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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
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will deliver its ruling tomorrow on whether to issue provisional measures, the court said in a news release. Those provisional measures could include a suspension of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. South Africa filed a case against Israel at the ICJ in December 2023 claiming Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians and failing to prevent and punish incitement to genocide, in violation of its obligations under the Genocide Convention. Mariya Knight and Jomana Karadsheh report for CNN.
Israel has declassified more than 30 secret orders made by government and military leaders which it says rebut South Africa’s charge that it committed genocide in Gaza, and instead show Israel’s efforts to reduce civilian deaths. The documents include summaries of cabinet discussions from late October, in which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered aid deliveries to Gaza. Netanyahu also instructed the government to examine how “external actors” could set up field hospitals to treat Gazans, as well as consider mooring a hospital ship off the enclave’s coast. The dossier omits most wartime instructions given by the cabinet and does not include orders from the first 10 days of the war, when Israel blocked aid to Gaza and blocked the enclave access to water and electricity. Patrick Kingsle reports for the New York Times.
Gaza faces a complete medical shutdown unless immediate action is taken to safeguard services, the International Committee of the Red Cross warned today. Hamdi Alkshali reports for CNN.
At least 12 people were killed and 75 injured when a U.N. facility sheltering civilians was struck in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) said. The aid group’s commissioner condemned the “blatant disregard of basic values of war.” Meanwhile, Israel’s military said it had ruled out the incident was the result of air or artillery strikes by its forces and is examining the possibility that it was “Hamas fire.” David Gritten and Lipika Pelham report for BBC News.
Families of Israeli hostages being held in Gaza began a protest at a border crossing today to block aid from entering the enclave. The protests come a day after Israeli protesters at the Kerem Shalom crossing delayed aid trucks for hours, according to the U.N. humanitarian affairs office, forcing more than 100 trucks to reroute through Egypt. Victoria Kim reports for the New York Times.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — REGIONAL RESPONSE
Qatar said it was “appalled” yesterday by leaked remarks made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in which he criticized the country’s mediation efforts with Hamas, calling them “problematic.” Netanyahu made the comments in a meeting with families of hostages held by Hamas which were broadcast Tuesday on Israeli TV. “Qatar in my opinion is no different, in essence, from the U.N. It is no different, in essence, from the Red Cross, and in some ways it is even more problematic,” Netanyahu can be heard saying. Qatar described the remarks as “irresponsible and destructive,” with Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson saying in a post on X, “If the reported remarks are found to be true, the Israeli PM would only be obstructing and undermining the mediation process, for reasons that appear to serve his political career instead of prioritizing saving innocent lives, including Israeli hostages.” Najib Jobain, Jack Jeffery, and Tia Goldenberg report for AP News.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
British foreign secretary David Cameron said he told Netanyahu that more aid trucks must be able to enter Gaza and that an immediate humanitarian fighting pause is needed. Cameron, who is currently touring the Middle East and met with Netanyahu and the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas yesterday,announced Britain and Qatar are working together to increase aid into Gaza, with a first joint consignment containing tents being flown into Egypt today. Reuters reports.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. RESPONSE
All but two Senate Democrats are supporting a measure advocating the creation of a Palestinian state as part of a national security package that would also include military aid to Israel. The two-page amendment, led by Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), reiterates it is U.S. policy to “support a negotiated comprehensive solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulting in two states with Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace.” Andrew Solender reports for Axios.
MILITARY CONFLICT WITH HOUTHIS
The Houthis targeted U.S. warships with ballistic missiles in the Gulf of Aden and Bab al-Mandab Strait yesterday, Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree announced. The Iran-backed Yemeni group “engaged” with U.S. warships protecting two American commercial vessels, leading to one vessel suffering a “direct hit” and both ships being forced to turn back from the area, Saree claimed. Ruba Alhenawi reports for CNN.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov accused the United States, South Korea, and Japan of preparing for war with North Korea at a U.N. news conference. Lavrov said that the new U.S.-led military bloc is conducting large-scale military exercises, adding that South Korea’s rhetoric “became even more hostile towards Pyongyang … in Japan as well, we hear aggressive rhetoric.” The United States, South Korea, and Japan have described their joint military drills as defensive and a necessary response to North Korean nuclear threats. A South Korean foreign ministry spokesperson said Levrov’s comments reflected North Korea’s “misleading claims as it tries to shift the blame to the outside world while developing nuclear weapons.” Edith M. Lederer reports for AP News.
North Korea launched a test flight for a new missile type, state media outlets said yesterday. The test, which took place yesterday, was the first for an under-development strategic cruise missile, the official Korean Central News Agency said. Pyongang’s national broadcaster added, “The test fire had no negative effect on the security of the neighboring country and is not connected with the situation of the region.” Kevin Shalvey reports for ABC News.
The United States and Iraq are expected to soon begin talks on the future of the U.S. military presence in the country as public calls from the Iraqi government for a withdrawal grow, according to sources familiar with the matter. The Pentagon said the two countries agreed last summer to form a higher military commission as a platform for the dialogue, which will focus on the next phase of the U.S.-led coalition against the self-styled Islamic State militant group. There are around 2,500 U.S. military personnel currently in Iraq who have been operating there in an advise and assist capacity since December 2021, following the end of the U.S. combat role. Natasha Bertrand and Oren Liebermann report for CNN.
Hungary’s parliamentary speaker said today there was no “particular urgency” in approving Sweden’s NATO membership bid after ratification by Turkey this week left Hungary the only country hampering the accession process. Sweden’s accession requires formal approval from all 31 member states. Anita Komuves and Gergely Szakacs reports for Reuters.
The president of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) said today that Britain has a legal obligation to comply with its injunctions after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he would ignore the court’s orders to halt the planned deportation of some asylum seekers to Rwanda. Last November, the U.K. Supreme Court also ruled that the policy was unlawful due to failings in the Rwandan system. To bypass that ruling, a bill is currently proceeding through British parliament to declare Rwanda safe and give ministers power to decide whether to comply with injunctions from the ECHR. Michael Holden reports for Reuters.
An unidentified assailant struck a lawmaker from South Korea’s ruling People Party in the head today, the party said, requiring her hospitalization. A local news agency reported the attacker was arrested at the scene and told police he was 15 years old. The assault comes after South Korea’s opposition Democratic Party Lee Jae-myung was stabbed with a knife in the neck earlier this month. Reuters reports.
Six Ghanaians, including three soldiers, have been sentenced to death by hanging for their involvement in a coup plot three years ago. Defense lawyers said they would appeal against the ruling to the Supreme Court. Wyfliffe Muia reports for BBC News.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE DEVELOPMENTS
Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy accused Moscow of “playing with the lives of Ukrainian prisoners” following a deadly plane crash yesterday that reportedly killed 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, as well as six Russian crew members and three escorts. Moscow claimed the Ukrainians were being transported for a prisoner exchange, but Ukraine’s military intelligence service (GUR) said it had not been told to ensure safe airspace, as on previous occasions. The GUR comments indicate tacit acknowledgement that Ukraine shot the military transport plane down, although it stressed it lacked reliable information about who was aboard and that the incident may have involved “planned and deliberate actions by Russia.” Laura Gozzi and Pauk Kirby report for BBC News.
A U.S. Senate Committee approved legislation yesterday 20-1 that would help pave the way for Washington to confiscate Russian assets and transfer them to Ukraine for reconstruction after the nearly two-year-long war. If the act were to pass the full Senate and House of Representatives and be signed into law by President Biden, it would enable Washington’s first ever seizure of central bank assets from a country with which it is not at war. Patricia Zengerie reports for Reuters.
CHINA-TAIWAN DEVELOPMENTS
A bipartisan delegation from the U.S. Congress reaffirmed support for Taiwan during a visit today, following the election of its new president. “The support of the United States for Taiwan is firm. It’s real, and it is 100% bipartisan,” U.S. Representative Mario Díaz Balart (R-FL) said. Christopher Bodeen reports for ABC News.
China criticized the United States today for causing “trouble and provocation” after the U.S. Navy sailed its warship through the Taiwan Strait for the first time since the island’s presidential and parliamentary elections. China said the United States “carried out large-scale high-frequency activities in waters and airspace around China,” while the U.S. Navy said the warship transited through a Taiwan Strait corridor that was “beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state.” Reuters reports.
Taiwan extended its compulsory military conscription today from four-months to one year following concerns over China’s rising military threat. Fabian Hamacher and Ann Wang report for Reuters.
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
Former Trump White House adviser Peter Navarro will be sentenced today for defying a congressional subpoena to cooperate with the House select commitee’s investigation into the Jan. 6 capitol riots. Navarro was convicted in September on one count of contempt of Congress after refusing to appear for a deposition before the committee, and on a second count for refusing to produce documents. Prosecutors have asked for Navarro to be sentenced to six months in prison and fined $100,000. Navarro’s attorneys requested the court sentence him to no more than six months and issue a fine of $100 per count. Laura Romero reports for ABC News.
The House Ethics Committee investigating Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) contacted the women whom he allegedly had sexual relations with when she was a 17-year-old minor, according to a source familiar with the commitee’s work. The outreach indicates that the GOP-led investigation into Gaetz has expanded to include allegations of sex crimes. Gaetz denies any wrongdoing, including ever having paid for sex or having sexual relations with a minor. Paula Ried and Annie Grayer reports for CNN.