Wednesday Briefing

Israel says it is inside Gaza hospital

The Israeli military said early this morning that its troops were raiding Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital, a complex of buildings where thousands of people have sheltered and conditions for patients have grown increasingly grim as supplies have dwindled. Fighting has been raging nearby for days, and the hospital was struck at least four times over the weekend.

In a statement posted on social media, the Israel Defense Forces said it had launched “a precise and targeted operation against Hamas in a specified area in the Shifa Hospital.” It remained unclear how many troops were involved in the assault or what their immediate objective was.

Israeli commanders say that Hamas fighters have built an underground operational hub and tunnels under the hospital. They have accused Hamas, the armed group that controls Gaza, of using patients, doctors and hospital workers as human shields for command centers and safe houses. Hamas and hospital officials deny the accusations.

Mass graves: Workers at Al-Shifa buried dozens of bodies on the complex because the bodies had started to decompose and posed a health hazard, according to the medical authorities in Gaza.

In other news:

• At least four strikes hit Al-Shifa on Friday morning, and at least three of the projectiles appear to have been Israeli munitions, a Times analysis found.

• At least 102 workers from the largest U.N. agency in Gaza have been killed in five weeks of heavy Israeli bombing.

• A mission to rescue child cancer patients from the violence in Gaza has involved several countries and last-minute connections in the chaos of war.

• Digital disinformation and restrictions on photojournalists have complicated decision-making in newsrooms about how to chronicle the war visually.

Ukraine indicts officials linked to Russian spying

Ukrainian police officials and prosecutors have accused two politicians and a former prosecutor of colluding with a Russian intelligence agency in aiding an effort by Rudolph Giuliani several years ago to tie the Biden family to corruption in Ukraine.

Kostyantyn Kulyk, a former Ukrainian deputy prosecutor general; Oleksandr Dubinsky, a current member of Ukraine’s Parliament; and Andriy Derkach, a former member, were indicted on charges of treason and belonging to a criminal organization. The charges refer to “information-subversive activities” and focus on actions in 2019. They do not say if or when the activity stopped.

A high-profile reprieve: Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, has pardoned one of the convicted organizers of the murder of the acclaimed human rights journalist Anna Politkovskaya. Putin’s move was in return for the man’s service in Ukraine, a lawyer for the man said.

Rishi Sunak’s gamble

A centrist pivot by Rishi Sunak, the British prime minister, has left some saying that his recent cabinet reshuffle could fracture the coalition that delivered a landslide victory for the Conservative Party in 2019 and that it risked alienating working-class voters who once flocked to the Tory slogan “Get Brexit done.”

“Ending up with three moderates in the top four positions is not going to be great for his party politics,” said Jonathan Powell, who served as chief of staff to Tony Blair. “A centrist cabinet in a right-wing party is a dangerous combination for a prime minister.”

Sunak’s third makeover: When he replaced Liz Truss as prime minister 13 months ago, Sunak initially cast himself as a pragmatic technocrat before adopting divisive policies on climate change, immigration and crime to try to put the opposition Labour Party on the defensive.

THE LATEST NEWS

Around the World

• After years of Chinese anti-American propaganda, a friendlier depiction of relations with the U.S. has confused — or amused — some social media users.

• Climate change continues to have a worsening effect on health and mortality internationally, according to a major new report.

• The killing of Mexico’s first nonbinary magistrate has angered L.G.B.T.Q. advocates who are demanding a thorough investigation.

• Israeli farms, core to the country’s national identity, for years employed Palestinian and Thai workers. The war has left growers scrambling to find replacement labor.

• The death of a Zimbabwean activist is the latest in what civil and political leaders say has been a string of violent episodes since elections in August.

From the U.S.

• Nearly every cherished aspect of American life is under growing threat from climate change, according to a major government report.

• A state judge in Michigan partly rejected an effort to disqualify Donald Trump from running for president in the state, saying that the issue “is not ripe for adjudication at this time.”

• Trump planned to refuse to leave the White House “under any circumstances” despite losing the 2020 election, his former lawyer told Georgia prosecutors.

• The Federal Reserve’s battle against inflation appears to be working, possibly reducing the need for further rate increases.

What Else is Happening

• Despite the toll of global warming, countries aren’t doing nearly enough to rein in greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new U.N. report card.

• The BBC said that it had received five complaints about the comedian Russell Brand during a period when he was working on its radio shows.

• Airfares to many popular destinations have fallen to their lowest levels in months.

• Iceland is bracing for a possible volcanic eruption.

A Morning Read

A trove of dozens of historic maps, some dating as far back as the 15th century, has been digitized as Oculi Mundi (the Eyes of the World), an online archive.

The maps are artifacts of people’s efforts to pinpoint where they were and where they were going next, in the age before the emergence of GPS and phones that could tell us exactly where we are. And each has its own story.

SPORTS NEWS

Why soccer fears tramadol: The World Anti-Doping Agency’s decision to put the painkiller on its banned list could have serious consequences for players.

Women’s soccer: Emma Hayes has been confirmed as the new head coach of the U.S. team, in a deal that makes her the highest-paid coach in the sport.

The return of David Cameron: Social media announcements about the Conservative Party’s cabinet reshuffle appeared to refer to a sports media celebrity.

Success in Formula 1’s glitziest race: As the paddock travels to Nevada for the Las Vegas Grand Prix’s debut, many questions remain.

ARTS AND IDEAS

Staging the unthinkable

Manuel Oliver’s son Joaquin was one of 17 people killed in a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Valentine’s Day of 2018. Known to his friends as Guac, he was a 17-year-old who loved bacon, buttery popcorn, Guns N’ Roses and the Miami Heat.

Since Joaquin was killed, Oliver, a painter, has used art and activism to push for stronger gun regulation. Most recently, he has been performing “Guac: The One Man Show,” a 90-minute show about his son’s life, around the U.S. He hopes to stage it again in New York in 2024, and to bring the show to Europe. “It makes me feel very connected to my son,” he said.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Cook: Bookmarkthese classic deviled eggs for the upcoming holiday season.

Pack: Takethese gadgets with you on a trip.

Exercise: Walking is good for you. Running is better.

Nosh: The 25 essential dishes to eat in Mexico City.

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

P.S. Do you know the fictional places in these popular novels? Take our quiz.

You can reach Natasha and the team at [email protected].