Israel Weighs Hamas’s Response to Proposed Hostage, Cease-Fire Deal |
Israeli officials are studying (
NYT) Palestinian militant group Hamas’s response to a proposed deal on a hostage release and cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, Israel’s intelligence agency said yesterday. Hamas has countered with a proposal (
Times of Israel) for a three-phase hostage release and 135-day truce, according to reports in media outlets including Reuters. The proposal also reportedly includes the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today as Israel considers its position. Israeli officials have repeatedly pushed back in the past against the prospect of a permanent end to the war. Still, they are under pressure from the families of hostages held by Hamas to reach an agreement on the hostages’ return. U.S. President Joe Biden said yesterday that Hamas’s demands were “a little over the top,” but that talks are ongoing. |
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“The pause, if it happens, may be Mr. Netanyahu’s moment of truth. His far-right cabinet members reject a long truce. But pragmatic members of the smaller war cabinet, among them the former defense minister, Benny Gantz, demand that priority be given to freeing the hostages, even if it means accepting a long or permanent cease-fire,” the
Economist writes.
“Israel is in dire danger of ignoring one of the most enduring lessons of counterinsurgency: Namely, victory requires not just tactical military success but a viable political end-state,” CFR expert Max Boot writes for the Washington Post.
Read the full suite of Foreign Affairs and CFR.org resources on Israel and the current conflict.
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Beijing Replaces Head of Securities Regulator Amid Stock Slump |
China’s government named (Bloomberg) Wu Qing as chair of the country’s securities regulator as a sell-off looms in its stock market. The move echoes a similar shake-up that occurred after a sell-off in 2016. Wu has a reputation for cracking down on traders; he ordered the closure of thirty-one firms over regulation breaches in a previous oversight role in the mid-2000s.
Cambodia/Thailand: The two countries will consider (
Nikkei) jointly drilling for hydrocarbons in a disputed area in the Gulf of Thailand, their leaders announced in Bangkok today. They also signed a new memorandum of understanding on trade and investments and committed to new diplomatic posts to serve travelers and businesses.
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Azerbaijan Holds Snap Election |
President Ilham Aliyev moved up the vote (AP) originally scheduled for 2025 shortly after Azerbaijan launched a military campaign last year to retake the ethnic Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. Aliyev has ruled for more than twenty years and is expected to win another seven-year term. The two main opposition parties are not on today’s ballot.
Pakistan: Two explosions today in the area of election offices in Balochistan province together killed (
Dawn) at least twenty-eight people, officials said. The strikes come as Pakistan has experienced a recent uptick in terrorism, and prepares to hold general elections tomorrow.
For the
Asia Unbound blog, CFR expert Joshua Kurlantzick explains how public discontent is growing in the lead-up to Pakistan’s vote.
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Middle East and North Africa |
Air Strikes Hit Syrian City of Homs, Reportedly Killing at Least Eight |
A United Kingdom-based war monitor said that two people from Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and at least six civilians were killed (AP) in yesterday’s strikes. The Syrian military blamed Israel for the strikes, but Israel did not immediately comment.
This Backgrounder by CFR’s Kali Robinson describes what to know about Hezbollah.
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Zimbabwe Abolishes Death Penalty |
The move by Zimbabwe’s cabinet comes (Bloomberg) almost twenty years after the country carried out its last execution. The death penalty in the case of murder will be replaced by lengthy sentences, the country’s information minister said. Zimbabwe joins more than two-thirds of countries worldwide to have banned the measure.
Angola/DRC: Mining company Ivanhoe Mines and commodities trader Trafigura signed (Bloomberg) the first long-term deals to transport goods on a U.S.-backed railroad currently under construction. The firms will move copper from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to Angola’s Lobito port. The railroad is part of U.S. efforts to counter Chinese influence in Africa and to streamline critical minerals access in the global energy transition.
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EU Lawmakers Agree on New Local Content Requirements for Green Tech |
European Union (EU) leaders set a target (Reuters) yesterday that aims to ensure 40 percent of the components for items needed for its greenhouse gas emissions reduction plans, such as electrolyzers, heat pumps, and nuclear power, are produced in the EU by 2030. The bloc is currently dependent on China for much of its green tech needs. Netherlands: Negotiations to create a governing coalition led by far-right politician Geert Wilders collapsed (
Politico) yesterday after a major party pulled out over disagreements about handling government finances. The party’s leader said it could support a minority cabinet while remaining outside the government. |
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Former Chilean President Dies in Helicopter Crash |
Sebastián Piñera served twice (
NYT) as president and was Chile’s first conservative leader after the country returned to democracy following a military dictatorship. His second term, from 2018 to 2022, was marked by anti-government protests and the decision to embark on a constitutional rewrite process. He was seventy-four at the time of yesterday’s helicopter accident.
Argentina: A bill to enact President Javier Milei’s sweeping pro-market reforms was sent back (Buenos Aires Herald) to congressional committees yesterday after weeks of intense negotiations, voiding its progress.
This Backgrounder by CFR’s Diana Roy looks at Argentina’s struggle for stability.
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House of Representatives Rejects Israel Aid Bill, Mayorkas Impeachment |
Efforts led by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and advance a standalone military aid bill for Israel failed yesterday (ABC). Johnson had proposed the Israel aid bill after dissatisfaction with a bipartisan bill that sought to reform immigration policy and send new wartime aid to Israel and Ukraine.
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Council on Foreign Relations |
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