War in Gaza Continues; Limited Progress in U.S. Efforts for Ceasefire

The war between Israel and Hamas entered its twenty-ninth day on Saturday, November 4, as the U.S. Secretary of State rejected Arab governments' calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. President Joe Biden stated on Saturday in response to reporters' questions that there have been advancements in U.S. efforts to convince Israel to temporarily halt military attacks on Gaza for humanitarian reasons, though he did not provide further details. Meanwhile, Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State currently in the Middle East, dismissed Arab officials' requests for an immediate ceasefire, stating, "A ceasefire at this moment would only allow Hamas to survive, regroup, and repeat what it did on October 7." On the same day, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, during a visit to northern areas of the country amidst missile and rocket attacks from Hezbollah, addressed the group's leader supported by the Islamic Republic, saying, "We have no desire to enter a war in the north, but we are prepared for anything. The Air Force is maintaining most of its power for the Lebanon theater against Hezbollah, and if Nasrallah makes a mistake, it will change Lebanon's fate." Additionally, the Israeli army reported that on Saturday, its fighter jets attacked Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon following missile fire from Lebanon. The Israeli army also stated that it targeted the residence of Ismail Haniyeh, the exiled Hamas leader, in the northern outskirts of Gaza City, but no details were provided regarding damages or casualties from the attack on the house, which reportedly housed Haniyeh's two sons. Israel also reported that the "terrorist" group Hamas attacked soldiers attempting to open a humanitarian corridor for the evacuation of Palestinians from northern Gaza to the south, with no injuries reported to these soldiers. However, the death toll of Israeli soldiers in ground operations in Gaza has reached 28 due to the killing of four more soldiers in clashes with Hamas forces in northern Gaza. On the other hand, news sources reported on Saturday that 30 trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered Gaza through the Rafah border crossing, including food, water, medical supplies, and other assistance. Details from VOA's reporter on Hamas's attack and sabotage in Israel's humanitarian corridor in northern Gaza. Israeli Defense Minister: If Hezbollah makes Hamas's mistake, it will be destroyed like them. Protesters in Washington D.C. and London called for an immediate ceasefire. CENTCOM reported that the U.S. Eisenhower strike group has arrived in the Middle East. Blinken met with Qatari officials to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the protection of civilians. Live blog: G7 foreign ministers welcomed the cessation of hostilities; all hostages should be released unconditionally.