In the West Bank, Israeli fighter jets bomb a café in Tulkarm refugee camp, killing 18 Palestinians, including at least 2 children and Zahi Yaser Abd al-Razeq Oufi, who Israel claims is a Hamas leader and the target of the attack. The PA condemns the airstrike. Israeli forces also shoot and kill a Palestinian man during a raid in Hebron. Elsewhere, Israeli forces assault 4 Palestinians at a checkpoint near Jericho. Israeli forces also assault a man and seize 2 vehicles during a raid in Marda. Meanwhile, Israeli forces close the Ibrahimi Mosque to Muslim worshippers, citing Jewish holidays. Israeli forces also prevent Palestinians from harvesting olives in Madama. Separately, Israeli forces arrest 15 Palestinians during late-night raids. In Gaza, Israeli forces bomb Nuseirat refugee camp, Beit Lahiya, Khan Yunis, Dayr al-Balah, Maghazi, Shati’ refugee camp, and Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least 90 people. In Lebanon, Israeli forces bomb the Bachoura, Dahieh, and Chyah neighborhoods of Beirut, Kaifun, Machghara, Shmustar, Taraya, Sefri, Tabshar, Bourdaya, Riyaq, Karak, Dhour Zahle, Bint Jbeil, and Kasarnaba, killing at least 37 people, including at least 9 medics in Bachoura. Israel reportedly uses white phosphorus in the attack on Bachoura. In an attack on Dahieh, Israeli forces reportedly use 11 bunker buster bombs, allegedly targeting the presumed next leader of Hezbollah Hashem Safieddine. 2 Belgian journalists are injured in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut. Israeli forces also bomb the vicinity of the Beirut International Airport. Israeli forces issue evacuation orders for parts of the Hadath and Bourj el-Barajneh neighborhoods of Beirut. Israeli forces kill 2 Lebanese soldiers. The Lebanese army says it returned fire during the second incident in Bint Jbeil. An Israeli soldier is killed in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah forces fire rockets at Sasa, Tiberias, and the Ramin and Rahab military bases. In Yemen, Houthi forces say they launched a drone at Tel Aviv. (AJ, AJ, AJ, AX, HA, HA, NYT, NYT, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU, REU, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA, WAFA 10/3; AJ, AP, AP, HA, UNOCHA 10/4)
More than 41,788 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, including at least 16,456 children and 11,088 women, and around 96,794 have been injured since 10/7/2023. At least 10,000 people are missing in rubble. 730 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 10/7/2023, including 153 children. More than 6,000 people have been injured. Israel reports that 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed and 5,400 have been injured in Israel since 10/7/2023, including Israeli soldiers. In addition, 346 Israeli soldiers have been killed and 2,298 injured in Gaza since the ground invasion began on 10/27/2023. Over 1.93 million Palestinians, nearly 85% of the population of Gaza, have been displaced since 10/7/2023. There has been a complete electricity blackout in Gaza since 10/12/2023 due to the Israeli blockade. At least 79,000 housing units have been destroyed and 370,000 have been damaged in Israeli airstrikes since 10/7/2023. The Palestinian Water Authority reports that more than 85% of water and sewage facilities in Gaza have either completely or partially stopped operations. (AJ, REU, WAFA, WAFA 10/3)
The UN Human Rights Office calls on Israel to immediately end its “pattern of strikes in Gaza on buildings” serving as shelters, saying at least 7 shelters have been hit this week. (UNOCHA 10/4)
The WHO says Israel has killed 28 healthcare workers in Lebanon in the past 24 hours. EU high commissioner for foreign affairs Josep Borrell condemns Israel’s targeting of healthcare workers. (AJ, REU 10/3)
Israel says it assassinated Hamas political bureau member Rawhi Mushtaha 3 months ago in an airstrike in Gaza. (HA 10/3)
PA president Mahmoud Abbas delivers an address at the Asia Cooperation Dialogue summit in Doha, calling for an end to Israel’s attacks on Gaza and Lebanon. (WAFA 10/3)
U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says that the U.S. still supports Israel’s attacks on Lebanon but ultimately wants to see a ceasefire. Colombia, the UK, Germany, France, Russia, and Greece evacuate some of their citizens from Lebanon. (AJ, AJ, NYT, REU, REU, REU, REU 10/3)
Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian meets with Arab foreign ministers in Doha, during a meeting of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue. Arab countries reportedly told Pezeshkian that they will remain neutral in the conflict between Iran and Israel. Al Jazeera reports that Iran has sent a message to the U.S. saying that “the phase of unilateral self-restraint has ended.” U.S. president Joe Biden responds to a question, confirming that Israel and the U.S. are discussing an Israeli attack on Iranian oil facilities. (AJ, REU 10/3; NYT 10/4)
The UN Security Council members issue a joint statement, saying “any decision not to engage with the UN Secretary-General [Antonio Guterres] or the United Nations is counterproductive,” in response to Israel declaring that Guterres is not welcome in the country. France calls the decision “unjustified, serious, and counter-productive.” (AJ, REU, WAFA 10/3; WAFA 10/4)
FIFA announces 2 new investigations into Israel after a meeting of the FIFA Council. One will look at the Palestine Football Association’s allegation that Israel is discriminating against Palestinian clubs and the second will investigate whether Israeli settlement clubs are taking in competitions licensed by the Israel Football Association. (AJ, AJ, BBC, GDN, HA, REU 10/3)
British Airways cancel flights to Tel Aviv until 10/26. (AJ 10/3)
The Telegraph reports that former UK prime minister Boris Johnson writes in his upcoming book Unleashed that he believes Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu placed a listening device in his personal bathroom at the foreign office after using it. (DT 10/3; AX, HA 10/4)
The World Bank says it will divert $250 million in emergency aid to Lebanon. The EU donates $33 million in disaster aid for Lebanon. (AJ, REU 10/3)