November 1, 2023 - Israel Update

Cornell student arrested for making threats as the Rafah border crossing allows some Palestinian civilians to evacuate Gaza

Today is November 1, 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 third week 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) Palestinian Civilians Evacuate

For the first time since the start of the war, Palestinian civilians and foreign nationals living in Gaza have been able to evacuate the Gaza Strip. After intense negotiations between multiple countries including Qatar and Egypt, an agreement was entered into allowing about 500 foreign nationals the opportunity to leave Gaza along with dozens of Palestinian civilians who were injured since the start of the war. As of this post, over 80 injured Palestinian civilians were on their way to Egypt through the Rafah border crossing. Most of these civilians require urgent medical attention and need operations that Gaza hospitals currently are unable to do because of the lack of resources that have entered the Gaza Strip since the start of the war. 

However, Americans are not expected to be part of the first set of foreign nationals allowed to leave the Gaza Strip. As it stands, approximately 400 Americans and their families (about 1,000 total) are currently in the Gaza Strip seeking to leave. The United States State Department is actively working to help those who want to leave Gaza make preparations for possible evacuations. Hopefully the temporary opening of the border crossing today is a sign of things to come. 

2) Ground Operation Update

Meanwhile, the ground operation remains ongoing in Northern Gaza. The Israeli military is continuing to move tanks, infantry, and artillery across the border into the Gaza Strip. Despite increasing its presence in Gaza, the military has not begun the full-scale invasion many expected at the beginning of the war, instead opting for more targeted raids and a slower movement toward Gaza City, the Capital of Gaza. The ground operation in Gaza is expected to last several weeks, if not months, as the Israeli military goes door to door looking for Hamas fighters that were involved in the planning of the October 7th attack. 

Additionally, Israel is continuing to launch airstrikes on various parts of the Gaza Strip. Yesterday, an Israeli strike hit the Japalya refugee camp. According to the Israeli military the operation was meant to target a top Hamas commander, Ibrahim Biari, who was allegedly killed in the strike. However, Hamas leaders have disputed that Biari was at the refugee camp. As a result of the strike, many civilians were killed as it was a densely populated camp, causing many in the international community to question whether the strike was necessary. We will have more information as it is released. 

3) Republicans Play Politics With Aid 

Domestically, Republicans in the House continue to play politics with aid to Israel. As previously noted, Republicans introduced legislation that would provide about 14 billion dollars in aid to Israel, but called for cutting the same amount from IRS funding that was provided for via the Inflation Reduction Act. Today, we learned that the Republican proposal will add to the American deficit over the next decade and will reduce revenue by over 26 billion dollars. This plan, promoted by many far-right members of the GOP, is likely dead on arrival as Senate Leadership has called for a clean aid bill that includes Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan. Expect significant negotiations to continue during the next several days between the House and Senate. 

4) Cornell Student Arrested For Antisemitic Posts

Yesterday, we noted that there has been a rise in antisemitism across the world, specifically identifying antisemitic threats made by a Cornell student, forcing the kosher dining hall to be put on lockdown. Following an investigation by authorities, a student was arrested in the Northern District of New York and charged with posting threats to kill or injure another using interstate communications. Patrick Dai, the twenty one year old Cornell junior, is now facing up to five years in federal prison for the threats made toward Jewish students on campus. 

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.