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

🇬🇧 🇮🇱 🇵🇸 Kay Burley: "Whats the view on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza this morning?"

The Israeli ambassador to the UK: "There is no humanitarian crisis..."

"There isn't?"

"There isn't"

📎 Saul Staniforth

🇵🇸🇪🇺 - Upon the EU's request, Telegram has blocked Hamas' official channel in the EU.

🇮🇱 🇱🇧 🇵🇸 Invasion delay due to fear of Hezbollah

A number of factors seem to have caused a delay, but sources have told The Jerusalem Post that one factor has been a growing concern that Hezbollah is waiting for the moment that most IDF ground forces are committed to Gaza to open a full front with the IDF in the north.

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-768684

🇧🇪🇮🇱🇵🇸🔴⚡️- Footage from the Brussels attack

— 🇮🇱/🇮🇷 Iranian Foreign Minister, Amir Abdollahian: In the coming hours, there is a real possibility of pre-emptive action by the resistance axis

@Middle_East_Spectator

🇷🇺🇮🇱📞 President of Russia Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Prime Minister of the State of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu.

The focus was on the crisis situation caused by the dramatic escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The President of Russia expressed his sincere condolences to the families and friends of the Israeli victims and stressed his total rejection and condemnation of any actions that result in civilian casualties, including among women and children.

Vladimir Putin laid out the steps being taken by Russia to help normalise the situation, to prevent the further escalation of violence and to avert a humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip. In particular, the Israeli side was informed of the key points of today's telephone calls with the leaders of Palestine, Egypt, Iran and Syria.

☝️ Russia’s principled commitment to continue its work to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and achieve a peaceful settlement through political and diplomatic means was reaffirmed.

🇺🇸🇮🇱⚡️- Biden to visit Israel on Wednesday.