Swords of Iron: What happened on day 10?

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that US President Joe Biden will travel to Israel on Wednesday after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Biden will reaffirm US solidarity with Israel and make clear that Israel has the right and duty to defend its people from Hamas, Blinken said.

The US President will continue to coordinate with Israeli partners to secure the hostages' release from Hamas, the US secretary said, and also noted that the US and Israel agreed on a plan that will allow aid to reach Gazan civilians.

"If Hamas blocks humanitarian aid from reaching civilians, we'll work to prevent it from happening again," the Secretary of State said.

Speaking with the Egyptian President

Biden earlier spoke with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and discussed the need to preserve stability in the Middle East during a phone call on Monday, the White House said.

A billboard in support of US President Joe Biden seen in Israel, October 11, 2023 (credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/MAARIV)

Biden and Sisi also discussed ongoing efforts to alleviate the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, the White House said.

A US Marine rapid response force was headed to the waters off the coast of Israel, CNN reported on Monday night.

The force includes 2,000 Marines and sailors and will join additional US forces and warships off the coast of Israel.

Democratic US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Monday the Senate will seek within days to pass a resolution supporting Israel, approve additional funds for Israel and confirm a new US ambassador to the Jewish State.

Schumer spoke as the Senate opened after he led a small group of Democratic and Republican senators on a weekend visit to Israel, in the wake of a shock Oct. 7 attack by Hamas terrorists that left 1,300 Israelis dead.

"In the coming days, I will be working with the administration on putting together an emergency supplemental (spending bill) that will give Israel the tools it needs to defend itself," Schumer said.

"That means military assistance, intelligence assistance, diplomatic assistance and humanitarian assistance to care for innocent civilians. We want to move this package quickly. The Senate must go first. I know that the House is in disarray, but we cannot wait for them," he said.

Schumer said he thought Senate passage of a strong pro-Israel legislation might encourage the House of Representatives to act, despite its leadership impasse.

Majority leader in the US Senate Chuck Schumer and a bipartisan delegation meet with President Isaac Herzog. October 15, 2023 (credit: CHAIM TZACH/GPO)

Support for Israel has historically been bipartisan in the US Congress. Israel currently receives $3.8 billion in military assistance per year, under a 10-year aid package passed in 2016.

The Republican-majority House has been without a Speaker since Kevin McCarthy was ousted on Oct. 3. That has held up any legislative action, from debating further aid to Ukraine as it battles a Russian invasion to a statement of support for ally Israel in its war with Hamas.

New US ambassador to Israel to be confirmed soon

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee scheduled a confirmation hearing for former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, President Joe Biden's nominee to be the next ambassador to Israel, on Wednesday.

Schumer called Lew "capable and strong" and urged the committee to approve Lew as soon as possible, so the full Senate can confirm him "in all due haste."

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General C.Q. Brown will hold a classified briefing on the Middle East conflict for the full Senate on Wednesday.

A top Hamas leader said on Monday the group "has what it needs" to free all Palestinians in Israel's jails, indicating the militant group may try to use the Israelis it kidnapped as bargaining chips to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners.

Soon after Hamas official Khaled Meshaal made the remarks on the captives, who include Israelis and non-Israelis kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, the group's armed wing separately said the non-Israelis were "guests" who would be released "when circumstances allow."

Gunmen from Hamas took scores of hostages after rampaging through southern Israeli communities and military bases, killing over 1,300 people. Israel's military says the group is holding 199 hostages in Gaza. Hamas says it has between 200 and 250.

Hamas, which like other factions has long called for the release of the roughly 6,000 Palestinians in Israeli prisons, "has what it needs to empty the prisons of all prisoners," Meshaal, a former Hamas chief who now heads its diaspora office in Doha, told AlAraby TV.

In 2011, Israel swapped hundreds of Palestinian prisoners to win the release of one Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, who was held for five years. That kind of exchange - which at the time was criticized by some Israelis as too lopsided - looks an impossible bargain with dozens of people being held.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian meets with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar. October 15, 2023 (credit: Hasan Shirvani/IRNA)

Israel, which has bombarded Gaza with strikes that have killed hundreds of Palestinians, has said it would act to free the hostages while eliminating Hamas.

The captives are believed to include nationals of countries including Thailand and Germany. Other countries have reported their citizens as missing. Israelis with dual nationality in countries including the U.S. are also believed to have been kidnapped.

'Detainees of different nationalities'

In a video message, the spokesman of Hamas' armed wing, Abu Obeida, said Hamas has "a group of detainees of different nationalities, these are our guests and we seek to protect them."

He added: "We will release detainees of different nationalities when circumstances on the ground allow." He did not elaborate.

Another senior Hamas official, Moussa Abu Marzouk, said on Monday that "foreign prisoners cannot be released due to the continued Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip."

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian warned on Monday evening that the country's proxies around the Middle East could launch preemptive strikes on Israel "in the coming hours."

"In the coming hours, any preemptive action against the Zionist regime is conceivable," said Amirabdollahian while referencing his recent meeting with Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah in an interview with Iranian television. "The leaders of the resistance will not allow the Zionist regime to do whatever it wants in Gaza and then go to other fronts of the resistance."

The foreign minister claimed as well that Iran "does not give orders" to the Iran-backed militias and terrorist groups throughout the region which make up what they refer to as "the Axis of Resistance."

"Today, when we talk about the resistance in the region, it is not only Hezbollah, and we are witnessing the activities of various resistance groups in the region," said the Iranian official, threatening that if the war expands to other fronts it will lead to a change in the map of Israel.

Amirabdollahian added that "if the war crimes of the Zionist regime are not stopped, new fronts will be opened and this issue will be inevitable."

HEZBOLLAH LEADER Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah meets with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, in Lebanon, in a photo released on Friday. (credit: Hezbollah Media Office/Reuters)

The foreign minister claimed that the US sent a message to Iran asking them to show "restraint" and not expand the conflict, saying that Iran responded that "we are not seeking to expand the war, but restraint is not unilateral."

When asked if Iran could possibly join the war against Israel, Amirabdollahian responded "Every possibility is conceivable...no party can be indifferent to the continuation of these crimes."

The Iranian official added as well that "if we do not defend Gaza today, tomorrow we will have to deal with the phosphorus bombs of the regime in our own hospitals. An opportunity has been obtained for us to stop the Zionists inside their own home."

Hamas says Hezbollah needs to do more

Former Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal also referenced efforts to get Hezbollah to join the war more directly in an interview with Al-Araby TV on Monday evening, saying that "Hezbollah has thankfully taken steps, but the battle requires more, and it is in our interest to fight the war together."

Hezbollah has launched a series of attacks on IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians since the war began, killing three IDF soldiers and one Israeli civilian in its attacks. Another three IDF soldiers were killed in an infiltration conducted by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group from Lebanon as well.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf issued threats against Israel as well on Monday, saying that a ground invasion of Gaza will "open the gates of hell.”

Iranian FM meets with leaders of proxies across the Middle East

Amirabdollahian's comments come after he conducted a series of meetings with leaders of Iranian proxies, including Hamas and Hezbollah, and politicians in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Qatar in recent days.

The Iranian foreign minister met with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Saturday night in Qatar, promising to "continue cooperation to fully achieve the goals of Hamas and the Palestinian people."

During his visit to Beirut, Amirabdollahian warned that all the terrorist groups that are part of the Axis led by Iran have their "fingers on the trigger."

"In case of procrastination by the international community and the United Nations and the activists who support the warmongering of the Israeli regime, the response will be done at the right time and the desired resistance," said Amirabdollahian. "I found out in the conversation with the leaders that the response that will be given is regrettable and will change the current map of the occupied territories."

"Based on my understanding of the situation, I warn the war criminals and their supporters in the region to stop Israel's crimes against civilians before it is too late, maybe it will be too late in a few hours. There is still a political opportunity to avoid a widespread crisis in the region. Today, I will meet with the representative of the UN secretary-general in the region and I will say that there is still a political opportunity, but tomorrow is too late."

Israel's embassy in Madrid on Monday said some Spanish officials were siding with the Palestinian militant group Hamas after three ministers criticized Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip, but Spain's government rejected the embassy's claim.

The Israeli embassy in Spain said in a statement that Israel strongly condemned recent remarks by some members of the Spanish government, whom it did not specify.

Referring to Hamas and Islamic State, it said it was "deeply worrying" that "certain elements within the Spanish government have opted to align themselves with this terrorism (of) ISIS type."

The controversy appeared to have been triggered by critical comments by three far-left ministers on Saturday about Israel's response to Hamas' attacks on October 7.

Social Rights Minister Ione Belarra said on Saturday that Israel was conducting a "genocide attempt" in the Gaza Strip and called for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez attends a joint news conference with Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, at Moncloa Palace in Madrid, Spain April 26, 2023. (credit: REUTERS/JUAN MEDINA)

Two other ministers, in charge of consumer protection and equality, also on Saturday criticized Israel's operation in Gaza in posts on social media platform X.

Urging Sanchez's condemnation

Israel urged Spain's acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to condemn the "absolutely unmoral" remarks, saying they endangered the safety of Jewish communities in Spain.

Criticizing the embassy statement as "falsehoods," Spain's Foreign Ministry said the Madrid government strongly condemned Hamas' attacks on Israel and called for the protection of civilians in Gaza. "Any political leader can freely express their positions as a representative of a political party in a full democracy such as Spain's," it said.

Posting on X in response to the embassy statement, Belarra on Monday said: "Denouncing this genocide is not 'aligning with Hamas,' it is a democratic obligation. Silence, complicity with terror."

The Wexner Foundation, a prominent American Jewish fund, announced its decision to halt its longstanding relationship with the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), condemning the school’s perceived marginalization of Israeli students.

In an open letter addressed to Harvard’s Board of Overseers on Monday, the foundation said, “We have observed that this cherished tolerance for diverse perspectives has slowly but perceptibly narrowed over the years,” adding that the “Wexner Israel Fellows are increasingly marginalized, their voices and views even shouted down.”
In the wake of the worst breach of Israel’s defenses since the Arab armies waged war on the Jewish state in 1973, caused by the Hamas terrorist movement from Gaza, a storm is brewing at Harvard University. The current tension traces its origin to a pro-Palestinian student letter, which triggered significant backlash among Harvard’s alumni community.

Stand against the barbaric murders of innocent Israeli civilians

On October 9, during a rally in front of City Hall in Toronto, a protester was captured in a photo taken by Reuters symbolizing the mounting global tension regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Amidst this backdrop, a coalition of 34 Harvard student organizations released a letter stating that they “hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence” in light of decades of “occupation.” This coalition ranged from Muslim and Palestinian support groups to Harvard Jews for Liberation and the African American Resistance Organization. Reuters had yet to verify the exact number of students backing the letter.

In response, prominent Harvard University alumni on Monday denounced the pro-Palestinian stance, emphasized the anti-Israel bias, and urged the university to take action against the signatories.

The Wexner Foundation followed with its own letter, saying, “We are stunned and sickened at the dismal failure of Harvard’s leadership to take a clear and unequivocal stand against the barbaric murders of innocent Israeli civilians by terrorists.” In the letter, the foundation terminated all its financial and programmatic relationships with Harvard and HKS, citing the institution’s failure to uphold values of diversity and inclusion for its Israeli students.
The Wexner Israel Fellowship, established by the Foundation in 1989, provides an opportunity for select Israeli public sector leaders to pursue a Master in Public Administration degree at Harvard Kennedy School. Upon graduating, these mid-career professionals are required to serve in Israel’s public sector for a minimum of three years and become members of the Wexner Alumni community, thereby contributing to the enhancement of public leadership and management in Israel.

MAOZ: "Profound disappointment"

On Sunday, Jeffrey Swartz, chairman of MAOZ Israel, and Shimrit Bainhoren, CEO of MAOZ Israel, penned a letter to Professors Srikant M. Datar and Claudine Gaye of Harvard University, detailing the severe and horrifying attacks on Israel by Hamas.

They emphasized the scale and brutality of the violence, comparing the death toll to a hypothetical tenfold increase of the September 11 attacks on America. Highlighting their longstanding relationship with Harvard Business School through the MAOZ program, they expressed their profound disappointment in Harvard’s response to the situation. They criticized Harvard’s leadership for not taking a firmer stance against the atrocities and for failing to distance itself from the controversial statements made by its student organizations. They further urged Harvard to use its influential voice on the international stage to condemn the actions of Hamas and stand in solidarity with Israel.
Though Maoz criticized Harvard, it did not sever ties with the school.

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan addresses the United Nations Security Council. (credit: REUTERS/MIKE SEGAR)

I commend the Wexner Foundation for cutting ties with Harvard’s @Kennedy_School

The leadership of @Harvard have proven they have lost their moral compass. Not only do they allow Jew-hatred and pro-terror rhetoric to permeate their campus, but they cannot bring themselves to… pic.twitter.com/m4ZRzbWIjB

— Ambassador Gilad Erdan גלעד ארדן (@giladerdan1) October 16, 2023

Gilad Erdan, Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, reacted to this report on X. "I commend the Wexner Foundation for cutting ties with Harvard’s Kennedy School," he said. "The leadership of Harvard have proven they have lost their moral compass. Not only do they allow Jew-hatred and pro-terror rhetoric to permeate their campus, but they cannot bring themselves to immediately condemn terrorism.

"I call on every North American Jew and supporter of Israel to send this message to every university that behaves similarly. If your child’s university thinks twice before condemning the murder of innocents or allows a culture of hate to grow on campuses unhindered, then it cannot receive one more cent from any of you," Erdan concluded.

Egypt President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and US President Joe Biden underlined the necessity of containing the Palestinian-Israeli conflict so that it doesn't threaten regional security, Sisi's office said on Monday.

Both leaders also agreed in a phone call that it is a priority to protect civilians and deliver humanitarian aid to the Palestinian Gaza enclave, an Egyptian presidency spokesman said in a statement.

Biden also held a call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in advance of Scholz’s travel to Egypt and Israel, the White House said on Monday.

Canada is deeply concerned by the dire and worsening crisis in Gaza and wants a humanitarian corridor to be opened into the enclave, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday.

"It is imperative that this happen," Trudeau told the House of Commons lower chamber of parliament. Israel has put Gaza, home to 2.3 million Palestinians, under a total blockade and pounded it with unprecedented air strikes.

The Kuwaiti specialized hospital in Gaza’s Rafah city said on Monday that it received a second Israeli warning to evacuate the facility, but stressed that the staff will not leave it, the hospital's director, Sohaib al-Hams, told Reuters.