The Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet security agency have announced the successful rescue of a soldier on Monday who had been captured by the Hamas terrorist group on Oct. 7. In a joint statement, the IDF and Shin Bet said that Pvt. Ori Megidish is in good health and has reunited with her family.
She is home.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 30, 2023
PVT Megidish was abducted by Hamas on October 7. Tonight, she was released during ground operations.
Ori is now home with her family. pic.twitter.com/7Arr9835Ws
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made it clear Monday that Israel would not entertain the idea of a ceasefire. He drew parallels to historical events such as the United States' stance after Pearl Harbor in 1941 and the response to the September 11 attacks in 2001.
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell continues to advocate for the combination of aid for Ukraine and Israel, despite House GOP efforts to pursue a separate Israel aid package offset by budget cuts, according to CNN.
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a prominent Jewish Democrat and supporter of Israel, has cautioned against House Speaker Mike Johnson's plans to advance an aid package for Israel while offsetting it with spending cuts. She expressed concerns that this approach could jeopardize the package's chances of passing, as emergency aid packages are typically not linked to spending cuts, potentially causing opposition from Democrats.
The head of surgery at Gaza's largest hospital, Al Shifa Hospital, has conveyed the overwhelming challenges faced by the hospital's staff due to the sheer volume of patients being treated. He shared a video to the CNN depicting chaotic scenes within the hospital's emergency ward, with numerous patients occupying hospital corridors, some on stretchers, and others on the floor.
Israel's national air carrier, El Al Israel Airlines Ltd. (OTCPK: ELALF), has decided to alter its flight routes to southeast Asia by avoiding airspace over Saudi Arabia and Oman. This change significantly extends flight durations, with a trip to Bangkok now taking 11.5 hours instead of the previous 8.5 hours, reverting to a longer route used until earlier this year.
Market Reactions
The Israeli shekel rose as much as 1.2% Monday in its best-performing session since the start of the war.
The country's domestic stock market also saw robust gains, up 1.8%. The iShares MSCI Israel ETF (NYSE:EIS) rallied as much as 4.1%, posting its strongest day in nearly a year.
Cathie Wood's ARK Israel Innovative Technology ETF (NYSE:IZRL) rose 1.6%.
U.S. stocks extended gains for the session, with both the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY) and the tech-heavy Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:QQQ) up 1.1%.
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