Israel-Gaza live updates: Blinken, Abbas meet on restoring 'calm' in West Bank

The top U.S. diplomat made an unannounced stop in the West Bank on Sunday.

ByABC NEWS
Last Updated: November 5, 2023, 5:13 PM EST

Thousands of people have died and thousands more have been injured since the militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel retaliated with a bombing campaign and total siege of the neighboring Gaza Strip, leaving the region on the verge of all-out war.

Click here for updates from previous days.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news is developing. All times Eastern.
Mar 1, 6:03 am

What we know about the conflict

The latest outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that governs the Gaza Strip, has passed the four-month mark.

In the Gaza Strip, at least 30,228 people have been killed and 71,377 others have been wounded by Israeli forces since Oct. 7, according to Gaza's Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health.

In Israel, at least 1,200 people have been killed and 6,900 others have been injured by Hamas and other Palestinian militants since Oct. 7, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

There has also been a surge in violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israeli forces have killed at least 395 people in the territory since Oct. 7, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

The ongoing war began after Hamas-led militants launched an unprecedented incursion into southern Israel from neighboring Gaza via land, sea and air. Scores of people were killed while more than 200 others were taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities. The Israeli military subsequently launched retaliatory airstrikes followed by a ground invasion of Gaza, a 140-square-mile territory where more than 2 million Palestinians have lived under a blockade imposed by Israel and supported by Egypt since Hamas came to power in 2007. Gaza, unlike Israel, has no air raid sirens or bomb shelters.

Nov 03, 2023, 4:11 AM EDT

Secretary Blinken arrives in Israel

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken descended the plane stairs and greeted newly sworn-in Ambassador Jack Lew and the former Chargé d’Affaires, now Deputy Chief of Mission Stephanie Hallett, as he arrived in Tel Aviv on Friday morning.

Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Chief of State Protocol Gil Haskel and MFA North Americas Bureau Director Yaron Sideman also welcomed the secretary.

Blinken will meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu, members of the Israeli War Cabinet and President Herzog this morning and will hold a press availability at 8 a.m. ET (2 p.m. local) after the meetings.

Nov 02, 2023, 6:42 PM EDT

Hezbollah leader to give speech Friday in Beirut, Lebanon

Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is scheduled to speak publicly Friday to people in Ashura Square in Beirut, Lebanon.

The speech is expected to start 3 p.m. local time

Nasrallah will likely appear to the crowd in Beirut via a screen and not in person. He has not appeared in person on the street since 2006.

-ABC News' Ellie Kaufman, Marcus Moore and Bruno Roeber

Nov 02, 2023, 6:15 PM EDT

Ceasefire would allow Hamas to regroup: Pentagon spokesperson

Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder reiterated the administration's calls for a humanitarian pause over a ceasefire.

We do not support a ceasefire, in that gives time for Hamas to regroup which is something that again, would put Israeli citizens and others in danger," he said. "You have heard however, the president say that the U.S. government does support humanitarian pauses to enable humanitarian aid to get in, for hostages to get out as well as other citizens."

"So in the [Defense] Secretary's discussion with his counterparts, ensuring that innocent civilians in Gaza are able to get humanitarian assistance, whether that be water fuel, medical aid ... that continues to be something that we continue to emphasize regularly," Ryder added.

Ryder added that the U.S. continues to speak to Israel about the importance of safeguarding civilian lives in its operations in Gaza, which includes the principle of proportionality, while acknowledging that Israel has a right to self-defense and is dealing with an existential threat.

-ABC News' Luis Martinez

Nov 02, 2023, 6:02 PM EDT

House passes Israel aid package bill

The House of Representatives passed a GOP-led bill to provide $14.3 billion in aid to Israel, setting up a fight with the Biden administration and Democratic-controlled Senate.

The final vote was 226-196.

The bill provides $4 billion in funding for the Iron Dome and David’s Sling missile defense systems. It also leaves out humanitarian aid for Gaza.

The Biden administration requested Congress to pass an aid package for Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan and the border together, but House Speaker Mike Johnson decided to split up the requests as funding for Ukraine is unpopular among the Republican conference.

The bill would pay for the Israel funding with cuts to the IRS.

The White House has threatened to veto it.

-ABC News' Lauren Peller and Alexandra Hutzler

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