Name: Israel–Hamas War News Updates: Oct. 19
Uploaded: 2023-10-20T08:07:42.000Z
Description: The war that began on Oct. 7 has become the deadliest of the five Gaza wars for both sides.

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The war that began on Oct. 7 has become the deadliest of the five Gaza wars for both sides.

According to Israel, more than 1,400 people have been killed and 4,450 have been injured on its side of the border. At least 203 people, including children, have been captured by Hamas and taken into Gaza.

Separately, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said on Oct. 10 that at least 1,500 Hamas terrorists were killed in Israel while fighting Israelis and their soldiers since the start of the war.

The Hamas-backed Gaza Health Ministry has claimed that over 3,000 civilians have been killed and over 12,500 have been injured in Gaza. In previous Gaza wars, some Palestinian deaths in Gaza were later determined to have been due to rockets from Hamas that fell short.

Here are the latest updates on the Israel–Hamas war:

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<h2>Biden Calls for Support for Israel, Ukraine</h2>
WASHINGTON—President Joe Biden addressed the nation from the Oval Office on Thursday, making the case for why the United States should support both Israel and Ukraine. The president advocated for increased funding for these two countries during his speech, a proposal that is currently facing some opposition in Washington.

The president argued that it is in America’s national security interest to see Israel and Ukraine succeed in their battles.
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He announced that he would submit to Congress a supplemental budget request to aid both countries.

Media reports have earlier indicated that the White House is considering a massive aid package that may top $100 billion and include money for Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan, and border security.
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“Hamas and Putin represent different threats, but they share this in common: They both want to completely annihilate a neighboring democracy,” President Biden warned.

The president called his aid plan an “unprecedented commitment to Israel security” that will increase Iron Dome monitoring and deterrence.

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<h2>US Intelligence Estimates Gaza Hospital Blast Death Toll Between 100–300</h2>
An unclassified U.S. intelligence report, seen by Reuters on Thursday, estimated the death toll from a blast at a Gaza hospital was "probably at the low end of the 100 to 300 spectrum," but added that the assessment may evolve.

Palestinian officials said 471 people were killed in the blast at Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital late on Tuesday. Gaza's Hamas-backed health ministry blamed an Israeli air strike, while Israel said the blast was caused by a failed rocket launch by terrorists.

"We judge that Israel was not responsible," said the unclassified U.S. intelligence report. "Our assessment is based on available reporting, including intelligence, missile activity, and open-source video and images of the incident."

"We estimate the number of deaths is probably at the low end of the 100-to-300 spectrum. We are still assessing the likely casualty figures and our assessment may evolve, but this death toll still reflects a staggering loss of life," the report said.

The report said "only light structural damage at the hospital" has been observed and there was "no observable damage to the main hospital building and no impact craters."

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<h2>US Shoots Down 3 Missiles Headed ‘Towards Israel’ From Yemen</h2>
A U.S. naval vessel shot down three cruise missiles over the Red Sea which may have been targeting Israel, the Pentagon has announced.

The incident comes amid several drone and missile strikes on U.S. and allied forces which have resulted in multiple injuries to Coalition forces in the Middle East.

The USS Carney intercepted the cruise missiles and multiple drones after they were launched from the Arabian Peninsula “towards Israel,” Pentagon spokesperson Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters during an Oct. 19 briefing.

“The crew of the guided-missile destroyer USS Carney operating in the northern Red Sea earlier today shot down three land attack cruise missiles and several drones that were launched by Houthi forces in Yemen,” Gen. Ryder said.

“We cannot say for certain what these missiles and drones were targeting, but they were launched from Yemen heading north along the Red Sea, potentially towards targets in Israel.”

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<h2>Israel Says Almost 30 Children Among Hostages Taken by Hamas</h2>
Nearly 30 of some 200 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza are children, the Israeli military said Thursday.

More than 10 are over the age of 60, the statement said.

Authorities have no information about the location of more than 100 missing Israelis, it said.

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<h2>Israeli Officer Killed During Military Raid</h2>
An Israeli border police officer was killed Thursday during a military raid into a refugee camp in the northern West Bank, the police and border guard said in a joint statement.

Israeli forces killed at least seven Palestinians during the daylong raid into the Nur Shams camp, and prevented ambulances from retrieving the wounded, according to Palestinian state media.

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<h2>California Governor Plans One-Day Trip to Israel</h2>
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday that he plans to make a one-day trip to Israel to meet some of those affected by the war.

The Democratic governor will arrive in Israel Friday and will depart the same day. The announcement by Newsom’s office did not specify where the governor would go.

His office said California will send medical supplies to the region, including to the Gaza Strip.

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<h2>UN Chief Urges Aid Access for Gaza and Calls for Cease-Fire</h2>
United Nations Secretary General António Guterres is urging Hamas and Israel to agree to a humanitarian cease-fire and for Palestinians in Gaza to be allowed access to fuel, food, water, and medicine.

“Civilians in Gaza need core services and supplies and for that we need rapid and immediate humanitarian access, we need water, food and medicine now. We need it at scale, and we need it to be sustained,” António Guterres said.

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<h2>Humanitarian Agencies Prepare to Coordinate Flow of Supplies to Gaza</h2>
Oxfam is working with other humanitarian agencies to provide a quick response when supplies begin flowing into Gaza.

Najla Shawa, a spokesman for Oxfam in Gaza, said they’re waiting for a ceasefire to be able to provide assistance to people who have had electricity, food, and fuel supplies cut off.

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<h2>Israel's Defense Minister Tells Troops to Prepare for Ground Invasion of Gaza</h2>
Israel’s defense minister has told ground troops to be ready to enter the Gaza Strip, though he is not saying when the invasion will start.

In a meeting with Israeli infantry soldiers on the Gaza border Thursday, Yoav Gallant urged the forces to “get organized, be ready” for an order to move in.

“Whoever sees Gaza from afar now, will see it from the inside,” he said. “I promise you.”

Israel has massed tens of thousands of troops along the border following a bloody Oct. 7 cross-border massacre by Hamas terrorists.

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<h2>WHO Says 5 Truckloads of Medical Supplies Ready for Delivery to Gaza</h2>
The World Health Organization says it’s ready to enter Gaza with five truckloads of medical supplies if a border crossing with Egypt reopens on Friday.

Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Thursday that WHO was working with Egypt and Palestine Red Crescent Societies, and that “our trucks are loaded and ready to go” through the Rafah crossing from Egypt.

Dr. Teresa Zakaria, a WHO technical officer for health emergency interventions, said the U.N. health agency is ready with five truckloads of medical supplies as soon as the border is open.

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<h2>3 Scandinavian Nations Advise Against Traveling to Lebanon</h2>
Denmark, Sweden, and Norway have further tightened their travel advisories for Lebanon and cautioned against travel there until further notice.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said Thursday that Norway was “tightening the travel advice due to the serious security situation in the region. There are daily military actions on the border between Lebanon and Israel. This increases the risk throughout Lebanon.”

Denmark's Foreign Ministry said the security level in Lebanon had been changed to red.

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<h2>US Embassy Warns Citizens to Leave Lebanon 'As Soon as Possible'</h2>
The U.S. Embassy in Lebanon urged American citizens to leave Lebanon "as soon as possible" amid fears that the Israel–Hamas conflict will spill over into other countries and as the Iran-backed Hezbollah group has increasingly sent warnings.

The American embassy in Beirut stated that U.S. citizens should depart the country “while commercial options are still available" and for those choosing not to depart the country, they should "prepare contingency plans for emergency situations."

"If you have not already done so, please complete the crisis intake form to provide contact information should we need to reach out to you on short notice," it said in a bulletin that was sent out to American citizens in the broader Middle East region.  "Please also be aware that the U.S. government has authorized the departure of family members of U.S. government personnel and some non-emergency personnel on a case-by-case basis from Mission Israel and Lebanon."

The State Department has updated its travel advisory to Lebanon to a Level 4, saying that American citizens should not travel to the country.

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<h2>Hamas Commander Killed in Israeli Strike</h2>
Gaza’s government press office says the commander of the Hamas-led National Security Forces, Maj. Gen. Jihad Muheisen, was killed in an Israeli strike on his home in Gaza City along with some of his relatives.

It wasn't immediately clear how many of his relatives were killed in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in northern Gaza City. The National Security Forces is a paramilitary organization in Gaza taken over by Hamas after its 2007 seizure of the strip.

Separately, Hamas officials told The Associated Press that Hamas legislative council member Jamila al-Shanti was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Thursday. She was known as the first woman to be elected to political office within the Hamas group and the widow of one of the founders of the Islamist movement.

Israeli soldiers stand as they wait for a meeting with Israeli Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant on the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip in Sderot, Israel, on Oct. 19, 2023. (Amir Levy/Getty Images)

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<h2>Hamas Says No Aid or Road Repair Equipment Has Entered Gaza</h2>
Hamas’ spokesman for the Rafah crossing, Wael Abu Omar, said that no aid or road repairing equipment had entered Gaza from Egypt as of Thursday afternoon.

Egypt and Israel reached a deal Wednesday evening that would allow aid to enter the Palestinian territory through the Rafah crossing.

Later that day, U.S. President Joe Biden said that aid could begin rolling into the region by Friday, but that the roads near the crossing would first need hours of repairs. The crossing has been hit by four Israeli airstrikes since Oct. 7, Egyptian authorities say.

Tents for Palestinians seeking refuge are set up on the grounds of a United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) centre in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on Oct. 19, 2023. (Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images)

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<h2>Israel's Supreme Court Postpones Hearing on Judicial Overhaul</h2>
Israel’s Supreme Court is postponing a flashpoint hearing on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s contentious judicial overhaul because some of the government’s representatives in the case have been called up for reserve duty, according to the court postponement order.

The hearing, originally set for Sunday, has now been moved to Nov. 5.

The case deals with the legality of Justice Minister Yariv Levin’s refusal to convene the judicial appointments committee, a move which critics say will help Mr. Levin augment the bench to suit his right coalition’s policy preferences.

Protesters clash with the police during a rally against the Israeli government's judicial reform in Tel Aviv, Israel, on March 27, 2023. (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty Images)

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<h2>Drone Attack Hits Oil Facility Housing US Troops in Syria</h2>
Syrian opposition activists say a drone attack has been conducted on an oil facility in eastern Syria housing American troops and a U.S. base in a nearby area.

There was no immediate word on casualties and the U.S. military didn't immediately respond to requests for confirmation.

Omar Abu Layla, a Europe-based activist who heads the Deir Ezzor 24 media outlet, said that three drones with explosives struck the Conoco gas field in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour that borders Iraq on Thursday.

Rami Abdurrahman of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, confirmed that five explosions were heard at the Conoco gas field.

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<h2>Sunak Says UK Standing by Israel in Its ‘Darkest Hour’</h2>
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says Britain is standing by Israel in its “darkest hour” as it wages war on Hamas following the Palestinian terrorist group’s Oct. 7 attack.

Mr. Sunak spoke alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday, a day after U.S. President Joe Biden made a similar trip to Israel to express solidarity.

“I am proud to stand here with you in Israel’s darkest hour as your friend,” Mr. Sunak said.

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<h2>Palestinian Death Toll in Gaza Increases to 3,785</h2>
The death toll in Gaza since Israel declared war has risen to 3,785 Palestinians killed, including 1,524 children, 1,000 women, and 120 older people, the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry said.

In addition, 12,493 others have been wounded, including 3,983 children and 3,300 women.

People evacuate an injured man following an Israeli strike on the town of Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, on Oct. 18, 2023. (Mohammed Faiq/AFP via Getty Images)

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<h2>Egypt's President Meets With US General in Cairo</h2>
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi met with Gen. Michael Kurilla, head of the U.S. Central Command, in Cairo to discuss efforts to “intensify cooperation” between the two countries and to “restore stability” in the region, the president’s office said.

Within hours of the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas, the United States began moving warships and aircraft to the eastern Mediterranean to provide Israel with support. Israel has conducted ongoing airstrikes in Gaza.

Egypt has long acted as a key broker between Israel and Hamas. On Wednesday, Egypt and Israel reached a deal that would allow aid to enter the Gaza Strip.

Also Thursday, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met with his UK counterpart James Cleverly in Cairo, where they talked about ways to de-escalate the conflict and address the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza.

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi sits with the German Chancellor during their meeting in Cario on Oct. 18, 2023. (Michael Kappeler/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

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<h2>US Navy Sends Another Warship to Eastern Mediterranean as Tensions Rise in Middle East</h2>
The U.S. Navy is sending another warship to the eastern Mediterranean as tensions in the Middle East rise amid the Israel-Hamas war.

The USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20), the Navy's command and control ship, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/october-18-israel-hamas-war">left</a> Gaeta, Italy, on Wednesday to join the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group in support of U.S. operations in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Operating as the most sophisticated Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence (C4I) ship ever commissioned, according to the Navy, the USS Mount Whitney was the tactical command hub for the U.S. military's Operation Odyssey Dawn against the Libyan regime in 2011.
<h2><img class="size-medium wp-image-697506" style="font-size: 16px;" src="https://i.ntd.com/assets/uploads/2021/11/USS-navy-615x341.png" alt="USS Mount Whitney" width="615" height="341" /></h2>
In this still image from video, U.S. warship USS Mount Whitney prepares to sail through the Bosporus Strait toward the Black Sea on Nov. 4, 2021. (Reuters/Screenshot via NTD)_____
<h2>Xi Urges Egyptian Premier to Open a Humanitarian Corridor</h2>
At a meeting in China’s capital Beijing on Thursday, Chinese leader Xi Jinping urged visiting Egyptian Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly to open a humanitarian corridor for civilians fleeing the fighting in Gaza.

Mr. Xi also reiterated China’s backing of the formation of a Palestinian state as a solution to the ongoing violence.

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<h2>UK's Sunak Visits Israel and Will Warn Against Gaza War Escalation</h2>
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrived in Israel on Thursday to demonstrate solidarity with a country reeling from an Oct. 7 rampage by Hamas gunmen and to hold talks with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.

With Israel's counter-offensive against Hamas in Gaza increasing, Mr. Sunak will share his condolences for the loss of life in Israel and in the Gaza Strip and warn against further escalation, his office said.

"Above all, I'm here to express my solidarity with the Israeli people. You have suffered an unspeakable, horrific act of terrorism and I want you to know that the United Kingdom and I stand with you," Mr. Sunak told Israeli reporters after landing.

Mr. Sunak was due to visit other regional capitals after Israel.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks to the media after landing at Ben Gurion international airport in Lod, Near Tel Aviv, Israel, on Oct. 19, 2023. (Ronen Zvulun TPX Images of the Day/Reuters)

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<h2>Protests Around World</h2>
Thousands of people demonstrated outside the consulates of Israel and the United States in Istanbul late Wednesday. Many waved Palestinian flags, shouted anti-Israeli slogans, and called for revenge against Israel a day after an explosion at a hospital in Gaza.

Large protests also erupted in Tunisia and Morocco, with demonstrators outraged by the blast at the hospital in Gaza.

Protesters gathered outside the Parliament in Rabat, demanding that Morocco reverse its 2020 decision to normalize relations and deepen security ties with Israel.

In Tunis, protesters gathered outside the U.S. and French Embassies to condemn those nations’ support of Israel and demand that their ambassadors be removed from Tunisia.

There was also a march by an estimated 10,000 pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Athens, Greece, that was quelled by riot police who fired tear gas. Earlier in the day about 100 people took part in a pro-Israeli gathering.

Demonstrators gather outside the Israeli embassy headquarters in Amman late on Oct. 18, 2023 to show solidarity with the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip. (Khalil Mazraawi/AFP via Getty Images)

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<h2>Security Forces Arrest Dozens, Fire Live Rounds to Disperse Protests in West Bank</h2>
Rights groups in the West Bank say Palestinian security forces arrested dozens of Palestinians protesting an explosion at al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza that Palestinians allege was deadly.

The protests late Tuesday devolved into skirmishes with Palestinian security forces, who fired tear gas, stun grenades, and live fire to disperse stone-throwing demonstrators, wounding several.

Lawyers for Justice, a legal aid group, said Wednesday that some 50 protesters were arrested overnight by Palestinian security forces in Ramallah.

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<h2>US Senators Say After Classified Briefing That Israel Is Not Behind Hospital Blast</h2>
Senators who attended a classified briefing with top defense, intelligence, and other administration officials said they were briefed that Israel was not responsible for the hospital blast.

“The intelligence community assesses that Israel is not to blame for the explosion of the hospital in Gaza,” Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said as he left. “They believe it was an errant rocket from terrorists in Gaza.”

People gather around bodies of Palestinians killed in an explosion at the al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in central Gaza after they were transported to Al-Shifa hospital on Oct. 17, 2023. (Dawood Nemer/AFP via Getty Images)

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