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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
Negotiations in Cairo for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas have been extended for another three days, according to an Egyptian official briefed on the talks, after a first day of high-level negotiations yesterday ended without an agreement. The talks over the next three days will involve lower-level officials. President Biden had dispatched CIA director William Burns to join the talks on Tuesday, where he met with the head of Israel’s intelligence agency, Qatar’s prime minister and high-level Egyptian officials, including President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, according to Egyptian media. Vivian Lee and Julian Barnes report for the New York Times.
The Israeli military released a video allegedly showing the Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar inside a tunnel below the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis, along with his wife, children, and brother. Israel has accused Sinwar of being the “mastermind” behind the Oct. 7 attacks, although experts say he is likely one of several. An Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson said the footage had been captured on a Hamas CCTV camera on Oct. 10 and obtained by the IDF in recent days, saying, “the hunt will not stop until he is captured, dead or alive.” Lauren Izso, Vasco Cotovio, Jessie Gretener, and Jonny Hallam report for CNN.
Israeli ultranationalist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is blocking a U.S.-funded flour shipment to Gaza because it is bound for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), two Israeli and U.S. officials told Axios. U.S. officials said this is a violation of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s personal commitment made to President Biden several weeks ago, with State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller saying yesterday, “The Israel government made a commitment to allow the flour to go in and we expect them to implement this commitment [sic].” Smotrich’s office confirmed he ordered customs not to release the flour shipments and has asked officials to find a new delivery mechanism to ensure they do not reach Hamas.
Israeli forces have ordered Palestinians to evacuate one of the last functioning hospitals in Gaza, raising fears that troops will attempt to storm the facility. The Israeli military accused Hamas today of conducting military activity inside the grounds of the hospital, the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, and alleged that the complex “was used to hold hostages.” Raja Abdulrahim reports for the New York Times.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — REGIONAL RESPONSE
South Africa filed an “urgent request” at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over Israel’s military operations in Rafah. The South African government said in a statement it has asked the court to consider whether the Israeli military’s decision to extend its operations into Rafah represents a “further imminent breach of the rights of Palestinians in Gaza.” Joe Simonetti and Morgan Winsor report for ABC News.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
British foreign secretary David Cameron urged Israel yesterday to ensure humanitarian aid reaches Gaza. “As Israel is the occupying power in Gaza, [Israel] has to make sure that humanitarian aid — food, water and shelter — is available to people in Gaza. If Israel does not do that, it would be a breach of international humanitarian law as well,” Cameron said at the House of Lords.
France imposed sanctions on 28 Israeli settlers accused of attacking Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank, banning them from entry. The foreign ministry said it “firmly condemned” the “unacceptable violence.” “Colonisation is illegal under international law and must stop,” it added, saying “Its continuation is incompatible with the creation of a viable Palestinian state, which is the only solution so that Israelis and Palestinians can live, side by side, in peace and security.” Lou Newton reports for BBC News.
Calls for the UNRWA to be dismantled are “short-sighted” and would exacerbate the crisis in Gaza, the head of the agency warned yesterday after meeting member States at the U.N. in Geneva.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. RESPONSE
President Biden told Netanyahu on Sunday that in any future hostage deal, Israel may have to release more Palestinian prisoners for each freed hostage than it did in the previous pause in fighting, two U.S. and Israeli officials said. The number of Palestinian prisoners Hamas is demanding that Israel release as part of a new hostage deal remains the main sticking point in ongoing negotiations. Netanyahu said Israel is ready to release three Palestinians for every Israeli hostage freed, as per the same ratio in the previous deal, officials said. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.
The State Department is reviewing reports of harm to Gazan civilians by Israel’s military under a new U.S. program that tracks cases in which foreign militaries use U.S.-made weapons to injure or kill civilians. The policy, called the Civilian Harm Incident Response Guidance, was instituted to create greater accountability for the use of U.S. weapons by allies and partners. However, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller suggested that the review was not likely to lead to short-term changes in U.S. military support for Israel. Michael Crowley reports for the New York Times.
A U.S. citizen has died in the West Bank, the State Department confirmed yesterday, marking what is potentially the second death of an American in the territory in recent weeks. Miller said the administration was “still in the gathering information stage” and did not provide further details, including identifying the apparent cause of death. Shannon K. Crawford reports for ABC News.
Israel is still “acting in good faith” on hostage talks, Miller said yesterday at a press briefing. Meanwhile, national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that the negotiation discussions have “been constructive” and are “moving in the right direction.”
IRAN-BACKED MILITANTS
Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah fired missiles into northern Israel yesterday that injured at least two people, emergency officials said. Hezbollah said it had launched two separate attacks, one aimed at Israeli soldiers and the other at a police building in the northern town of Kiryat Shmona. Euan Ward, Hwaida Saad, and Adam Sella report for the New York Times.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
North Korea hacked into the personal emails of an aide to the South Korean president, his office confirmed to the BBC. The breach occurred in the run-up to President Yoon Suk Yeol’s state visit to the United Kingdom last November. “The breach was caused by a careless violation of security regulations by an individual administrator who used a commercial email for work purposes,” a statement by the president’s office said. It is thought to be the first time the North has successfully hacked a member of the South Korean president’s team.
North Korea fired multiple cruise missiles into the sea today in its fifth test of such weapons since January, South Korea’s military said. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the South Korean and U.S. militaries were analyzing the launches, although it was not immediately clear whether the missiles were fired from land or from sea assets. AP News reports.
The Kremlin said a possible prisoner exchange with the United States could only be resolved “in silence,” meaning it will not comment on the state of negotiations. The United States is seeking the release of former Marine Paul Whelan and reporter Evan Gershkovich, both currently held in Russia on spy charges. Reuters reports.
Albania’s cybersecurity authorities accused a hacker group “sponsored” by the Iranian government of attacking the country’s Institute of Statistics earlier this month, affecting 40 computers. Iran has not responded to comment, although it has denied past allegations by Albania of such cyberattacks. ABC News reports.
Two explosions along Iran’s main gas pipeline network today were caused by a “terrorist act of sabotage,” the Iranian oil minister told state TV, without naming suspects. Reuters reports.
Nawaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s parties in Pakistan have reached a deal to form a government after last week’s contested election. Both opposing parties were previously in a coalition that ousted the imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan from power in 2022. Caroline Davies reports for BBC News.
Myanmar’s ruling military plans to conscript young people for mandatory military service from April and also require retired security personnel to serve, media reports cited a junta spokesperson as saying. Retired members of the security forces who had left within the past five years would also have to return to the army, state media also cited him as saying. Reuters reports.
Dozens are dead and several missing after two boats collided on the Congo River in western Congo, local officials said. Jean-Yves Kamale reports for AP News.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE DEVELOPMENTS
The United States rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin’s suggestion of a ceasefire in Ukraine, three Russian sources with knowledge of the discussions told Reuters. A U.S. source denied there had been any official contact and said Washington would not engage in talks that did not involve Ukraine. Guy Faulconbridge and Darya Korsunskaya report for Reuters.
A Russian ship has sunk off the coast of Russian-occupied Crimea, according to Ukraine’s armed forces. Ukraine’s intelligence director released a video of what it said were Magura V5 sea drones striking the ship. Paul Kirby reports for BBC News.
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
President Biden blasted former President Trump’s comments that he would “encourage” Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” to NATO countries who do not meet their financial commitments. “The former president has set a dangerous, and shockingly, frankly un-American signal to the world,” Biden said. “When America gives its word, it means something. When we make a commitment, we keep it. And NATO’s a sacred commitment. Donald Trump looks at this as if it’s a burden.” Biden added that Trump’s comments “gave an invitation to Putin … No other president in our history has ever bowed down to a Russian dictator.” Sarah Beth Hensley reports for ABC News.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was released from hospital yesterday after being treated for a bladder issue “related to his December 2023 prostate cancer surgery,” an update from his doctors said. “On the advice of his doctors, Secretary Austin will recuperate and perform his duties remotely from home for a period before returning to work at the Pentagon later this week.”
The House yesterday narrowly voted 214-213 to impeach Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, making him the first cabinet minister to face impeachment in nearly 150 years. Bernd Debusmann Jr and Jacqueline Howard report for BBC News.
A contingent of more than 100 U.S. 2nd Fleet and Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 2 personnel have been deployed to Norway in support of the NATO exercise Steadfast Defender 2024, the largest NATO exercise in decades that includes more than 90,000 troops from 31 allied nations and Sweden, the U.S. Navy confirmed.
TRUMP-LEGAL MATTERS
Former President Trump is expected to attend his criminal trial hearing in Manhattan on Thursday over a 2016 hush money payment to an adult film actress, his attorney Steve Sadow said. It means Trump will not be attending a hearing on the same day in Fulton County over misconduct allegations against the prosecutors leading his Georgia 2020 election case. Erin Doherty reports for Axios.