Israel At War, Everything You Need to Know as We Enter Day 17

Humanitarian aid begins to enter Gaza as a ground invasion still looms large

Today is October 23, 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 seventeenth 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) Turkey Expels Hamas Leaders (Or not?)

This morning we learned that Turkey expelled several Hamas Senior Leaders including the leader of the terrorist group, Ismail Haniyeh, because Turkey is "unwilling to appear to still protecting Hamas after the group's killing of Israeli civilians." This latest move came after video was released showing Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders celebrating while watching news coverage of the terrorist attacks on October 7th. But, after this news was released, Turkey has come out and called the news false, claiming that it did not order the expulsion of Hamas leaders. Whether true or not, the possible news is interesting.

Their possible expulsion from Turkey is relatively surprising given Turkey's harsh position toward Israel during this war. For many days Turkey, including its President, has publicly denounced Israel and condemned the Israeli military for its actions in Gaza. Despite this, it appears as though Turkey will stand on the right side of history by preventing Hamas leaders from remaining in the country. Just because these leaders were forced to leave does not mean they will not find safe haven elsewhere with Haniyeh being known to have support in several countries including Qatar and Iran. 

2) Ground Invasion Update

After saying for many days that it will move into Gaza, the Israeli military has still yet to begin its long anticipated ground invasion. Despite this, overnight, the Israeli Air Force launched some of its strongest airstrikes to date in Gaza. According to reports coming out of Israel, there are two reasons for the delay in the ground operation. Both reports suggest that the United States has asked Israel to delay its ground operation in Gaza until more hostages can be rescued, including any American hostages still in Hamas custody, and second, until more American troops arrive in the region. Regarding the first, some of speculated that Israel is getting impatient with the repeated requests for delay and will likely begin an operation soon. Regarding the second, more American troops and equipment is actively being sent to the Middle East as we speak, so expect that condition to be satisfied soon. For example, just this weekend, the Pentagon announced that it will be placing additional droops on ready to deploy status. However, do not expect the United States to put boots on the ground in Gaza or in Israel until such time a third-party actor, like Iran, gets involved in the conflict. Let's hope it does not come to that.

3) President Biden Continues Unifying the International Community

Meanwhile, President Biden is actively unifying the international community. After lengthy conversation, President Biden, along with the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom released a lengthy statement reaffirming their support of Israel's right to defend itself, but called on Israel to ensure that it limits civilian casualties in any upcoming operation. As part of this statement, the "leaders committed to continue close diplomatic coordination, including with key partners in the region, to prevent the conflict from spreading, preserve stability in the Middle East, and work toward a political solution and durable peace." This latest statement comes after a historic war-time trip by President Biden to Israel and shows his commitment to supporting the Israeli people, while also limiting civilian Palestinian casualties in any operation. 

4) Humanitarian Aid Update

As of this update, at least 34 trucks have been able to enter Gaza through the Rafah border in Egypt. These trucks contained humanitarian aid including food, water, medicine, and more. Significantly, however, many of the trucks did not contain fuel, which is necessary to operate generators in Gaza. Much more is needed, however. Over 5,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza to date, including over 2,000 children and over 1,100 women. Typically, Gaza expects to receive over 400 trucks of aid per day. The 34 trucks over a sixteen day period pales in comparison to that typical number. As the war continues it is critical that more aid is brought to the Palestinian people and that Egypt allows those seeking to evacuate to leave Gaza. 

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.