At least 50 people were killed and 150 wounded in an Israeli airstrike on the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza on Tuesday, with the Israeli military claiming to have killed a Hamas commander responsible for a terror attack in October. Desperate civilians scrambled for food as civil order broke down in the aftermath of the airstrike, with the UN calling for an immediate de-escalation of tensions and an independent investigation. The airstrike is the latest in a series of escalating tensions between Israel and Hamas, with the UN warning that further violence could lead to a full-scale conflict in the region.
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Michael Yifan Wen, a Manhasset, New York man, was arrested and charged with menacing and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child after he allegedly pointed a gun at a 6-year-old boy who had mistakenly left Halloween treats on his porch. The incident has sparked outrage in the community and calls for stricter gun control laws in the state of New York. Wen is currently being held in Nassau County jail and is due to appear in court on November 5th.
Pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted Secretary of State Antony Blinken's testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, calling for a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. Blinken was outlining the Biden administration's requests for more U.S. aid to support Israel's attacks on Gaza when the protesters began shouting slogans such as "You have blood on your hands!" and "Cease-fire now!" Security eventually removed at least one protester from the room. The protest comes amid a growing international outcry over the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, which has left more than 200 people dead and thousands more injured.
Israeli troops continue to battle Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, with over 800,000 Palestinians displaced and 1,530 killed since Saturday. A new poll reveals that 70% of Jewish Israelis and Arab Israelis believe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should resign after the war ends, and the international community is pushing for an immediate cease-fire.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced that a person of interest has been taken into custody following antisemitic threats made at Cornell University. The Anti-Defamation League reported a nearly 400% increase in reported incidents of antisemitism since the start of the conflict in the Middle East. In response, Gov. Hochul has taken steps to combat antisemitism on college campuses in New York, including increased security measures, increased training for faculty and staff, and the creation of a task force.
The Senate has confirmed Jack Lew as the new U.S. ambassador to Israel, with support from only two Republicans. Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of those Republicans, said the ambassadorship is "as important and timely as any nomination" due to the war against Hamas. Lew, who served as Treasury Secretary under President Obama, is expected to take up his post in Jerusalem soon.
The Education Department has released a new plan to provide debt relief to four groups of borrowers with federal student loans, estimated to be up to 12 million people. The proposal is open for public comment and will be finalized after a period of review, with details on implementation and when it will take effect yet to be released.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has announced plans to issue subpoenas to three individuals in connection with a probe into ethics practices at the Supreme Court. The 11 Democratic members of the panel are targeting two wealthy Republican donors and an influential conservative legal activist in order to uncover more information about the trips provided to two Supreme Court justices. The investigation is a significant escalation of the Democrats' efforts to hold the high court accountable, and the subpoenas could provide important insight into the relationship between the justices and wealthy donors.