Israel at War, Everything You Need to Know as We Enter Day 19

With the ground operation on pause (for now) the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is growing

Today is October 25, 2023, and here is the latest about what is happening in Israel. If you enjoy these daily updates, and want access to more, exclusive content, or to support my work, then please consider becoming a monthly subscriber by clicking the button below.

We have now entered the nineteenth day of the war in Israel, and here is everything you need to know. One note before I dive into the news: With war, there is a lot of information that is often difficult to compartmentalize into easily digestible reads. And, with the news moving at a fast pace, news is often missed and information is often interpreted incorrectly at first.

1) Ground Operation Update

A ground operation in Gaza by the Israeli military appears likely still this morning, despite the many delays. Despite this, however, it was reported yesterday that Israel may put the ground operation on hold for a little while longer while hostage negotiations continue. As of this post, there remain over 100 hostages, both American and Israeli, in Hamas custody. The United States has previously asked the Israeli Government to delay the ground operation until all of the hostages are released as the beginning of a ground operation would reduce the odds that the hostages will be found alive. Additionally, we have learned that the ground operation could also be attributed to the fact that Prime Minister Netanyahu has been historically conservative when taking significant military action, and he may be waiting for the military to become more prepared prior to taking action. Despite all of this, the odds that a ground operation in Gaza will occur remain high, and the Israeli military continues to prepare to enter Gaza. 

Meanwhile, the United States is working in overtime to support the Israeli military along with our other allies in the Middle East if the ground operation occurs. Not only has the United States sent a three star general to aid the Israeli military, but also new reporting shows that the United States is sending up to one dozen of air defense systems to various countries in the middle east to prepare for the possibility of escalating tensions. The Biden Administration previously removed some of this military equipment after intelligence suggested that tensions lowered in the region. That calculus, has, however, changed since the recent terrorist attack by Hamas. More to come on this soon. 

2) Humanitarian Crisis Deepens

The humanitarian crisis on the Gaza strip is getting worse. Over 5,000 Palestinian civilians have been killed as of this post and fuel is quickly running out in the region. Since the start of the war, only 34 trucks have entered the strip, which is far less than the over 400 that typically enter the strip daily. None of these trucks have contained fuel and Israel has not permitted fuel to enter the strip as Hamas has historically used the fuel for its terrorist operations. 

Yesterday, we learned, according to the Israeli military, that there remains hundreds of millions of liters of fuel on the strip, but that Hamas currently only has access to it. Whether this is true or not remains to be seen, but it would not be surprising as Hamas has a large history of taking aid and supplies meant for the people of Gaza and using it for military activities. According to the United Nations, several hospitals in Gaza will completely shutdown their operations if the fuel does not enter as the only way to currently get electricity in Gaza is by using generators, which rely on fuel to operate. It is unclear if more aid will be allowed into the area, and it remains unknown whether Egypt will allow refugees fleeing the crisis to enter its territory. To date, that has not been allowed. More to come on this soon. 

3) Strikes On Syria

Overnight, the Israeli military continued its strikes on Syria, targeting the airport in Aleppo. This was the second strike by the Israeli Air Force in the last 24 hours and came just two hours after the Syrian Government completed repairs from the previous strike. These latest strikes come after reports of rocket launches from Syria targeting northern Israel. In the event the conflict breaks out into a larger regional war, it is critical to watch Syria's involvement. 

Disclaimer: With any war, news and information is often scattered and hard to come by, as I learn more you will be the first to know.