The confirmation hearing for President Biden's nominee for U.S. ambassador to Israel, Jack Lew, will begin on Oct. 18, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee announced Monday.
State of play:Tom Nides, the former ambassador who departed from the role in July, told NBC News the Senate needed to confirm the former treasury secretary "immediately" due to the fighting between Israel and Hamas that's killed at least 900 Israelis and 687 Palestinians.
The United Arab Emirates has warned the Assad regime in Syria not to intervene in the Hamas-Israel war or to allow attacks on Israel from Syrian soil, according to two sources briefed on the Emirati diplomatic effort.
Why it matters: Several countries, including the U.S., are highly concerned the war could spill over to Lebanon or Syria and escalate to a regional conflict.
A bipartisan delegation of senators led by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday as part of an effort to stabilize the fragile relations between the U.S. and China.
Why it matters: The lawmakers are the latest senior U.S. officials to travel to Beijing in recent months to try to smooth ties between the two countries — and the trip comes ahead of a possible meeting between President Biden and Xi next month.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told President Biden on Sunday that Israel does not have any choice but to unleash a ground operation in Gaza. "We have to go in," the Israeli leader said, according to three Israeli and U.S. sources briefed on the call.
Why it matters: Netanyahu's messagesignals what his country's response to Hamas' attack will look like in the days and weeks ahead in what the Israeli prime minister has said will be a "long and difficult war."
Retiring Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Mark Milley said in an interview aired Sunday evening that Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russian forces would be "long and hard and very bloody" and take a "considerable length of time."
Yes, but: He warned in the interview on CBS' "60 Minutes" that there would be major consequences if the U.S. were to cut aid to Ukraine.
Simone Biles won gold medals in the women's balance beam and floor finals at the 2023 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, Belgium, on Sunday, the last day of competition.
The big picture: Biles won four gold medals in total at the event, taking the most-decorated gymnast of all time's total world championships and Olympics medal haul to 37, as she continues a successful comeback year after stepping away from gymnastics following the 2021 Tokyo Olympics to focus on her mental well-being.
President Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a call on Sunday that additional military assistance is "now on its way to Israel with more to follow over the coming days," according to the White House.
Why it matters: Israel is preparing for a wide-ranging offensive against Hamas, which launched an unprecedented invasion of Israeli territory on Saturday. The Israeli operation could lead to a ground operation in Gaza that would likely take many weeks and could lead to an escalation in other parts of the region.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday that the world "should be revolted" by Hamas' attack on Israel.
The big picture: Hamas caught Israel by surprise early Saturday when it launched thousands of missiles, broke through the border barrier between Israel and Gaza and invaded several Israeli villages and towns.
The big picture: Now the White Houseand the world are bracing for an exponentially more powerful Israeli response — and fear prolonged, expanded fighting in the Middle East.
