Israel Expands Gaza Ground Offensive
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Top of the Agenda
Israel announced the expansion of its ground assault in Gaza City today, shortly after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio concluded his visit to the country. Rubio discussed the U.S. stance on the war in Gaza during his visit, telling reporters that while Washington is working towards a peace agreement, “we’re not counting on that.” After Israel bombarded Gaza City heavily overnight, the West Bank-based Palestinian foreign ministry called today for an “urgent international intervention” to protect civilians, while several world leaders called for a halt to the offensive. Rubio has since traveled on to Qatar, which has been rallying Gulf allies following last week’s Israeli attack targeting Hamas negotiators in Doha.
Regarding Israel’s war in Gaza,
- Rubio said in Israel that U.S. President Donald Trump wants the war “to be finished” and that Washington would continue to pursue a diplomatic end to the conflict. He added that there was only a “short window” to achieve a truce.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a news conference with Rubio yesterday that Israel would prefer Hamas “surrender.” He said that Israel would “take over and destroy” a Hamas stronghold in Gaza City.
- A UN commission investigating the war said today that Israel’s actions in Gaza constituted genocide under the 1948 Genocide Convention. Israel’s foreign ministry rejected the determination.
Regarding Israel’s strike last week in Qatar,
- Leaders from multiple Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt, convened in Doha yesterday to condemn Israel’s strike, but did not immediately commit to concrete consequences. In a joint statement, the countries vowed to take “legal and effective measures to prevent Israel from continuing its actions against the Palestinian people.”
- In the wake of the Doha strike, Rubio said today that the United States will soon finalize an enhanced military partnership deal with Qatar, one of its closest regional allies.
“[Hamas] is not going to give up its arms unless it is compelled to do so, and despite all their efforts and firepower, the Israelis have not been able to force Hamas to submit. Requiring the group to give up its arms is not a bad thing, but is it consistent with reality? No. And that is not just my view—it is also that of the Israeli military chief of staff, who has counseled the Israeli government to accept recent ceasefire proposals.” —CFR expert Steven A. Cook, Foreign Policy
Across the Globe
U.S. strike near Venezuela. The U.S. military killed three people in a strike on a boat that Trump claimed yesterday was carrying drugs from Venezuela—the second such lethal strike this month. Shortly before Trump’s announcement, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro had condemned the earlier strike as a “heinous crime.”
Fed bench complete. The U.S. Senate confirmed Stephen Miran, Trump’s nominee to fill a short-term vacancy on the Federal Reserve board, ahead of an interest rate decision tomorrow. Meanwhile, an appeals court ruled that Fed Governor Lisa Cook can stay on the board pending her lawsuit challenging Trump’s attempt to remove her.
Draft TikTok deal. The United States and China reached a preliminary agreement regarding the future of TikTok, envoys from both countries said yesterday. While no further details were provided, the app faces an impending U.S. ban if its Chinese parent company does not separate from operations. Trump said yesterday he will speak to Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday.
Trump in London. Trump arrives in the United Kingdom (UK) today for a state visit, making him the only world leader to receive such an invitation twice. Trump is due to meet with both King Charles III and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with whom Trump is expected to discuss Russia’s war in Ukraine. The countries are also due to sign a technology cooperation agreement, the UK embassy in Washington said.
Belarus-Russia war games. Delegations from Hungary, Turkey, and the United States were among the twenty-three countries that observed the drills yesterday; the multiday exercises are taking place in both Belarus and Russia. Belarus’ government invited the United States to observe the games as ties between the two countries improve.
U.S.-Colombia anti-drug work. For the first time in thirty years, the United States has designated Colombia as failing to cooperate with anti-narcotics trafficking efforts. Despite the shift, the Trump administration issued the country a waiver so it would not lose U.S. financial aid. Last week, Colombia’s ambassador to the United States said some $100 million of U.S. support was at stake in the decision.
Drone probe in Warsaw. Polish authorities detained two Belarusian citizens as part of a probe into a drone flying over government buildings in Warsaw, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said today. Poland’s development minister said the drone appeared to have been launched locally, unlike the Russian drones that crossed into Polish airspace last week.
UN probes South Sudan graft. A commission created by the UN Human Rights Council said in a new report that widespread elite corruption in the country was diverting money from basic services. In one example, it accused authorities of paying $1.7 billion to firms linked to the vice president for work that was never done. South Sudan’s justice minister said the report did not match the government’s own data.