The death toll tops 1,000 after Hamas’ surprise attack and Israel’s response. And more auto workers are set to go on strike, but this time against Mack Trucks – these stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Oct. 9, 2023.
Israel retaliates after surprise attack by Hamas
Hamas militants staged a surprise attack on Saturday, Oct. 7, killing more than 700 people in Israel, including at least four Americans, launching a barrage of thousands of rockets, invading multiple communities, and taking hostages.
On Monday, Oct. 9, Israel ordered a “full siege” of the Gaza Strip, cutting off power, food, water and fuel. This comes as the Israeli army said it has retaken control of communities near the Gaza border more than 48 hours after the attack by the Palestinian militant group that controls the Gaza Strip.
Hamas, categorized as a terrorist organization by the U.S., crossed into Israel by land, sea and air, saying it struck major cities like Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
Israel has retaliated with airstrikes of its own into Gaza.
On Sunday, Oct. 8, the Israeli government formally declared war, one that Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said will be long and difficult.
“Citizens of Israel, we are at war, not in operation, but in fighting rounds but at war,” Netanyahu said shortly after the attacks started. “This morning, Hamas launched a murderous surprise attack against the state of Israel and its citizens.”
Armed Hamas militants entered 22 Israeli towns, taking civilian and soldier hostages back to Gaza. Two hundred sixty people were ambushed at a music festival and killed.
The leader of Hamas’ military wing says the assault comes as a response to Israel’s blockade on Gaza and its occupation of the West Bank. More than 74,000 people living in Gaza have fled their homes, taking shelter in schools provided by the United Nations.
Israel is expected to launch a ground response into Gaza in the coming days.
Biden: ‘U.S. stands with Israel’
As news of the attack broke, President Joe Biden made it clear that America is behind Israel in its fight against the Palestinian militant group.
“The people of Israel are under an attack orchestrated by a terror organization, Hamas. In this moment of tragedy,” Biden said. “I want to say to them and to the world and to terrorists everywhere that the United States stands with Israel. We will not ever fail to have their back.”
The U.S. is sending multiple military ships and aircraft close to Israel as a show of support, including the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group.
Biden told Netanyahu on Sunday, Oct. 8, that additional assistance for the Israeli defense forces is on its way.
GOP presidential candidates outraged over Iran deal after attack
Hamas is backed by Iran and it is believed to receive most of its funding from Iran. Over the weekend, the Wall Street Journal cited senior members of the Palestinian militant group – claiming Iran helped plan the attack over the course of several weeks.
On Monday, Oct. 9, Iran’s foreign ministry denied the country had any involvement in Hamas’ attack on Israel.
However, because of the connection between Hamas and Iran, many Republican presidential candidates are speaking out against the Biden administration’s approval to unfreeze $6 billion in Iranian assets as part of a prisoner swap last month.
Former President Donald Trump, the current GOP frontrunner, said, “American taxpayer dollars helped fund these attacks.”
Biden administration officials say the $6 billion was not U.S. taxpayer money but payments from South Korea to Iran for oil. The funds, which officials say are to only be used for humanitarian purposes, have not been fully transferred to the Iranian government.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis suggested the Biden administration “empowered” Iran after the agreement, saying that other funds could be freed up now as a result of the $6 billion.
Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley told NBC’s “Meet the Press,” “to think they’re not moving around money is irresponsible…it was wrong to release the $6 billion.”
More than 2,000 reportedly killed in Afghan earthquake
More than 2,000 people were killed in a 6.3 magnitude earthquake that struck the western portion of Afghanistan on Saturday, Oct. 7, according to the Taliban, who have been in control of the country for two years.
This earthquake is the deadliest the country has seen in decades.
A spokesperson for the Taliban said around 1,200 people were injured and around 1,000 homes destroyed.
Afghanistan’s response to natural disasters has been hampered since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, following the United States’ withdrawal in 2021.
The country’s healthcare system is almost fully reliant on foreign aid, but donors have pulled back on financial support. The Red Cross announced it would likely end funding to 25 hospitals in Afghanistan due to funding constraints.
UAW workers to strike against Mack Trucks
Some 4,000 members of the United Auto Workers union are set to go on strike Monday, Oct. 9, not against the big three Detroit automakers but against Volvo-owned Mack Trucks.
Seventy-three percent of the union members rejected a tentative five-year contract agreement by Mack on Sunday, Oct. 8, voting to go on strike in three states today.
The deal included a 20% increase in general wages over five years. UAW president Shawn Fain said he was inspired about workers holding out for a better deal.
Mack president Stephen Roy said in a statement the company was “surprised and disappointed” by the UAW’s decision to strike.
Thousands of UAW members across the country have been on strike against General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis since Sept. 15. Last week, there were reports of “significant progress” in bargaining talks between the union and the Detroit automakers.
150-year-old lighthouse shines again after a decade
A 150-year-old lighthouse in the Florida Keys that once was a beacon to help guide ships through treacherous waters is shining once more. The Alligator Lighthouse, which has stood since 1873, stayed lit until about 10 years ago and has been dark ever since.
But a community group is spending $6 million to restore and preserve the lighthouse they call its Statue of Liberty. This past weekend, the Alligator Lighthouse, named after a navy ship that sank in the area in 1822, was back on with its new solar-powered lights.
It was, however just a reminder of the group’s goal to bring back the illuminated landmark permanently. It is a project that is expected to take up to six years to complete.
