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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the weekend. Here’s today’s news:
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH CONFLICT
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday vowed to take “whatever action is necessary” to diminish the threat posed by Hezbollah. Meanwhile, Hezbollah’s leader warned that the conflict was entering “a new stage.” Adam Rasgon and Vivek Shankar report for the New York Times.
Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon today killed over 100 people and wounded 400, Lebanon’s health ministry said. The Israeli military said it is conducting “extensive” air strikes, urging Lebanese civilians to evacuate from areas used by Hezbollah, an IDF spokesperson said. The Guardian reports; BBC News reports.
Hezbollah confirmed its head of military operations, Ibrahim Aqil, was killed on Friday in an Israeli airstrike on a southern Beirut neighborhood. Lebanese officials say at least 36 people were killed and at least 68 wounded. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps has banned its members from using any type of communication devices after last week’s deadly pager and two-way radio attacks, two senior Iranian security officials told Reuters.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH CONFLICT — U.S. RESPONSE
President Biden said yesterday the United States is doing “everything we can” to prevent a wider war in the Middle East. U.S. officials say Washington is “extremely concerned” about the risk of an all-out war, but hopes to rely on increasing Israeli military pressure on Hezbollah to secure a diplomatic deal to return civilians to their homes on both sides of the border. Tara Suter reports for The Hill; Barak Ravid reports for Axios.
Slain Hezbollah leader Aqil had long been wanted by the United States for his involvement in the bombings of the U.S. embassy in Beirut and Marine Corps Barracks in 1983. Rory Laverty and Dan Lamothe report for the Washington Post.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
Netanyahu is considering a plan to force all Palestinian civilians out of northern Gaza to besiege Hamas and force the release of hostages. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are estimated to remain in the so-called Netzarim Corridor, which splits Gaza in two. It is unclear whether, when, or how they would be allowed to return. Mick Krever and Eugenia Yosef report for CNN.
At least three IDF soldiers pushed and shoved four men over the roof of a building in the West Bank on Thursday, according to a Washington Post analysis. It was not clear whether the men were still alive at the time, though their bodies were motionless. The IDF said it is investigating the episode. Meg Kelly, Bryan Pietsch, and Jonathan Baran report.
An Israeli airstrike on a school housing displaced people in Gaza City killed at least 22 Palestinians on Saturday, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The IDF said it had targeted a Hamas command center. Mallory Moench reports for BBC News.
Israeli troops yesterday raided the offices of Al Jazeera in the West Bank, ordering the bureau to shut down for 45 days amid an expanding Israeli campaign targeting the Qatar-funded broadcaster. Jon Gambrell reports for AP News.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy yesterday toured a Pennsylvania ammunition plant as he kicked off a key U.S. visit in which he is expected to present Biden his blueprint to defeat Russia. Michael Rios and Kathleen Magramo report for CNN.
Ukraine has banned the use of Telegram on official devices issued to government and military personnel to “minimize” Russian threats, the country’s National Security and Defense Council announced on Friday. Jaroslav Lukiv reports for BBC News.
The EU will provide Ukraine a loan of up to 35 billion euros ($39bn), European Commission President’s Ursula von der Leyen said Friday. The loan, backed by windfall profits from frozen Russian assets, will need to be approved by other EU bodies by the end of the year. Ellen Francis and Beatriz Ríos report for the Washington Post.
U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Nearly 100,000 Arizona residents affected by a database glitch will remain eligible to vote in state and local elections in November, Arizona’s Supreme Court ruled on Friday. Neil Vigdor reports for the New York Times.
OTHER U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
Congressional lawmakers struck an agreement yesterday to prevent a government shutdown, moving forward with a three-month temporary spending plan that includes emergency funding for the Secret Service and excludes the strict voter registration requirements sought by former President Trump. Jacob Bogage reports for the Washington Post.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
When the U.N. General Assembly convenes tomorrow for its annual high-level debate, attention will focus on the wars in Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan, as well as on climate change and proposals to expand representation on the Security Council. The annual diplomatic pilgrimage is bringing over 140 world leaders to New York City, including the leaders of Israel, the Palestinians, and Ukraine. Farnaz Fassihi reports for the New York Times; Michael R. Susak reports for AP News.
French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled his new government on Saturday, dominated by centrist and conservative parties. The new cabinet will face an immediate no-confidence motion from the New Popular Front, a left-wing alliance that won the most seats in July’s parliamentary elections. Jacqueline Howard reports for BBC News.
The Social Democrats of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz yesterday won an election in the eastern state of Brandenburg, gaining a narrow edge over the far-right Alternative for Germany, according to the vote count. Fanny Brodersen reports for AP News.
Elon Musk’s X will comply with orders from Brazil’s Supreme Court that it had previously defied, the company’s lawyers said Friday. The abrupt reversal could allow the site to return next week. Jack Nicas and Ana Ionova report for the New York Times.
The Marxist candidate, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, won Sri Lanka’s presidential election yesterday, “riding a wave of popular anger at the established political order.” Mujib Mashal and Pamodi Waravita report for the New York Times.
The Pakistani Taliban today denied involvement in a bombing attack on a police convoy that was escorting foreign ambassadors in the country’s northwest. Munir Ahmed reports for AP News.
South Korea may take “stern military action” in response to any casualties caused by “trash balloons” sent by North Korea across the border, the country’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said today. David Brennan and Ellie Kaufman report for ABC News.
Former British Defense Secretary Sir Ben Wallace is facing questions about a change made to a draft bill that would have protected the Special Air Service (SAS) from war crimes prosecution. Hannah O’Grady and Joel Gunter report for BBC News.
A U.S. Army soldier who made an unauthorized crossing into North Korea in 2023 pleaded guilty on Friday to desertion, among other charges. Emmett Linder reports for the New York Times.
Over 700 inmates were released from the largest prison in the Democratic Republic of Congo, authorities said on Saturday, as officials sought to temper overcrowding in a facility where at least 129 people died in an attempted jailbreak this month. Elian Peltier reports for the New York Times.