J Street works to promote an open, honest and rigorous conversation about Israel. The opinions reflected in articles posted in the News Roundup do not necessarily reflect J Street’s positions, and their posting does not constitute an endorsement from J Street.
J Street Supports President Biden’s Urgent Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire Proposal, J Street
Far too many civilians have been killed already. Millions of Israelis are living under the intolerable threat of rocket fire from Hezbollah, which risks overwhelming missile defense systems. Thousands of families have been displaced from their homes along the border. The longer this continues, the more a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal slips from reach.
Netanyahu Walks Back Lebanon Ceasefire Comments, Says He “Shares the Aims” of U.S. Plan, Axios
On Thursday, Netanyahu’s confidant Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer met with Biden’s advisers Brett McGurk and Amos Hochstein. A U.S. official said it was a tough meeting. Later Dermer met with Secretary of State Antony Blinken who told him “it is important” to reach an agreement on the 21-day ceasefire across the Israel-Lebanon border and a diplomatic settlement that will allow civilians on both sides of the border to return to their homes, the State Department said.
Hamas Stopped Responding to Gaza Cease-fire, Hostage Deal Proposals, Diplomatic Source Says, Haaretz
The source added, “The head of the Mossad is attempting to initiate new efforts. Recently, there has been an attempt to discuss less contentious issues, such as the number of prisoners to be released in exchange for each hostage, in hopes of eliciting a response or agreement from Hamas to advance discussions. However, even this has not garnered a response.”
Israel Rejects US-Backed Lebanon Ceasefire Plan, Hits Beirut Again, Reuters
Israel rejected global calls on Thursday for a ceasefire with the Hezbollah movement, defying its biggest ally the U.S. and pressing ahead with strikes that have killed hundreds in Lebanon and heightened fears of an all-out regional war. An Israeli warplane struck the edges of the capital Beirut, killing two people and wounding 15, including a woman in critical condition, Lebanon’s health ministry said.
Israel Says It Killed Another Hezbollah Commander in Beirut, The New York Times
The Israeli military said the commander, Mohamed Hussein Sarour, also known as Abu Saleh, was killed in the strike. There was no immediate confirmation from Hezbollah, as of Thursday afternoon. Lebanon’s health ministry said two people were killed in the attack, but it did not identify them.
Israel Says It Has Secured $8.7 Billion U.S. Aid Package, Reuters
The package includes $3.5 billion for essential wartime procurement, which has already been received and earmarked for critical military purchases, and $5.2 billion designated for air defense systems including the Iron Dome anti-missile system, David’s Sling and an advanced laser system.
Leader of Palestinian Authority Denounces Israeli Gaza Offensive at UN, Insists: ‘We Will Not Leave’, AP
Abbas strode to the podium to loud applause and a few unintelligible shouts. His first words were a sentence repeated three times: “We will not leave. We will not leave. We will not leave.” He accused Israel of destroying Gaza and making it unlivable. And he said that his government should govern post-war Gaza as part of an independent Palestinian state, a vision that Israel’s hardline government rejects.
US Officials Weighing Steps Biden Could Take to Preserve Two-States After Election, The Times of Israel
While the current and former US officials were skeptical that Biden would unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state or allow a resolution to be passed against Israel at the UN Security Council during the lame-duck period, they did think the president could approve a top member of his administration giving a high-level speech laying out Washington’s view on the need for a two-state solution and what a “realistic” proposal could look like.
‘We Just Want to Say Our Goodbyes’: Hopes Dashed for Families as Israel Releases Unidentified Bodies in Gaza, The National
On Wednesday, Gaza’s Health Ministry refused to accept the bodies of 88 unidentified people from Israel on the premise that it was a breach of their dignity and their families’ right to know whether their loved ones were among the dead. A day later, health authorities accepted the bodies, which were kept in the container overnight but criticised the Israeli forces for “digging up and stealing” them from graves and keeping them in “immoral and illegal conditions.”
At Least 11 Killed in Israeli Strike That Hit a School in Northern Gaza, AP
An Israeli airstrike hit a school sheltering thousands of displaced Palestinians in northern Gaza on Thursday, killing at least 11 people and wounding 22, including women and children, the territory’s Health Ministry said. The Israeli military confirmed it struck the school in the Jabalia refugee camp, saying it was targeting Hamas militants inside who were planning attacks on Israeli troops. The claim couldn’t be independently confirmed.
Over 90,000 People in Lebanon Had to Flee Israel’s Bombardments This Week, NPR
More than 90,000 people fled their homes in intense Israeli attacks that killed almost 600 people in just two days this week, according to the United Nations’ humanitarian coordination office.
Why Israel Should Accept Hezbollah’s Key Cease-fire Condition, Haaretz
Dahlia Scheindlin argues, “The Gaza cease-fire part of the plan can’t happen without an alternative to Hamas’ rule. Such an alternative will need both Palestinian and international buy-in – literally, if other countries are expected to help pay for colossal reconstruction needs. Neither will happen without a pathway toward Palestinian self-determination, which is best established through a comprehensive Israeli-Palestinian agreement.”
As War Widens and Costs Mount, Israel’s Economy Is in ‘Serious Danger’, The Washington Post
Rachel Chason writes, “While Israel’s massive high-tech industry has remained resilient, construction and agriculture — which relied heavily on Palestinians whose work permits were canceled by Israel after Oct. 7 — have been hit hard. Tourism has plunged by more than 75 percent, the Central Bureau of Statistics said in June, leaving many shop fronts shuttered in the usually bustling thoroughfares of Jerusalem’s Old City.”
As Netanyahu Arrives in New York, Protesters Calling for Hostage, Cease-fire Deal Gather Outside UN, Haaretz
Phylisa Wisdom, Executive Director of New York Jewish Agenda, which is part of the coalition of Israeli led activist groups, said that “we and our allies are coming together to say, if you’re coming to New York, Netanyahu, we need you to hear our call that we are unified. We are unified in our call to bring the hostages home, to end this war, to seal the deal, end the destruction in Gaza and begin planning for a day after there are no more excuses.”