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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 — U.S. RESPONSE
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said yesterday that Israel has accepted a proposal to bridge gaps in ceasefire negotiations, saying it is “now incumbent on Hamas to do the same.” Blinken is continuing his diplomatic tour of the Middle East, and will visit Egypt and Qatar this week to press Hamas leadership to accept the deal. Jennifer Hansler, Alex Marquardt, and Michael Conte report for CNN; Laura Kelly reports for The Hill.
Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched near the Democratic National Convention on its opening day, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to U.S. support for Israel. President Biden said the protesters “have a point” as he emphasized his commitment to getting a ceasefire deal. Mike Wendling reports for BBC News; Rebecca Falconer reports for Axios.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
The bodies of six hostages were retrieved from Gaza yesterday, the Israeli military announced. The rescue operation was carried out by the IDF and Shin Bet. All six men had been kidnapped alive on Oct. 7 before being taken into Gaza. Tom Bennett reports for BBC News.
An Israeli airstrike today on a school housing displaced families west of Gaza killed at least 10 people, Gaza civil defense said. The Israeli military said it struck a Hamas militant base embedded inside the school. Hamas denies Israeli allegations that it uses schools for military purposes. The Guardian reports.
Israeli military operations in central and southern Gaza have killed at least 25 people since Sunday, according to the Gaza civil defense. The Israeli military said yesterday that it had killed dozens of “terrorists” in those areas, as well as a Hamas fighter who launched projectiles from southern Gaza towards Israel. The New York Times reports.
Israeli forces on Sunday killed another Palestinian journalist, according to the International Federation of Journalists, “bringing the total number of Palestinian journalists and news media workers killed since Oct. 7 to at least 123.” The New York Times reports.
ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH CONFLICT
The Israeli military said yesterday it had targeted several of Hezbollah’s weapons storage facilities in Lebanon, close to the Syrian border. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said at least nine people had been injured in the strikes, including two children. The New York Times reports.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine’s invasion of Russia’s Kursk region shows that Moscow’s threats of retaliation are a bluff. Zelenskyy also urged Kyiv’s allies to loosen the restrictions on using their weapons against targets on Russian territory. Warren Murray reports for The Guardian.
Ukrainian authorities have ordered the evacuation of Pokrovsk, a key city in the Donbas region, as Russian forces continue to advance in the east of the country, despite Ukraine’s ongoing offensive into Russia’s Kursk region. Ido Vock reports for BBC News.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Ukraine, officials said yesterday, weeks after he made his first trip to Moscow since Russia launched its full-scale invasion. Modi, who has abstained from all resolutions on Ukraine at the U.N., has repeatedly called for a ceasefire without directly condemning Russia. Aishwarya S Iyer and Alex Stambaug report for CNN.
The Czech Republic will buy ammunition for Ukraine with income from frozen Russian assets, the country’s defense ministry said today. Reuters reports.
U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
U.S. intelligence agencies said yesterday that Iran is responsible for hacking into former President Trump’s campaign and trying to breach the Biden-Harris campaign. Glenn Thrush and Adam Goldman report for the New York Times.
A new 3-2 majority on the Georgia State Election Board, which sets voting rules in one of the swing states for the U.S. presidential election, “has approved a host of rules on certifications and investigations backed by right-wing election activists who claim, falsely, that the 2020 election was stolen” from Trump. Nick Corasaniti reports for the New York Times.
OTHER U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
A federal judge yesterday denied Hunter Biden’s latest bid to use a Trump ruling in an effort to dismiss the tax charges against him, setting the stage for his trial to start next month in California. Alana Durkin Richer reports for AP News.
Former Rep. George Santos (R-NY) pled guilty yesterday to wire fraud and identity theft. Santos, who is due to be sentenced on Feb. 7 and could face over six years in prison, admitted to defrauding donors to his 2022 campaign, among other charges. Julie Zauzmer Weil and Perry Stein report for the Washington Post.
D.C. Council member Trayon White Sr. (D-Ward 8), who has been charged with bribery in federal court, could face punishment from the council, including expulsion. Chairman Phil Mendelson yesterday formed a committee to consider the evidence against him. Meagan Flynn and Michael Brice-Saddler report for the Washington Post.
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco recused herself from the special counsel’s investigation into President Biden’s handling of classified materials last year, three sources said. Alex Thompson reports for Axios.
A trial has begun in California to determine whether “Stanford University can keep the diaries of a top Chinese official, in a case that is being framed as a fight against Chinese government censorship.” Tessa Wong reports for BBC News.
Registration opened yesterday for Biden’s offer of a path to citizenship to spouses of U.S. citizens without having to first leave the country. Gisela Salomon and Elliot Spagat report for ABC News.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
The United States and the Philippines have reached a deal to create a new pathway to assist Afghan allies who assisted the U.S. war effort. Under the scheme, hundreds of Afghan refugees will be temporarily relocated to the Philippines as they wait approval for U.S. visas and resettlement, officials said. Dan Lamothe, Ellen Nakashima, and Michael Birnbaum report for the Washington Post.
Federal judges yesterday voted to go on strike across Mexico, protesting President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s proposed overhaul of the country’s judicial system. Obrador wants judges to be elected, rather than appointed. Critics argue that the proposal aims to erode checks on the executive branch. Simon Romero and Emiliano Rodríguez Mega report for the New York Times.
A North Korean soldier defected to South Korea early today by crossing the militarized border, South Korean media reported, citing the South’s military. A South Korean official said the person is being questioned in custody for their motives. NBC News reports.
The revelation that a team of Ukrainians blew up the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines while using Poland as a logistical base has ignited a dispute between Berlin and Warsaw. Bojan Pancevski reports for the Wall Street Journal.
A German court yesterday rejected an appeal by a 99-year-old woman who was convicted of her role as a secretary at a Nazi concentration camp. Geir Moulson reports for AP News.
Indonesia and Australia today finalized a new bilateral defense treaty that will bolster their ability to operate their militaries in each other’s territory. Rod McGuirk reports for AP News.
Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks yesterday with his Azerbaijani counterpart in Baku, with business links high on the agenda. Aida Sultanova reports for AP News.
India and Malaysia are looking to reset ties, Modi said today, after meeting his Malaysian counterpart. Relations soured in late 2019 following remarks by Malaysia’s then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad against New Delhi removing the autonomy of India’s only Muslim-majority region of Kashmir. Reuters reports.
Nicaragua is forcing 1,500 churches, religious groups, and civil society groups to close, after authorities yesterday alleged they failed to report their financial statements. Adam Pourahmadi and Avery Schmitz report for CNN.