WORLD BRIEFING: October 27, 2023
Israel - Gaza War
The UN's top humanitarian official says aid is "barely trickling" into Gaza, after days of warnings over rapidly depleting fuel supplies in the Strip. Martin Griffiths says civilians must be protected and have the essentials to survive. Israel disputes the extent of the fuel crisis - and accuses Hamas of stockpiling vital reserves. UN aid agencies say they have begun to significantly reduce their operations in Gaza because they have almost exhausted their fuel reserves - BBC
Israel says a raid overnight Wednesday in the northern part of the Gaza Strip was "preparation for the next stages of combat.” The IDF said there were no losses in its side during the operation
Meanwhile, Hamas says about 50 hostages being held in Gaza have been killed as a result of Israel bombarding the Strip in retaliation to Hamas's 7 October attack. More than 1,400 were killed in the initial attacks on Israel by Hamas, and Israel says more than 220 people are still being held hostage in Gaza. The Hamas-run health ministry says 7,000 people have been killed since Israeli air strikes on Gaza began - an increase of 500 since Wednesday - BBC
The Israeli Foreign Ministry has blasted Moscow for hosting Hamas leaders on Thursday. “Hamas is a terrorist organization worse than ISIS. The hands of senior Hamas officials are stained with the blood of over 1,400 Israelis who were slaughtered, murdered, executed and burned and they are responsible for the kidnapping of over 220 Israelis including babies, children, women and the elderly. Israel sees the invitation of senior Hamas officials to Moscow as an obscene step that gives support to terrorism and legitimizes the atrocities of Hamas terrorists.” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed the meeting took place
President Biden is signaling for the first time what his plan would be for the day after the war in Gaza — a new generation of peace talks in the Middle East on a "two-state solution" in which Israel would co-exist with a Palestinian state - Axios
The United States and Qatar have agreed to reevaluate the Gulf monarchy’s relationship with Hamas after Doha completes its role in freeing hostages taken by the terror group during its October 7 massacre in Israel, according to a report in the Washington Post. The report, citing four diplomats with knowledge of the discussions, claims that it has yet to be decided if the review will include the potential deportation of Hamas’s leaders living in Qatar or other similar measures. The agreement was reportedly reached during a recent meeting between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, and is an attempt by Washington to balance its short-term objective of freeing as many abductees as possible against the long-term strategy of choking Hamas.
Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides says the island nation is ready to act as a hub for humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. Christodoulides tells reporters in Brussels that he pitched to fellow European Union leaders a proposal to establish a “humanitarian aid corridor” linking Cyprus’ main port of Limassol to Gaza - Times of Israel
The PRC vetoed a draft UN resolution proposed by the US because, as Ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun said in his explanation, “the draft resolution attempts to establish a new narrative on the Palestinian question, ignoring the fact that the Palestinian territory has been occupied for a long time and evading the fundamental issue of independent statehood for the Palestinian people. It is worth being vigilant that the draft departs from the spirit of previous UN resolutions and embeds the dangerous logic of clash of civilizations and the justification of war and use of force”. A People’s Daily commentary Thursday said that “only by truly implementing the "two-state solution" can the Israeli-Palestinian conflict be resolved” and that the “internationally recognized "two-state solution" refers to the establishment of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine, with its borders based on those of 1967 and East Jerusalem as its capital”.
Elsewhere
Suspected GPS jamming initiated by Russia as part of Ukraine warfare tactics is believed to be causing problems for commercial aviation pilots and shipping captains in Bulgaria and Romania - both NATO members. Read the full RFE/RL investigation here
The United States and China have disagreements but they also share common interests, and the two countries need "in-depth" and "comprehensive" dialogue to reduce misunderstandings and stabilize bilateral relations, China's top diplomat Wang Yi said on Thursday as he began his visit to Washington. In brief remarks through an interpreter before his meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the State Department, Wang said he hoped his discussion with the top U.S. diplomat will be "constructive and forward-looking." - Reuters
Meanwhile , sporadic intense fighting continues in the eastern Ukrainian city of Avdiyivka and surrounding areas of the Donetsk region. Meanwhile, the United States has information that the Russian military is executing soldiers who do not follow orders related to the war with Ukraine, the White House said on October 26 - RFE/RL
Police on Thursday searched the woods, waterways and towns of Maine for a U.S. Army reservist wanted in connection with the mass shootings that killed 18 people and wounded 13 more the previous night at a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston - Reuters