Israel ordered a partial evacuation of Rafah
Israeli warplanes pounded targets in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza, yesterday, as the military told about 110,000 people there to evacuate. Hours later, the political leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, said that the group had accepted a cease-fire proposal from Qatar and Egypt.
The full details of the proposal were unclear, but the conflict remains unresolved. Comments by Hamas and Israeli officials made it clear that Haniyeh was not referring to the plan that Israel had recently put forward.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the proposal did not meet Israel’s demands. Israel’s war cabinet had also decided unanimously to “continue with its action in Rafah in order to exert military pressure on Hamas,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
Thousands of people were leaving Rafah yesterday, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society, which said that there had been “escalating Israeli airstrikes” in areas east of the city. A sense of panic coursed through the city, as prices for food and fuel skyrocketed.
Context: Israel seems set to invade Rafah, despite pressure from the country’s closest allies, including the U.S., arguing that doing so would take a heavy toll on civilians. An Israeli military spokesman would not say when troops might enter the city, but described the evacuation as part of Israel’s plans to dismantle Hamas and to free hostages taken on Oct. 7.
U.S. campus protests: Columbia University canceled its main commencement ceremony after weeks of student protests over the war.
Russia said it would hold tactical nuclear weapon drills
Russia said that it would hold military exercises with troops near Ukraine to practice for the possible use of battlefield nuclear weapons. The move increases tensions with the West and was Russia’s most explicit warning that it could use such weapons in Ukraine. NATO called the announcement “irresponsible.”
Russian officials claimed the exercises were in response to comments from the West. The Kremlin’s spokesman directly referenced a recent interview with President Emmanuel Macron of France, in which he repeated his refusal to rule out the possibility of sending French troops to Ukraine, and alluded to comments made by the British foreign minister.
Details: These nuclear weapons, often referred to as “tactical,” are designed for battlefield use and have smaller warheads than the ones meant to target cities.
E.U. leader’s tough line on Ukraine with Xi Jinping
Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, pressured China to help resolve the war in Ukraine yesterday during President Xi Jinping’s visit to France. She said Beijing should “use all its influence on Russia to end its war of aggression” and said Xi had played “an important role in de-escalating Russia’s irresponsible nuclear threats.”
Trade: China’s manufacturing boom and flagging domestic demand also came up. Tensions are rising in Europe over a massive export push from China, and von der Leyen took a firm line, saying, “The world cannot absorb China’s surplus production.”
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