Tuesday, October 31, 2023

UPDATES/HEADLINES 31-OCT-23

The Times of Israel is liveblogging Tuesday’s events



Gallant: IDF making ‘significant’ achievements in Gaza, but ‘paying a heavy price’

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant says the Israel Defense Forces is making “significant” achievements during the ground operation in the Gaza Strip, but that it is also “paying a heavy price.”

“We are deploying forces on a large scale, deep in the Strip,” says Gallant to troops of the Air Force’s elite Shaldag and 669 units.

“There are battles against the forces that are operating [in Gaza] and the results and achievements on the battlefield are very high,” he says.

“Unfortunately, in war, there are also prices, and the prices in the last day were heavy prices,” Gallant continues.

“Despite that, we are also determined to continue and win,” he adds.

The IDF has said that two soldiers were killed and two seriously injured in fierce fighting in Gaza today and that “numerous” terrorists were killed.

Egypt stations tanks near Rafah border

Egypt has stationed tanks and armored vehicles near the Rafah border crossing into Gaza.

Pictures show dozens of the vehicles stationed near the border.

Egypt fears an influx of tens of thousands of refugees from the fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and has so far kept the border largely closed, only allowing aid trucks into Gaza.

Egypt is limited by its 1979 peace treaty with Israel as to the number of forces it is allowed to station in the Sinai Peninsula, although Israel has in the past approved Egypt breaching those numbers to battle an Islamic insurgency in the area.


IDF says it hit anti-tank missile cell in Lebanon

The Israel Defense Forces says it has struck and killed another terror cell in southern Lebanon attempting to carry out an anti-tank guided missile attack.

Separately, the IDF says it struck another Hezbollah site in the area, in response to the repeated rocket and missile attacks on northern Israel.


UN chief says he’s ‘deeply alarmed’ by escalation of Israel-Hamas conflict

The United Nations chief said Tuesday he was “deeply alarmed by the intensification of the conflict between Israel and Hamas” as fierce fighting raged in Gaza.

The escalation includes “ground operations by the Israel Defense Forces accompanied by intense air strikes, and the continued rocket fire towards Israel from Gaza,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says in a statement.

“I remain deeply concerned about the risk of a dangerous escalation beyond Gaza,” he added.

Heavy rocket barrage fired at central Israel

A heavy rocket barrage is fired at central Israel.

Sirens sound in Tel Aviv, Bnei Brak, Givatayim, Ramat Gan, Jaffa, Holon, Bat Yam, Rishon Lezion and other nearby communities.

There are no immediate reports of direct impacts or injuries.

IDF says two soldiers killed, two seriously wounded in Gaza fighting

The Israel Defense Forces says two soldiers were killed and another two were seriously wounded during clashes with Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip today.

The slain soldiers are named as Staff Sgt. Roei Wolf, 20, from Ramat Gan, and Staff Sgt. Lavi Lipshitz, 20, from Modiin, who both served in the Givati Infantry Brigade’s reconnaissance unit.

The families of the wounded soldiers have been updated, the IDF says.

Earlier, the military said it was engaging in fierce battles with Hamas and numerous terrorists had been killed.

FBI director warns of heightened threats in US from Israel-Hamas war

The Israel-Hamas war has raised the threat of attacks against Americans in the United States to a “whole ‘nother level,” FBI Director Christopher Wray warns.

“We assess that the actions of Hamas and its allies will serve as an inspiration the likes of which we haven’t seen since (the Islamic State group) launched its so-called caliphate several years ago,” Wray tells the Senate Committee on Homeland Security.


Hamas says at least 50 killed in airstrike on Jabaliya camp; no independent confirmation


Far-left protesters interrupt congressional hearing on US military aid to Israel

Hamas says dozens killed in strikes on Jabaliya in northern Gaza; no independent confirmation

Four wounded in rocket strikes on Ashdod

Hanegbi: Israel recognizes Egypt’s reluctance to take refugees, hopes it’ll treat wounded

Rocket from Gaza hits Ashdod


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