Monday Briefing: A Tense Wait in Israel
A tense wait in Israel for retaliation
Amid fears of a broadening conflict, a number of international airlines suspended flights to and from Israel pending expected retaliation against the country by Iran and its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah. Britain, Canada, France and the U.S. were among the countries urging their citizens to leave Lebanon immediately.
The move followed the killings earlier in the week of a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut and Hamas’s political leader in Tehran. Tens of thousands of Israelis are unable to come home, according to an Israeli official, adding to the sense that the country was no longer in control of its own fate and had no clear plan for quieting its many conflicts. Here’s the latest.
Clashes continued throughout the weekend. Israel and Hezbollah each said yesterday that they had fired at targets in the other’s territory. An Israeli airstrike on a school functioning as a shelter in Gaza City killed at least 30 people and injured dozens more, according to the Palestinian emergency response agency in Gaza and Palestinian news outlets.
Most of the victims were women and children, a spokesman for the Palestinian Civil Defense said. The attack was the third on a school in the last four days. Israel said it had targeted Hamas “command and control centers.”
A look ahead: Israel’s war against Hamas is the deadliest that Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have ever faced. But Hamas has remained operational, recruited new fighters in Gaza and beyond and re-emerged in areas that Israel had driven the group out of months before. Survival could provide a symbolic victory that may allow Hamas to emerge politically stronger.
Myanmar’s junta evades sanctions to fuel airstrikes
Myanmar’s military, unable to defeat the rebels on the ground, has increased its indiscriminate bombing of civilian targets to terrorize the population. In separate attacks, the junta recently bombed a wedding and a monastery, killing some 60 people.
The escalating attacks demonstrate that Myanmar is evading sanctions aimed at blocking the flow of jet fuel needed to keep the regime’s bombers, fighter jets and helicopter gunships in the air.
Although the strikes have taken their toll, rebel forces have continued to make gains. In recent weeks, they seized a prison in Shan State, freeing hundreds of political prisoners, and on the opposite side of the country, another rebel army captured a civilian airport in Rakhine State.
Details: Myanmar’s aviation companies have disguised their operations by transferring their assets, changing their names and selling and reselling fuel shipments while they are en route, activists and U.N. investigators say.
🇺🇸 U.S. ELECTION 2024
The presidential election is less than 100 days away. This is what we’re watching.
Harris narrowed down her V.P. finalists
Vice President Kamala Harris was planning to meet with at least three top candidates to be her running mate — Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota and Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania — before beginning a swing-state tour with her choice tomorrow. Harris, who often prioritizes personal rapport, is expected to place considerable stock in the in-person meetings.
What do you want to know? We’re asking readers to send us their questions about the U.S. presidential election. We’ll take them to our reporters for answers. You can send us your question by filling out this form.
Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, has made a name for himself on YouTube by way of philanthropic acts with a dark twist. Contestants on his recent show, “Beast Games,” said that they had been ready for extreme challenges, but not the conditions on set.
“We signed up for the show, but we didn’t sign up for not being fed or watered or treated like human beings,” one contestant said.
CONVERSATION STARTERS
Give it away: When a former monk in the U.S. won a $259 million jackpot in 2014, he decided to splurge on something a bit out of the ordinary: support for nonprofit theater.
A long way from “poison apples”: Here’s what nutrition experts say about tomatoes, and some recipes to go with them.
The office ties that bind: How guilty should you feel about leaving the boss who gave you your first big break?
Ukraine’s shattered love lives
The pursuit of love might seem secondary to dealing with missile attacks, power outages and food shortages, but many Ukrainians say they need romantic relationships to help them cope with the trauma of war. For women, the problem is particularly acute. Tens of thousands of men have died. Many more are on the front lines, and others are reluctant to leave their homes because of draft officers in the streets.
Some women are turning to dating apps or speed-dating events, and singles still dance at nightclubs in Kyiv. And in this search, at least, there is a chance to briefly forget the harsh realities of war.
#Monday #Briefing #Tense #Wait #Israel