Russia

• Ukraine on Wednesday received a $1.15 billion tranche of direct budgetary aid from the US that’s disbursed through the World Bank. AWC
• A former adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says the summer counteroffensive has failed. He went on to say Kiev will never achieve its war aims of recapturing the Crimean Peninsula and restoring Ukraine’s 1991 borders. The Institute 
• The head of the North Atlantic alliance says the bloc will have a “united and determined response” if another state intentionally damaged the Balticconnector pipeline. According to officials, an external force caused significant damage to the pipeline that will leave it out of service for months. AWC

Israel

• Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared in Tel Aviv on Thursday that “as long as America exists,” it will support Israel, a pledge that came amid a relentless Israeli bombardment of Gaza. AWC
• An Israeli minister said Thursday that Israel would not allow any humanitarian aid into Gaza unless Hamas releases Israelis it has taken into the enclave. AWC
• The US and Qatar have agreed to deny Iran access to $6 billion of its own funds that were recently released as part of a prisoner swap deal with the US, The New York Times reported on Thursday. AWC
• A new poll found that the vast majority of Israelis say the Hamas attack on southern Israel was caused by a failure in the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and a smaller majority want Netanyahu to resign once the conflict is over. AWC
• Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Friday that civilians in Gaza bear responsibility for the Hamas attack on southern Israel as Israeli bombs are killing scores of people in the besieged enclave. AWC
• An Israeli military spokesman said Sunday that Israeli troops are “in formation” to strike Gaza City in the northern Gaza Strip as Israel is expected to launch a ground incursion into the besieged enclave. AWC
• The State Department has warned its diplomats not to call for de-escalation or an end to the violence as Israeli airstrikes relentlessly hit Gaza, killing hundreds of children. AWC
• National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Sunday that the US would not draw any “red lines” over Israel’s alleged use of white phosphorus munitions, a chemical weapon that can cause severe burns. AWC
• Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced Saturday that he ordered the deployment of a second aircraft carrier and its strike group to the Eastern Mediterranean to show support for Israel amid its bombardment of Gaza. AWC
• Amid concerns about Israel’s onslaught in Gaza escalating into a regional war, the Iranian mission to the UN said Sunday that it would only enter the fighting if Israel attacked Iran. AWC

Syria

• Israeli airstrikes hit Syria’s Aleppo airport for the second time within three days, again knocking it out of service amid Israel’s bombardment of Gaza. AWC
• On Thursday, Israeli airstrikes hit Syria’s two international airports in Damascus and Aleppo, putting them both out of service, Syria’s SANA news agency has reported. AWC