The Biden administration is weighing several alternatives to an Israeli ground invasion of Rafah, which it will propose to a high-level Israeli delegation set to visit Washington next week, two U.S. officials told Axios.
Why it matters: The White House requested the meeting to order to try to avoid an imminent clash between the U.S. and Israel, the officials said. Both Biden and Netanyahu have drawn "red lines" around an Israeli operation in the southern Gaza city, where more than one million displaced Palestinians are sheltering.
Former President Trump said he would "100%" keep the U.S. in NATO if he returns to the presidency so long as European countries pay their "fair share" and "play fair."
Why it matters: The presumptive GOP presidential nominee has long been critical of the defensive alliance, leading to questions about whether he would try to pull the U.S. out if re-elected.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer warned that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could prevent elections in Israel until 2026.
Why it matters: The highest-ranking Jewish lawmaker has continued to call for accountability of Netanyahu as he leads the offensive against Hamas in Gaza, where more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed.
Mexico City neighborhoods arebeing forced to ration water as the drought-stricken metropolis contends with a water crisis.
State of play: Experts say that by June parts of the city's central valley could reach "day zero," when there isn't enough water to pump out to the city, even if the typical rainy season starts that month.
President Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their call on Monday that he is not trying to undermine him politically, two sources with knowledge of the call told Axios.
Why it matters: In recent weeks, Netanyahu has been fuming both in private and in public over what he saw as attempts by the White House and Democrats in Congress to weaken him politically inside Israel.
Israel and Hamas for the first time in months are negotiating details of a possible deal to release Israeli hostages and for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza, according to two Israeli officials and a source with direct knowledge.
Why it matters: Both Israel and Hamas are under intense pressure to reach an agreement that would release the hostages and begin a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, where more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed.
The first charter flight carrying dozens of U.S. citizens escaping violence in Haiti arrived in Miami on Sunday.
The big picture: The travelers arrived from Cap-Haïtien one day after the U.S. State Department announced plans for the flight from the port city following an emergency declaration by Ariel Henry, who has resigned as prime minister, due to gang violence.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to send a senior delegation to Washington in the next few days to discuss an alternative strategy to an Israeli ground invasion of Rafah, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in briefing with reporters on Monday. Why it matters: This is a signal that both Biden and Netanyahu are trying to avoid a public clash over an Israeli invasion of Rafah, where more than a million displaced Palestinians have taken refuge.
Some 300,000 people in northern Gaza are expected to face famine conditions as early as this month, a UN-backed body warned in a report released Monday.
The big picture: Negotiations toward a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas continue as the Gaza Strip faces a humanitarian crisis. The ongoing war has made it difficult to deliver aid into Gaza.
An international draft treaty aimed at bolstering readiness for the next pandemic enters a final round of scheduled negotiations Monday, with key disagreements remaining about how much knowledge and product drugmakers must share with the world.
Why it matters: COVID-19 laid bare global health inequities — and exacerbated them, as low- and middle-income countries received vaccines far later than other countries despite global sharing efforts hatched during the crisis.
Russian autocrat Vladimir Putin late on Sunday unsurprisingly claimed victory in what Russia said was an election for its presidency, solidifying his rule throughout the remainder of this decade and into the 2030s.
Why it matters: What millions of people voted in over the past few days — in some cases against their will — and what 71-year-old Putin won wasn't an election in any traditional sense of the word.
Cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C., tied for their second-earliest peak bloom record on Sunday following some warm final days of winter that have seen temperatures reach the 70s, per the National Park Service.
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