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☆ Judge bars Trump from 'smear campaign' against prosecutors, witnesses
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Andrew Goudsward | Companies Need To Integrate Climate Reporting Across Functions To Comply With California S New Law | Henry Engler | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Speaking at a campaign rally in Iowa on Monday, Trump called the judge's order "unconstitutional" and vowed to appeal it. "I'll be the only politician in history that runs with a gag order where I'm not allowed to criticize people," Trump told supporters. The order bars Trump, frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, and attorneys in the case from personally targeting Special Counsel Jack Smith, prosecutors working with him and court staff. Prosecutors sought a limited gag order that would bar certain statements from Trump during the case. The judge said she would allow Trump to make critical statements about the U.S. Justice Department and that denounce the prosecution as politically motivated.

Persons: Donald Trump, Tanya Chutkan, I’m, Chutkan, Trump, Jack Smith, Democrat Joe Biden, Shannon Stapleton, Smith, ”, Mark Milley, ” Chutkan, “, ” Trump, John Lauro, Prosecutors, Lauro, Molly Gaston, Andrew Goudsward, Nathan Layne, Scott Malone, Howard Goller Organizations: U.S, Trump, Democrat, Former U.S, Republican, REUTERS, U.S . Justice Department, Justice Department, Thomson Locations: Washington, Iowa, West Palm Beach , Florida, U.S

☆ Whatever unfolds in Gaza war, judgment day looms for Netanyahu
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to the media during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023. Maya Alleruzzo/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsJERUSALEM, Oct 17 (Reuters) - One Israeli cabinet minister was barred from a hospital visitors' entrance. But there is little love shown for a government being widely accused of dropping the country's guard and engulfing it in a Gaza war that is rattling the region. Whatever ensues, a day of judgment looms for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after a record-long career of political comebacks. An opinion poll in Maariv newspaper found that 21% of Israelis want Netanyahu to remain prime minister after the war.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Olaf Scholz, Maya Alleruzzo, Golda Meir, Amotz Asa, Shalom Hartman, Netanyahu, Asa, El, Benny Gantz, Gantz, Israel, Amit Segal, It's, Dan Williams, Howard Goller Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Labour, Shalom, Shalom Hartman Institute, Likud, Reuters, National Unity, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, Meir's, Jerusalem, Maariv, ISRAEL, Gaza, Saudi Arabia, Iran

☆ Israeli protesters mobilise to help survivors of Hamas attack but anger at Netanyahu remains
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Emily Rose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Everything that theoretically, the government should have done was initially organized by the protest movements," Poran told Reuters. The judicial overhaul plans, promoted by Netanyahu's religious-rightist government as an overdue check on the powers of activist judges encroaching on politics, drew hundreds of thousands of protesters who saw them as an existential threat to Israeli democracy. Thousands of military reservists said they would refuse to report for normal duty, creating fears in the military that Israel's security would be compromised. "They said that if Israel will be in some existential threat, under an existential threat, that then they will return and this is exactly what they did." Reporting by Emily Rose and Janis Laizans; Editing by Howard GollerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ammar Awad, Guy Poran, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Poran, Netanyahu, Emily Rose, Janis Laizans, Howard Goller Organizations: Volunteers, REUTERS, Hamas, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Tel Aviv, Israel, TEL AVIV

BRUSSELS, Oct 17 (Reuters) - European Union leaders aim on Tuesday to settle on a united approach to the crisis triggered by the Hamas attack on Israel after days of confusion, infighting and mixed messaging. Some officials and lawmakers also criticized von der Leyen, who visited Israel on Friday, for not declaring that the EU expects Israel to abide by international humanitarian law in its response to the attack, as other EU leaders did. Von der Leyen stated that position publicly for the first time at the weekend. Commission officials have insisted von der Leyen had already conveyed the message privately to Israeli officials and defended her swift visit to Israel as an important sign of solidarity. The EU leaders are likely to task ministers with exploring potential risks in more detail, according to officials.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, Charles Michel, Von der, von der Leyen, Von der Leyen, der Leyen, Michel, John Irish, Andrew Gray, Howard Goller Organizations: Union, European Council, EU, European, Von der Leyen's, Israel, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Israel, Gaza, Europe

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON/TEL AVIV, Oct 16 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's White House is wrestling with thorny security and political challenges as officials consider a potential trip to Israel that may hold longer-term diplomatic advantages for Biden. A visit would, however, grant Biden fresh leverage to influence events on the ground and bolster his image at home. Highlighting the unique security risks facing a Biden trip, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in Israel for meetings, was forced to take shelter in a bunker for five minutes with Netanyahu when sirens went off in Tel Aviv during their meeting. Forty-one percent of respondents said they agreed with a statement that "the U.S. should support Israel" in its conflict with Hamas, while just 2% said the U.S. should support the Palestinians. Biden has visited Israel 10 times, first as a senator in 1973, before the Yom Kippur War involving Israel, Egypt and Syria.

Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Kevin Lamarque, Joe Biden's, Biden, Adrienne Watson, Netanyahu, Kirsten Fontenrose, Antony Blinken, Olaf Scholz, Jon Alterman, Alterman, Mahmoud Abbas, Alon Pinkas, Ehud Barak, Richard Nixon, Trevor Hunnicutt, Jarrett Renshaw, Humeyra Pamuk, Steve Holland, Matt Spetalnick, Heather Timmons, Howard Goller, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Israeli, General Assembly, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Biden, Israel, National Security, U.S, Atlantic Council, Presidential, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Service, Republicans, Reuters, Democratic, Gaza, Palestinian, West Bank, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, TEL AVIV, Israel, Washington's, East, Iran, Hezbollah, Syria, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Lebanon, GAZA, Colorado, Egypt, Washington

REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON/TEL AVIV, Oct 16 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's White House is wrestling with a host of thorny security and political challenges as officials plot a potential trip to Israel that may hold longer-term diplomatic advantages for Biden. The White House declined to comment on any planning for the trip. Biden's trip could be interpreted as support for Netanyahu's political and military choices, but it could also give Biden fresh leverage to influence events on the ground. "It's very, very sensitive and the White House is working through very sensitive areas," Pinkas said. Biden has visited Israel 10 times, first as a senator in 1973, before the Yom Kippur War involving Israel, Egypt and Syria.

Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Kevin Lamarque, Joe Biden's, Biden, Adrienne Watson, Netanyahu, Richard Nixon, Olaf Scholz, Jon Alterman, Alterman, Mahmoud Abbas, Alon Pinkas, Ehud Barak, Pinkas, Trevor Hunnicutt, Jarrett Renshaw, Humeyra Pamuk, Steve Holland, Matt Spetalnick, Heather Timmons, Howard Goller Organizations: Israeli, General Assembly, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Biden, Israel, National Security, Ben, Presidential, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Democratic, Gaza, Palestinian, West Bank, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, TEL AVIV, Israel, Washington's, East, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Ben Gurion, Lebanon, Ukraine, Egypt, Syria, Washington

Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump waves at the Club 47 USA event in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. October 11, 2023. He did not explain how he would enforce his demands, including the one requiring immigrants to support Israel's right to exist under what he called "strong ideological screening." A ban he imposed on immigrants from some Muslim-majority nations was struck down in lower courts but ultimately upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. Trump said on Monday he would ban immigrants from Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen "or anywhere else that threatens our security". Promising to drastically tighten U.S. immigration laws, Trump said: "If you want to abolish the state of Israel, you're disqualified, if you support Hamas or the ideology behind Hamas, you're disqualified, and if you're a communist, Marxist, or fascist, you are disqualified."

Persons: Donald Trump, Shannon Stapleton, CLIVE, Trump, Israel, Biden, Jaime Harrison, Joe Biden, Ron DeSantis, Benjamin Netanyahu, Nathan Layne, Tim Reid, Howard Goller Organizations: U.S, Republican, REUTERS, Supreme, Democratic National Committee, Democratic, Marxist, Trump's Republican, The, Thomson Locations: West Palm Beach , Florida, U.S, CLIVE , Iowa, Palestinian, Iowa, Gaza, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, Israel, The United States, Florida, Iran, Lebanese, Clive , Iowa, Los Angeles

Iran, which backs Hamas, refers to regional countries and forces opposed to Israel and the United States as a "resistance front." Diplomatic efforts have concentrated on getting aid into Gaza through the Rafah crossing with Egypt, the sole route out that is not controlled by Israel. While tens of thousands have fled south, the United Nations says there is no way to move so many people without causing a humanitarian catastrophe. According to the United Nations, a million Gazans have already been driven from their homes. The Kremlin readout of the call did not include any mention of the ceasefire Russia was trying to achieve by putting forward a resolution in the United Nations Security Council.

Persons: Khan Younis, Mohammed Salem, Israel Russia's Putin, Israel's Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, gunning, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Amirabdollahian, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ebrahim Raisi, Israel, Netanyahu, Biden, Adrienne Watson, Khaled Meshaal, Vladimir Putin, Moscow, Putin, Abu Dahoud, Nidal al, Bassam Massoud, Nuha Sharaf, Ari Rabinovitch, Dan Williams, Henriette Chacar, Dedi, Maayan Lubell, Emily Rose, James Mackenzie, John Davison, Parisa, Humeyra Pamuk, Hatem Maher, Ahmed Tolba, Omar Abdel, Trevor Hunnicutt, Nandita Bose, Rami Ayyub, Katharine Jackson, Michelle Nichols, David Brunnstrom, Howard Goller Organizations: REUTERS, Diplomats, Gaza, U.S, Tel Aviv . Iranian, Zionist, Israel, National Security, Hezbollah, Nations, United Nations, Pentagon, United Nations Security Council, Palestinian Authority, Thomson Locations: Gaza, GAZA, JERUSALEM, WASHINGTON, Israel, Tel Aviv, Iran, Hamas, Israel's, Jerusalem, United States, Lebanon, Tehran, Egypt, Cairo, Rafah, Washington's, Syria, Lebanese, Russian, Russia, Dubai, Razek, Washington

☆ UN to vote on rival resolutions on Israel and Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A view shows the remains of a Palestinian house destroyed in Israeli strikes in the central Gaza Strip. REUTERS/Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa Acquire Licensing RightsUNITED NATIONS, Oct 16 (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council was due to vote on Monday on rival draft resolutions on Israel and Gaza that focus largely on the humanitarian situation, but it was unclear whether either stood a chance of being adopted. A spokesperson for the U.S. mission to the United Nations declined to comment when asked about the impending votes. The Brazilian draft condemns the Palestinian militant Hamas for its attacks on Israel, while the Russian draft does not name Hamas, which attacked Israel on Oct. 7. Without naming Israel, the Brazilian text also calls for the rescinding of the Israeli order for civilians and U.N. staff in northern Gaza Strip to relocate to southern Gaza.

Persons: Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa, Israel, Dmitry Polyanskiy, Michelle Nichols, Susan Heavey, Howard Goller Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, United Nations Security, United, Security, U.S, United Nations, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Russia, Brazil, Britain, China, France, United States, Hamas, Russian, Israel's

Blinken said after lengthy talks with Netanyahu that Biden will reaffirm solidarity with Israel, which has widely been expected to launch a ground assault in Gaza. Earlier, Iran's foreign minister said Israel would not be allowed to act in Gaza without consequences, warning of "preemptive action" in the coming hours. ... All options are open and we cannot be indifferent to the war crimes committed against the people of Gaza." Iran refers to regional countries and forces opposed to Israel and the United States as a "resistance front." Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Monday that while Tehran supported the Palestinian cause, the resistance front against Israel made its own independent decisions.

Persons: Khan Younis, Mohammed Salem, Biden, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Netanyahu, , Israel, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Amirabdollahian, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ebrahim Raisi, Nidal al, Bassam Massoud, Nuha Sharaf, Ari Rabinovitch, Dan Williams, Henriette Chacar, Dedi, Maayan Lubell, Emily Rose, James Mackenzie, John Davison, Parisa, Humeyra Pamuk, Hatem Maher, Ahmed Tolba, Omar Abdel, Trevor Hunnicutt, Nandita Bose, Rami Ayyub, Katharine Jackson, Michelle Nichols, David Brunnstrom, Howard Goller, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: REUTERS, Hamas U.S, Israel, Wednesday, Israeli, Iranian, Zionist, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, GAZA, JERUSALEM, WASHINGTON, Tel Aviv, U.S, Iran, United States, Lebanon, Tehran, Jerusalem, Dubai, Razek, Cairo, Washington

☆ Blinken, seeking aid breakthrough, in marathon talks with Israel's Netanyahu
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Humeyra Pamuk | Thomson Reuters | Humeyra Pamuk Is A Senior Foreign Policy Correspondent Based In Washington Dc. She Covers The U.S. State Department | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken listens as Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant speaks at The Kirya, Israel's Ministry of Defense, in Tel Aviv, Israel October 16, 2023. Blinken, Israel's leading diplomat, was on the fifth consecutive day of round-the-clock diplomacy in the region, shuttling back to Israel after visiting six Arab countries in four days. Blinken, seeking to prevent the conflict from spreading, arrived in the aftermath of Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks that killed 1,300 people in Israel. Speaking to reporters earlier after meeting Blinken, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said, "This will be a long war; the price will be high. Miller said Blinken discussed humanitarian coordination with Netanyahu at an earlier meeting.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Yoav Gallant, Jacquelyn Martin, Benjamin Netanyahu's, blaring, Israel's, Blinken, Netanyahu, Matthew Miller, Miller, —, Humeyra Pamuk, Steve Holland, Jasper Ward, Simon Lewis, Idrees Ali, Patricia Zengerle, Doina Chiacu, Lisa Shumaker, Howard Goller Organizations: Israel's Ministry of Defense, REUTERS Acquire, Israeli, Defense Ministry, Blinken, State, Israel, Washington, U.S, Marine, UN Office, of Humanitarian Affairs, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, TEL AVIV, Gaza, Egypt, Rafah, Bataan, United States

Israel's military chief, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, said lessons would be drawn from the security failures around Gaza that enabled the attack. The U.S. military is placing no conditions on its security assistance to Israel, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said, adding Washington expected Israel's military to "do the right things" in prosecuting its war against Hamas. Scores of Israeli and foreign hostages were taken back to Gaza; Israel said it had identified 97 of them. [1/4]Israeli soldiers hold an Israeli flag while in a tank near Israel's border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, October 12, 2023. "This war is harsh beyond imagining," said Hamdan, who has worked through repeated wars since becoming a rescuer in 2007.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, King Abdullah, Mahmoud Abbas, America's, General Herzi Halevi, Lloyd Austin, Austin, Benjamin Netanyahu, East Jerusalem's, Kan, Ronen, Israel, Cross, Fabrizio Carboni, Los Angeles, Kathy Hochul, Mount Herzl, Khan Younis, Ibrahim Hamdan, Hamdan, Henriette Chacar, Dedi, Maayan Lubell, Emily Rose, Nidal, Emma Farge, Jeff Mason, Humeyra Pamuk, Steve Gorman, Dan Whitcomb, Michael Martina, Howard Goller, Diane Craft Organizations: Israel U.S, West Bank Security, Hamas, U.S, NATO, Palestinian, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, United Arab, U.S . Defense, Washington, Public, REUTERS, International Committee, United Nations, Food Programme, ICRC, New, FBI, Mount, Thomson Locations: East Jerusalem, Europe JERUSALEM, GAZA, TEL AVIV, Gaza, Israel, Jordan, U.S, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Iran, East, East Jerusalem's Al, Aqsa, Washington, Europe, Paris, Amsterdam, London, New York, Los, Jerusalem, Geneva, Tel Aviv, Los Angeles

Trump, a former Republican president who is the frontrunner to become the party's 2024 presidential nominee, called the Lebanese Hezbollah, a sworn enemy of Israel, "very smart" and accused Netanyahu of being "not prepared" for the Hamas attack, which also killed 22 Americans. White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates called Trump's comments "dangerous and unhinged." Democratic President Joe Biden has condemned the Hamas attack as "an act of sheer evil" and declared his unwavering support for Israel. Trump was annoyed when Netanyahu called to congratulate Biden on winning the 2020 presidential election against Trump, an election Trump still calls fraudulent. Trump said Israel relayed to the United States on the night before the operation that it had decided not to participate.

Persons: Donald Trump, Marco Bello, Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump, Netanyahu, Shlomo Karhi, Karhi, Andrew Bates, Bates, Joe Biden, Ron DeSantis, Trump's, Mike Pence, Asa Hutchinson, TRUMP, NETANYAHU, SOURS Trump, Biden, Israel, Qassem Soleimani, Bibi Netanyahu, Tim Reid, Nathan Layne, Doina Chiacu, Susan Heavey, Jeff Mason, Ross Colvin, Howard Goller Organizations: REUTERS, White, Israeli, Republican, Lebanese Hezbollah, Israel's, Democratic, Israel, Trump, Thomson Locations: West Palm Beach , Florida, U.S, Israel, Iran, Palestinian, Lebanese, Florida, New Hampshire, America, Arkansas, United States, Iraq, Gaza

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference, in Tel Aviv, Israel October 12, 2023. The question of Iranian access to the funds has been in the spotlight since Iran-backed Palestinian Hamas militants attacked Israel on Saturday, killing more than 1,300 people and taking scores of hostages back to the Palestinian Gaza Strip. "Iran will not be able to access the funds for the foreseeable future," a senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters. Several U.S. media outlets reported on Thursday that the United States and Qatar had agreed to stop Iran from accessing the money. It did not respond to a request for comment on whether Iran had yet tried to access the funds.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Jacquelyn Martin, Blinken, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's U.N, Donald Trump, John Kirby, Kirby, Parisa Hafezi, Andrew Mills, Michelle Nichols, Howard Goller Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, TEL, United, Washington, Reuters, U.S, U.S . Treasury, U.S ., Government, United Nations, Qatar's, Media, White House, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, TEL AVIV, WASHINGTON, United States, Iran, Qatar, Palestinian, U.S, Tehran, South Korea, Seoul after Washington, Islamic Republic of Iran, New York, Qatari

☆ Hundreds of Entertainers Sign Letter in Support of Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Over 700 people from the entertainment industry, including actors Gal Gadot, Michael Douglas and Jerry Seinfeld, signed an open letter in support of Israel in its conflict with Hamas, the Creative Community for Peace said on Thursday. CCFP, a non-profit entertainment industry organization, said the letter was the first of its kind and "a call from the entertainment industry unequivocally voicing support for Israel and condemning Hamas' terrorism." Gadot, the Israeli actor who shot to fame playing Wonder Woman, said she hoped the world remains steadfast in its support of the Israeli people. I’m praying for everyone who has been affected by Hamas’ terrorism and brutality," she said in the press release for the open letter. The letter also urges people to remember "the horrific images that came out of Israel."

Persons: Gal Gadot, Michael Douglas, Jerry Seinfeld, Kan, Gadot, Liev Schreiber, Chris Pine, Amy Schumer, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ryan Murphy, Antoine Fuqua, Haim Saban, Mary Milliken, Howard Goller Organizations: ANGELES, Reuters, Hamas, Creative Community, Peace, Israel, Power Rangers Locations: Israel, Gaza, Hollywood

Macron's interior minister had earlier banned pro-Palestinian protests, saying they were "likely to generate disturbances to public order". "This event is an earthquake for Israel, the Middle East and beyond," Macron said in a solemn TV address. BANNED RALLYDespite the ban, several hundred pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered in central Paris in separate groups that police forces sought to keep from merging. Macron has previously condemned the deadly attack by the Palestinian militant Hamas group and voiced solidarity with Israel. Two pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Paris had already been banned on Thursday for fear of outbursts when interior minister Gerald Darmanin told prefects to ban all pro-Palestinian demonstrations across the country.

Persons: Gerald Darmanin, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Let's, Charlotte Vautier, Layli Foroudi, Antonoa, Noemie Olive, Michel Rose, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Mark Heinrich, Howard Goller Organizations: Hamas, la Republique, French, Socialist, Green, Israel, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, la, Paris, PARIS, France, Gaza

Summary LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:"Civilians of Gaza City, evacuate south for your own safety...and distance yourself from Hamas terrorists who are using you as human shields," Israeli military says. The Israeli military said it would operate "significantly" in Gaza City in coming days and civilians should only return when advised. "Civilians of Gaza City, evacuate south for your own safety and the safety of your families and distance yourself from Hamas terrorists who are using you as human shields," the military said. "Hamas terrorists are hiding in Gaza City inside tunnels underneath houses and inside buildings populated with innocent Gazan civilians." [1/16]Palestinians flee their homes amid Israeli strikes, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Gaza City, October 13, 2023.

Persons: Yoav Gallant, Gilad Erdan, Israel, Cross, Fabrizio Carboni, Antony Blinken, Mohammed Salem, Blinken, Jordan's King Abdullah, Mahmoud Abbas, Hassan Nassrallah, Lloyd Austin, Austin, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mount Herzl, Khan Younis, Ibrahim Hamdan, Henriette Chacar, Dedi, Maayan Lubell, Emily Rose, Michelle Nichols, Emma Farge, Jeff Mason, Humeyra Pamuk, Steve Gorman, Dan Whitcomb, Michael Martina, Michael Perry, Michael Georgy, Philippa Fletcher, Howard Goller, Diane Craft, Nick Macfie Organizations: Hamas, United Nations, Shifa, International Committee, Food Programme, ICRC, U.S, NATO, REUTERS, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, United Arab, U.S . Defense, Washington, United, Police, FBI, Mount, Thomson Locations: Gaza City, Gaza, JERUSALEM, TEL AVIV, Israel, Japan, United States, Palestinian, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Lebanon, Turkey, UAE, Turkish, U.S, Paris, Amsterdam, London, New York, Los Angeles, Jerusalem, Gazans, Geneva, Washington, Tel Aviv

Palestinians break into the Israeli side of Israel-Gaza border fence after gunmen infiltrated areas of southern Israel, October 7, 2023. REUTERS/Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Iran likely knew that Palestinian Hamas militants were planning "operations against Israel" but initial U.S. intelligence reports show that some Iranian leaders were surprised by the Islamist group's unprecedented attack from Gaza, U.S. sources said on Wednesday. Those Iranian officials would ordinarily have been informed about such a massive operation by Hamas, which Tehran has long supported with weapons and funds, according to a person familiar with the intelligence. The source familiar with the intelligence told Reuters that U.S. intelligence agencies were still digging for any evidence of Iranian involvement as well as reviewing older intelligence for clues. Retaliatory Israeli strikes have killed 1,055 people and wounded more than 5,100, Gaza's Hamas authorities said.

Persons: Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa, John Kirby, BIDEN, Joe Biden, C.Q, Brown, Jonathan Landay, Matt Spetalnick, Jasper Ward, Howard Goller, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Hamas, U.S, White, MSNBC, New York Times, Reuters, U.S ., IRAN, Jewish, Wednesday, U.S . Joint Chiefs of Staff, Israel, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza, Iran, Gaza , U.S, Tehran, Brussels, U.S, Jasper

☆ Blinken to Israel on Middle East mission to prevent a wider war
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Humeyra Pamuk | Thomson Reuters | Humeyra Pamuk Is A Senior Foreign Policy Correspondent Based In Washington Dc. She Covers The U.S. State Department | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 11 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken headed to Israel on Wednesday on a Middle East mission to prevent a wider war from erupting after an attack and hostage-taking by Palestinian Hamas militants and an Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip. In a show of solidarity with Washington's closest Middle East ally, Blinken was due to meet senior Israeli officials, possibly including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to discuss further boosting military support. At least 22 Americans were killed during the attack, Blinken said. Biden has stopped short of an overt plea to Israel to show restraint to avoid Palestinian civilian casualties in Gaza. It was unclear whether Blinken might make such an appeal when he meets Israeli officials behind closed doors.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Joe Biden, Elizabeth Frantz, Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Washington, Alex Vatanka, Biden, Mahmoud Abbas, Humeyra Pamuk, Matt Spetalnick, Simon Lewis, Michelle Nichols, Howard Goller Organizations: Hamas, White, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . State Department, Health Ministry, BANK, United, United Arab Emirates, United Arab Emirates . U.S, Middle East Institute, Wednesday, Israel, West Bank, Palestinian Authority, Thomson Locations: Israel, Washington , U.S, Gaza, East, United States, U.S, Iran, Lebanese, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, United Arab, United Arab Emirates .

Biden despatched his top diplomat, Antony Blinken, to the Middle East to show Washington's enduring support for Israel, seek to secure the release of captives, including Americans, and prevent a wider war from erupting. HAMAS 'WILL CEASE TO EXIST,' ISRAELI DEFENSE CHIEF SAYSHamas-affiliated media said on Wednesday seven people were killed by Israeli air strikes on homes in Khan Younis in southern Gaza. Israel withdrew Jewish settlers and Israeli troops from Gaza in 2005 after 38 years of occupation. Washington said it was talking with Israel and Egypt about safe passage for civilians from Gaza, with food in short supply. Former Defense Minister Benny Gantz, a centrist opposition leader, spoke live on Israeli television alongside Netanyahu and Defense Minister Gallant after forming a war cabinet focused entirely on the conflict.

Persons: Biden, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Jordan, Mahmoud Abbas, Khan Younis, Abu Mustafa, Yoav Gallant, Benjamin Netanyahu, Washington, Benny Gantz, Netanyahu, Gallant, Gantz, Jeff Mason, Humeyra Pamuk, Jarrett Renshaw, Rami Ayyub, Simon Lewis, Maayan Lubell, Emily Rose, Nidal, Howard Goller Organizations: Wednesday, Iran, Hezbollah, West Bank, Palestinian, Health Ministry, Jewish, REUTERS, ISIS, Israeli, Islamic, Hamas, ISRAEL, Former, Defense, Unity Party, Thomson Locations: Iran, Israel, WASHINGTON, JERUSALEM, GAZA, Gaza, Palestinian, rampaged, Washington, Gaza , U.S, Khan, U.N, Israeli, Egypt, Jerusalem

☆ US House Republicans eye Scalise, Jordan for possible next speaker
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

2 House Republican and was long considered to be next in line after McCarthy. POSSIBLE: PATRICK MCHENRYRepresentative Patrick McHenry was named to step in as speaker pro tempore following McCarthy's ouster. Chair of the House Financial Services Committee, McHenry is a McCarthy ally who spoke in support of McCarthy before the ouster vote. POSSIBLE: KEVIN MCCARTHYThe former speaker has sent conflicting signals on whether he would seek a return, should Scalise and Jordan fail to capture support from 218 lawmakers. OUT: KEVIN HERNKevin Hern is chairman of the Republican Study Committee, a group of conservative Republicans.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, STEVE SCALISE, Steve Scalise, McCarthy, JIM JORDAN, Jim Jordan, Jordan, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Jordan's, PATRICK MCHENRY, Patrick McHenry, McHenry, KEVIN MCCARTHY, KEVIN HERN Kevin Hern, Makini Brice, Moira Warburton, Scott Malone, Howard Goller, David Gregorio, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: U.S . House, Republican, Democrat, Financial Services, Committee, Republicans, Thomson Locations: U.S, Louisiana, Ohio, North Carolina

☆ Belief in humanity gives son hope for mother missing after kibbutz raid
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Kate Holton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"She's the most loving, caring, peace-seeking, justice-seeking human being," he told Reuters of the grandmother of six. "She became an Arabic teacher and Hebrew teacher. Sitting in his kitchen in north London, Noam Sagi, 53, said his one hope was that when the militants come face-to-face with those they have taken they will see them not as a Jew or an Israeli, but as humans. I just hope that they will realise that you can't prioritise yours over anyone else," he said. Hamas has vowed to execute a captive for each home hit without warning.

Persons: Noam Sagi, Ada, Toby Melville, Ada Sagi, Noam, Nir Oz, Kate Holton, Howard Goller Organizations: Hamas, REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Israel

The surprise Hamas attack has dealt a blow to U.S. efforts to broker a landmark normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia and complicated Washington's approach toward Iran, Hamas' longtime benefactor. “Quite simply, all efforts at normalization are on hold for the foreseeable future,” said Jon Alterman, head of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, contradicting the official U.S. government line. Khaled Elgindy, a former Palestinian negotiations adviser, accused the Biden administration of leading an Israeli-Saudi normalization process that mostly bypassed the Palestinians and their hopes of ending Israeli occupation. “That sort of neglect is part of why we're seeing what we're seeing,” said Elgindy, now at the Middle East Institute. The immediate challenge is preventing the war from spiraling into a broader conflict, administration officials say, especially preventing the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah from opening a second front on Israel's northern border.

Persons: Joe Biden, Elizabeth Frantz, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, Israel, ”, Jon Alterman, John Kirby, “, ” Jonathan Panikoff, government’s, Khaled Elgindy, Elgindy, Panikoff, –, Netanyahu, Jake Sullivan, Biden’s, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Matt Spetalnick, Humeyra Pamuk, Simon Lewis, David Brunnstrom, Steve Holland, Alexander Cornwell, Parisa, Aziz El Yaakoubi, Heather Timmons, Howard Goller Organizations: Hamas, White, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Center for Strategic, International, White House National Security Council, Middle East Institute, Saudi, The Atlantic, Hezbollah, West Bank, Reuters, Atlantic Council, Thomson Locations: Israel, Washington , U.S, Saudi, Gaza, Ukraine, U.S, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Hamas, Tehran, Israeli, Riyadh, Washington, Lebanese, IRAN, Dubai

On Saturday, Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip rampaged through parts of southern Israel, killing hundreds of people in the deadliest Palestinian militant attack in Israel's history. Israel's embassy in Washington said the death toll from the weekend Hamas attacks had surpassed 1,000. U.S. officials say they do not have evidence Iran orchestrated the attacks, but point to Iran's longterm support for Hamas. Biden called the Hamas attacks "an act of sheer evil" and said Washington was rushing additional military assistance to Israel, including ammunition and interceptors to replenish the Iron Dome aerial defense system. Israeli soldiers went from house to house to take away the dead.

Persons: Ronen, Israel, Biden, Joe Biden, Israel's, Yoav Gallant, ", Washington, Antony Blinken, Matthew Miller, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Netanyahu, Benny Gantz, Gaza's Khan Younis, Ala Abu Tair, Abassan Al, Jawad Abu Shammala, Zakaria Abu Maamar, Khan Younis, Abu Shammala, Human Rights Volker Turk, Elad Hakim, Aza, Itai Veruv, Dan Williams, Emily Rose, Henriette Chacar, Ari Rabinovitch, Nidal, Maayan, Steve Holland, Nandita Bose, Rami Ayyub, Daphne Psaledakis, Simon Lewis, Howard Goller Organizations: REUTERS, Rockets, Hamas, U.S, Israel, Israeli, White, United, Department, Defence, The United Nations, Palestinian Foreign Ministry, Human Rights, West Bank, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Ashkelon, Lebanon, Syria, U.S, JERUSALEM, GAZA, WASHINGTON, Palestinian, Israel's, Washington, United States, Iran, Gaza's, U.N, East Jerusalem, Be'eri, stretchers, Europe, Jerusalem, Kfar Aza

On Saturday, Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip rampaged through parts of southern Israel, in the deadliest Palestinian militant attack in Israel's history. Israel's embassy in Washington said on Tuesday the death toll from the weekend Hamas attacks had surpassed 1,000. Biden called the Hamas attacks "an act of sheer evil" and said Washington was rushing additional military assistance to Israel, including ammunition and interceptors to replenish the Iron Dome aerial defense system. They were the first senior Hamas members killed since Israel began pounding the enclave. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, who denounced the Hamas attacks, said: "International humanitarian law is clear: the obligation to take constant care to spare the civilian population and civilian objects remains applicable throughout the attacks."

Persons: Kan, Joe Biden, —, Yoav Gallant, Israel, Biden, ", Washington, Antony Blinken, Matthew Miller, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Ammar Awad, Netanyahu, Benny Gantz, Khan Younis, Sabra, Gaza's Khan Younis, Ala Abu Tair, Abassan Al, Jawad Abu Shammala, Zakaria Abu Maamar, Abu Shammala, Human Rights Volker Turk, Dan Williams, Emily Rose, Henriette Chacar, Ari Rabinovitch, Nidal, Maayan, Steve Holland, Nandita Bose, Rami Ayyub, Daphne Psaledakis, Simon Lewis, Howard Goller Organizations: Hamas, U.S, Israel, Public, Israeli, White, United, Department, REUTERS, Defence, United Nations, Palestinian Foreign Ministry, Human Rights, West Bank, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza, Sabra, JERUSALEM, GAZA, WASHINGTON, Palestinian, Israel's, Washington, Lebanon, United States, Iran, U.S, Ashkelon, Israeli, Daraj Tuffah, Gaza City, Khan, Gaza's, U.N, East Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Kfar Aza, Lincoln

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