This article discusses the discovery of a 2.5 mile long tunnel in the Gaza Strip by the Israeli military, believed to have been used by Hamas militants to transport vehicles, militants, and supplies. This discovery has raised questions about how Israeli surveillance missed such conspicuous preparations, and comes as the Israeli government faces calls for a cease-fire from its allies, amidst growing unease with civilian casualties. The Israeli military is continuing to investigate the tunnel and its purpose.
Posts tagged as “Arab Israeli”
CIA Director William Burns is in Poland to meet with Israeli and Qatari officials in an effort to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza. The U.S. military has been involved in the situation, engaging 14 one-way attack drones from Yemen, and the top two U.S. military leaders are now traveling to Tel Aviv to advise the Israeli government. The same group met twice last month in Doha, Qatar, in an attempt to resolve the hostage situation and prevent a wider regional conflict.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina appeared on NBC's Meet the Press to discuss the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. He expressed hope that Israel could do more to limit civilian casualties and warned that Israel must consider its handling of Palestinians if it wishes to pursue normalization with Saudi Arabia. The Biden administration views the creation of formal diplomatic ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia as an important foreign policy goal, and Graham praised their efforts to normalize relations between the two countries.
The White House and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) met on Saturday to discuss a potential immigration deal, however progress has been slow and a deal is unlikely to be reached before Christmas. The chamber is not set to reconvene until Jan. 9, meaning any aid for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan will be delayed until then. The White House and the CHC have yet to reach an agreement on the immigration deal.
Today, the Yemeni Houthi rebels announced an attack on the port town of Eliat in southern Israel using "a large batch of drones", resulting in a prolonged communications blackout. This blackout has compounded the misery in the besieged Gaza Strip, with the Houthi group claiming they had carried out the attack in support of Palestinians living under "killing, destruction and siege". The blackout has hampered aid deliveries and rescue efforts as the war against Gaza's ruling militant group Hamas stretched into the 11th week.
The White House security adviser has warned against making "broad judgement" over the deaths of three Israeli hostages who were mistakenly killed by the Israel Defense Forces in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military expressed "deep sorrow" and is investigating the incident, while President Biden has been briefed by his security team. The U.S. and Israel are discussing a timetable for scaling back combat operations, and the White House is "deeply saddened" by the deaths and will continue to monitor the situation.
U.S. officials have been discussing the current phase of the offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip with Israel, urging them to focus on more targeted strikes and lower-intensity operations. The U.S. is also pushing for a ceasefire and providing humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza. The conflict has been ongoing for over a month, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of people, and the U.S. is hoping for a peaceful resolution.
President Joe Biden held his first in-person meeting with families of eight Americans still unaccounted for and presumed taken captive by Hamas. He has expressed his commitment to reuniting them with their loved ones, while also warning of the consequences of Israel's "indiscriminate bombing" of Gaza. The Biden administration is working with the UN and other international partners to bring an end to the conflict and to ensure a sustainable peace agreement.