Israel Ends Two-Day Operation

Palestinian families returned Wednesday to a partly destroyed refugee camp in the occupied West Bank after Israel ended a large-scale two-day military operation. The Israeli operation in the sprawling Jenin camp was the largest in the West Bank in more than two decades. Israel’s military said it had targeted the area because it had become a launchpad for terrorist attacks. And as the WSJ reports, tensions remained high after the Israeli military and Gaza militants exchanged fire earlier in the day, followed later by a drive-by shooting in a Jewish settlement in the West Bank.

Sweden’s Path to NATO

President Biden today met with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson of Sweden at the White House. Both men are hoping for the Nordic nation’s swift acceptance into NATO. But, as the NYT reports, that looks highly unlikely—and the issue threatens to disrupt the alliance’s planned show of unity against Russia next week at a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Kremlin Warns of Ukrainian Sabotage

The Kremlin said Wednesday that Ukraine is preparing an attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Russian-occupied territory, raising fears of a disaster as each side accuses the other of potential sabotage at the facility, which Moscow’s forces control, as The Washington Post reports.

Executive Education

Decoding D.C.: Policy, Power, and People offers embassy, business, and nonprofit professionals the tools and knowledge necessary to better navigate the Washington policy ecosystem. Participants will learn how formal structures and informal networks interact to advance policy interests, further examining these structures through the lens of modern-day politics and media dynamics.

Video Shorts

Check out CSIS’s new series of video shorts: “Asked & Answered,” “The Recap,” “Data Unpacked,” “Testify,” “What's Happening,” “Preview,” and “High Resolution.” And don’t forget to subscribe to the CSIS YouTube Channel!

In That Number

62.92

Tuesday was the hottest day on Earth since at least 1979, with the global average temperature reaching 62.92 degrees Fahrenheit (17.18 degrees Celsius), according to data from the U.S. National Centers for Environmental Prediction.

Source: The Washington Post

Critical Quote

“I can say that our extensive operation in Jenin is not a one-off. We will eradicate terrorism wherever we see it and we will strike at it.”

—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

iDeas Lab

Satellite imagery from February 2022 and February 2023 shows that Wagner-linked operatives significantly expanded both the headquarters and processing facilities at Ndassima, as well as a new open pit mine slightly southeast of the main facilities.

The Andreas C. Dracopoulos iDeas Lab at CSIS enhances our research with the latest in cutting-edge web technologies, design, and multimedia.

Optics

(Photo credit: Nathan Howard/Getty Images.) Fireworks erupt over the Washington Monument during the Independence Day fireworks display along the National Mall on July 4, 2023 in Washington, D.C.

This Town Tomorrow

At 9:30 a.m., the CSIS International Security Program examines how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has radically changed NATO’s security environment.

Then, at 10:00 a.m., the CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change Program holds a conversation on the outlook for low-emissions hydrogen, emissions intensity assessments, and the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act.

And, at 10:30 a.m., the Atlantic Council discusses the power shift in Russia, and the future of Prigozhin and Wagner.

Video

Last week, CSIS hosted Special Representative Desirée Cormier Smith for a discussion on the importance of racial equity in foreign policy and diplomacy. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

The German Marshall Fund's Bonnie Glaser joins CSIS's Dr. Victor Cha and Andrew Schwartz to discuss South Korea and China relations, the upcoming NATO summit, and the relationship between China and North Korea during the COVID lockdown.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

For the past 15 years, there has been a magical music festival in Cumberland, Maryland called “DelFest,” celebrating the legacy of bluegrass musician Del McCoury. Nestled along the Potomac River in the scenic Appalachian Mountains, DelFest brings out some of the best American Roots musicians who deliver memorable performances. Like this one.

I invite you to email me at [email protected] and follow me on Twitter @handrewschwartz

The Evening is my daily guide to key insights CSIS brings to the events of the day. It is composed with the External Relations team: Paige Montfort, Claire Dannenbaum, and Ava Rose.