Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at Israel’s expanded military campaign in Gaza, Rwanda agreeing to accept U.S. deportees, and Japan’s record-setting heat wave.
Complete Takeover
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened with senior security officials on Tuesday to set a new strategy for the Israel-Hamas war, which has been ongoing for 22 months. The meeting included Defense Minister Israel Katz, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, military chief of staff Eyal Zamir, and military operations head Itzik Cohen. Netanyahu reportedly discussed several options for continuing the war in Gaza, with the goal of presenting the plan at a broader cabinet meeting later this week.
Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at Israel’s expanded military campaign in Gaza, Rwanda agreeing to accept U.S. deportees, and Japan’s record-setting heat wave.
Complete Takeover
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened with senior security officials on Tuesday to set a new strategy for the Israel-Hamas war, which has been ongoing for 22 months. The meeting included Defense Minister Israel Katz, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, military chief of staff Eyal Zamir, and military operations head Itzik Cohen. Netanyahu reportedly discussed several options for continuing the war in Gaza, with the goal of presenting the plan at a broader cabinet meeting later this week.
“It is still necessary to complete the defeat of the enemy in Gaza, release our hostages, and ensure that Gaza never again constitutes a threat to Israel,” Netanyahu said on Tuesday, reiterating Israel’s three wartime goals. “We are not giving up on any of these missions.”
Netanyahu appears to favor a complete military takeover of Gaza, which would mark a significant shift in Israel’s policy since it withdrew from the territory in 2005. Such an operation would align with calls from Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners, who have condemned any cease-fire and hostage release deal that does not include “total victory” over Hamas. Netanyahu has become increasingly reliant on these officials to maintain power.
Over the weekend, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called on Israel to “conquer” Gaza while leading prayers at Jerusalem’s most contentious holy site. Ben-Gvir and Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have also pushed for Israel to rebuild settlements in Gaza, which would be a violation of international law and draw widespread condemnation.
Appeasing the far right would go against rising anti-government sentiment in Israel, notably among the families of hostages in Gaza, who have argued that Netanyahu has not done enough to secure the captives’ release and is extending the war unnecessarily to remain in office. The United Nations Security Council convened an emergency session on Tuesday to discuss the hostage crisis; roughly 50 people remain captive in Gaza, only around 20 of whom are believed to still be alive.
Still, experts suggested that the threat of a full takeover could be a tactic to pressure Hamas into concessions. Cease-fire talks have largely stalled, as Israel seeks to expand its military presence in Gaza and Hamas demands that the territory’s hunger crisis be addressed before it returns to the negotiating table. At least 175 Palestinians (including around 93 children) have died from starvation or malnutrition since the Israel-Hamas war began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Israel announced on Tuesday that it will allow the gradual and controlled entry of goods into Gaza through local private merchants. Approved aid includes basic food products, baby food, and hygiene supplies. However, U.N. and local authorities argued that such actions would not be enough to fully address mass starvation in Gaza. They suggested that Israel needs to admit around 600 aid trucks daily (the number that Israel allowed to enter Gaza before the war) to meet humanitarian requirements.
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What We’re Following
U.S. deportation scheme. Rwanda became the third African country on Tuesday to agree to accept U.S. deportees as part of a White House plan to use third-party nations to remove migrants from U.S. soil. “Rwanda has agreed with the United States to accept up to 250 migrants, in part because nearly every Rwandan family has experienced the hardships of displacement, and our societal values are founded on reintegration and rehabilitation,” Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo said.
In the past few months, the United States has sent 13 men that it described as dangerous to South Sudan and Eswatini after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of their deportations and those individuals’ home countries refused to take them back. Since January, U.S. President Donald Trump has also deported hundreds of people to Costa Rica, Panama, and El Salvador, the last of which has placed many deportees in the country’s notorious megaprison.
This is not the first time that Rwanda has agreed to receive another country’s deportees. In 2022, Rwanda attracted outrage from human rights activists for striking a deal with the United Kingdom to accept asylum-seekers. But the deal was deemed unethical and ultimately scrapped by Britain’s Labour Party when it took over in 2024. The U.K. Supreme Court ruled that the proposal was unlawful in 2023.
Turn on the AC. Japan recorded its highest temperature ever on Tuesday, reaching 107.2 degrees Fahrenheit in the city of Isesaki. The reading caps weeks of record-setting heat in Japan, with average temperatures in July spiking for a third year in a row and the country’s northeastern region registering critically low levels of rainfall.
Government officials advised residents to remain indoors; more than 53,000 people have sought medical treatment for heat stroke this summer, according to Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency. Experts are worried that the intense temperatures could further damage the country’s acute rice shortage. “We need to act with speed and a sense of crisis to prevent damage,” Japanese Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said, adding that the government will offer measures to help combat pests and tackle drought.
Temperatures around the world have soared in recent years due to the climate crisis, and scientists have warned that the heat wave in Japan could still worsen.
Under house arrest. Brazil’s Supreme Court on Monday issued a house arrest order for former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is facing a criminal trial for allegedly orchestrating a coup attempt in 2022. The order also banned the far-right figure from using a cell phone or receiving visits, except from his lawyers and people authorized by the court.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes cited Bolsonaro’s repeated online posts as the reason for his decision, saying the posts violated the precautionary measures that the court imposed on him. Bolsonaro’s lawyers said they plan to appeal the house arrest order.
The U.S. Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs quickly denounced the ruling. “Putting even more restrictions on Jair Bolsonaro’s ability to defend himself in public is not a public service. Let Bolsonaro speak!” the U.S. State Department agency said. Trump recently imposed a 50 percent tariff on Brazil—the highest rate on any country—for its treatment of Bolsonaro, calling the trial a “witch hunt.” Last week, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Moraes for overseeing the case.
Odds and Ends
The U.S. Agriculture Department is using a Hollywood film to scare away hungry wolves. The rising wolf population in Yellowstone National Park has terrorized local livestock, forcing USDA officials to brainstorm creative ways to prevent further attacks. These include using drones to blast frightening sounds, including gunshots, fireworks, AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck,” and the explosive argument scene from Adam Driver’s and Scarlett Johansson’s movie Marriage Story. “I need the wolves to respond and know that, hey, humans are bad,” said Paul Wolf, a USDA district supervisor in Oregon.
Great Job Alexandra Sharp & the Team @ World Brief – Foreign Policy Source link for sharing this story.
