did putin visit israel

What Russia Hopes to Gain From the Israel-Hamas Conflict

I sraeli President Benjamin Netanyahu used to call Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, his “dear friend.” Since 2015, the Israeli leader has visited Russia more than 10 times, and proudly hung a giant poster of the two presidents shaking hands over his party headquarters during an election campaign in 2019. But the relationship between Russia and Israel has cooled following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, even if Israel has remained more reluctant to support Ukraine than its Western allies would have liked. 

Even so, it came as a shock to many in Israel to see a group of high-ranking Hamas members meeting with a senior Russian official on Oct. 26. The Israeli Foreign Ministry slammed the decision to invite Hamas members to Moscow as “an act in support of terrorism” and called for Russia to expel the Hamas delegation. 

Tense relationships between Russia and Israel have only become more frayed following a riot in Dagestan, in southern Russia, on Oct. 29. Hundreds of rioters stormed an airport to search for Israelis arriving on a flight from Tel Aviv. Israel has condemned the mob and asked Moscow to protect Israeli citizens and Jews in Russia.

Read More: What to Know About the Attacks on U.S. Military Bases in the Middle East

In the wake of Hamas’s attacks on Oct. 7, which killed over 1,400 Israelis, experts say Russian officials have tried to toe a difficult line. While Russia has been quick to criticize Israel’s strikes on Gaza, it remains reluctant to sever ties with Israel altogether. As the Israel-Hamas conflict shows little sign of slowing down, Russia may also be hoping that support for Ukraine will be placed on the back burner for the U.S. and its allies.

Here’s what to know about Russia’s relationship with Hamas, and what experts say Russia stands to gain from the rising tensions in the Middle East.

Russia’s Strategic Moves in the Aftermath of Hamas’s Attack

Russia has defended its decision to host Hamas members in Moscow, saying it is important to maintain ties with both sides in the Israel-Hamas conflict. The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the meetings were part of Russia’s efforts to secure the release of hostages from Gaza. 

But Hamas’s description of the meetings paints a different picture. The group praised Russia’s efforts to end what it called “the crimes of Israel that are supported by the West,” according to Russia’s state-owned RIA news agency. In the wake of the meetings, Hamas has announced that it is looking for eight hostages in Gaza that Russia has asked to be released, “because we look at Russia as our closest friend,” Hamas Politburo member Abu Marzouk said on Oct. 28. 

Hamas’s visit to Moscow adds to Israeli fears that Russia is readjusting its foreign policy to move closer to Hamas. Palestinian militants have reportedly gotten around Western sanctions by funneling millions through Russian cryptocurrency exchanges. Ukraine’s Head of Defense Intelligence Kyrylo Budanov has also said that Russia has recently supplied Hamas with arms, although he did not provide evidence for his claim. There is no evidence that Russia was involved in instigating Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks or supplied weapons used.

But Russia has notably not condemned Hamas’s attacks on Oct. 7 as terrorism. Instead, Russian officials have called for both sides to put down arms and reaffirmed its support for a Palestinian state. At the United Nations Security Council, a Russian resolution that called for a ceasefire and the release of all hostages was voted down as it failed to condemn Hamas.

Read More: Inside Volodymyr Zelensky’s Struggle to Keep Ukraine in the Fight

In speeches and public appearances, Russian officials have repeatedly criticized Israel’s treatment of Palestinians. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Oct. 28 that Israel’s bombardment of Gaza is against international law. Putin compared Israel’s blockade of Gaza to Nazi Germany’s siege of Leningrad during World War II, one of the most traumatic events in Russian history during which hundreds of thousands of Russian civilians died.

Others in Russia have gone further, arguing that it is time for Russia to reassess its relationship with Israel. “Whose ally is Israel? The United States of America,” Andrei Gurulev, State Duma deputy and member of its Defense Committee, wrote on Telegram. “Whose ally is Iran and its surrounding Muslim world? Ours.”

In the court of public opinion, “Russia has taken a pro-Palestinian position to an extent that even I was surprised by it,” says Hanna Notte, an expert in Russia’s foreign policy in the Middle East at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies.

“They’re trying to align themselves with the Arab mainstream” as a bid to improve Russia’s standing in the region, says Mark Katz, a professor at George Mason University..

For Hamidreza Azizi, an expert in Iran-Russia relations at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, Russia’s response to Hamas’s attacks also reflects an inclination towards a closer relationship with Tehran and its allies in the region, which include Hamas. Iran, Israel’s bitter enemy, has become one of Russia's key weapons suppliers for its war in Ukraine.

“I think Russia has made a strategic choice already on who to side with in the Middle East, and it’s not Israel,” says Azizi. 

How Russia Stands to Gain from Unrest in the Middle East

So far, Russia may believe that it can profit from the Israel-Hamas conflict, experts say. 

While Russian forces remain bogged down in intense fighting along the front in Ukraine, Kremlin propagandists have rejoiced in the hope that the unrest in the Middle East will divert Western support from Ukraine, making it easier for Russia to consolidate its territorial control over parts of Ukraine. “The distraction value from the war in Ukraine is relevant in terms of media attention as well as potentially weapons support over the medium term,” says Notte.

Read More: The Harrowing Work Facing Gaza Doctors in Wartime

The Pentagon has reportedly decided to send Israel tens of thousands of 155mm artillery shells that were originally planned for Ukraine, according to Axios . In addition to artillery ammunition, already in scant supply across Western countries, both Israel and Ukraine need several of the same weapons systems. So far, Pentagon officials have insisted that they will be able to support Ukraine and Israel at the same time. “We can do both, and we will do both,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at a press conference in Brussels on Oct. 11.

Even so, Russia also faces risks if the conflict spreads beyond Israel and Gaza. Notably, Russia wants to preserve its military presence in Syria without sending in more troops, which would increase pressure on the already hard-pressed Russian forces, analysts say. 

If Russia increases its support for Hamas beyond words, it would likely come at the cost of worsening relationships with Israel. Russia has been grateful to Israel for not sending military support to Ukraine, and the two countries maintain contact over military operations in Syria, Katz says.

Even so, Russia has time and time again managed to maintain difficult balancing acts in the Middle East, and may be able to do so once more, winning Arab support without cutting ties with Israel, Notte says. 

“I still think that there are more signs that somehow there will still be a sort of modus vivendi between Israel and Russia,” says Notte. “But it also depends on how things play out further down the line in this conflict.”

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Russia maneuvers carefully over the Israel-Hamas war as it seeks to expand its global clout

FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Russian Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov during a meeting at the Kremlin, in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. Putin declared earlier this month that Moscow could play the role of mediator to help end the Israel-Hamas war, thanks to its friendly ties with both Israel and the Palestinians, adding that “no one could suspect us of playing up to one party.” (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)

FILE - Palestinians celebrate by a destroyed Israeli tank at the Gaza Strip fence east of Khan Younis Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. The war between Israel and Hamas has brought carefully calibrated condemnations and warnings to both sides by Russia. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - Police officers evacuate a woman and a child from a site hit by a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in Ashkelon, southern Israel, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. The war between Israel and Hamas has brought carefully calibrated condemnations and warnings to both sides by Russia. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov, File)

FILE - Palestinians pull a boy from the rubble after an Israeli strike on the Zaroub family house in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. The war between Israel and Hamas has brought carefully calibrated condemnations and warnings to both sides by Russia. (AP Photo/Hatem Ali, File)

FILE - Mourners gather around the five coffins of the Kotz family during their funeral in Gan Yavne, Israel, Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023. The family was killed by Hamas militants on Oct. 7, at their house in Kibbutz Kfar Azza near the border with the Gaza Strip. The war between Israel and Hamas has brought carefully calibrated condemnations and warnings to both sides by Russia. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, File)

FILE - Antonio Macías’ mother cries over her son’s body covered with the Israeli flag at Pardes Haim cemetery in Kfar Saba, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023. Macias was killed by Hamas militants while attending a music festival in southern Israel earlier this month. The war between Israel and Hamas has brought carefully calibrated condemnations and warnings to both sides by Russia. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, File)

FILE - Israelis take cover as a siren sounds a warning of incoming rockets fired from the Gaza Strip in Rehovot, Israel, Friday, Oct. 13, 2023. The war between Israel and Hamas has brought carefully calibrated condemnations and warnings to both sides by Russia. (AP Photo/Dor Kedmi, File)

FILE - Rockets are fired toward Israel from the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Monday, Oct. 23, 2023. The war between Israel and Hamas has brought carefully calibrated condemnations and warnings to both sides by Russia. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit, File)

FILE - Smoke and fire rise following an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023. The war between Israel and Hamas has brought carefully calibrated condemnations and warnings to both sides by Russia. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit, File)

FILE - Destruction from Israeli aerial bombardment is seen in Gaza City, Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023. The war between Israel and Hamas has brought carefully calibrated condemnations and warnings to both sides by Russia. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair, File)

FILE - Israeli tanks head towards the Gaza Strip border in southern Israel on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023. The war between Israel and Hamas has brought carefully calibrated condemnations and warnings to both sides by Russia. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit, File)

FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020. Russia and Israel have steadily expanded trade and other contacts and strengthened security ties, and Moscow has been guarded in commenting on the Gaza fighting. (Maxim Shemetov/Pool Photo via AP, File)

FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas pose for a photo prior to their talks in the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia, Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021. Putin declared earlier this month that Moscow could play the role of mediator to help end the Israel-Hamas war, thanks to its friendly ties with both Israel and the Palestinians, adding that “no one could suspect us of playing up to one party.” (Yevgeny Biyatov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)

FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani talk to each other as they attend a signing ceremony during the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) in Tehran, Iran, Monday, Nov. 23, 2015. Putin declared earlier this month that Moscow could play the role of mediator to help end the Israel-Hamas war, thanks to its friendly ties with both Israel and the Palestinians, adding that “no one could suspect us of playing up to one party.” (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)

FILE - Fatah and Hamas officials wait for a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and representatives of Palestinian groups and movements in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019. Several Hamas leaders have visited Russia, which has sought to maintain contacts with the group. The war between Israel and Hamas offers Moscow new opportunities — to advance its role as a global power broker and break out of its isolation over Ukraine. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, Pool, File)

FILE - Chechen regional leader Ramzan Kadyrov, right, greets Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas before the opening ceremony of the main mosque in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2015. Kadyrov, spoke strongly in support of the Palestinians, assailing Israel for capturing their lands and establishing blockades. (Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)

FILE - Israeli tanks head towards the Gaza Strip border in southern Israel on Thursday, Oct.12, 2023. The war between Israel and Hamas has brought carefully calibrated condemnations and warnings to both sides by Russia. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, File)

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Russia has issued carefully calibrated criticism of both sides in the war between Israel and Hamas . But the conflict also is giving Moscow bold new opportunities — to advance its role as a global power broker and challenge Western efforts to isolate it over Ukraine.

While Moscow lacks leverage to mediate a settlement in the Middle East, it could try to play on some perceived credibility problems with the West’s response to the crisis.

It also expects the Israel-Hamas war to distract attention from the fighting in Ukraine and erode support for Kyiv.

There are risks for Moscow, however. It could damage its relationship with Israel, which until now has kept it from sending weapons to Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has condemned the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants on towns in southern Israel. At the same time, he warned Israel against blockading the Gaza Strip, likening it to Nazi Germany’s siege of Leningrad during World War II.

He has cast the war as a failure of U.S. diplomacy, charging that Washington has opted for economic “handouts” to the Palestinians and abandoned efforts to help create a Palestinian state.

Putin declared earlier this month that Moscow could play the role of mediator, thanks to its friendly ties with both Israel and the Palestinians, adding that “no one could suspect us of playing up to one party.”

Despite that claim of even-handedness, a U.N. Security Council resolution that Russia submitted last week condemning violence against civilians made no mention of Hamas. It was rejected by the council.

China was among a few countries that backed the Russian draft, reflecting a shared stance by Moscow and Beijing. Chinese and Russian Middle East envoys met last week to discuss working together to help cool the situation, noting their adherence to a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians.

While U.S. President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and other Western leaders visited Israel to show support, Putin waited for nine days before calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, even though they previously had developed warm personal ties. Putin also discussed the war in calls with the leaders of Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Syria and the head of the Palestinian Authority.

Putin offered Netanyahu condolences to the families of Israelis killed by Hamas and emphasized “his strong rejection and condemnation of any actions that victimize the civilian population, including women and children,” according to a Kremlin readout of the call. He also emphasized the need for a “peaceful settlement through political and diplomatic means,” it added. Netanyahu’s office said he told Putin that Israel would not stop until it had eliminated Hamas.

Unlike Putin, who carefully balanced his statements, other Russian officials were more blunt in their criticism of Israeli strikes on Gaza.

Konstantin Kosachev, deputy speaker of the upper house of Russian parliament, said that while Hamas unleashed the war, Israel’s response was “disproportionate” and “inhumane.”

The Kremlin’s maneuvering may reflect domestic politics, with Muslims making up about 15% of the its population. The Moscow-backed leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, spoke strongly in support of the Palestinians, assailing Israel for capturing their lands and establishing blockades.

Moscow’s stance won quick praise from Hamas, which said it appreciates Russia’s call for a cease-fire. Russia’s statements also play well in the Arab world, where many have accused the U.S. and its allies of squarely supporting Israel while turning a blind eye to the rising civilian death toll in Gaza.

But this position also threatens Russia’s friendly ties with Israel, which hasn’t joined Western sanctions against Moscow or given weapons to Ukraine.

“There is a real threat of exacerbation of our ties with Israel in the current situation,” said Andrei Kortunov, academic director of the Russian International Affairs Council.

The Times of Israel reported Tuesday an Israeli diplomat expressed “displeasure with the role Russia is playing” to Moscow’s diplomatic officials, voicing hope the Kremlin will take “more balanced” positions.

Amir Weitmann, a leading member of Netanyahu’s Likud party, accused Russia of supporting Hamas. Speaking on Kremlin-funded broadcaster RT, he warned that after Israel defeats Hamas, “we will make sure that Ukraine wins, we will make sure that you pay the price for what you have done.”

Asked about Israeli criticism of Moscow’s stance on the war, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized Russia’s condemnation of terrorism and reaffirmed its push for a quick cease-fire and the need for a Palestinian state.

Amid what Israel sees as Moscow’s pro-Palestinian stance, some prominent Russian voices have backed Israel.

In a sign of the split sympathies, the head of the most popular political talk show on Russian state TV, Vladimir Solovyov, fired one expert on his televised panel who alleged in an online interview that two of Moscow’s top diplomats have anti-Israeli sentiments.

Yevgeny Satanovsky, a pro-Kremlin foreign policy expert, described Russia’s Middle East envoy, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, as leaning toward Arab countries and alleged that Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova detests Israel. He later apologized.

Some commentators described the anti-Israeli sentiments as a throwback to Soviet times.

“Friendship with the Arabs against Israel and the West is an important part of that legacy,” Alexander Baunov of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center said in an analysis. “A global rebellion against the Western order to a certain extent makes Russia and Hamas natural allies and certainly prevents them from being enemies.”

Kortunov of the Russian International Affairs Council argued that Russia could use its strong contacts with Iran and Syria to help negotiate a settlement.

“Russia could be part of a multilateral coalition that would offer security guarantees,” he said. “It’s very important to maintain a well-balanced, delicate approach that wouldn’t alienate either party.”

Izabella Tabarovsky, senior adviser at the Kennan Institute, noted that for Putin, Hamas’ “attack and the anticipated ground invasion of the Gaza Strip present an opportunity to shed his pariah status and elevate his profile as the Middle East faces its most dangerous crisis in years.”

Follow AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war and https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Video miscaptioned to claim Putin warned US against Israel involvement | Fact check

The claim: Video shows Putin warning US not to interfere in the Israel-Hamas war

An Oct. 9 Facebook post ( direct link , archive link ) includes a video of Russian President Vladimir Putin and claims he delivers a warning about the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. 

“Putin: I am warning that #America should not interfere in #IsraelPalestineWar,” reads the caption on the post. “If America does that we will openly help #Palestine.” 

Other versions of the claim were shared hundreds of times on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

Fact check roundup : Israel-Hamas war sparks many misleading claims online. Here's what's true and false.

Follow us on Facebook! Like our page to get updates throughout the day on our latest debunks

Our rating: False

The video predates the ongoing Israel-Hamas war by nearly a year and does not match the caption. It shows Putin discussing the threat of nuclear war in December 2022. He did not mention Israel or the U.S. in his remarks.

Putin discussing nuclear war in clip, not Israel-Hamas war

The video matches a clip from Putin’s televised meeting with his Human Rights Council on Dec. 7, 2022. 

A USA TODAY translation of the clip posted to YouTube shows Putin discussing the threat of nuclear war in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Putin said the “threat is growing” and that Russia considered nuclear weapons a potential means of defending itself if necessary. 

Putin did not reference Israel or issue a warning to the U.S. in the meeting, according to various news reports and the Kremlin's full transcript .

Fact check : Viral video predates Israel war, doesn't show Hamas parachuting into Israel

Putin said on Oct. 13 that Israel has a right to defend itself from Hamas, though he expressed concern about Israel’s tactics in doing so because of their effect on Palestinian civilians. Those comments came just over a week after a Russian attack killed more than 50 civilians in northeastern Ukraine. 

Putin has also blamed the war on what he described as failed U.S. policy in the Middle East, as reported by Reuters . His spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said Russia was talking to both sides of the conflict and sought to help resolve it, even amid the country's own war with Ukraine .

USA TODAY has debunked an array of claims about the Israel-Hamas war, including that the Las Vegas Sphere displayed an image of the Israeli flag, that Israel bombed a historic church in Gaza and that a video showed rockets fired during a “new air assault” against Israel. 

Reuters , the Associated Press and Check Your Fact also debunked the claim. 

USA TODAY reached out to several users who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Our fact-check sources:

• USA TODAY (YouTube), Dec. 8, 2022, Putin on nuclear weapons: ‘Threat is growing’
• Associated Press, Dec. 7, 2022, Putin says Ukraine fight is taking longer than expected
• Reuters, Dec. 7, 2022, Putin says Russia may be fighting in Ukraine for a long time
• The Kremlin, Dec. 7, 2022, Council for Civil Society and Human Rights

Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here .

Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.

• International

October 10, 2023 - Israel-Hamas war news

By Kathleen Magramo , Jessie Yeung , Adam Renton, Ed Upright, Joshua Berlinger, Aditi Sangal , Dakin Andone , Steve Almasy, Tori B. Powell and Elise Hammond , CNN

Putin criticizes US policy in first comments on Israeli-Hamas conflict

From CNN’s Anna Chernova

Russian President Vladimir Putin has made his first comments on the conflict in Israeli, framing it as a “clear example” of the failure of the US policy.

"We see a sharp escalation of the situation in the Middle East. I think that many will agree with me that this is a clear example of the failure of the United States policy in the Middle East, which tried to monopolize any settlement (between the Israelis and the Palestinians)," Putin said at the Kremlin on Tuesday.

Putin went on to criticize the US approach for not prioritizing compromises acceptable to both sides, emphasizing that it often involved imposing ideas and pressure without considering the fundamental interests of the Palestinian people. 

“Unfortunately, they (the US administration) were not concerned with finding compromises acceptable to both sides, but on the contrary, (they were) putting forward their own ideas about how this should be done, putting pressure on both sides,” Putin said.

“Without taking into account the fundamental interests of the Palestinian people. I mean, first of all, the need to implement the decision of the UN Security Council on the creation of an independent sovereign Palestinian state,” he added.

Putin also emphasized the need to minimize damage to the civilian population and called on all conflicting parties to prioritize this goal.

Two foreign workers killed in rocket attack in southern Israel, volunteer medic group says

From CNN's Amil Tal

Two foreign workers were killed and another seriously injured in a rocket attack Tuesday in the Eshkol region in southern Israel, according to United Hatzalah, a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) group. 

"The two foreign workers were found lifeless as a result of the rocket hit. Unfortunately, their death had to be pronounced at the scene. We also provided initial treatment to an additional foreign worker who was seriously injured and are continuing to scan the area to look for additional casualties,” the medic group's volunteer David Ben Romano told CNN. 

The nationalities of the foreign workers are not immediately clear.

Hamas warns Ashkelon residents to leave the city before 5 p.m. local time 

From CNN's Ibrahim Dahman in Gaza

A Hamas spokesperson on Tuesday issued a warning to the residents of the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon to leave the city before 5 p.m. local time.

The warning is in response to the “crime of displacing our people and forcing them to flee their homes” in the Gaza strip, the spokesperson said.

No further details were provided in the statement, which was shared by Hamas on Telegram.

Sirens, then loud bangs rock through Ashdod

From CNN's Ivana Kottasová in Ashdod, Israel

Air raid sirens warning of a rocket attack have sounded throughout the area north of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday afternoon, prompting residents and visitors to rush to the shelters.

People here know that time is of essence — while those in Tel Aviv and areas further north have a bit more time to find a shelter, people near the Gaza Strip have mere seconds to run to safety.

Shortly after the sirens sounded, several loud bangs could be heard in Ashdod, as rockets fired from Gaza were being intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome defense system.

It's the fourth day of fighting between Israel and Hamas. Here's what you need to know today

From CNN staff

It's the fourth day of fighting between Israel and Hamas since the Islamist militant group carried out one of the deadliest terror attacks in Israel's history, killing at least 900 people. Israel has responded with an overwhelming number of airstrikes on Gaza, the 140 square-mile densely populated territory controlled by Hamas, leaving at least 765 people dead, wounding 4,000 and displacing more than 137,000.

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations told CNN that the country’s priority is "to obliterate Hamas terrorist capabilities. Overnight, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched another 200 strikes targeting "terror hubs." Hamas is threatening to kill civilian hostages and broadcast the executions live should the aerial attacks continue without warning. The group claims to be holding more than 100 captives, including Israeli army officers. Israel's UN ambassador said the number of hostages could be as high as 150.

Here are the developments to get you up to speed:

Bloodbath at Be'eri: More than 100 bodies have been found in the Israeli kibbutz Be’eri , a self-sustaining farming community of 1,000 residents near Gaza. Be'eri was one of the first places targeted by militants who breached the border early Saturday morning, and among the hardest hit. Civilians there were  killed and taken hostage , according to Israeli authorities and  videos obtained and authenticated by CNN.

More foreign victims: More foreign nationals were reported dead on Tuesday, including citizens of France , Russia and Thailand .

Bodies of attackers: The IDF said it has recovered the bodies of about 1,500 Hamas militants since the group's surprise blitz early Saturday.

Control at the border: Hecht, the IDF spokesperson, said Tuesday that the Israeli military had "more or less" restored full control over the border fence with Gaza following the breach over the weekend. A huge buildup of tanks was apparent close to the border with Gaza, while Israel continued its barrage of airstrikes. Hecht said Israeli forces have secured communities around the border and have nearly completed evacuations in the area. He added that there were two small firefights overnight in a pair of communities. The focus is now on airstrikes and the forthcoming offensive in Gaza, Hecht said.

Fearing the worst: Some Israeli parents are being told to remove social media from their children's phones in case Hamas carries through with its threat to broadcast hostage videos.

On the ground : In a new season of CNN's "Tug of War" podcast , CNN International Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson brings us the latest on the conflict from his position just two miles from the Israeli border with Gaza.

Air raid sirens sound in Israel

Air raid sirens are going off in Tel Aviv and surrounding areas as well as in the city of Ashdod, CNN teams report.

A CNN team in Tel Aviv has been moved to shelter, according to a field producer.

US is taking the possibility of American hostages "seriously," National Security Council says

From CNN's Betsy Klein

The US is still not aware of any American citizens taken hostage by Hamas, but concerns remain “high” as US President Joe Biden's administration offers Israel assistance, National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby told CNN Tuesday.

“Our concerns were high immediately. You can't take a threat like that lightly. You’ve got to take it seriously, because of the barbarity that Hamas has already shown that they're capable of. So obviously, we're watching it very, very closely. We have talked to the Israelis about offering them additional intelligence information as well as hostage recovery expertise,” Kirby said during an appearance on “CNN This Morning.”

Pressed on what lengths the US is willing to go to bring possible American hostages home, Kirby said the administration will “work with might and main,” but declined to speculate.

“We don’t know if there are Americans in this population, we don’t know where they are, we don’t know how they’re being held, and it’s an active warzone – so that complicates the options. But clearly, we’re going to do everything we can to help with this hostage crisis, with or without Americans being in the population,” he said.

Kirby also declined to say whether the Biden administration has issued any warnings to Israel as it mounts its response.

“We don't want to see any innocent civilians killed anywhere in the world, and that certainly includes in Gaza and in Israel. And sadly, there have been too many innocent civilians that have already been killed in this conflict by Hamas now, almost 1000 Israeli citizens. But we also know that as a vibrant democracy, Israel shares many of our values and interests and certainly. one of those values is that respect for life, and we're always better together when we are observing that respect for life and for the laws of war as well,” he said.

There is still “no direct evidence” that Iran was involved in the sourcing or planning of these attacks, Kirby reiterated, though he said there is a “level of complicity.”

Israeli general describes moment his soldiers found dead bodies in kibbutz attacked by Hamas

From CNN’s Nic Robertson, Muhammad Darwish and Martin Goillandeau

Just a few hours after Israeli troops secured the Kfar Aza kibbutz from Hamas militants, Major Gen. Itai Veruv reflected on what he saw — although he has “the skills” to prepare for this sort of situation from his many years of experience, he had never imagined anything like this could happen.

Veruv couldn’t confirm how many people were killed in the attack but said his soldiers spent “about 48 hours” fighting “waves and waves of terrorists” on roads and in neighboring communities.

Veruv said he started fighting Hamas militants in the Yakhini moshav (community) on Saturday, moving then “from battle to battle,” on the road to Sderot, before joining the Be’eri kibbutz on Monday evening.

In Be'eri, he said he saw that “some people came out with their children and [Hamas attackers] killed them. They killed babies in front of their parents and then killed the parents. They killed parents and we found babies between the dogs and their families killed before him.”

Thinking about what he saw in Kfar Aza kibbutz, just a few miles from Be'eri, he said, “I have heard during my childhood about the pogroms in Europe, the Holocaust, of course. All my family came from Europe, they are survivors. But I never thought I would see in my eyes pictures and things like that”

Yet, Veruv said it was “not a time for feelings.”

“Now is time for the mission and to be very effective and very strong," he said. "Maybe later, we will take time to think about ourself and our soul. Now, I only want to fight in defense and attack."

Red Cross calls for hostages to be "released unharmed"

From CNN’s Caitlin Danaher in London

The violence in Israel and Gaza has the “potential to escalate dramatically,” the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned in a statement on Tuesday, as the organization's president called for the safe release of hostages.

“Amid the devastating violence – the premeditated killings of civilians, and the bombings in residential neighborhoods – a worrying sign is that few voices of de-escalation have been heard,” the ICRC statement said. “Heightened war rhetoric, in our experience, leads to greater civilian suffering,” it said, adding that without “immediate restraint, we are heading for a humanitarian disaster.”

ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric was quoted in the statement calling for all hostages to be “immediately released unharmed” in accordance with international humanitarian law.  

Additionally, authorities must ensure civilians have access to water, food, and medical care, “irrespective of any military siege," Spoljaric said.

“ICRC teams are working closely with the Magen David Adom (MDA) and the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) to assist those who are wounded or sick and in need,” she said, noting her organization had sent medical supplies to a hospital in Gaza.

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Putin to make rare trip abroad to discuss Israel-Hamas war with UAE and Saudi Arabia

Russian president will travel to Middle East on Wednesday as he tries to reclaim role in global politics

• Israel-Hamas war – live updates

Vladimir Putin will travel to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday on a rare overseas trip to discuss the Israel-Hamas war as Moscow seeks to reassert Russia’s role in the Middle East.

With the prospect of another ceasefire in Gaza receding, the Russian president is making only his fifth trip abroad since the international criminal court issued an arrest warrant for him in March that accused him of responsibility for the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia .

In July he skipped a summit in Pretoria over fears that the South African hosts would feel obliged to attempt his arrest. Neither the UAE nor Saudi Arabia have signed the ICC’s founding treaty, which means they would not have to arrest him.

Hamas, which most western countries consider to be a terrorist group, is on good terms with Russia, frequently sending delegations to Moscow. Qatar, the west’s preferred interlocutor with Hamas, has been unable to find the basis for a further hostage swap between Israel and the Palestinian group, the precondition for a second humanitarian pause, so Putin has relatively little to lose by intervening now.

On Thursday he will host the Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi. The two leaders last spoke by phone on 16 October.

Raisi has been unable to persuade leaders of the Gulf states to do more to support Hamas , such as impose an oil boycott on Israel.

Iran has been accused by Israel and the UK of being behind the attacks on the Red Sea undertaken by Houthi rebels on western-lined international shipping. Western countries have accused Tehran of supporting Russia’s offensive in Ukraine by providing it with large quantities of drones and other weaponry.

The crisis represents an opportunity for Russia to re-enter global politics, offering itself as an unlikely champion of multilateral solutions in the Middle East. It has positioned itself as a potential mediator having maintained ties with Israel and Hamas.

Moscow has accused the US of going it alone in mediation that has ignored the traditional role of the quartet consisting of the EU, the US, Russia and the UN. It also claims western double standards have been revealed by the west’s refusal to condemn alleged Israeli war crimes while accusing Russia of committing crimes in Ukraine – a message Moscow believes resonates in the global south, and at the UN.

On 26 October a Hamas delegation in Moscow was led by Mousa Abu Marzook, a founder and political leader of the group, who met the Russian deputy foreign minister, Mikhail Bogdanov. Marzook, who lives in exile in Qatar, travelled to Moscow after an earlier meeting in Doha with Bogdanov and the Iranian deputy foreign minister, Ali Bagheri Kani.

Russia has strong economic ties with the UAE and Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, Putin will discuss trade, international politics and humanitarian aid with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Kremlin announced. He will meet his Emirati counterpart, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in the UAE for talks on trade, energy, tourism and education, it added. The conflict between Israel and Hamas is on the agenda of both meetings, the Kremlin said.

• Israel-Gaza war
• Vladimir Putin
• Benjamin Netanyahu
• Middle East and north Africa

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Xi and Putin meet in China as divisions deepen with West over Israel-Hamas war

HONG KONG — Russian President Vladimir Putin praised his “dear friend” Xi Jinping on Wednesday as the two leaders spoke at an international conference in Beijing, where the Chinese president laid out his vision of an alternative world order less dominated by the United States and its allies.

Their appearance together came as President Joe Biden arrived in Tel Aviv in a show of support for Israel following a devastating and coordinated terrorist attack by Hamas militants on kibbutzim, music festivals and city streets Oct. 7, and after Israel has launched a deadly airstrike campaign on the densely populated Gaza Strip, a Palestinian enclave that Hamas controls.

Biden said he was “outraged” by the blast at a hospital in Gaza City on Tuesday that is estimated to have killed hundreds of people and for which Israel and Hamas have blamed each other. The blast has set off protests across the Middle East and threatens to derail diplomatic efforts by the U.S. and others to end the conflict between Israel and Hamas, which as of Wednesday had killed more than 3,400 people in Gaza and 1,400 people in Israel.

Putin called the hospital blast a “terrible event” and a “disaster.”

“I really hope that this will be a signal that this conflict should be ended as quickly as possible,” he said at a news conference. “In any case, it is necessary to work towards a possibility of starting some contacts and negotiations.”

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Beijing was “shocked by and strongly condemns” the hospital explosion, expressing condolences to the victims and calling for an immediate cease-fire and the protection of civilians.

Putin also said he was optimistic about the future of the China-Russia relationship and that conflicts such as his war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war only made it stronger.

“All these external factors are common threats, and they strengthen Russian-Chinese cooperation,” he said.

Strained Western ties

Representatives from more than 130 mostly developing countries, including heads of state, gathered at the imposing Great Hall of the People on Tiananmen Square for the two-day forum marking the 10th anniversary of Xi’s signature Belt and Road I nitiative .

Under the program, China has financed major infrastructure projects around the world in an effort to strengthen relations with Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, though in some cases they have been criticized as saddling low-income countries with excessive debt.

In a speech at the opening ceremony Wednesday, Xi said the Belt and Road Initiative had “established a new framework for international cooperation.”

He also warned against efforts by the United States and other countries to reduce their dependence on China, the world’s second-largest economy, by “decoupling.” Beijing has objected to measures it sees as aimed at containing its rise, such as U.S. export controls on semiconductor chips , which the Commerce Department said Tuesday that it was expanding for national security reasons.

“Viewing others’ development as a threat or taking economic interdependence as a risk will not make one’s own life better or speed up one’s development,” Xi said, as Putin looked on from the front row.

Speaking after Xi, Putin praised the Belt and Road Initiative as “truly a global plan” that is “aimed at creating more equitable, multipolar world relations.”

Most Western European countries and other U.S. allies kept their representation at the Belt and Road Forum to a minimum, including Italy, which looks set to formally withdraw from the initiative. The Italian ambassador to China was one of several European officials who walked out while Putin was speaking in protest against the Ukraine war.

China’s ties with the West have been strained by its economic and political support for Russia in that war, which Beijing refrains from calling an invasion. During a meeting with Putin on Wednesday that lasted about three hours, Xi said that China supports Russia in safeguarding its national sovereignty, security and development interests, according to a readout published by the Chinese Foreign Ministry that did not mention Ukraine.

The war between Israel and Hamas has only deepened Western disagreement with China and Russia, both of which have avoided condemning Hamas and say the fundamental solution to the conflict is the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

In remarks before their meeting Wednesday, Xi and Putin emphasized the importance of their countries’ strong relationship.

“Both countries have deepened our mutual political trust and maintained strategic coordination in a close and effective manner,” Xi said, noting that trade between the two countries reached a record $190 billion last year.

“In the current difficult conditions, close foreign policy coordination is especially necessary,” Putin told Xi.

The two longtime leaders, who declared a “no limits” partnership between their countries last year at a meeting in Beijing weeks before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, have met more than 40 times in the last 10 years and frequently mention their friendship.

Putin’s trip to China is his first outside the former Soviet Union since the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for him in March that accused him of illegally sending children to Russia from Ukraine .

Vietnamese state media reported Tuesday that during the forum, Putin also accepted an invitation from Vietnam ’s president to visit Hanoi “soon.”

While in Beijing, Putin also met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban , the only European Union government leader to attend the forum, in one of the few meetings the Russian president has had with any European leader since invading Ukraine in February last year.

Jennifer Jett is the Asia Digital Editor for NBC News, based in Hong Kong.

Putin makes rare trip to Middle East to meet with UAE and Saudi leaders

The Russian leader has been bolstering his partnerships with Gulf nations as Moscow faces growing isolation by the West.

Escorted by four fighter jets, Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a rare one-day lightning tour to the Middle East during which he visited Saudi Arabia after a short trip to the United Arab Emirates.

Putin landed on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, which is hosting the United Nations COP28 climate talks. He was escorted to the presidential palace, where he was greeted with a 21-gun salute and a flyby of UAE military jets trailing smoke in the colours of the Russian flag.

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Putin to visit saudi arabia, uae with israel-hamas war on agenda, israel’s war in gaza could spread beyond middle east: russia’s putin, biden says us ‘holds world together’ as he condemns putin and hamas, ‘not pro-israeli’: decoding putin’s muted response to hamas attacks.

The Gulf nation’s President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan called Putin his “dear friend”.

“I am happy to meet you again,” Sheikh Mohammed said. He later issued a statement saying they discussed “the importance of strengthening dialogue and cooperation to ensure stability and progress”.

The Russian leader echoed those sentiments.

“Our relations, largely due to your position, have reached an unprecedentedly high level,” Putin told Sheikh Mohammed. “The UAE is Russia’s main trading partner in the Arab world.”

The meeting was part of Russia’s quest to stake out a more influential role in the Middle East, with oil cooperation and the Israel-Hamas war on the agenda.

The two leaders discussed, among other things, bilateral cooperation in the energy industry and advanced technologies, according to Russia’s state-owned TASS news agency.

Putin then jetted off to Riyadh, where he met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud – their first face-to-face meeting since October 2019.

In introductory remarks shown on Russian television, Putin thanked the crown prince for his invitation, saying he had originally expected MBS to visit Moscow, “but there were changes to plans”.

Their next meeting should take place in Moscow, he said, adding: “Nothing can prevent the development of our friendly relations.”

Putin’s meeting with the Saudi crown prince came after oil prices fell, despite a pledge by OPEC+, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) as well as allies led by Russia, to further reduce output.

However, it was not immediately clear what Putin, who has rarely left Russia since the start of the Ukraine war, intended to raise specifically about oil or geopolitics with the crown prince of the world’s largest crude exporter.

On Thursday, Putin will host the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Moscow. Following that, the UAE will welcome Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday and Saturday.

Putin’s rare trip to the region is his first since July 2022, when he met Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Iran.

The Russian leader has made few international trips after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for him in March, accusing him of deporting Ukrainian children.

Neither the UAE nor Saudi Arabia have signed the ICC’s founding treaty, and are not obligated to arrest him if he enters their territories.

On Israel’s two-month bombardment of the besieged Gaza Strip, Putin has decried the war as a failure of the United States diplomacy. He has suggested Moscow could instead play the role of a mediator due to its friendly ties with both Israel and the Palestinians.

Putin’s Middle East trip is also a part of his efforts to demonstrate that Western attempts to isolate Moscow through sanctions for its war on Ukraine have failed.

“He seems to be pretty delighted to be on the ground in Abu Dhabi,” said James Bays, Al Jazeera’s diplomatic editor. It is unclear how this visit will be seen in Washington, as the UAE also has close ties with the US, he added.

An essential morning newsletter briefing for leaders in the nation’s capital.

Trump’s ambassador to Israel, on the war in Gaza

with research by Matt Viser and Tobi Raji

Good morning, Early Birds. Happy Final Four weekend to all who celebrate. We’re rooting for the Wolfpack. (Leigh Ann is a North Carolina State University alum.) Tips: [email protected] . Was this forwarded to you? Sign up here . Thanks for waking up with us.

In today’s edition …  House Democrats step up pressuring Biden on Israel … Broken bridges have become a throughline in Biden’s presidency … but first …

The campaign

Trump’s former ambassador to israel no longer backs his 2020 peace plan.

Six questions for … David Friedman: We spoke with Friedman — who served for nearly four years as the U.S. ambassador to Israel under President Donald Trump — nearly six months after Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel that killed an estimated 1,200 people and resulted in the taking of 253 hostages. The ensuing war in Gaza has led to the deaths of more than 33,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry — a number The Washington Post and other news outlets cannot independently verify .

Friedman discussed Trump’s recent remarks on the war, who is likely to govern Gaza once the fighting is over and whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can survive politically. This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

The Early: Trump recently told Israel Hayom : “Israel has to be very careful, because you’re losing a lot of the world, you’re losing a lot of support, you have to finish up, you have to get the job done. And you have to get on to peace, to get on to a normal life for Israel, and for everybody else.” What did you make of his comments?

Friedman: The way I read that was: “Go out, win the war. Win it quickly, win it decisively and then move forward.” I think his advice was good. I hope Israel is able to achieve that. I didn’t read it as: “End the war precipitously because you’re losing support.” I think what he’s saying is: “Time is not your friend here. The longer this lasts, the more support you’re going to lose. If you can do it quicker, do it quicker. Do it as quickly as possible and win.”

[Ed.: Trump echoed those comments on Thursday after we spoke with Friedman, saying he thought Israel was “losing the PR war.” “I’m not sure that I’m loving the way they’re doing it. … You have to have a victory, and it’s taking a long time,” he told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt .]

The Early: Do you think he’s right that Israel is losing a lot of the world?

Friedman: It certainly looks that way. [But] when you say Israel [is losing] world support — I’m not sure they’ve ever had the support of the world. Israel is losing a lot of public support now — more than usual — but I don’t think it's a new story. And I think that when the war is over and things calm down, I don't think and I hope it will not do any long-term damage.

The Early: Israel has apologized for a strike that killed seven World Central Kitchen humanitarian workers on Monday. How much do you think such incidents are damaging Israel’s reputation?

Friedman: Unlike almost every other country in the world that’s at war, Israel just doesn’t have much of a margin of error. There’s another war going on between Russia and Ukraine. I have no doubt that [Russian President] Vladimir Putin is committing human rights violations every single day. I have no doubt that he’ll destroy anything that stands in his way, regardless of whether they’re civilians or humanitarian workers. He doesn't play by those rules. Israel does play by higher standards. It should. But it doesn't get the benefit of the doubt, unfortunately. 

The Early: Trump put out a Middle East peace plan in 2020 that included what he described as “a realistic two-state solution that resolves the risk of Palestinian statehood to Israel’s security.” You’ve been very critical of the idea of a two-state solution. Do you think Trump still supports it?

Friedman: I don’t know. I haven’t spoken with him about it. My own personal view is that that plan has been overtaken by two events. [First], the [plan’s] outright, out-of-hand rejection [by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud ] Abbas , coupled with a series of antisemitic rants that I think just make any further discussions with him impossible. The second one, more importantly, is Oct. 7. The Oct. 7 massacre coupled with the 80 percent support for that massacre by the Palestinians tells me that they’ll never agree to anything normal, and anything which gives them a pathway to statehood would be a mistake. It would be a reward for terrorism that would be sending the wrong message right now. 

[Ed.: A poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research between Nov. 22 and Dec. 2 found that 57 percent of Gazans and 82 percent of Palestinians in the West Bank believe Hamas was right to launch the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.]

Could that change in a generation? I suppose so. But the idea that Israel would even think about giving up its biblical heartland to people that have shown nothing but a thirst for their blood — I couldn’t even recommend the conversation, let alone the outcome.

[Ed.: Karoline Leavitt , a Trump campaign spokeswoman, said in a statement to the Early that “President Trump did more for Israel than any American President in history,” echoing what she’s told other outlets . She did not say whether he still supported the plan he advanced in 2020.]

The Early: Who do you think will rebuild Gaza after the war and who will govern it?

Friedman: Let’s just go through the possibilities. The possibilities are Israel, the Palestinian Authority, the United Nations or a group of nations led by, let’s say, Egypt and Saudi Arabia and the [United Arab] Emirates. Within those four options, the worst would be the Palestinian Authority. I don’t believe they have the ability. Probably tied with the Palestinian Authority for the worst choice would be the U.N.

Could a group led by Egypt, the Emirates and Saudi Arabia do the job if they were willing to do it? Yeah, I think that would be a good outcome if that can be achieved. But I think Israel is probably going to be left holding the bag on this one. Unless someone has a better idea, I think in the short run, Israel will have to be responsible for the security. If no one else can do it in a way that keeps Israel safe, then Israel has to do it itself.

The Early: Israeli Minister Benny Gantz called Wednesday for elections in September. What’s your assessment of Israeli domestic politics right now and how vulnerable do you think Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is?

Friedman: From the polls, it suggests that he is vulnerable. If you just go back in Israeli history, there have been some military failures in the past and you can draw some lessons from them. There was the war in Lebanon that didn’t end well, which kind of ended [Prime Minister] Menachem Begin ’s career. There was the Yom Kippur war, which sort of ended [Prime Minister] Golda Meir ’s career. I don’t know what this is going to do to Netanyahu’s career, but I will say that the Oct. 7 massacre was, I believe, the greatest military and intelligence failure in the history of Israel.

You can extrapolate what you want from that. It certainly suggests that it’s not going to be easy.

On the Hill

House democrats step up pressuring biden on israel.

President Biden is pushing Netanyahu to address the humanitarian disaster in Gaza — and some House Democrats are pressing him to do more.

Biden warned Netanyahu in a call yesterday that Israel needed “to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers,” according to a White House readout of the call.

Within hours, Israel said it would start taking some of those steps. 

• “They included opening the Ashdod port for direct delivery of aid into Gaza; opening Israel’s Erez crossing to help facilitate the delivery of aid into northern Gaza, where law and order has collapsed and aid groups have warned that famine is already underway; and increasing aid deliveries from Jordan,” our colleagues Yasmeen Abutaleb and Matt Viser report .

Adrienne Watson , a National Security Council spokesperson, praised those moves and said they “must now be fully and rapidly implemented.”

Three House Democrats — Reps. Mark Pocan (Wis.), Jim McGovern (Mass.) and Jan Schakowsky (Ill.) — are gathering signatures on a letter to Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressing concern about the administration’s recent authorization of an arms transfer to Israel.

• “While we appreciate your administration’s recent efforts to increase the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid to Gaza, these efforts will not be sufficient to meet the extraordinary need on the ground,” reads the letter, which was obtained by The Early.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), the chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, urged Biden in a statement last night “to call for an immediate ceasefire so aid workers can safely operate” and to stop sending military aid to Israel.

We’re watching how many Democrats end up signing on to the letter.

Thanks to our colleague Marianna Sotomayor for her reporting help.

What we're watching

The Bureau of Labor Statistics will release March jobs numbers at 8:30 a.m.

The report “is expected to show a continuation of this jobs boom, with economists forecasting 200,000 new jobs and the unemployment rate holding at 3.9 percent,” our colleagues Lauren Kaori Gurley and Abha Bhattarai report.

White House Notebook

Biden and broken bridges.

White House reporter and renowned Bidenologist Matt Viser files this week’s Notebook:

Biden is set to arrive in Baltimore today to view damage of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge, the latest appearance at a broken bridge which has become a throughline of his presidency.

He will give remarks at the Maryland Transportation Authority Police Headquarters, not far from where the bridge once stood, and he will receive updates from command leaders from the Coast Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers about removing the wreckage and reopening the port.

Throughout his presidency, Biden has appeared at bridges in need of repair, bridges that have collapsed and bridges soon to be reinforced. He has promoted federal funds and a bipartisan infrastructure law that infused federal funds into fixing bridges around the country.

Early in Biden’s presidency, he appeared at a bridge in rural New Hampshire to make the case of needed repairs to American infrastructure. “This may not seem like a big bridge, but it saves lives and solves problems,” he said of the bridge built in 1939.

A few months later, he arrived in Pittsburgh and viewed a bridge that had collapsed, causing no fatalities but reflecting the need for more investment. “The idea that we’ve been so far behind on infrastructure for so many years, it’s mind boggling,” Biden said that day.

“We’ve got to move,” he added. “We don’t need headlines that say someone was killed when the next bridge collapses.”

Last year, he appeared in Kentucky with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to tout federal funds going to reinforcing the Brent Spence Bridge over the Ohio River.

“It’s a giant bridge, man,” Biden said. “It’s a lot of money. It’s important.”

The visit on Friday is more tragic than his past visits to bridges, where he promoted rebuilding and aspiration of new infrastructure. He plans to meet with family members of the six people who died in the collapse, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre .

“They were hard workers laboring in the middle of the night to repair potholes on a bridge that tens of thousands of travelers crossed every day,” she said. “The president will meet with loved ones of those individuals during his trip.”

You can read all of Matt’s work here and follow him on X here . 

Must-reads from The Post:

• Justice official Clark violated ethics in aiding Trump, D.C. Bar panel finds . By Keith L. Alexander.
• When Haiti’s gangs shop for guns, the United States is their store. By Widlore Mérancourt and Amanda Coletta.
• RFK Jr. campaign describes Jan. 6 defendants as ‘activists,’ then disavows email . By Meryl Kornfield and Rachel Weiner.

From elsewhere:

• Melania Trump is back, set to hold event for Log Cabin Republicans. By Politico’s Alex Isenstadt.
• Israel’s military cancels leave for combat units and jams GPS signals. By the New York Times’ Cassandra Vinograd.

We’re curious what Biden will say on Cinco de Mayo …

“I am Joe Bidenopolis,” President Biden says, celebrating Greek Independence Day at the White House. pic.twitter.com/NhdBzxgm7Q — Matt Viser (@mviser) April 4, 2024

Thanks for reading. You can also follow us on X: @theodoricmeyer and @LACaldwellDC .

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Cameron, on U.S. Trip, Takes a Risk and Meets With Trump

David Cameron, the British foreign secretary, said he spoke with Donald Trump, the former, and possibly future, president, about Ukraine and the Israel-Gaza conflict.

By Mark Landler

Reporting from London

When Britain’s foreign secretary, David Cameron, went to Washington on Tuesday, he made all the usual stops, from the State Department to Capitol Hill. But it was his pilgrimage to Palm Beach, Fla., where he met former President Donald J. Trump for dinner on Monday evening at Mar-a-Lago, that grabbed most of the attention.

Mr. Cameron is the first top British government official to meet with Mr. Trump since he left the White House. His visit — ostensibly to cajole Mr. Trump into backing additional American military aid to Ukraine — attests to Mr. Trump’s influence over a far-right faction of House Republicans who have been holding up a vote.

It also underscores how the electoral calendar is affecting political dynamics on both sides of the Atlantic. Mr. Cameron, a onetime prime minister, has emerged as almost a shadow British leader abroad, standing in for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is busy with a looming general election at home.

In traveling to meet Mr. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Mr. Cameron was reaching out to a once, and potentially future, American president — one whose jaundiced views on Ukraine are seen as the biggest hurdle to the continuation of much-needed American aid for the Ukrainian military.

“We had a good meeting,” Mr. Cameron said of Mr. Trump, while standing alongside Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken after their own session at the State Department on Tuesday. “It was a private meeting.”

Mr. Cameron said he and Mr. Trump discussed Ukraine, the Israel-Gaza conflict and other geopolitical issues, but he declined to say whether he had made any headway on convincing Mr. Trump to provide additional aid to Ukraine. He said he delivered the same message he gives to other American leaders: “The best thing we can do this year is to keep the Ukrainians in this fight.”

Mr. Trump has not commented on the dinner, which included Britain’s ambassador to Washington, Karen Pierce. His campaign issued a statement saying they discussed “the need for NATO countries to meet their defense spending requirements and ending the killing in Ukraine.” They also shared their “mutual admiration for the late Queen Elizabeth II.”

So far, Mr. Cameron’s lobbying campaign in Washington has been met with decidedly mixed results. While he said he looked forward to meetings with Republicans in the House and Senate on Tuesday and Wednesday, he was not scheduled to meet with Speaker Mike Johnson, the Louisiana Republican who is the pivotal figure in scheduling a House vote on military aid to Ukraine.

The two men last met in December, when Mr. Cameron also saw Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, the far-right Georgia Republican who stridently opposes further aid. Two months later, she lashed out at Mr. Cameron, saying he had accused Republicans of appeasing President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.

“David Cameron needs to worry about his own country,” Ms. Taylor Greene said, adding an epithet.

At his news conference with Mr. Blinken, Mr. Cameron acknowledged that he viewed his visits to Capitol Hill with “great trepidation,” noting that, “It’s not for foreign politicians to tell legislators in another country what to do.”

Mr. Cameron played down the Mar-a-Lago meeting, saying it was routine for senior British and American officials to meet opposition candidates. As prime minister, he noted, he met with the Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, when he came to London on a fund-raising trip. Mr. Blinken met the Labour Party leader, Keir Starmer, at a security conference in Munich.

Still, there is little routine about meeting a former president at the Palm Beach estate that served as his winter White House and is still his political bastion. Mr. Trump used Mar-a-Lago for summit meetings with foreign leaders like President Xi Jinping of China . More recently, he welcomed a like-minded leader, Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary .

Among Republicans, a pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago has at times been an exercise in political validation. Kevin McCarthy, the former House speaker, went there three weeks after the attack on the Capitol in January 2021, in a fruitless bid to win Mr. Trump’s favor. Allies like Kristi Noem, the South Dakota governor, and Kari Lake, the Arizona TV anchor-turned-politician, are regular visitors.

Diplomats in Britain said Mr. Cameron’s visit was a risk, but characteristic of how he has approached his job from the start. On issues from Ukraine to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, he has pushed the envelope in his public statements. With Britain’s Conservative government lagging Labour by double digits in the polls and facing voters in the fall, some said Mr. Cameron had little to lose.

“Flattering Trump about his importance and significance on this issue is an astute move on Cameron’s part,” said Simon Fraser, a former head of Britain’s Foreign Office. “Let’s see whether it delivers.”

Mr. Fraser predicted that Mr. Cameron’s visit would get a mixed reception in Britain: applauded by those who view it primarily through a foreign-policy lens; criticized by those, he said, “who can’t stand Trump.” But he said Mr. Cameron’s entree to Mr. Trump spoke to his network of global contacts, a legacy of his time as prime minister.

“He’s bringing more reach and energy and impact to British foreign policy,” Mr. Fraser said.

Leslie Vinjamuri, the director of the U.S. and Americas program at Chatham House, the British research institution, said, “It may not feel tasteful, but it’s shrewd, pragmatic politics of the kind Britain especially has historically been so good at, and probably of the kind that will work best with Trump.”

“There is a lot at stake in U.S. defense of Ukraine and Europe’s security,” she added, “and frankly, I think the effort to influence the U.S. may be wiser and more effective than the aspiration to Trump-proof Europe.”

Mr. Cameron has had a bumpy history with Mr. Trump. In 2016, as prime minister, he condemned Mr. Trump’s campaign proposal to place a temporary ban on allowing Muslims to enter the United States.

Asked in Parliament whether Mr. Trump should be banned from Britain, Mr. Cameron demurred but said, “His remarks are divisive, stupid and wrong, and I think if he came to visit our country, I think he’d unite us all against him.”

Even Mr. Cameron’s welcoming of Mr. Romney in 2012 had its awkward moments. Mr. Romney, who had organized the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, questioned whether London was ready to play host to the summer games, citing reports about security concerns.

“We are holding an Olympic Games in one of the busiest, most active, bustling cities anywhere in the world,” Mr. Cameron shot back. “Of course, it’s easier if you hold an Olympic Games in the middle of nowhere.”

Maggie Haberman contributed reporting.

An earlier version of this article misstated the year of the Winter Olympic Games that Mitt Romney had organized in Salt Lake City. It was the 2002 Games, not 1988.

How we handle corrections

Mark Landler is the London bureau chief of The Times, covering the United Kingdom, as well as American foreign policy in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. He has been a journalist for more than three decades. More about Mark Landler

David Cameron holds talks with Donald Trump as part of US visit

The foreign secretary's meeting with Mr Trump comes shortly after reports claiming the former president said he could end the Russia-Ukraine war "within 24 hours" if re-elected.

Tuesday 9 April 2024 15:49, UK

Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron has met Donald Trump in Florida, before holding talks with US secretary of state Antony Blinken.

Lord Cameron held discussions with Mr Trump before making his way to Washington DC for discussions with Mr Blinken, other figures from the Biden administration and members of Congress.

Releasing a statement after the meeting, a spokesperson for Mr Trump said he had hosted the foreign secretary and British ambassador to the US, Karen Pierce, over dinner at his Mar-a-Lago estate "to discuss several issues impacting both countries".

They added: "Among the topics discussed were the upcoming US and UK elections, policy matters specific to Brexit, the need for NATO countries to meet their defence spending requirements, and ending the killing in Ukraine.

"President Trump, Secretary Cameron and Ambassador Pierce also discussed their mutual admiration for the late Queen Elizabeth II."

A Foreign Office spokesperson said the next portion of his trip in Washington would "focus on a range of shared US-UK priorities, including securing international support for Ukraine and bringing stability to the Middle East".

But they played down Lord Cameron 's visit to see the former US president, who is seeking a return to the White House in this November's US election .

"It is standard practice for ministers to meet with opposition candidates as part of their routine international engagement," the spokesperson said.

Lord Cameron is not scheduled to meet current US President Joe Biden .

On Monday, the foreign secretary issued a plea for the US to follow through with a package of aid for Ukraine.

In an op-ed penned with his French counterpart Stephane Sejourne, he wrote: "Ukraine must win this war. If Ukraine loses, we all lose.

"The costs of failing to support Ukraine now will be far greater than the costs of repelling Putin."

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In a social media message shared last week, Lord Cameron said that he intended to use his US visit to pressure America to help fund Ukraine's war efforts.

"Britain's put forward its money for Ukraine this year. So's the European Union," he wrote on X. "America needs to do it. That is blocked in Congress.

"Speaker Johnson can make it happen in Congress. I'm going to go and see him next week and say we need that money, Ukraine needs that money.

"It is American security, it's European security, it's Britain's security that is on the line in Ukraine, and they need our help."

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Meanwhile, Mr Trump has "frequently boasted" that he could "negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine within 24 hours if elected", according to a US media report published on Monday.

If he makes a return to the Oval Office, Mr Trump will press Ukraine to give up their territory and has proposed that Ukraine should cede Crimea and the Donbas border region to Russia, the Washington Post said.

The policy would "reward Vladimir Putin" and "condone the violation of internationally recognised borders by force", foreign policy experts have warned.

Related Topics

• David Cameron
• Donald Trump