First Thing: Israeli occupation of Gaza would be big mistake, says Joe Biden

US president says Hamas must be eliminated but there should be a path to a Palestinian state. Plus, examples of Jewish-Arab solidarity offer hope in Israel

Good morning.

Any move by Israel to occupy Gaza with troops would be a “big mistake”, the US president, Joe Biden, has said, amid hopes that the territory’s border with Egypt would open to allow aid in, as Israeli troops continued to prepare for a ground invasion.

What is happening in Gaza now? The UN relief and works agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) issued its latest situational report on Gaza and the West Bank in which it said “there are not enough body bags for the dead in Gaza”. More than 1 million people – almost half the total population of Gaza – have been displaced. “For the fifth consecutive day, Gaza has had no electricity, pushing vital services, including health, water and sanitation to the brink of collapse,” the report said.

What’s happening in Israel? Israel has activated a plan to evacuate residents within 1.2 miles (2km) of Lebanon, the military said on Monday. It follows exchanges of fire with Hezbollah in parallel to the conflict in southern Israel with Hamas.

Who is Noboa? He is the millennial son of Álvaro Noboa, Ecuador’s richest man and five-time presidential candidate. Daniel Noboa was the surprise entry into the second round in August. His calm and unconfrontational style made him popular, particularly with voters aged between 18 and 29 who make up a third of the electorate.