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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
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed Israel can “stand alone” after President Biden warned he would halt arm shipments if Israel launched a full-scale invasion of Rafah. “If we have to stand alone, we will stand alone. If we need to, we will fight with our fingernails,” Netanyahu said. Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant also dismissed Biden’s warnings, saying Israel’s “enemies as well as … best of friends” should understand his country “cannot be subdued.” Mike Wendling reports for BBC News; Julian Borger and Jason Burke report for the Guardian.
Israel’s operation in Rafah has forced a “pause” in ceasefire talks, U.S. officials say. The discussions that have been taking place in Cairo over recent days have largely broken up with the departures of the Hamas and Israeli delegations, as well as CIA Director Bill Burns. Hamas said yesterday it was sending its delegation back to Doha, but that it remained committed to the ceasefire proposal it accepted last week. Alex Marquardt reports for CNN; Shira Rubin, Michael Birnbaum, and Karen DeYoung report for the Washington Post.
Israeli tanks today captured the main road dividing the eastern and western halves of Rafah, effectively encircling the entire eastern side of the city. Residents described near constant explosions and gunfire east and northeast of the city today, with intense fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants. Hamas said it ambushed Israeli tanks near a mosque in eastern Rafah, a sign the Israelis had penetrated several kilometers from the east to the outskirts of Rafah. Nidal Al-Mughrabi reports for Reuters.
The U.N. General Assembly is expected to vote today on a resolution that would grant new “rights and privileges” to Palestine and call on the Security Council to favorably reassess its request to become a U.N. member. Unlike the Security Council, there are no vetoes in the General Assembly, and the resolution is expected to be approved by a large majority, according to three Western diplomats. Edith M. Lederer reports for AP News.
The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said yesterday it had temporarily closed its headquarters in East Jerusalem after an arson attack. “This evening, Israeli residents set fire twice to the perimeter of the UNRWA Headquarters in occupied East Jerusalem,” the agency’s leader, Philippe Lazzarini, said on X. The fire caused extensive damage to the outdoor areas of the compound, Lazzarini said, but no UNRWA staff or other U.N. workers were injured. Anushka Patil reports for the New York Times; Hande Atay Alam and Kareem Khadder report for CNN.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. RESPONSE
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to submit to Congress as soon as today a “highly critical” report about Israel’s conduct in Gaza that stops short of concluding Israel has violated the terms for its use of U.S. weapons. The report assesses whether Israel complied with international law in the Gaza war and restricted humanitarian aid. Three U.S. officials said the report will list a series of incidents in the war which raised serious concerns about breaches of international law, and will state that the State Department is investigating several of those incidents. However, the report certifies Israel isn’t currently violating the national security memorandum in respect of facilitating the delivery of U.S.-supported humanitarian aid to Gaza. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.
Israel has to make “a choice” on whether it will escalate its current operations in Rafah, White House spokesperson John Kirby said yesterday. “We’re going to be watching what the Israelis do here, what their decision-making looks like going forward,” Kirby said. If Israel opts to “smash” into Rafah, he said, Biden would have to make decisions about withholding military aid. Erica L. Green reports for the New York Times; Karen DeYoung and Missy Ryan report for the Washington Post.
The scope of Israel’s current movements in Rafah do not suggest a ground invasion has started, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder said yesterday. “All indications are at this time that it is a relatively limited operation meant to secure that area, and so again, we’ll continue to assess and monitor,” Ryder said of the Israeli military’s current operation in Rafah. Karen DeYoung and Missy Ryan report for the Washington Post.
Republican lawmakers are pushing legislation aimed at stopping President Biden from withholding weapons shipments to Israel. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) yesterday introduced the Immediate Support for Israel Act, which would require transfers of some weapons to Israel within 30 days of procurement. The bill would only apply to weapons approved in the $95 billion aid foreign aid package that Congress passed last month. Andrew Solender reports for Axios.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched in the Swedish city of Malmo yesterday against Israel’s participation in the pop competition Eurovision. Protesters marched through the city for a rally several miles from the Eurovision venue. Police estimated that between 10,000 and 12,000 people took part. Jill Lawless reports for AP News.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE DEVELOPMENTS
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sacked the head of his personal protection unit after two of its top officials were detained over an alleged assassination plot. Paul Kirby reports for BBC News.
Ukrainian drones struck two oil depots and a refinery in Russia over the past day, including one deep in Russian territory, officials on both sides said yesterday. One of Russia’s largest oil refineries — more than 700 miles from the Ukrainian border — was struck, a sign that Kyiv is increasingly capable of striking further into Russia. The United States has publicly urged Ukraine to halt attacks on Russian oil refineries for fear it could impact global oil markets. Constant Méheu reports for the New York Times.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Chad’s military ruler Mahamat Idriss Déby was announced yesterday as the winner of the country’s disputed presidential election. Two hours before the official broadcast, a “resounding victory” was claimed by the opposition leader, who has been the country’s prime minister since January. Ruth Maclean reports for the New York Times.
The Philippines’ national security adviser today called for Chinese diplomats to be expelled over an alleged leak of a phone conversation with a Filipino admiral. In a significant escalation, the Philippines accused the Chinese embassy in Manila of orchestrating “repeated acts of engaging and dissemination of disinformation, misinformation and malinformation,” and called for action to be taken against Chinese embassy officials alleged to have recorded a phone conversation, in violation of Philippine laws. Karen Lema reports for Reuters.
DOMESTIC U.S. DEVELOPMENTS
Hunter Biden’s federal gun charges will proceed to trial after his appeal was dismissed yesterday by a federal appeals court. The ruling paves the way for a high-stakes criminal trial to begin early next month. Sareen Habeshian reports for Axios.
Florida police have publicly released body camera footage from a deputy sheriff who fatally shot a Black U.S. Air Force member at his home. Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, died in hospital. His lawyer has alleged the police burst into the wrong home. The police have disputed the claim and said the deputy acted in self-defense after he saw Fortson with a gun. The shooting is being investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the State Attorney’s Office. Nadine Yousif reports for BBC News.
TRUMP-LEGAL MATTERS
Former President Trump’s criminal hush money trial continues today. Back on the witness stand is Madeleine Westerhout, a Trump aide who was working at the Republican National Committee when Trump’s “Access Hollywood” tape leaked just before the 2016 election. That tape is significant as prosecutors say the political firestorm it caused accelerated the payment to Daniels. The court yesterday heard testimony from Stormy Daniels. Jake Offenhartz, Jennifer Peltz, Michael R. Sisak, and Alanna Durkin Richer reports for AP News.
Trump’s legal team was denied two requests yesterday in his ongoing hush money criminal trial. The first request was for a mistrial, with Trump’s attorney arguing some of Stormy Daniels’ testimony was unrelated to charges in the case. Trump’s attorneys also requested the gag order in the case be narrowed so he could talk about Daniels publicly, now that her testimony has wrapped up. Merchan denied the motion, saying, “The reason why the gag order is in place to begin with is precisely because of the nature of these attacks — the vitriol.” Sareen Habeshian reports for Axios.