A week after the start of the Israeli army’s large-scale ground operation in the Gaza Strip, the IDF announced Thursday evening that it had “completed the encirclement of Gaza City.” At the same time, the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, is due to speak this Friday, November 3 for his first intervention since the start of the war and to indicate whether or not his formation will engage in the conflict.
The head of American diplomacy, Antony Blinken, will be in Israel during the day, while the question of aid to Israel divides in the American House of Representatives.
France condemns strikes on Jabaliya refugee camp
“France condemns the attacks against United Nations sites and humanitarian personnel whose work is essential to the civilian populations of Gaza,” government spokesperson Olivier Véran said this Friday in a statement sent to AFP, after having reported earlier on BFMTV a “strong” condemnation of Paris after “the bombing of Jabaliya”, the largest refugee camp in the Gaza Strip.
Israel sends back Gazan workers
Israel announced on the night of Thursday to Friday to send back to Gaza all Gazan workers stranded since the Hamas attack on October 7, and to “cut all ties” with the territory controlled by the Islamist organization. “Gaza workers who were in Israel on the day the war began will be sent back to Gaza,” the Israeli security cabinet said in a statement. In general, “Israel cuts all ties with Gaza, there will be no more Palestinian workers from Gaza,” the cabinet stressed.
Some 18,500 Gazans had work permits in Israel at the start of the war, according to Cogat, the arm of the Israeli Defense Ministry overseeing civilian activities in the Palestinian Territories.
Blinken expected in Israel this Friday
The head of American diplomacy Antony Blinken, expected in Israel this Friday, called for “concrete measures” to spare civilians. “We are going to talk about concrete steps that can and must be taken to minimize the harm to the men, women and children of Gaza,” Blinken said before leaving Washington.
The American Secretary of State is beginning his second tour of the Middle East since the start of the war triggered by the bloody Hamas attack on October 7. Against a backdrop of fears of a regional conflagration, the powerful leader of Lebanese Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, must speak for the first time this Friday and indicate whether his formation, allied with Palestinian Hamas and supported by Iran, will enter the conflict.
Bill for Israel approved in the United States, but threatened with presidential veto
The American House of Representatives, dominated by Republicans, approved on Thursday a military aid program of nearly 14.5 billion dollars (approximately 13.5 billion euros) for Israel. The conservative measure, however, has very little chance of success, the Democratic leader having already threatened to veto the text, if the law did not also include support for Ukraine.
Joe Biden wants to impose a global project of 106 billion dollars which, in addition to Israel and Ukraine, would support the efforts of the United States to counter China and ensure security on its border with Mexico.
Many Republicans oppose sending additional aid to Ukraine. Washington is the largest provider of military aid to Kiev, having committed tens of billions of dollars since the Russian invasion in February 2022. Joe Biden’s promise to continue financial support to Ukraine is in jeopardy
Gaza “surrounded”
The Israeli army announced Thursday evening that it had “completed the encirclement of Gaza City”, a week after the start of its ground operation in the Palestinian territory. She had earlier said troops were “infiltrating deeper and deeper” into Hamas-held areas, reporting “close quarters” fighting. On the Palestinian side, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad also reported “very close fighting”. Hamas’ military wing warned Israel that Gaza would be its “curse.”
New Israeli bombardment on the Jabaliya camp
The Hamas government announced Thursday that at least 27 people were killed in an Israeli strike near a UN school in the Jabaliya refugee camp, the third bombing on the camp in three days. Tuesday and Wednesday, strikes left 195 dead, 777 injured and 120 missing under the rubble, according to Hamas – figures that cannot be verified by independent sources. According to Israel, Tuesday’s bombing made it possible to “eliminate” a senior Hamas leader.