WORLD BRIEFING: November 5, 2023
Israel - Hamas War
The Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee announced that Israel will reopen an evacuation corridor for Gazan civilians on Sunday. The military said it will allow southward movement via the Salah-al-Din Street between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. On his X (formerly Twitter) account, Adraee called for civilians "to take advantage of the next time to move south beyond Wadi Gaza" and to follow the IDF instructions - Israel 24
30 trucks carrying humanitarian aid passed through the Rafah border crossing from Egypt into the Gaza Strip. Four of the trucks carried medical equipment and medicine, and the rest carried food, water and other humanitarian supplies. Since October 21, 451 trucks have entered Gaza, about 30 each day - Haaretz
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday both Washington and Arab states believe the status quo of a Hamas-controlled Gaza cannot continue and that he has discussed with his Arab counterparts how to chart a better path forward towards a two-state solution. Speaking at a news conference in Amman, alongside his Egyptian and Jordanian counterparts, the top U.S. diplomat also said Washington was worried about violence by extremist settlers in the West Bank.
Meanwhile, Qatar's foreign ministry said on Saturday that the continued bombardment of the Gaza Strip complicated its efforts to mediate the release of hostages held by Hamas. Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani made the comment in a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Saturday, the ministry said in a statement - Reuters
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has said that the Palestinian Authority could return to power in the Gaza Strip only if a “comprehensive political solution” is found for the Israel-Palestinian conflict. After US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Abbas in Ramallah, a senior US State Department official told Reuters that Blinken had expressed that the PA should play a central role in “what comes next in Gaza…We will fully assume our responsibilities within the framework of a comprehensive political solution that includes all of the West Bank, including east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip,” Abbas told visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Palestinian news Wafa reported.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday disciplined a junior member of his cabinet who appeared to voice openness to the idea of Israel carrying out a nuclear strike on Gaza, where the war with Hamas is inflicting a spiralling Palestinian civilian toll. Netanyahu's office issued a statement saying that the minister concerned - Heritage Minister Amihay Eliyahu, from a far-right party in the coalition government - had been suspended from cabinet meetings "until further notice" - wires
War with Hamas estimated to cost Israel above $50 billion - report
Elsewhere
Ukrainska Pravda sources say Russia attacked a gathering of elite Ukrainian soldiers in the frontline village of Zaporizhzhia on Friday morning. They’d gathered together in one place for an awards ceremony. Ukraine Defence Minister Rustem Umierov has ordered an investigation. It’s suspected a paid informant passed on information of the gathering to the Russian side
Debris from a rocket damaged several residential buildings in Poltava, killing one woman and injuring others, including children, regional Governor Filip Pronin said on Telegram. The strike on Kherson occurred about 7 p.m. local time and landed near a grocery store, regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said, adding that an earlier attack killed a man and injured a woman. The attacks came after Russia-installed authorities in Crimea said the Ukrainian Army launched a missile strike in the Kerch region on November 4. Sergei Aksyonov, the Moscow-installed governor of occupied Crimea, said that several missiles had been intercepted. Some debris fell in the area of the dry docks of the shipyard, according to RFE/RL. No injuries were reported. The Ukrainian military later confirmed that its forces had damaged a shipbuilding plant in Kerch. "The Armed Forces of Ukraine carried out successful strikes on the maritime and port infrastructure of the Zaliv Shipyard in the temporarily occupied Crimea," the statement of the Strategic Communications Department of the armed forces said. No further details were provided - RFE/RL
U.S. and European officials have begun talks with Ukraine about what possible peace negotiations with Russia might entail to end the conflict, according to one current and one former high-ranking U.S. official, the U.S. network NBC reports. The talks are reported to have included very broad outlines of what Ukraine might need to give up to reach a deal, the officials said. Some of the talks, which officials described as delicate, took place last month during a meeting of representatives from more than 50 nations supporting Ukraine, including NATO members, known as the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, the officials told NBC News.
Helicopters and ground troops rushed to help people hurt in a strong earthquake that shook districts in northwestern Nepal just before midnight Friday, killing at least 128 people and injuring dozens more, officials said Saturday. Authorities said the death toll was expected to rise, noting that communications were cut off with many places - NPR
Moldovans go to the polls on Sunday to elect mayors of villages, towns and cities after the president accused Moscow of meddling in the votes in Ukraine's western neighbour and a pro-Russian party was barred from the race. The last national vote before presidential elections in November 2024 comes as the ex-Soviet state tries to advance its bid to join the European Union and leave Russia's orbit. Pro-European President Maia Sandu has denounced Russia's invasion of Ukraine and accused Moscow of plotting to oust her in a coup. This week, she accused Russia of "buying" voters by funneling $5 million to "criminal groups" led by fugitive businessman Ilan Shor in the last two months - Reuters