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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
At least 112 Palestinians are said to have been killed and 760 injured trying to get aid in Gaza. Crowds descended yesterday on a convoy of lorries on a coastal road in south-west Gaza, in the presence of Israeli tanks. The Israeli military says the tanks fired warning shots but did not strike at the lorries and that many of the dead were trampled or run over. Hamas has rejected Israel’s account, saying there was “undeniable” evidence of “direct firing at citizens.” Paul Adams and David Gritten reports for BBC News.
The Israeli military has released a drone video of yesterday’s aid convoy incident, which it edited. At one point, after hundreds of people crowded the aid trucks, people can be seen running, with some crawling behind walls and appearing to take cover. After a cut in the video, at least a dozen people can be seen on the ground, although it is unclear whether they are injured or dead. A few people also appear to be struck by the aid trucks, with two Israeli military vehicles also visible at the scene. Hiba Yazbek and Aaron Boxerman report for the New York Times.
Two people were killed in an attack near the West Bank Israeli settlement of Eli last night, according to Israeli officials. Eli Bin, chief administrator of the Israeli medical emergency service Magen David Adom, told Galatz military radio that two people had died of their injuries. Adam Taylor and Lior Soroka report for the Washington Post.
Palestinian factions, some of whom have been at odds for almost two decades, are meeting in Moscow to discuss forming a new government following the resignation of the Palestinian Authority government (PA). The two-day talks aim to unite the factions under the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), a coalition of parties that signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1993, and form a new government in the PA, according to a spokesperson of the Fatah political party. Fatah dominates both the PLO and the PA. Abbas Al Lawati reports for CNN.
Israel appropriated 652 acres of land abutting a major Jewish settlement in the West Bank yesterday, but a source briefed on the decision told Reuters there are currently no plans for construction there. The Civil Administration, part of Israel’s Defense Ministry, announced the measurement of land, with the Israeli source saying it would now form part of Maale Adumim settlement, east of Jerusalem. A spokesperson for the PA said the move underscored Israel’s continued efforts to siphon Jerusalem from the Palestinian areas surrounding it and undermines the possibility of creating an independent Palestinian state. Reuters reports.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that his government will find a way to end exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews from conscripting in the Israeli military.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — REGIONAL RESPONSE
Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement saying it “condemns in the strongest terms the heinous massacre committed by the Israeli counterparts against defenseless civilians who were waiting for humanitarian aid to arrive in Gaza, resulting in the death and injury of dozens of people.” “The continuation of the occupation’s brutal crimes as part of its brutal war on Gaza Strip, proves day after day the pressing need for urgent international action to immediately end this unprecedented aggression in recent history,” it said.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
Israel “has committed yet another crime against humanity with the killing of the Palestinians” in yesterday’s aid convoy incident, the Turkish foreign affairs ministry said. “The fact that Israel, which has been using starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza, is now targeting innocent civilians who are seeking life-saving aid is evidence of Israel’s intention to destroy the entire Palestinian population,” it said.
Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro announced yesterday his government is suspending purchases of weapons from Israel after the convoy incident. Describing the deaths as “genocide,” Petro blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the violence. “This is called genocide and is reminiscent of the Holocaust even if the world powers do not like to recognize it,” he said in a post on X, adding, “The world must block Netanyahu.” AP News reports.
French President Emmannuel Macron expressed “deep indignation at the images coming from Gaza where civilians have been targeted by Israeli soldiers.” In a post on X, Macron called for “truth, justice, and respect for international law.”
The U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said yesterday that the Gaza aid convoy incident requires an effective independent investigation. U.N. relief chief Martin Griffiths also said he was “appalled at the reported killing and injury of hundreds of people during a transfer of aid supplies west of Gaza City today,” adding that “Life is draining out of Gaza at terrifying speed.”
The Palestinian Authority has received 407 million shekels, or $114 million, from Israel with more funds coming soon following a deal to release frozen tax funds, the Norwegian government said yesterday. “This money is absolutely necessary to prevent the collapse of the Palestinian Authority, to ensure that the Palestinians receive vital services, and that teachers and health workers are paid,” Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said. Under the deal, Norway serves as an intermediary, holding tax revenue equal to the portion that Israel estimates would have gone to Gaza, while the PA receives the rest, Oslo said. Reuters reports.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. RESPONSE
President Biden told reporters yesterday that he “knows” the aid convoy incident in Gaza will complicate the ongoing negotiations over a hostage deal and a temporary ceasefire. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.
Biden spoke with the Emir of Qatar and Egypt’s president yesterday to discuss the “tragic and alarming” incident of the aid convoy incident, the White House said. “Both leaders grieved the loss of civilian lives and agreed that this incident underscored the urgency of bringing negotiations to a close as soon as possible and expanding the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza,” the White House said.
The United States is trying to determine the details of yesterday’s Gaza aid convoy incident, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a news briefing. Washington believes that a commercial convoy delivering humanitarian aid – not U.N. trucks – were swarmed by people seeking food. Beyond that, however, Miller said that there are “conflicting reports,” adding that, “We don’t have ground truth on what happened … and we are seeking more information.” Sammy Westfall reports for the Washington Post.
The United States has blocked a U.N. Security Council statement blaming Israel for yesterday’s deadly Gaza aid convoy incident. Riyad Mansour, Palestine’s U.N. ambassador, told reporters after an emergency closed council meeting that 14 of the 15 council members supported the statement put forward by Algeria. The draft declaration expressed “deep concern” and stated the situation was “due to opening fire by Israel forces.” U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood told reporters “The problem is that we don’t have all the facts here,” adding that he wanted the wording to reflect “the necessary due diligence with regards to culpability.” Agencies and Emanuel Fabian report for The Times of Israel.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Washington has given Israel 21,000 precision guided missiles since the start of the war. Austin said he spoke to his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, yesterday and said, “I expect that when we provide munitions to allies and partners they will use them in a responsible way.”
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the West faced the prospect of nuclear conflict if it intervened more directly in Ukraine, using an annual speech to the nation yesterday to escalate his threats against Europe and the United States. Putin said that NATO countries who consider sending their own troops into Ukraine “must, in the end, understand” that “all this truly threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons, and therefore the destruction of civilization.” “We also have weapons that can strike targets on their territory,” Putin said, adding, “Do they not understand this?” At the same time, Putin said he was ready to resume arms-control negotiations with the United States “on matters of strategic stability.” Anton Troianovski reports for the New York Times.
Attempts to hire a hearse to carry the body of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navlany to his funeral have been thwarted by unknown people, his team said yesterday. Navalny’s funeral will be held today in Moscow’s Maryino district, where the opposition leader lived. He will then be buried at Borisov Cemetery. Radina Gigova, Nathan Hodge, Sahar Akbarzai and Jack Guy report for CNN.
Voting is underway in Iran as the country holds its first elections since the 2022 anti-government protests. With more than 61.2 million people eligible to vote, today’s elections are seen as a crucial test of legitimacy and national support for Iran’s leadership. Two separate polls are taking place, one to elect the next members of parliament, and another to elect members of the Assembly of Experts. Sofia Ferreira Santos reports for BBC News.
Victor Manuel Rocha, a former career U.S. diplomat who served as the U.S. ambassador to Bolivia, has pleaded guilty to working as an agent of Cuba for more than 40 years. Rocha, 73, was charged with secretly passing information to the Cuban government since 1981 while working for the U.S. state department. Rocha is due to be sentenced at a hearing on April 12. Will Grant reports for BBC News.
Canada’s government is reimposing visa requirements on Mexican nationals visiting Canada, an official familiar with the matter told the Associated Press on Wednesday. Quebec’s immigration minister referenced an increase in asylum claims from Mexican nationals since Canada lifted the visa restriction in 2016. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he felt a “small, fraternal, respectful reproach to the prime minister” for Canada’s decision, but added that Mexico would act with “prudence” in response. Rob Gillies reports for AP News.
Gun battles across the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince yesterday left four police officers dead, as a prominent gang leader said a coordinated attack was underway to oust Prime Minister Ariel Henry. CBS News reports.
The U.S. Senate yesterday defeated 79-13 an effort to stop the $23 billion sale of F-16 fighter jets and modernization kits to Turkey, which the Biden administration approved after Turkey accepted Sweden joining the NATO alliance. Patricia Zengerle reports for Reuters.
The main opposition politician in Chad, Yaya Dillo, was killed on Wednesday during the exchange of fire with security forces, the country’s prosecutor said yesterday. The violence flared amid tensions ahead of a presidential election set for May and June that could return the country to constitutional rule, three years after the military seized control. Chadian officials previously said that there had been an attack on the country’s National Security Agency and accused Dillo’s party of being behind it, which Dillo denied. Ruth Maclean reports for the New York Times.
A Russian man pleaded guilty to U.S. charges that he smuggled large quantities of American-made, military-grade microelectronics to Russia, the Justice Department announced yesterday. Maxim Marchenko, 51, is due to be sentenced on June 6.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE DEVELOPMENTS
The Biden administration is considering whether to provide Ukraine with much-needed arms and ammunition from Pentagon stockpiles, despite the government running out of money to replace those munitions, according to two U.S. officials and a senior lawmaker. The United States has provided Ukraine with some $44.2 billion in military aid since the start of the war two years ago, around half of which has been sent under “presidential drawdown authority,” which allows the administration to immediately transfer Pentagon stocks to Ukraine instead of waiting months or years for defense contractors to manufacture new weapons. Eric Schmitt reports for the New York Times.
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
President Biden and former President Trump have made competing visits to the U.S. border in Texas, each seeking to claim they can tackle illegal immigration. Biden accused Trump – who spoke of the “very dangerous” situation at the border – of hampering his efforts to crackdown on crossings. Meanwhile, Trump said in an interview yesterday that he will use local police to implement his plan for the mass deportation of undocumented migrants if elected. Angelica Casas, Sarah Smith, Tom Bateman, and Mike Wendling report for BBC News.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin faced questions yesterday from the House Armed Services Committee about the lack of transparency over his January hospitalization. Austin said there was a “breakdown in notifications during [his] January stay at Walter Reed,” but added that the Department of Defense is taking steps to ensure such a breakdown of communication would not recur. Ivana Saric reports for Axios.
A transcript of Hunter Biden’s closed-door deposition before two Republican-led committees was publicly released yesterday. Hunter Biden maintained throughout his testimony – which lasted over six hours – that his father was never involved in his business dealings. Rebecca Falconer reports for Axios.
F.B.I. agents yesterday searched two houses owned by a close aide to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Winnie Greco, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. The searches of the properties were part of an investigation conducted with prosecutors from the U.S. attorney’s office in Brooklyn. It is unclear what the investigation was focused on or whether it related to Adams, who himself has been the subject of a criminal inquiry by the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan. William K. Rashbaum and Emma G. Fitzsimmons reports for the New York Times.
TRUMP-LEGAL MATTERS
Trump has appealed an Illinois judge’s decision that disqualified him from the state’s upcoming Republican primary ballot. While Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie Porter extended the pause on her ruling, which was set to expire this weekend, the move preserves Trump’s spot on the ballot until all appeals are settled. Marshall Cohen reports for CNN.
Attorneys for special counsel Jack Smith and Trump proposed new trial dates yesterday for Trump’s criminal trial on charges that he mishandled classified documents and national security secrets. Federal prosecutors proposed a start date of July 8. Trump’s attorneys suggested, in the alternative, that he stand trial Aug. 12, while also seeking to have the proceeding postponed until after the election. If District Court Judge Aileen Cannon agrees to Trump’s proposed date, the timing could conflict with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’s trial plans for the Trump election interference case in Georgia. Her office is seeking an August trial date. Dareh Gregorian reports for NBC News.