Good afternoon. The US president, Joe Biden, will travel to Israel tomorrow and then to Jordan amid growing concerns that the Israel-Hamas war could spiral into a regional conflict.
The visit comes as Iran warned of “pre-emptive action” against Israel “in the coming hours” in response to what it said were “war crimes committed against the people of Gaza”. Shortly after the Iranian remarks, Israel said it had struck targets of Hezbollah, the pro-Iranian Lebanese militant group, in south Lebanon. Read this analysis on the regional threat.
Meanwhile, Hamas has released its first hostage video showing an injured 21-year-old Israeli woman. Hamas says it is holding 250 hostages, while the Israeli army says the group is holding 199 hostages.
Top news
Over a million displaced | The Israeli army says 600,000 Palestinians have fled to the south of the Gaza Strip, and 500,000 Israelis have been displaced as Israel evacuates communities on the borders with Gaza and Lebanon. At least 2,808 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes.
US progressives push for ceasefire | Progressive US lawmakers introduced a resolution in Congress calling for a ceasefire to the conflict. Jewish groups also held a protest outside the White House urging pressure on Israel to drop its military plans to invade Gaza. A White House official resisted the internal pressure, saying they were “not putting conditions on the military assistance that we are providing to Israel”.
Rise in US hate crimes | Biden said he was “shocked and sickened” by the stabbing of a six-year-old Palestinian boy in Illinois, with a 71-year-old man charged with murder and a hate crime. The attack comes as new data from the FBI shows a rise in hate crimes in the US.
Australians stuck in West Bank and Gaza | Rescue buses organised by the federal government to extricate Australians from the occupied West Bank were cancelled, the reasons for which are unclear. Australian officials will attempt to run another bus service tomorrow. Meanwhile, 45 Australians trapped in Gaza had made contact with the government, but they remained in an “extremely difficult” situation, the deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, said.
Interest rates could rise again, RBA warns | The prospect of another official interest rate increase will hinge on upcoming data on jobs and prices, with the Reserve Bank declaring it had “a low tolerance” should inflation not slow at the pace it has previously expected. The next decision on interest rates will fall on 7 November, Melbourne Cup day.
Man dies in NSW bushfire | A 56-year-old man has died and multiple homes are feared lost in a bushfire near Kempsey as firefighters work to contain the Willi Willi fire that has burned through more than 11,000 hectares. The Willi Willi fire was one of 77 active fires across NSW this morning. Almost 30 were not yet contained.
Victoria’s medicinal cannabis driving trial | Medicinal cannabis users will be able to get behind the wheel on closed roads as part of a trial to assess the impact the drug has on their driving ability, under new laws introduced to the state parliament.
India’s supreme court to hand down verdict on same-sex marriage | The court will deliver the verdict today, which has the potential to spark momentous changes in the world’s most populous country. Only Taiwan and Nepal allow same-sex unions in Asia.
Canada accuses China of intercepting military plane | Canada’s defence minister accused a Chinese fighter jet of coming within five metres of a Canadian surveillance plane taking part in a UN operation to enforce sanctions against North Korea. Canada called the interception “dangerous and reckless”.
What they said …
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“The overwhelming feedback I have had from my community is the concern and the need to protect human life and ensure that Australia’s response, along with the rest of the international community, equally values the lives of people in Gaza and innocent Palestinians and Israelis, and their collective suffering and loss.” – Julian Hill, Labor MP
Labor’s Julian Hill stood in parliament and told his fellow MPs that Israel’s right to defend itself did not extend to the “indiscriminate mass killing of innocent Palestinians”. Watch the video.
In numbers
Read the results from the latest Guardian Essential poll.
Before bed read
Which Australian olive oils are worth splashing (or drizzling) out for? Tristan Lutze samples 10 products to find the ones worth buying.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: HET. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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