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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
More than 11,100 Palestinians – one out of every 200 people – have been killed in Gaza since Oct.7, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. No breakdown between civilians and fighters has been provided, but the death toll includes at least 4,609 children. Ruby Mellen, Artur Galocha, and Júlia Ledur report for the Washington Post.
Al-Shifa Hospital is described as “nearly a cemetery” by the World Health Organization, as the ongoing battle with power cuts and fuel deficit has resulted in dogs eating corpses. The Hamas-run health ministry said there are at least 2,300 people inside the hospital, including 1,500 people seeking shelter. The Israeli military said while there has been intense fighting close to Al-Shifa, there is no shooting at the hospital itself, and that anyone wishing to evacuate is able to do so. The hospital’s manager said Israeli authorities have not granted permission for dead bodies to be removed from the hospital to be buried. Oliver Slow reports for BBC News.
The Israeli military advanced to the gates of the Al-Shifa hospital complex yesterday, resulting “in the circle of death,” Hamas-run health ministry officials said, as concern grows for conditions inside the hospital, where fuel, food, and medicine are being rapidly depleted. The Israeli military has not addressed specific questions about its advancement around the hospital, but said it is “engaged in intense battle against Hamas…which currently includes the area surrounding the Shifa hospital but not the hospital itself.” Israel asserted on X, formerly Twitter, that it delivered “300 litres of fuel to Shifa Hospital’s doorstep, yet the fuel remains untouched after Hamas threatened hospital staff.” However, the head of Al-Shifa’s neonatal unit said that the Israelis left the fuel “half a kilometer” away from the hospital in a combat zone with no safety guarantees for those attempting to retrieve it. Hiba Yazbek and Ameera Harouda report for the New York Times.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) yesterday said it will transfer incubators to Al-Shifa hospital, following reports of premature babies being removed from incubators due to a lack of fuel. In a picture posted on X, the IDF said it is in the process of coordinating the transfer, adding that it remains “committed to upholding its moral and professional responsibilities to distinguish between civilians and Hamas terrorists.” It is unclear how the delivery of additional incubators will help save the lives of premature babies when the hospital lacks the necessary fuel to run them, which led to the babies’ removal in the first place. Yuliya Talmazan reports for NBC News.
Gaza’s second-largest hospital is “no longer operational,” according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS). In a statement released Sunday, the PRCS said the Al-Quds hospital has a “cessation of services due to the depletion of available fuel and power outage,” describing the “dire humanitarian conditions and a shortage of medical supplies, food, and water.” When asked about the situation at Al-Quds on Saturday, the Israeli military said “the IDF is in the midst of ongoing intense fighting against Hamas in the vicinity of the area in question, and unlike Hamas, adheres to the law by taking all feasible measures to mitigate harm to civilians.” Tim Lister and Abeer Salman report for CNN.
Another 200,000 people fled northern Gaza since Nov. 5 as Israeli ground forces advanced around hospitals, the U.N. humanitarian office said today. They said their shelters in the south are severely overcrowded, with one toilet being shared by 160 people. Israel has urged civilians to evacuate Gaza City and the northern regions, but there are concerns the southern parts of Gaza are not much safer following recent Israeli airstrikes from north to south Gaza. Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy report for AP News.
The IDF shared video footage yesterday showing what it said to be proof that hostages were being held by Hamas in the basement of a pediatric hospital in Gaza. Military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said troops identified a command centre with a hoard of weapons, including suicide vests, grenades, and other explosives used by Hamas. He said troops also found a motorcycle with gunshot marks that appeared to have been used to bring hostages to Gaza following the attacks on Oct. 7. James Mackenzie reports for Reuters.
Israeli forces killed at least eight Palestinians in the West Bank today, with seven deaths occurring from clashes in a raid in Tulkarm town, near the boundary with Israel, Palestinian medics and local media report. Israel said its army and police forces were sent into Tulkarm to detain suspected militants, but clashes occurred and several Palestinian gunmen were killed. An Israeli drone strike also hit a group of Palestinians, killing three people, according to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. Ali Sawafta, Clauda Tanios, and Jana Choukeir report for Reuters.
The U.N. mourns the death of 102 aid workers, the highest number killed in any single conflict in the organization’s 78-year history. A further 27 aid workers have been wounded since the war broke out. Hande Atay Alam and Helen Regan report for CNN.
The U.N. warned that it will run out of fuel in Gaza as soon as today, hampering humanitarian aid distribution efforts for the 2.2 million people in the enclave. “Instead of a much-needed increase of this assistance, we have been informed by colleagues of UNRWA that, due to the lack of fuel, as of tomorrow the operations of receiving trucks will no longer be possible,” the head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs for Palestinian territories said yesterday. Farnaz Fassihi reports for the New York Times.
An Egyptian border official confirmed that more than 800 foreign nationals passed through the Rafah border crossing into Egypt on Sunday, marking the largest number of evacuations in a single day. Sunday’s evacuations were the first since last Thursday, when more than 300 people left through the crossing, the official said. Asmaa Khalil and Zeena Saifa report for CNN.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR – REGIONAL RESPONSE
More than 125,000 Israeli evacuees have been resettled from regions along the borders with Lebanon and Gaza, in the largest internal displacement in the country’s history. The Israeli state is paying 280 hotels and guesthouses to indefinitely house the evacuees, as work is underway to set up makeshift healthcare facilities and schools. Mark Landler and Adam Goldman report for the New York Times.
Israeli strikes killed two people in south Lebanon yesterday, according to a first-responder organization affiliated with the Hezbollah-allied Amal movement, as concerns grow over a widening conflict in the region. Yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah to not broaden their assault, saying “this is playing with fire. Fire will be answered with much stronger fire. They should not try us, because we have only shown a little of our strength.” Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said in an interview on Sunday that “we are preserving self-restraint, and it’s up to Israel to stop its ongoing provocations in south Lebanon.” So far, more than 70 Hezbollah fighters and 10 civilians have been killed in Lebanon, while in Israel, 10 people, including seven troops, have been killed. Phil Stewart, Crispian Balmer, and Dan Williams report for Reuters.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR – INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
The British Home Secretary Suella Braverman has been fired days after she accused police of being too lenient with pro-Palestinian demonstrators, whom she described as “hate marchers.” Officials said 300,000 protesters marched through London on Saturday calling for Israel to end its military campaign, although organizers put the figure at around 800,000. Patrick Smith reports for NBC News.
China, Iran, and a multitude of Arab nations condemned a statement by Israeli Heritage Minister Amihai Eliyahu that a nuclear bomb on the Gaza Strip was an option in the Israel-Hamas war. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu disavowed the comments and suspended him from cabinet meetings. Edith M.Lederer reports for AP News.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR – US RESPONSE
President Joe Biden said yesterday that Gaza Strip hospitals “must be protected” saying his “hope and expectation is that there will be less intrusive action relative to hospitals.” When asked if he expressed concerns to Israel, Biden confirmed he “remain[s] in contact with the Israelis” to secure a fighting pause and allow for hostage releases. Biden’s National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan commented shortly afterwards that “hospitals should be protected, hospitals should be able to run effectively, evacuation routes have to be safe, and the Israeli government has told us as recently as today that there are and will continue to be evacuation routes for people leaving hospital compounds.” Lisa Friedman reports for the New York Times.
Up to 100,000 people are expected to join a pro-Israel demonstration today in Washington organized by the Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. The chief executive of the Conference said a “massive crowd” is expected, which will “engage on these issues and ensure that America knows where we stand.” Attendees are expected to include House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), and the U.S. special envoy to combat antisemitism, as well as family members of those held hostage by Hamas. Ellie Silverman reports for the Washington Post.
Dozens of State Department employees sent internal memos to Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressing dissent with the U.S. government’s approach to Israel’s military campaign, with at least three internal cables urging President Biden to call for a cease-fire, according to an anonymous official. They said two cables were sent the first week of the war and the third was sent more recently. One memo asks the Biden administration to offer a serious plan for a long-term peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians that would create a Palestinian state. Michael Crowley and Edward Wong report for the New York Times.
More than 30 U.S.-based aid groups and religious and advocacy organizations urged the Biden administration in a letter yesterday to forgo supplying munitions to Israel, particularly 155mm artillery munitions. “Under the current circumstances, granting the government of Israel access to these munitions would undermine the protection of civilians, respect for international humanitarian law [IHL], and the credibility of the Biden administration…simply put, it is difficult to imagine a scenario in which high explosive 155mm artillery shells could be used in Gaza in compliance with IHL,” the letter said. The Pentagon declined to confirm whether it has proceeded with its plan to provide Israel with the munitions. Missy Ryan reports for the Washington Post.
US-RELATIONS
The White House confirmed yesterday that President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will discuss strengthening ties when they meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit this week, marking the first visit between the two leaders in a year. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said “We anticipate that the leaders will discuss some of the most fundamental elements of the U.S.-PRC bilateral relationship, including the continued importance of strengthening open lines of communication and managing competition responsibly so that it does not veer into conflict.” Steve Holland, Nandita Bose and David Brunnstorm report for Reuters.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Taiwan is working to secure a meeting with President Joe Biden at this week’s APEC Summit, a senior Taiwanese official said. The U.S. State Department said it has no announcements on “specific bilateral meetings,” but that Biden was looking forward to Taiwan participating. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said that Taiwan will stress the importance of regional peace at the APEC Summit. Yimou Lee, Ben Blanchard, Michael Martina and Trevor Hunnicutt report for Reuters.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE DEVELOPMENTS
Russian state media published and quickly retracted reports yesterday of its military retreating “to more favorable positions” on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River “to free up some of its forces.” The Russian Defense Ministry blamed Ukraine for the “false report,” while Ukraine alleged the announcement was part of a Russian disinformation operation. Ido Vock reports for BBC News.
Ukraine killed three Russian officers in the southern city of Melitopol behind Russian lines , according to the Ukrainian military, marking intensifying attacks in occupied regions of Ukraine. Melitopol was captured by Russia early in the war and is Ukraine’s counteroffensive target, launched in June. The attack comes as the former head of a pro-Russian militia in eastern Ukraine was assassinated last week in a car explosion, according to a Russia state news agency. Matthew Mpoke Bigg reports for the New York Times.
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS – TRUMP LEGAL MATTERS
Donald Trump Jr. returned to the stand in his father’s civil fraud trial yesterday, where he lauded the former president as a “genius.” He said Trump “sees the thing that other people would never envision…he plays the long game.” Trump Jr challenged assessments of the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, which the court has called inflated, saying “you need to understand it and see it to actually fully grasp the spectacular nature of this property.” The defense case continues with Eric Trump, another co-defendant alongside his brother and father, being called this week. Chloe Kim and Natalie Sherman report for BBC News.
OTHER DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
The Supreme Court adopted its first code of ethics yesterday, after a barrage of criticism over undisclosed gifts from wealthy benefactors to justices. All nine justices agreed to the policy, although the code leaves compliance at the discretion of each justice. Mark Sherman reports for AP News.