— 🇮🇱/🇱🇧 NEW: Earlier today, the IDF announced it will evacuate 28 Israeli settlements near Lebanon

@Middle_East_Spectator

🇺🇸⚡️- Biden has postponed a trip to Colorado and will remain in Washington D.C. due to "meetings related to national security," per al-Arabiya.

🇮🇱🇵🇸⚡️- Rockets towards Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, just as a session of the Knesset was underway.

🇮🇱🇵🇸⚡️- More rocket barrages towards Tel Aviv.

🇮🇱🇱🇧⚡️- Israel is conducting artillery missions against various settlements in Southern Lebanon.

🇺🇸🇺🇦🇮🇱🇵🇸🏦 - Janet Yellen: “We can certainly afford two wars” - Sky News

🇮🇱🇵🇸⚡️- Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar in a letter to the organization's employees admits the failure and takes responsibility: "Despite a series of actions we performed, unfortunately, on Shabbat we were unable to create a sufficient warning that would allow the attack to be thwarted. As the one who heads the organization - the responsibility for this is mine. There will be time for investigations. now we fight" - Kann

🇷🇺🤝🇨🇳🛡️🇵🇸🇺🇳- Meeting between Wang Yi, Sergey Lavrov comes ahead of 3rd BRI forum to discuss Palestine issue.

"It is necessary for the United Nations Security Council to take action, and major powers should play an active role,”"The fundamental strategy is to activate the ‘two-state solution' as soon as possible... and road map for the restoration of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian nation," - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi as per Anadolu

🇺🇸 🇮🇱 🇵🇸 The U.S. military has selected roughly 2,000 troops to prepare for a potential deployment to support Israel, U.S. defense officials said. The troops are tasked with missions like advising and medical support, the officials said, and they are from across the U.S. armed services. They aren't intended to serve in a combat role, the officials said. No infantry have been put on prepare-to-deploy order.

The troops are currently stationed both inside the Middle East and outside, including Europe, the officials said. It isn't clear under what circumstances the U.S. could deploy the troops or to where, but the Pentagon decision signaled it is preparing to support Israeli troops should Israel launch a ground incursion into Gaza.

https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/israel-hamas-war-gaza-palestinians/card/u-s-picks-troops-to-prepare-for-potential-deployment-to-middle-east-0pYNLxiZ7dmUbN6NxCML

https://archive.ph/gjK8V

🇮🇱🇵🇸🇷🇺⚡️- Netanyahu and Putin spoke on the phone about the war in Gaza - Axios

Video: The moment the Rafah crossing was targeted by the Israeli army earlier today.

🇸🇦🤝🇵🇸- The director general of the Iranian Foreign Ministry for consular affairs and Saudi Arabia's Ambassador to Tehran Abdullah bin Saud al-Anzi have exchanged views on consular issues. - Tehran Times

Turkish Foreign Minister is set to attend an extraordinary Organization of Islamic Cooperation meeting focusing on the ongoing crisis in Gaza, especially the actions of the Israeli military Read more

🇨🇳 🇺🇸 🇮🇱 "China set to strategically benefit so long as Middle East stays messy. Pits US/Israel vs Arab states/Iran/Hamas. Divide allows Beijing to more easily gain influence with latter group by opposing Israel and offering alternative partner to US. But hot war would pose new challenges."

🇮🇱 🇷🇺 🇨🇳 How the Israel-Hamas War Is Tilting the Global Power Balance in Favor of Russia, China

⬛️ Moscow and Beijing seek to ride the wave of solidarity with Palestinians while taking advantage of American distraction

🔶️ The war between Israel and Hamas isn’t just risking a regional conflagration. It is also affecting the global balance of power, stretching American and European resources while relieving pressure on Russia and providing new opportunities to China.

🔶️ The long-term effect of the Middle East flare-up is hard to predict. It depends, first of all, on whether Israel is ultimately successful in its stated goal of eliminating Hamas as Gaza’s main military and political force. Another critical issue is whether Israel’s diplomatic relationships in the region and the global standing of its Western supporters can survive the rising civilian casualties in Gaza and the looming horrors of urban warfare in the densely populated enclave.

https://www.wsj.com/world/how-the-israel-hamas-war-is-tilting-the-global-power-balance-in-favor-of-russia-china-6fe4710a

https://archive.ph/L5Wgp

🇮🇱 ❌️ 🇨🇳 The Israeli Embassy in China locked down its comment board on Weibo after receiving widespread backlash for publishing a sour post in which it blamed China for not adopting its side.

In the post published by the Israeli Embassy in China today, the Embassy said:

🇮🇱"Hamas is a barbaric terrorist group, and China should strongly and unwaveringly denounce its actions. "

🇨🇳 The Chinese Foreign Minister has stated emphatically that "on the question of Palestine, China will continue to stand on the side of peace, on the side of justice, on the side of international law, on the side of shared aspirations of the majority of countries in the world, and on the side of human conscience."

https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng./wjdt_665385/wshd_665389/202310/t20231014_11160987.html

📎 Eivor Vågslid

— 🇨🇴/🇮🇱 NEW: Colombia expels the Israeli ambassador

@Middle_East_Spectator

🇺🇸🤝🇮🇱- Blinken convening with the War Cabinet

🇺🇸🤝🇮🇱- Hamas' Qassam Brigades strike Tel Aviv while PM Netanyahu, US Secretary of State Blinken, and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant were meeting with other officials during war cabinet meeting.

They had to flee to shelters. - 📎 The Cradle

🇺🇳🇮🇱🇵🇸⚡️Israel's disproportionate strikes on Gaza are a war crime - UN commission

✡️ 🇮🇱 🇵🇸 "@JGreenblattADL of the @ADL went on MSNBC and claimed that anyone who opposed Zionism is for "genocide." He then claimed that every Jew, even if atheist, is a Zionist"

📎 Chief Trumpster