(Bloomberg) — Israeli troops have encircled Gaza City and effectively cut off the northern part of the Gaza Strip from the south, Israel’s military said.
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US Secretary of State made an unscheduled stop in Baghdad, bolstering US efforts to prevent a spread of the Israel-Hamas war. He also met Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank to discuss how the organization could play a role in a post-Hamas future for Gaza. He is now in Turkey.
Biden administration officials are frustrated at the scale of civilian casualties in Gaza, the Washington Post reported. Israeli attacks have killed about 9,500 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
(All time stamps are Israeli time)
Blinken Arrives in Turkey (7:17 a.m.)
Blinken has arrived in Ankara and is expected to meet his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan on Monday to discuss the flow of aid to Gaza, according to a Turkish government official. They will also discuss efforts to prevent the Israel-Hamas conflict from turning into a wider regional war, the official said.
Iraq’s Al-Sudani Visits Iran to Discuss Gaza (6:40 a.m.)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani visited Tehran on Monday to discuss the Israel-Hamas conflict with senior Iranian officials, Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported.
Al-Sudani will tour Gulf Cooperation Council countries after Iran, according to IRNA. The visit follows Al-Sudani’s meeting with Blinken in Baghdad.
Biden Administration Sees Few Options Amid Gaza Fallout, WP Says (3:50 a.m.)
Biden administration officials say Israel’s military campaign against Hamas has resulted in too many civilian casualties and lacks a coherent endgame, but are struggling to exert significant influence on their ally, the Washington Post reported. The paper cited a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to relay the conversations, while the White House declined to comment for the article.
From Oct. 25: Israel Is Losing Support as Fury Grows Over Its Strikes on Gaza
That has left the administration trying to cool anger among Arab nations by making clear the US is distressed by the suffering in the Gaza Strip, the newspaper said. But there is little indication Arab leaders are moved by these assurances, leaving the shape of the Middle East after the war — and the US role in it — uncertain.
Jordan Air-Drops Medical Aid to Gaza Hospital (1:49 a.m.)
Jordan’s King Abdullah II said his nation air-dropped “urgent medical aid” to a Jordanian field hospital in Gaza City.
“This is our duty to aid our brothers and sisters injured in the war on Gaza,” the king wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “We will always be there for our Palestinian brethren.”
Jordan has been highly critical of Israel’s military operations in Gaza and last week recalled its ambassador to Israel in protest.
CIA Chief Visits Israel in Tour of Region (10 p.m.)
William Burns, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, arrived in Israel on his first stop of a tour of the Middle East, the New York Times reported, citing unnamed US officials.
The US wants to expand intelligence cooperation with Israel and other allies in region, the Times reported. Among the issues is hostages held by Hamas inside Gaza.
Israel Carrying Out ‘Significant, Expanded’ Attack on Gaza City (8:57 p.m.)
Israeli troops have entirely encircled Gaza City and effectively cut off the northern part of the Gaza Strip from the south, Israel’s army spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said, adding senior Hamas commanders were being targeted.
At the same time, Hagari emphasized that a humanitarian corridor for Gaza City area residents to move south remained open.
Israel Fires on Lebanese Hezbollah Targets (8:52 p.m.)
Israel fired on Hezbollah targets after anti-tank fire from Lebanon killed a civilian, the Israeli military said. Other attacks were made on “terrorist infrastructure, terrorist units and vehicles used by terrorists,” as well as armed aircraft on its way to Israel, it said.
Blinken Makes Unannounced Stop in Baghdad (8:50 p.m.)
Blinken made an unscheduled stop in Baghdad, expanding US efforts to prevent a spread of the Israel-Hamas war.
Blinken’s visit to the Iraqi capital came against the backdrop of repeated attacks on US military forces in the Middle East — mainly in Iraq and Syria — by what US officials have termed Iranian-backed groups.
Blinken Makes Unannounced Stop in Baghdad After West Bank Visit
“It was very important to send a very clear message to anyone who might seek to take advantage of the conflict in Gaza to threaten our personnel here or anywhere else in the region,” Blinken told reporters in Baghdad on Sunday. “Don’t do it.”
Internet and Communication Disrupted in Gaza (6:40 p.m.)
Internet and telecom services have been disrupted in Gaza for the third time since the Israel-Hamas war began, Paltel, the main telecom provider in the Palestinian territory, said.
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