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.

Any humanitarian act or relief of supply blockades imposed by Israel must be brought to cabinet approval, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir demanded from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday morning.

Ben-Gvir's demand came after Energy Minister Israel Katz said that Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden had come to an agreement on Sunday where Israel would return to supplying water to southern Gaza, 

This is a developing story.

Displaced Israelis who live two kilometers at most from the northern Lebanese border will have their temporary stays in hostels and guest houses subsidized by the IDF and the Defense Ministry's National Emergency Authority (RAHEL), they announced Monday morning.

This applied to residents of the following cities, villages and towns: Rajar, Dishon, Kfar Yuval, Margaliot, Metula, Avivim, Dovev, Maayan Baruch, Bar'am, Menara, Yiftach, Malkia, Misgav Am, Yeron, Daphna, Arab el-Aramsha, Shlomi, Netu'a, Ye'ara, Shtula, Matat, Zar'it, Shumra, Betzet, Admit, Rosh Hanikra, Kfar Giladi and Hanita.

Israel, the United States and Egypt agreed to a ceasefire in southern Gaza at 9 a.m., coinciding with Egypt's opening of the Rafah border crossing for the evacuation of foreign nationals out of Gaza and humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, two Egyptian security sources told Reuters.

Rocket sirens sounded in Nahal Oz, near the Gaza border, on Monday morning, marking the first round of fire from the Strip at Israel since late on Sunday night.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu invited US President Joe Biden to visit Israel this week in another phone call between the two on Sunday night, during Israel's war on Gaza-based terrorist organization Hamas.

In the meantime, the White House is leaning to accept the invitation, according to reports.

An American source told Walla! that the Biden administration is considering a visit to the Middle East this week, which would include a trip to Egypt and a host of other countries, as well as Israel.

On Sunday night, Netanyahu spoke with Biden for the fifth time since the outbreak of the war in the Gaza Strip. The Prime Minister's Office stated that "Netanyahu thanked Biden for the unconditional American support for the State of Israel and for its right to defend itself."

A visit by Biden would follow solidarity visits conducted by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin last week.

The IDF’s air war against Hamas has been impressive by every indicator. Thousands of targets have been hit and the military’s immensely powerful AI target-mining “bank” means the air force is able to continue finding new targets as fast or faster.

Several senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad commanders and large portions of their headquarters, terrorism infrastructure, intelligence apparatuses, and symbols of their rule have been killed or obliterated.

The drumbeat from every IDF commander is that they are tearing Hamas to pieces and it is losing more control of Gaza day after day. There is only one problem with this narrative. Hamas is still firing rockets – every day – and lots of them.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said the actions and policies of terrorist group Hamas do not represent Palestinian people, according to official news agency WAFA.

In a phone call with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Abbas also called the Palestine Liberation Organization the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people," WAFA said.

"The president affirmed his rejection of the killing of civilians on both sides and called for the release of civilians, prisoners and detainees on both sides," added the news agency.

Hamas critique removed from Palestinians' Abbas comments on Israel attack

The Palestinian Authority's official news agency published comments on Sunday by President Mahmoud Abbas that criticized Hamas over its actions but later removed reference to the terrorist group without providing an explanation.

"The government needs to find solutions for displaced residents from our municipality," lamented Moshe Davidovich, the head of the Mateh Asher Regional Council in the western Galilee on Sunday, expressing his despair and frustration over the ongoing crisis facing the residents near Israel's borders.

A week ago, the security department of the Upper Galilee Regional Council and Mateh Asher Regional Council informed the residents that "according to the instructions of security authorities, residents whose presence is not required in the settlement are asked to find alternative accommodation solutions outside the area."

It was also written: "You are requested to prepare a bag for an extended stay - clothes, toiletries, chargers." In addition, residents of the Mateh Asher Regional Council were also asked to leave their homes. On the other hand, the residents of Shlomi were called to stay and were told there was no need to evacuate.

US President Joe Biden agreed that "Hamas must be eliminated," but stressed that there must be a path to Palestinian statehood as well in an interview with CBS's "60 Minutes" on Sunday night.

President Biden says Hamas must be eliminated, but he supports Palestinian statehood. This has been the U.S. policy for decades. https://t.co/NASVaY1Z4T pic.twitter.com/eFbZDh1IBy

— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) October 15, 2023

"There needs to be a Palestinian authority. There needs to be a path to a Palestinian state," said Biden.

When asked if he thought Israel would pursue that path after Hamas's recent assault on southern Israel, the president responded "Not now. Not now. Not now, but I think Israel understands that a significant portion of Palestinian people do not share the views of Hamas and Hezbollah."

Biden rejected the idea of Israel occupying the Gaza Strip, saying "I think it'd be a big mistake."