KEY POINTS

  • The U.S. said there is an 'elevated risk' of the conflict extending across the Middle East
  • Britain's education minister said the UK has been clear that a ceasefire was "not the answer" at this time
  • Netanyahu said Israel was "doing everything" to get hostages released after Hamas outs propaganda video
  • Talks over the release of Hamas-held hostages "stalled" Friday due to the terrorists' fuel demands: report
Live Updates
Supporters of Israel, members of the Jewish community and hostages' families and friend attend a rally calling for the release of hostages held by Hamas, near the United Nations office in Geneva, on October 22, 2023
There are 239 hostages being held by Hamas and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday the government was doing "everything" to bring them home. AFP

On the 24th day of the Israel-Hamas war, the United States raised concerns about an "elevated risk" of the conflict expanding to other parts of the Middle East as hostage negotiation talks "stalled" due to the militant group's alleged demands over fuel supplies. Iran has warned that Israel crossing the "red lines" in Gaza may "force everyone to take action."

The U.S. will not send combat troops to Israel and Gaza even as the conflict escalates, Vice President Kamala Harris said. Britain's education minister said a ceasefire is "not the answer" at this point as it could instead give Hamas the chance to "regroup."

Another convoy of humanitarian aid has entered Gaza through the Rafah border crossing. Since the conflict started, a total of 118 trucks have entered the besieged area.

Hamas terrorists had launched a surprise attack in Israel on Oct. 7, killing more than 1,400 people. Body collectors are still gathering the remains of some victims weeks into the conflict. There are also more than 200 people being held by Hamas and other militant groups from Gaza. The skull of a German-Israeli woman who was abducted from a music festival and whose body was "paraded" in the streets of Gaza has been found.

Israel launched a barrage of air strikes and conducted limited ground invasions in Gaza in recent days as it vowed to crush the terror group. Four senior Hamas commanders were assassinated in air strikes, the Israeli army said Monday.

The live update has ended.

Israel 'doing everything' to bring hostages home: Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on X on Monday afternoon that the government was "doing everything to bring all the kidnapped and missing people home," as per a Google translation.

He posted on the social media platform shortly after Hamas released a propaganda video that showed three female hostages being held by the terror group. "We have been detained for 23 days and there should have been a ceasefire," one of the women said. "Your position means that you want to kill us," she added.

Biden administration convenes meeting over 'alarming' rise of anti-Semitism on college campuses: report

The White House will hold a meeting Monday with Jewish leaders at the Department of Education amid an "alarming" rise in reports of anti-Semitism on college campuses, the Jerusalem Post reported, citing an email to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) from an unnamed White House official.

As part of the efforts to fight against anti-Semitism since the Oct. 7 attack in Israel, the Biden administration said it has expedited the process of filing complaints in campuses.

US President Joe Biden gave his backing to Israel in person Wednesday
Israel has found a stalwart ally in the U.S. in terms of the Middle Eastern nation's right to defend itself from Hamas attacks. AFP

200 British citizens stranded in Gaza a 'form of hostage taking': UK minister

British education minister Robert Halfon said Monday that keeping 200 Britons from leaving Gaza was "a form of hostage taking." The UK citizens "being kept in a place against their will" was similar to holding them captive, he told Sky News.

"It shows the nature of Hamas, it shows what Israel has to deal with and explains why the [British] government has said that it supports Israel's right to defend itself," he added.

As Israel expands its Gaza bombing campaign, families of the hostages are struggling to get answers from the government about the fate of their loved ones
Nearly 240 hostages are being held by Hamas as around 200 British nationals remain stranded in the Gaza Strip. AFP

U.S. sending 'strong message' to Iran amid escalating tensions: White House

The U.S. said it will continue to "act" against Iran if necessary, following attacks against American troops in the Middle East last week, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby told CNN on Monday.

"We're certainly gonna act if we have to continue to protect our troops and our facilities. We have proven that we will strike and act to do that, and that's a strong message that Iran needs to take away," Kirby said.

Israel strikes Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanon border: IDF

Israeli forces exchanged fire with Hezbollah militants at the Israel-Lebanon border Monday, chief of the IDF Spokesperson's Unit Daniel Hagari said in a Google-translated post on X. An IDF post was attacked, but no casualties were reported.

In response, a Hezbollah military infrastructure was struck, he said.

Hostage release talks "stalled" amid fuel row

Talks to release 239 hostages being held by Hamas stalled Friday after the terror group demanded that Israel allow fuel supplies to enter the Gaza Strip, a former U.S. official with knowledge of the negotiations said, NBC News reported.

The negotiations were "going very well on Thursday," but talks stalled early Friday as "differences emerged" between the warring sides, a diplomat with knowledge of the situation, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the outlet.

A humanitarian convoy of the International Committee of the Red Cross was able to enter the region Saturday
Pictured: a humanitarian convoy of the International Committee of the Red Cross. AFP

Rockets fired at Jerusalem: reports

Rockets are being fired at Jerusalem on Monday afternoon local time as per posts on X. Sirens sounded in the Israeli capital and "surrounding towns," the Jerusalem Post reported.

Russia airport reopens after anti-Semitic riot

The Makhachkala airport in Dagestan, Russia has reopened a day after an anti-Semitic mob stormed into the airport when they learned that a plane was arriving from Tel Aviv.

Russia's aviation authority Rosaviatsiya also said Monday that flights from Tel Aviv scheduled to arrive in Makhachkala and Mineralniya Vody will temporarily be redirected to other cities.

4 senior Hamas operatives and commanders killed: IAF

Israeli forces have assassinated four senior Hamas agents, the IAF said Monday in a Google-translated post on X.

  • Jamil Baba -- commander of the Hamas' central camps naval force
  • Muhammad Safadi -- commander of the anti-tank formation in the Hamas' Tafah battalion
  • Muwaman Hegazi -- a "prominent operative" of the Tafah battalion's anti-tank forces
  • Muhammad Awadallah -- senior officer in the Hamas' "production headquarters"
Israeli soldiers patrol as volunteers remove the bodies of killed Palestinian Hamas militants from outside the police station in Sderot on October 11, 2023
Pictured: Israeli soldiers patrol as volunteers remove the bodies of killed Palestinian Hamas militants from outside the police station in Sderot on Oct. 11, 2023. AFP

Jewish schools in Paris evacuated over bomb threat: report

Students in several Jewish schools across Paris, France evacuated Monday after an anonymous tip said "bombs would detonate in 20 schools," as per the Jerusalem Post.

"Even though everyone is okay, this event caused panic among parents. We're going through a rough period and the situation in Israel has its effect on us as well," a source told the outlet.

Families of some of the Israeli hostages taken to Gaza give a press conference in Paris
Pictured: families of some of the Israeli hostages taken to Gaza give a press conference in Paris. AFP

'Prominent' West Bank operative killed: IAF

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) said Monday local time that Israeli air strikes killed Wiam Hanon, a "prominent operative" in the Jenin Battalion at the West Bank, as per a Google-translated post on X.

Israel's latest raids are among the most intense since the war began
Israel has vowed to "dismantle" Hamas and expanded its ground offensive in the Gaza Strip over the weekend. AFP

Skull of German-Israeli woman abducted by Hamas found

The skull of 23-year-old German-Israeli Shani Luk has been found, the Israeli government said Monday local time. The victim was among people kidnapped at a music festival near Israel's border with Gaza on Oct. 7 when Hamas terrorists raided the area.

Luk's "semi-naked body was paraded through the streets of Gaza by Hamas militants" after she was abducted, Insider reported.

Israel's President Isaac Herzog said the recovery of Luk's skull indicated that Hamas terrorists "simply chopped off her head when they were attacking and torturing and killing Israelis."

More than 20 Hamas terrorists eliminated

As Israel's ground operations expanded in besieged Gaza throughout Sunday night, ground forces provided information to an Israeli Air Force (IAF) aircraft that struck a Hamas post. The facility allegedly housed more than 20 operatives, the IDF said Monday. Israeli troops also killed multiple terrorists "barricaded within civilian buildings and terrorist tunnels," the IDF added.

No argument about Hamas operating near or within civilian settlements: Jewish News editor

Amid global concerns over Israel's approach toward eliminating Hamas, Jewish News editor Jotam Confino has said that the public abroad "aren't aware of what Hamas is doing."

"You can argue about how Israel should conduct itself, but you can't argue about how Hamas is operating inside the Gaza Strip," Confino told Sky News on Monday, adding that the terror group that murdered more than 1,400 during its carnage in Israel on Oct. 7 "had an interest in getting people killed."

With more Palestinians dying in the conflict, "the more sympathy Gaza gets abroad," Confino pointed out.

Ceasefire 'not the answer' at this time: UK education minister

The U.K. was among 45 nations that abstained in a United Nations General Assembly vote over the weekend to call for an effective ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. British Education Minister Robert Halfon told Sky News that the United Kingdom has been "absolutely clear that a ceasefire at this time is not the answer."

Halfon noted that Britain did call for a humanitarian pause to the fighting, but "a ceasefire will allow Hamas to regroup" and it won't necessarily ensure more than 200 hostages being held by the terrorists will be released. He added that "there was no guarantee" the militant group will abide by a ceasefire.

Israel intercepts anti-tank missile from around Al-Azhar University: IDF

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) intercepted an anti-tank missile that was "about to be launched in the area of 'Azhar' University in the Gaza Strip," chief of the IDF Spokesperson's Unit Daniel Hagari said Monday, as per a Google-translated post on X.

Hagari added that about 600 Hamas assets were attacked Sunday, including gathering spaces, weaponry facilities and hiding places of Hamas terrorists.

24 humanitarian aid trucks enter Gaza

Twenty-four trucks carrying food and medical supplies entered Gaza Sunday, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said in a post on X. The supplies from Egypt's Red Crescent entered through the Rafah border crossing. Since the war started, Gaza has received a total of 118 humanitarian aid trucks, but no fuel has been allowed entry.

US sees 'elevated risk' of Israel-Hamas war's regional expansion

The U.S. will keep responding to any attacks targeted at American troops in the Middle East as it sees an "elevated risk" of the Israel-Hamas war spilling over in the region, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Sunday, as per Bloomberg.

Israel's arch-enemy Iran recently announced it has developed a hypersonic ballistic missile
Iran announced earlier this year that it developed a hypersonic ballistic missile. AFP

Sullivan's remarks were made two days after U.S. warplanes struck Iranian weapons and ammunition facilities in Syria following alleged attacks on American troops by Iranian-backed militia.

US won't send troops to Israel, Gaza

"We have absolutely no intention, nor do we have any plans, to send combat troops into Israel or Gaza, period," U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris said Sunday when asked in a CBS "60 Minutes" interview if Washington will deploy American soldiers specializing in combat amid concerns that the Israel-Hamas war could turn into a regional crisis.

She reiterated that the U.S. was only providing advice, equipment and diplomatic support to Israel, not telling its Middle Eastern ally what to do.