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Blinken Visits Egypt, But Skips a Stop in Israel, The New York Times
“I think we’re at a little bit of an inflection point in the whole diplomatic process,” said Jeremy Ben-Ami, the president of the center-left Israel advocacy group J Street. Mr. Ben-Ami said that the United States and other countries “are taking a step back to reassess strategy, and I think the fact that he’s not going to Israel is an indication that they don’t have something actively to promote.”
Israel Detonates Hezbollah Walkie-Talkies a Day After Pager Attack, Axios
Israel blew up thousands of two-way personal radios used by Hezbollah members in Lebanon in a second wave of an intelligence operation that started on Tuesday with the explosions of pager devices, two sources with knowledge of the operation told Axios. Lebanon’s health ministry said 14 people were killed and 450 wounded in the attacks on Wednesday. The walkie-talkies were booby-trapped in advance by Israeli intelligence services and then delivered to Hezbollah as part of the militia’s emergency communications system.
Israel’s Existential Threat from Within [Audio], The New York Times
In the last year, the world’s eyes have been on the war in Gaza, which still has no end in sight. But there is a conflict in another Palestinian territory that has gotten far less attention, where life has become increasingly untenable: the West Bank. Ronen Bergman, who has been covering the conflict, explains why things are likely to get worse, and the long history of extremist political forces inside Israel that he says are leading the country to an existential crisis.
Biden’s Arms Transfers to Israel Under Internal Investigation, The Washington Post
Government watchdogs with jurisdiction over the State Department and Pentagon are preparing to publish the results of multiple investigations scrutinizing the Biden administration’s provision of U.S. weapons to Israel for its military campaign in Gaza, and “several” related inquiries are either underway or planned, their offices told The Washington Post. The forthcoming inspector general reports, which are not yet public, follow complaints from within the U.S. government that the export of billions of dollars in arms to Israel has violated laws prohibiting the transfer of American military assistance to governments that have committed gross human rights violations or blocked the movement of humanitarian assistance.
UN General Assembly Widely Supports a Palestinian Resolution Demanding Israel End Its Occupation, AP
The vote in the 193-member world body was 124-14, with 43 abstentions. Among those in opposition was the United States, Israel’s closest ally. The resolution was adopted as Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza approaches its first anniversary and as violence in the West Bank reaches new highs.
Germany Denies It Halted Arms Exports to Israel Amid Alleged Humanitarian Law Violations, Haaretz
A government spokesman said: “There is no German arms export boycott against Israel.” This comes amid reports that Germany had paused new arms exports to Israel due to legal challenges, according to a source close to the Economy Ministry.
Saudi Arabia Will Not Recognise Israel Without Palestinian State, Says Crown Prince, Reuters
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday said the kingdom would not recognise Israel without a Palestinian state and strongly condemned the “crimes of the Israeli occupation” against the Palestinian people.
Israel’s Focus Shifts From Hamas in Gaza to Hezbollah in Lebanon, The New York Times
“The center of gravity is moving north, meaning that we are allocating forces, resources and energy for the northern arena,” Yoav Gallant, Israel’s defense minister, said on Wednesday in an address to troops at an air base in northern Israel. “We are at the start of a new phase in the war.”
Bernie Sanders Preparing Resolutions to Block $20B in Us Arms Sales to Israel, AP
Sen. Bernie Sanders is preparing several resolutions that would stop more than $20 billion in U.S. arms sales to Israel, a longshot effort but the most substantive pushback yet from Congress over the devastation in Gaza ahead of the first year anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war. In a letter to Senate colleagues on Wednesday, Sanders said the U.S. cannot be “complicit in this humanitarian disaster.”
US: ‘Additional Military Ops’ Not the Best Way to Prevent Israel-Hezbollah Escalation, The Times of Israel
Kirby said the US was not involved in the blasts, reiterating previous statements from American officials, while warning all sides against an escalation. “We still don’t want to see an escalation of any kind. We don’t believe that the way to solve where we’re at in this crisis is by additional military operations at all,” Kirby told reporters.
New Israeli Proposal Offers Sinwar, Hamas Members Safe Exit From Gaza in Exchange for All Hostages, Haaretz
Israel’s hostages and missing persons coordinator presented the proposal with the knowledge of the Israeli political leadership, amid difficulties in advancing the existing deal. According to estimates, Israel would formally adopt the plan if Hamas signals its willingness to move forward.
Israel’s Conduct in the War Will Consume Us All, Responsible Statecraft
Daniel L. Davis argues, “The number of men willing to take up arms against Israel today is likely many times more than the 30,000 it was last October. The damage done to Israeli security interests over the past 11 months has been incalculable. We likely won’t know for years to come just how much damage has been done. But before any more harm is done, before Netanyahu’s sledgehammer strategy produces even worse results, Washington should demand a change of course and a genuine effort to find a ceasefire — or be willing to use our leverage and withhold major weapons and ammunition deliveries.”
A Plan to Liquidate Northern Gaza Is Gaining Steam, +972
Meron Rapoport writes, “Other prominent Israelis, in recent months, have also called on the military to carry out mass extermination in northern Gaza. ‘Remove the entire civilian population from the north, and whoever remains there will be lawfully sentenced as a terrorist and subjected to a process of starvation or extermination,’ Prof. Uzi Rabi, a senior researcher at Tel Aviv University, elaborated in a radio interview on Sept. 15. And in August, according to a report in Ynet, government ministers had already started pressuring Netanyahu to ‘cleanse’ northern Gaza of its inhabitants.”
A Key Question Behind Israeli Attack on Hezbollah Devices: Why Now?, The Washington Post
Shira Rubin shares, “Whatever Israel’s initial intentions before unleashing the attack, the government will now face growing domestic pressure to capitalize on the momentum and hit Hezbollah while it is down, analysts said. The group has been striking ever deeper into Israel, including 30 attacks over the past two weeks on areas that have not been evacuated, according to Sarit Zehavi, a retired IDF lieutenant colonel and founder of Alma, a nonprofit focused on security in the north.”
Israel Must Implement UNGA Resolution by Ending Its Unlawful Occupation of Palestinian Territory, Amnesty International
Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General asserts, “Implementing the UNGA’s resolution is key to restoring faith in international law. This is a critical juncture for the international community. States, including allies of Israel, must ensure Israel complies with the resolution and puts an end to its persistent disregard for international law, human rights, and the historic injustices against Palestinians.”