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5:30 PM ET, Tuesday, October 17, 2023

The Cipher Brief curates open source information from around the world that impacts national security. Here's a look at today's headlines, broken down by region of the world:  

ISRAEL HAMAS WAR

Hamas Says Top Commander Killed in Israeli Airstrike.  Hamas says one of its top commanders, Ayman Nofal, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Tuesday.  Nofal was a member of the higher military council of the Hamas armed wing Qassam Brigades and led the militant group’s activities in central Gaza.  Hamas said he was killed in a strike in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza Strip.  Nofal is the most high-profile militant to be killed so far in Israeli strikes on the territory.  The Israeli military confirmed Nofal’s killing, calling him “one of the most dominant figures” in Hamas.  Politico Reuters Times of Israel

Gaza Hospital Bombing Kills Hundreds.  The Gaza Health Ministry says an Israeli air strike hit al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City, killing at least 200-300 Palestinians.  A ministry source said as many as 500 people may have been killed.  Pictures and footage after the reported strike show a fire at the hospital.  The hospital was being used for regular medical treatments and as a shelter for Palestinian refugees who fled their homes after Israeli evacuation orders.  Officials say hundreds of people were sheltering at the hospital, which is run by the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and largely funded by the European Union and Episcopal Church.  The World Health Organization, Egypt, Turkey and Qatar condemned the strike on the hospital.  Hamas blamed Israel for the “horrific massacre,” blaming an Israeli airstrike.  The Israeli military denied involvement, saying a misfired rocket from the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad caused the blast.  A spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu added that the Israeli military “does not target hospitals” and only attacks Hamas targets.  Al Jazeera Bloomberg CNN Financial Times Reuters Wall Street Journal

Palestinian Authority President Cancels Meeting with Biden.  In response to the hospital strike, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas canceled his planned meeting with President Joe Biden, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in the Jordanian capital Amman on Wednesday.  Abbas is leaving Jordan and traveling back to Ramallah to meet with the Palestinian leadership.  Associated Press CNN

UKRAINE UPDATE

Ukraine Uses ATACMS for First Time.  U.S. and Ukrainian officials say Ukraine used a version of long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) missiles in strikes on airfields in Russian-occupied territory.  A Ukrainian official said 18 missiles were fired on targets in Russian-occupied Luhansk and Berdiansk, adding that they were armed with cluster bombs instead of a single warhead.  Ukraine’s special operations forces said the attacks destroyed nine helicopters, an ammunition depot, and damaged runways.  The reported strikes mark Ukraine’s first-known use of the weapon, which it had long-requested from the U.S. to be able to hit targets far behind the frontlines deep inside Russian-held territory.  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hinted at the use of ATACMS in a post on Telegram, giving “special thanks” to Washington and saying that the weapons “have proven themselves.”  Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Zelensky, likewise said “a new chapter of the war has (un)officially begun,” asserting that there are “no more safe places” for Russian forces within Ukraine.  Associated Press New York Times Politico Washington Post

CYBER AND TECH RUNDOWN

Israel Says Talks Under Way for Starlink Services, Al-Jazeera Offices to Close.  Israel’s Communications Ministry announced Tuesday that it has begun talks with SpaceX, the parent company of Starlink Internet services, to reinforce communications resources as the country prepares further military actions in Gaza.  The ministry explained that Starlink services would ensure frontline communities would have continuous access to the Internet.  In the event of a disruption of other systems, Starlink would provide necessary backup, the first time Israel has considered turning to the SpaceX alternative.   The ministry also said a disconnection of Internet and phone services to Gaza is under consideration.  Another post-attack measure announced by the ministry is the closure of Al-Jazeera offices in Israel.  The network, the ministry said, is being “used for Hamas propaganda, incitement and harm to national security during wartime.”  Bloomberg Reuters

Commerce Secretary Announces New Chip Export Restrictions to China, Other States.  Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo announced Tuesday an update to export controls on advanced chips and chipmaking equipment that will affect a broader range of semiconductors sent abroad, specifically to China, Iran, and Russia.  The new measures, which are expected to be updated at least annually, also add Chinese chip designers Moore Thread and Biren to an export blacklist.  The target of the new restrictions, Raimondo said, is the Chinese military and the goal is to prevent the delivery of advanced chip technology “that could fuel breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and sophisticated computers that are critical to (Chinese) military applications." AI chip designer Nvidia responded to the announcement by saying it complies with regulations and does not expect "a near-term meaningful impact on our financial results."  Raimondo said that the new restrictions will not cripple U.S. companies, noting "China, even after the update of this rule, will import hundreds of billions of dollars of semiconductors from the United States."   U.S. suppliers to the two Chinese companies added to the blacklist, Biren and Moore Thread, will now face stringent licensing requirements before shipping products.  The U.S. action restricts chips that exceed a "performance density" threshold, a measure focused on how much computing power can be packed into a given amount of silicon.   It also expands licensing requirements for advanced chip exports to more than 40 additional countries with potential roles in diverting technology to China.  Chips will not be approved for sale to firms anywhere in the world if their parent companies are headquartered in China, Macau and other arms embargoed countries.  The Semiconductor Industry Association criticized the Commerce Department measures, issuing a statement that “overly broad, unilateral controls risk harming the U.S. semiconductor ecosystem without advancing national security as they encourage overseas customers to look elsewhere.”  Reuters Wall Street Journal Washington Post

Web Summit CEO Israel Remarks Prompt Pullbacks from Europe’s Largest Tech Conference.  Paddy Cosgrave, the CEO of the Web Summit tech conference, apologized Tuesday for a social media post last week in which he wrote that "war crimes are war crimes even when committed by allies, and should be called out for what they are."  The post on X has prompted the withdrawal of some investors and technology companies, along with Israeli representatives, from Europe’s largest tech conference, which is scheduled for mid-November in Lisbon.  Cosgrove, who on Sunday condemned the Hamas attack on Israel, said Tuesday, "I understand that what I said, the timing of what I said, and the way it has been presented has caused upset to many. To anyone who was hurt by my words I apologize deeply."  Israel's ambassador to Portugal Dor Shapira informed Lisbon's mayor that Israel would not participate in the conference in the wake of Cosgrave's "outrageous statements.”  A number of executives have canceled their participation in the Web Summit, including AI21 Labs' Ori Goshen, Tome's Keith Peiris, Sequoia Capital partner Ravi Gupta,  Yinon Costica, co-founder of the Israeli cybersecurity firm Wiz, and Y Combinator’s Garry Tan.  Reuters   Telegraph   VentureBeat   Cybernews

Chinese Search Engine Giant Says New Ernie Bot Chatbot Equal to ChatGPT.  China’s largest search engine operator, Baidu, has released a new version of its chatbot, Ernie Bot, claiming it matches OpenAI’s ChatGPT in overall understanding, prompting, reasoning and memorizing.  CEO Robin LI Yanhong demonstrated to a company conference in Beijing the chatbot’s capabilities in comprehending complex questions, generating images, and managing basic arithmetic.  Li said that Ernie Bot’s “generalized abilities are by no means inferior compared to GPT-4.”  Initial access to the new chatbot version will be by invitation only, with public availability to be announced later.   According to Baidu’s chief technology officer, the chatbot’s capabilities have improved 30 percent in the past month.  Ernie Bot has attracted 45 million users since its launch in June, and integrated the capabilities of 825 apps and 500 plug-ins.  The company’s CEO also introduced Baidu GBI, an AI-based product that offers natural language interaction support and can perform cross-database analysis, among other functions. Li said Baidu GBI can complete data analysis work in “a matter of minutes” that would require several days of human effort.  South China Morning Post Nikkei Asia Reuters

U.S., UAE Agree To Expand Cybersecurity Ties to Protect Financial Sector.  The U.S. and United Arab Emirates (UAE) have concluded an agreement for cooperation in bolstering cybersecurity and digital resilience.  A joint memorandum of understanding between the Treasury Department and UAE’s Cyber Security Council envisions expanded information sharing on digital threats to finance, staff training, and joint online exercises.  Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo noted that as cyber and ransomware threats increase in complexity, “close cooperation is essential to prevent these attacks from impacting the international financial system.”  The MoU is the latest in a series of Middle East cybersecurity initiatives, including the announcement in February that Israel, the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco would broaden the Abraham Accords to include collaborative cybersecurity efforts.  The UAE is second only to Israel as the target of cyberattacks in the region, according to Microsoft data. The UAE agreement comes as preparations are under way for the White House to host the annual International Counter Ransomware Initiative (CRI) summit on October 31.  The Record FDD

ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD

U.S. Details Risky Chinese Military Aircraft Maneuvers Since 2021.  The Pentagon on Tuesday released previously nonpublic videos and photos of over a dozen incidents in the past two years in which Chinese military aircraft harassed U.S. surveillance planes in international airspace over the East and South China Seas.  Officials said there were 180 such incidents since 2021 and that there were nearly 300 such incidents when including encounters with aircraft from allies and partners.  The incidents include Chinese fighter jets closing within several feet of U.S. planes and discharging chaff and flares in shows of intimidation.  The bold behavior is an apparent attempt by Beijing to intimidate the U.S. military into backing down its presence in the region.  Officials did not specify how many of the risky intercepts were “unsafe and unprofessional” — a military term referring to an actually dangerous interaction.  Despite this, officials warned that such incidents complicate the ability of the U.S. and its partners to safely patrol international airspace in the region.  Officials also said such harassment increases the risk of accidents that can lead to escalation.  Reuters Washington Post

U.S. Pursuing Stronger India Defense Ties Amid China Competition.  The U.S. has been pushing for stronger security cooperation with India amid increasing competition with China in the Indo-Pacific.  New Delhi is a key partner in the region as it has the potential to be a strong military ally as well as an alternative to China for manufacturing and technology development.  India and the U.S. have been gradually bolstering military ties this year, agreeing to a shared defense road map and signing a major deal on jet engines.  India’s ports are of particular interest to the U.S. as they could be useful logistics hubs for American and allied forces.  New Delhi is also looking to Washington amid disputes with China, both along their disputed Himalayan border and at sea.  In terms of maritime security cooperation, the U.S. and India are looking at increased naval exercises and more shipbuilding and ship repair cooperation.  Some roadblocks remain, including India’s reliance on Russian military equipment and U.S. reluctance to transfer some of its most useful and sensitive equipment, such as undersea monitoring technology.  New York Times

Russia Says No Longer Needs to Follow U.N. Sanctions on Missile Technology for Iran.  Russia said that it no longer needs to adhere to U.N. Security Council restrictions on providing missile technology to its ally Iran once the measures expire on Wednesday.  The sanctions curbing Iran’s missile program came into force after the collapse of the 2015 nuclear deal, but they are now expiring.  The E.U. said on Tuesday that it plans to retain the restrictions after the U.N. measures expire due to Russia’s use of Iranian drones in Ukraine; the possibility that Iran has sent ballistic missiles to Russia; and the need to keep Tehran from the benefits of the nuclear deal, which it violated after the U.S. withdrawal.  Moscow has called for an end to the sanctions, saying they are aimed at settling “political scores.”  Reuters

Russian Parliament Moves Towards Revoking Ratification of Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.  Russia’s Duma, its lower house of parliament, took the first step in revoking ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Tuesday (CTBT). Russia claims that its aim is to restore parity with the U.S., which has signed but never ratified the treaty, and that it will not resume tests unless the U.S. does. The Duma voted 412 in favor with none opposed to the withdrawal of the ratification.  Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said “Our vote is an answer to the USA - to their crass approach to their duties to maintain global security”. Volodin also said that Moscow’s move was a wake-up call for Washington after its failure to ratify the CTBT for the past 23 years. Russia ratified the treaty in 2000.  Reuters Defense News Wall Street Journal

Sweden Says Telecom Cable with Estonia Cable Damaged.  Sweden’s civil defense minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin said Tuesday that a Baltic Sea telecommunications cable between Sweden and Estonia was damaged at approximately the same time that a Finnish-Estonian gas pipeline and cable were damaged earlier this month.  Bohlin said that the Swedish-Estonian cable remains operational and that the damaged section was outside the territorial waters and exclusive economic zone of Sweden.  Separately, Finnish investigators said that they have identified vessels that were operating in the area when the damage to the Finnish-Estonian line occurred on October 8.  One of the ships was reportedly a Russian-flagged ship, while another was a Chinese-owned vessel.  A NATO official said that the alliance was aware of the reports and is in close contact with countries in the region on the string of suspected sabotage acts against Baltic Sea critical infrastructure.  Reuters Wall Street Journal 

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