The President's Daily Brief - October 27th, 2023: Ground Zero Gaza, Hamas Hostage Horrors, & Ukraine's Dwindling Support

Episode Date: October 27, 2023

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Israel's ground forces make their first major push into Gaza, targeting Hamas sites. We break down a concerning statement from Hamas regarding the Israeli hostages' situation, with the group claiming that nearly 50 of the over 200 Israeli hostages have died in Gaza bombings. Turning our focus to Eastern Europe, we discuss how Ukraine is grappling with a significant blow after a key ally decides to withdraw its military backing. In the Back of the Brief, we lighten the mood a tad as we chat about Congressman Jamaal Bowman's rather unusual predicament over the House fire alarm incident. Delve into the New York Democrat's court appearance, the plea agreement, and the ensuing fallout. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. Email: [e-mail]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

USAA knows dynamic duos can save the day, like superheroes and sidekicks or auto and home insurance. With USAA, you can bundle your auto and home and save up to 10%. Tap the banner to learn more and get a quote at USAA.com slash bundle. Restrictions apply. It's Friday, October 27th. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker. Your eyes and ears on the world's stage.

Let's get briefed. We'll begin today's episode with the latest from the Middle East. Israel's ground forces launched their first incursion, albeit a relatively small and brief one, into Gaza to target specific Hamas locations. Afterwards, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced preparations for a potential larger ground invasion, but remains understandably tight-lipped about specifics. Later in the program, we'll discuss an ominous statement from Hamas concerning the fate of some Israeli hostages, with the terror group asserting that close to 50 of the over 200 Israeli hostages have perished

as a result of Israel's military response to the brutal 7 October Hamas attacks. Now, it's relevant here to mention that this is the same Hamas group that claimed Israel bombed the Gaza City Hospital and killed some 500 Palestinians in that supposed but now debunked airstrike. My point being, it's best to fact-check anything you're told, by a terrorist group that kills and abducts the elderly women, children, and babies. Also, Ukraine faces a setback as an important ally decides to halt its military support to the beleaguered nation. And lastly, in today's back of the brief, we end our week on a bit of a lighter note.

Congressman Jamal Bowman faces consequences for his fire alarm stunt, which he initially explained away as a mistake. The New York Democrat pleads guilty to a misdemeanor after admitting to falsely pulling a fire alarm in a house office building. We'll dive into the deal he struck and the repercussions he faces. Not to give away the ending, but well, it's Washington, D.C., so there usually are few repercussions for any shenanigans. But first, our PDB spotlight. Israel appears to have begun shaping the battlefield for its upcoming offensive in to Gaza, launching its first major sortie into the enclave, what it's calling a targeted raid into the northern part of Gaza. On Thursday, the Israeli military provided a visual account of this

operation, releasing footage of armored vehicles, breaching the fortified boundary from Israel, and demolishing structures, a move they're describing as preparation for the next stages of combat. Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht, the international spokesman for the IDF, revealed a few key details about the raid. He noted that the operation consisted of a modest number of tanks acting against selected cells, underground tunnels, and essential infrastructure. Hecht emphasized that the military's primary objective is currently zeroing in on Hamas commanders. Speaking of Hamas commanders, in addition to the air raid on the ground, ground, ID of fighter jets have reportedly targeted and eliminated three high-ranking Hamas operatives involved in the October 7th terror rampage. Among the deceased is Shadi Baroud, the deputy

head of Hamas's intelligence directorate. Prime Minister Netanyahu gave a TV update and let's just say he's still playing his cards close to his chest. That's exactly what you would expect. However, he did hint at the possibility of multiple entries into Gaza saying, I will not, I'll not, I'll collaborate on when, how, or how many. While Israel continues preparations for its military operations in the southern region, unease is mounting further north along its border with Lebanon. Hezbollah disclosed that a significant number of its fighters were killed earlier this week, marking what they call their deadliest day since the initial Hamas onslaught.

Now, Hezbollah's latest bad day coincides with criticism from senior Hamas. officials. Ghazi Hamat, a key figure in Hamas's political bureau, voiced his disappointment to the associated press about Hezbollah's limited involvement in the conflict. He said that while he appreciates Hezbollah's efforts, he feels like they're pulling their punches. He was candid about it, saying they, quote, need more from their allies, especially Hezbollah in this showdown with Israel. Oh, look at that. It's a terrorist spat. Relationship issues. One Iran-sponsored terrorist organization chastising another Iran-sponsored terrorist organization for not being proactive enough in killing Israelis. Maybe Tehran can provide some counseling so the two can stay together.

Coming up after the break, a disturbing claim from Hamas. They now claim that almost 50 Israeli hostages have reportedly been killed as a result of Israeli raids. Plus, Slovakia shifts its stance on Ukraine. The country's new president, who happens to be enamored with Putin, announces no more military aid. I'll be right back. This is Euphoria Calvin Klein, the new elixir collection, featuring three perfume intense scents, inspired by a unique orchid accord, paired with vanilla, each with its own distinct attitude, each with its own universe, bold elixir, sensual, woody, addictive, magnetic, magnetic, elixir, sweet and romantic like a lingering touch. Solar elixir, a radiant expression of joy, ultra-concentrated for amplified impact and lasting power. Find your euphoria. Discover the euphoria elixir collection by Calvin Klein. Welcome back to the president's daily brief. Hamas officials are

making some disturbing claims regarding the hundreds of hostages they took during the October 7th attack. On Thursday, the terror group stated on its official telegram channel that, nearly 50 Israeli hostages who've been held in the Gaza Strip have been killed during Israeli bombing raids. Of course, it's always worth noting that Hamas's numbers or comments or claims or statements or pronouncements, you get the point, shouldn't be trusted on face value. This could very well be a ploy by the terror group to get Israel to ease up on bombing targets inside the Gaza Strip. It could also be a way for them to add a sense of urgency. as Israel and other foreign nations negotiate for the release of hostages.

As for the hostages themselves, so far, Hamas has only released four out of the 200-plus individuals they're holding. Now, this all comes as Israel discloses further details about those hostages. As you might imagine, given Israel's history and growth over the years, over half of the hostages being held hold foreign passports. Out of the estimated 220, 138 hostages hold foreign passports from some 25 different countries, including Argentina, Germany, the United States, France, and elsewhere. Many of these individuals, of course, possess dual citizenship.

Now, one finding that shouldn't be a surprise if you're a listener to the PDB, because we've discussed it here before, is that the largest single group of foreign hostages is from Thailand. The Israeli government believes that 54 Thai individuals are currently being held by Hamas in Gaza. These individuals were working on the Kabutsim or collective farms that were targeted by Hamas during the 7 October attacks. Now, as we've noted before, the large number of nations that are dealing with their citizens being held captive in Gaza makes this current conflict a uniquely international crisis. Normally, over the years, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been seen as a regional issue, with the U.S., of course, taking an outsized role, also given the ties to Israel.

But now, citizens of nations around the world have either been killed or abducted by Hamas in that brutal event of 7 October. The pressure on Israel to deal with both the operational and also the diplomatic aspects of this crisis is unlike anything they've dealt with in the past. All right, let's shift our focus over to Eastern Europe. This week, Ukraine faced a setback in its ongoing efforts to defeat Putin and his military. Slovakia's newly appointed Prime Minister, Robert Fico, has declared that his nation will cease arms deliveries to Ukraine.

Instead, Slovakia will narrow its support to humanitarian and civilian aid. Now, this honestly shouldn't be a surprise. Fico is a known entity. He's been Prime Minister on three other occasions in Slovakia. Apparently, they don't have that many options. And his leftist party this time ran on a pro-Russian and anti-American platform. The newly installed prime minister stated, quote, the war in Ukraine is not ours. We have nothing to do with it. He added that an immediate end of military operations is in Ukraine's best interest. urging the EU to transition from an arms provider to a peacemaker. Did I already mention that FICO was enamored with Putin?

And it's also worth noting that Slovakia shares about a 100-kilometer border with Ukraine. Apparently, the new prime minister would prefer Putin as a neighbor. There's no accounting for taste. In the recent past, Slovakia has been a strong ally to Ukraine, supplying ammunition, surface-to-air missiles, and even helicopters, and notably, Slovakia was among the first to transfer fighter jets to Ukraine, gifting its entire fleet of retired MiG-29 fighters. Now, Russia was quick to respond to the announcement from Slovakia,

and surprisingly, the Kremlin chose to downplay its significance. The Russian government highlighted that in terms of arms deliveries, Slovakia's contribution wasn't substantial. In basic dollar terms, Slovakia's contribution to Ukraine, military efforts has been relatively small. As of July, Slovakia's total military aid to Ukraine was approximately $740 million. Now, that's a fraction compared to the hefty $46.5 billion provided by the U.S. within the same period. Now, again, that 46.5 billion, remember, just represents military aid, not financial or humanitarian assistance from the U.S., which would

push the total number up above 80 billion, give or take a couple billion. Although Slovakia's decision to retract military aid may not significantly impact the battlefield, it underscores a rising sentiment of doubt among some European countries, and it does pose a small challenge to the EU's united stance on the situation. On the American front, the U.S. commitment to supporting Ukraine remains unyielding, despite some rumblings and posturing by some Republican members of Congress. Just this Thursday, the Department of Defense unveiled plans for an additional $150 million military assistance package for Ukraine, and this aid will include enhanced air defense resources, artillery ammunition, extra ammunition for the Heimar systems, and various other equipment.

All right, next up, in the back of the brief, Justice is somewhat served for a New York congressman. I'll be right back. Democratic Congressman Jamal Bowman of New York is facing the music. Although, to be fair, it's more like soft jazz or easy listening, pleading guilty on Thursday after being charged with falsely pulling the fire alarm at a congressional office building. That's a misdemeanor.

To get you up to speed, if you haven't been following this story, and honestly, how could you not have been from? following this story, the incident occurred on September 30th during the pivotal vote to maintain government funding. Now, important backstory here, the Democratic members and the White House and Democratic strategists were very keen to delay the vote. Security footage, reviewed by the Capitol Police, showed Bowman walking up to an emergency door in the Cannon House office building and pulling the fire alarm there on the wall. Arguably, the most incriminating detail of this story is that after setting the alarm off, he just breezed past the police like it was no big

deal and didn't say a word. Following the alarm, the entire building was evacuated for over an hour. Bowman, for his part, claims it was a simple mistake. He explained that he thought it was a button to open the door. Apparently, as a former school principal, he'd never come face to face with a big red wall-mounted fire alarm with the words pull for fire on it. There was, of course, immediate speculation that Bowman intentionally sounded the alarm in an attempt to delay the vote. After his court appearance, Bowman expressed his remorse, that's nice, stating he regretted using up capital police resources and causing unnecessary confusion and evacuation. He called the entire incident embarrassing. He also said, quote, I can't believe Pelosi pulled my name out of the hat and told me to do it.

I made up that last quote. Just to repeat, I made up that last quote. He's expected to pay a fine of $1,000, pen a formal apology to Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger, and serve a probation period of three months. Given that investigations in D.C. never seem to result in any findings or consequences, and political shenanigans seem to be the norm.

I am surprised that anything at all was done with the Bowman Fire Alarm Caper. I am hoping that we get to see the formal apology letter. Frankly, I don't think anybody in D.C. has apologized sincerely for anything in decades. Instead of saying, I'm sorry for what I did, well, now the standard accepted wording is, if what I did made you feel bad, well, sorry. There is a difference. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily Brief for Friday, 27 October.

If you have any questions or comments, reach out to me at PDB, thefirsttv.com. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back on Monday. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.