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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the weekend. Here’s today’s news.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said today its troops have completed their operation at Al-Shifa Hospital and withdrawn from the complex, following a nearly two-week raid. Emergency workers who arrived this morning to recover bodies found that the hospital was burned and shelled by artillery, according to a spokesman for Gaza’s Civil Defense. World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement yesterday that 21 patients died during the siege. More than 100 patients remain in the complex without adequate medical support or supplies, he added, calling on Israel to give the WHO and its partners access to the hospital. Niha Masih reports for the Washington Post.
At least two people were killed yesterday by an Israeli drone strike on tents outside the Al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza, according to a hospital spokesperson. Thousands of displaced people are currently sheltering in the complex. The Israeli military claimed in a statement that one of its aircraft struck an “operational Islamic Jihad command center and terrorists that operated from the courtyard” of the hospital, without providing evidence. CNN reports.
Thousands of Israelis demonstrated in Jerusalem yesterday to call for early elections in one of the biggest protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since the start of the war. It followed a separate anti-government protest the day before in Tel Aviv, where demonstrators included families of hostages still held in Gaza, citizens objecting to Netanyahu’s attempt to bypass an Israeli Supreme Court decision requiring ultra-Orthodox men to serve in the military, and members of the anti-Netanyahu protest movement that predates the war. The protests could indicate a turning point for the Israeli public. Adam Rasgon and Aaron Boxerman report for the New York Times.
Netanyahu rejected protesters’ calls yesterday for early elections. “The calls to hold elections now, in the height of the war, a step away from victory, will paralyze Israel for at least six months — I assess, eight months,” Netanyahu said at a news conference in Jerusalem. He also claimed the elections would derail ongoing hostage negotiations. CNN reports.
Netanyahu underwent successful surgery yesterday for a hernia diagnosed the previous day. The operation required full anesthesia, and Deputy Prime Minister Yariv Levin served as acting PM during the procedure. Tamar Michaelis, Benjamin Brown and Jessie Gretener report for CNN.
Negotiations for a ceasefire and another round of hostage releases resumed in Cairo yesterday, according to two Israeli officials. The Egyptian state-owned channel TV, Al Qaher News, had reported on Saturday that the talks would resume on Sunday, citing an Egyptian security official. A spokesman for Hamas confirmed that the group did not send a delegation to Cairo for the in-person talks. Adam Rasgon, Aaron Boxerman and Vivian Yee report for the New York Times.
A new Palestinian government has been sworn in. The cabinet, led by Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa, was officially sworn in yesterday before President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah, according to Palestinian news agency WAFA. CNN reports.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant raised the possibility of establishing a regional security force in Gaza during his visit to Washington this week. The proposal is for an Arab force to stay in Gaza for a limited period to secure the temporary pier the U.S. will build off the coast and escort humanitarian convoys into the territory, two senior Israeli officials told Axios.
Israel has given the U.N. a proposal to dismantle the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). The proposal was presented last week by the Israeli Chief of the General Staff to U.N. officials in Israel, who transmitted it to U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday. Under the proposal, 300 to 400 staff would be transferred to another U.N. agency or to a new organization specifically created to distribute food aid in Gaza, and suggests later transfers of other employees and assets. Julian Borger and Ruth Michaelson report for the Guardian.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — U.S. RESPONSE
The United States and Israel are set to hold a virtual meeting on Rafah on Monday. U.S. and Israeli officials are expected to discuss the Biden administration’s alternative proposals to a military invasion of Rafah, four Israeli and U.S. officials told Axios.
The Biden administration’s plan to install a floating pier off the Gaza coast to help increase aid to the enclave will put U.S. troops at risk, experts warn. According to military experts, the effort will endanger U.S. service members who must build, operate, and defend the structure, a risk with major political consequences for Biden should an attack occur. While the Pentagon maintains that no U.S. troops will deploy to Gaza, it has disclosed few details about how long the operation could last and how it will ensure the safety of those involved. Dan Lamothe reports for the Washington Post.
U.S. lawmakers are increasingly scrutinizing U.S. intelligence sharing with Israel. The two countries’ long-time intelligence-sharing relationship expanded after the October 7 attacks, and Representative Jason Crow (D-CO) is leading an effort to examine whether the results are consistent with U.S. values amid concerns raised by Congress members and human rights groups that it may be contributing to civilian casualties. Warren P. Strobel and Nancy A. Youssef report for the Wall Street Journal.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR — INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE
In his annual Easter message, Pope Francis called for an “immediate cease-fire” in Gaza. “My thoughts go especially to the victims of the many conflicts worldwide, beginning with those in Israel and Palestine, and in Ukraine,” he said, adding, “I appeal once again that access to humanitarian aid be ensured to Gaza, and call once more for the prompt release of the hostages seized on 7 October last and for an immediate cease-fire in the Strip.” Jason Horowitz reports for the New York Times.
An aid convoy carrying nearly 400 tons of aid departed Cyprus for Gaza on Saturday. It is the second aid shipment to Gaza organized in part by the nonprofit World Central Kitchen. The group said the convoy will deliver enough food to prepare 1 million meals, adding that it also includes a “special shipment” of dates for Ramadan. The Washington Post reports.
A British lawmaker was recorded saying the U.K. government’s own lawyers have advised that Israel is violating international law, contrary to the government’s public assertions. The comments by the chair of the House of Commons’ Select Committee on Foreign Affairs were caught on a recording at a party fundraising event. Foreign Secretary Cameron previously dodged the question in a hearing, and other U.K. ministers have claimed Israel is abiding by international law. Toby Helm reports for the Guardian.
IRAN-BACKED MILITANTS
Israel has claimed the death of a Hezbollah commander in Syria. Ismail Al-Zin reportedly led anti-tank missile operations in Hezbollah’s elite Radwan unit. Maayan Lubell and Suleiman Al Khalidi report for the Associated Press.
Israel’s Red Sea port city of Eilat came under an aerial attack on Monday that caused no casualties, according to the Israeli military. An Iran-backed armed group in Iraq claimed responsibility for the attack. Reuters reports.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE DEVELOPMENTS
President Biden said on Friday that the United States will impose costs for Russia’s “appalling attempts” to use Americans as bargaining chips in a statement marking the one-year anniversary of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich’s arrest in Russia. Gershkovich became the first U.S. journalist arrested on spying charges in Russia since the Cold War on March 29 last year. “As I have told Evan’s parents, I will never give up hope either. We will continue working every day to secure his release,” Biden said in a statement. Reuters reports.
Ukraine’s air force shot down two out of three Russia-launched Shahed drones overnight, the military said today. Reuters reports.
Russian shelling yesterday killed at least three people in different regions of eastern Ukraine and two more in the Lviv region, local officials said. Reuters reports.
Russia is demanding that Ukraine hand over all people connected with terrorist acts committed in Russia, including the head of the country’s Security Service (SBU), the foreign ministry said yesterday. The SBU immediately dismissed the demand. Reuters reports.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired six more aides and advisors. It comes after the dismissal last week of National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksii Danilov, who was named ambassador to Moldova, and the replacement in February of Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the head of the armed forces, who was ultimately named Ukraine’s ambassador to Britain. The Associated Press reports.
House Speaker Mike Johnson predicts a new Ukraine aid bill when the House returns from recess. He foreshadowed “important innovations” including extending a loan and authorizing President Biden to seize Russian assets. The House is in recess until April 9. Sarah Fortinsky reports for The Hill.
GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Turkey’s President Recep Erdogan failed in his bid for his party to recapture control of major urban areas in local elections over the weekend, just nine months after defeating a unified opposition in national elections. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu of the main opposition party retained his seat for a third term, and the party “won the municipalities of 36 of Turkey’s 81 provinces.” Suzan Fraser and Cinar Kiper report for the Associated Press.
Radio Free Asia (RFA) is closing its Hong Kong bureau over safety concerns under the city’s new national security law. “Actions by Hong Kong authorities, including referring to RFA as a ‘foreign force,’ raise serious questions about our ability to operate in safety with the enactment of Article 23,” Bay Fang, the president of RFA, said in a statement. RFA’s decision is widely seen as a reflection of growing threats to free press since the enactment of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, which took effect in late March. Kanis Leung reports for the Associated Press.
Police raided the home of Peru’s President Dina Boluarte in a corruption probe. The president is under investigation for corruption stemming in part from unexplained ownership of luxury watches and is scheduled to testify to the prosecutor’s office on April 5. Franklin Briceño and Eléonore Hughes report for the Associated Press.
Bulgaria and Romania partially joined the Schengen zone, easing cross-border travel requirements. Austria opposed full membership, which would include land crossings, but the partial membership eases air and sea transit and has important symbolic ramifications. Al Jazeera reports.
The residence of Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah was targeted with rocket-propelled grenades yesterday. The attack left no casualties. Reuters reports.
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
A mysterious illness that has affected U.S. diplomats in recent years has been linked to a Russian intelligence unit. U.S. personnel stationed around the world with “Havana Syndrome” have reported unexplained symptoms such as dizziness, and evidence increasingly points to Russia as the culprit, according to a joint investigation by CBS News, The Insider, and Der Spiegel. Moscow has denied the accusations, and U.S. officials have previously said it was “very unlikely a foreign adversary is responsible.” James FitzGerald reports for BBC News.
TRUMP LEGAL MATTERS
A federal judge overseeing the criminal case that accuses former President Donald Trump of mishandling classified documents has signaled an openness to his defense claims. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, who Trump nominated to the bench, has asked Trump and prosecutors to propose jury instructions based on two legal scenarios that favor a claim from Trump that national security lawyers said has little relevance to the charges. Trump and Special Counsel Jack Smith, who brought the case, have until Tuesday to respond to Cannon’s order. Reuters reports.