I hope you are doing well.

I’m writing to share updates from the region over the past week, including the US-led effort to negotiate a resolution to the conflict in Lebanon, concerns about an Iranian response to Israel’s October 26 strikes, and the potentially devastating consequences of new legislation targeting UNRWA passed by the Knesset.

As always, please feel free to reach out to J Street’s Public Affairs staff with any questions.

All the best,
Lily

—
Lily Adelstein
She/Her
Deputy Director of Government Affairs, J Street
Cell: 202-699-2701
J Street’s Congressional Resource Page

This week on j street

STATEMENT

J Street Urges American Action to Prevent New Israeli Ban on UNRWA From Going Into Effect Amid Worsening Humanitarian Situation

STATEMENT

J Street Statement in Response to Israeli Strike on Iran

U.S. ramps up pressure on Israel to address Gaza crisis ahead of deadline

The Biden administration is ratcheting up pressure on the Israeli government to meet a set of demands from the U.S. to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza… U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin sent a letter on Oct. 13 to their Israeli counterparts with an ultimatum: Israel must take steps within 30 days to improve the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza or risk the supply of U.S. weapons to Israel being affected… Over the past several weeks, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has been conducting an operation in northern Gaza that has sharply cut humanitarian aid to the area to its lowest levels since the war began more than one year ago…Israel says the goal of the operation, which is focused on the city of Jabalia, is to prevent Hamas from regrouping.

Deadly Israeli strike targeted ‘spotter’ on Beit Lahia building’s roof, official says

Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said more than 90 Palestinians, including 25 children, were killed or missing beneath the rubble of the building, which collapsed as a result of the strike. The military official said it was not a planned strike and troops did not know the building was being used as a shelter for displaced people. They also said there were discrepancies between the number of casualties reported and what the military had observed. The strike provoked a strong response from Israel’s closest ally, the US, which described it as a “horrifying incident with a horrifying result” and demanded an explanation. On Wednesday, after the military official had spoken to reporters, US state department spokesman Matthew Miller said Israel was “not doing enough to get us the answers that we have requested”.

Iran preparing major retaliatory strike from Iraq within days, Israeli intel suggests

Israeli intelligence suggests Iran is preparing to attack Israel from Iraqi territory in the coming days, possibly before the U.S. presidential election, two Israeli sources tell Axios… Israel and Iran have been engaged in an escalating tit-for-tat for weeks. Carrying the attack out through pro-Iranian militias in Iraq and not directly from Iranian territory could be an attempt by Iran to avoid another Israeli attack against strategic targets in Iran… The sources said Israeli intelligence suggests the attack is expected to be carried out from Iraq using a large number of drones and ballistic missiles.

What Will Israel’s UNRWA Ban Look Like for Palestinians? Experts Warn of ‘A Massive Ripple Effect’

The new legislation – which is supported by Israeli lawmakers from almost every political party – states that UNRWA cannot have representation, provide services or conduct activities directly or indirectly on sovereign Israeli soil. It also revokes the group’s privileges, including tax exemptions, diplomatic status and immunity. Through the bills, the Israeli Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories unit would be required to cease working with UNRWA. This would mean halting operations in the Shoafat refugee camp in East Jerusalem, as the area is considered by Israel to be annexed territory. It would also make it significantly more difficult for the agency to operate in the West Bank and Gaza.

U.S. gaining confidence ceasefire in Lebanon can be reached soon

A U.S. official said Biden adviser Amos Hochstein’s mediation trip to Beirut last week made progress towards a deal, especially around Hezbollah’s willingness to cut a deal with Israel separate from the war in Gaza… The draft agreement includes a commitment by both Israel and the Lebanese government to take steps towards full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 that ended the 2006 war in Lebanon. According to the draft, the Lebanese army and UNIFIL would be the only armed groups deployed in southern Lebanon.

U.S. inundated with claims that American arms killed Gaza civilians

The Biden administration has received nearly 500 reports alleging that Israel used U.S.-supplied weapons for attacks that caused unnecessary harm to civilians in the Gaza Strip, but it has failed to comply with its own policies requiring swift investigations of such claims, according to people familiar with the matter. At least some of these cases presented to the State Department over the past year probably amount to violations of U.S. and international law, these people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss internal deliberations. The reports are received from across the U.S. government, international aid organizations, nonprofits, media reports and other eyewitnesses. Dozens include photo documentation of U.S.-made bomb fragments at sites where scores of children were killed, according to human rights advocates briefed on the process.

US urges Israel to extend waiver on co-operation with Palestinian banks

Israel’s decision for a month’s waiver extension on co-operation between Israeli and Palestinian banks covered a “very short term” and would create “another looming crisis” by Nov. 30, the United States warned on Thursday. The remarks came after a spokesman for Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he would sign the waiver to extend banks’ co-operation for another month after the cabinet agreed. “The very short-term duration of this extension creates another looming crisis by Nov. 30, exacerbating uncertainty for international banks, Israeli companies operating in the West Bank, and, most importantly, for ordinary Palestinians,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a joint statement. They urged Israel to extend the banking relationships for at least a year to avert an economic crisis in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, warning that its own security was at stake.

As Gaza Talks Resume, Little Progress Is Expected Before the U.S. Election

As the Biden administration makes a final diplomatic push in the Middle East before next week’s U.S. presidential election, little is expected to be achieved before the result is known, officials and analysts in the region said on Monday. Envoys from Israel, Egypt, the United States and Qatar renewed talks in Doha, the Qatari capital, on Monday over a cease-fire in Gaza. American mediators were also expected this week to continue to try to reach a truce between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. But few expect a conclusive result from either effort before the election next Tuesday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel waiting to see who will succeed President Biden before committing to a diplomatic trajectory, according to four officials briefed on Israel’s internal thinking. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss sensitive diplomacy.

J STREET GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS NEWS DIGEST | November 1, 2024