Today In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
The Must-Reads
Hamas hands over bodies of two Israeli hostages Hamas given 24 hours to withdraw from IDF's Yellow Line in Gaza, US officials tell 'Post' WINEP’s Ghaith al-Omari: Washington Needs to Intervene in Choosing Gaza’s “Technocratic, Apolitical” Governing Committee Iran says UN watchdog should not express 'unfounded opinions' on nuclear programme UK sanctions Iranian banker for supporting Iran's Guards Exclusive: Russia uses missile in Ukraine that led Trump to quit nuclear treaty, Kyiv says AEI’s Michael Rubin: The worst may be yet to come in Syria Germany's Merz sees Turkey as close partner to EU Hezbollah is rearming, putting cease-fire at risk Lebanese president, Hezbollah urge response to Israeli incursions WSJ Editorial: Lessons from Trump’s China trade war Taiwan does not want China's 'one country, two systems', president saysIn The News
Israel
Palestinian militant group Hamas handed over two bodies of deceased Israeli hostages on Thursday, a day after the tenuous Gaza ceasefire was shaken by a series of deadly Israeli strikes across the enclave. – Reuters
A mass ultra-Orthodox Jewish rally against military conscription turned deadly in Jerusalem on Thursday, when a teenage boy fell to his death during the demonstration which had shut down the main entrance to the city. – Reuters
Mediators informed Hamas to withdraw from behind the Yellow Line before Thursday evening, otherwise the IDF would strike, a US official told The Jerusalem Post that night. – Jerusalem Post
Israel’s Security Cabinet and the heads of the security establishment are meeting on Thursday evening with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the strengthening of Hezbollah in Lebanon. – Jerusalem Post
US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright on Thursday canceled his planned visit to Israel next week due to concerns over Energy and Infrastructure Minister Eli Cohen’s refusal to approve a gas export agreement with Egypt. – Jerusalem Post
A special tribunal will be founded to try the nearly 300 terrorists from Hamas’s Nukhba Force imprisoned by Israel for their participation in the October 7 massacre, Israeli public broadcaster KAN News reported on Thursday evening. – Jerusalem Post
Israeli officials are expressing concern that after Hamas returned the two hostages who were killed on Thursday, the group will now continue to “delay” the return of the remaining 11 bodies of hostages in its custody. – Jerusalem Post
As Gaza’s ceasefire holds uneasily, four Israel-backed militias fighting Hamas are moving to fill the power vacuum, pledging to cooperate with most international forces involved in rebuilding the enclave but vowing to resist any presence from Qatar, Turkey, or Iran, The Algemeiner has learned. – Algemeiner
The Defense Ministry’s Border and Seam Directorate, together with its Engineering and Construction Division, on Thursday announced that construction would begin on a new security barrier along Israel’s eastern border. – Arutz Sheva
Ghaith al-Omari writes: Any concerns that Hamas may disrupt governance can be addressed through understandings between the mediators and Hamas and should not be enshrined in an agreement giving the group formal standing. The sense of urgency in Cairo and other Arab capitals about establishing the committee is real and genuinely reflects the needs in Gaza. To persuade these states to change their current approach, Washington must assure them that an acceptable alternative that prevents a governance vacuum is forthcoming. – Washington Institute
Iran
Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, is “fully aware of the peaceful nature” of Iran’s nuclear programme and should not express “unfounded opinions” on it, an Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday. – Reuters
Britain sanctioned Iranian banker and businessman Aliakbar Ansari on Thursday, citing his role in financially supporting the activities of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards as the reason for its action. – Reuters
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi complained the United States was a “bully” and posing a “serious threat to international peace and security” on Thursday night after US President Donald Trump announced the US would resume nuclear testing. – Jerusalem Post
An account on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) associated with the Israeli Mossad published a rare and direct message in Persian on Thursday evening, addressing Iran’s leadership and tagging the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ali Khamenei. – Arutz Sheva
Russia and Ukraine
Russia has in recent months attacked Ukraine with a cruise missile whose secret development prompted Donald Trump to abandon a nuclear arms control pact with Moscow in his first term as U.S. president, Ukraine’s foreign minister said. – Reuters
The United States has cancelled a planned Budapest summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin following Russia’s firm stance on hardline demands regarding Ukraine, the Financial Times reported on Friday. – Reuters
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday that Russia had launched over 650 drones and more than 50 missiles to attack Ukraine overnight, which he said hit energy facilities and civilians. – Reuters
Ukraine is intensifying its efforts to defend the strategic hub of Pokrovsk, aiming to secure key supply and evacuation routes and root out Russian infantry infiltrating the city, the top army commander said on Thursday. – Reuters
The latest in a sustained Russian campaign of massive drone and missile attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure brought power outages and restrictions in all the country’s regions Thursday, officials said, with the Ukrainian prime minister describing Moscow’s tactic as “systematic energy terror.” – Associated Press
Russia has responded to U.S. President Donald Trump ordering the Pentagon to resume nuclear weapons testing “on an equal basis” with Russia and China. – Newsweek
Ukraine has closed its embassy in Cuba and censured the government in Havana over allegations that the Caribbean dictatorship is complicit in sending troops to fight in Russia’s war against Ukraine. – Defense News
Russian IL-20 Electronic Intelligence aircraft conducted two surveillance flights around Japan in the space of a week, Japan’s Joint Staff Office said Thursday. – USNI News
Gracelin Baskaran writes: Six months in, Ukraine has made important strides in rebuilding its geological foundation and institutional frameworks, but realizing the fund’s full potential will require mobilizing private capital, making strategic investments, and rebuilding infrastructure. If successful, this initiative could redefine U.S. development finance as a tool of economic statecraft—one that strengthens Ukraine’s recovery, advances allied mineral security, and demonstrates the power of partnership in rebuilding a nation’s industrial future. – Center for Strategic and International Studies
Fredrik Wesslau writes: While European leaders still hope that NATO can deter a Russian attack, alternatives have to be considered. Rearmament will take time that Europe may not have. The obvious solution is to bring Ukraine into Europe’s security architecture, and a security pact with the Baltic states could be a first step in this direction. It’s time to start discussing with Ukraine how to formalize the role it is already playing in Europe’s defense. – Foreign Policy
Syria
When Syria’s nearly 14-year civil war ended last year with the ouster of dictator Bashar al-Assad, many Syrians rejoiced at the chance to finally return to the homes and lands they had abandoned. – New York Times
Syrian soldiers will be allowed to use Turkish military barracks for training meant to boost Syria’s military capabilities, while 49 Syrian students will begin schooling at Turkish military academies from Friday onwards, Ankara said on Thursday. – Reuters
“I didn’t know the salaries the government pays were this high!” Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa joked after more than 100 loyalists arrived at his former rebel base, many pulling up in luxury SUVs. – Reuters
In the southern Idlib countryside, once a frontline in Syrian civil war, residents are trickling back to their villages after years in exile. Repairing and reopening damaged and looted schools is key to the return of the displaced, but nearly a year after former President Bashar Assad was ousted in a rebel offensive, hundreds of schools are still destroyed. – Associated Press
Michael Rubin writes: Even if Sharaa’s moderation is sincere, the influx of hardcore Islamic State members into society will be like throwing gasoline on glowing embers. President Donald Trump and his Syria envoy, Tom Barrack, may want peace and envision new deals to rebuild Syria, but wishful thinking disconnected from reality will not bring peace. The calm Damascus now enjoys may soon evaporate. The question is whether the broader region is prepared. – Washington Examiner
Turkey
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz sees Turkey as a close partner to the European Union and wants to develop bilateral economic relations, including in the transport sector, he said on his first visit to the country. – Reuters
Turkey said on Thursday that talks were continuing with Qatar and Oman on procuring Eurofighter Typhoon fighters, after a deal it inked with Britain on Monday to buy 20 of the jets. – Reuters
Officials in Turkey’s Ministry of Defense say Ankara is continuing consultations with relevant parties regarding the establishment of a task force in the Gaza Strip. – Arutz Sheva
Lebanon
Lebanese militant group Hezbollah is rebuilding its armaments and battered ranks, defying the terms of a cease-fire agreement and raising the prospect of renewed conflict with Israel, according to people familiar with Israeli and Arab intelligence. – Wall Street Journal
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun instructed the army commander on Thursday to confront any Israeli incursion into southern Lebanon after Israeli forces crossed the border overnight and killed a municipal employee, Lebanese state media reported. – Reuters
UNIFIL expressed concern over an Israeli incursion in Blida on Thursday morning, in a post on X/Twitter in the evening. – Jerusalem Post
Korean Peninsula
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung told Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi that it was more important than ever to strengthen bilateral ties given how the countries had much in common under the current trade environment, Lee’s office said on Thursday. – Reuters
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Friday the Asia-Pacific region was at a critical inflection point with a rapidly changing global economic order, as he chaired a leaders’ summit in the city of Gyeongju. – Reuters
Ju Hyung Kim writes: Washington should take note that Seoul’s Middle East arms exports would not only restructure the defense procurement market, but also shape regional defense governance itself. This trend, if prudently leveraged, could contribute to regional stability and align with U.S. interests. While the Gulf states pursue ambitious localization projects, South Korea is showing that the future of Middle East defense does not belong only to the United States and Europe, but also to middle powers. – Washington Institute
China
China’s Xi Jinping will take centre stage at an annual gathering of Pacific Rim leaders in South Korea on Friday, holding talks with Canadian and Japanese counterparts after securing a fragile trade truce with U.S. President Donald Trump. – Reuters
Three-digit tariffs are off the table, but import duties on each other are higher than in January. Rare earth materials will flow more smoothly, but China has put in place an export permitting regime that it can tighten or loosen as needed. – Associated Press
President Donald Trump’s meeting Thursday with China’s top leader Xi Jinping produced a raft of decisions to help dial back trade tensions, but no agreement on TikTok’s ownership. – Associated Press
Chinese leader Xi Jinping told Asia-Pacific leaders on Friday that his country would help to defend global free trade at an annual economic regional forum snubbed by U.S. President Donald Trump. – Associated Press
President Donald Trump has suggested a possible oil and gas deal for Alaska with China following his meeting with the Chinese leader Xi Jinping. – Newsweek
China has responded to President Donald Trump ordering the Pentagon to resume nuclear weapons testing “on an equal basis” with Russia and China. – Newsweek
China has seized on delays in Taiwan’s order of American F‑16s to denounce what it calls a “delusional” push for independence through military means, warning that such efforts lead to a “dead end.” – Newsweek
Editorial: Time is short for America and its friends to develop their own mining and refining capacity now that Beijing has learned how effective export restrictions can be. The U.S.-China Cold War will continue, and it’s hard to see much that this year’s trade skirmish has accomplished. At best it bought the U.S. some time. If Mr. Trump wants to deter Chinese mercantilism, he needs a new strategy and more allies. – Wall Street Journal
Editorial: Trump said there will now be annual negotiations about the status of the U.S.-China relationship. “Now every year, we’ll renegotiate the deal,” Trump said, “but I think the deal will go on for a long time, long beyond the year.” Trump plans to visit China in April, and Xi said he’ll come to the U.S. sometime after that. But the relationship has changed. China has shown its willingness to exploit America’s dependencies. The U.S. must continue to do everything it can to reduce that leverage, because the decoupling will continue. – Washington Post
David Ignatius writes: Trump seems to view major-power foreign policy as a tough-guys club, and he obviously regards Xi as a fellow member. But Trump may underestimate just how ruthless and disciplined Xi is. Certainly, he proved a much tougher adversary in the now-paused trade war than Trump imagined. The idea of a world governed by these two autocrats is loathsome. But if that’s what we’re stuck with for now, it’s certainly better to have them talking than fighting. – Washington Post
Marc A. Thiessen writes: In other words, by Lutnick’s logic, we should let Chinese students displace Americans at the best U.S. universities, pushing Americans down the academic ladder to schools so bad that they would otherwise close, while giving the Chinese students the opportunity to collect intelligence at the most sophisticated research institutions in America. How, exactly, is that putting “America First”? – Washington Post
South Asia
Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed on Thursday to extend a ceasefire during talks in Istanbul after the worst border clashes between the neighbours in years, according to Turkey which mediated the talks along with Qatar. – Reuters
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said military ties with India have “never been stronger” following a meeting with his counterpart Rajnath Singh, signaling that trade tensions have not affected broader strategic cooperation. – Bloomberg
Pakistan plans to hand over operation and management of the airport in the capital, Islamabad, to a firm from the United Arab Emirates under a government-to-government deal after rejecting an offer from a UK-Turkish consortium. – Bloomberg
Asia
Taiwan does not want China’s “one country, two systems” and must uphold its freedom and democracy, and resolve to defend itself, President Lai Ching-te said on Friday, rejecting Beijing’s latest push to get the island to come under Chinese control. – Reuters
Technical consultations for Taiwan-U.S. trade talks have been “largely finalised” and document exchanges are now underway, Taiwan’s delegation to the APEC summit in South Korea said on Friday, marking progress in the protracted discussions. – Reuters
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke on Friday with counterparts from China and India, beginning a series of face-to-face meetings at an ASEAN defence summit in Malaysia, as Washington seeks to boost regional security ties. – Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump’s adviser on critical minerals is set to meet officials of about 30 critical minerals companies in Sydney on Friday, two sources familiar with the matter said, as the U.S. and Australia step up cooperation to diversify supply. – Reuters
Malaysia called Friday for fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to extend their security partnerships from the high seas to cyberspace at an annual meeting of the bloc’s defense ministers. – Associated Press
President Donald Trump made sure during his visit to Asia this week to praise regional allies that have backed his push to bring about a permanent end to the Israel-Hamas war. As he handed out plaudits, Trump appeared to go out of his way to name-check one leader in particular — Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto — for his help in Gaza. – Associated Press
The U.S. Secretary of Defense said Friday he told his Chinese counterpart during talks in Malaysia that Washington would “stoutly defend” its interests in the Indo-Pacific. He also signed a new agreement aimed at strengthening security ties with India. – Associated Press
Australia took a significant step in hosting allied nuclear-powered submarines amid China’s growing naval threat, as a United States vessel arrived for maintenance. – Newsweek
Indonesia’s top defense official said the country is no closer to the purchase of Chinese J-10 fighter jets after previously signaling otherwise. – Bloomberg
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s trade deal with the US is drawing fire at home as a group of lawmakers question clauses that allow Washington to raise new tariffs and pressure the Southeast Asian nation to align with its trade policies. – Bloomberg
Europe
A general election in the Netherlands delivered a blow to the far-right as a centrist party made sweeping gains, according to results on Thursday that could offer a confidence boost to Europe’s embattled centrists. – Washington Post
Latvia’s parliament voted on Thursday to quit an international treaty aimed at combating violence against women, after a conservative partner in the ruling coalition broke ranks to support the move in defiance of both the prime minister and president. – Reuters
Lithuania’s Vilnius airport temporarily closed on Thursday due to weather balloons flying in its vicinity, the airport said in a post on Facebook, the sixth such incident this month. – Reuters
A German of Russian ethnic background was convicted of spying and planning arson attacks on military installations and railways in Germany on behalf of Russia and sentenced on Thursday to six years in prison. – Reuters
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban will meet U.S. President Donald Trump on November 7 in Washington, where he aims to discuss a path to a U.S.-Russia meeting and seek exemption from U.S. energy sanctions, Orban’s chief of staff said on Thursday. – Reuters
Germany’s far-right AfD party, long shunned at home, is courting support in Washington, leveraging ties to MAGA personalities who have risen to senior roles in the Trump administration. – Reuters
Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said on Thursday that her Polish counterpart Donald Tusk has agreed to postpone a reopening of crossings on Poland’s border with Belarus. – Reuters
Other NATO members will provide troops to fill the void created by the departure of US soldiers from Romania, the country’s Foreign Minister Oana Toiu told RFE/RL, leaving the alliance with a “stronger” presence. – Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
Italy is considering using a European Union loan deal to pay for new tanks and armored vehicles supplied by Germany’s Rheinmetall, a source has told Defense News. – Defense News
Karl-Heinz Kamp writes: Lastly, NATO must not only develop a new nuclear strategic consensus, but also regularly practice the relevant procedures, as was done until the end of the 1980s in the context of the so called WINTEX exercises. Similar political-strategic drill should be re-introduced. All of this must be communicated openly as far as possible, not only to send a signal of determination to Russia, but also to gain public approval for the concept of nuclear deterrence, which is not easy to communicate politically. – Defense News
Africa
Police in Tanzania fired tear gas and gunshots on Thursday to disperse groups of protesters who returned to the streets a day after a general election marred by violent demonstrations, witnesses said. – Reuters
The last functioning hospital in the Sudanese city of al-Fashir was raided and hundreds are feared to have been killed there after a paramilitary force overran the city this week, the World Health Organization and a Sudanese official said. – Reuters
The U.S. State Department on Thursday ordered non-emergency employees and their family members to leave Mali due to safety risks, as the government there comes under increasing pressure from al Qaeda-linked insurgents, who are imposing a fuel blockade. – Reuters
U.S. citizens in Tanzania should remain in place amid outbreaks of violence and roadblocks, the U.S. embassy in the East African nation said on Thursday, a day after a general election was marred by violent demonstrations. – Reuters
Sudanese fleeing a paramilitary force that seized a city in the country’s Darfur region trickled into a nearby refugee camp Thursday after walking for miles, telling aid workers that roads were littered with bodies. Aid groups feared for the fate of thousands more trying to escape, with hundreds reportedly killed in the turmoil. – Associated Press
The British government has admitted U.K.-made military equipment has been found in Sudan, amid escalating reports of the mass slaughter of civilians. – Politico
The Americas
The Trump administration has identified targets in Venezuela that include military facilities used to smuggle drugs, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter. If President Trump decides to move forward with airstrikes, they said, the targets would send a clear message to Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro that it is time to step down. – Wall Street Journal
Hurricane Melissa passed through Cuba as a powerful Category 2 storm and rocked parts of the Bahamas, after it hit Jamaica as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record. – Wall Street Journal
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney spent much of his first six months in office trying to persuade the U.S. to lower tariffs on Canadian goods. With hopes for a speedy resolution now dashed, Carney is turning to America’s biggest rival, China. – Wall Street Journal
Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of Peru’s late former President Alberto Fujimori, said on Thursday she will run for president in the April election, days after Peru’s constitutional court dismissed a money-laundering case against her. – Reuters
The United States is prepared to offer immediate humanitarian aid to people of Cuba who were affected by Hurricane Melissa, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday. – Reuters
Kristina Foltz writes: Eighty-seven percent reportedly approve the U.S. “in the Caribbean under the narrative of combating drug trafficking.” Furthermore, over 95 percent of the Venezuelan diaspora support the U.S. military presence and 90 percent view U.S. actions positively. The inconvenient truth is, on Venezuela, Trump is right. Multiple negotiations with Maduro have failed. If the vast power of the U.S. military is to be used as a point of leverage to reinforce human rights and rule of law, dismantling Maduro’s regime should be one of its primary goals. – The Hill
United States
President Trump wrapped up his six-day swing through Asia by touting trade deals and new investments in the U.S. But as he arrives back in Washington, the gold-plated receptions abroad are giving way to a shuttered government and deepening voter anxiety about the economy. – Wall Street Journal
The Trump administration is drastically cutting the number of refugees it will admit to the United States, rejecting thousands of people fleeing war and persecution while reserving the record-low number of slots for mostly white Afrikaner South Africans. – New York Times
Military leaders have ordered the National Guard in every state to develop a “quick reaction force” of troops trained to deal with civil disturbances and riots that can be ready to deploy with just hours’ notice, the latest indication of longer-term Trump administration plans to more readily dispatch soldiers to U.S. streets. – Associated Press
Editorial: After police broke up the anti-Israel encampment in May, Ms. Hudson said she could no longer “in good conscience” bring the original resolution condemning the defacement of the Jewish fraternity. The university didn’t respond to our request for comment. Many schools failed to protect Jewish students during the anti-Israel protests, and we are getting a better picture of why. The reason is that tolerance of antisemitism is deep-seated on many campuses, especially in the faculty. – Wall Street Journal
Ilan Berman writes: There is little evidence that any administration official has thought deeply about how to best promote core U.S. information priorities: honestly telling America’s story and explaining its priorities and policies while effectively countering the distortions and falsehoods being spread by others. If the Trump administration wants to remain competitive on the world stage, it will need to start thinking. And if Chinese, Russian and Iranian efforts are any indication, it will need to do so soon. – Washington Post
Cybersecurity
U.S. semiconductor leader Nvidia (NVDA.O), on Friday said it will supply more than 260,000 of its most advanced AI chips to South Korea’s government and some of the country’s biggest businesses, including Samsung Electronics. – Reuters
Cybersecurity experts from multiple federal agencies released guidance to help organizations bolster their defenses against attacks on on-premises Microsoft Exchange Servers, resurfacing and building upon previously shared advice that generally applies to most technology. – CyberScoop
Hungarian and Belgian diplomatic entities were allegedly targeted by a well-known Chinese hacking group in September and October. – The Record
Canada’s cyber authorities are warning that hacktivists are increasingly targeting internet-connected industrial systems after several recent incidents disrupted operations at utilities and small businesses across the country. – The Record
Russia-linked cybercriminals are reportedly abusing a popular penetration-testing tool in ransomware campaigns around the world, researchers have found. – The Record
Joel Thayer writes: All these actions undermine President Trump’s essential strategy to win the AI arms race and ensure America’s economic prosperity. It’s why President Trump is forcing those Big Tech companies to repay avoided tariffs that fail to meet their pledges and urging major buyers to source from U.S. fabs or pay tariffs for those imports. To ensure that they can’t circumvent his tariffs and onshore, he should restrict exemption credits to “chip-for-chip” where they must purchase American chips to offset the ones they import. This is the surest way to curb China’s AI dominance. – The Hill
Defense
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the military to provide dozens of lawyers to the Justice Department for temporary assignments in Memphis and near the U.S.-Mexico border that could run through next fall, according to a memo released this week and reviewed by The Associated Press. – Associated Press
As the Trump administration expands an anti-drug offensive off the coasts of Venezuela and Colombia, it’s leaning on small Caribbean islands like Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago for logistical support. – Bloomberg
The Senate on Thursday confirmed Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach as the Air Force’s next chief of staff. – Defense News
The multi-year deal to buy 15 nuclear submarines for the U.S. Navy that has been delayed by negotiations over ballooning costs of labor and material could be wrapped up by the end of the year, HII officials said during a Thursday earnings call. – USNI News
Rebeccah L. Heinrichs writes: If China decides to invade Taiwan, Russia could see it as an opportunity to seize territory in Europe. The new bomber would decrease the odds of such opportunistic aggression. The U.S. should also accelerate the deployment of the SLCM-N, a new sea-launched, nuclear-armed cruise missile, and put more warheads on ICBMs and submarine-launched systems. These steps would help keep the peace, which is a better prize than the Nobel. – Wall Street Journal