President Biden made clear his administration stands with Israel.

The US and Israel

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President Biden made clear his administration stands with Israel.

Go on. 

In a televised 10-minute address yesterday, Biden called Hamas’s attack on Israel “pure unadulterated evil.” He spoke about young people slaughtered at a music festival, infants and Holocaust survivors abducted, and women “assaulted, paraded as trophies.” As he put it, Hamas’s terrorism evoked “the worst rampages of ISIS.” Then he spoke about US hostages.

What’s the status?

At least 20 Americans are still unaccounted for with 14 confirmed killed. Biden said there was “no higher priority” for his administration than their safe return. He also warned anyone or country thinking of taking advantage of the conflict: “don’t.” And he said “like every nation in the world, Israel has the right to respond.”

What does the speech mean for the region?

The admin is pushing for more aid to Israel from Congress. Biden didn’t urge Israel to show restraint in Gaza and said “there is no justification for terrorism.” He didn’t address whether he regrets releasing $6 billion in frozen funds to Iran in exchange for the release of five Americans.

What’s the latest on the ground?

In Gaza: Israel is now preparing for a ground invasion after carrying out hundreds of airstrikes that have left over 900 people dead. One man said an Israeli airstrike wiped out 19 members of his family. Palestinians in Gaza do not have bomb shelters and Israel is now carrying out a siege on water, food, and fuel.

In Israel: The death toll is now over 1,200 people — among the deadliest events in Israel’s history. Many are still trying to identify the dead and hostages while Hamas has continued to send 2,000 rockets. Meanwhile, the country is seeing an uptick in gunfire exchange at its northern border with Lebanon.

theSkimm

The US’s relationship with Israel spans decades. Now, Biden is asking for military aid for Israel from a Congress that couldn’t agree on aid for Ukraine.

Why Wasn’t Israel Prepared?

The Israeli military is considered among the most advanced in the world — boasting a missile defense system, high-tech fence, radar technology, and underground sensors. Still, Hamas’s ground invasion allowed at least 1,500 Hamas militants to break through. Experts are attributing the lapse to:

Distraction: The government and military were focused on a recent wave of protests and attacks in the West Bank tied to expanding Israeli settlements. There were also threats of a potential war from the north, with concerns of Hezbollah militants attacking from Lebanon. The high-tech border with Gaza was reportedly minimally staffed, allowing explosions and bulldozers to simply push through. 

Tech: Israel’s focus on high-tech and cybersecurity seemed to distract it from a more traditional, low-tech ground assault. Hamas went offline so that Israel’s intelligence couldn’t pick up their communications. That means face-to-face meetings and using couriers over cell phones. One source told Reuters Hamas practiced military landings on a mock Israeli settlement they built.

Military analysts and Israelis will grapple with the security failure on October 7 for years to come. Even US intelligence officials said they didn't see any signs of Hamas’s plans. 

What’s manifesting ‘functional’...

The House. Today, the Republican conference is expected to vote on who to back as speaker. The House has been without a speaker since last week when eight Republicans voted out Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) for working with Democrats to avoid a government shutdown. Reps. Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Jim Jordan (R-OH) are facing off for the job. But the Ghost of Speakers Past might be sneaking in on them. Rumor has it that McCarthy's allies could be working to nominate him as speaker again. If the divided GOP can’t get behind one candidate, then some Republicans might have to reach across the aisle again to get Congress back to work. 

What’s getting crispy…

Chickens. Yesterday, scientists said they used gene editing tech called CRISPR on chickens to combat bird flu. Since 2022, more than 50 million birds have died because of the H5N1 virus. Just one chicken could have the virus, but the entire flock would need to get killed which could upset the food supply. Now, scientists are saying that by tweaking the genes of some chickens, they were able to make them resistant to the virus. Still, the researchers said “we’re not there yet” and more work is needed. 

Who’s no longer staying on the sideline…

Kayla Nicole, Travis Kelce’s ex.

Who gets his milk right from the source…

Brody Jenner.

Who has a different approach to getting rid of an ex's stuff...

Rachel Leviss.

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