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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH WAR
Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire yesterday, which took effect today at 4am local time, U.S., Israeli and French officials said. According to President Biden, the deal, which is “designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities,” will see Hezbollah retreat north of the Litani River in southern Lebanon and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli troops over a 60-day period, with the Lebanese military and U.N. peacekeepers redeploying to secure the region. Rebecca Tan, Mohamad El Chamaa, Abbie Cheeseman, Shira Rubin, and Karen DeYoung report for Washington Post.
The agreed ceasefire deal stipulates that only “official military and security forces” in Lebanon are authorized to carry arms in the country. Although Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel “maintains full freedom of military action” to respond to Hezbollah, it is not clear if the agreement explicitly allows Israel to strike if it believes the group has violated the agreement. Rebecca Tan, Mohamad El Chamaa, Abbie Cheeseman, Shira Rubin, and Karen DeYoung report for Washington Post; Laila Bassam and Maya Gebeily report for Reuters.
Hours after the ceasefire came into effect, displaced families began returning to southern and eastern Lebanon, the country’s state-run news agency said. Both the Lebanese and Israeli militaries warned civilians against immediately returning to southern areas where Israeli soldiers are still deployed. Euan Ward reports for the New York Times.
Israeli strikes yesterday targeted Lebanon’s three northern border crossings with Syria for the first time, Lebanon’s transport minister said. The Syrian state news agency reported four civilians and two soldiers were killed. Separately, the IDF issued evacuation orders for areas of Beirut late yesterday shortly before the ceasefire took effect, later confirming it had struck “dozens” of Hezbollah targets. Reuters reports; BBC News reports.
The United States will work with Lebanon’s army to ensure compliance with the ceasefire but will not deploy U.S. combat troops in the area, a senior U.S. official said yesterday. Humeyra Pamuk, Eric Beech, Jeff Mason, and David Brunnstrom report for Reuters.
Hezbollah will remain active after its war with Israel ends, a senior Hezbollah official who is also a member of Lebanon’s parliament said yesterday. Laila Bassam reports for Reuters.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH WAR — REGIONAL RESPONSE
Iran’s government welcomed the ceasefire in Lebanon this morning and called for a similar deal in Gaza with Hamas. Andrés R. Martínez reports for the New York Times.
A Hamas official today said the group “appreciates” Lebanon’s right to reach an agreement that protects its people and hopes for a Gaza ceasefire deal. Nidal Al-Mughrabi reports for Reuters.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
An independent commission report released yesterday blamed Netanyahu and top Israeli generals for failing to prevent the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attacks, citing “arrogant” policies and groupthink. Netanyahu’s office and the Israeli military declined to comment. Johnatan Reiss reports for the New York Times; Sam Sokol reports for the Times of Israel.
Israeli strikes killed 15 people in Gaza yesterday, some of whom were sheltering in a school housing displaced people, according to medics. Nidal al-Mughrabi reports for Reuters.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. RESPONSE
Biden yesterday said the Lebanon ceasefire creates an opportunity for a broader Middle East peace deal and that his administration “will make another push” to “reach a ceasefire in Gaza.” Washington also remains ready to conclude a deal with Saudi Arabia on normalizing Saudi-Israeli relations, Biden said. Yasmeen Abutaleb reports for the Washington Post; Jeff Mason reports for Reuters.
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Sunday said he joined a group of lawyers planning to defend Netanyahu after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the prime minister. Emma G. Fitzsimmons reports for the New York Times.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
Jordanian military planes yesterday dropped aid to northern Gaza for the first time in five months, the country’s army said. Suleiman Al-Khalidi reports for Reuters.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
Russia’s Defense Ministry yesterday alleged that Ukraine had struck its territory again with U.S.-supplied missiles, adding that Moscow is preparing “retaliatory actions.” The ministry also said the attacks partly succeeded in damaging military infrastructure and wounding some soldiers, an unusual admission that “could serve as a pretext for strong retaliation.” Constant Méheut reports for the New York Times.
Russia is still working on deploying its Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, which is part of its strategic nuclear arsenal, the country’s state news agency said today. Reuters reports.
The experimental ballistic missile Russia fired at Ukraine last week carried multiple warheads but no explosives and caused minimal damage, according to Ukrainian government sources. Tom Balmforth and Gerry Doyle report for Reuters.
U.S. PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION AND NEW CONGRESS
President-elect Trump’s transition team yesterday said it reached an agreement with the Biden White House to start coordinating the handoff of federal agencies. Several transition guardrails remain absent, however, including an agreement with the General Services Administration, a DOJ memorandum of understanding on background checks, and an ethics pledge for Trump. Lisa Rein and Isaac Arnsdorf report for the Washington Post.
In the latest appointment news, Trump yesterday picked Jamieson Greer, a lawyer and former Trump official, to serve as the top U.S. trade negotiator, ex-chair of the Council of Economic Advisers Kevin Hassett to be the director of the National Economic Council, and John Phelan, a businessman who did not serve in the military and does not have a long track record with the Navy, to be the Navy Secretary. Ana Swanson reports for the New York Times; Kierra Frazier reports for POLITICO; Jack Detsch reports for POLITICO.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum yesterday said she would impose tariffs in retaliation if Trump follows through on his tariff threats. April Rubin reports for Axios.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Pakistani security forces yesterday dispersed protesters marching through Islamabad in support of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, with four civilians reportedly killed by gunfire, according to local media. Salman Masood reports for the New York Times.
ICC prosecutor Karim Khan yesterday said he will seek an arrest warrant for Myanmar’s military chief for crimes against humanity in the alleged persecution of the Rohingya. Stephanie van den Berg and Shoon Naing report for Reuters.
The Vice President of the Philippines today accused President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of seeking to remove her from office following a police complaint accusing her of assault and coercion. Neil Jerome Morales and Mikhail Flores report for Reuters.
The U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator in Chad yesterday announced the launch of an investigation into allegations of sexual exploitation of Sudanese refugees by aid workers following an AP News report. Sam Mednick reports for AP News.
Chilean prosecutors yesterday confirmed they are investigating President Gabriel Boric for sexual harassment. AP News reports.
Russian authorities yesterday expelled a British diplomat on allegations of spying, which the U.K. dismissed as “baseless.” AP News reports.
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
A “domestic terrorist” on the FBI’s most-wanted list accused of bombing two companies in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2003 was arrested in the United Kingdom on Monday after more than two decades on the run, the U.K. authorities said yesterday. Frances Vinall reports for the Washington Post.
Two U.S. bombers training with the Finnish Air Force were intercepted by Russian jets near Russia’s exclave of Kaliningrad on Monday, a U.S. official said. Mike Stone and Anne Kauranen report for Reuters.
OTHER U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
Secretary of State Antony Blinken has agreed to testify at a congressional hearing on the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, the House Foreign Affairs Committee said yesterday. Patricia Zengerle reports for Reuters.
An AP investigation found that a Pentagon-funded study underreported the levels of extremism in the military, relying on old data and ignoring evidence pointing to the opposite conclusion. Michelle R. Smith and Jason Dearden report.
An Arizona man was arrested Monday over allegedly threatening in a series of Facebook videos to kill Trump, according to court documents. Rashard Rose reports for CNN.