Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I’m Brad Dress — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.
Israel’s expected ground offensive in Gaza will be potentially catastrophic for civilian life in Gaza, while also posing steep risks for Israeli forces and raising the danger of widening a war with Iran-backed proxy groups. For the first time in years, Israeli forces will have to penetrate deep into Gaza, a coastal enclave where thousands of Hamas militants operate out of an underground network of tunnels, while also …
Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) got in a heated exchange with an activist over Israel — and his holding of a baby — on Friday in one of the House office buildings near the Capitol that ended with him walking away while cursing and calling the activist “scum.” The altercation took place in the Longworth House Office building, where House Republicans were gathered to pick their nominee for Speaker and which is open to …
New York City Council member Inna Vernikov, a Republican, was arrested Friday after carrying a gun at a pro-Palestine peace rally in Brooklyn the day before, according to a statement from the New York Police Department. Police charged her with criminal possession of a firearm. Vernikov was contacted by police and turned herself in to the 70th Precinct after she was observed “with the but-end of a firearm handgun” …
Former President Trump praised the Israeli military Friday, after his recent comments criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “I have always been impressed by the skill and determination of the Israeli Defence Forces,” Trump said in a Truth Social post Friday. “As they defend their Nation against ruthless terrorists, I want to wish every soldier the best of luck. May you return home safely to your families, and …
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is on a visit to the Middle East through Sunday.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Israel on Friday.
PresidentBiden is expected to discuss the conflict in Israel with CBS’ “60 Minutes” Sunday.
In Other News
Branch out with a different read from The Hill:
Biden says Hamas makes ‘al Qaeda look pure’
President Biden on Friday said the terrorist group Hamas, which brutally attacked Israel last weekend, is worse than al Qaeda, the organization behind the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. “The more we learned about the attack, the more horrifying it becomes. More than 1,000 — 1,000 innocent lives …
The American Enterprise Institute will discuss the “trajectory of the war in Israel” during a 12:30 p.m. ET hybrid event.
The Center for Nonproliferation Studies will discuss the implications of a U.S.-Saudi Arabia-Israel deal during a 9:30 a.m. online event.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies will preview the upcoming visit from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to the U.S. during a 10 a.m. call-in press briefing.
The Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft unpacks the role of Japan in a U.S.-China rivalry during a 8 a.m. online event.
What We’re Reading
News we’ve flagged from other outlets:
The
Israeli-Palestinian conflict: A chronology (Washington Post)
US intelligence warned of potential for Gaza clash in days before attack (CNN)
How Hamas secretly built a‘mini-army’to fight Israel (Reuters)
House Republicans nominated Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) for Speaker on Friday, the conference’s second attempt to find a candidate who can win the … Read more
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), a 2024 presidential candidate, had a heated exchange with a voter over Israel’s airstrikes in Gaza after Hamas militants launched… Read more
Opinions in The Hill
Op-eds related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill:
