Signup to receive the Early Edition in your inbox here.
A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
Hamas said it has presented a response to the proposals transmitted by Egyptian and Qatari mediators but blamed Israel for stalling to reach an agreement. “We have affirmed our conditions for a ceasefire, complete withdrawal from the sector, the return of displaced persons to the areas they left, especially in the north, and the provision of sufficient aid, relief, and reconstruction,” senior Hamas leader Osama Hamdan told a news conference in Beirut. Hamdan reiterated the group’s requirement for a permanent ceasefire and said a prisoner exchange would only occur after Israeli troops had withdrawn from Gaza and aid was allowed to enter the enclave. Mostafa Salem reports for CNN.
The World Food Programme said the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) blocked its first attempt in two weeks to deliver food aid to northern Gaza. The U.N. agency said the convoy of 14 lorries was “turned back” at a checkpoint and later looted by crowds of “desperate people.” It comes a day after the World Health Organization said children are dying of starvation in northern Gaza. The U.N. previously warned that famine is “almost inevitable” without action, with the Hamas-run health ministry reporting on Sunday that at least 15 children died from malnutrition and dehydration. George Wright reports for BBC News.
Israeli forces opened fire on people waiting for aid Monday night in northern Gaza, eyewitnesses told CNN. The shooting took place at the Kuwait Roundabout on Rasheed Street in Gaza shortly before midnight, one eyewitness said, who had traveled there to try to get flour. It is unclear whether there were any casualties.
The head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) yesterday confirmed that hundreds of Palestinians had reported abuse under Israeli detention. Philippe Lazzarini said most people coming back from detention were “completely traumatized by the ordeal they [had] gone through,” adding that Palestinians interviewed by the UNRWA reported a “broad range of ill-treatment,” including being forced to strip naked, verbal and psychological abuse, threats of electrocution, sleep deprivation, extreme noise, and the use of dogs as an intimidation tactic. The Israeli military said in response to the allegations that every detainee death was being investigated and that all mistreatment was “absolutely prohibited,” while strongly denying any allegations of sexual abuse. Monika Pronczuk reports for the New York Times.
A total of 364 health workers have been killed since the war in Gaza began on Oct. 7, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The ministry added that 269 of its medical staff have been arrested, 155 ambulances have been targeted, and 155 health facilities have been destroyed. CNN reports.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
British foreign secretary David Cameron said yesterday that Israel’s handling of aid for Gaza, “as the occupying power,” raised questions over its compliance with international law. Speaking at the House of Lords, Cameron referenced the “dreadful suffering” in Gaza, adding that he “spoke some weeks ago about the danger of this tipping into famine and the danger of illness tipping into disease; and we are now at that point. People are dying of hunger; people are dying of otherwise preventable diseases.” He added that, “The patience needs to run very thin and a whole series of warnings needs to be given, starting, I hope, with a meeting I have with [Israeli war cabinet] Minister Gantz when he visits the UK [today].”
A group of Canadian lawyers is suing Canada’s global affairs ministry for exporting military goods and technology to Israel during the war in Gaza. The attorneys argue the $21 million worth of exports permitted by Canada since war started on Oct. 7 could be used in alleged human rights violations against Palestinians. Ottawa denies accusations that the exports are illegal, saying the goods were “non-lethal” in nature. Nadine Yousif reports for BBC News.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. RESPONSE
President Biden said yesterday that talks on a possible six-week ceasefire in Gaza are “in the hands of Hamas right now” and reiterated the need for a ceasefire, adding that, “We will know in a couple of days what’s going to happen.” Biden said that Israel had “been cooperating” in the indirect negotiations, which are being mediated by Qatar and Egypt, and that “a rational offer” had been proposed. Biden’s comments came just before a Hamas leader in Lebanon appeared to reject a proposed deal the United States is backing, insisting that Israeli hostages would be released only after a ceasefire was in place and Israeli forces had withdrawn.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke yesterday with Israeli War Cabinet member Benny Gantz. According to a press release, Austin “expressed strong concerns over the humanitarian situation in Gaza and requested Minister Gantz’s support in enabling more humanitarian assistance and distribution into Gaza.” He also emphasized the “need for a credible and implementable plan for protecting civilians and addressing the humanitarian situation prior to any ground operations in Rafah.”
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it conducted another airdrop in northern Gaza yesterday with the Royal Jordanian Air Force, providing more than 36,800 meals to the region. In a post on X, CENTCOM said, “The combined, joint operation included US Air Force C-130 aircraft and US Army soldiers specialized in aerial delivery of US and Jordanian humanitarian assistance supplies … US C-130s dropped over 36,800 US and Jordanian meal equivalents in Northern Gaza, an area of great need, allowing for civilian access to the critical aid.”
The United States yesterday revised language to a draft U.N. Security Council resolution to back “an immediate ceasefire of roughly six-weeks in Gaza together with the release of all hostages,” according to the text seen by Reuters. The third revision of the text, which was first proposed by the United States two weeks ago, now reflects the blunt remarks by Vice-President Kamala Harris demanding that Hamas agree to an immediate six-week ceasefire and forcefully urging Israel to increase aid to Gaza. Washington has up until now been averse to the term ceasefire, vetoing two draft resolutions since the start of the war that would have demanded an immediate ceasefire. The United States has said it plans to allow time for negotiations on its draft and will not rush to a vote. Michelle Nichols reports for Reuters.
The United States and its international partners are considering a maritime corridor to deliver aid to Gaza, Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said yesterday. “In coordination with the US interagency and international partners, we are actively reviewing options for a maritime corridor for humanitarian assistance into Gaza, including potential commercial and contracted options,” Ryder said. He provided few details but confirmed that the U.S. military would be “only in a supporting role.”Haley Britzky reports for CNN.
IRAN-BACKED MILITANTS
The Israeli military and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon have ratcheted up rocket attacks as diplomats struggle to prevent a second full-fledged war in the region from breaking out. An Israeli airstrike yesterday killed three people in Houla, a border village, according to reports from Lebanon’s official National News Agency. Later in the day, a heavy barrage of rockets fired out of Lebanon struck the Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona. Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, said on Tuesday that indirect talks on an end to the border hostilities would begin next week, Reuters reported. Hwaida Saad reports for the New York Times.
MILITARY CONFLICT WITH THE HOUTHIS
A U.S. destroyer shot down drones and a missile launched by the Houthis toward the Red Sea, officials said today. The assault apparently targeted the USS Carney, a destroyer that has been involved in the U.S. campaign against the rebel group. The attack involved bomb-carrying drones and one anti-ship ballistic missile, CENTCOM said, adding that Washington later launched an airstrike destroying three anti-ship missiles and three bomb-carrying drone boats. A Houthi military spokesperson acknowledged the attack but not the later U.S. airstrikes, and claimed the group targeted two U.S. warships without elaborating. Jon Gambrell reports for AP News.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier, the gang leader behind the violence in Haiti’s capital, has warned there will be a “civil war” if Haiti’s prime minister, Ariel Henry, does not step down. The threat came as members of his gang tried to seize the Port-au-Prince airport to stop Henry from returning from abroad. Henry’s location was unknown for days until yesterday evening, when he flew from New Jersey to Puerto Rico. Kathryn Armstrong and Will Grant report for BBC News.
Peru’s Prime Minister Alberto Otárola has resigned after an audio recording was leaked over the weekend purportedly of the official attempting to improperly influence government contracts. Otárola told media the recording was made in 2021 when he was not working in government, and that it was manipulated and edited by his political opponents. He had previously denied committing any crimes after the recording was made public. Reuters reports.
The recording of a meeting of senior German air force officials was leaked by Russian sources after an “individual error,” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has said. He said an investigation had ruled out that a Russian spy had taken part in the call without being noticed and that the call had been leaked as a participant dialed in via an insecure line, making it possible for Russia to intercept the conversation. Pistorius confirmed that a disciplinary investigation was underway but that “At the moment, personal consequences are not on the agenda,” saying, “I won’t sacrifice my best officers for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s games.” Jessica Parker and Laura Gozzi report for BBC News.
Tensions between Berlin and Paris spilled into the open yesterday as Pistorius hit back at French President Emmanuel Macron for urging Europe not to be “cowards” in defending Ukraine. Speaking in Prague, Macron said, “Europe clearly faces a moment when it will be necessary not to be cowards,” adding that people “never want to see the tragedies that are coming.” Pistorius called Macron’s language as counterproductive, telling reporters during a press conference that, “We don’t need … talk about boots on the ground or having more courage or less courage.” Clea Caulcutt reports for POLITICO.
Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández took the witness stand in his defense at his New York trial yesterday, denying that he protected drug dealers in return for millions of dollars in bribes. His testimony in Manhattan federal court came after drug cartel traffickers testified that Hernández protected the drug trade in return for millions of dollars that helped him rise to power. Those implicated are hoping to earn leniency from long prison sentences in exchange for their cooperation. Larry Neumeister and Cedar Attanasio report for AP News.
Panama’s electoral tribunal disqualified former President Ricardo Martinelli from running in the country’s May presidential election after he received a 10-year sentence for money laundering. The body reached the decision after 10 hours of debate, saying in a statement that Martinelli’s disqualification was the result of his having been sentenced to more than five years in prison for an intentional crime. Leila Miller and Mary Triny Zea report for the New York Times.
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed concerns today over “unsafe and destabilizing behavior” in the South China Sea, citing yesterday’s collision between Chinese and Philippine ships. His remarks came on the final day of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ special summit, where ASEAN leaders failed to explicitly call China out over recent incidents in the disputed waters, instead urging for disputes to be resolved through dialogue rather than threats. Rod Mcguirk reports for AP News.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE DEVELOPMENTS
The International Criminal Court (ICC) yesterday issued arrest warrants against two top Russian military officials. General-Lieutenant Sergei Kobylash, the commander of Russia’s long-range aviation forces, and Admiral Viktor Sokolov, the head of Russia’s Black Sea fleet, now face arrest for war crimes related to Russia’s war in Ukraine. The ICC claims that Kobylash and Sokolov are responsible for bombarding civilians and bombing Ukraine’s critical energy infrastructure from October 2022 to March 2023, a period when Russia heavily targeted Ukraine’s energy plants. The warrants are classified, although according to the ICC, “there are reasonable grounds to believe that the suspects also bear responsibility for the crime against humanity” in their onslaught. Denis Leven reports for POLITICO.
The Kremlin said it does not recognise the warrants issued by the ICC, adding that Russia is not party to the Rome Statute that established the ICC.