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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
A top Hamas official said the group would lay down its weapons if a two-state solution is implemented. The official told The Associated Press the group is willing to agree to a ceasefire of five years or more with Israel and that it would convert into a political party if an independent Palestinian state is established along pre-1967 borders. If that happens, Hamas’s military wing would dissolve, the official said. Abby Swell reports.
Top Israeli and Egyptian officials secretly met in Cairo yesterday to discuss a possible Rafah invasion, according to three senior Israeli officials. Egyptian officials are concerned an Israeli offensive in Rafah would lead to displaced civilians entering their territory en masse, potentially involving a breach of the border that would endanger Egypt’s security. Israeli officials have said close military and diplomatic coordination with Egypt is a basic prerequisite for an offensive in Rafah. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.
An Israeli-American hostage appeared in a Hamas video, the first proof he survived the Oct. 7 attacks. Hamas yesterday released an undated video of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 24, who was kidnapped from the Nova music festival during the Hamas attacks. In the video, Goldberg-Polin said he has been “here for almost 200 days,” suggesting the video was taken shortly before Tuesday, the 200th day of the war. Eyad Kourdi, Pauline Lockwood, and Lauren Izso report for CNN; Barak Ravid reports for Axios.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. RESPONSE
A report released yesterday casts doubts on Israel’s assurances that it is using U.S. weapons in full compliance with U.S. and international law. The report, published by an Independent Task Force on the Application of National Security Memorandum-20 (NSM-20), comes amid an internal review by the Biden administration on whether U.S. partners provided with U.S. weapons have complied with international humanitarian law. Patsy Widakuswara reports for VOA News.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan yesterday declined to say whether the Biden administration will cut U.S. aid to an Israeli military unit accused of human rights abuses. Sullivan said the matter was for the State Department to decide and that the White House would not intervene. State Department officials have declined to comment on the matter. Michael Crowley reports for the New York Times.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that the protests sweeping U.S. college campuses are antisemitic and must be quelled. “What’s happening in America’s college campuses is horrific,” Netanyahu said, adding, “Antisemitic mobs have taken over leading universities. They call for the annihilation of Israel. They attack Jewish students. They attack Jewish faculty.” The comments could harden division over the demonstrations. Matthew Mpoke Bigg reports for the New York Times.
Legalizing Israeli settlements in the West Bank would be “dangerous and reckless,” a State Department spokesperson said yesterday. “Our policy, US policy, remains that settlements are counterproductive to the cause of peace, and the government of Israel’s program is inconsistent with international law,” deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said. He added that the United States will continue urging Israel “to refrain from taking actions to fund outposts that have long been illegal under Israeli law.” Michael Conte reports for CNN.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — REGIONAL RESPONSE
Turkey yesterday accused the United States of having double standards on human rights with respect to Gaza. In a statement, Turkey’s foreign ministry said it was deeply concerned Washington’s annual rights report failed to “duly reflect the ongoing inhumane attacks in Gaza.” The report was prepared with “political motives, far from impartiality and objectivity,” it said, calling on Washington to end its “double-standard policy on human rights.” Reuters reports.
IRAN-BACKED MILITANTS
Israel said that half of Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah commanders in southern Lebanon have been killed since Oct. 7. “Half of Hezbollah commanders in southern Lebanon were eliminated. We made it so that either they die, or they hide and abandon South Lebanon to the IDF’s operation, which is being done intensively,” Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant said. Hezbollah has denied the claim. CNN reports.
MILITARY CONFLICT WITH THE HOUTHIS
A coalition vessel yesterday stopped an anti-ship ballistic missile launched from Yemen by the Houthis, CENTCOM said. It added that the missile was “likely targeting” a “U.S. flagged, owned, and operated vessel with 18 U.S. and four Greek crew members.” No damage or injuries were reported. Separately, CENTCOM said it “successfully destroyed” four unmanned aerial vehicles over Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE DEVELOPMENTS
President Biden said yesterday that weapons would begin to flow to Ukraine “within hours” as he signed a $95.3 billion package of aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Zolan Kanno-Youngs reports for the New York Times.
Ukraine has begun using long-range ballistic missiles against Russia secretly provided by the United States, according to U.S. officials. The weapons were sent as part of a U.S. aid package from March, and arrived in Kyiv this month. “I can confirm that the United States provided Ukraine with long-range ATACMS at the president’s direct direction,” State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said yesterday. U.S. media reports they were used for the first time last week to strike Russian targets in occupied Crimea, and again on Tuesday in an attack on Russian troops in the occupied port city Berdyansk. Kathryn Armstrong reports for BBC News.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Spain’s prime minister said yesterday he was considering resigning after a judge opened an investigation into whether his wife had abused her position to help friends win public contracts. In a letter posted on X, Pedro Sánchez said, “I need to stop and think.” He canceled all political engagements until Monday to decide, he said, whether he “should continue to lead the government or renounce this honor.” Rachel Chaundler and Jason Horowitz report for the New York Times.
Russia yesterday vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution that proposed a ban on the use of nuclear weapons in outer space. The vote came amid U.S. intelligence-backed concerns that Russia is attempting to develop a nuclear device capable of destroying satellites. Mariya Knight, Richard Roth, and Chris Lau report for CNN.
China is providing moorage for a U.S.-sanctioned Russian cargo ship implicated in North Korean arms transfers to Russia, according to satellite images obtained by Reuters. The ship’s presence underscores the challenge facing the United States and its allies as they try to sever military and economic support for Russia’s war in Ukraine. Michael Martina and David Brunsstorm report for Reuters.
Indonesia’s electoral commission formally declared Prabowo Subianto president-elect yesterday. It comes after the country’s highest court rejected challenges to his landslide win lodged by two losing presidential candidates alleging fraud and widespread state interference. Niniek Karmani and Fadlan Syam report for AP News.
A ceremony to install a presidential transition council in Haiti will take place today on the outskirts of the capital Port-au-Prince, according to the office of outgoing Prime Minister Ariel Henry. The ceremony will be hosted at the prime minister’s official office, not the downtown National Palace, which has come under repeated fire from armed gangs in recent days. Reuters reports.
A Human Rights Watch investigation released today found that more than 220 civilians, including at least 56 children, were massacred by Burkina Faso’s military on February 25 this year. It described the killings as “among the worst army abuse” incidents in the country in nearly a decade. Gloria Aradi reports for BBC News.
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
An Arizona grand jury indicted former President Trump’s chief of staff Mark Meadows, lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and 16 others for their roles in an attempt to overturn Trump’s loss to President Biden in the 2020 election. The indictment, released yesterday, names 11 Republicans who submitted a document to Congress falsely declaring that Trump won Arizona in 2020. Trump himself was not charged, but was referred to as an unindicted co-conspirator. Jacques Billeaud, Josh Kelety, and Jonathan J. Cooper report for AP News.
TRUMP-LEGAL MATTERS
Former President Trump’s hush money trial is continuing today. David Pecker will resume testifying and defense counsel may start cross-examining him today. Justice Merchan may also announce his ruling on Trump’s alleged gag order violations.
The Supreme Court will hear arguments today on whether former presidents, including Trump, have immunity from criminal prosecution for actions they take while in office. Trump is charged with attempting to overturn the 2020 election results, but Trump’s lawyers argue he cannot be indicted under the U.S. constitution. If the court rules Trump can be prosecuted, the trial will move forward, probably taking place in the middle of the presidential election season. If the court decides Trump does have immunity, the other criminal charges against him may be thrown out. Anthony Zurcher reports for BBC News.