WORLD BRIEFING: October 20, 2023
Israel-Gaza War
At least 3,785 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since Hamas’s October 7 attack inside Israel. Inside Israel, more than 1,400 people have been killed
At least seven Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank as bombardment of Gaza intensifies.
Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Hsafadi says Israeli denial won’t change regional perceptions around the hospital attack in Gaza. "People are used to this kind of denying things and then admitting them," he added. "Everybody here believes that Israel is responsible for it."
US warship shoots down missiles and drones fired from Yemen “potentially towards Israel” (see map above)
Four hospitals are out of commission in the besieged Gaza Strip, health officials say.
Hundreds of vehicles carrying aid are waiting to be allowed into Gaza to bring in vital supplies. Aid agencies are warning that far more will be needed - UN humanitarian chief, Martin Griffiths, says about 100 lorries a day will be required - BBC
Comparing Hamas to Putin, U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to ask for $100bn to support Israel and Ukraine. In an Oval Office speech, he made the case that all the money spent now to stand up to Putin or to Hamas is a smart investment that will pay dividends for American security for years to come. “Hamas and Putin represent different threats, but they share this in common: They both want to completely annihilate a neighboring democracy…Putin denies Ukraine has, or has ever had, real statehood," says Biden. "If we don't stop Putin's appetite for power and control in Ukraine he won't limit himself to Ukraine."
Senior Israeli officials talked up the prospect of an imminent large-scale ground campaign in the Gaza Strip to root out the Hamas terror group Thursday, making a series of visits to Israel Defense Forces soldiers stationed near the territory and predicting that the fighting will be “difficult, long and intense,” but ultimately victorious. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told troops near Gaza that the order to enter the Hamas-run Palestinian enclave would come “soon.” “You now see Gaza from afar, soon you will see it from the inside,” Gallant told troops of the Givati Brigade. “The order will come.” - The Times of Israel
Amid the Israel-Hamas war, a U.S. State Department official with a key role in arms deals announced his resignation on Wednesday, citing “shortsighted, destructive, unjust, and contradictory” decisions by the Biden administration that forced him into countless “moral compromises.” As first reported by HuffPost, Josh Paul explained his decision in a LinkedIn post, writing, “I believe that in our current course with regards to the continued — indeed, expanded and expedited — provision of lethal arms to Israel — I have reached the end.” He called the administration’s response “an impulsive reaction built on confirmation bias, political convenience, intellectual bankruptcy, and bureaucratic inertia.” Paul worked for more than 11 years in the department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, which oversees weapons trades with other countries. A State Department spokesperson did not respond to HuffPost’s request for comment - The Daily Beast
Elsewhere
Alsu Kurmasheva, a Russian-American editor from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, has been detained in the southwest city of Kazan, Russia, her employer said Wednesday. She was charged with failing to register as a “foreign agent” — a requirement for individuals working for organizations that receive international funding. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is funded by the U.S. government. Kurmasheva, who was traveling to Russia from Prague for a family emergency on May 20, was temporarily detained while waiting for her return flight in early June, RFE/RL said in a statement. She was later fined for failing to formally notify authorities of her American citizenship, and had both her U.S. and Russian passports confiscated. While waiting for the return of her passports, Kurmasheva was dealt with a new charge on Wednesday. If convicted, she could face up to five years in jail. “Alsu is a highly respected colleague, devoted wife, and dedicated mother to two children,” RFE/RL’s acting president, Dr. Jeffrey Gedmin, wrote in a statement. “She needs to be released so she can return to her family immediately.” - Semafor News
Ukraine's military appears to have confirmed reports that its troops have crossed on to the Russian-occupied left (eastern) bank of the Dnipro River. The armed forces general staff listed Pishchanivka village in the southern Kherson region, 3km (two miles) east of the river, as being shelled by Russia. The US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said Ukrainian troops had advanced up to 4km east of the river. Russia's Vladimir Putin insisted that Ukraine's operation was failing - BBC
Forty-one Canadian diplomats have recently left India amid a rift over the murder of a Sikh separatist leader on Canadian soil. India asked Canada two weeks ago to withdraw dozens of its diplomatic staff and threatened to remove their immunity if they remained. Canadian officials called the threat a "violation of international law". Relations have been tense after Canada accused India of being behind the 18 June killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India has denied the allegations, calling them absurd. The incident represents one of the biggest foreign affairs crisis of PM Justin Trudeau and his inexperienced foreign minister, Melanie Joly.
With thanks to Preeti Bali for her research support