Monday Briefing: Israel pulls some troops from southern Gaza

April 8, 2024

	By Amelia Nierenberg

Good morning. We’re covering a drawdown of Israeli troops and Mexico-Ecuador tensions.

Plus, today’s solar eclipse in North America.

People, cars and animals on a dirt road moving past damaged buildings.

Palestinians returning to Khan Younis after Israel said it had pulled a division of soldiers from the city. Mohammed Abed/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Israel withdraws some troops

The Israeli military said it withdrew a division of ground troops from southern Gaza yesterday. The move raised questions about its plans as the war reached the six-month mark — Israeli media reported that the withdrawal meant there were no Israeli troops actively maneuvering in southern Gaza.

It was unclear what the latest drawdown of forces meant for the prospect of an Israeli ground offensive in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city. Israel has significantly reduced the number of troops it has on the ground over the past several months. Only a fraction of the soldiers that it had deployed in the territory earlier in the war remain.

Israel has routed Hamas in much of Gaza, and fighting seems to have slowed. But the conflict is being drawn out by Israel’s reluctance to either hold ground it has captured or transfer its control to an alternative Palestinian leadership.

The withdrawal came as international mediators were set to meet in Cairo to pick up stalled negotiations on a temporary cease-fire and the release of hostages held in the enclave. At the same time, concerns have mounted that Iran will retaliate for an Israeli strike in Syria that killed senior commanders of Iran’s elite Quds Force.

In Israel: The military said it had retrieved and repatriated the body of a 47-year-old hostage held in Gaza.

In Gaza: Khobeza, a spinach-like wild plant that sprouts after rains, has become a lifeline for hungry people.

People holding a banner reading “Libertad Jorge Glas” near a cement wall. A person with a raised fist is in the foreground.

Demonstrators at the Mexican Embassy in Ecuador called for Jorge Glas to be released. Karen Toro/Reuters

Mexico breaks ties with Ecuador

Mexico severed its diplomatic ties with Ecuador on Friday after Ecuadorean police arrested an Ecuadorean politician, Jorge Glas, who had been granted political asylum in Mexico’s embassy in Quito, the capital. The next day, Nicaragua also announced it was suspending its diplomatic relationship with Ecuador, characterizing the arrest as “neo-fascist political barbarity.”

That arrest, which Mexico described as a “violation” of its sovereignty, capped days of growing tensions between the countries. Ecuador has considered Glas, a former vice president, a fugitive, and said its police force was acting on an arrest warrant for him.

Glas: He was convicted of bribery in two separate cases and fled to the embassy after facing more embezzlement charges.

Paul Kagame and his wife lighting a flame atop a sculpture with a long torch.

President Paul Kagame of Rwanda lit a remembrance flame yesterday, as part of commemorations. Luis Tato/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

30 years after Rwanda’s genocide

Rwanda observed the 30th anniversary of the devastating genocide in the central African country, a 100-day rampage in which extremists from the ethnic Hutu majority killed 800,000 people — most of them ethnic Tutsis, a minority group.

The daylong tribute included a wreath-laying ceremony at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, the final resting place for the remains of over 250,000 victims. “Rwanda was completely humbled by the magnitude of our loss, and the lessons we learned are engraved in blood,” President Paul Kagame, who led Tutsi rebels during the genocide, said yesterday.

Context: Rwanda has made impressive gains in maternal mortality, poverty, education and health access. But ethnic divisions persist under Kagame, an iron-fisted president who has ruled the country ever since the genocide. He is up for election this year and is expected to win another seven-year term.

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MORE TOP NEWS

Russia-Ukraine

A large crater in the earth outside a bombed-out mall.

A bomb crater at the scene of an overnight attack in Kharkiv on Saturday. Sergey Kozlov/EPA, via Shutterstock

Kharkiv: Russian rockets killed at least seven people in the eastern Ukrainian city, local authorities said.
Convicts: Russia freed them to fight Ukraine. Then some former inmates returned home to commit new crimes.
Slovakia: Voters elected Peter Pellegrini, a pro-Russia presidential candidate.

What Else Is Happening

Janet Yellen: The U.S. treasury secretary confronted her Chinese counterpart about the country’s surging exports of electric vehicles and other green-energy goods.
Myanmar: The military rulers have signaled a new wave of detentions, and, rights groups say, conditions for existing prisoners have deteriorated.
North Korea: An author who defected to the South won a defamation lawsuit. Another defector had accused him of rape.
The New York region: A magnitude-4.8 earthquake shook the northeastern U.S. on Friday but caused little damage.
Japan: The prime minister, Fumio Kishida, is visiting Washington this week as he and President Biden look to build a Trump-proof alliance.

MORNING READ

A diptych featuring two stills from TikTok videos. In one, a young woman whose hair is covered with a white cloth smiles as six brightly colored fabric swatches are splayed in front of her chest. In the other, an older woman sits as if in a hairdresser’s chair with shimmering gold fabric draped over her shoulders like a bib by another woman standing behind her.

Content creators post about color analysis on TikTok.

Personal color analysis is popular on social media, where people pay big for consultations. The trend has devoted fans, but skeptics don’t think it’s worth nearly $500 to be told they look pasty in blue.

The Australia Letter: All hail the banh mi.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

World War II: An exhibit will travel to museums across the U.S., highlighting the work of female Japanese American artists who were interned.
Film: Sobhita Dhulipala, who is still something of an outsider in Indian cinema, has been thrust into Hollywood’s spotlight with “Monkey Man.”

The Maldives: The rural, outer islands are depopulating as young people seek their fortunes in the teeming capital.

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ARTS AND IDEAS

People lie on the ground in a large gathering to observe the solar eclipse, all of them holding protective glasses over their eyes.

In 2017, more American adults watched the eclipse than the Super Bowl. Todd Heisler/The New York Times

Today’s total eclipse

Today, a total solar eclipse will move across North America. The path of totality — the strip where the moon will completely obscure the sun — begins in Mazatlán, Mexico. It crosses over more than a dozen U.S. states, from Texas to Maine, and ends in Newfoundland, Canada.

Millions plan to watch the few minutes when the moon entirely blocks out the sun and darkness swallows the light. (At least, they hope to: Anxiety is building with cloudy forecasts.)

Some enthusiasts booked hotel rooms years ahead, and many took time off work to see the awe-inspiring event. “It is a present reminder to everyone, on the same day, that life can be magical,” my colleague Elizabeth Dias wrote.

For more: Here’s a map and tips to watch safely.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Three shrimp tacos on a blue plate with a wedge of lime, a bowl of salsa and a bottle of hot sauce.

Matt Taylor-Gross for The New York Times

Cook: These crispy shrimp tacos — a take on tacos gobernador — are a little like quesadillas.

Play: Our critics reviewed new horror video games and remakes of classic titles.

Listen: Therapists share the secrets to a drama-free money chat for couples.

Explore: Bust out of travel’s luxury cocoon.

Play Spelling Bee, the Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here.

That’s it for today. See you tomorrow. — Amelia

We welcome your feedback. Send us your suggestions at briefing@nytimes.com.

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