After 20 days, the Israeli-Hamas conflict persists following the October 7 terrorist attacks. Here are the latest updates:
A recent poll from Gallup shows that President Joe Biden’s approval rating among Democratic Party voters has fallen by 11 percentage points in the past month to 75%. His overall approval rating has also slipped by 4 percentage points to 37%, reaching previous lows. This decline is partly attributed to criticism from Democratic Party members who perceive his alignment with Israel during the Gaza conflict.
To deter a broader conflict and enhance force protection capabilities, the Pentagon spokesperson, Brigadier General Patrick Ryder, announced the deployment of 900 additional US troops to the Middle East, outside of Israel, according to Reuters.
In an IDF aerial strike, Shadi Barud, the deputy head of Hamas’ Intelligence Directorate, was killed. Barud played a significant role in planning the October 7 massacre and numerous other deadly attacks against Israeli targets. IDF fighter jets targeted and hit three high-ranking Hamas members within the Daraj Tuffah Battalion.
According to the Times of Israel, the IDF spokesperson, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, reiterated that fuel is currently not being allowed into Gaza. Reports suggest the possibility of a deal permitting fuel into Gaza in exchange for the release of captives held by Hamas. Hagari emphasizes that Hamas heavily relies on stolen and stockpiled fuel, which could be used for hospitals instead.
Hagari also stated that the Israeli army will continue to conduct limited ground raids within the Gaza Strip, progressively intensifying in the coming days.
A Hamas delegation held discussions in Moscow with a senior Russian foreign ministry official. The talks primarily focused on the release of hostages held by Hamas and the evacuation of Russian and foreign citizens from Gaza.
Israel strongly condemned the meeting between Russian officials and senior Hamas members, characterizing it as an act of support for terrorism, as reported by Al Jazeera.
The United States and Qatar have agreed to review Qatar’s relationship with Hamas. The reevaluation will take place once Qatar finishes its involvement in securing the release of hostages from the October 7 attack in Israel by the terror group, according to The Washington Post.
Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour appealed to member states at the UN General Assembly to halt the violence in Gaza.
Turkish President Tayyip Recep Erdogan continued to criticize Israel, stating that their military operation in Gaza, in response to the October 7 attack by Hamas, has escalated into an atrocity beyond self-defense, according to CNN.
A collective statement was issued by nine Arab countries, including Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, condemning the targeting of civilians and violations of international law in Gaza. They emphasize that self-defense should not come at the expense of Palestinian rights, as reported by CNBC.
In the stock market, the S&P 500 Index ended Thursday’s session about 1.2% lower, reaching levels last seen in late May. Tech stocks underperformed, falling 1.9% for the day. Treasury yields fell across all maturities, leading to a rally in the iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF.
