U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu experienced a tense moment during their meeting in Tel Aviv Monday when they sought refuge in a bunker for 5 minutes when air raid sirens blared, as confirmed by a State Department spokesperson and reported by Reuters. The meeting resumed once the shelling alert had concluded.

The Pentagon sent “prepare to deploy” orders to approximately 2,000 U.S. troops in readiness for potential involvement in the Israel-Hamas conflict, according to the Times of Israel, which cited anonymous U.S. officials.

Iran escalated concerns by stating the expansion of the Israel-Hamas war seems inevitable, signaling a readiness for a broader conflict, as Bloomberg reported. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian wrote on X that the time for a political solution is running out.

In a recent post on X, the United Nations issued a dire warning, describing the humanitarian situation in Gaza as rapidly approaching catastrophe. The Palestinian enclave is grappling with severe shortages of vital necessities, including water, food and medicines, while hospitals and ambulances are on the verge of running out of fuel.

Billionaire hedge fund investor Bill Ackman pointed fingers at Russia, suggesting potential involvement in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Citing what he described as an unnamed, trustworthy source, Ackman outlined three events he said link Russia to the war.

From a source I trust:

Events that point to Russian involvement in the Hamas attack on Israel:

"1) A week before the escalation, Russian propaganda TV "Sputnik" launched a broadcasting TV channel in Lebanon in Arabic.

2) On September 24th, the Russian intelligence space…
— Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) October 16, 2023

Israel’s Market Reactions On Monday

Amidst the turmoil, the Israeli shekel experienced its sixth consecutive decline, breaching 4 shekels per U.S. dollar, marking an eight-year low.

Israel-related stocks fell, with the iShares MSCI Israel ETF (NYSE:EIS) falling 0.6% on Monday. The fund has shed over 10% of its value since the start of the conflict.

A more tech-heavy fund proxy, Cathie Wood’s ARK Israel Innovative Technology ETF (NYSE:IZRL) rose 0.6%, snapping a three-day losing streak.

The day’s top performer among Israeli stocks was Similarweb Ltd. (NYSE:SMWB), up 9.7%. The worst performing stock was Cellcom Israel Ltd. (OTCPK: CELJF), down 8.4%.

Chart: Israeli Shekel Crosses 4 Per USD, Weakest In 8 Years

Read now: Biden Pledges Support For Israel Against Hamas, Ukraine Against Putin: ‘We’re The United States Of America For God’s Sake, The Most Powerful Nation In The History Of The World’

Photo via Shutterstock.

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