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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
Palestinian officials have applied to join South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide. The request, published yesterday, alleges that Israel’s ongoing military offensive is “part of a systematic effort to wipe Palestinian society and its culture and social institutions from the map.” The request was made on behalf of the “State of Palestine” and signed by Ammar Hijazi, a Palestinian Authority foreign ministry official. Mike Corder reports for AP News.
The Israel Defense Forces told the families of four Israeli hostages held in Gaza that “they are no longer alive.” The circumstances of their deaths in Hamas captivity are still under examination, according to the military, but the IDF’s chief spokesperson said, “We assess that the four of them were killed while together in the area of Khan Younis during an operation there against Hamas.” Lauren Izso and Larry Register report for CNN.
Israeli officials are concerned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s public insistence he will continue the war until Hamas is defeated could sabotage the “constructive ambiguity” used in Israel’s latest ceasefire plan. The plan’s ambiguous language could allow both sides to enter the first phase of the deal, which includes some hostage releases and a 42-day ceasefire, while leaving for later the question of whether the agreement will lead to the end of the war. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.
Hamas is slated to send a delegation to Cairo today to discuss the Israeli ceasefire plan, two officials told The Times of Israel.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. RESPONSE
President Biden’s description of Israel’s latest ceasefire proposal was “not accurate,” a senior Israeli official told NBC News. The official disputed that Israel had agreed to the full withdrawal of its forces from Gaza as part of a hostage release deal, and said that while the White House described the plan as originating from Israel, it was actually a proposal put forward by mediators which Israel had amended. Raf Sanchez, Yuliya Talmazan, and Monica Alba report for NBC News.
Biden spoke with Qatar’s Emir yesterday and urged him to secure Hamas’s acceptance of the latest Israeli ceasefire proposal. Biden “confirmed Israel’s readiness to move forward with the terms that have now been offered to Hamas” and “urged [Emir] Tamim to use all appropriate measures to secure Hamas’ acceptance of the deal,” according to a White House readout of the call.
The United States yesterday urged the U.N. Security Council to support the ceasefire plan advanced by Biden. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the United States circulated a draft resolution to the 14 other council members to back the proposal, and called on the Security Council to implement the deal “without delay and without further conditions.” Edith M. Lederer reports for AP News.
House Republicans yesterday advanced legislation to punish the International Criminal Court after its chief prosecutor recommended war crimes charges against Israeli leaders. The House Rules Committee voted 9-3 yesterday, along partisan lines, to send legislation to the floor that would impose sanctions on ICC officials. The full House is set to pass the bill later this week and send it to the Senate, where it is expected to be ignored by Democratic leaders. Mychael Schnell and Mike Lillis report for The Hill.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — REGIONAL RESPONSE
The foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, and Egypt released a statement yesterday affirming support for Israel’s latest ceasefire plan advanced by Biden.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
The leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) also released a joint statement yesterday endorsing Israel’s latest ceasefire plan advanced by Biden.
Slovenia’s conservative opposition filed a motion that delays the country’s recognition of a Palestinian state, a parliamentary spokesperson said. Slovenian lawmakers were scheduled to vote today on whether to recognize a Palestinian state, but the motion to hold an advisory referendum on the decree effectively delays the vote by about 30 days. The Guardian reports.
IRAN-BACKED MILITANTS
Israeli airstrikes near Aleppo, Syria yesterday killed a general in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps, Iranian state media reported. Gen. Saeed Abyar, a member of Iran’s Quds Force, is believed to be the first Iranian to be killed by Israel since the two countries nearly went to war in April after Israel bombed an Iranian consulate building in Damascus. Farnaz Fassihi reports for the New York Times.
Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets and exploding drones from Lebanon into northern Israel yesterday, according to Hezbollah, Israeli officials, and local media. Israel’s military said six reservists had been injured, and a Hezbollah-controlled TV network said the group had fired at Israeli soldiers close to the border. The New York Times reports.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE DEVELOPMENTS
The White House confirmed President Biden will not attend the upcoming Ukraine Peace Summit in Switzerland. Instead, Vice President Kamala Harris and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will represent the United States during the two-day event. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the decision “would only be met with applause by Putin.” Veronika Melkozerova reports for POLITICO.
Ukrainian forces yesterday claimed they had successfully hit a Russian missile system using Western-supplied weapons inside Russian territory. It is unclear if the weapons used in the strike were specifically U.S.-supplied. The Kremlin warned yesterday that Washington could face “fatal consequences” if it does not heed Moscow’s caution against Ukraine using U.S. weapons to strike Russia. AnneClaire Stapleton and Christian Edwards report for CNN; Pierre Emmanuel Ngendakumana reports for POLITICO.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Preliminary results in India’s general election show the ruling BJP-led alliance is leading in just under 300 seats, while opposition parties are ahead in about 200. Indian prime minister Narendra Modi is eyeing a rare third term for himself and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) party. A party or alliance needs to secure 272 seats in the 543 member parliament to form a government. BBC News reports.
South Korea announced yesterday it will nullify a 2018 rapprochement deal with North Korea to punish Pyongyang for launching trash balloons, even after the North said it would halt its campaign. South Korea’s presidential national security council said a proposal on the suspension will be introduced at the Cabinet Council today for approval. Hyung-Jin Kim reports for AP News.
Some Canadian MPs are “witting or semi-witting” participants in foreign meddling, a Canadian government report alleges. The report by the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians cites incidents including “knowingly or through willful blindness” accepting funds or benefits from foreign governments, with China and India being the “most active perpetrators.” Sam Cabral reports for BBC News.
Former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan was acquitted yesterday of leaking state secrets by the Islamabad High Court. Khan, 71, is expected to remain in prison due to his conviction in another case relating to his marriage to his third wife. Lucy Clarke-Billings reports for BBC News; Asif Shahzad and Ariba Shahid report for Reuters.
The Australian army will allow recruits from foreign countries to help grow its ranks. From July, New Zealand nationals who are permanent residents of Australia can apply to join, and from next year, foreign recruits including those from the Britain, United States, and Canada will be able to join. Tiffanie Turnbull reports for BBC News.
German authorities said yesterday they uncovered evidence of an Islamic extremist motive in last week’s knife attack in which a police officer was killed. ABC News reports.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Cambodia today for a visit amid increasing concern about Beijing’s growing presence at a key Cambodian naval base. Reuters reports.
Poland has arrested 18 people over the past six months on allegations of pursuing hostile activities or planning sabotage as an agent of Russia or Belarus, the interior minister said yesterday. AP News reports.
The U.S. Embassy in Congo said yesterday that Congolese authorities have not provided details about or access to U.S. citizens who were arrested following a coup attempt last month. Jessica Donati reports for AP News.
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
Biden is expected to sign an executive order today allowing him to temporarily close the U.S.-Mexico border when crossings surge, a move that would suspend longtime protections for asylum seekers. Hamed Aleaziz and Zolan Kanno-Youngs report for the New York Times; Michelle Hackman and Tarini Parti report for the Wall Street Journal.
Sen. Bob Menendez, who is on trial on federal bribery charges, yesterday filed to run for reelection as an independent in New Jersey. Rebecca Falconer reports for Axios.
A former U.S. soldier accused of going on an “international crime spree” appeared in his first court hearing in Florida yesterday after being extradited from Ukraine. Craig Lang, 34, faces charges in three states for allegedly killing and robbing a couple in 2018, conspiracy to commit passport fraud, and aggravated identity theft, among other crimes. Andrew Jeong reports for the Washington Post.
A juror was dismissed yesterday after reporting that someone dropped a bag of $120,000 in cash at her home with a promise of more if she acquitted seven people charged with stealing over $40 million from a program meant to feed children during the pandemic. These seven are the first of 70 defendants expected to face trial in a conspiracy that cost taxpayers $250 million in one of the nation’s largest pandemic-related fraud cases. AP News reports.