Israel to assume “security responsibility” in Gaza after war

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said his country would oversee security in Gaza for an indefinite period after the war with Hamas ends. He did not elaborate on what that control may mean, but he said that the Hamas terrorist group could not be allowed to retain power there. Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces, or IDF, increased pressure on Gaza City after troops over the weekend effectively split the Gaza Strip in two. Israeli officials on Tuesday opened a corridor for civilians to evacuate from northern Gaza into the south, said the IDF.

Is aid getting into the region? About 570 aid trucks have entered Gaza since Oct. 21, according to the United Nations humanitarian office. Leaders of 18 U.N. agencies on Sunday renewed their call for a humanitarian ceasefire as death tolls continue to rise, as reported by the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry. Netanyahu said he would not consider a pause in fighting unless Hamas terrorists release all hostages being held in Gaza. Hamas is thought to be holding about 240 hostages. 

Dig deeper: Read Leo Briceno’s report in The Stew about the House and Senate’s current disagreement about funding for Israel.