What We’re Watching:  Israel advances Gaza City takeover plan, US brokers Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal, Trump’s Russia deadline arrives

Netanyahu plans to conquer Gaza City

Rebuffing warnings from the country’s top military officials, Israel’s Security Cabinet early Friday approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to take over Gaza City, the capital of the Gaza strip. Netanyahu has given the city’s 800,000 residents until Oct. 7 to evacuate, a deadline chosen to mark the two-year anniversary of Hamas’ attack on Israel. Netanyahu’s original plan involved occupying all of Gaza, and this remains possible unless, Israel says, Hamas returns the remaining hostages. The move has angered several Israeli allies, with Germany announcing it will halt military exports to Israel.

Armenia and Azerbaijan to sign historic peace agreement

The two South Caucasus nationswill sign a US-brokered agreement at the White House today. They have been in conflict for more than 30 years, mainly over the fate of Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian separatist enclave of Azerbaijan. In 2023, Azerbaijan retook full control of it after a decisive military advance. The peace deal reportedly grants the US exclusive rights to develop a transit corridor through the energy rich region, which sits at the crossroads of Russian, Turkish, and Iranian influence. For a brief history of the conflict, see here.

Trump’s Russia deadline arrives

Trump’s deadline for Russia to strike a ceasefire deal with Ukraine, or face sanctions, is today. With the US leader set to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the “coming days,” it’s unclear whether he still intends to follow through with the threat – he was evasive when asked about it yesterday, although he has already been hitting at least one of Russia’s main trade partners hard with “secondary measures.” European leaders fear that Putin’s decision to meet with Trump is just another effort to prolong the war and stave off US pressure.