Kamala Harris Meets With Israel’s Benny Gantz in Washington |
Benny Gantz of Israel’s war cabinet has traveled (Reuters) to Washington today to meet with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and senior lawmakers, Gantz’s office said. They are due to discuss efforts to establish a temporary cease-fire and hostage deal in the Israel-Hamas war, increase humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, and reduce Palestinian civilian casualties.
In a speech yesterday, Harris called for an immediate cease-fire (NYT) in Gaza, saying Hamas should agree to a proposal that is currently on the table and that Israel should be doing more to allow aid into the enclave. The United States began airdropping aid into Gaza over the weekend amid difficulties in humanitarian access. Meanwhile, Hamas envoys arrived in Egypt yesterday for the latest round of cease-fire negotiations, but Israel did not send (NYT) a delegation after learning that Hamas refused to share a list of hostages who were still alive.
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“[U.S. President Joe Biden] needs the cooperation of the Israeli leadership. Gantz should be able to help him with that since he can’t get [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu]’s cooperation,” CFR expert Martin Indyk posts. “The United States has been pushing for a cease-fire ahead of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month that starts in about a week, but slow progress in the talks has made that challenging,” the New York Times’ Adam Rasgon writes.
Read the full suite of Foreign Affairs and CFR.org resources on Israel and the current conflict.
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Beijing Breaks Tradition, Cancels Annual Press Briefing |
For the first time in three decades, China’s premier will not hold (Bloomberg) a press briefing at the annual parliamentary meetings. The news conference was a rare opportunity for foreign press to question Chinese officials about the direction of Beijing’s economic policy; the cancellation reflects President Xi Jinping’s moves to consolidate control over the country.
U.S./South Korea: The two countries began (Japan Times) annual spring military exercises today, featuring twice the number of field training drills as last year’s edition. The exercise, which will run through March 14, comes months after North Korea scrapped a 2018 military accord with South Korea meant to reduce tensions on the border.
This timeline traces the U.S.-South Korea alliance.
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India to Build Naval Base Near Maldives |
The announcement came (AP) after the Maldives asked India last month to swap its military officers stationed in the country for civilian staff, and amid tensions as the Maldives grows increasingly closer to China. India’s Navy said it will release more details about plans for the base on Wednesday.
Pakistan: Shehbaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz party was sworn in (Reuters) as prime minister today. He had been serving as prime minister until last August, when parliament was dissolved to prepare for last month’s election.
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Middle East and North Africa |
Preliminary Results Suggest Historic Low Turnout in Iranian Elections |
Overall turnout in Iran’s parliamentary election on Friday fell (FT) to as low as 41 percent, according to a state news agency. Many opposition figures called for a boycott of the vote when reformist and moderate candidates were blocked from being able to run. About half of the thirty parliamentary candidates did not reach the required threshold for votes, leading to a runoff in Tehran.
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Interim Leader of Chad Says He Plans to Run for President |
Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno has been serving (Reuters) as interim president since his father was killed in 2021 after three decades in office. Déby originally announced an eighteen-month transition to elections, which were delayed and are set for May and June. His announcement came days after opposition leader Yaya Dillo Djérou was killed in the capital.
Kenya/Haiti: Leaders of the two countries signed (NYT) a deal authorizing the deployment of one thousand Kenyan police officers to Haiti as part of a UN-backed multinational stabilization mission. Yesterday, Haitian authorities imposed (AP) a nighttime curfew following jailbreaks at the nation’s two biggest prisons that saw an estimated four thousand inmates escape.
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Finland, Sweden Step Up Participation in Nordic NATO Drill |
A biannual North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) drill typically held in northern Norway is now being equally cohosted (AP) with Finland and Sweden for the first time. Sweden’s accession to the alliance is still being finalized, while Finland joined in April 2023.
Germany/Russia: The German government is probing (WaPo) a potential leak of a military phone call among German officials to Russian state media. Russian state media published apparent audio of the call in which senior German military officials debated the nature of military aid to Ukraine. Germany’s defense minister described the leak to be part of an “information war.”
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Migration Through Colombia-Panama Jungle Resumes After Multiday Closure |
Authorities had closed the entrance to the Darién Gap for roughly five days in order to arrest two boat captains accused of illegally transporting migrants. The closure quickly caused crowding in Colombian exit towns. Passages reopened (NYT) after a meeting that included Colombian officials and a representative from the U.S. Embassy in Colombia.
Mexico: Watchdog group Data Civica counted (AP) thirty attacks on political hopefuls and party officials between September and February 10 as the country moves toward its largest elections in history. Security experts have warned such attacks may reach record rates. Last week, two mayoral candidates in the state of Michoacán were killed.
At this CFR meeting, a panel of experts unpacks the state of democracy around the world. |
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California Snowstorm, Texas Fire Mark Weekend of Extreme Weather |
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Council on Foreign Relations |
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