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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the weekend. Here’s today’s news:
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
Israel has accepted a framework deal for winding down the Gaza war being advanced by President Biden, according to an aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Biden announced on Friday what he said was a three-phase Israeli proposal that would pair hostage releases with a “full and complete ceasefire.” In an interview with Britain’s Sunday Times, Netanyahu’s chief foreign policy adviser said Biden’s proposal was “a deal we agreed to – it’s not a good deal but we dearly want the hostages released.” Hamas has said it views the deal positively, but that its willingness to engage was “based on a permanent cease-fire.” Dan Williams reports for Reuters; Eugenia Yosef, Sophie Tanno, and Benjamin Brown report for CNN.
Biden’s ceasefire plan has tightened Netanyahu’s political jam in Israel. More than 100,000 Israelis marched in Tel Aviv on Saturday night demanding Netanyahu accept the U.S.-brokered deal, while two far-right ministers — Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir — threatened to resign and topple his governing coalition if he does. Eugenia Yosef, Sophie Tanno, and Benjamin Brown report for CNN; Shira Rubin, Lior Soroka, Sarah Dadouch and Adela Suliman report for the Washington Post.
Israel’s defense minister yesterday outlined a framework for a “governing alternative” to Hamas in Gaza. Yoav Gallant said in a statement, “We will isolate areas, remove Hamas operatives from these areas and introduce forces that will enable an alternative government to form — an alternative that threatens Hamas,” without offering further details. The New York Times reports.
Israeli strikes in central Gaza killed 11 people overnight, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The first strike hit the Bureij refugee camp, and the second struck the Nuseirat refugee camp. AP News reports.
Forced displacement has “pushed over 1 million people away from Rafah,” the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said in a post on X, adding that the conditions there are “unspeakable.”
Israel’s Supreme Court heard petitions yesterday to end the decades-long tradition of exempting ultra-Orthodox Jewish men of conscription. The New York Times reports; NBC News reports.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. RESPONSE
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday spoke with Yoav Gallant and war cabinet minister Benny Gantz to discuss Biden’s ceasefire plan. According to a readout of the conversation, Blinken “commended Israel’s readiness to conclude a deal and affirmed that the onus is on Hamas to accept.”
The United States expects that if Hamas agrees to Biden’s ceasefire plan, Israel “would say yes,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said yesterday. Alex Ederson reports for ABC News.
Netanyahu has accepted an invitation from U.S. congressional leaders to address a joint meeting of Congress, his office confirmed on Saturday. Annie Grayer reports for CNN.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — REGIONAL RESPONSE
U.S., Israeli, and Egyptian officials ended a meeting in Cairo yesterday, with Egypt sticking to its position that Israel must withdraw from the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing for it to operate again, two Egyptian security sources said. “It is difficult for the Rafah crossing to continue operating without a Palestinian administration,” Egypt’s foreign minister said today at a press conference in Madrid. Reuters reports; The Guardian reports.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
The Maldives announced it will ban Israeli passport holders from entering the country. The ban follows a recommendation from the Cabinet, the Office of President Mohamed Muizzu said in a press release, adding that Muizzu will appoint a special envoy to assess Palestinian needs and launch a fundraising campaign with UNRWA. CNN reports; AP News reports.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE DEVELOPMENTS
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia and China of trying to derail his upcoming global peace summit in Switzerland. Speaking at an Asian security conference in Singapore, Zelenskyy said both countries were trying to dissuade other states from attending the event, in a rare public rebuke of China. Tessa Wong reports for BBC News; Zoya Sheftalovich, Suzanne Lynch, and Stuart Lau report for POLITICO.
China said today that all efforts should be recognized in Russia-Ukraine peace measures. A spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry said that Beijing places great importance on its relations with Ukraine and remains its largest trading partner, adding that China’s position on Zelenskyy’s planned peace conference is very “open and transparent.” Reuters reports.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Mexico has elected its first woman president in a historic landslide win. Claudia Sheinbaum will replace outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on Oct. 1. Vanessa Buschschlüter reports for BBC News; José de Córdoba, Anthony Harrup, and Steve Fisher report for the Wall Street Journal.
Final results in South Africa’s elections confirm the African National Congress party has lost its majority. The ANC, which led the fight to free South Africa from apartheid, won a vote share of just over 40%, meaning it will need to form a coalition. President Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday urged South Africa’s political parties to overcome their differences and find “common ground.” Rachel Savage reports for The Guardian; Gerlad Imray and Mogomotsi Magome reports for AP News.
China has accused Britain’s secret intelligence service MI6 of recruiting Chinese state employees as spies. The allegations come just over a month after the U.K. charged two men with spying for China and amid both countries trading allegations of espionage. Kelly Ng reports for BBC News; Nectar Gan reports for CNN.
North Korea said yesterday it would “temporarily halt” sending trash-filled balloons to South Korea. In a statement released by state media KCNA, North Korea’s vice-defense minister claimed the balloons were “strictly a responsive act” to South Korea’ years-long practice of sending balloons with anti-North Korea propaganda. Kathleen Magramo and Gawon Bae report for CNN; Hyung-Jin Kim reports for AP News.
A German police officer died of his injuries yesterday after being stabbed on Friday. The suspect was shot by another officer and remains hospitalized, and a judge has ordered him to be held on suspicion of attempted murder. The attack took place during an event held by Pax Europa, a German far-right anti-Islam group. AP News reports.
Iran’s foreign ministry has summoned the Chinese ambassador in Tehran over a joint statement released by China and the United Arab Emirates related to Iran’s sovereignty over three Islands also claimed by the UAE, Iranian state media reported yesterday. Reuters reports.
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
Hunter Biden’s gun trial begins today in Delaware over federal fire-arms related charges. The trial, brought by special counsel David Weiss, is expected to last around two weeks, and will be overseen by U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika. NBC News reports.
A retired U.S. Navy admiral has been charged with bribery over allegations that he agreed to award a government contract to a company in exchange for a future job with the firm. Adm. Robert Burke, 62, served as vice-chief of naval operations until 2022. He did not enter a plea during his initial court appearance in Florida on Friday, and prosecutors say he faces up to 30 years in jail if convicted. Jaroslav Lukiv reports for BBC News.
TRUMP-LEGAL MATTERS
Former President Trump said he is okay with potentially being jailed following his conviction last week in his New York hush money trial. In an interview yesterday with Fox News, Trump said that house arrest or jail time would be “tough for the public to take,” adding that he told his lawyers “not to beg” for anything. Donica Phifer reports for Axios.