Israel at war: What happened on days 28-29?

Israeli forces will reach Hamas terror leader Yahya Sinwar and will kill him, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant vowed on Saturday evening briefing on developments in Operation Swords of Iron.

Further, Gallant said that "by the end of the war, there will be no Hamas in Gaza. There will be no threat to Israeli civilians from the Strip."

Israel intensified its ground operation in Gaza over the weekend, successfully targeting and dismantling vital Hamas elements, including their critical infrastructure and personnel.

Israel has warned its citizens against traveling abroad due to an increase in antisemitic incidents and violent attacks against Israelis and Jews worldwide.

“In recent weeks, against the backdrop of the Swords of Iron conflict, the National Security Council and the Foreign Ministry have witnessed a significant rise in incidents of antisemitism and incitement, alongside life-threatening attacks against Israelis and Jews around the world,” they said in a joint statement.

“These incidents are occurring in numerous countries worldwide, including countries that do not have terrorism warnings.

“In light of the growing trend, the NSC calls for a reevaluation of the necessity of traveling abroad during these days,” the statement continued. “At the same time, the NSC calls upon the general public in Israel, departing for any destination, to follow its recommendations regarding the required conduct of Israeli citizens abroad.”

The United States is working with Israel to create a mechanism for a series of humanitarian “pauses” to the Gaza War to allow vital humanitarian assistance to enter the enclave, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters in Tel Aviv during his one-day visit to the country.

This is a “critical mechanism for protecting civilians while allowing Israel to obtain its objective of defeating Hamas,” Blinken said.

Part of his conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dealt with that issue, Blinken said.

Israel intensifies Gaza ground operation

Blinken came as the Biden administration is under fire at home for its support of Israel’s aerial and ground campaign in Gaza.

Hamas has asserted that over 9,000 Palestinians have been killed in war-related violence.

Pope Francis had a phone call with the President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas on "Thursday late afternoon," a Vatican spokesman said on Friday, without giving details of what was discussed.

Any mistake made by Israel's enemies in the North will bring "unimaginable costs" to Hezbollah, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a warning to terror leader Hassan Nasrallah, who spoke for the first time since October 7 on Friday.

"Don't wrong us," Netanyahu said.

Nasrallah claimed that Lebanon joined on October 8 and thanked groups in Yemen and Iraq, part of what is known as the "Axis of Resistance."

Bragging, Nasrallah celebrated that Israel was "under financial pressure" after multiple towns near the Gaza border were evacuated. He claimed that Israel was "anxious that front could escalate."

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah delivers his first address since the October conflict between Palestinian group Hamas and Israel, from an unspecified location in Lebanon, in this screenshot taken from video obtained November 3, 2023. (credit: AL-MANAR VIA REUTERS)

Any mistake made by Israel's enemies in the North will bring "unimaginable loss" to Hezbollah, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a warning to terror leader Hassan Nasrallah, who spoke for the first time since October 7 on Friday.

This is a developing story.

The National Security Council, Foreign Ministry and the Prime Minister's Office released a travel advisory for Israelis on Friday due to rising global antisemitism, the statement said.

The statement called for increased precautions when traveling abroad in light of the increasing number of threats and antisemitic actions and incidents of violence against Israelis and Jews around the world.

The French Institute in Gaza was hit by an Israeli airstrike, but no injuries wre reported among staff at the site, the French Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

The ministry added in a statement that it had asked Israeli authorities for more information regarding the strike on the Institute.

The United Nations aid chief said on Friday that there had been "some progress" in ongoing negotiations to allow fuel into the Gaza Strip for the first time since hostilities began on October 7.

"I heard just this morning as I came in, there has been some progress on allowing some more fuel in through these negotiations," Martin Griffiths told a meeting at the United Nations in New York, referring to ongoing negotiations between the global body, Israel, Egypt and the United States. "I hope to see that confirmed during today."

In the same speech, he repeated his call for "humanitarian pauses" in the enclave to help aid deliveries.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah accused Israel, in a speech at 3 p.m. on November 3, of committing human rights abuses against Palestinians. The speech was the first given since war broke out between Israel and Hamas.

The speech, while made public today, was pre-recorded. Nasrallah was not present in the building where the speech was displayed.

In the speech, he claimed that "brothers from Hamas" had planned the October 7 attack alone, and they hid it from their other terrorist allies.

This is a developing story.