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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH WAR
At least 13 people were killed and 57 injured in an Israeli strike yesterday near the main government hospital in Beirut, according to the Lebanese health ministry. The hospital was not in an area covered by Israeli evacuation orders, a CNN analysis found. The IDF said it had hit a Hezbollah target nearby, and claimed the hospital itself was not affected. Ian Casey reports for BBC News; the Washington Post reports; Michael Rios and Allegra Goodwin report.
Israeli troops killed three Lebanese soldiers on Sunday in southern Lebanon, drawing condemnation from the Lebanese Armed Forces and prompting Israel’s military to apologize for what it called “unwanted circumstances.” Ephrat Livni reports for the New York Times.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH WAR — U.S. RESPONSE
In a visit to Beirut yesterday, U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein said the Israel-Hezbollah conflict could only be resolved through fully enforcing an 18-year-old U.N. resolution, which calls for Israel to withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah to effectively disarm along the border. Euan Ward reports for the New York Times.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. RESPONSE
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has landed in Tel Aviv in an effort to renew stalled talks for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal. A senior official said Blinken plans to follow up on his warning of halting U.S. military assistance if Israel does not improve access to humanitarian aid. BBC News reports; John Hudson reports for the Washington Post.
The State Department is probing alleged human rights violations by an IDF unit in charge of guarding detainees from Gaza, sources told Axios. The inquiry could potentially affect U.S. assistance, with several members of the “Force 100” unit already standing trial in Israel for allegedly sexually assaulting a Palestinian detainee at the camp. Barak Ravid reports.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — REGIONAL RESPONSE
The new director of the Egyptian General Intelligence Service proposed to Israel’s Shin Bet chief a “small” hostage and ceasefire deal on Sunday in a Cairo meeting, two Israeli officials told Axios. While Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant supported the idea, Israel’s ultranationalist ministers opposed it, the officials said. Barak Ravid reports.
ISRAEL-IRAN CONFLICT — U.S. RESPONSE
President Biden is “deeply concerned” about any potential leak of classified documents, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said yesterday, after an Iran-affiliated Telegram account posted a classified U.S. intelligence assessment showing that Israeli preparations are underway for an attack on Tehran. The Washington Post reports.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
Israel is continuing to prevent humanitarian aid, from reaching northern Gaza, including food and medicine, the head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said. David Gritten reports for BBC News.
ISRAEL-IRAN CONFLICT
The Israeli authorities said yesterday that they have dismantled a spy network made up of seven Israelis who conducted intelligence missions for two years under the direction of two Iranian agents. Matthew Mpoke Bigg reports for the New York Times.
U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
In two separate rulings handed down yesterday, state judges in Michigan and North Carolina rejected the Republican National Committee’s challenges to accepting overseas ballots from people who have never lived in their jurisdictions. Zach Schonfeld reports for The Hill.
A Philadelphia man has been charged with threatening to kill a Pennsylvania state political operative who was recruiting poll watchers for the election, the Justice Department announced yesterday. David Nakamura reports for the Washington Post.
OTHER U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
Former Republican lawmakers, advisers, and Justice Department officials have called on Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate Elon Musk for awarding cash prizes to voters in swing states if they sign his petition, according to a letter obtained yesterday by the Washington Post. Perry Stein reports.
A Republican county official in Arizona who delayed certifying the 2022 election results pleaded guilty yesterday to a misdemeanor charge of failing or refusing to perform her duty as an election officer. Charles Homans reports for the New York Times.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
It would be a “dangerous and highly concerning development” if North Korea sent troops to help Russia in Ukraine, a U.S. envoy told the U.N. Security Council yesterday. Russia’s ambassador to South Korea insisted the Moscow-Pyongyang cooperation is “within the framework of international law,” without providing details. Michelle Nichols reports for Reuters; Kelly Ng reports for BBC News.
Reports that North Korean soldiers may soon join Russia’s frontlines are reviving talks of sending European troops to support Kyiv, Lithuania’s foreign minister told POLITICO. Separately, South Korea said today it may consider supplying weapons to Ukraine to counter Russia-North Korea military ties. Nicholas Vinocur reports; Hyunsu Yim reports for Reuters.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced an additional $400mn for Ukraine during his Kyiv visit yesterday, vowing continued support for the country’s war effort. The U.K. government also announced it will give an extra £2.26bn ($2.93bn) to Ukraine using profits from seized Russian assets. Missy Ryan reports for the Washington Post; Jonathan Beale reports for BBC News.
TRUMP LEGAL MATTERS
The group of men who were exonerated in the rape and assault of a woman in Central Park in 1989 have sued former President Trump for defamation, after Trump falsely claimed during last month’s presidential debate that the men pleaded guilty and that they had killed someone. Shayna Jacobs reports for the Washington Post.
TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
A lack of planning and coordination led to the “preventable” assassination attempt against Trump at his July Pennsylvania rally, according to an interim report released yesterday from a House task force investigating the shooting. Jordain Carney reports for POLITICO.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
India reached a deal with China on patrolling their disputed border, a senior Indian official said yesterday, marking a major thaw after a 2020 scuffle that killed several soldiers. Gerry Shih and Karishma Mehrotra report for the Washington Post.
In a closely-watched referendum, Moldovans voted yesterday to constitutionally align with Europe by a microscopic margin. Officials say Russia carried out a campaign of disinformation and bribery prior to the vote. Andrew Higgins reports for the New York Times.
Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said they shot down a cargo jet yesterday in Darfur, a claim Russian diplomats said they are trying to investigate. Jon Gambrell reports for AP News.
A court in Peru has sentenced former President Alejandro Toledo to 20 years and six months in jail for corruption, bribery, and money laundering. Patrick Johnson reports for BBC News.
Police in Mozambique yesterday fired tear gas at the country’s leading opposition politician and his supporters as they spoke with reporters, amid unrest over a disputed election and the killing of two opposition figures. AP News reports.
Zambia’s president on Sunday dismissed three top judges who previously ruled in favor of his rival, drawing accusations of political interference in the judiciary. Basillioh Rukanga reports for BBC News.
Fetullah Gulen, a Muslim cleric in exile accused of being the mastermind behind a 2016 coup attempt by Turkish authorities, died in the United States on Sunday. Ishaan Tharoor reports for the Washington Post.
After months of turmoil, Vietnam yesterday appointed a military general as its new president. Critics say the move will expand repression in the country. Aniruddha Ghosal reports for AP News.