Tue, Oct 17 2023 12:29 AM EDT
Arab leaders urge the U.S. to do something about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza
Every Arab leader who met U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the last few days highlighted the importance of dealing with the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, a senior State Department official told NBC News.
The official said President Joe Biden told Blinken to return to Tel Aviv, Israel following his whirlwind trip through the six Arab countries: Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
After nine hours of negotiations with Israel, Blinken announced that both sides “agreed to develop a plan that will enable humanitarian aid from donor nations and multi-lateral organizations to reach civilians in Gaza — and them alone.”
The new U.S. envoy for Middle East humanitarian issues, David Satterfield, is set to meet Israeli officials on Tuesday to see if they can get the plan worked out, the official added.
— Joanna Tan
Tue, Oct 17 2023 12:21 AM EDT
Israel is fighting its ‘second independence war,’ says Israel Ambassador to Singapore
Israel is fighting its “second independence war” against Palestinian militants Hamas — and it must win, said Israel’s ambassador to Singapore, Eli Vered Hazan.
“This fight is about the existence of the State of Israel, I call it personally, our second independence war, and we must win,” Hazan told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia.”
Asked about Israeli warplanes’ bombarding the Gaza Strip, where 2.2 million Palestinians live, the ambassador said: “Israel usually do not bomb civilians.”
“We are focusing on the Hamas leaders. We are focusing on a military, I would say, target,” he added. “We have no other choice but to do it.”
The Gaza Strip has endured more than a week of relentless bombing by the Israeli air force since Hamas militants infiltrated Israeli territory.
— Lee Ying Shan
Mon, Oct 16 2023 10:49 PM EDT
Senior U.S. general flies into Israel as its war with Hamas deepens
The top U.S. general overseeing American forces in the Middle East made an unannounced trip to Israel on Tuesday, saying he hoped to ensure its military has what it needs as it fights a deepening war against Palestinian militant group Hamas.
The trip by Army General Michael “Erik” Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, is the latest by a senior U.S. official to Israel ahead of an expected ground assault by Israel’s military in Gaza. It comes a day before a planned visit by U.S. President Joe Biden to the country.
The U.S. military is increasing its firepower in the region, aiming to prevent Iran and other Iran-backed groups from getting involved in the conflict as international fears of a wider, regional war grow.
The Pentagon is also rushing weaponry, including air defenses and munitions, to Israel.
“I’m here to ensure Israel has what it needs to defend itself, particularly focused on avoiding other parties expanding the conflict,” Kurilla told Reuters, which is traveling with him, in brief remarks before landing.
A U.S. official told Reuters Kurilla was scheduled to hold high-level meetings with Israel’s military leadership, ensuring a clear understanding of the close U.S. ally’s defense requirements.
— Reuters
Mon, Oct 16 2023 9:44 PM EDT
Israel hits back at Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in retaliation for Monday’s strikes
The Israel Defense Forces claims to have struck unspecified Hezbollah military infrastructure in Lebanon early Tuesday local time, in response to earlier strikes by the Iran-backed militia group, the IDF said in an update on its official Telegram channel.
Hezbollah reportedly targeted five Israeli outposts in its Monday strikes, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported, citing a Hezbollah statement.
— Clement Tan
Mon, Oct 16 2023 9:41 PM EDT
Biden says he will travel to Israel to ‘stand in solidarity in the face of Hamas’s brutal terrorist attack’
President Joe Biden said he will travel to Israel on Wednesday to “stand in solidarity in the face of Hamas’s brutal terrorist attack.”
“I’ll then travel to Jordan to address dire humanitarian needs, meet with leaders, and make clear that Hamas does not stand for Palestinians’ right to self-determination,” Biden wrote on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter.
— Amanda Macias
Mon, Oct 16 2023 9:17 PM EDT
Satellite images show crowds on Gaza side of border crossing into Egypt
New satellite images taken by Maxar Technologies show crowds of people and vehicles gathering on the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing into Egypt.
Crowds of people and vehicles form on the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing into Egypt in this Maxar satellite image taken on Oct. 16, 2023.
Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies
A Maxar satellite image focuses on the southern border of Gaza and the Rafah border crossing into Egypt on Oct. 15, 2023.
Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies
Mon, Oct 16 2023 8:41 PM EDT
Biden discusses alleviating worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza with Egyptian President
Palestinians fill water bottles and take them home as a UN report states that more than 2 million people struggle with water shortage, in Khan Younis, Gaza on October 14, 2023.Â
Mustafa Hassona | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
President Joe Biden discussed ways to alleviate the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt, in coordination with the UN, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, Israel, and other regional partners, the White House said.
They also discussed the need for stability in the Middle East. Biden “condemned Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel and reiterated that Hamas does not stand for the Palestinian people’s right to dignity and self-determination,” the White House said.
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are being displaced as they flee to the south as Gaza runs out of food, water, electricity and critical supplies, the United Nations warned.
(EDITORS NOTE: Image depicts graphic content) Injured Palestinians including children are brought to hospital after Israeli airstrike in Deir-Al-Balah, Gaza on October 14, 2023.
Ashraf Amra | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Palestinian medics evacuate an injured woman during clashes between Israeli Security forces and Palestinian protesters along the Israel-Gaza border, east of Gaza city, Gaza Strip, 27 July 2018. Photo: Wissam Nassar/dpa (Photo by Wissam Nassar/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Picture Alliance | Picture Alliance | Getty Images
GAZA CITY, GAZA – OCTOBER 14: Palestinians line up in front of a bakery to buy bread as Israeli airstrikes continue on the 8th day in Gaza City, Gaza on October 14, 2023. Palestinians are trying to survive in an area without electricity, water, food and fuel. (Photo by Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Abed Rahim Khatib | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Palestinian Jamil Abu Asi distributes soup to people who lost their homes in Israeli airstrikes and take shelter at schools in Khan Yunis, Gaza on October 15, 2023.
Mustafa Hassona | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Mon, Oct 16 2023 8:14 PM EDT
Biden will travel to Israel on Wednesday
U.S. President Joe Biden waves as he boards Air Force One for return travel to Washington, at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, January 23, 2023.
Ken Cedeno | Reuters
President Joe Biden will travel to Israel on Wednesday to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the conflict intensifies.
“He’s coming here at a critical moment for Israel, for the region and for the world,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced during a brief press conference at the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv.
Blinken said that Biden will receive security briefings and coordinate with regional partners to mitigate the expansion of the war.
Biden will also work to implement a plan that will allow for humanitarian aid and resources to safely enter Gaza Strip.
— Amanda Macias
Mon, Oct 16 2023 7:51 PM EDT
Blinken holds nearly eight hour meeting with Israel’s Netanyahu
U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) meets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) in Tel Aviv, Israel on October 12, 2023.
GPO | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for nearly eight hours in Tel Aviv.
The meeting, which included Netanyahu’s war cabinet, was interrupted twice by air raid sirens. Blinken and Netanyahu were forced to take cover along with traveling press in a shelter during the alerts.
Blinken has visited Israel twice since the start of the war on Oct. 7.
— Amanda Macias
Mon, Oct 16 2023 7:51 PM EDT
Hamas says it is prepared to release non-Israeli hostages when certain conditions are met
A fighter from Izz al-Din al-Qassam stands in front of a tunnel during an exhibition of weapons, missiles and heavy equipment for the military wing of Hamas in the Maghazi camp in the central Gaza Strip, during the commemoration of the 2014 war that lasted 51 days between Gaza and Israel.
Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images
A spokesman for Hamas said that the group is prepared to release non-Israeli hostages when certain conditions are met.
It was not immediately clear how many hostages would potentially be released.
The White House has previously said that they believe “less than a handful” of Americans are being held by Hamas.
Here’s more from MSNBC.
— Amanda Macias
Mon, Oct 16 2023 7:22 PM EDT
Secretary Austin speaks with King Abdullah II of Jordan about ongoing crisis in Israel
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin gives a press conference during the NATO Council Defence Ministers Session at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on October 12, 2023.
Simon Wohlfahrt | AFP | Getty Images
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with King Abdullah II of Jordan as the ongoing crisis intensifies.
“The two leaders agreed on the importance of ensuring that civilians have access to humanitarian aid,” Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh wrote in a readout of the call.
“The secretary reaffirmed the strength of the U.S.-Jordan partnership and reiterated the U.S. commitment to Jordan’s security,” Singh added.
— Amanda Macias
Mon, Oct 16 2023 5:45 PM EDT
Biden strongly considering trip to Israel, officials say
President Joe Biden is strongly considering traveling to Israel as early as this week, three U.S. officials tell NBC News.
Officials say planning has begun for a potential ground visit from Biden.
The White House declined to comment.
Biden on Sunday was invited to Egypt for an international summit on Oct. 21 centered on the future of Palestinians.
NBC News reported on Sunday the White House was considering an invitation from Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu for Biden to travel to Israel.
— Emma Kinery
Mon, Oct 16 2023 5:13 PM EDT
Trump says he would expand travel ban to include Gaza residents if reelected
Donald Trump said that if elected president again in 2024, he would widen the travel bans from his first term in office to include residents from Gaza and “anywhere else that threatens our security.”
“I banned refugees from Syria, I banned refugees from Somalia, and from all the most dangerous places in the world — and in my second term, we are going to expand each and every ban to keep America safe,” Trump announced at a campaign stop in Iowa, according to remarks prepared for the event.
Trump in those remarks also vowed to implement “strong ideological screening” for all U.S. immigrants and “aggressively deport resident aliens with jihadist sympathies.”
He also said that his administration would send immigration officers to “pro-jihadist demonstrations to enforce our immigration laws and remove the violators from our country.”
The speech in Iowa shows Trump, the top contender in the Republican presidential primary, reacting to the Israel-Hamas war by ratcheting up his hard-line views on immigration.
The Trump administration in 2017 issued an executive order restricting travel to the U.S. from seven majority-Muslim countries, among other measures. The Supreme Court narrowly upheld that order in 2018.
In 2020, the administration expanded the travel ban to include six additional nations.
President Joe Biden revoked those bans on his first day in office.
— Kevin Breuninger
Mon, Oct 16 2023 4:48 PM EDT
Approximately 2,000 U.S. troops placed on ‘prepare to deploy’ orders to the Middle East
The Pentagon in Washington, DC, on May 10, 2023, in an aerial view.
Daniel Slim | AFP | Getty Images
The Pentagon has placed approximately 2,000 U.S. troops on preparation to deploy orders to the Middle East, a Defense official confirmed to NBC News.
The U.S. servicemembers will likely deploy to neighboring countries in support of Israel.
— Amanda Macias
Mon, Oct 16 2023 4:05 PM EDT
Actor Wallace Shawn joins hundreds of protesters outside of the White House
Hundreds of protesters gathered outside of the White House urging President Joe Biden to call for a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza, including actor Wallace Shawn.
The protest was organized by If Not Now and Jewish Voices for Peace, two Jewish organizations advocating for equality for Israelis and Palestinians.
Shawn, known for his role in The Princess Bride, held a sign that read “My grief is not your weapon.”
— Emma Kinery
Mon, Oct 16 2023 3:42 PM EDT
Blinken seeks shelter for a second time with Netanyahu amid air raid sirens
Secretary of State Antony Blinken was forced to shelter in place for a second time during his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a note from press traveling with the State Department.
During the first air raid sirens, Blinken and Netanyahu waited in a bunker for approximately five minutes.
— Amanda Macias
Mon, Oct 16 2023 2:48 PM EDT
Humanitarian teams and supplies ready to reach those in Gaza, UN says
The entrance of the Gaza City headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) on August 7, 2023.
Majdi Fathi | Nurphoto | Getty Images
United Nations Secretary-General spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that humanitarian teams have supplies that are ready to be moved into southern Gaza through the Rafah crossing.
Dujarric added that a World Health Organization aircraft arrived in Egypt near the Rafah passage with additional supplies. Meanwhile, the World Food Program is working to reach approximately 225,000 displaced people in at least 19 United Nations shelters throughout the Gaza Strip.
— Amanda Macias
Mon, Oct 16 2023 2:37 PM EDT
Blinken sheltered in a bunker with Israel’s Netanyahu during visit
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference with Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister following their meeting in Doha on October 13, 2023.
Karim Jaafar | AFP | Getty Images
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were forced to shelter in a bunker for at least five minutes, State Department spokesman Matt Miller said.
Miller said a meeting between the two in Tel Aviv was interrupted by sirens. Over the weekend, a congressional bipartisan delegation also had to shelter in place during meetings in Israel.
— Amanda Macias
Mon, Oct 16 2023 1:37 PM EDT
UN humanitarian official will travel to the Middle East to discuss ongoing crisis with partners
The United Nations flag waves during preparations for the UNGA 2023 at the United Nations headquarters on September 13, 2023 in New York City.
Miguel J. RodrÃguez Carrillo | Corbis News | Getty Images
Martin Griffiths, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, will travel to the Middle East as the conflict between Israel and Hamas intensifies.
Griffiths, who is expected to stay in the region for a few days, will begin in Egypt with a possible stop in Israel.
The trip was announced by United Nations Secretary-General spokesman Stéphane Dujarric during a daily press briefing.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has previously called for a ceasefire and immediate humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip.
— Amanda Macias
Mon, Oct 16 2023 1:28 PM EDT
Indirect economic impacts of geopolitical conflicts could be persistent, says strategist
The direct market impacts stemming from geopolitical are typically short-lived, according to Principal Asset Management chief global strategist Seema Shah. However, she believes that the impacts on the macroeconomy can linger.
“The key macro concerns from the developments in Israel lie with the threat of upward pressure on oil prices, and how its corresponding effect on core inflation could potentially prompt central bank action. … The indirect impacts via inflation and economic growth can be more persistent,” Shah said.
The strategist believes the critical macro concerns lie with the oil market. While Brent crude prices have not risen as much as had been expected initially following the outbreak of the attack, an escalation in tensions would likely put further upward pressure.
“Higher oil prices can work their way into core inflation and inflation expectations if sustained,” said Shah. “Safe haven flows have contributed to a sharp fall in bond yields this week. Yet, if oil prices rise further and price pressures do re-emerge, expectations of additional monetary action from policymakers could threaten a renewed bond rout.”
— Hakyung Kim
Read more about the war’s effect on markets and the global economy at CNBC’s markets live blog.