I. Legislative Branch
1) Legislation
House Resolution Condemns Hamas. On October 28, Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) introduced H.Res.839, which condemns Hamas for allegedly carrying out executions of Palestinians.
House Resolution Backs Israeli Sovereignty over al-Aqsa. On October 31, Representative Claudia Tenney (R-NY) introduced H.Res.852, calling on the House of Representatives to affirm Israeli sovereignty over al-Aqsa Mosque, referred to by Israel as the Temple Mount. The resolution reaffirms that Jerusalem is the “undivided capital of Israel” and that the United States remains committed “to Israel’s security, sovereignty, and religious liberty for all faiths,” while also claiming that Jews and Christians face restrictions on access to al-Aqsa compared to Muslims.
2) Personnel and Correspondence
House Lawmakers Urge Trump Administration to Ensure Gaza Ceasefire. On October 29, Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) led 89 other House Democrats in a letter to President Donald Trump urging sustained US pressure to ensure the full implementation of the Gaza ceasefire. The lawmakers called on Trump to work with regional partners to replace Hamas and put Gaza under the eventual control of a reformed Palestinian Authority. The letter also pushed for a full Israeli Army withdrawal from Gaza, an end to settlement expansion and settler violence in the West Bank, investment in Gaza’s reconstruction, and a comprehensive regional agreement that includes a pathway to Palestinian statehood.
Bipartisan Lawmakers Condemn Sudan Atrocities. On October 30, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast (R-FL) and Ranking Member Gregory Meeks (D-NY) released a statement condemning the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) escalation of violence against non-Arab communities in al-Fasher, Sudan, describing it as “genocide” and urging the safe delivery of humanitarian assistance.
In the Senate, Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch (R-ID) and Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), along with Sens. Tim Scott (R-SC), Chris Coons (D-DE), Todd Young (R-IN), and Cory Booker (D-NJ), released a statement condemning the Darfur genocide and urging the United States to designate the RSF as a Foreign Terrorist Organization or a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity.
II. Executive Branch
1) White House
Trump Backs Israeli Strikes on Gaza. On October 28, President Trump defended Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to order “forceful” strikes in Gaza after accusing Hamas of breaching the ceasefire agreement. Vice President JD Vance expressed confidence that the ceasefire would hold, while acknowledging, “That doesn’t mean that there aren’t going to be little skirmishes here and there.” The next day, Trump told reporters that “nothing’s going to jeopardize [the ceasefire],” adding that “Hamas is a very small part of peace in the Middle East, and they have to behave.”
Vance Says Israel “Not Controlling” Trump. On October 29, during a Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi, Vice President Vance responded to student questions about how US support for Israel, including military aid, advances “America First” policies. Vance argued that the president makes decisions solely based on America’s interests and that Israel is not “manipulating or controlling” Trump. Vance stated that the Trump administration is willing to diverge from Israel at times, pointing to Trump’s Gaza peace plan and saying that the president was able to secure it by using “leverage” over Israel. Vance also said, “One thing I really, really care about is the preservation of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem…if we can work with our friends in Israel to make sure that Christians have safe access to that site…I’m fine with that. What I’m not okay with is any country coming before the interest of American citizens.”
Trump Says He’ll “Be Involved” in Netanyahu’s Trial. In a CBS “60 Minutes” interview that aired on November 2, President Trump said that he would “be involved” in Prime Minister Netanyahu’s corruption trial “to help him out a little bit.” On Gaza, Trump said that the ceasefire is “solid” and that Hamas will be “eliminated” if it does not disarm. He acknowledged that he “had to push [Netanyahu] a little bit one way or the other” to secure the ceasefire. Trump also predicted that Saudi Arabia, whose crown prince will visit Washington November 18-19, will join the Abraham Accords even without Israel agreeing to a pathway for a Palestinian state.
2) Department of State
Rubio Says Israeli Strike on Gaza Did Not Violate Ceasefire. On October 27, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Israel’s October 25 strike in Gaza against a member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad did not violate the ceasefire agreement, adding that Israel has “the right if there’s an imminent threat to Israel, and all the mediators agree with that.”
Trump Administration Provides Aid for Syrian Minorities. On October 27, the Department of State announced the provision of US humanitarian assistance to Druze, Christian, and Bedouin communities in al-Suwayda in southern Syria.
Ortagus Presses Lebanon to Disarm Hezbollah. On October 29, during the 12th Pentalateral meeting in Naqoura, Lebanon, Deputy Special Envoy for Middle East Peace Morgan Ortagus urged the Lebanese government to fully disarm Hezbollah by the end of the year. Her remarks came amid an intensification of Israeli attacks on Hezbollah in recent weeks.
Barrack Says Disarmament Unrealistic; Announces al-Sharaa Visit. On November 1, speaking at the Manama Dialogue during a panel on “US Policy in the Levant,” US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack described Lebanon as “a failed state” run by “dinosaurs.” Contradicting his deputy Ortagus, he also warned that Hezbollah disarmament may be unattainable, stating, “It’s not reasonable to tell Lebanon, ‘Forcibly disarm one of your political parties’…everybody’s scared to death to go into a civil war.” Barrack said that the best path forward for Lebanon is to begin a dialogue with Israel.
Barrack went on to praise interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, saying that his government is “speed-dating towards something we’ve never seen, perhaps even towards the road of normalization with Israel.” Barrack told reporters that al-Sharaa will visit the White House on November 10.
Department Condemns Sudan Atrocities. On November 1, the Department of State released a statement condemning the mass atrocities committed by RSF in North Darfur and said that it will continue working with “partners to find a peaceful path forward,” noting that “external military support only prolongs the conflict.”
3) Department of War
AFRICOM Conducts More Strikes in Somalia. On October 26, US forces conducted an airstrike against al-Shabab in Somalia. On October 27 and 28, US forces conducted airstrikes against the so-called Islamic State in Somalia.
US and Lebanese Armed Forces Conclude Maritime Exercise. On October 30, the US Naval Forces Central Command and the Lebanese Armed Forces Navy concluded a weeklong maritime security exercise titled “Resolute Union 26.”
CENTCOM Accuses Hamas of Looting Gaza Aid. On November 1, CENTCOM announced that using drone footage, the US-led Civil-Military Coordination Center in Kiryat Gat, Israel, had observed Hamas operatives looting an aid truck delivering assistance to Gazans in Khan Younis on October 31.
4) Department of the Treasury
Under Secretary to Visit Middle East. On October 31, the Department of the Treasury announced that Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John Hurley will travel to Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Lebanon to advance President Trump’s maximum pressure campaign against Iran.
