Monday Briefing: Israel’s plan to pause some fighting in Gaza

Preparing to resist a second Trump presidency and "freedom empanadas" in Venezuela

View in browser|nytimes.com June 17, 2024 By Daniel E. Slotnik Good morning. We're covering Israel's plan for daily pauses in fighting near the Gaza border and preparations to resist a second Donald Trump presidency. Plus: "Freedom empanadas" in Venezuela. Humanitarian aid making its way into the Gaza Strip, through a border crossing. Amir Cohen/Reuters Israel announced a daily pause in some fighting The Israeli military said yesterday that it would suspend daytime military operations near a border crossing in southern Gaza "until further notice" to allow more humanitarian aid to enter the enclave. Aid groups have made increasingly urgent warnings about the lack of food and other basic goods. The announcement, made on the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha, came amid a flurry of negotiations, mediated by the U.S., Qatar and Egypt, to reach a cease-fire. One sticking point in those talks is a disagreement over the permanence of any cessation of hostilities. Israel's military stressed yesterday that the pause would be limited, that its offensive in Rafah would continue and that there would be "no cessation of fighting" in southern Gaza overall. The government suggested that the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had learned of the pause only from news reports and had signaled his disapproval. But analysts said it was likely that Netanyahu was aware of the plan and that the messaging was tailored to specific audiences. Gazans: As the war drags on, people are growing more willing to speak out against Hamas. Julia Spiegel, a lawyer who has worked with governors to plan a resistance campaign if Donald Trump is re-elected. Tom Jamieson for The New York Times A new Trump resistance has begun to emerge A sprawling network of Democratic officials, progressive activists, watchdog groups and ex-Republicans has been taking extraordinary steps to prepare for a potential second Trump presidency. Those involved view his agenda as a threat to democracy and are laying the groundwork to push back if he wins the election in November. The early timing and scale of the planning are without precedent. Some are drafting potential lawsuits in case Trump carries out mass deportations, as he has vowed to do. The A.C.L.U. hired a new auditor to withstand any attempt to unleash the Internal Revenue Service against it. At least five Democratic-run states have stockpiled abortion medication. If Trump wins: He is openly planning broad changes to the government, many with authoritarian overtones, such as using the Justice Department to exact revenge on his adversaries and sending federal troops into Democratic-run cities. Here's our overview of his agenda. Johan Floderus, an E.U. diplomat released by Iran, met his family in Stockholm on Saturday. Tom Samuelsson/TT News Agency, via Reuters Iran and Sweden swapped prisoners Iran and Sweden exchanged prisoners on Saturday, bringing relief to families but also raising concerns that the swap rewarded Iran for its hostage diplomacy. The country has systematically arrested foreign nationals on fabricated allegations to extract concessions from Western countries. Iran released an E.U. diplomat and a dual Iranian-Swedish national. Sweden released Hamid Nouri, the first Iranian official to be convicted of crimes against humanity. A Swedish court sentenced him to life in 2022 after he was convicted of torture, war crimes and the 1988 mass execution of 5,000 dissidents. His conviction was hailed as a landmark case of trans-border justice. Reaction: Family members of dozens of people who remain in Iranian custody, including detainees who are Swedish citizens, were outraged. MORE TOP NEWS Fadel Senna/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Climate and Heat Saudi Arabia: Fourteen Jordanian pilgrims died from intense heat as they performed rituals related to the hajj, the holy trip to Mecca. California: A fast-spreading wildfire has forced about 1,200 people to evacuate and has burned more than 10,000 acres northwest of Los Angeles. Greece: Several tourists have died amid a heat wave that has smothered Greece for weeks. At least five remained missing across the country. Russia-Ukraine Russia: Special forces troops quashed a short-lived mutiny at a provincial detention center yesterday, state media reported. They killed detainees, some charged with terrorism, who had broken out of their cells. Diplomacy: At a conference in Switzerland, more than 80 countries called for "dialogue between all parties." But Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, refused negotiations that would cede territory. Ukraine: In 2022, Moscow and Kyiv engaged in peace talks. Documents reviewed by The Times show why peace will be hard to achieve. Other News Germany: Police in Hamburg shot a man wielding an ax on a street crowded with soccer fans, hours before the city hosted a European Championship game. Britain: Catherine, Princess of Wales, appeared in public for the first time since announcing her cancer diagnosis. France: Tens of thousands of people protested on Saturday against the far-right National Rally party. China: Two prominent leaders in the country's #MeToo movement were convicted of subversion, a vaguely worded charge long seen as a tool for muzzling dissent. South Africa: A fragile coalition elected Cyril Ramaphosa for a second term as president. G7: Fears of China's rise loomed large over the meeting. The summit's final communiqué referenced the country 28 times, almost always as a malign force. Italy: Pope Francis attended Rome's Pride celebration, where attendees embraced the offensive slur for gay people that he was accused of using twice in recent weeks. MORNING READ Adriana Loureiro Fernandez for The New York Times After two sisters in Venezuela served breakfast to an opposition leader, the government shut down their restaurant. They shared a video of the encounter online, emerging as unlikely political folk heroes as the country heads into its most competitive election in years, and even rebranding their food as "freedom empanadas." CONVERSATION STARTERS Using bad TikToks to sell curry: Urban Tandoor, an Indian restaurant in southwest England, is enticing customers with terrible music video parodies made by its staff. Viktor Orban embraces a rapper: Azahriah, who has rapped about the joy of cannabis, has shot to fame in Hungary and been lauded by the country's conservative leader. "Rodent Men": The term describes a certain type of desirable Hollywood actor. SPORTS NEWS Messi vs. Ronaldo: How soccer's greatest players compare. Euro 2024: Offense takes center stage, leading to the fastest European Championship goal ever. Copa América: The U.S. team is viewed as a "golden generation." How far could it advance in this year's tournament? ARTS AND IDEAS Sara Krulwich/The New York Times Broadway's pop era The Tony Awards — Broadway's big night on television — ended in victory for "Stereophonic," which won best new play, and "The Outsiders," which won best new musical. Over half of the new musicals that opened this season had scores written by artists whose primary credentials are in the music business, including Alicia Keys, Barry Manilow and Britney Spears. My colleague Michael Paulson writes that it's part of a broader pattern: The wellspring of Broadway's sound is shifting, with more pop artists writing musicals. Some top artists are excited by the cross-pollination; some theater fans are worried that pop songs don't advance storytelling like musical theater tunes. In some ways, this isn't new: In the early 20th century, theater stars found success on the stage and the radio, and jukebox musicals have long been Broadway staples. But it's also a financial consideration. The theater industry has seen audiences shrink and costs rise since the pandemic-induced shutdowns, and familiarity sells tickets. For more: We spoke with 43 of the nominees before the show. Here's our list of winners, and what Broadway's biggest stars wore. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. Bake: Red velvet cake is easier than you might think. Read: "Traveling" examines the life and music of Joni Mitchell. Listen: Julius Rodriguez, the 25-year-old jazz prodigy, hones a more audacious sound on his second album, "Evergreen." Play the Spelling Bee. And here are today's Mini Crossword and Wordle. You can find all our puzzles here. That's all for today. Thank you for reading, and see you tomorrow. — Dan You can reach Dan and the team at briefing@nytimes.com. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Morning Briefing: Europe Edition from The New York Times. To stop receiving Morning Briefing: Europe Edition, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018