Monday briefing

One hundred days of war in Gaza

The war in Gaza has entered its hundredth day. Since Hamas led its deadly attack on Israel on October 7, more than 23,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and most of the enclave's population has been displaced by the Israeli army's war, according to Gaza health officials. More than 120 hostages are believed to be held by Hamas and other militant groups, according to Israeli officials.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to keep fighting until he achieves all of Israel's goals, despite growing uncertainty about the outcome, international alarm over the rising death toll in Gaza and fears of a broader regional conflagration.

In Israel, there is a firm commitment to eliminate Hamas and return the hostages at virtually any price, even if that takes many months. International impatience is growing in the face of a deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and the US has urged Israel to scale back its campaign, while many other countries have called for an immediate ceasefire.

Quotable: “We will continue the war until the end – until total victory, until we achieve all our goals,” Netanyahu said on Saturday.

International Court of Justice: The UN Supreme Court last week heard allegations from South Africa that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza. While they assess the claim, the judges will now decide whether to seek interim measures, such as a cessation of fighting. No date has been set and the court has few resources to enforce its rulings.

In other news:

A volcanic eruption in Iceland

A volcano in southwestern Iceland erupted yesterday morning after at least 200 earthquakes shook the Reykjanes Peninsula, opening a rift more than 3,000 feet (900 meters) long, spewing lava into a residential area for the first time in more than four decades.

Last month, a larger eruption threatened the city and a nearby power plant. Although yesterday's eruption was smaller, it caused greater damage as lava flowed into the town of Grindavik, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southwest of the capital Reykjavik. A live broadcast on Icelandic television showed fountains of lava spouting near houses.

In Grindavik: Repeated evacuations began to burden residents. Authorities first evacuated the town of 3,500 residents in November and did so again last month. Residents were advised not to return to their homes. When authorities ordered a complete evacuation early yesterday ahead of the latest eruption, only about 200 people remained.

The new king of Denmark ascended the throne

Frederick X is the new king of Denmark, just two weeks after his mother, Queen Margrethe II, said she would abdicate. His Australian-born wife is Queen Mary. Margrethe formally handed over the monarchy to King Frederik at a later televised meeting, quietly signing her abdication papers and handing them to the country's prime minister, Mette Frederiksen.

In a speech, King Frederick paid tribute to his mother, saying she would “always be remembered as an extraordinary ruler.” About himself he said: 'My hope is to become a unifying king of tomorrow. It's a task I've been approaching my whole life. It is a task that I take on with pride, respect and pleasure.”

Hvaldimir, a beluga whale believed to have escaped the Russian Navy, became a global celebrity for his intelligence, curiosity and charisma. But those very qualities have put it in danger, causing it to accidentally hook itself on fishing lines, suffer wounds from collisions with boats, and damage salmon farms and other underwater structures in Sweden and Norway.

This friendly whale now finds himself at the center of a dispute over his welfare. Whether to intervene now and how to do so remain controversial topics among scientists, activists and government officials.

SPORTS NEWS

Stamina: At 70 years old, Tara VanDerveer will soon be college basketball's most successful coach of all time.

Mental health: Top football was not always happy with players' requests for help. Scandals, new attitudes and support programs are changing that.

Andrei Rublev: A desperate tennis hothead looking for peace.

ARTS AND IDEAS

Is Israel part of what it means to be Jewish?

Hamas' attack on Israel three months ago and the subsequent bombing of Gaza have forced Jews everywhere to reconsider what they think about Israel and the central role it plays in Jewish life, Marc Tracy reports for The Times.

In 2024, anti-Zionism is the closest thing to heresy within organized Judaism. For most, the land of Israel is central to the religion, the basic story of which concerns the return from slavery to the Promised Land. Since 1948, the modern state of Israel has gained widespread support among Jews around the world.

But for a growing progressive minority, the concept of 'diasporism', both secular and religious, has new relevance. Shaul Magid, a rabbi and professor of Jewish studies at Dartmouth, suggests that Jews outside Israel today should embrace the state of living outside their homeland as a permanent and valuable condition.