KOGUMA Security
Morning Briefing
Ukraine — Russia and Ukraine Agree to Local Ceasefire for Humanitarian Operation in Oleshky
Ukrainian, Russian and US negotiators reached an agreement on 23 October for a temporary ceasefire to allow humanitarian assistance and civilian evacuations from Oleshky, a Russian-occupied town in Ukraine’s Kherson region. Ukraine’s ombudsman and chief negotiator, Dmytro Lubinets, said the ceasefire would begin on Tuesday, 27 October, two days before the humanitarian mission starts, while Russia’s military confirmed that its forces would halt fire to facilitate the mission. The operation is intended to include mine clearance, deliveries of food and medical supplies, and voluntary evacuations; the Kremlin said the evacuation would probably take several days but did not say where evacuees would be taken.
West Bank — Two Israeli Soldiers Killed Near Hebron as Netanyahu Orders Military Operation
Two Israeli soldiers were killed and three others wounded in a shooting near Hebron in the occupied West Bank on 23 October, according to the Israeli military, which said its forces also killed two Palestinian gunmen during the confrontation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu subsequently ordered security forces to cordon off Hebron and prepare for a broader closure of the West Bank, while announcing plans for extensive military operations in the neighbourhood where the attackers lived. Israeli forces reported conducting security operations and detaining dozens of suspects, but the scope and duration of the announced military measures remain unspecified.
Sources: AP · Washington Post
Jordan — Gunmen Kill Seven at Greek Orthodox Church During Funeral
Gunmen opened fire during a funeral at a Greek Orthodox church in Jordan’s Karak governorate on 23 October, killing seven people and wounding 40 others, according to Jordanian authorities. Health Minister Ibrahim al-Budour said two of the wounded were in critical condition, while the government announced an investigation and King Abdullah II condemned the attack. Jordan declared three days of national mourning, and authorities had not publicly established the identities of the attackers or confirmed whether any suspects had been detained.
Sources: AP
Gaza — Israeli Strikes Kill Three Palestinians as Food Shortages Continue
Israeli strikes killed three Palestinians in separate incidents in southern Gaza and Gaza City on 23 October, according to local health officials. The Israeli military said its strike in southern Gaza targeted a Hamas militant but did not immediately comment on the Gaza City attack, which reportedly killed two people. Meanwhile, residents reported bread shortages following reductions in World Food Programme assistance and interruptions to commercial food deliveries, with the agency having reduced its monthly assistance coverage from 1.6 million to 1.1 million people.
Sources: AP — Middle East Updates · AP — Food Assistance Cuts
Abyei (Sudan–South Sudan) — Sudan Denies Responsibility for Market Drone Strike That Killed More Than 150
A drone strike on Amiet market in the disputed Abyei territory on 19 October killed more than 150 people, with diplomats and conflict analysts subsequently telling Reuters that the market served as a fuel supply point for Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Sudan’s government denied responsibility for the attack on 22 October, while South Sudan’s foreign ministry said on 23 October that the circumstances of the strike, including any connection to the reported Rapid Support Forces presence in Abyei, had not been established. South Sudanese President Salva Kiir called for Abyei to remain outside Sudan’s conflict, and the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei has previously reported increased insecurity associated with Rapid Support Forces checkpoints in the territory.
Sources: Reuters