65e?

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Video appears to show the Israeli army shot 3 Palestinians, killing 1, without provocation Security camera video from a West Bank village shows a young man standing in a central square when he is suddenly shot and drops to the ground. Two others rushing to his aid are also hit, leaving a 17-year-old dead, moments before Israeli military jeeps roll in. An Associated Press review of the video and interviews with the two wounded survivors showed Israeli soldiers opened fire on the three when they did not appear to pose a threat. Read more.

Why this matters: The fatal shooting in the village of Beit Rima last week is the latest in a series of incidents in which soldiers appeared to fire without provocation, a trend Palestinians say has worsened since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza three months ago.   The military did not respond when asked if soldiers had violated military policy and did not say whether there would be an official investigation. Israeli rights group B’Tselem said that even if questionable shootings are caught on camera and investigated by the military, they rarely result in indictments.

Related coverage ➤  Blinken seeks Palestinian governance reform as he tries to rally region behind postwar vision Israel taps top legal minds, including a Holocaust survivor, to battle genocide claim at world court US defends its veto of call for Gaza cease-fire while Palestinians and others demand fighting stop

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Top Biden adviser's quiet hostage talks

Relatives and supporters of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas demonstrate in Tel Aviv yesterday. Photo: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters President Biden's top Middle East adviser, Brett McGurk, met in Doha yesterday with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to discuss efforts to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza, Axios' Barak Ravid scoops. The White House and the Qatari government kept the trip low-profile: They didn't announce McGurk's visit, and didn't issue a readout. Why it matters: Qatar, a key U.S. ally in the region, is helping the Biden administration with efforts to free the hostages held by Hamas. It also is passing messages to Iran and Yemen's Houthi rebels. What's happening: Qatar, together with Egypt, is trying to mediate between Israel and Hamas on a new hostage deal. The hostages still being held in Gaza include several Americans. Israel and Hamas have given proposals for a deal. But wide gaps remain.

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Israeli Group Claims It’s Working With Big Tech Insiders to Censor “Inflammatory” Wartime Content

A small group of volunteers from Israel’s tech sector is working tirelessly to remove content it says doesn’t belong on platforms like Facebook and TikTok, tapping personal connections at those and other Big Tech companies to have posts deleted outside official channels, the project’s founder told The Intercept.

https://theintercept.com/2024/01/10/israel-disinformation-social-media-iron-truth/?

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Blinken sees a path to Gaza peace, reconstruction and regional security after his Mideast tour

CAIRO (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up his latest urgent Mideast tour on Thursday in talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi as American officials claimed modest success in getting wide regional support for planning for reconstruction and governance in Gaza after Israel’s war with Hamas ends.

https://apnews.com/article/blinken-egypt-israel-hamas-gaza-d85c3c3ec366e084e0914e0ccc09f53c?

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War at 100 days: Biden running out of patience with Bibi

On Day 100 of the Israel-Hamas war, President Biden and other senior U.S. officials are becoming increasingly frustrated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:

• He has rejected most of the administration's recent requests related to the war, Axios' Barak Ravid reports.

Why it matters: Since the terrorist attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, Biden has given Israel his full backing, with unprecedented military and diplomatic support, while taking a political hit from his base in an election year.

• "The situation sucks and we are stuck," a U.S. official told Axios. "The president's patience is running out."
• Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who has been in close contact with U.S. officials about the war, told Axios: "At every juncture, Netanyahu has given Biden the finger."

🔎 Behind the scenes: Biden hasn't spoken to Netanyahu in the 20 days since a tense Dec. 23 call, which a frustrated Biden ended with the words: "This conversation is over."

• They had spoken almost every other day in the first two months of the war.

Before Biden hung up, Netanyahu had rejected his request that Israel release the Palestinian tax revenues it's withholding.

• Keep reading.

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White House says ‘it’s the right time’ for Israel to scale back Gaza war as fighting hits 100 days Israel has been under growing international pressure to end the war in Gaza, but it has so far been shielded by U.S. diplomatic and military support. Israel argues that any cease-fire would hand victory to Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007 and is bent on Israel’s destruction. But differences with the Americans have begun to emerge. Read more.

Recent developments: In recent weeks, Israel has scaled back operations in northern Gaza, the initial target of the offensive, where weeks of airstrikes and ground operations left entire neighborhoods in ruins.   John Kirby said the U.S. has been talking to Israel “about a transition to low-intensity operations” in Gaza. The spokesman also acknowledged that Israel had taken some “precursory steps” toward scaling back the offensive, but added there was more to do.   The war has sent tensions soaring across the region, with Israel trading fire almost daily with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group and Iranian-backed militias attacking U.S. targets in Syria and Iraq. In addition, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have been targeting international shipping, drawing a wave of U.S. airstrikes.

Related coverage ➤ The US struggles to sway Israel on its treatment of Palestinians. Why Netanyahu is unlikely to yield Genocide case against Israel: Where does the rest of the world stand on the momentous allegations? As Israel-Hamas war reaches 100-day mark, here’s the conflict by numbers

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Who builds the weapons that Hamas fighters use An Associated Press analysis of more than 150 videos and photos taken in the three months of combat since Hamas launched its Oct. 7 attack on Israel shows the militant group has amassed a diverse patchwork arsenal of weapons from around the world – much of it smuggled past a 17-year blockade that was aimed at stopping just such a military buildup. Read more.

Why this matters: Experts who reviewed the images were able to identify distinguishing features along with markings that show where many of the weapons were manufactured, like Iranian sniper rifles, AK-47 assault rifles from China and Russia as well as North Korean and Bulgarian-built grenades. But this analysis does not provide evidence of whether they were provided by the governments of those countries or purchased through black markets.   Those weapons have proved deadly during weeks of intense urban warfare in Gaza, where Hamas fighters are typically armed only with what they can carry and employ hit-and-run tactics against lopsided Israeli dominance in arms and technology.

Related coverage ➤ Houthi rebels strike a US-owned ship off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden, raising tensions Evidence shows Hamas militants likely used some North Korean weapons in attack on Israel UN agency chiefs say Gaza needs more aid to arrive faster, warning of famine and disease

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Palestinians fight in hard-hit areas of Gaza while deal emerges to deliver medicine to hostages

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian militants battled Israeli forces in devastated northern Gaza and launched a barrage of rockets from farther south on Tuesday in a show of force more than 100 days into Israel’s massive air and ground campaign against the tiny coastal enclave.

https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-01-16-2024-d27350609d337dc417e9d7861be3de74?

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A freed Israeli hostage relives horrors of captivity and fears for her husband, still held in Gaza

KIBBUTZ NIR OZ, Israel (AP) — Standing in the ruins of her home in the Nir Oz farming village on the Gaza border, Sharon Alony Cunio gazed at the distant skyline of Khan Younis, the Palestinian city where Hamas militants dragged her more than three months ago. Her husband, David, remains captive in Gaza.

https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-gaza-war-hostages-cunio-captivity-869241bb259b00a8f98817edf89b0bc8?

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🕳️ Hamas' astonishing tunnel network

An Israeli soldier secures a Hamas tunnel in northern Gaza on Jan. 7. Photo: Noam Galai/Getty Images Stunning stat: There are between 350 and 450 miles of tunnels in Hamas' network beneath Gaza, The New York Times reports, citing senior Israeli defense officials' estimates. Why it matters: That's an enormous network to sit under an enclave that is only 25 miles at its longest point. "One tunnel was wide enough for a top Hamas official to drive a car inside," The Times reports. "Another stretched nearly three football fields long and was hidden beneath a hospital." "Under the house of a senior Hamas commander, the Israeli military found a spiral staircase leading to a tunnel approximately seven stories deep." Go deeper: What we know about the tunnel network.

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Medicine for hostages and Palestinians arrives in Gaza under first Israel-Hamas deal since November

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — A shipment of medicine for dozens of hostages held by Hamas arrived in Gaza on Wednesday, part of a France- and Qatar- mediated deal that marked the first agreement between Israel and the militant group since a weeklong cease-fire in November.

https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-01-17-2024-e2d0801d61a34badca2d537808e789c3

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Snubbed by Netanyahu, Red Cross toes fine line trying to help civilians in Israel-Hamas conflict

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — The International Committee of the Red Cross has been losing influence, funding and staff, and disparaging remarks from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are just the latest headache for the Geneva-based humanitarian group.

https://apnews.com/article/red-cross-gaza-israel-netanyahu-hamas-war-5c0fe9d104a679d96ecf1b49e914dc58?

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☎️ Biden + Netanyahu end frosty silence

President Biden spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the first time in nearly a month, Axios' Barak Ravid reports.

• Why it matters: The last time the two leaders spoke was on Dec. 23, when a frustrated Biden ended the call by saying the "conversation is over" and hung up the phone.

In the first two months of the war, the two leaders had talked almost every other day.

• Keep reading.

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Rifts emerge among top Israeli officials over how to handle the war against Hamas in Gaza

JERUSALEM (AP) — A member of Israel’s War Cabinet cast doubt on the country’s strategy for releasing hostages held by Hamas, saying only a cease-fire can free them, as the prime minister rejected the United States’ calls to scale back its offensive.

https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-1-19-2024-e5f45fb7b14d3dc8ff64b0aee4b473aa?

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15 Jewish House Democrats blast Netanyahu for rejecting two-state solution

WASHINGTON (JTA) — Fifteen Jewish Democrats, including some pro-Israel stalwarts, slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after he rejected the idea of creating an independent Palestinian state after the Israel-Hamas war.

https://www.jta.org/2024/01/19/politics/15-jewish-house-democrats-blast-netanyahu-for-rejecting-two-state-solution?

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Behind the Curtain: Biden's Middle East moonshot

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

President Biden plans to keep pushing a grand bargain in the Middle East for the day after the war in Gaza — with the hope it could happen before the election, despite Israel's opposition, U.S. officials tell Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen. The plan: Israel gets normalized relations with Saudi Arabia, in exchange for agreeing to an irreversible pathway to a Palestinian state — and allowing the Palestinian Authority to have a role in post-Hamas Gaza. Why it matters: The Israelis aren't ready to accept a deal like this any time soon. But they might eventually take it as U.S., international and internal pressure mounts in coming months, U.S. officials tell us. Biden needs to tap into and intensify that pressure without alienating pro-Israel American Jews at home. Between the lines: This isn't a way to end the war. It's more aimed at setting up what comes after it. The administration — including Secretary of State Tony Blinken and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan— used comments in Davos, Switzerland, this past week to lay down its thinking more clearly than ever, in an effort to push world opinion. What's happening: Biden is growing increasingly frustrated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's refusal to engage in how to rebuild and run Gaza once he's done trying to decapitate Hamas, as Axios' Barak Ravid has reported in vivid detail. Bibi has vowed publicly to oppose any deal that provides the Palestinian Authority control over Gaza. So U.S. officials are working with and around Bibi on a grand bargain to eventually stabilize the region. They believe Gaza needs to be run by a "revitalized Palestinian Authority," and that a new, formal Israel-Saudi alliance could help stabilize the surrounding environment. Tom Friedman flicked at the many obstacles to this deal in a New York Times column. Notably, he detailed the issues after speaking with Blinken in Davos. What we're watching: The grand bargain is a longshot in the immediate future, since Bibi and the majority of his government oppose a Palestinian state. Read the full column ... Barak Ravid contributed reporting.

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Top Biden adviser to visit Middle East for hostage talks

A photo of Kfir Bibas, who is held hostage in Gaza, is shown during an event Thursday in Tel Aviv to mark his first birthday. Photo: Amir Levy/Getty Images Senior Biden adviser Brett McGurk is expected to travel to Egypt and Qatar this week to try to make progress in hostage negotiations and discuss the war in Gaza, Axios' Barak Ravid reports. Why it matters: The trip is part of a renewed push by the Biden administration to get a hostage deal. U.S. officials acknowledge that reaching such an agreement might be the only path to a ceasefire in Gaza. The big picture: More than 130 hostages are still being held captive in Gaza, according to Israeli officials. Several major gaps remain in the negotiations, including Hamas' demand that the war in Gaza end ahead of any possible deal, which Israel has rejected. Go deeper.