Thursday briefing
'We are a rocket power in the world'
After hitting targets in neighboring Pakistan, Iraq and Syria with missiles, Iran has tested not only its military capabilities but also its determination to attack enemies at will. Iran's show of force was intended to reassure conservatives at home and militant allies abroad, and to warn Israel, the US and terrorist groups that Iran will retaliate if attacked, according to two Iranians linked to the Revolutionary Guard.
According to Iran, the attack in Syria was against Islamic State; the one in Pakistan struck another terrorist group, Jaish al-Adl; and the one in Iraq's northern Kurdish region targeted what Tehran claims is an Israeli intelligence-gathering base.
But despite all the missiles and bellicose words, Iran once again appeared to stall before a major escalation that could further fuel a regional conflict over the war in Gaza. Analysts say Iran wanted the attacks to be measured, flexing its muscles without getting into a direct fight with Israel, the US or their allies.
Quotable: “We are a missile power in the world,” Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani told reporters, according to state media. “Wherever they want to threaten the Islamic Republic of Iran, we will respond, and this response will certainly be proportionate, tough and decisive.”
Answer: Pakistani forces carried out attacks in Iran earlier today, in response a day after Iranian forces attacked militant camps in Pakistan.
Displaced Gazans fled a hospital
Displaced Palestinians sheltering at the Nasser Medical Center in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, fled the site late Tuesday night and early yesterday morning amid heavy fighting nearby, videos and news footage show.
According to the UN, about 7,000 people are said to have taken shelter on the hospital grounds. Many displaced Palestinians now in southern Gaza have moved several times since the war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7.
The fighting around Nasser has raised fears that Israeli forces are advancing towards the hospital. By mid-morning yesterday, nearby ground forces appeared to have withdrawn.
Context: Israel has accused Hamas of using hospitals for military purposes, and Israeli forces raided Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza in November, a move that Gaza health officials said at the time put the hospital out of service. The attack on Al-Shifa uncovered a stone and concrete tunnel shaft beneath the hospital.
Details: According to the WHO, only 15 of Gaza's 36 hospitals are even partially functional, and Nasser has been treating double his usual number of patients, with as many as 700 patients a day.
191 counts of infanticide
A Kenyan judge said Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, a former taxi driver turned doomsday cult leader, must undergo a mental health evaluation before prosecutors can formally charge him with the murders of 191 children. Mackenzie denies the allegations.
The charges relate to the discovery last April of mass graves in the Shakahola Forest in southeastern Kenya, where hundreds of people had come to follow Mackenzie's teachings. Kenyan authorities say he told members of his church to starve themselves to meet Jesus, and more than 400 bodies were dug up in the forest.
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The sun is shining in Melbourne, Australia. Simbarashe Cha, who explores street style around the world for The Times, observed a predominantly black palette and tattoos that reminded him of Berlin on sleepy summer streets. View his photos here.
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That's it for today's briefing. See you tomorrow. – Natasha
Reach out to Natasha and the team briefing@nytimes.com.