Monday briefing

Israel announces ‘major attack’ in Gaza

The Israeli army announced that its forces had completely surrounded Gaza City and were conducting “a major operation” in the Gaza Strip late yesterday, as the entire enclave fell into the same kind of widespread communications blackout that cut the country off from the world during the war. Israel’s first ground invasion 10 days ago.

“At this hour we are conducting a major attack on terrorist infrastructure, both above and below ground,” Admiral Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military’s chief spokesman, said at a late evening briefing.

Journalists’ reports were limited by the power outage, but the BBC said one of its Gaza reporters believed the night had brought “the most intense airstrikes since the start of the war,” largely aimed at northwestern Gaza. Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency, reported “violent explosions and an unprecedented bombardment” and said the raids targeted the area surrounding several hospitals and had caused dozens of deaths and injuries.

Related: Israel has quietly and unsuccessfully tried in recent weeks to build international support for the transfer of several hundred thousand civilians from Gaza to Egypt, senior foreign diplomats said.

Blinken visits the West Bank and Baghdad

Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, yesterday made unannounced visits to the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Baghdad. In the West Bank city of Ramallah, he met with Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the internationally backed Palestinian Authority, and other Palestinian leaders. Blinken is meeting with Turkish leaders in Ankara today.

The trip to Iraq was intended to send a message to Iran and its allies about the Biden administration’s commitment to defend its partners and U.S. personnel amid concerns about a broader conflict. Tensions have increased in the Middle East since Israel launched its military operation to crush Hamas in the Gaza Strip in response to the group’s attack on Israel on October 7. View the latest maps from the war.

Blinken’s visit to the West Bank followed talks with Israeli and Arab leaders in Tel Aviv and Amman, Jordan. In Israel, he urged protection for Palestinian non-combatants and “humanitarian pauses” in the fighting, while supporting the country’s right to defend itself. He discussed with Abbas efforts to stop extremist violence against Palestinians and restore peace in the West Bank.

Military assistance: An Israeli government request for 24,000 assault rifles from the U.S. is drawing criticism from U.S. lawmakers and some State Department officials, who fear the weapons could end up in the hands of settlers and civilian militias trying to move Palestinians from land in the Western to drive out of the Jordan Bank. officials say.

Discussions about intelligence: William Burns, the director of the CIA, arrived in Israel yesterday for talks with leaders and officials, the first stop of a trip through several countries in the region.

A rift in the Ukrainian leadership

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office on Saturday rebuked the country’s top military commander for publicly declaring the war a stalemate, suggesting the comments would help Russia. It was a striking public rebuke that signaled emerging divisions between the military and civilian leadership at an already challenging time for Ukraine.

“Time has passed, people are tired regardless of their status, and this is understandable,” Zelensky said at a news conference, adding: “But this is not a stalemate, I emphasize this again.”

Declining Ukrainian morale: Pessimism about the prospects for a quick victory is growing, and the spirit that pervaded the early days of the conflict is beginning to fade, polls show.

THE LAST NEWS

Around the world

Since it opened in 1937, about 2,000 people have died by jumping from San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. After years of pressure from the victims’ families, workers have almost finished installing the bridge. 3½ miles of stainless steel nettingcosting $217 million and aimed at preventing such tragedies.

So far, the nets have proven to be a deterrent, but not a perfect solution.

SPORTS NEWS

“This is what I like to do most”: The Liverpool super fan who has attended 1,000 consecutive games.

Olympics: In 1984, Leonel Martínez, a kick shooter from Venezuela, left the Summer Games without making the podium. At the age of 60, he is again competing for a medal.

Cricket World Cup: The Afghan team has won big games and many fans in international competition, in stark contrast to the government’s pariah status.

New York Marathon: Tamirat Tola broke the men’s course record and Hellen Obiri achieved a dramatic victory in the women’s event. View highlights from the course.

Nicolas Cage’s latest film

In ‘Dream Scenario’, Nicolas Cage plays a man who starts appearing in people’s dreams. He spoke to The Times about what drew him to film, his childhood memories of Francis Ford Coppola’s nephew and the nature of fame.

“The sound of applause should never be taken lightly, and God knows I’ve had enough tomatoes,” he said. “But the point of all this is telling a story and connecting it to your audience, where they are in on that secret along with you.”