Stay informed with our live updates on the unfolding crisis in Israel and the Gaza Strip. Sunday marks the ninth day since Oct. 7, the start of the most recent Israel–Hamas war. Here are the latest updates on the war:
Rafah Crossing Will Be Open, US Secretary of State Says After Meeting With Egypt’s President:
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken promised Sunday “Rafah will be open” after meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. “Rafah will be open,” he said. “We’re putting in place with the UN, with Egypt, Israel, with others, the mechanism by which to get the assistance in and to get it to people who need it.” Mr. Blinken also announced President Joe Biden’s appointment of David Satterfield, former US ambassador to Turkey, to help coordinate aid efforts. Mr. Blinken said Satterfield will be in Israel on Monday to begin coordinating. “He will be here on the ground tomorrow to work out all the practical details so we can move this forward,” Mr. Blinken said of Mr. Satterfield.
Iranian President Warns War Could Expand if Israel’s Siege of Gaza Doesn’t Stop:
Iran’s hard-line president spoke with France’s leader on Sunday, warning that war would expand if Israel’s siege of Gaza doesn’t stop, state-run media reported. The official IRNA news agency said Ebrahim Raisi and Emmanuel Macron spoke over the phone. The Iranian president made no mention of the unprecedented Oct. 7 incursion by Gaza’s terrorist Hamas group into southern Israel that sparked the latest Hamas-Israel war. Iran has long been a supporter of Hamas. “The situation will be complicated … if the crimes by the Zionist regime, including the killing of people and blockade of Gaza, are not stopped,” Mr. Raisi was quoted as saying, referring to Israel. IRNA did not provide further details. Mr. Macron intended to press the argument that bringing the violence to a rapid end is in everyone’s interests, including Iran’s, the presidential office said. France feels that Iran can play a positive role in the crisis by simply not getting involved in it, either with “words that are unacceptable” or by supporting Hamas.
Israeli Fighter Jets Strike Hezbollah Military Infrastructure in Lebanon, IDF Says:
Fighter jets have struck Hezbollah military infrastructure in Lebanon, Israel Defense Forces said in an update Sunday. Earlier, the IDF said it was responding to fire coming from Lebanon. “At the same time, a report was received regarding a shooting toward IDF soldiers along the border of Lebanon,” it said, adding IDF soldiers in the area were “responding with live fire.”
Biden Says US Can Support Both Israel and Ukraine: ‘We Have the Capacity to Do This and We Have an Obligation’:
President Joe Biden said the US can provide support to Israel and Ukraine while still maintaining, “our overall international defense,” in an interview excerpt aired Sunday morning. “We have the capacity to do this and we have an obligation to, we are the essential nation,” President Biden said on CBS News, paraphrasing a famous quote from former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. “We’re the United States of America for God’s sake, the most powerful nation in the history—not in the world, in the history of the world. The history of the world. We can take care of both of these and still maintain our overall international defense,” President Biden said, when asked if the US could take on both wars at the same time. “And if we don’t, who does?” the president noted.
Schumer and Visiting US Senators Rushed to Tel Aviv Shelter During Hamas Rocket Attack:
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on social media that a bipartisan group of senators visiting Israel was rushed to a shelter in Tel Aviv on Sunday to wait out a rocket attack from Hamas. Schumer posted a photo of himself and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) in the shelter. “It shows you what Israelis have to go through. We must provide Israel with the support required to defend itself,” Mr. Schumer said.
Israelis Turn on Water Pipes in Southern Gaza: US National Security Advisor:
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a CNN interview on Sunday that Israeli officials have informed him that water pipes in southern Gaza have been turned back on.
FBI Director Warns of Rise in Reported Domestic Threats Linked to Israel–Hamas War:
FBI Director Chris Wray on Saturday warned of an increase in domestic threats linked to the Israel-Hamas war. “In this heightened environment, there’s no question we’re seeing an increase in reported threats, and we have to be on the lookout, especially for lone actors who may take inspiration from recent events to commit violence of their own,” Mr. Wray said during remarks at the International Association of Chiefs of Police annual conference in San Diego.
Israelis in the Southern City of Sderot Near Gaza Board Buses to Escape Hamas’s Rockets:
Residents of the southern Israeli city of Sderot boarded buses for other parts of the country on Sunday to escape the rocket barrages from the Gaza Strip. Palestinian Hamas terrorists who infiltrated Israel on a rampage that killed more than 1,300 people more than a week ago have also bombarded the country with thousands of rockets. Sderot, a city of about 34,000 people located about a mile from the Gaza border, has been a frequent target.
Germany Warns Against All Travel to Israel, Palestinian Territories, and Lebanon:
The German government has issued a travel warning for Israel, the Palestinian territories, and Lebanon. Sunday’s warning is a big step up from previous longstanding partial travel warnings for the Gaza Strip and some areas of Lebanon.
Blinken Meets With Saudi Crown Prince:
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh. Mr. Blinken and the crown prince spoke Sunday for a little less than an hour at his private farm outside the capital.