current Events/2023 October 28

• Israel–Hamas war
  • Taba and Nuweiba drone attacks
    • An Egyptian Army spokesperson says that investigations into the two drones that fell in the towns of Nuweiba and Taba in the Sinai Peninsula yesterday showed that they were heading in a northerly direction across the Red Sea towards Israel. (Al-Ahram)
  • Thousands of Gazan workers employed in Israel go missing amid a campaign of mass arrests. Human rights groups and trade unions say that the workers have been illegally detained in military facilities in the West Bank, following the revocation of their work permits. (Al Jazeera)
  • Israeli bombardments take place in the vicinities of the Al-Shifa Hospital and Indonesia Hospital while dozens of residents are at the facilities. (Al Jazeera)
  • An Israeli shell hits the headquarters of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, the second such incident since the war began. (WION)
  • The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees says that 14 of its staff were killed in the past day, bringing the total to 53. (Al Jazeera)
  • UN agencies say that they are unable to contact staff in Gaza amid the near-total communications blackout and also call for civilians to be protected. (UN) (AA)
  • Human Rights Watch says that the near-total communication blackout "risks providing cover for mass atrocities and contributing to impunity for human rights violations" and will make it more difficult to "obtain critical information and evidence about human rights violations and war crimes being committed, and to hear directly from those experiencing the violations". (AFP via The Economic Times)
  • The civil defense service in Gaza reports that Israeli airstrikes destroyed hundreds of buildings and damaged thousands of others in the Gaza Strip overnight. (CNN)
  • Israeli warplanes bomb 150 underground targets in northern Gaza, including tunnels and underground infrastructure. (Al Jazeera)
  • SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announces Starlink will be offered in Gaza to aid organizations after Israel disrupted most communication and internet services. Israel says it will prevent the use of the system. (Business Insider) (Anadolu)

Business and economy

• 2023 United Auto Workers strike
  • The United Auto Workers reaches an agreement with automaker Stellantis after signing a similar agreement with Ford in an effort to end the ongoing strike. (The Washington Post) (Politico)

Disasters and accidents

• 2023 Darling Downs fires
  • Evacuations are ordered for the towns of Tara, Wieambilla, and The Gums, Queensland, Australia, after more than 32 buildings are destroyed by ongoing bushfires. (7 News)
• Kostenko mine disaster
  • At least 32 people are killed and 14 others are missing in a fire at a coal mine in Karaganda Region, Kazakhstan. (Reuters)
• At least 32 people are killed and 63 others are injured in a multiple-vehicle collision in Beheira Governorate, Egypt. (Reuters)
• At least 12 people die and four others are in critical condition after consuming bootleg alcohol at a wedding in Subang, West Java, Indonesia. Authorities arrest a suspect in relation to the incident. (AFP via Daily Tribune)

Health and environment

• Sudan's health ministry reports over 100 deaths from cholera and dengue fever outbreaks since August, with war exacerbating healthcare challenges and leading to 70% of hospitals in war-affected areas becoming non-operational. (AFP via The Straits Times)

International relations

• Israel–Hamas war
  • Israel–Hamas war protests
    • Hundreds of thousands of people demonstrate in cities across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia to show their support for Palestinians as Israel's military widens its air and ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. (Reuters)
    • Thousands of Palestinians perform the Fajr prayer and stage demonstrations in Nablus, Tulkarem, Jenin and Tubas in the West Bank in a show of support for Gaza. (AA)
  • International reactions to the Israel–Hamas war
    • The International Organization for Migration renews its call for a ceasefire, saying that "civilians must be protected. There are no winners in war. The most vulnerable pay the heaviest toll". (The Business Standard)
    • Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan calls on Israel to "immediately come out of its state of madness and stop its attacks" on the Gaza Strip, saying that they have "targeted women, children and innocent civilians, deepening the humanitarian crisis". (The Business Standard)
    • The Egyptian foreign ministry warns of the "humanitarian and security repercussions of the Israeli ground attack" on Gaza, saying that "we hold the Israeli government responsible for violating the United Nations General Assembly resolution for an immediate ceasefire and implementing a humanitarian truce". (Al Jazeera)
    • Save the Children says that children will "bear the brunt" of Israel's intensified attacks on the Gaza Strip and that in the event of a full ground incursion, more than one million children's lives, nearly half of the 2.3 million population of Gaza, will be affected. (Scoop)

Politics and elections

• 2024 United States presidential election
  • Mike Pence 2024 presidential campaign
    • Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence suspends his campaign for the Republican Party nomination for the upcoming presidential election. (CNBC)

Sports

• 2023 Rugby World Cup
  • South Africa wins a record fourth Webb Ellis Cup after defeating New Zealand 12–11 in the final. (AFP via France 24)