WORLD BRIEFING: October 23, 2023
Israel-Gaza War
More than 4,600 people have been killed in Gaza since October 7, and 14,245 injured, the health ministry there said. In the West Bank, 95 people have been killed. On the Israeli side, over 1,400 killed, over 5,000 wounded, and at least 200 kidnapped, reported Israel 24
There are now said to be 222 Israelis and foreigners being held in Gaza. This, in turn, has prompted western nations to pressure Israel to delay its ground offensive into the strip. Meanwhile protesters were seen outside of the residence of the Israeli president in West Jerusalem, pressuring him to act to get the hostages freed
IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari says Israel carried out more raids into Gaza overnight. “During the night there were raids by tank and infantry forces. These raids are raids that kill squads of terrorists who are preparing for the next stage in the war. These are raids that go deep, to the contact line. These raids also locate and search for anything we can get in terms of intelligence on the missing and the hostages" - BBC
Passing through the Rafah crossing from Egypt on Sunday, 17 trucks carrying aid enter Gaza - news outlets. But no fuel which is desperately needed. Israeli forces inspected all of the equipment before it was allowed to pass, which consisted of water, food, and medical supplies, Israel 24 reported. On Saturday 20 lorries - pretty much with the same supplies - crossed over for the first time since the war started. It’s a small fraction of what normally crosses from the outside world into Gaza on a daily basis
Oxfam welcomed the movement of trucks, as well as yesterday's first load of aid, but said sending "a few trucks a day is simply not sufficient"
The Israeli military admitted one of its tanks had accidentally fired on an Egyptian position near the border with Gaza. Egypt's military said there were "minor injuries"
Israel's military said it is ramping up its aerial bombardment of Gaza and has once again called for civilians to leave northern parts of the strip. Israeli troops clashed with Hamas fighters inside the Palestinian enclave Sunday - CNN
Iran's foreign minster has warned Israel and US that the Middle East may spiral out of control if Israel does not immediately stop its military action. Speaking in Tehran, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said: "I warn the US and its proxy (Israel)... that if they do not immediately stop the crime against humanity and genocide in Gaza, anything is possible at any moment and the region will go out of control." - BBC
China’s envoy to the Middle East voiced concern about violence on Israel’s borders with Lebanon and Syria
Elsewhere
A Russian missile attack via two S-300 missiles on a private postal terminal in Kharkiv Ukraine has killed 6 people and injured 16. All victims said to be employees. The operator - Nova Poshta - has been a huge business success story in Ukraine and beyond. DNA testing will be needed to identify one of the victims, Ukraine media reported.
British intelligence estimated that Russia lost up to 190,000 soldiers who were killed or seriously wounded. The department noted that, according to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the recent Russian attacks on Avdiivka led to a 90% increase in Russian casualties.
After Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, failed in his bid to become speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, nine Republican representatives announced their intention to seek their conference's nomination for the top job ahead of the Sunday deadline, NPR reported. Meanwhile crucial legislative business is being delayed - including a White House funding request of more than $100 billion for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, US border security and humanitarian aid.
China's top spy agency said on Sunday a Chinese citizen who worked for a defense institute had been accused of spying for the United States and his case had been transferred to a court in the southwestern city of Chengdu for trial. The case is the latest to underscore Beijing's heightened commitment to national security, its expanded anti-spying laws and crackdown on domestic corruption - Reuters
A Chinese coast guard ship and an accompanying vessel rammed a Philippine coast guard ship and a military-run supply boat Sunday off a contested shoal, Philippine officials said, in an encounter that heightened fears of an armed conflict in the disputed South China Sea. A top Philippine security official told The Associated Press there were no injuries among the Filipino crew members and the damage to both vessels was being assessed.
India will resume issuing visas to Canadian citizens if it "sees progress" in the safety of its diplomats there, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said on India Today television. Recently, Canada withdrew several dozen diplomats and their dependents from India, claiming that Delhi threatened to pull their diplomatic immunity. Delhi claims that the number of Canadian diplomats far outnumbered the number of Indian diplomats in Canada.
With thanks to Preeti Bali for her research support