The Gaza ceasefire wobbles, and Hamas “finds” a hostage body
Israeli strikes in Gaza killed 100 people last night, according to local officials, in the deadliest day since the signing of the ceasefire three weeks ago. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the operation was a response to the killing of an Israeli soldier in the West Bank and Hamas’ failure to return the remains of the last 13 hostages in Gaza – a key condition of the ceasefire deal. Hamas has said it is trying to locate these remains, but Israel released drone footage on Tuesday that appears to show members of the militant group staging the discovery of a deceased captive. Israel said Wednesday the ceasefire was, however, back in place.
Dutch voters head to the polls, as far-right eyes power (again)
Dutch far-right firebrand Geert Wilders, famous for his severe anti-immigrant views and striking blond coif, leads the polls ahead of today’s election in the Netherlands. But even if he wins, can he garner enough seats to form his own government? He couldn’t after the 2023 election, despite his Freedom Party (FVV) coming in first. Two years of unstable conservative government followed. With 16 different parties expected to gain seats, building a coalition after today’s vote won’t be any easier. Still, the election is seen as a bellwether for the political fortunes of the rising right across Europe.
Tomorrow’s the big day: Trump-Xi meeting
US President
Donald Trump and China’s President
Xi Jinping will meet on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Forum to discuss tariffs, details of the TikTok sale, and key issues including China’s access to US-made microchips and US access to Chinese rare earths. And a big question: if deals are struck to lower tariffs and restore bilateral technology access, would things look all that different from where they started when Trump first took office back in January, or would we simply be back to that status quo?
