Israel-Hamas War

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at the Israel-Hamas war, Afghanistan’s deadly earthquake, and a U.K. court hearing on asylum deportations to Rwanda.

Israeli forces ordered a “complete siege” of Gaza on Monday in response to Hamas’s ongoing assault on Israel. The siege follows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s declaration of war on Saturday and will block all electricity, food, water, and fuel deliveries into the Gaza Strip. The territory, which Hamas controls, has already been under a strict blockade for 16 years.

The death toll continues to rise on both sides as Israel launches hundreds of counterstrikes against alleged Hamas-linked targets in the Gaza Strip and Israeli forces battle Hamas fighters in Israeli towns near the Gaza border. At least 900 Israelis and more than 680 Palestinians have been killed, including roughly 109 Israelis attending a music festival, and thousands more Israelis and Palestinians have been wounded. An estimated 150 Israelis along with numerous U.S. citizens are also being held hostage by Gazan militants. According to the U.S. State Department on Monday, at least nine Americans were killed by Hamas’s missile strikes.

At least three members of Hezbollah were also killed during an Israeli bombardment along the Israel-Lebanon border on Monday. The Israel Defense Forces have mobilized 300,000 reservists to the front lines. More than 20,000 Palestinians have fled their homes to seek safety at United Nations-protected schools deeper inside Gazan territory.

Around the world, major leaders have been quick to denounce the violence on both sides. India and Pakistan expressed sadness over the conflict and urged restraint. China called for an immediate cease-fire and reiterated its support for a two-state solution. And the European Union halted all funding for the Palestinian Authority on Monday as well as bolstered protections against antisemitism in Europe. The EU originally pledged $1.9 billion in aid to the PA between 2021 and 2024.

On Sunday, the United States said it would send U.S. Navy warships, an aircraft carrier, combat aircraft, and additional munitions to Israel. These include F-35s, F-15s, F-16s, and A-10 attack jets. But Washington’s priority remains keeping the violence contained to Gaza rather than it potentially spreading to the West Bank, one senior Biden administration official told Time magazine.

For more on the Israel-Hamas war, see Foreign Policy’s landing page for our most up-to-date analyses and arguments as well as articles from the archives. And register here for our next FP Live on what to expect going forward, with Middle East expert Aaron David Miller. This event is free to watch live on Oct. 10 at 8:30 a.m. at this link.

• What You Need to Know About the Israel-Hamas Violence by Daniel Byman and Alexander Palmer
• What Is Iran’s Role in the Hamas Attack on Israel? by Danielle Pletka
• Israel Rocked by Unprecedented Hamas Surprise Attack by Neri Zilber

Tuesday, Oct. 10: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani meet.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visits Romania.

EU foreign ministers host an emergency meeting on the Israel-Hamas war.

Liberia holds general elections.

Wednesday, Oct. 11: Arab League foreign ministers hold an emergency meeting on the Israel-Hamas war.

Thursday, Oct. 12: French President Emmanuel Macron holds talks with Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh.

Gibraltar holds parliamentary elections.

NATO’s Joint Warrior military exercises conclude.

Thursday, Oct. 12, to Saturday, Oct. 14: EU foreign-policy chief Josep Borrell visits China.

Saturday, Oct. 14: New Zealand holds general elections.

Sunday, Oct. 15: Poland holds parliamentary elections.

Ecuador holds a presidential runoff election.

Earthquake devastation. Search and rescue operations in Afghanistan remain underway two days after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake hit Herat province. At least 2,400 people were killed, the Taliban announced on Monday, making it one of this year’s deadliest quakes following similar disasters in Turkey and Syria.

Survivors remain in urgent need of food, water, and medical supplies, but restrictions by some countries against giving money and other assistance directly to the Taliban government have made providing foreign aid more difficult. Prior to the earthquake, Afghanistan was already suffering severe economic and humanitarian crises under Taliban rule.

Refugees in limbo. The U.K. Supreme Court convened on Monday to debate the legality of a British law that deports asylum-seekers to Rwanda. First drafted in April 2022, the law says those who enter the U.K. via “illegal, dangerous or unnecessary methods,” such as crossing the English Channel, would have their asylum requests processed in Rwanda. In exchange, the U.K. would invest millions of dollars into Kigali.

In June, a Court of Appeal ruled that the policy was unlawful, marking a major win for rights groups, but the U.K. government hoped that this week’s appeal might reverse that decision. Arguments will continue through Wednesday before the Supreme Court announces its decision.

The world’s financial Super Bowl. International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank leaders gathered in Morocco on Monday for weeklong annual meetings. This is the first time in half a century that an African nation has hosted the yearly summit, highlighting the growing importance of the global south to international financial institutions.

Among the top agenda items this week, IMF and World Bank officials will discuss adding a permanent Africa seat to the board of directors, the rise in global debt, surging oil costs, and U.S.-China tensions.

A new buck-toothed beauty graced England last month. Meet the first baby beaver born in London since the 16th century, when the cute rodents were hunted to extinction for their fur and meat. Enfield’s beaver reintroduction program, which began last year, now aims to create “beaver safaris” for tourists to safely see the critters in their natural habitat.