Associated Press: Israeli Troops Advance Toward Gaza City As The Palestinian Death Toll Rises Above 9,000

“Israeli troops battling Hamas militants encircled Gaza City on Thursday, the military said, as the Palestinian death toll rose above 9,000. U.S. and Arab leaders raised pressure on Israel to ease its siege of Gaza and at least briefly halt its attacks in order to aid civilians. Nearly four weeks after Hamas’ deadly rampage in Israel sparked the war, U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken was heading to the region for talks Friday in Israel and Jordan following President Joe Biden’s suggestion for a humanitarian “pause” in the fighting. The aim would be to let in aid for Palestinians and let out more foreign nationals and wounded. Around 800 people left over the past two days. Israel did not immediately respond to Biden’s suggestion. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has previously ruled out a cease-fire, said Thursday: “We are advancing … Nothing will stop us.” He vowed to destroy Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip. An airstrike Thursday smashed a residential building to rubble in the Bureij refugee camp several miles south of Gaza City. One boy, his face covered in blood, cried as workers dug him out of the dirt and wreckage. Others rushed wounded men and women, covered in dust, away on stretchers or wrapped in blankets. At a nearby hospital, doctors tried to stanch the flow of blood from the head of a child laid out on the floor.”

Reuters: Uncertain Future Awaits Afghan Nationals Repatriated By Pakistan

“Pakistan opened more border centres on Friday to expedite the return of tens of thousands of undocumented Afghan nationals, an official said, ignoring calls by refugee groups to reconsider its mass expulsion plans. Facilities at the northwestern border crossing of Torkham, where most immigrants are re-entering Afghanistan, have been increased three times to cater to the rising number of returnees, said Abdul Nasir Khan, deputy commissioner for the Khyber district. "Everything is normal now as the returnees no longer needed to wait in queues for hours," he told Reuters of the crossing, where thousands had thronged after a Wednesday deadline expired for Afghans in the country illegally to leave. Those arriving in Afghanistan complained of hardships they had to face to move out of Pakistan and uncertainty over their future. "We spent three days on border in Pakistan. We had very bad situation," said Mohammad Ismael Rafi, 55, who said he lived for 22 years in the southwestern Pakistani border town of Chaman where he had a retail business. "Thank God that we have arrived back to our country," he said. It took him six days to leave his home in Pakistan with his 16 family members and belongings to reach a makeshift tent village on the other side of the border.”

CEP Mentions

Politico: As The Middle East Strains, Fears Of Extremism Rise

“…Pro-IS groups have also been active in this time, praising the savage Hamas attacks and calling for action on European soil. On October 22, the pro-IS Tala’a al-Ansar Foundation released a video celebrating the Brussels shooting and urged its supporters to launch copycat attacks, according to the Counter Extremism Project.”

United States

NBC: At Least 79 Americans Have Exited Into Egypt As Biden Calls For 'Pause' To Get Hostages Out Of Gaza

“More Americans and others were able to pass through the Rafah crossing out of Gaza and into Egypt on Thursday, while Israel’s military reported that it was encircling Gaza City in the north and fighting continued. Israel’s military said that a cease-fire is not on the table as it wages war on Hamas. World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that conditions for civilians, as well as those wounded and pregnant women, are dire. “We’re running out of words to describe the horror unfolding in Gaza,” he said. He called for at least a humanitarian pause in the fighting to get badly needed aid to hospitals. Thirteen Democratic senators in a letter called for a “short-term cessation of hostilities that pose high-risk to civilians, aid workers and humanitarian aid delivery in Gaza.” In the House, a Republican-led measure was passed that would provide $14.3 billion in aid to Israel — but which does not include aid to Ukraine — and which would also rescind the same amount from new funding for the IRS that was approved in a 2022 law signed by President Biden. Democrats called the House Republicans bill dead on arrival in the Senate. Biden and Senate Democrats are backing a broader approach, pushing for $106 billion for both Israel and Ukraine aid and humanitarian aid for Gaza, as well as funding for U.S. border operations, in one package.”

NBC: Biden Officials Voice New Concerns And Warnings Over Israel’s War With Hamas

“As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens and the death toll among Palestinian civilians continues to rise, there is growing concern among top Biden administration officials about how the Israelis are carrying out the war and uncertainty about whether they can be reined in, according to two current and two former senior U.S. officials familiar with the internal discussions. Some administration officials also are worried that the U.S. could become more and more isolated on the world stage over President Joe Biden’s close alignment with Israel — and that he will be blamed for some of the Israeli military’s actions, according to three current and former officials. Biden and his top aides have in the past week adjusted the administration’s public message to emphasize concern for Palestinian civilians and U.S. efforts to get them humanitarian relief. The shift follows growing criticism at home and abroad of Biden’s decision to swiftly and staunchly back Israel’s military response to Hamas while initially speaking less forcefully about protecting Palestinians; meanwhile, images of civilian casualties in Gaza continue to ricochet around the world.”

NBC: Biden Campaign Heads To Miami To Dig At 'MAGA Extremism' During The GOP Debate

“When Republicans take the stage next week in Miami for their party’s third presidential primary debate, President Joe Biden’s campaign plans to make Florida and some of its most famous residents a central part of its response.  Although he won’t be on the stage, Democrats are expected to focus their message once again on former President Donald Trump’s policies, “made even worse by Ron DeSantis’ extremism,” according to a Biden campaign official. As part of its presence, the Biden re-election effort will also strategically place billboards around Trump’s expected rally in nearby Hialeah that evening as a way to respond to the counterprogramming, in addition to the main event. “Higher costs, ripping away freedoms, banning abortion, and lining the pockets of special interests on the backs of middle class families — that’s the Florida Blueprint brought to you by MAGA Republicans, and the American people simply cannot afford that kind of outdated, failed leadership in the White House,” Biden-Harris campaign manager Julie Chávez Rodriguez said in a statement to NBC News. “This is the MAGA extremism Donald Trump created and every Republican running for president has embraced and emulates. It’s also exactly the kind of unpopular, out-of-touch agenda the American people consistently reject at the ballot box,” she said.”

Afghanistan

Reuters: Border Crossing With Afghanistan Swamped By Afghans After Pakistani Expulsion Order

“Thousands of people swamped Pakistan's main northwestern border crossing seeking to cross into Afghanistan on Thursday, a day after the government's deadline expired for undocumented foreigners to leave or face expulsion. Pakistani authorities began rounding up undocumented foreigners, most of them Afghans, hours before Wednesday's deadline. More than a million Afghans could have to leave or face arrest and forcible expulsion as a result of the ultimatum delivered by the Pakistan government a month ago. Scrambling to cope with the sudden influx, the Taliban-run administration in Afghanistan said temporary transit camps had been set up, and food and medical assistance would be provided, but relief agencies reported dire conditions across the border. "The organisations' teams stationed in the areas where people are returning from Pakistan have reported chaotic and desperate scenes among those who have returned," the Norwegian Refugee Council, Danish Refugee Council and International Rescue Committee said in a joint statement. The Pakistani government has brushed off calls from the United Nations, rights groups and Western embassies to reconsider its expulsion plan, saying Afghans had been involved in Islamist militant attacks and in crime that undermined the security of the country.”

Pakistan

ABC: Pakistan Demolishes Homes, Raids Neighbourhoods To Force Millions Of Afghans To Leave

“Chaotic and desperate scenes have unfolded in Afghanistan as thousands of people return from neighbouring Pakistan, where security forces are detaining and deporting undocumented or unregistered foreigners. Three major aid organisations — the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) — said many people fleeing the Pakistani crackdown arrived in Afghanistan in poor condition. "The conditions in which they arrive in Afghanistan are dire, with many having endured arduous journeys spanning several days, exposed to the elements, and often forced to part with their possessions in exchange for transportation," the agencies said in a statement. Pakistan's crackdown on illegal migration mostly affects Afghans because they are the majority of foreigners living in Pakistan, although the government said it was targeting all who are in the country illegally. According to NRC estimates, there are 4.4 million Afghan refugees living in Pakistan, with 1.73 million who have no legal documents to stay. Many seem to have heeded the message from Pakistan and in the past few days about 10,000 Afghans have been returning every day.”

Lebanon

The New York Times: Hezbollah’s Leader Addresses Followers About The War As Concerns Over Wider Mideast Tensions Grow.

“…Large screens had been put up in a number of locations throughout Lebanon for the speech by Mr. Nasrallah, who has not spoken publicly since Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7. Thousands of his supporters gathered to watch at the largest event, in the southern suburbs of Beirut, which was decorated with Hezbollah and Palestinian flags. “We are for you, Nasrallah,” supporters chanted. As the war has heightened tensions across the Middle East, officials from across the region and beyond are closely watching Hezbollah, a Hamas ally that is also supported by Iran and committed to the destruction of Israel, for signs that the violence could spread. Hezbollah, like Hamas, has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States and other countries. Early in the speech, which is ongoing, Mr. Nasrallah said in an implied reference to the Oct. 7 attack that there was no battle that was more justified from a religious and moral perspective “than the battle with these Zionists.”  He suggested that a “great event” had been needed to restore the Palestinian cause as “the number one issue in the world.”

Reuters: Hezbollah Leader Set To Weigh In On Middle East War

“Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah will on Friday make his first public comments since the Palestinian group Hamas and Israel went to war, a speech that will be scrutinised for clues on how the group's role in the conflict might evolve. A formidable military force backed by Iran, Hezbollah has been engaging Israeli forces along the border, where 55 of its fighters have been killed in the deadliest escalation since it fought a war with Israel in 2006. On the eve of the speech, Hezbollah mounted what appeared to be its biggest attack yet in more than three weeks of fighting, saying it launched 19 simultaneous strikes on Israeli army positions and using explosive drones for the first time. Israel responded with air strikes along with tank and artillery fire as the fighting on the border escalated. However, with the clashes so far mostly contained to the frontier, Hezbollah has still only drawn on a fraction of the firepower with which Nasrallah has been threatening Israel for years. Many people in Lebanon are anxiously awaiting the 3 p.m. (1300 GMT) speech, rattled for weeks by fear of a catastrophic conflict. Some say they are not making plans beyond Friday, believing his remarks will signal the chances of escalation.”

Wall Street Journal: Russia’s Wagner Group Plans To Send Air Defenses To Hezbollah, U.S. Says

“Wagner Group, the Russian paramilitary organization, plans to provide an air-defense system to Hezbollah, the Lebanese militia, U.S. officials say, citing intelligence. The Russian SA-22 system they plan to send uses antiaircraft missiles and air-defense guns to intercept aircraft. One U.S. official said that Washington hasn’t confirmed that the system has been sent. But officials are monitoring discussions involving Wagner and Hezbollah, and officials say the potential delivery is a major concern. The Russian. Embassy didn’t respond to a request for comment, but a U.S. spokeswoman expressed concern Thursday night about the potential weapons transfer. “The information that was reported by The Wall Street Journal is concerning,” said Adrienne Watson, the spokeswoman for the White House’s National Security Council. “We know that Russia has refused to condemn Hamas for its horrific terrorist attack on Israel and they recently hosted Hamas officials in Moscow. This comes as Russia is continuing to commit atrocities in Ukraine.” In Syria, Wagner troops have played an important role in shoring up the country’s leader, President Bashar al-Assad, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.”

Middle East

Bloomberg: Israel’s Fight With Iran Proxies In Syria Poisons Russia Ties

“Since it went to war with Hamas early last month, Israel has stepped up strikes against Iran-backed militias in Syria which have moved close to the Israeli border. The development comes with a key shift in Israeli policy — it no longer always warns Syria’s patron Russia in advance of attacks on Syrian territory. The change, reported by people familiar with the situation, along with the stepped-up assaults, is worsening already troubled relations between Israel and Russia. There’s a danger, moreover, of Syria emerging as a new front in the Israel-Hamas war, a situation the US and regional allies are trying to avoid as they seek to contain the conflict. Tensions are already high on Israel’s border with Lebanon, Hezbollah’s base and from where it’s exchanging fire with the Israeli military on a daily basis. “Spillover into Syria is not just a risk; it has already begun,” Geir Pedersen, the United Nations special envoy for the country, said this week. “Fuel is being added to a tinderbox that was already beginning to ignite.” Over the last decade, Syria became a global battleground. The US has almost 1,000 troops there to counter Islamist extremists and Turkey is fighting Kurdish groups in the north. Iran and Russia, meanwhile, are helping President Bashar al-Assad stay in power. Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed, and millions forced to flee.”

CNBC: Strait Of Hormuz Is In Focus As Israel-Hamas War Threatens To Spread

“It’s been nearly four weeks since Israel declared war on Palestinian militant group Hamas, and as the conflict in Gaza enters the second stage, concerns of a spillover into the wider Middle East region is also mounting. Market observers are keeping a close eye on the the Strait of Hormuz — the world’s most important oil transit chokepoint, to see if there may be any potential impact. The strait, which sits between Oman and Iran, is a vital channel where about one fifth of global oil production flow daily, according to the Energy Information Administration. It is a strategically important waterway linking crude producers in the Middle East with key markets across the world. On Oct. 7, Hamas militants launched a multi-pronged attack by land, sea and air and infiltrated Israel, killing more than 1,400 people. In retaliation, Israel launched air strikes and a ground invasion into the Gaza Strip, which has so far killed more than 9,000 people in the enclave. Risks of it spiraling into a wider conflict remain. The U.S. has deployed military assets to the region to support Israel which is fending off rocket volleys from Iran-backed militants in neighboring Lebanon and Syria.”

The Times Of Israel: IDF Troops Clash With Palestinian Gunmen In West Bank, Raze Terrorist’s Home In Nablus

“The Israel Defense Forces says troops clashed with Palestinian gunmen and rioters in the West Bank overnight, and demolished the home of a Hamas terrorist charged with involvement in a deadly shooting attack in February. The Palestinian Authority health ministry reports that seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces overnight. The military says troops entered the West Bank city of Nablus to demolish the home of Khaled Kharousha, the son of the perpetrator of the Huwara shooting attack in February that left brothers Hallel and Yagel Yaniv dead, and who is charged with helping plan the attack. Amid the operation, troops arrested three wanted Palestinians affiliated with Hamas, and clashed with gunmen, the IDF says. Meanwhile, in Jenin, the IDF says it carried out an airstrike against a group of gunmen hurling explosive devices at Israeli forces. Clashes have been reported elsewhere in the West Bank. The PA health ministry says three were killed in Jenin, two in Hebron, one in Nablus and another in Qalandiya. The IDF says that since the war in the Gaza Strip began on October 7, troops have arrested more than 1,260 wanted Palestinians in the West Bank, including some 760 affiliated with Hamas.”

Nigeria

BBC: Boko Haram Kills 37 In Nigeria's Yobe State - Police

“The mourners died after their vehicle drove over an explosive device planted by the insurgents in Yobe state. On Monday, the militants shot dead 17 people in a raid on Gurokayeya village. Boko Haram orchestrated the attacks after the villagers refused to pay a so-called harvest tax, police said. The militants have frequently been accused of extorting payments from residents in north-eastern Nigeria to fund their operations and to exert control over communities. "This is one of the most horrific attacks by Boko Haram in recent times. For a burial group to be attacked shortly after the loss of their loved ones is beyond horrific," resident Idris Geidam told the Associated Press news agency. Yobe police spokesman Dungus Abdulkarim said that 10 members of the burial group died on the spot while another 10 died at a health centre where they were rushed to for treatment. The incident occurred on Tuesday - a day after the deadly raid on Gurokayeya village. The attacks are the first major assault that Boko Haram has waged in Yobe in more than a year. State authorities said they suspected that the militants had arrived from neighbouring Borno state, where Boko Haram has carried out several attacks against civilians this year.”