Wednesday Briefing: A threat from Netanyahu

Plus, China's record-setting blockbuster.

View in browser|nytimes.com February 12, 2025 By Natasha Frost Good morning. We're covering the endangered Gaza cease-fire and Elon Musk in the Oval Office. Plus: China's record-setting blockbuster. Taking shelter in Jabaliya in northern Gaza on Monday. Saher Alghorra for The New York Times Netanyahu threatens a return to "intense fighting" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel warned Hamas yesterday that if it did not release hostages as scheduled on Saturday, Israeli troops would resume "intense fighting" in Gaza. Hamas had said on Monday that it would indefinitely postpone the release, accusing Israel of violating their cease-fire deal. Netanyahu also reiterated an order to reinforce troops in and around Gaza, but he did not say they were planning to recapture territory. "This operation is currently underway," he said. "It will be completed as soon as possible." President Trump, during a White House meeting yesterday with King Abdullah II of Jordan, insisted again that the U.S. will "take" Gaza, saying that nearby countries would absorb its Palestinian population. He has threatened to suspend U.S. aid to Egypt and Jordan if they refuse. In a follow-up post on social media, King Abdullah reiterated that Jordan was opposed to the displacement of the Palestinians. Back story: Hamas has accused Israel of failing to send hundreds of thousands of promised tents into Gaza. The Israeli military unit that oversees aid deliveries called the accusation "completely false," but several Israeli officials, speaking anonymously, said the claims were accurate. What the law says: Trump's Gaza proposal would be a clear violation of international humanitarian law, a war crime and a crime against humanity, experts say. Next steps: Analysts said Israel and Hamas could reach a compromise before Saturday on this weekend's scheduled round of hostage releases. Another hurdle looms in March, when their cease-fire is set to expire unless they negotiate an extension. Elon Musk with his 4-year-old son and President Trump in the Oval Office on Tuesday. Eric Lee/The New York Times Musk, offering no proof, called U.S. bureaucracy corrupt In an Oval Office appearance alongside President Trump, the billionaire Elon Musk made sweeping, unsubstantiated claims that the U.S. bureaucracy has been corrupted by cheats and officials who've approved money for "fraudsters." (We fact-checked Musk's remarks.) Trump created the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, which Musk runs, to vastly overhaul that bureaucracy, in part by cutting the federal work force. Musk appeared before reporters amid mounting criticism that he was operating with unchecked power and no accountability. "All of our actions are maximally transparent," Musk said. But in reality, his team is operating in deep secrecy, surprising federal employees by descending upon agencies and accessing sensitive data systems. Musk himself is a "special government employee," which means his financial disclosure filing will not be made public, according to the White House. The latest: Trump signed an executive order giving DOGE wide reach over the shape of the Civil Service, further empowering Musk and his team. For more: Musk's business empire, which has many dealings with the government, has already benefited from Trump's shake-up and is in a position to keep doing so. More on the Trump administration Canada, Mexico and European countries denounced Trump's 25 percent tariffs on steel and aluminum as unfair and threatened yesterday to retaliate. Pope Francis harshly criticized Trump's policy of mass deportations and urged Catholics to reject anti-immigrant narratives. A judge ordered Trump to hold off $4 billion in cuts to federal funding for research at universities, cancer centers and hospitals. An increasing number of Jan. 6 defendants pardoned by Trump have gone on social media to attack prosecutors and F.B.I. agents who worked on their cases. Kash Patel, Trump's pick to lead the F.B.I., was accused of covertly directing a staff purge at the bureau without having been confirmed as its director. Track Trump's actions since taking office. Ukrainian volunteers recovered the remains of a Russian soldier in the Kharkiv region on Sunday. Tyler Hicks/The New York Times Can European troops keep the peace in Ukraine? The prospect of a peace deal for Ukraine is sure to be discussed this week at the annual Munich Security Conference, which two top U.S. officials, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are scheduled to attend. Experts say that deterring Russia from going back into Ukraine after the war ends would require 150,000 troops and U.S. help with air cover, intelligence and missile defense. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has said that as many as 200,000 foreign troops could be needed. My colleague Steven Erlanger looked at the possibilities for European "boots on the ground." In other news: President Trump secured the release of Marc Fogel, an American teacher imprisoned in Russia, as part of a deal with the Kremlin. Fogel, 63, was classified as wrongfully detained by the Biden administration late last year. Related: Ukraine's Parliament passed a bill allowing the government to buy two unused, Russian-made nuclear reactors from Bulgaria. MORE TOP NEWS Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters Crime: "I was dying," Salman Rushdie testified in the trial of the man charged with trying to murder him. Germany: With elections just weeks away, Friedrich Merz, the front-runner for chancellor, is refocusing his stump speech away from immigration. China: Chinese companies are suing researchers in the U.S., Europe and Australia to try to quash negative information about their practices. Italy: Police officers arrested 181 people believed to be affiliated with the Sicilian mafia. Energy: BP's chief executive promised "a fundamental reset" of the company's strategy. Analysts said that would probably mean less spending on low-emission technologies. Wall Street: Goldman Sachs is the latest finance giant to backpedal from diversity promises. Health: New research on weight-loss surgery could help doctors treat millions of patients with fatty liver disease. SPORTS NEWS Soccer: Luis Rubiales, who resigned as the sport's top official in Spain after kissing a player, testified at his sexual assault trial that the kiss was consensual. Champions League: Real Madrid scored twice in the final 10 minutes against Manchester City to triumph, 3-2. Tennis: The U.S. Open mixed doubles event will be moved to qualifying week, with a new format and additional prize money. Skiing: Mikaela Shiffrin and Breezy Johnson won the gold medal in the new team combined event at the Alpine world championships. MORNING READ Visual China Group, via Getty Images The highest-grossing movie ever in China is "Ne Zha 2," an animated film about a demonic child who fights monsters. It is part of a trend in the world's second-largest movie market: Domestic films with patriotic messages or roots in traditional culture are outperforming Hollywood hits. Lives lived: Maria Teresa Horta, a feminist writer who helped shatter conservative Portugal's strictures on women, died at 87. CONVERSATION STARTERS Spa day: For Louis, a champion Afghan hound competing in the Westminster Dog Show, it all starts with a bath and blowout. (See behind-the-scenes photos from the show.) Church of Silicon Valley: Christianity is on the up in the tech world, driven in part by industry demigods like Peter Thiel. Something to chew on: Should dinner be the smallest meal of the day? ARTS AND IDEAS Not just word salad Picture a high-end menu: sparse text, small font, silly-sounding dishes. The highfalutin' language of those menus makes for easy satire — "fork-tender" duck, say, or an ode to potatoes. But does bristling at such flourishes make us noble crusaders against a pretentious food scene? Or are we missing the forest for the fancy cheese? "You're trying to communicate some of the work and thought that goes into creating a dish," said Kate Lasky, a co-owner and co-chef at a vegan Polish restaurant in Pittsburgh. "I kind of see the conundrum to actually express what's going on." Read more about fine-dining menus. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS Armando Rafael for The New York Times Cook: It's easier than you think to make steak au poivre for two. Watch: "The White Lotus" is back for a third season of high-status high jinks. Read: Kelsey McKinney, the host of the "Normal Gossip" podcast, explores why we love the inside scoop in "You Didn't Hear This From Me." Exercise: To reach your fitness goals, start with a road map. Play the Spelling Bee. And here are today's Mini Crossword and Wordle. You can find all our puzzles here. That's it for today's briefing. See you tomorrow. — Natasha Reach Natasha 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. 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