Israel at war - What happened on day 30?

I have taken part in a few incursions into the Gaza Strip, but I have to admit that I have never been this scared. The intensity of the war, my family situation, including a son who’d been injured and undergone a long recovery, stirred up many conflicting thoughts. Yet when we received final approval from the IDF last Thursday to join the troops for a day, all my doubts dissipated.

By Friday, we were on our way down South to join up with the Negev Brigade, a reserve infantry brigade, as it traversed to Beit Hanun in the Gaza Strip.

Civilian communities on Gaza border turned into makeshift military bases

Immediately after the war broke out, many of the kibbutzim that border Gaza were turned into makeshift military bases, a different pace from previous military operations, where civilian activity mostly continued as usual. Today, barely any civilians remain in any of the communities.

“Up until October 7, we were reservists,” one soldier stationed in the area said. “Now, we are all soldiers. Some of the reserve units’ equipment was antiquated, but now we have everything we need.”

The Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah threatened on Saturday night to spark an "unprecedented escalation" if US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Baghdad during his meetings in the Middle East.

While the schedule for Blinken's visit to the region does not list Baghdad as one of the locations he's set to visit, the Shafaq news site reported that Blinken would visit the city on Sunday to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani and Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein. The report that Blinken will visit Baghdad has not been confirmed by US or Iraqi officials.

Abu Ali al-Askari, a senior leader of Kataib Hezbollah, warned that Blinken, who they referred to as "son of a Jew," was not welcome in Iraq.

The Kataib Hezbollah leader added that the militia would work to "shut down American interests in Iraq" and would force the closure of the US Embassy in Iraq and prevent US citizens from entering the country in a "non-peaceful" way.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken waves as he disembarks from an aircraft during his visit to Israel, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel November 3, 2023 (credit: REUTERS/JONATHAN ERNST/POOL)

Iran-backed militias target US forces in Iraq and Syria

Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria have launched rockets and drones at bases housing US forces in the two countries in the weeks since the war between Israel and Hamas began.

Two weeks ago, Alwiyat al-Waad al-Haq, an Iran-backed militia believed to be linked to Kataib Hezbollah, threatened to target bases where American forces are housed in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates in response to the Israel-Hamas war.

Saudi air defenses intercepted a missile fired by the Iran-backed Houthi militia from Yemen on Saturday night, according to initial reports on Saudi social media.

🚨 عاجل 🚨 قبل قليل...#تبوك

🚨 شهود عيان: الدفاعات الجوية السعودية تسقط صاروخ بالستي في علقان في منطقة تبوك. pic.twitter.com/8Xb0x2EeYB

— رؤى لدراسات الحرب (@Roaastudies) November 4, 2023

Footage reportedly from the village of Alqan in the Tabuk region of northwestern Saudi Arabia showed an explosion in the sky in the distance. No official source has confirmed the report as of yet.

This is a developing story.

The IDF will open a humanitarian corridor to allow civilians to evacuate from northern to southern Gaza from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, the head of the Arab media division of the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, Avichay Adraee, posted on X on Saturday night.

#عاجل يا سكان غزة،
🔴قامت حماس اليوم باطلاق قذائف هاون وأخرى مضادة للدروع نحو قواتنا التي حرصت على فتح الطريق من شمال قطاع غزة نحو جنوبه لتتمكنوا من حماية أنفسكم. عناصر حماس نفذوا ذلك لانهم أرادوا ان تبقوا دروعًا بشرية لهم ولقادتهم.
🔴أود أن أخبركم أنه بالرغم من ذلك فان جيش… pic.twitter.com/Z2LIs4J2FR

— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) November 4, 2023

"Today, Hamas fired mortar and anti-tank shells towards our forces, who were trying to open the road from the north of the Gaza Strip to its south so that you could protect yourselves. Hamas members carried this out because they wanted to keep human shields for themselves and their leaders."

"Despite this, the IDF will allow traffic on Salah al-Din Road tomorrow between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. For your safety, take advantage of this time to move south beyond Wadi Gaza," added Adraee. "If you care about yourself and your loved ones, head south according to our instructions. Rest assured that Hamas leaders are already taking care to protect themselves."

President Joe Biden on Saturday said "yes" when asked by reporters whether any progress has been made on the prospect of a humanitarian pause in the conflict in Gaza.