Hamas Leader Killed, JetBlue Trial, and a Ghostly Cosmic Hand

Top Hamas Leader Killed

Israeli officials said a senior Hamas commander, who is believed to have directed part of the militant group's Oct. 7 attack and the kidnapping of more than 220 people in Israel, has been killed after an air raid. The airstrikes were targeting the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza, the largest of eight camps in the region (see map), where Israel claimed Hamas militants were hiding. At least 50 people are believed to have been killed from yesterday's airstrikes.

The death toll has risen to at least 8,500 in Gaza and at least 1,400 in Israel. Egypt said its hospitals in northern Sinai and elsewhere would treat injured Palestinians, though the border still appears to be blocked.

Fears over a wider Middle East conflict continue to mount as Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed they were responsible for missile and drone attacks targeting a Red Sea shipping port in southern Israel yesterday. The Israeli military intercepted the attack. 

Separately, the US Senate confirmed Jacob Lew as the next ambassador to Israel, while intelligence officials warned a Senate committee the Israel-Hamas war could raise the potential for terrorist attacks against Americans.

See updates on the war here.

Mass Deportations in Pakistan

Millions of undocumented foreigners face deportation from Pakistan today as the government's deadline to leave voluntarily expires. Four million migrants—nearly half of whom are not documented—are from neighboring Afghanistan, where wars and fear of persecution under strict Taliban rule have prompted broad migrations in recent decades.

The deportation deadline, initiated early last month, comes amid mounting political and economic issues in Pakistan, including record-high inflation and uncertainty around postponed general elections. Detention centers have been set up around the country to handle the expected hundreds of thousands who did not leave ahead of the deadline. Analysts claim the policy signals growing hostility between the two closely tied countries (read overview).

Tens of thousands of Afghans returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan over the last month, including those with documents fearing separation from family. Many Afghans in the country are refugees seeking resettlement in the US, the EU, or elsewhere. 

The US v. JetBlue

The US government's antitrust trial over JetBlue Airways' proposed $3.8B acquisition of Spirit Airlines began yesterday in Boston. The Justice Department, along with six states and Washington, DC, argues the merger would limit flight options and result in higher fares, limiting the "Spirit effect" on the market—when Spirit reduces fares on specific routes, it triggers industrywide price reductions of 17% on average, and when it exits a route, fares increase by 30% on average.

JetBlue argues the merger is necessary for it to compete with the four largest domestic airlines, which comprise more than 80% of the market, and the merger will allow it to offer lower fares in more areas. The airline has proposed to divest routes to address antitrust concerns, saying it will sell flight slots and gates to ultra-low-cost carriers. Critics argue the merger violates sections of the federal Clayton Act designed to prevent mergers that diminish competition or result in monopolies.

If the deal falls apart, JetBlue would need to pay a $470M breakup fee to Spirit and its shareholders. The case follows significant airline industry consolidation in recent years (see visual).

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