Disputes delayed an Israeli vote on the cease-fire
Israel’s cabinet said yesterday that it was unlikely to meet to ratify a cease-fire agreement that had raised hopes for an end to 15 months of devastating war in Gaza. At the time this briefing was sent, they were not expected to meet until at least today. Here’s the latest.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s hard-line national security minister, threatened to resign and remove his party from the government if the deal was approved.
The office of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, accused Hamas of trying to renegotiate parts of the deal. Netanyahu’s spokesman said that Hamas had demanded changes to the deployment of Israeli troops along Gaza’s border with Egypt, as well as the release of “certain terrorists” unacceptable to Israel. A senior Hamas official said the group was committed to the deal, but specific questions about the disputes went unanswered.
The Biden administration said that its team was continuing to work with Israeli officials and mediators. “I am confident and I fully expect that implementation will begin, as we said, on Sunday,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
Details: The deal would begin with a six-week phase involving the release of 33 hostages and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, and allow the entry into Gaza of 600 trucks carrying humanitarian relief daily, according to a copy of the agreement obtained by The Times.
On the ground: Many Gazans reacted to the prospect of a cease-fire with a wary hope tempered by sadness. “How can we ever rebuild? Where will we even begin?”
China has ramped up internal security
The Chinese government is increasing efforts to root out troublemakers and suppress social unrest after a string of attacks in the country. The police have increased patrols in crowded spaces and pledged to better regulate knives and other weapons.
The move follows several mass attacks last year. In November, a driver plowed into a crowd in the city of Zhuhai, killing at least 35 people. Then a former student killed eight people in a stabbing at a school in Wuxi. Barely a week later, a man drove a car into a group of people near an elementary school in Changde. The drivers in the two car attacks were quickly sentenced to death. Officials said the perpetrators in all three attacks were unhappy with their financial situations.
Context: High youth unemployment, soaring foreclosures and deteriorating international relations have fueled widespread anxiety about the future. Public protests, mostly related to economic issues, grew significantly last year.
Sudan’s military used chemical weapons twice
Sudan’s military used chemical weapons on two separate occasions against the paramilitary group it is battling for control of the country, U.S. officials said yesterday. The weapons were used in remote areas against members of the Rapid Support Forces, but officials worry the weapons could be used in the capital, Khartoum.
The U.S. is preparing to announce sanctions against the head of Sudan’s military for documented atrocities by his troops, including indiscriminate bombing of civilians and the use of starvation as a weapon of war.
Background: By many measures, the war has created the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with up to 150,000 people killed, over 11 million displaced and now the world’s worst famine in decades.
MORE TOP NEWS
David Lynch, the visionary filmmaker, has died at 78. His florid style and unnerving perspective were introduced full-blown in his first feature, the cult film “Eraserhead.”
He would go on to create other unsettling, surreal films like “Mulholland Drive,” as well as the TV series “Twin Peaks.” His fame, influence and distinctively skewed worldview extended far beyond screens large and small.
CONVERSATION STARTERS
-
Essays on Love: Shane Burcaw, who has spinal muscular atrophy, and his nondisabled wife examine “interabled” relationships in a new essay collection.
-
Under the sea: Julie Packard ran the Monterey Bay Aquarium for decades, using the post as a powerful tool for conservation and education. This is what she learned.
-
Good things, small packages: Amid rising rents, a project manager bought a tiny apartment in the center of Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city, and leaned in on the design.
ARTS AND IDEAS
Japan’s original guru of decluttering
Before Marie Kondo asked people to rid themselves of items that did not “spark joy,” there was another Japanese master of streamlining spaces.
Hideko Yamashita never reached the West or Kondo’s level of Netflix-induced fame, but inside Japan she is widely credited with kicking off the modern decluttering movement, and her books have sold more than seven million copies. The two titans of tidiness approach the practice with their own philosophies.
RECOMMENDATIONS
