Tuesday briefing: Israel’s new phase in Gaza
Israel said it was shifting its war in Gaza
Israel has begun a new and less intense phase of its invasion of Gaza, the military said, after weeks of pressure to scale back its offensive. But the chief of staff said the country was ready for “a new war” against Hezbollah, which said a commander was killed in an attack in Lebanon.
The Israeli military’s top spokesman said the new phase would involve fewer airstrikes and ground troops in Gaza after the withdrawal began this month. He said Israel would now focus on Hamas’ southern and central strongholds.
“We can expect more targeted operations rather than broad maneuvers,” Patrick Kingsley, our Jerusalem bureau chief, told us. “Whether that eases the suffering of civilians remains to be seen: the attacks are clearly continuing, killing dozens every day, and displacing more than 80 percent of Gaza residents, many of whom have no home to live in.” to return to.”
The killing of Hezbollah commander, Wissam Hassan al-Tawil, came a day after Israel said it had killed at least seven Hezbollah members in the Radwan unit, which Israel says is intended to infiltrate its northern border. A Lebanese official said al-Tawil was in that unit.
Lebanon: Hezbollah attacks damaged an Israeli military base on Saturday, one of the group’s largest attacks in months. The Biden administration has called for an agreement that would remove Hezbollah forces from the border.
Diplomacy: Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, arrived in Israel yesterday for talks aimed at preventing the conflict from escalating into a broader regional war.
Sharif, a three-time former prime minister, was disqualified from running for life as a candidate in 2017. He never completed his term because he was deposed due to allegations of corruption or a military coup. He left for London in 2019, but returned in October to revive his political career.
Context: Pakistan has been grappling with a political and economic crisis since April 2022, when former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is in prison but still very popular, was ousted by a parliamentary vote of no confidence after losing the support of the military establishment.
A rocket to challenge SpaceX
The Vulcan Centaur rocket took off early yesterday morning from Cape Canaveral, Florida, sending a robotic spacecraft toward the moon. The rocket was launched successfully, but a spacecraft it was carrying malfunctioned and is unlikely to land on the moon’s surface.
The Vulcan is built by United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, which could challenge SpaceX’s primacy.
It also carried a secondary payload for Celestis, a company that sends people’s ashes or DNA into space. Among those whose remains are on this journey is Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek. There are also hair samples from three American presidents on board.
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The highs and lows of the Golden Globes
“Oppenheimer,” Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster biopic, almost won the Golden Globes. The film won five trophies: best drama, director, actor, supporting actor and score. (“Barbie,” its box office twin, was the most nominated film, winning in the rather meaningless category of best blockbuster.)