Axios

Secretary of State Tony Blinken urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on Monday to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza in order to maintain international support for the Israeli operation to dismantle Hamas, two Israeli officials said.

Why it matters: The Israeli military is preparing for a ground invasion of northern Gaza amid growing international pressure to address the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the enclave, especially in the south where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled to after Israel's evacuation warning.

Qatar says it has facilitated the reunification of four Ukrainian minors separated from their families by Russia's invasion, marking a rare diplomatic breakthrough between Kyiv and Moscow.

Why it matters: Qatar's unique role as a mediator between the West and its adversaries has come under new scrutiny amid Israel's war with Hamas, which maintains a political office in Doha.

For years there have been scattered stories about the rise of Palestinian tech startups; plucky entrepreneurs seeking to forge prosperity against long odds.

Driving the news: Today, much of that is either on hold or severely hampered, as the war between Hamas and Israel rages on.

Since the start of fighting between Hamas and Israel, the country's Iron Dome missile defense system has likely intercepted thousands of rockets and missiles launched from Gaza.

Why it matters: For over a decade, the multibillion-dollar system has been crucial in defending Israeli cities and preventing numerous casualties.

Hamas must be eliminated but an Israeli occupation of Gaza would be a "big mistake," President Biden said in an interview on CBS' "60 Minutes" broadcast Sunday evening.

Why it matters: Israel is preparing for a ground offensive in Gaza and the Israeli military has said it's planning for a "wide range of operational offensive plans."

An Illinois man has been charged after a stabbing outside Chicago that left a 6-year-old Muslim boy dead and his mother critically injured in an attack police said was connected to the Israel-Hamas war.

The latest: The Department of Justice has "opened a federal hate crimes investigation into the events leading to the tragic death of Wadea Al-Fayoume and the serious injuries suffered by his mother, Hanaan Shahin," per a DOJ statement late Sunday.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced Sunday that state-funded flights from Israel brought home nearly 300 Americans, who he said were stranded due to commercial flight cancellations.

Why it matters: The state's move supplements federal efforts to evacuate U.S. citizens from Israel due to the limited availability of commercial flights leaving the country and a mounting death toll.

Israel and the U.S. are discussing a possible visit by President Biden to Israel later this week, three Israeli and U.S. officials confirmed on Sunday.

Why it matters: A Biden visit would be both a show of support for Israel amid the war with Hamas and a message to Iran and Hezbollah not to join the fighting.

With Congress paralyzed, the Biden administration is exploring — and implementing — creative ways to achieve its goals in Ukraine without signoff from Capitol Hill.

Why it matters: U.S. allies are depending on military aid to fight wars in both Europe and the Middle East. The U.S. government itself faces a shutdown in a month.

Eight days before Hamas launched the deadliest terrorist attack in Israel's history, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan proclaimed that "the Middle East region is quieter today than it has been in two decades."

Why it matters: Sullivan cautioned in the next sentence that "challenges remain," including tensions between Israelis and Palestinians and the threat from Iran. But the fact that the Hamas attack took the U.S. and Israel by such surprise points to a massive intelligence failure by both countries.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi told Secretary of State Tony Blinken on Sunday that Israel's response to the Hamas attack has gone from self-defense to collective punishment, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.

Why it matters: They're the strongest comments by Egypt against Israel's response since the war began. It also comes amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands have been displaced and food and other supplies are quickly running out.

Israel resumed on Sunday the water supply to the southern Gaza Strip after strong pressure from the Biden administration, two Israeli officials told Axios.

Why it matters: Israel's decision to completely stop the water supply to Gaza exacerbated the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, with aid groups warning water supplies were quickly running out.

Beijing is trying to use the outbreak of violence between Israel and Hamas to curry favor among Arab states and gain their support for China's global agenda.

Why it matters: The Chinese government is seeking to legitimize authoritarian practices and erode human rights protections on the international stage.