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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
Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed after attending the inauguration of Iran’s new president in Tehran. Hamas and Iran both blamed Israel, while the Israeli military declined to comment. Iran’s supreme leader said it was the country’s “duty” to avenge the killing, and Hamas’s armed wing warned of “major repercussions.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold a security assessment in Tel Aviv later today, an Israeli official said. CNN reports; Lior Soroka reports for the Washington Post; Ephrat Livni and Raja Abdulrahim report for the New York Times.
At least 85 sick and severely injured Gazans, including 35 children, were evacuated to Abu Dhabi for specialized care, the World Health Organization’s general director said yesterday. Reuters reports.
Palestinians detained by Israeli authorities since Oct. 7 have been held arbitrarily and subjected to torture and mistreatment, according to a new report by the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. RESPONSE
The United States did not know about the strike on Haniyeh ahead of time, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said today. “This is something we were not aware of or involved in,” Blinken said. David Gallagher reports for the New York Times.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — REGIONAL RESPONSE
Jordan, Lebanon, and Qatar condemned the killing of Haniyeh. Jordan said the killing will lead to “more tension and chaos in the region,” while Qatar described it as a “heinous crime, a dangerous escalation and a flagrant violation of international and humanitarian law.” Lebanon’s prime minister said he would convene an urgent meeting of his cabinet today.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
China and Russia have joined regional condemnation of Haniyeh’s killing. China’s foreign ministry said it “resolutely opposes the assassination” and is “deeply concerned” about regional escalation, while Russia urged all parties to step back from the brink of an all-out war. BBC News reports; Reuters reports.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH CONFLICT
Israel said it killed a top Hezbollah commander after carrying out a strike on a suburb of Beirut. Lebanon’s Hezbollah has not confirmed his death, but says Fuad Shukr, who Israel claims was responsible for Saturday’s rocket attack on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, was in a building that was hit at the time. Shukr had previously been accused by the United States of orchestrating the 1983 bombing in Beirut that killed 241 U.S. servicemen. Quentin Sommerville, Nafiseh Kohnavard and Mark Lowen report for BBC News; Bassem Mroue and Kareem Chehayeb report for AP News.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
Ukraine’s air force today said it repelled one of Russia’s largest long-range drone attacks overnight, shooting down all 89 drones launched at Kyiv and the surrounding regions. No casualties or major damage was reported. Anastasiia Malenko and Tom Balmforth report for Reuters.
The United States has agreed to arm F-16 jet fighters being sent to Ukraine with U.S.-made weapons and advanced missiles. Denmark and the Netherlands are preparing to send the first U.S.-made F-16s to Ukraine this summer, with more coming from Belgium and Norway later. Lara Seligman and Alistair MacDonald report for the Wall Street Journal.
U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to announce her running mate by next Tuesday, when she will hold her first rally with her choice in Philadelphia. Holly Otterbein and Eugene Daniels report for POLITICO.
Harris went on the offensive on immigration at her rally in Atlanta yesterday, “touting her role as a California attorney general who prosecuted transnational gangs, drug cartels, and human traffickers.” Harris also called on former President Trump to debate her, saying, “if you’ve got something to say, say it to my face.” Priscilla Alvarez and Piper Hudspeth Blackburn report for CNN.
In a Fox News interview that aired yesterday, Trump suggested that Harris would not be able to stand up to world leaders based on her appearance. “She’ll be like a play toy … They’re going to walk all over her,” Trump said. A Trump campaign spokesperson said his remarks were not in reference to Harris’s race or gender. Isaac Arnsdorf reports for the Washington Post.
The Treasury Department’s under-secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence is reportedly preparing to leave the Biden administration and join Harris’s campaign. Brian Nelson would be the Harris campaign’s first major hire since President Biden dropped out of the race. Hans Nichols reports for Axios.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
U.S. forces carried out an airstrike in Iraq yesterday, targeting unspecified “combatants” attempting to launch a one-way attack drone, officials said. The incident follows attacks on U.S. positions in Iraq and Syria in recent days, officials said, ending what had been a period of calm between U.S. forces and pro-Iran militias in the region. No damage or injuries have been reported. Dan Lamothe reports for the Washington Post.
At least 16 people have died and about 750 arrested as a result of protests in Venezuela over the country’s contested presidential election results. Frances Robles and Isayen Herrera report for the New York Times.
Far-right protesters violently clashed with British police yesterday near a mosque in the northwest English town of Southport, a day after three young girls were stabbed to death in one of the worst attacks against children in the country in decades. Helen Regan, Niamh Kennedy, Maija Ehlinger, and Duarte Mendonca report for CNN.
A son of convicted Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman pleaded not guilty to U.S. drug charges yesterday, five days after he was arrested while delivering his father’s former partner to U.S. authorities on a plane. Joaquin Guzman Lopez faces the death penalty if convicted. Brendon O’Brien and Luc Cohen report for Reuters.
Sudan’s military today said that its top commander survived a drone attack on a military graduation ceremony that killed five people in the country’s east. Samy Magdy and Fatma Khaled report for AP News.
President Emmanuel Macron said France would support Morocco’s plan for the Western Sahara, which gives the disputed territory limited autonomy but keeps it under Moroccan control. Algeria condemned the decision and said it was withdrawing its ambassador to France. Aida Alami and Aurelien Breeden report for the New York Times.
A German citizen who was sentenced to death after being convicted of terrorism in Belarus was pardoned yesterday in a surprise move by the country’s leader. Mary Ilyushina reports for the Washington Post.
A former U.S. officer who was the only person to be convicted in connection with the My Lai massacre during the Vietnam war has died, reports say. Nadine Yousif reports for BBC News.
OTHER U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
Attorney General Merrick Garland yesterday defended his appointment of special counsel Jack Smith as the department appeals a ruling finding he was wrongly appointed. “For more than 20 years I was a federal judge. Do I look like somebody who would make that basic mistake about the law? I don’t think so,” Garland told NBC Nightly News in an interview. Ryan Reilly and Ken Dilanian report for NBC News.