The Morning: Israel’s war expands

Plus, Mayor Eric Adams, the Chinese economy and a banana aficionado.

View in browser|nytimes.com September 24, 2024 By German Lopez Good morning. We're covering Israel's strikes in Lebanon — plus, Mayor Eric Adams, the Chinese economy and a banana aficionado. In southern Lebanon. Mahmoud Zayyat/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images The Hezbollah front Israel is now at war on its western and northern borders as a tense stalemate with Hezbollah, a militant group in Lebanon, has escalated into open conflict. The current clash goes back a year. Hezbollah started firing missiles into Israel in solidarity with Hamas the day after Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on Israel. A year of back-and-forth bombings between Hezbollah and Israel followed. Yesterday, Israel struck more than 1,300 sites across Lebanon. More than 490 people died in the attacks. Since Israel sent troops into Gaza to fight Hamas, analysts and officials have warned that the war could spiral into a regional conflict. Hamas is part of a network of anti-Israel groups backed by Iran that spans the Middle East. That network includes Hezbollah. The airstrikes over the past few days, in retaliation for Hezbollah's own attacks, move Israel closer to an all-out war in the region against Iranian proxies. Today's newsletter will explain what led to the strikes, what's happening now and what might come next. Year of escalation A rocket-damaged house in Lebanon in March. Amir Levy/Getty Images Hezbollah is a large paramilitary group that says it wants to destroy Israel and curb U.S. influence in the Middle East. The group, founded during Israel's war in Lebanon in the 1980s, is also a powerful force in Lebanese politics and essentially runs part of Lebanon. It has spent much of its four-decade history attacking Israel, Israel's allies and other targets around the world, including a Jewish cultural center in Argentina in 1994. Hezbollah first gained international notoriety in 1983, when it blew up the American embassy in Beirut, Lebanon's capital, and later American and French barracks there. Since the Oct. 7 attack, the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has escalated: Hezbollah's missiles have displaced tens of thousands of civilians in northern Israel. The group says it will continue its barrage until Israel agrees to a cease-fire in Gaza. Israel has retaliated with its own attacks. Last week, it blew up pagers and other electronic devices belonging to Hezbollah members. Those attacks killed at least dozens and wounded thousands more. Israel says Hezbollah is storing long-range rockets in people's homes. This past weekend, Israel warned people in Lebanon to evacuate areas with those caches. Some human rights groups criticized the warnings as inadequate, arguing that Lebanese civilians can't reasonably know if they live close to hidden military targets. Israel then bombed targets in Lebanon, including Beirut, to take out more of Hezbollah's leaders and their weapons. Israel's goal is to decimate Hezbollah, forcing it to back down and stop its rocket salvos. That would allow thousands of Israeli civilians to return home. Hezbollah has responded with more rockets, at times firing deeper into Israel than usual. Expecting such counterattacks, Israeli officials have restricted gatherings in their country's north. Schools and businesses in the area remained closed yesterday. The cycle is familiar. Israel and Hezbollah each claim that its attacks are meant to get the other to back down from a war. Instead, the strikes lead to further escalation. What's next Rescue workers in Beirut, Lebanon. Diego Ibarra Sanchez for The New York Times Israel and Hezbollah have not fought an all-out war since 2006, when Israel invaded Lebanon. More than 1,000 Lebanese and 150 Israelis died. Israel claimed that it won that war, but it did not appear to have much long-term effect on Hezbollah's operations. How would Israel fare in a full war against Hezbollah today? It has already hurt Hezbollah's leadership with the recent airstrikes and pager attacks. But Israel is also fighting in Gaza and the West Bank, where the military has supported Israeli settlers. For a ground war in Lebanon, Israel may have to call up tens of thousands of reservists, many of whom are already exhausted from fighting elsewhere. "On the one hand, it is one of the best-equipped militaries in the world," my colleague Patrick Kingsley, the Jerusalem bureau chief, told me. "On the other, it is stretched thin." Yet Israeli leaders might have the public's support. Recent polling suggests that a small majority of Israelis back a broader war against Hezbollah. "The displacement of so many Israelis from northern Israel is considered a kind of loss of sovereignty," Patrick told me. And since Hezbollah does not appear willing to back down from its attacks in support of Hamas, the chances of further escalation remain high. More on the Middle East Hezbollah said it had targeted military-industrial sites in northern Israel this morning and fired a barrage of rockets at the Israeli city of Kiryat Shmona. Yesterday was the deadliest day of Israeli attacks in Lebanon since 2006. One Israeli strike in Beirut targeted Ali Karaki, Hezbollah's top commander in southern Lebanon. He survived, the group said. Israel hacked into Lebanon's phone system and sent text messages to residents warning them to evacuate. "Death is very close": As Israel and Hezbollah intensify their conflict, people in Beirut fear an all-out war. The largest hospital in northern Israel shifted its entire operation to its underground parking lot after Hezbollah rocket fire nearby. In Gaza, Israel struck a school-turned-shelter that it said Hamas had used as a command center. President Biden long held onto hope for a peace deal in the Middle East. With four months left in office, he is beginning to acknowledge that he's running out of time, David Sanger writes. THE LATEST NEWS 2024 Election Mike McDonnell, a Nebraska state senator.  Nati Harnik/Associated Press A key Republican state senator rejected changing how Nebraska awards its Electoral College votes. Donald Trump had pushed for the change, which would have helped him. In an interview with The New Yorker, Volodymyr Zelensky criticized Trump and JD Vance's proposals to end the war in Ukraine. Trump said Zelensky wanted Kamala Harris to win. Trump appears to be benefiting from ticket-splitters in Arizona, a Times and Siena College poll found. Trump has a five-point lead there, even as a Democrat leads by six points in the state's Senate race. Harris and Kimberly Guilfoyle, a former Fox host who is engaged to Donald Trump Jr., clashed decades ago when they were both California prosecutors. Read the back story. Attempted Trump Assassination Prosecutors said Ryan Routh, the man accused of trying to kill Trump at his golf course, staked out the site for a month and wrote a confession note. Routh's note included: "This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you. I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster." New York Mayor Eric Adams Karsten Moran for The New York Times Federal prosecutors investigating whether Mayor Eric Adams conspired with Turkey to receive illegal foreign donations have also sought information about interactions with five other countries. Representative Anthony D'Esposito, a New York Republican, gave jobs to a woman he was having an affair with and to his fiancée's daughter, a possible violation of House ethics rules. The New York Police Department has resisted punishing officers who wrongly stop and frisk people, a review found. Chinese Economy In Luang Prabang, Laos. Lauren Decicca/Getty Images Leaders in Beijing are striking deals with China's neighbors to build rail and sea links, seeking to become Asia's trade hub. The Chinese central bank cut interest rates and mortgage down payments in an effort to kick-start a stagnant economy. The Biden administration plans to ban Chinese software from American cars, aiming to prevent China from monitoring Americans' movements. A prominent Chinese economist has been detained after accusations that he criticized Xi Jinping in private messages, The Wall Street Journal reports. Business California sued Exxon Mobil, accusing it of overhyping recycling to sell more plastic. Wall Street's chief A.I. skeptic: The head of stock research at Goldman Sachs tells investors that the technology costs too much and makes too many mistakes. The Justice Department is preparing to sue Visa, accusing it of illegally penalizing customers who try to use rivals. Businesses are accelerating imports as dockworkers on the East and Gulf Coasts threaten to strike. Analysts estimate that a walkout could cost the economy $5 billion a day. Other Big Stories Murders in the U.S. fell nearly 12 percent last year. It was the biggest drop since national record keeping began in 1960. Tropical Storm John hit western Mexico as a Category 3 hurricane, then weakened. Heavy rains there could cause flash flooding and mudslides. Missouri's governor and state Supreme Court rejected a bid for clemency for Marcellus Williams, who is scheduled to be executed tonight. He was found guilty of murder in 2003 and has long fought his conviction. Opinions No matter what metric you use, extreme poverty around the world has fallen steadily, Max Roser writes. Americans already know Trump. How people view Harris will decide the election, Kristen Soltis Anderson argues. Here are columns by Michelle Goldberg on the Electoral College and Paul Krugman on Trump's missing health care plan. Readers of The Morning: Don't miss out on a full year of savings. From in-depth coverage of Decision 2024 to unlimited news and analysis, Games, Cooking, The Athletic and more, subscribe now for only $1 a week for your first year. MORNING READS Jackson Gibbs Pivot: Some news outlets, spurned by social media, are seeking readers on WhatsApp. A delicate balance: On Greece's tourism-dependent islands, residents compete with visitors for a dwindling water supply. Keeping the doctor away: Apples are packed with health benefits. Here's what the experts say. Lives Lived: The bebop saxophonist Benny Golson was both an accomplished musician and a sought-after composer, writing standards including "I Remember Clifford" and "Killer Joe." He died at 95. SPORTS Rebecca Lobo Dave Sanders for The New York Times W.N.B.A.: Rebecca Lobo was one of the league's first stars. Now she's calling games as a younger generation takes it to new heights. N.F.L.: Jayden Daniels bested Joe Burrow in a duel of Heisman-winning quarterbacks, leading the Washington Commanders to a stunning 38-33 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Read a recap. College football: The former U.S.C. running back Reggie Bush filed a lawsuit against the school, the Pac-12 and the N.C.A.A. for "profiting from uncompensated use" of his name, image and likeness. ARTS AND IDEAS Dwarf Hawaiian variegated bananas on Maui. Ron Dahlquist/Design Pics Inc., via Alamy "My default mode of being alive is 'What is that banana?'" Gabriel Sachter-Smith told The Times. Sachter-Smith, 35, has identified some 500 varieties on expeditions around the world. His travels have introduced him to bananas that are egg-shaped and orange, a foot long and pale yellow, and sausage-stubby and green. More on culture Keith Lee has made a lucrative career of traveling around the U.S. to review casual restaurants on social media — sometimes offending cities in the process. Trump made several promises to women over the weekend. "I'm not sure if he's running for president or marketing a new brand of tampon," Stephen Colbert joked. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell. Try a playful take on steak au poivre that uses chicken thighs. Travel with noise-canceling headphones. Buy a tasty margarita mix. GAMES Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangrams were habitual and halibut. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. —German Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Morning newsletter from The New York Times, or as part of your New York Times account. To stop receiving The Morning, 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