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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
Israel dropped hundreds of large bombs capable of killing people more than 1,000 feet away in the first month of the war, including hundreds of 2,000-pound bombs, in a high-intensity offensive that “had not been seen since Vietnam,” according to an analysis by CNN.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, indicated that Israel may accept a U.S.-devised plan for a reconstructed Palestinian Authority to govern the Gaza Strip. “Israel is aware of the desire of the international community and the countries of the region to integrate the Palestinian Authority the day after Hamas, and we make[sic] it clear that the matter will require a fundamental reform of the Palestinian Authority,” Hanegbi said, adding that Israel “is ready for this effort.” The Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority previously said he is prepared to rule the Gaza Strip providing there is a complete withdrawal of the Israeli military. David S. Cloud reports for the Wall Street Journal.
Evidence presented by Israel “falls short of showing that Hamas had been using the [Al-Shifa] hospital as a command and control center, according to a Washington Post analysis of open-source visuals, satellite imagery and all of the publicly released IDF materials.” The analysis shows that “the rooms connected to the tunnel network discovered by IDF troops showed no immediate evidence of military use by Hamas; none of the five hospital buildings identified by [IDF spokesperson] Hagari appeared to be connected to the tunnel network; and there is no evidence that the tunnels could be accessed from inside hospital wards.” Both Israel and the Biden administration have repeatedly stood firm on the claim of Al-Shifa being a Hamas command center, while the intelligence remains classified. The IDF responded to The Post analysis saying it has published “extensive, irrefutable evidence that points to the abuse of the Shifa hospital complex for terrorism purposes.” Louisa Loveluck, Evan Hill, Jonathan Baran, Jarrett Ley, and Ellen Nakashima report for the Washington Post.
Israel struck at least three locations it directed civilians to evacuate to in Gaza, following the breakdown of the fighting pause deal with Hamas. While the IDF has provided regular updates on evacuation locations, the power and telecommunications blackouts in Gaza raised concerns about the capacity of civilians to access such instructions. Jake Tacchi reports for CNN.
Hamas rejected a proposed Israeli one-week ceasefire deal in exchange for the release of 40 hostages, with Hamas officials stating yesterday that discussions of hostage-releases would not take place without a more permanent ceasefire. Meanwhile an Arabic statement shared on Telegram by Hamas said, “There is a Palestinian national decision that there should be no talk about prisoners or exchange deals except after a comprehensive cessation of aggression.” Molly Hunter reports for NBC News.
The entire population of the Gaza Strip – some 2.3 million – are facing a “risk of famine,” according to a report released yesterday by the U.N.-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification. The risk is “increasing each day” as the war continues, the report states.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. RESPONSE
The U.S. is moving closer to supporting a U.N. Security Council vote on humanitarian aid for Gaza, the U.S. Ambassador confirmed last night, saying it is a “very strong resolution” which the U.S. “can support.” The vote has been delayed several times in hopes of preventing another U.S. veto, with the sticking point yesterday appearing to focus on the draft resolution proposing to have a U.N. mechanism to monitor aid into Gaza. The U.S. argued such a proposal would reduce Israel’s control of the screening process, as Israel currently monitors all aid and fuel deliveries into Gaza. Arab nations argued that an impartial U.N. mechanism is required for the resolution to be meaningful. Francesca Gillett and Nada Tawfik report for BBC News.
The FBI has received over 1,800 reports of “threats or other types of tips or leads” including over 100 investigations, related to the Israel-Hamas war, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said yesterday. “These are threats, they’re hoaxes, they can involve claims of terrorist financing,” Monaco said, adding that the “searing images” of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks have driven a “very significant uptick in threats” including against government, security, and law enforcement officials. Pierre Thomas, Jack Date, Alexander Mallin, and Julia Cherner report for ABC News.
IRAN-BACKED MILITANTS
Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah directly hit “gatherings of enemy soldiers” this morning at Shomera barracks in Northern Israel using rockets and artillery, while the IDF said it identified launches from Lebanon and “struck the sources of the fire with artillery” including striking “Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.” Leila Sackur reports for NBC News.
Over 20 countries are now party to the new U.S.-led Red Sea “coalition of the willing,” which safeguards maritime traffic from attacks by Yemen’s Houthis, the Pentagon announced yesterday. Eight of the countries that have signed up to the agreement are not publicly named, indicating the political sensitivities of the operations. Phil Stewart reports for Reuters.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
A gunman shot 14 people dead and injured a further 25 at Charles University in Prague yesterday, marking the most fatal attack in modern Czech history. The 24-year-old gunman was killed, officials said, and the suspect’s father was found dead earlier yesterday. Motives for the attack are unknown, although the police said they are working on the possibility that the gunman was responsible for the killing of two people last week near Prague. Investigations are continuing, BBC News reports.
A Hong Kong court today rejected dropping the sedition charges against pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai. The high-profile national security trial continues. Jessie Pang and Dorothy Kam report for Reuters.
In a decision ending Japan’s landmark policy that banned weapon exports following WWII, Tokyo said today it would provide missiles from its own supplies to the United States starting as early as next year. The ban remains in place for the direct shipment of defense exports to countries involved in current conflicts, including Ukraine, although such weapons may be delegated to Ukraine via the U.S., following a similar arrangement between South Korea and the U.S. Five Patriot batteries from Germany, the U.S., and the Netherlands currently provide Ukraine’s strongest layer of defense. Alastair Gale and Cheikeo Tsuneoka report for the Wall Street Journal.
Up to 300,000 people in Sudan have fled their homes from Wad Medani, which was once a safe province, due to the fighting between Sudan’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the U.N. said yesterday. Fighting broke out in Wad Medani, the provincial capital of Jazeera province, after the RSF attacked the city earlier this month. Samy Magdy reports for Associated Press via ABC News.
Turkish authorities have detained 304 people on suspicion of having links with the self-styled Islamic State militant group in operations spanning 32 provinces, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said today. Reuters reports.
Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister said yesterday that his country hopes to reach an agreement with the new Polish government this week to bring an end to the truck blockades at the Ukrainian border. Reuters reports.
France is planning to close its embassy in Niger due to restrictions imposed by the ruling junta that hamper its abilities to undertake diplomatic tasks, according to a French embassy letter sent to its Niger staff. Reuters reports.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE DEVELOPMENTS
Male Ukrainian citizens aged between 25-60 living abroad will be asked to report for military service. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov described the policy as an “invitation” to serve, although there were suggestions that noncompliance would lead to sanctions. A Ukrainian spokesperson later said that the option of no call-up was also being considered. Robert Greenall reports for BBC News.
Kyiv suffered mass drone attacks overnight injuring two people and caused damage to residential buildings; Ukraine’s air defenses said it shot down 24 out of 28 drone attacks. Reuters reports.
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
The U.S. Air Force is planning to reclaim the Pacific Island airfield that launched the atomic bombings and put it back into commission, in efforts to expand its basing options amid tensions with China, according to the commander of Pacific Air Forces. The reclamation project is a strategy that “shifts operations from centralized physical infrastructures to a network of smaller, dispersed locations that can complicate adversary planning and provide more options for joint force commanders,” the Air Force document says. Brad Lendon reports for CNN.
A top Russian diplomat accused the U.S. of leaking sensitive information to the media as negotiations continue over a prisoner exchange. It follows Russian President Vladimir Putin’s comments last week blaming Washington for ignoring Russia’s conditions for the deal, which he did not specify. Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Interfax news agency: “The issue of exchanges of citizens serving prison terms in Russia and the United States is extremely delicate. Decisions in this area are often hampered by being actively discussed in public.” Reuters reports.
Top Chinese and U.S. military officers resumed communications yesterday for the first time since July 2022. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General CQ Brown Jr, spoke with his Chinese counterpart via video conference, where Brown “discussed the importance of working together to responsibly manage competition, avoid miscalculations, and maintain open and direct lines of communication.” Luis Martinez reports for ABC News.
A jury acquitted three Washington police officers of all charges relating to the death of Manuel Ellis, a Black man who was beaten and restrained face-down as he pleaded for air in 2020. Martha Bellisle and Maddy Grassy reports for AP News.
In the longest known wrongful sentence in the country’s history, a seventy year old man, named Glynn Simmons, was exonerated this week by an Oklahoma judge after spending 48 years in prison for a murder he did not commit. Madeline Halpert reports for BBC News.
TRUMP-RELATED LEGAL MATTERS
Former President Trump pressured two Republican members of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers to not sign the 2020 presidential election documents and offered them attorneys if they followed his instructions, according to a telephone call recordings. The recordings further signal Trump’s direct involvement with Republican officials to undermine President Biden’s win, as he faces counts of criminal conspiracy for election-related charges in federal court and in Fulton County, Georgia. Craig Mauger reports for the Detroit News.
Just days after he was ordered to pay $148 million after a judge ruled he defamed two Georgia election workers over false claims they interfered with votes in 2020, longtime Trump associate and lawyer Rudy Giuliani filed for bankruptcy. The bankruptcy filing shows that millions of dollars in unpaid taxes and legal fees are owed by Giuliani. Bernd Debusmann Jr. reports for BBC News.