“The White House last month gave Israel 30 days to improve conditions or risk losing military support. As the deadline expired, international aid groups said the US fell far short, with the humanitarian situation in Gaza the worst it has been since the war erupted.” AP, Only limited aid getting inside Gaza

But “relief groups say conditions are worse than at any point in the 13-month-old war.” AP, US will not limit arms transfers 

“‘I am absolutely sure if the Russians did not have nuclear weapons, we would have been in Ukraine, kicking them out,’ Admiral Rob Bauer, the outgoing chief of NATO’s Military Committee.” Newsweek, NATO Military Chief re:Russian Nukes

“Sanders’ resolutions will almost certainly be defeated on the Senate floor, but they will give a good snapshot of just how strong the sentiment against Israel’s war effort in Gaza is amongst Senate Democrats.” Axios, Sanders seeks to block arms sales

The Cradle, Beirut rejects ‘ceasefire deal’ “Tel Aviv has demanded a ‘unilateral’ ceasefire from the Lebanese side – while insisting on the right to maintain military access to Lebanese territory and airspace.” NOTE: The article reports that more than 100 IDF troops have been killed in Lebanon; Israel reports only 44 as of Oct 29. Article also reports the destruction of dozens of Israeli tanks – which is doubtful given lack of recent confirming photos. However, many are sure to have been hit by antitank rocket fire – to unknown effect.

AA, Israeli 2nd Phase of Lebanon Op

“In Lebanon, at least 3,243 people have been killed and 14,134 wounded in Israeli attacks since October 2023.” Al Jazeera, Israel pounds Beirut

The Cradle, Haifa mayor

“In 1989, East German youth tore down the Berlin Wall, dreaming of freedom and prosperity. However, the reform programme that was soon imposed on them had devastating effects, comparable to those of war… When you create wastelands known to produce monsters, you should not feign surprise when those monsters appear.” Le Monde diplomatique, The other Great Depression

Washington will no longer accept Hamas reps in Qatar, accusing the group of refusing “to negotiate a deal in good faith”. But it was Washington & Israel that kept on moving the goal post. Well, the US election is over… and so is the negotiation pretense. BBC, Qatar suspends role as mediator between Israel and Hamas

Al Jazeera:  “According to analysts, the sacking of Yoav Gallant” – which has sparked violent Israeli protests – “ removes the loudest voice in the room calling for a ceasefire… Gallant, infamous for likening Palestinians to ‘human animals’, attributed his dismissal to three factors” – his support for enlisiting religious students, his calls for an inquiry into the security failings that opned the door to the Oct 7 Hamas attack, and his backing of a ceasefire deal. Al Jazeera, Endless’ wars: What Israel’s political drama means for Gaza, Lebanon.

ACLED, Israel-Hezbollah War Data

Axios, https://www.axios.com/2024/11/05/us-iraq-iran-israel-attack-warning

“A weakened Hezbollah continues to fight in the area near the border despite severe blows against its leadership and operational structure” – El Pais,  “Israel bogged down in southern Lebanon“

“This election cycle saw unprecedented spending by the Israel lobby, which donated more to House and Senate candidates than in the last two elections combined: $44,656,374 in 2023-2024, compared to $17,175,455 in 2021-2022 and $12,661,440 in 2019-2020. Since April, the lobby has spent over $7.5 million to bolster its favored candidates in Congress.” Washington Report on the Middle East, Unprecedented Pro-Israel PAC Funding

Axios, Iran preparing major retaliatory strike from Iraq within days, Israeli intel suggests  “Israeli intelligence suggests the attack is expected to be carried out from Iraq using a large number of drones and ballistic missiles.”

The Cradle, Satellite images show Israel razed over 1,000 buildings in south Lebanon – “At least 200 of the buildings destroyed by Israel were blown up in “controlled demolitions,” a practice the Israeli army has repeatedly used across the Gaza Strip.”

AP, About 8,000 North Korean troops at Ukraine’s border are expected in combat in days, US says,  If NK troops fight in Kursk for Russia, why can’t NATO troops fight in Ukraine for Kyiv? Simple: it may look as though NATO troops killing Russians and vice versa is the same as Ukrainians killing North Koreans and vice versa, but it only looks that way if one fails to appreciate the distinctive character of the nuclear superpowers and their relationship. Putting additional NATO troops in Ukraine (beyond the ~100 already present) is qualitatively different. Putin has found a way to match NATO brinkmanship. For now.

UPI “Blinken, Austin: No evidence Russia is helping North Korea develop ICBMs” – The Ukraine war has certainly set back efforts to contain N.Korea, although continuing emphasis on the goal of complete disarmament is a non-starter in any case. (BTW: The article asserts that Russia is losing 1200 troops daily. That’s wishful thinking/propaganda. Half that number killed or seriously wounded is more in line with verifiable data – still quite serious.)

“At least 62 soldiers killed and hundreds injured since the start of October.” ~500 IDF troops have been killed since post-10/7/23 offensive operations began. Mideast Eye

“Media Hawks Make Case for War Against Iran,” https://fair.org/home/media-hawks-make-case-for-war-against-iran/ – “The media hawks are flying high, pushing out bellicose rhetoric on the op-ed pages that seems calculated to whip the public into a war-ready frenzy.” Neocons have been talking for a long time about “Real Men Go to Tehran.” Odd it took a Democratic president to enable, provision, and okay the attack. Or, given the pending US election, maybe not so odd.

“Zelensky’s ‘Victory Plan’ Is Old Wine in a New Bottle,” https://newsweek.com/zelenskys-victory-plan-old-wine-new-bottle-opinion-1959980 – Yes, there’s nothing new. The new bottle? That might be labeled “Kursk”. 🔹The Kursk incursion gives the impression that Ukraine can retake the offensive in a lasting, decisive way. But the author argues: 🔹 wars are “won on mass. On this metric, the Russians have the advantage. Putin has more fighting-aged men to throw into the cauldron and more bombs to chuck at the problem.” 🔹 Author concedes that material advantage does guarantee victory, but it does guarantee a long war – and this one is a disaster for the world. Also, 🔹despite Ukraine’s counterstrokes, it hasn’t shown the wherewithal to exploit them effectively.