Israel at war: What happened on day 23?

The White House pushed on Sunday for a humanitarian pause to the Gaza war and stressed the importance of protecting Palestinian civilians, even as it underscored Israel’s right to eliminate Hamas’s terror threat.

“It is important for Israel to distinguish between going after terrorist targets, to take out terrorists who continue to threaten Israel, and going after civilians,” US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in an interview on CBS’s Face the Nation.

In recent discussions with the United States, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has warned the US and Israel that a ground invasion of Gaza could deepen the crisis and prolong the cycle of violence, according to a New York Times article.

Mohammed bin Salman met with a group of 10 senators in the Saudi capital Riyadh a week ago, impressing upon them his concern about the need to protect Palestinian civilians.

“The Saudi leadership was hopeful that a ground operation could be avoided for reasons of stability as well as the loss of life,” Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat from Connecticut, told The New York Times, on October 26.

US diplomatic officials are certain that the Saudis are against a ground invasion, due to wanting "a measured response that won’t cascade into a longer and deeper conflict," according to Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican from South Carolina, also present on the trip.

"[He] understands that this was an act of terror," Graham told the Times.

US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) looks on during a news conference calling to designate Russia as state sponsor of terrorism, on Capitol Hill, in Washington, US, September 14, 2022. (credit: REUTERS//TOM BRENNER)

Near to normalization

Saudi Arabia had been close to achieving a normalization agreement with Israel until the attack by Hamas on October 7, with many experts believing that it was intended to interrupt and prevent the normalization agreement.

The Saudis had been encouraged by the success of the Abraham Accords, which saw normalization deals involving Bahrain, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates.

The Saudis are not alone in their concern that an invasion of Gaza would destabilize the region further. Egypt and Jordan have also voiced concern with both seeing the implications of an invasion as a sharp increase in refugees to their countries. 

Despite these concerns American and Saudi officials seem to still believe a normalization agreement can be worked out, with many of the shared interests that pushed them together still there.

Although the majority of opinions point to a normalization deal being postponed until the conclusion of combat, some think it may be possible to integrate the two and frame the normalization agreement as part of securing greater rights for Palestinians.

Khaled Mashal, a leader of the Hamas terrorist organization, claimed in an interview translated by MEMRI TV that Russia intends to use the brutal October 7 attack against Israel as teaching material in its military academies.

“We want the Arab communities in the West to be active and cooperate with superpowers like China and Russia," Mashal said in the interview. "For your information, Russia has benefited from our attack, because we distracted the US from them and from Ukraine.

“China saw our attack as a dazzling example," he continued. "The Russians told us that what happened on October 7 would be taught in military academies."

Hamas political bureau chief Khaled Mashaal. (credit: REUTERS)

He added that "the Chinese are thinking of carrying out a plan in Taiwan, doing what the Al-Qassam Brigades did on October 7. The Arabs are giving the world a master class.”

🚨 JUST IN: Hamas Leader Abroad Khaled Mashal Reveals Russian and Chinese Insights

- According to Khaled Mashal, Hamas leader abroad, the Russians have informed them that their October 7 operation will be included in military academies' teachings.

- Additionally, Mashal… pic.twitter.com/lbH2bai7ZB

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) October 29, 2023

Russia's meetings with Hamas

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Hamas delegation had met with representatives of Russia's foreign ministry but not with President Vladimir Putin or Kremlin officials, the Jerusalem Post reported only a few days before the interview. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Baghiri Kani was also in the region during the meeting.

Hamas' statement praised the efforts of Russia's President Vladimir Putin and foreign ministry to end what it called "the crimes of Israel that are supported by the West," according to Russia's RIA news agency.

What happened on October 7?

On October 7, Hamas terrorists invaded Israel and brutally murdered 1400 men, women, and children. On top of the massacre, Hamas kidnapped over 200 Israelis and dual nationals.

Since the attack, dubbed "Black Shabbat," Hamas has continued to indiscriminately launch rockets killing both Israeli and Palestinian civilians.

TOVAH LAZAROFF and REUTERS contributed to this report.

The IDF and Palestinian terrorists exchanged fire overnight in the Jenin refugee camp. Palestinian sources have reported two dead during the exchange.

This is a developing story.

Rocket sirens were heard in Netiv HaAssara.

Rocket sirens were heard in Sderot, Ibim, and Nir Am.

Rocket sirens were heard in Kissufim.

Israel is facing its first real test for the invasion of Gaza.

Overnight, two Israeli combat fighters, an officer and a junior soldier were seriously wounded as the invasion widened.

On its face, this incident was small and has happened many times over the last few weeks.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Sunday with US President Joe Biden, Netanyahu's office said, after Israel expanded ground incursions in a Gaza war now in its fourth week.

The Israeli statement did not expand on the conversation.

Biden is having conversations with Middle East regional leaders on Sunday, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said, though he did not specify which leaders.

"It's something I was on the phone late last night working on. Something the president will be working on today in conversations he's having with regional leaders and we will continue to pound away at this problem until we've gotten any American who wants to leave Gaza out," Sullivan told MSNBC.

The IDF carried out another night of airstrikes, tank and artillery fire into the northern Gaza strip as it expanded its ground activities. The night of Saturday to Sunday was lit up by flashes over Gaza and the IDF pounded terror targets. The ground shook. In the city of Sderot on the Gaza border, the quiet streets that have been evacuated reverberated with endless noise from the explosions.  

The IDF said it struck 450 targets, which is more than most past nights, according to its own data. These included operational command centers, observation posts, and anti-tank missile launch posts. The IDF targeted anti-tank missile launch sites as well. An IDF officer was severely injured after being hit with a mortar shell in the northern Gaza Strip. Terrorists also tried to exist a tunnel near the Erez crossing. They were neutralized.