(LONDON) — The detained Wall Street Journal reporter, Evan Gershkovich, has had his appeal for release denied by a Russian court for the third time.
The Moscow City Court rejected the appeal of the defense of Gershkovich, a correspondent for the Moscow bureau of The Wall Street Journal, accused of espionage, against the decision of the first instance to extend his arrest until the end of November, an Interfax correspondent reported.
“The decision of the Lefortovo Court of Moscow dated August 24, 2023 on extending the period of detention in relation to Gershkovich until November 30, 2023 is left unchanged, the appeal is not satisfied,” says the court decision announced on Tuesday.
The court hearing was held behind closed doors because the materials of the criminal case are classified.
Gershkovich appeared inside a plexiglass and wood box inside the Russian courtroom on Tuesday morning. He has had two failed appeals since his arrest in March on espionage charges.
Previously, Gershkovich’s lawyers stated that, in the opinion of the defense, a preventive measure not related to detention in a pre-trial detention center could be chosen for him.
(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden has been interviewed by the independent prosecutor’s team investigating his handling of classified documents while out of office, the White House said Monday night.
“The voluntary interview was conducted at the White House over two days, Sunday and Monday, and concluded Monday,” White House spokesman Ian Sams said in a statement.
“As we have said from the beginning, the President and the White House are cooperating with this investigation, and as it has been appropriate, we have provided relevant updates publicly, being as transparent as we can consistent with protecting and preserving the integrity of the investigation,” Sams said, referring further questions to the Department of Justice.
Special counsel Robert Hur oversaw and participated in the interview of President Biden, multiple sources familiar with the matter told ABC News. Hur’s office declined comment.
Sources who spoke to ABC News said the interview likely signals the probe is close to coming to an end.
However, the timing of the investigation and writing of a report is not imminent, sources said. It could be wrapped up as soon as the end of the year, the sources said.
The interview was scheduled weeks ago, and occurred Sunday and Monday, the sources said.
ABC News reported late last month that, according to sources familiar with the matter, the federal investigation into Biden’s handling of sensitive government records had grown into a sprawling examination of Obama-era security protocols and internal White House processes, with investigators interviewing scores of witnesses.
Hur, the special counsel appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland to oversee the Biden probe, has vowed to conduct a “fair, impartial, and dispassionate” investigation, following the facts “thoroughly” and “without fear or favor.”
Reports first emerged in January that classified documents had been found at a personal office used by Biden after his vice presidency.
A series of revelations precipitated Hur’s ascent to special counsel. In late 2022, the White House told the National Archives that documents bearing classification markings had been discovered at the Penn Biden Center in Washington, D.C. — the location of Biden’s private office after his term as vice president expired in early 2017.
Biden’s personal attorney later informed investigators that additional classified records were identified in the garage of Biden’s Wilmington, Delaware, home — a development that marked a tipping point in the Justice Department’s decision to appoint a special counsel to investigate further, sources told ABC News in January.
In all, about 25 documents marked classified were found in locations associated with Biden.
Biden has sought to downplay his legal exposure. One week after Hur’s appointment, in response to reporters’ questions about why he did not reveal the documents before November’s midterm elections, Biden replied that “we found a handful of documents” that had been “filed in the wrong place” and that he was cooperating with the National Archives and the Justice Department.
“I think you’re going to find there’s nothing there,” he said.
(ROCKLAND HARBOR, Maine) — One person is dead and three people have been injured when a mast broke on a schooner in Rockland Harbor, Maine, and fell onto the deck of the vessel.
Thirty-three people were aboard the Grace Bailey, a 118-foot schooner that was approximately one mile east of Rockland Harbor in Maine, when the New England Command Center received a call for help around 10 a.m. Monday “requesting assistance after their mast reportedly broke and fell onto the deck causing head and back injuries to four people,” according to a statement from the United States Coast Guard.
Coast Guard watchstanders immediately dispatched a Coast Guard Station Rockland 47-foot motor lifeboat (MLB) to the scene of the accident.
“The MLB crew arrived on scene and transferred a woman from the Grace Bailey to Rockland Harbor where she was transferred to awaiting EMS and pronounced deceased,” the U.S. Coast Guard said. “The MLB crew returned to the Grace Bailey with two EMS personnel to retrieve the three remaining injured people. The three people were transferred to EMS at Rockland Harbor and taken to Pen Bay Medical Center in Rockport.”
The medical conditions of the three injured people are currently unknown.
“In this time of sorrow, we offer our deepest condolences to the grieving family, and our most heartfelt wishes for a swift recovery to those harmed,” said said Capt. Amy Florentino, the Coast Guard Sector Northern New England commander. “Our investigation aims to identify causative factors that led to this tragic incident.”
Commercial salvage personnel responded following the accident and towed the Grace Bailey to Rockport Harbor where officials will continue their investigation into the schooner’s demasting.
(NEW YORK) — The latest Powerball numbers for Monday’s $1.5 billion prize have been selected, but no one got all of them.
Monday night’s winning numbers were 16, 34, 46, 55, 67 and Powerball number 14. The multiplier was 3.
Powerball updated the results late Monday night to confirm that the draw for the prize — now an estimated $1.73 billion — continues on Wednesday. The cash payout is likely $756 million.
Florida had at least one ticket that matched five and got the power play number, all adding up to a $2 million win. There were match five winners who won $1 million in California, Indiana, Oregon and Virginia.
Monday’s jackpot was the third-largest prize in Powerball history, officials previously said. Wednesday’s prize now becomes the second-largest.
Monday night’s drawing — the 35th in its current run — marked the fourth-largest prize in all U.S. lottery jackpots, Powerball said. Wednesday’s drawing is now the second-largest prize, per Powerball.
Powerball is played in 45 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The last billion-dollar Powerball prize — the jaw-dropping $2.04 billion — was won in California in November of last year. The next largest prize — $1.586 billion – was won in January 2016 in California, Florida and Tennessee.
(NEW YORK) — At least 900 people have died and 2,600 others have been injured in Israel after the militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented incursion from air, land and sea on Saturday, Israeli authorities said.
Hamas fired thousands of rockets toward Israel and an estimated 1,000 fighters crossed into the country from the neighboring Gaza Strip. Israeli officials said at least 100 civilians and soldiers have been taken hostage.
The Israel Defense Forces has since declared “a state of alert for war” and launched retaliatory airstrikes on Gaza, a 140-square-mile territory where two million Palestinians have lived under a blockade imposed by neighboring Israel and Egypt since Hamas seized power in 2007. Palestinian authorities said at least 687 people, including 140 children, have died and 3,726 others have been injured in Gaza since Saturday. Unlike Israel, the Gaza Strip has no air raid sirens or bomb shelters.
Here’s how the news is developing. All times Eastern:
Oct 10, 5:52 AM EDT
Hamas holding ‘between 100 and 150’ hostages, Israeli’s UN ambassador says
Israeli ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan said “between 100 and 150” hostages are currently being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
“We estimate a number that is between 100 and 150. I think it’s an unprecedented number,” Erdan told CNN during an interview late Monday. “It includes Americans. We don’t know the exact number.”
Oct 10, 5:18 AM EDT
IDF says Hamas fighters ‘are still hiding’ in Israeli communities
Hamas fighters are believed to be “still hiding” in some communities in southern Israel even after the Israeli military took back control, according to Israel Defense Forces spokesman Maj. Doron Spielman.
“We are in control of the communities, but we actually assume that there are Hamas terrorists that are still hiding in these areas, including in the road where we are now,” Spielman told ABC News during an interview Monday in Sderot, Israel. “In all these communities, we’ve seen terrorist come out of hiding. Just yesterday, they took over an ambulance.”
“We’re still being very, very careful,” he added. “This is a war zone with active terrorists that are operating here.”
Sderot is a southwestern Israeli city located near the county’s border with the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. A police station there was stormed by Hamas fighters on Saturday as part of the militant group’s wider incursion, leaving at least six Israeli police officers dead. The IDF then bombed the police station with the Hamas fighters inside, demolishing it.
Hamas fighters and other Palestinian militants are “striking strategic locations” along the border fence, allowing them to drive through in pickup trucks, Spielman said. Civilians in some of the local communities have been ordered to evacuate, while others have left voluntarily, according to Spielman.
“We do have a lot of ground troops in this area. We have a lot of tanks. We have, in addition, artillery. And we’re prepared forever for anything,” he said. “And if it happens, the next stage, it’s going to happen here because this is the area that was the flashpoint and this is the area we’re going to be presenting ourselves and finishing this battle. We, of course, have no choice but to finish.”
When asked about the mounting casualties of Palestinian civilians in Gaza as a result of the IDF’s retaliatory airstrikes, Spielman said: “We always try to avoid civilian casualties. However, I would say that this is war and our first priority here is to destroy Hamas.”
Oct 10, 3:19 AM EDT
IDF fighter jets strike over 200 ‘terror targets’ in Gaza overnight
The Israel Defense Forces said Tuesday morning that its fighter jets had struck more than 200 “terror targets” in the Gaza Strip overnight.
All targets were located in the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City and the southern city of Khan Yunis, which the IDF said are both used as “terror hubs” for Gaza’s militant rulers Hamas and that “a large number of terror attacks against Israel are directed there.”
Among the targets struck were a Hamas weapons storage site and a Hamas operational command center, both located inside a mosque, according to the IDF.
Oct 09, 9:38 PM EDT
FBI ‘aggressively’ investigating any reports of impacted Americans in Israel
The FBI said it is working “aggressively” to investigate reports of Americans who have been impacted by the Hamas attacks on Israel.
“We are closely coordinating with our counterparts in the region as well as other international partners,” the FBI said in a statement posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, on Monday.
The statement continued: “Through our Legal Attache’ office in Israel, FBI personnel are working with our partners on the ground to locate and identify any impacted Americans. Reports of deceased, injured or missing Americans are being treated with the utmost urgency and aggressively investigated. The FBI’s Victim Services Division is coordinating with the Department of State to assist, as necessary, with family engagement.”
Oct 09, 8:57 PM EDT
IDF says it will fight war ‘as long as it takes’
The Israel Defense Forces will fight this war “as long as it takes,” spokesperson Lt. Col. Res. Jonathan Conricus told ABC News in an interview on Monday.
“The goal that we have been given so far by the Israeli government is to make sure that Hamas doesn’t have any military capabilities that they can use to threaten or murder Israeli citizens. That means to eradicate their ability to terrorize Israelis,” Conricus said.
“That’s what we’ve been tasked to do so far — that may change, expand, and include political things as well as in their ability to govern, but as of now, what we’re focusing on with the aerial strikes that are ongoing and the preparations of the other troops around the Gaza Strip is to strip Hamas of all of their military capabilities,” he added.
The IDF is looking at “difficult and hard passes ahead,” but Saturday’s attack by Hamas fighters was a “watershed moment” that has fundamentally changed how the IDF responds, according to Conricus.
“Bottom line, what was true and perhaps worked for years before, won’t cut the situation now and we are moving forward,” he said.
In addition, 300,000 IDF reservists who were called up are “now in southern Israel,” according to Conricus.
“We have mobilized our troops before — the second Lebanon war comes to mind,” he added. “But this is definitely very, very significant.”
Oct 09, 6:42 PM EDT
US, France, Germany, Italy, UK release joint statement condemning Hamas
The White House released a statement shortly after President Biden spoke with key allies about the latest developments in Israel.
The leaders expressed their “steadfast and united support to the State of Israel, and our unequivocal condemnation of Hamas and its appalling acts of terrorism.”
“We make clear that the terrorist actions of Hamas have no justification, no legitimacy, and must be universally condemned,” the statement read.
The leaders said they will support Israel’s right to defend itself.
“We further emphasize that this is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks to seek advantage,” they said.
At the same time, the leaders said they “recognize the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people, and support equal measures of justice and freedom for Israelis and Palestinians alike.”
“But make no mistake: Hamas does not represent those aspirations, and it offers nothing for the Palestinian people other than more terror and bloodshed,” the statement read.
Oct 09, 6:27 PM EDT
Biden to give remarks on terrorist attacks in Israel Tuesday: White House
President Joe Biden will deliver remarks on the terrorist attacks in Israel from the White House at 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday, according to a White House official.
Oct 09, 6:16 PM EDT
Son ‘sad,’ ‘anxious’ as 74-year-old mother remains missing
A 74-year-old mother who is missing in Israel fought for peace her whole life, her son told ABC News Live on Monday.
Yonatan Zeigen said he last heard from his mother, Vivian Silver, at 11:07 a.m. on Saturday morning while she was hiding in a closet as Hamas fighters entered her house.
Zeigen added that he didn’t know if Israeli soldiers had been to her house yet and hadn’t heard “anything concrete” about the search yet.
Zeigen talked about his mother’s commitment to peace, since Silver moved to a kibbutz in Israel in the 1990s.
“She fought for equality,” he said. “She’s been involved with a lot of different organizations promoting peace and promoting solution for the conflict.”
“Up until recently, she would drive sick Palestinians from the Gaza border to Israeli hospitals through an organization called Road to Recovery,” Zeigen said.
“No, I’m primarily sad, and anxious,” Zeigen said when asked if he was angry about the situation. “War is blind. You can do what you do in your life…it doesn’t make you any less of a target in times of war.”
Oct 09, 5:48 PM EDT
Obama reacts to attack on Israel
Former President Barack Obama released a statement Monday evening condemning Hamas’ attack on Israel over the weekend.
“All Americans should be horrified and outraged by the brazen terrorist attacks on Israel and the slaughter of innocent civilians,” Obama said in his statement. “We grieve for those who died, pray for the safe return of those who’ve been held hostage, and stand squarely alongside our ally, Israel, as it dismantles Hamas.”
Oct 09, 5:39 PM EDT
IDF says it struck Hamas command center inside Gaza mosque
The Israeli Defense Forces said it “struck terror targets” belonging to Hamas in Gaza.
“IDF aircraft struck a Hamas operational command center in a mosque and an offensive tunnel entry point that was used by terrorists to invade Israel,” the IDF said in a statement.
The IDF also claimed it struck an “Islamic Jihad operational meeting point inside a house that was occupied by a large number of terrorists.”
“Two terrorists were killed when they attempted to flee the scene,” the IDF said.
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Oct 09, 5:29 PM EDT
State Department confirms Americans are missing, unknown if any are hostages
The State Department confirmed Monday evening that there are still missing Americans in Israel but couldn’t immediately provide an exact number or estimate.
The department couldn’t say yet if any of the missing Americans were hostages.
White House spokesperson John Kirby echoed this sentiment to ABC News’ Linsey Davis.
“We don’t really know whether they’re just missing somewhere, or are lost, or whether they’re being held hostage. I think we have to accept the possibility that at least some of them are being held hostage by Hamas,” he said.
Of the Americans previously confirmed dead, a State Department official said they were all thought to be dual U.S.-Israeli citizens primarily residing in Israel.
Staffers at the U.S. Embassy in Israel are fully accounted for and are communicating with impacted Americans around the clock over the telephone and via the online form the department launched for U.S. nationals who believe their family members are among those missing, according to the agency.
The State Department is also urging Americans in the affected areas who are safe to contact their loved ones directly and/or update their status on social media.
-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford
Oct 09, 4:29 PM EDT
At least 11 Americans killed, more may be among those held by Hamas
At least 11 Americans are among those killed in Israel, President Joe Biden said in a statement.
He added, “While we are still working to confirm, we believe it is likely that American citizens may be among those being held by Hamas.”
“American citizens still remain unaccounted for, and we are working with Israeli officials to obtain more information as to their whereabouts,” Biden said. “My heart goes out to every family impacted by the horrible events of the past few days. The pain these families have endured, the enormity of their loss, and the agony of those still awaiting information is unfathomable.”
“I have directed my team to work with their Israeli counterparts on every aspect of the hostage crisis, including sharing intelligence and deploying experts from across the United States government to consult with and advise Israeli counterparts on hostage recovery efforts,” Biden said.
Oct 09, 4:21 PM EDT
Latest on travel to and from Israel
All major U.S. airlines and a number of foreign carriers have suspended service to and from Israel.
Delta said it has suspended flights to and from Tel Aviv until the end of October. American Airlines has canceled flights to and from Tel Aviv through Oct. 13. United Airlines said its flights to and from Tel Aviv “will remain suspended until conditions allow them to resume.”
Many other airlines, including Israeli flag carrier El Al, continue to operate flights.
The Federal Aviation Administration urged U.S. airlines and pilots to use caution when flying in Israeli airspace.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency issued a Conflict Zone Information Bulletin for the airspace of Israel on Sunday, recommending air operators “ensure that a robust risk assessment is in place together with a high level of contingency planning for their operations and to be ready for short notice instructions from the Israeli authorities.”
-ABC News’ Amanda Maile
Oct 09, 3:48 PM EDT
Death toll in Gaza Strip rises to 687
At least 687 people have died, including at least 140 children and 105 women, from Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip since Saturday, according to Palestinian officials.
The death toll has continued to grow on both sides as Israeli forces strike back at Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers.
-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti
Oct 09, 3:36 PM EDT
Netanyahu: Israel will set up emergency government
In the wake of Hamas’ attack on Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said, “I call on the opposition leaders to immediately establish a national emergency government without preconditions.”
“The people are united, and now the leadership needs to unite,” he said, translated from Hebrew.
Netanyahu said Israeli’s strikes on Hamas “have only begun.”
“We have eliminated many hundreds of terrorists and we will not stop there,” he said.
The prime minister said he’s in constant contact with President Joe Biden and thanked the U.S. leader for his words and action.
He said “an American aircraft carrier, one of the largest in the world, is on its way to our region.”
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Oct 09, 1:17 PM EDT
Israel death toll climbs over 900
The Israel death toll has climbed over 900 since Saturday, with more than 2,500 others injured, according to the Israeli Health Ministry.
Oct 09, 1:12 PM EDT
Israeli Defense Forces mobilizes record 300,000 reserves
The Israel Defense Forces has mobilized 300,000 reserves — the largest and quickest call-up in Israel’s history, according to an IDF spokesman.
Oct 09, 12:47 PM EDT
Gaza hospital, communication center out of service
Gaza’s main hospital, Beit Hanoun Hospital, has been damaged and is now out of service after Israeli forces repeatedly targeted the area, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
A main communication center in Gaza was also destroyed from airstrikes, making it difficult to get internet access or make phone calls.
Oct 09, 12:16 PM EDT
Survivors recount ‘living hell’ at Israel music festival
A 30-year-old Israeli told reporters it was “living hell” when Hamas gunmen opened fire and rockets were unleashed on a music festival in southern Israel, killing hundreds.
“I’ve been in wars, in two wars in my life, and never seen anything like this. Bodies at all places,” the 30-year-old said. “They didn’t care if you are a man or a woman, if you are young or an old man.”
At least 260 bodies were removed from the music festival venue, according to an Israeli rescue service.
Another survivor, Elad Hakim, told Reuters in Hebrew that the festival was “the best party I’ve been to in my life” until it went “from paradise to hell in one second.”
“Girls started screaming,” Hakim said. “People didn’t understand where to go, what to do.”
“There were two men on motorcycles on the road … who started spraying us [with bullets] as we drove by,” Hakim said. “The vehicles that were behind [us] were left behind.”
-ABC News’ Will Gretsky
Oct 09, 11:53 AM EDT
Death toll in Gaza Strip rises to 560
At least 560 people have died, including at least 91 children, from Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip since Saturday, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Another 2,900 have been injured.
The death toll has continued to grow on both sides as Israeli forces strike back at Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers, after the Palestinian Islamist group launched an unprecedented incursion.
ABC News’ Joe Simonetti
Oct 09, 11:53 AM EDT
Death toll in Gaza Strip rises to 560
At least 560 people have died, including at least 91 children, from Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip since Saturday, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Another 2,900 have been injured.
The death toll has continued to grow on both sides as Israeli forces strike back at Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers, after the Palestinian Islamist group launched an unprecedented incursion.
ABC News’ Joe Simonetti
Oct 09, 11:39 AM EDT
Israel wants artillery, missiles, Iron Dome interceptors from US: Biden administration
Israel is seeking a resupply of specific weapons from the United States, including artillery rounds, interceptors for its Iron Dome missile defense system and precision-guided munitions, a Biden administration official told congressional leaders on a Sunday night conference call, according to two sources familiar with the call.
More U.S. aid approved by Congress will be critical for Israel’s defense in the coming weeks as the conflict continues, the sources said, describing the Biden administration’s message to lawmakers.
ABC News’ Ben Siegel
Oct 09, 10:30 AM EDT
Israel Defense Forces: ‘Unprecedented attack … will be followed by an unprecedented Israeli response’
Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, called Hamas’ attack “unprecedented,” and said the assault will be “followed by an unprecedented Israeli response.”
“I could not imagine at that time [when the incursion began Saturday] that Hamas would have the audacity … to do what they have done,” he told ABC News Monday. “To launch such an unprecedented, brutal, merciless attack on Israeli citizens. … And cause the amount of casualties that Israel has never experienced ever in its history.”
In Israel, at least 700 people have died and more than 2,300 others have been injured since Saturday.
The Israel Defense Forces has since launched retaliatory airstrikes on Gaza. At least 560 people have died and another 2,900 have been injured in Gaza since Saturday, Palestinian authorities said.
Oct 09, 9:12 AM EDT
Death toll in Gaza Strip rises to 560
At least 560 people have died and another 2,900 have been injured by Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip since Saturday, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
The death toll has continued to grow on both sides as Israeli forces strike back at Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers, after the Palestinian Islamist group launched an unprecedented incursion.
-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti
Oct 09, 8:52 AM EDT
Death toll of Americans in Israel rises to 9
At least nine Americans have been killed in Israel since Saturday as a result of attacks launched by the Hamas militant group, according to an official with the United States National Security Council.
“At this time, we can confirm the death of nine U.S. citizens,” the official told ABC News in a statement on Monday. “We extend our deepest condolences to the victims and to the families of all those affected, and wish those injured a speedy recovery. We continue to monitor the situation closely and remain in touch with our Israeli partners, particularly the local authorities.”
-ABC News’ Molly Nagle
Oct 09, 8:06 AM EDT
‘No one else should get involved in this,’ top US official warns
The United States is warning against other countries from becoming involved in the Israel-Gaza conflict amid fears that it could spread into a wider war in the Middle East.
“This is not the moment for other parties who are hostile to Israel to seek advantage or to seek to exploit the attacks that have taken place,” Jon Finer, deputy national security adviser to U.S. President Joe Biden, Monday on Good Morning America.
“That is part of why the United States has moved the Carrier Strike Group to the eastern Mediterranean to send a strong and unmistakeable signal that no one else should get involved in this,” he added. “We’ll see how things unfold in the course of the coming days.”
Finer also emphasized that the U.S. believes “Israel has every right to defend itself full-stop.”
“Israel will ultimately make the decisions about how it chooses to go about and conduct that defense,” he said. “We are offering support in a number of ways.”
Finer noted that “more U.S. steps to show support and solidarity for Israel” can be expected.
“The U.S. is going to offer support at every level for Israel’s defense and we are working through details those details with our intelligence professionals, our military and our diplomats,” he added. “We are in daily — in fact, many times a day — contact with Israeli counterparts to see what they need and offer it.”
The U.S. “strongly suspect[s] that there will be American citizens among those killed” in the ongoing conflict, according to Finer.
“We are looking obviously very intensively into whether there were any Americans were among those who have been abducted and brought to Gaza. This is still ongoing,” he said. “There is still fighting inside Israel as we speak and there is a bit of fog of war in terms of the ability to gather specific information. And so, we will have much more to say about this at the right time.”
When asked for comment on a recent report by The Wall Street Journal that Iran was behind Hamas’ latest attack on Israel, Finer responded: “We have no direct information to confirm that report. We’ve obviously seen it, we’re looking into it, but we do not have the ability to corroborate it at this time.”
“What we can be quite clear about is that Iran is broadly complicit in these attacks for having supported Hamas going back decades — for having provided financial support, for having provided training, for having provided weapons to Hamas,” he added. “What we don’t have is direct information that shows Iranian involvement in ordering or planning the attacks that took place over the last couple days. It’s something that we’re going to keep looking at closely.”
Oct 09, 7:42 AM EDT
Death toll in Gaza Strip rises to 511
At least 511 people have died and another 2,750 have been injured by Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip since Saturday, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
The death toll has continued to grow on both sides as Israeli forces strike back at Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers, after the Palestinian Islamist group launched an unprecedented incursion.
-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti
Oct 09, 7:04 AM EDT
Dozens of Palestinian children among those killed in Gaza, advocacy group says
At least 33 Palestinian children have been killed in the Gaza Strip since Saturday morning as Israel continues its retaliatory airstrikes, according to the advocacy group Defense for Children Palestine.
-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti
Oct 09, 6:49 AM EDT
Hamas claims 4 Israeli hostages were killed in airstrikes
Four Israeli hostages were killed alongside their militant captors in the Gaza Strip by Israeli airstrikes on Sunday night and Monday morning, according to Abu Ubaida, spokesman for the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas.
There was no official confirmation on the hostage deaths from the Israeli side.
-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti
Oct 09, 6:40 AM EDT
Fresh rockets fired toward Jerusalem, Tel Aviv
The sound of rocket alert sirens rang out in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities on Monday morning.
One of the fresh rockets launched on Monday by Hamas militants from the neighboring Gaza Strip landed near Ben Gurion International Airport in southern Israel.
Several people were reportedly injured by rockets in the southern Israeli cities of Ashdod and Ashkelon on Monday.
-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti
Oct 09, 5:59 AM EDT
Israel cuts off Gaza in ‘total siege’
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced Monday that he has ordered a “total siege” of the neighboring Gaza Strip, allowing no food, fuel or electricity to enter the Hamas-ruled territory.
“We are fighting barbaric terrorists and we will act accordingly,” Gallant said.
Since Saturday’s surprise attack on Israel launched by Hamas militants, Israeli forces have struck back. Hundreds of buildings and homes have been destroyed in Gaza, leaving more than 123,000 people displaced, according to the United Nations.
Unlike Israel, the Gaza Strip has no air raid sirens or bomb shelters. Over 73,000 people are currently sheltering in schools, according to the U.N.
Meanwhile, hospitals in Gaza are struggling to cope with the number of casualties, the U.N. said. At least 493 people have died and another 2,751 have been injured there, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti
Oct 09, 4:39 AM EDT
Fighting has stopped in southern Israel, IDF says
The Israel Defense Forces said Monday that fighting with militants in southern Israel has stopped and it has retaken control of all communities around the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
Israeli soldiers have successfully blocked the holes in the border fence separating Gaza from Israel, which are now secured by tanks on the ground and fighter jets above, according to the IDF.
-ABC News’ Joe Simonetti
Oct 09, 4:22 AM EDT
70 militants infiltrated Be’eri kibbutz overnight, IDF says
A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said Monday morning that 70 militants had infiltrated Be’eri kibbutz in southern Israel overnight.
Speaking to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the IDF spokesperson said they suspect there is a tunnel in the area of Be’eri, which the military has been unable to wrest from the Hamas militant group. The kibbutz is located near Israel’s southeastern border with the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
The IDF is still gathering information on the Israeli civilians and soldiers being held hostage in Gaza, and not all families have been updated yet, according to the spokesperson.
-ABC News’ Clark Bentson
Oct 09, 1:17 AM EDT
IDF claims to have hit 500 militant targets in Gaza Strip
For an operation now dubbed “Swords of Iron,” the Israel Defense Forces said Monday that it had struck 500 Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets in the Gaza Strip.
The attacks were carried out through the use of jets, helicopters and other aircraft, according to the IDF.
The IDF said seven of Hamas’ command centers were struck in the mission.
-ABC News’ Bruno Nota
Oct 09, 12:40 AM EDT
Iranian Mission to UN says Iran had no involvement in Hamas attack on Israel
An Iranian official at the UN denied that Iran had any involvement in Hamas’ attack on Israel.
Israeli officials, including President Isaac Herzog, had claimed on Saturday that Iran helped coordinate the attacks on Israel.
On Sunday, however, Iran’s Mission to the UN, denied the claims.
“We emphatically stand in unflinching support of Palestine; however, we are not involved in Palestine’s response, as it is taken solely by Palestine itself.,” the Iranian Mission to the UN said in a statement late Sunday. “The resolute measures taken by Palestine constitute a wholly legitimate defense against seven decades of oppressive occupation and heinous crimes committed by the illegitimate Zionist regime.”
A U.S. official said Saturday it was “too early” to tell if Iran had involvement in the attacks.
“We are going to be looking at that very closely,” a senior administration official said.
-ABC News’ Kirit Radia
Oct 08, 10:41 PM EDT
Israel attacks targeted locations on Gaza Strip: IDF
Israeli Defense Forces attacked the Gaza Strip early Monday morning local time, the IDF said in a series of posts on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
The IDF attacked a building where it said Hamas operatives were and several operational headquarters of the organization, the IDF said in the posts.
-ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman
Oct 08, 10:30 PM EDT
UN Security Council emergency meeting fails to condemn attack on Israel
An emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council failed to condemn the Hamas attacks on Israel Sunday evening.
Deputy U.S. Ambassador the U.N. Robert Wood said the situation was “still fluid” and “very dangerous.”
“What is important now is that the international community needs to show its solidarity with Israel. We have Israel’s back fully as the United States, and the condemnation of Hamas needs to continue until they end this violent terrorist activity against the Israeli people,” Wood said after the meeting.
-ABC News’ Ellie Kaufman
Oct 09, 12:24 AM EDT
At least 4 Americans among 700 dead in Israel
At least four American citizens were killed in the attacks in Israel over the weekend, senior administration officials told top House lawmakers on a call Sunday evening, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
That figure could rise in the coming days, the Biden administration officials told Congress. The administration is also still investigating unconfirmed reports of American citizens being taken hostage by Hamas.
Participants on the call included senior members of the relevant House committees and party leaders — including Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-North Carolina, the temporary House speaker, two sources told ABC News.
As previously reported, Senate leaders will receive a similar briefing tonight.
–ABC News’ Ben Siegel
Oct 08, 8:59 PM EDT
Senate briefing on current situation in Israel tonight
Senate leadership, chairs and ranking members of relevant committees will receive an unclassified briefing on the situation in Israel Sunday night at 9 p.m. ET, a Senate source told ABC News.
The chairs and ranking members from the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Committee on Armed Services are among those who will be briefed.
Oct 08, 10:46 PM EDT
‘Several’ Americans killed in Hamas attacks on Israel
American citizens were killed in the attacks on Israel, U.S. officials confirmed Sunday.
“We can confirm the deaths of several U.S. citizens. We extend our deepest condolences to the victims and to the families of all those affected,” a U.S. official told ABC News in a statement.
–ABC News’ MaryAlice Parks, Shannon Crawford
Oct 09, 12:25 AM EDT
The world’s largest pilot’s union says its airlines have suspended flight operations to Israel and evacuated personnel
The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) — which represents more than 74,000 pilots between 42 US and Canadian airlines, including majors like JetBlue, Delta, and United — told members today its “working diligently” with carriers that fly to Israel to “ensure the safety of each of [its] members.”
-ABC News’ Amanda Maile
Oct 08, 4:38 PM EDT
US has for decades had vast weapons stockpile in Israel
The White House has pledged assistance to Israel in responding to Hamas’ attack — and America has for decades maintained a vast pre-positioned military stockpile inside Israel.
First established in the wake of the Yom Kippur War of 1973, when it took time for the U.S. to send supplies to Israel, the munitions are available in case of emergencies.
It’s possible that Israel will ask the U.S. to tap into this stockpile, which contains weapons systems including tanks and ammunition stored in warehouses.
While not especially well known to the public, the supplies got some exposure earlier this year when the U.S. planned to use them in order to send artillery to Ukraine in responding to Russia’s invasion.
-ABC News’ Luis Martinez
Oct 08, 3:54 PM EDT
Hundreds killed at music festival in Israel that came under attack
Israeli rescue service Zaka said at least 260 bodies were removed from the venue of the music festival in southern Israel that came under a Hamas attack.
Oct 08, 3:54 PM EDT
United says Tel Aviv flights will remain suspended
United Airlines said Sunday its Tel Aviv flights will remain suspended until conditions allow for them to resume.
The airline operated two scheduled flights out of TLV late Saturday and early Sunday.
“The safety of our customers and employees is our top priority,” United said.
-ABC News’ Amanda Maile
Oct 07, 5:54 PM EDT
High-ranking IDF commander killed in action, military says
A high-ranking Israel Defense Forces commander was killed in action Saturday, the military said.
Col. Jonathan Steinberg, 42, the commander of the Nahal Brigade, was killed during a confrontation with Hamas, IDF said.
Oct 07, 5:49 PM EDT
United Hatzalah says it has treated nearly 1,000 injured people in Israel
United Hatzalah, a community-based volunteer EMS organization, said so far it has treated nearly 1,000 people for “various injuries” in southern and central Israel.
The organization said it has also transported an unspecified number of patients to hospitals in the regions via ambulance and helicopter.
Oct 07, 5:12 PM EDT
At least 50 Israelis being held hostage: Israeli Command
At least 50 Israelis are currently being held hostage by Hamas, according to Israeli Command. That number may change as Israeli forces get a handle on the situation on the ground.
Oct 07, 5:11 PM EDT
Blinken calls on Palestinian leadership to ‘condemn’ attacks
During a call with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on the region’s leadership to “condemn” the Hamas attacks, according to a readout from the State Department.
“The Secretary reiterated the United States’ unequivocal condemnation of the terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel, and called on all leadership in the region to condemn them,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement. “The Secretary urged the Palestinian Authority to continue and enhance steps to restore calm and stability in the West Bank.”
Earlier Saturday, Abbas said his people have the right to defend themselves against the “terror of settlers and occupation troops,” according to Reuters.
Oct 07, 5:01 PM EDT
Israeli ambassador to US calls attacks ‘war crimes’
In a strongly worded statement, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S. labeled the Hamas attacks as “war crimes” and vowed that Israel will fight back.
“Those of our enemies who believe that Israel is weak because of its internal debate have totally miscalculated. When under attack, Israelis close ranks and join together in fighting for Israel’s self-defense,” Michael Herzog declared. “This is war. We will fight to win and deter the terrorists from any future attacks.”
The ambassador also directly blamed Iran for the surprise attack, saying, “Hamas is a U.S. and E.U. designated terror organization and a close ally of Iran. Iran’s hands are evidently behind the scenes, leading the so-called Axis of Resistance to Israel’s existence.”
-ABC News’ Shannon K. Crawford
Oct 07, 4:43 PM EDT
Israel will take ‘vengeance for this black day’: Netanyahu
Prime Minister Netanyahu said Israel will “reach every place Hamas is hiding” during an address late Saturday and urged “Gaza’s people to leave those places now.”
Israel will take “vengeance for this black day,” he added.
At least 300 people have been killed and thousands injured since Hamas launched its surprise attack. The Palestinian Health Ministry said 232 are dead and another 1,790 injured in Gaza. According to the Israeli Health Ministry, over 100 people are dead and over 900 others are injured — though multiple Israeli news outlets are reporting at least 250 Israelis have been killed and another 1,500 injured.
Israeli army spokesman Richard Hech also reported “severe” hostage situations were ongoing in Kibbutz Be’eri and Ofakim, with an unknown number of Israelis being held hostage.
Israel said the assault started at sunrise, when Hamas attacked 22 sites bordering Gaza by breaching some border fences.
Oct 07, 3:11 PM EDT
Biden administration to remain in ‘constant contact’ with leaders in the region
President Joe Biden said he spoke with Jordanian King Abdullah II, members of the U.S. Congress and directed his national security team to remain in contact with their Israeli counterparts.
“I’ve also directed my team to remain in constant contact with leaders throughout the region including Egypt, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Oman, UAE, as well as our European partners and the Palestinian Authority,” Biden said.
Oct 07, 2:59 PM EDT
Biden says support for Israel’s security is ‘rock solid and unwavering’
President Joe Biden delivered remarks from the White House on Saturday expressing U.S. support for Israel in light of Hamas’ attack.
“We will not ever fail to have their back,” Biden said.
“Israel has the right to defend itself and his people full stop. There is never a justification for terrorist attacks and my administration’s support for Israel security is rock solid and unwavering. Let me say this as clearly as I can. This is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks to seek advantage. The world is watching,” Biden said.
Oct 07, 2:57 PM EDT
Blinken speaks with Israeli president, foreign minister
Secretary of State Antony Blinken “reaffirmed” the U.S.’ solidarity with Israel during a call with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, a State Department spokesperson said.
“Secretary Blinken reiterated his condolences for the victims of the terrorist attacks against Israel and condemned those attacks in the strongest terms,” the spokesperson, Matthew Miller, said in a statement. “Secretary Blinken also discussed measures to bolster Israel’s security. The Secretary underscored the United States’ unwavering support for Israel’s right to defend itself.”
Oct 07, 2:27 PM EDT
Biden to speak at 2:30 p.m.
President Joe Biden is set to deliver remarks at 2:30 p.m. on the attacks in Israel from the State Dining Room, according to the White House.
-ABC News’ Fritz Farrow
Oct 07, 2:13 PM EDT
US embassy in Israel issues security alert, tells Americans in Gaza to check pathway to Egypt
The U.S. Embassy in Israel issued a security alert on Saturday warning Americans in Gaza seeking to flee to check the status of the Rafah Crossing into Egypt and to remain vigilant.
“U.S. citizens are reminded to remain vigilant and take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness as security incidents, including mortar and rocket fire, often take place without warning. U.S. citizens in Gaza who wish to leave and can do so safely are advised to check the status of the Rafah Crossing into Egypt,” the embassy alerted.
“U.S. Embassy personnel are still currently sheltering in place. U.S. government personnel continue to be prohibited from travel to Gaza and areas within seven miles of Gaza,” the embassy said.
-ABC News’ Fritz Farrow and MaryAlice Parks
Oct 07, 1:23 PM EDT
UN to hold private meeting on the unfolding Israeli-Palestinian crisis
The United Nations will hold a private meeting on Sunday to discuss the unfolding Israeli-Palestinian crisis.
Oct 07, 1:17 PM EDT
Over 300 dead, thousands injured in Gaza, Israel, authorities say
The death toll continues to climb with over 300 people reported dead in Gaza and Israel.
The Palestinian Health Authority said 198 are dead and 1,610 others are injured in Gaza. According to the Israeli Health Ministry over 100 people are dead and over 900 others are injured.
Just before sundown in a western Gaza City, a massive explosion and fireball were reported after Israel warplanes hit a high-rise apartment complex. The Gaza Interior Ministry said the building housed approximately 100 families.
Oct 07, 1:00 PM EDT
Defense Secretary Austin spoke with Israeli counterpart
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant on Saturday to convey his condolences.
“Secretary Austin made clear to Minister Gallant his ironclad support for the Israeli Defense Forces and the Israeli people. He reaffirmed that the Department’s commitment to Israel’s security and its absolute right to defend itself from acts of terrorism is unwavering. Secretary Austin has directed his team to ensure that DoD is closely consulting with all of our Allies and partners who share a commitment to peace and oppose terrorism. Secretary Austin will continue to consult with Minister Gallant in the coming days and weeks to ensure that Israel has the support it needs,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
-ABC News’ Matt Seyler
Oct 07, 12:38 PM EDT
Police in New York, Beverly Hills increase patrols in sensitive areas
Police in New York, where there are locations sensitive to both Israeli and Palestinian interests, are adjusting patrols in response to the situation in Israel.
“The NYPD’s Counterterrorism and Intelligence Division consistently work at a level of high alert. When events from around the world could possibly affect NYC or we get Intel on a threat to NYC, we always increase our presence around houses of worship and certain areas when these conflicts arise,” the NYPD said in a statement.
The Beverly Hills Police Department also said it increased security and patrols around Jewish institutions in the City and continues to work closely with law enforcement partners in the region to ensure public safety.
Law enforcement and Homeland Security officials will be assessing the potential for residual violence in the U.S.
Increased security around Jewish facilities and on university campuses — particularly where there is a history of confrontational interactions — is to be expected. Increased attention is expected to be paid to potential cyber threats and online activities intended to inspire violence by Iran, Hezbollah and other extremists threat actors.
-ABC News’ Aaron Katersky and Alex Stone
Oct 07, 12:21 PM EDT
United, American, Delta airlines to suspend Israel operations
United Airlines, American Airlines and Delta Airlines announced they will suspend operations to Israel Saturday night following unrest in the region. After two departures scheduled for Saturday, United’s future operations will be suspended until conditions allow them to resume, the airline said.
“The safety of our customers and crew is our top priority. We are closely monitoring the situation and we are adjusting flight schedules as required,” the carrier told ABC News.
American Airlines said it will temporarily suspended operations to and from Tel Aviv and will continue to monitor the situation, adjusting its operations as needed.
“American Airlines has temporarily suspended operations to and from Tel Aviv, Israel (TLV) [Saturday] and [Sunday], and has issued a travel alert providing additional flexibility to customers whose travel plans are affected. We will continue to monitor the situation with safety and security top of mind and will adjust our operation as needed,” American Airlines said in a statement.
Delta Air Lines has canceled scheduled flights in and out of Tel Aviv this weekend. The airline said its working to “safely transport Delta people back to the U.S. and will work with the U.S. government as needed to assist with the repatriation of U.S. citizens who want to return home.”
-ABC News’ Amanda Maile and Sam Sweeney
Oct 07, 11:19 AM EDT
Biden speaks with Netanyahu, offers ‘all appropriate means of support’
President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, telling him that the U.S. “condemns” Hamas’ assault on Israel.
“I made clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu that we stand ready to offer all appropriate means of support to the Government and people of Israel. Terrorism is never justified. Israel has a right to defend itself and its people. The United States warns against any other party hostile to Israel seeking advantage in this situation. My Administration’s support for Israel’s security is rock solid and unwavering,” Biden said in a statement.
Biden also extended his condolences for lives lost and wished those wounded a “swift recovery.”
“My team and I are tracking this situation closely, and I will remain in close touch with Prime Minister Netanyahu,” Biden said.
Oct 07, 10:25 AM EDT
Blinken says US condemns Hamas’ attack on Israel
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement condemning Hamas’ attack on Israel, saying the U.S. will “remain in close contact with our Israel partners.”
“The United States unequivocally condemns the appalling attacks by Hamas terrorists against Israel, including civilians and civilian communities. There is never any justification for terrorism. We stand in solidarity with the government and people of Israel, and extend our condolences for the Israeli lives lost in these attacks,” Blinken said in a statement.
-ABC News’ Shannon Crawford
Oct 07, 10:23 AM EDT
Death toll, number of injured rise after Hamas fires rockets, Israel declares war
The death toll has risen after Hamas fired rockets into Israel from Gaza in a surprise attack and Israel declared war.
According to Israeli officials, at least 40 people have died in Israel and more than 700 people have been injured. The Palestinian Health Ministry said 160 people were killed in Gaza and over a 1,000 others were injured.
According to Al Jazeera, Israeli forces have surrounded a house in the Israeli settlement of Ofakim and negotiations are underway with Palestinian fighters who are allegedly holding hostages. According to the Jerusalem Post, dozens of hostages are being by Hamas in the Kibbutz Be’eru in southern Israel.
Oct 07, 9:50 AM EDT
Biden briefed on attacks in Israel
President Joe Biden was briefed Saturday “on the appalling Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel,” according to the White House.
“Senior national security officials briefed the President this morning on the appalling Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel. The President will continue to receive updates and White House officials remain in close contact with Israeli partners,” the White House said in a statement.
-ABC News’ Fritz Farrow
Oct 07, 8:58 AM EDT
Defense secretary says US will ‘work to ensure that Israel has what it needs’
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin released a statement saying he is “closely monitoring” the situation in Israel and extended his condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives.
“Over the coming days the Department of Defense will work to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself and protect civilians from indiscriminate violence and terrorism,” Austin said.
Separately, a U.S. defense official said that Austin had a call with his team Saturday morning, including U.S. Centcom Commander Gen. Eric Kurilla. Israel falls under Centcom’s area of responsibility.
-ABC News’ Luis Martinez
Oct 07, 8:01 AM EDT
Netanyahu says Israel is at ‘war’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a video statement on social media, saying simply, “We are at war. We will win,” in his first comments, made in Hebrew, after the attack.
“Citizens of Israel, we are at war, not in an operation or in rounds, but at war. This morning, Hamas launched a murderous surprise attack against the State of Israel and its citizens. We have been in this since the early morning hours. I convened the heads of the security establishment and ordered – first of all – to clear out the communities that have been infiltrated by terrorists,” Netanyahu said. “This currently is being carried out. At the same time, I have ordered an extensive mobilization of reserves and that we return fire of a magnitude that the enemy has not known. The enemy will pay an unprecedented price. In the meantime, I call on the citizens of Israel to strictly adhere to the directives of the IDF and Home Front Command. We are at war and we will win it.”
(WASHINGTON) — Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel over the weekend, which killed hundreds and triggered a new war in the Middle East, also drew a range of political reactions in the U.S.
Presidential contenders seized on the issue, deposed House Speaker Kevin McCarthy sought to draw a contrast with the White House and the Biden administration — like most of the rest of Washington — reiterated support for Israel as some demonstrations also showed divisions among left-leaning lawmakers and some Republicans said their own infighting was an obstacle to providing aid to Jerusalem.
GOP members of Congress and White House hopefuls alike tore into President Joe Biden for past criticism of Israel over settlement expansion, a controversial judicial overhaul plan by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and more, on top of a recent unfreezing of $6 billion in Iranian assets as part of a deal to free American detainees.
“I can’t imagine how anybody who’s Jewish or anybody who loves Israel — and frankly, the evangelicals just love Israel — I can’t imagine anybody voting Democrat, let alone for this man,” former President Donald Trump said of Biden on Monday while in New Hampshire, an early voting state in the 2024 nominating contest.
Biden, for his part, issued a joint statement with several other world leaders to “express our steadfast and united support to the State of Israel, and our unequivocal condemnation of Hamas and its appalling acts of terrorism.”
In a separate statement, he shared his grief at the “inexcusable hatred and violence.”
South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott urged on CNN that “we should be prepared to send resources to Israel without any question” — and in a campaign stop he indirectly criticized 2024 rival Vivek Ramaswamy for previously suggesting financial aid to Israel shouldn’t be given indefinitely or as regularly as it is now. Ramaswamy has since attested to his support for Israel.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the No. 2 candidate in the GOP primary so far, said in his own statement: “[R]ight now, America must immediately do three things: (i) freeze any money Joe Biden has made available to Iran; (ii) cut off any and all types of foreign aid flowing to Hamas; and (iii) immediately shut down America’s … southern border to ensure we are in a position to better protect Americans here at home from these real threats.”
The Republican National Committee drew criticism of its own after its chair, Ronna McDaniel, said the fighting marked “a great opportunity for our candidates” to contrast with Biden’s policies on the issue, which McDaniel lambasted.
“While apparently some individuals like Ronna McDaniel consider this loss of life and pain a ‘great opportunity,’ most Americans see it as a horrific tragedy,” White House spokesman Andrew Bates said in a statement.
McDaniel said in a social media post on Sunday, “My heart goes out to all those who have lost loved ones in these horrific acts of terrorism. We stand with you and with Israel.”
Separately, Republicans are also lamenting Congress’ inability to approve more aid to Israel — largely because the body remains bottlenecked after a small group of GOP lawmakers left the House without a speaker and unable to pass legislation.
“When you see events like what we are seeing unfold in the Middle East, it shows why you don’t play politics with this stuff,” Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., who represents a district Biden won by 10 points in 2020, said on Monday.
McCarthy, the speaker who was voted out last week, spoke with reporters on Monday about what he felt should be done to address the attack on Israel.
“Now is the time for action,” he said. “America needs a five-point plan to meet this moment, to help our ally Israel and to strengthen our own future.”
ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott pressed McCarthy about what message it sent that the House is without a speaker amid the crisis.
“It’s wrong. It’s wrong,” McCarthy said, adding: “We are living in very dangerous times. The pettiness has got to stop.”
Since the attack unfolded beginning on Saturday, a number of demonstrations in support of Israel and the Palestinians have been held in the U.S. — sometimes leading to reports of altercations between attendees.
One rally in New York City, intended to be “in solidarity” with Palestinians, was denounced by New York’s Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul as “abhorrent and morally repugnant” as critics of the event noted that organizers opposed the right of Israel to exist.
Other Democrats joined Hochul, like Rep. Ritchie Torres. Some of the party’s most vocal critics of Israel’s government, including Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, the first Palestinian in Congress, condemned the violence while also sharing support for Palestinian civilians.
“Today is devastating for all those seeking a lasting peace and respect for human rights in Israel and Palestine,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said in a statement.
All the while, the 2024 election cycle grinds on, raising the question of how much this unfolding foreign policy issue may influence voters.
The brazenness of Hamas’ sprawling attack and the anticipatedly fierce response by Israel may draw one of the U.S.’ closest allies into a protracted conflict that could keep eyes fixed on Jerusalem and Gaza for months to come.
“Given how volatile and fluid the situation is, I think it is very difficult to speculate about the political impact at this point,” said Democratic pollster and presidential campaign veteran Matt Hogan.
GOP strategists who spoke to ABC News also mostly agreed that the conflict would do little to impact next year’s general election.
David Kochel, another presidential campaign veteran, said it’s “too early to tell” what the impact would be but said he hadn’t seen foreign policy impact a presidential general election “without U.S. troops” on the ground.
“I don’t necessarily think it will impact the general, but I’m sure it will play into the broader foreign affairs debate on both sides,” said one GOP strategist with extensive experience working in Iowa.
Republicans were torn, however, over whether the fighting would play up in the GOP presidential primary, particularly in Iowa, where evangelical voters hold outsized sway.
“It’s looking like it could turn into a broader debate about isolationism, but Iowa conservatives are overwhelmingly supportive of Israel. Caucusgoers will be looking for their preferred candidate to back Israel, so I’d expect contenders will be tripping over themselves to be the most pro-Israel in the coming weeks — especially when in Iowa,” said one strategist with experience working in the state.
Kochel predicted that former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley could get a fresh look from voters, given her foreign policy credentials after serving as U.N. ambassador under Trump. Haley advocates a muscular U.S. involvement abroad.
Trump, whose campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News, still could point to a string of moves that appeal to Republicans, including moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and forging peace deals between Israel and several Arab countries during his administration.
“I don’t look for the war in Israel to change a lot of minds,” said Bob Vander Plaats, an influential Christian conservative leader in Iowa. “Most candidates are rock-solid on our alliance with Israel.”
(WASHINGTON) — A senior U.S. defense official on Monday said the Hamas attack on Israel is different from previous conflicts in Gaza, likening the violence by Hamas militants as “ISIS-like savagery” and said U.S. munitions are already en route to Israel, adding bluntly that sending the carrier USS Gerald R Ford was intended to be a deterrent to Iran and Hezbollah.
The official stated clearly that the U.S. is “deeply concerned” that Hezbollah could “make the wrong decision” and start a second front and said the aircraft carrier is to message to them not to do that.
Here is the latest accounting of the U.S. military’s view of the conflict:
‘ISIS-like savagery’
“This is ISIS-like savagery that we have seen committed against Israeli civilians, houses burned to the ground, young people massacred at music festivals,” the official told reporters in a briefing on Monday.
Hamas militants who crossed into Israeli towns near the border with Gaza used “ISIS-level-style tactics and techniques,” the official added highlighting how the current conflict “is different and unprecedented.”
“Hamas militants going across Israel, murdering children in front of their parents, massacring with indiscriminate violence in music festivals, burning down entire houses, while families sheltered in their bunkers. This is different and we want to be very clear about what that is,” said the official.
Surging air defense support to Israel
The official also made clear that the U.S. is already “surging support to Israel, that includes air defense and munitions” and that some munitions are already en route by air to Israel. The official would not disclose what air defense systems are being supported.
However, the Biden administration briefed Congress on Sunday night that Israel is seeking additional artillery rounds, interceptor missiles for the Iron Dome missile defense system, and precision guided munitions according to two U.S. officials familiar with the contents of the briefing.
“The bottom line is we are working as fast as possible to provide critically needed munitions of various types and other equipment,” the senior U.S. defense official told reporters. “We’re also contacting U.S. industry to gain expedited shipment of pending is really orders for military equipment that otherwise may have been considered routine for movement.”
The official also said that the Department of Defense is working with U.S. Central Command “to assess what munitions and other equipment are in U.S. inventory that can be made quickly available for Israel” — a likely reference to the vast stockpile of U.S. military weapons and ammunition that has been in place in Israel for decades.
The officials familiar with the Biden administration’s briefing to Congress said that Israel is already tapping into the pre-propositioned U.S. military stockpile and that the Pentagon is working with the U.S. defense industry to expedite existing Israeli orders of U.S. weapons systems.
Carrier deployment as deterrent, warning to Iran and Hezbollah
On Sunday, the Pentagon announced the deployment of the USS Gerald R Ford carrier strike group to the Eastern Mediterranean as well as additional F-15 and F-35 fighter jets to the region.
The senior U.S. defense official said the deployment of the carrier strike group is “intended to serve as an unequivocal demonstration indeed, and not only in words of U.S. support for Israel’s defense and serve as a deterrent signal to Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah, and any other proxy across the region who might be considering exploiting the current situation to escalate conflict.”
“Those adversaries should think twice,” the official said, adding that the carrier will be arriving in the eastern Mediterranean “very soon.”
The official said the U.S. government is “flooding the zone with high-level phone calls and engagement to make clear our desire to contain this conflict.”
‘Deeply concerned’ about Hezbollah and a ssecond front
Soon after launching its attacks Hamas urged Arabs in the region to also strike at Israel, and on Monday the official specifically acknowledged strong U.S. concerns that Hezbollah may open a northern front on Israel from inside southern Lebanon.
“We are deeply concerned about Hezbollah making the wrong decision and choosing to open a second front to this conflict,” said the official.
“We are working with Israel and with our partners across the region to contain this to Gaza and it’s one of the main reasons why we adjusted our posture so quickly to increase our maritime presence in the eastern Mediterranean,” the official acknowledged. “Because Iran-backed adversaries like Lebanese Hezbollah should not question the commitment of the US government to support the defense of Israel.”
Five Finger Death Punch is sitting on an unreleased song recorded during the sessions for the band’s latest album, 2022’s AfterLife. As guitarist Zoltan Bathory tells ABC Audio, the track is set to feature an unnamed guest artist, but it’s been held up due to music industry-related legal issues that often come up in regard to collaborations.
“There were some unsolved or unresolved legalities around the track,” Bathory says. “Right now, it seems like it’s resolving and we’re gonna be able to put out the song.”
Had those issues been resolved ahead of AfterLife‘s release, Bathory says the original plan was to put out the song as the album’s lead single before deciding to shelve it.
“Because it is so difficult to deal with this giant infrastructure of various artists that we were like, ‘You know what? Let’s just not risk it,'” Bathory recalls. “‘Let’s wait for all the paperwork to be done, and then we put it out.'”
A year after AfterLife dropped, Bathory hopes that the song will finally see the light of day.
“Then, it that case, we will amend [Afterlife] and put [the song] out as a single,” he says.
In the meantime, you can listen to the original AfterLife and its singles “Welcome to the Circus,” “Times Like These” and “AfterLife,” all of which hit #1 on Billboard‘s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.
FFDP’s also set to resume opening for Metallica‘s M72 tour on November 5 in St. Louis.
As part of the ongoing 50th anniversary celebration of Pink Floyd‘s classic album The Dark Side of the Moon, the band is releasing a new 30-minute documentary, Eclipse, giving fans a look at the special Dark Side event they held in Australia that coincided with a rare solar eclipse.
The once-in-a-lifetime event took place at a secluded beach at Ningaloo (Nyinggulu) Marine Park in Exmouth, Western Australia, on April 20. A handful of fans won a trip to the beach, where they listened to Dark Side in full — timed so that the closing line, “but the sun is eclipsed by the moon,” would play at the exact moment of the eclipse.
Fans will be able to check out the documentary on Pink Floyd’s YouTube channel starting Friday, October 13, as part of Pink Floyd Fridays. A preview clip is available now on YouTube.
And the band hopes fans will continue the celebration with the upcoming annular solar eclipse, which will be visible in America on October 14. They are urging fans to listen to The Dark Side of the Moon while it’s happening, then share video and photos of the experience to social media using #pfeclipse. Pink Floyd will then share some of those posts on their social media accounts.
Pink Floyd kicked off the 50th anniversary celebration of The Dark Side of the Moon earlier this year with the release of a new box set, featuring a remaster of the classic album and a whole host of extras. A stand-alone version of the newly remastered album will be released on CD, LP and Blu-ray on October 13.
