Israeli Army Surrounds Gaza City as Biden Urges Humanitarian Pause
The conflict between Israel and Hamas has reached its twenty-seventh day, with both sides engaged in intense fighting. The death toll continues to rise, with Hamas claiming over 9,000 Palestinian lives, while Israel reports the deaths of at least 1,300 Israelis. In addition, Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad are reportedly holding more than 242 soldiers and civilians hostage, including foreign nationals.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israeli forces have pushed beyond the outskirts of Gaza City, indicating the gravity of the situation on the ground. Both Israeli airstrikes on Gaza and rocket fire from Hamas and Hezbollah at Israel persist, fueling calls for a ceasefire or a humanitarian pause in the conflict. Israel’s military leader has promised to allow fuel into the Gaza Strip if hospitals face shortages.
Bahrain, an ally of Israel through the Abraham Accords, has taken a stance against Israel’s actions by recalling its ambassador and freezing economic ties, marking the first time an Abraham Accords state has severed relations with Israel.
Here are the key developments 27 days into the war:
1. The United States has deployed surveillance drones to search for the hostages taken by Hamas during their initial attack on Israel on October 7, according to two U.S. officials.
2. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to visit Israel on Friday to urge the country to implement humanitarian pauses in order to facilitate the delivery of aid to Gaza and potentially secure the release of the hostages held by Hamas.
3. While Israel keeps the location of its ground forces in Gaza under tight control, Prime Minister Netanyahu stated that they were already more than at the gates of Gaza City. Meanwhile, the IDF Chief of Staff, Halevi, has stated that Israel is operating with less than half of the air force’s strength in Gaza and is prepared to take action on other fronts if necessary.
4. As Jordan recalled its Israeli envoy, Bahrain’s parliament has followed suit by recalling its ambassador and freezing economic ties with Israel, setting a concerning precedent within the framework of the Abraham Accords.
5. U.S. officials have expressed concerns that the Wagner paramilitary group, known for its involvement in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, may provide Hezbollah with an anti-aircraft system, creating a potential second front along the Israel-Lebanon border.
6. The IDF reports that an Iranian militia has arrived in southern Lebanon to assist Hezbollah as the group intensifies its activity and prepares for a speech by its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, on Friday.
7. Israeli authorities have identified 828 civilians who were killed by Hamas during their initial attack in October. The IDF has reported the deaths of 331 soldiers since the start of the conflict, with 19 occurring since the ground incursion began over the weekend.
8. Throughout the day, Hamas launched rocket barrages targeting northern and southern Israel, resulting in a significant fire in northern Israel caused by a direct rocket hit.
9. Gaza’s Health Ministry, under Hamas control, has stated that more than 9,000 Palestinians have been killed since the outbreak of the conflict.
10. The IDF chief has announced that Israel will allow supervised fuel transfers into Gaza hospitals when supplies run low. UNRWA expressed concern that the Turkish-Palestinian Friendship hospital in Gaza City has run out of fuel, jeopardizing the lives of 70 cancer patients.
11. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has been a topic of discussion between U.S. Secretary of State Blinken and the Saudi defense minister, as well as U.S. Vice President Harris and the UN Secretary General.
12. In the West Bank, dozens of masked settlers set fire to shops in the Palestinian village of Deir Sharaf, leading to the arrest of two individuals. Additionally, a settler from Einav, Elhanan Klein, was shot dead by Palestinians while driving home from reserve duty.
13. Israel’s security forces captured 21 Hamas members in the West Bank overnight, while the Palestinian Health Ministry reported that two Palestinians were killed and four seriously injured by IDF fire in the same area. Furthermore, a 14-year-old Palestinian who was reportedly shot by the IDF in Nablus on Monday has succumbed to his injuries.
These developments illustrate the ongoing violence and tensions in the region, with both Israel and Hamas showing no signs of backing down. Efforts to secure a humanitarian pause and address the dire situation in Gaza will be central to U.S. Secretary of State Blinken’s upcoming visit to Israel. The international community continues to closely monitor the situation, hoping for a peaceful resolution and an end to the devastating loss of life.
