Gaza violence threatens truce; Amazon outage knocks out major apps worldwide
Gaza’s fragile peace deal hangs by a thread after a deadly weekend of airstrikes, accusations and denials. Israel claimed Hamas violated the ceasefire, while Hamas says Israel overreacted.
Plus, the internet hits a wall this morning after an Amazon Web Services outage takes down major sites worldwide — from Snapchat and Robinhood to McDonald’s and Hulu.
And a bold daylight theft at the Louvre has left France stunned. Thieves disappeared with eight of the French Crown Jewels.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Monday, October 20, 2025.
Ceasefire holds after Israel, Hamas accuse each other of deadly violations
Gaza’s ceasefire is holding but only barely. After a deadly day of fire and blame, Israel says the truce is back on. The news comes after what Israel called a “serious violation” by Hamas.
Israel said Hamas killed two soldiers Sunday, triggering retaliatory strikes. The attacks left at least 44 dead across Gaza and temporarily shut down aid deliveries.
Israel’s defense minister said Hamas would “learn the hard way.” He said that the Israel Defense Forces are “determined to protect its soldiers.”
Hamas denies any attack, accusing Israel of using “flimsy pretexts” to justify new strikes.
By nightfall, Israel announced it was reinstating the ceasefire and allowing humanitarian aid to resume.
In accordance with the directive of the political echelon, and following a series of significant strikes in response to Hamas’ violations, the IDF has begun the renewed enforcement of the ceasefire, in line with the terms of the agreement.
The IDF will continue to uphold the…
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 19, 2025
Vice President JD Vance told reporters Sunday that the U.S. expects ups and downs as the peace deal takes hold.
He also said he may head to Israel in the coming days.
“There are going to be moments where you have people within Gaza where you’re not quite sure what they’re actually doing. So we think that it has the best chance for a sustainable peace. But even if it does that, it’s going to have hills and valleys and we’re going to have to monitor the situation.”
CNN reported that two of the deal’s U.S. architects, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, are also traveling to the region this week. This comes as the Trump administration pushes for “phase two” of its Middle East peace plan.
Global outage disrupts major sites, apps and online services
An Amazon outage affected users worldwide Monday morning, taking down some of the internet’s biggest names.
Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud backbone for thousands of companies, suffered a failure Monday, knocking out apps and websites from Robinhood and Snapchat to Hulu, McDonald’s and Roblox.
The company said the issue originated in its eastern U.S. region and that engineers are working to fix it.
The website Downdetector showed spikes in complaints form users around the globe.
Even AI startup Perpexity and crypto platform Coinbase experienced outages, both attributing the issues to AWS.
US strike destroys drug boat; Hegseth calls cartels ‘terrorists’
The Pentagon said another U.S. strike in the Caribbean has killed three suspected traffickers. The move is part of what the Trump administration is calling its new war on the cartels.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the strike on Sunday, stating the boat was connected to a Colombian terror group and was destroyed Friday with “substantial amounts of narcotics” on board.
The strike killed all three men on the vessel, and it did not harm U.S. forces.
Hegseth posted on X that “These cartels are the Al Qaeda of the western hemisphere,” adding “They will be hunted and killed, just like Al Qaeda.”
This was the seventh strike in recent weeks, part of the administration’s efforts to categorize drug cartels as terrorist groups.
But critics, like Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said the policy amounts to summary executions without due process.
FBI probes hunting stand near Air Force One path
The FBI and Secret Service have launched an investigation into a security threat near Palm Beach International Airport after a suspicious hunting stand was discovered with a clear line of sight to Air Force One.
Agents discovered the structure Thursday during a routine sweep, just hours before President Donald Trump’s arrival in Florida on Friday.
Investigators said the wooden perch overlooked a section of the airport where private planes, and at times, Air Force One, have parked.
A senior official told NBC News that the stand was located across the street from that area and that Air Force One had parked there in the past. CBS News reported that, based on its condition, the stand appeared to have been there for months.
Shrapnel strikes Vance’s motorcade during live-fire event in California
Questions emerge about what went wrong during a live-fire demonstration at Camp Pendleton celebrating the Marine Corps’ 250th anniversary.
The New York Times reported that a 155-millimeter shell prematurely detonated Saturday, sending shrapnel onto highway patrol vehicles parked on a closed ramp along Interstate 5 in Oceanside, California.
The officers were part of Vice President JD Vance’s security detail. Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth attended the military event.
No one was hurt.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered a 17-mile stretch of the freeway shut down after objecting to the plan to fire over it, calling the move “reckless.”
Marine officials confirmed the shell exploded in mid-air during the demonstration, which was immediately halted.
The Times reported that an investigation is underway to determine what went wrong.
Two ground employees killed as plane slides off Hong Kong runway
A cargo plane skidded off the runway and into the sea at Hong Kong International Airport, killing two ground workers.
Officials said the plane hit an airport security vehicle around 4 a.m. local time on Monday, pushing it into the water with two employees inside.
The Emirates Boeing 47 had just arrived from Dubai and never issued a distress call before landing.
When rescue team members arrived, the jumbo jet was split in two — its four crew members unharmed and waiting at an open door to be rescued.
Investigators are now looking into what caused the plane to veer off course in the final moments of landing.
Priceless French crown jewels stolen in Louvre museum break-in
Authorities are searching for a group of masked thieves after one of the boldest heists in Louvre history.
In broad daylight on Sunday, just ten minutes after opening, four masked thieves carried out what French officials said happened in only seven minutes.
Using a mobile lift to scale the Louvre’s facade, they cut through a window into the museum’s gilded Apollo gallery — the dazzling hall that displays France’s imperial crown jewels.
This is where Napoleon’s family treasures have sparkled for decades: cases of gold, sapphires and emeralds beneath arched ceilings of gold leaf and light.
The thieves precisely knew their target, breaking through two display cases and stealing eight items related to French royalty. The haul included an emerald necklace and earrings from Empress Marie-Louise and a tiara worn by Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III.
One of Eugenie’s crowns was found outside, badly damaged.
Authorities stated that the stolen jewels are of “inestimable value” and suspect the thieves were highly skilled, possibly with insider knowledge of the building’s security.
The museum will remain closed Monday.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
