Monday Briefing: Plans for Gaza’s future

April 29, 2024

	By Amelia Nierenberg

Good morning. We’re developing covering plans for the future of Gaza and the arrests of alleged Chinese spies in Europe.

Plus an interview with Israel’s opposition leader, Yair Lapid.

People standing amid the rubble of destroyed buildings.

An Israeli strike on Saturday destroyed buildings in a refugee camp in Gaza. Mohammed Saber/EPA, via Shutterstock

What’s the future of Gaza?

Development agencies and Middle Eastern businesses have been meeting to discuss the eventual reconstruction of Gaza and to develop plans for its long-term economic future. They seek to transform Gaza into a commercial hub centered on trade, tourism and innovation.

But those plans are far removed from today’s dire reality. Israel has been bombarding the enclave for months. It is still weighing whether to invade Rafah, the southern city where more than a million displaced Gazans are sheltering.

And there is no end to the war in sight, even though diplomacy continues. Yesterday President Biden spoke to Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to discuss a possible cease-fire deal, and top diplomats from the U.S. and France traveled to the Middle East for more talks. Once the fighting ends, the transformation would cost tens of billions of dollars. The damage to Gaza’s crucial infrastructure has reached $18.5 billion, according to the World Bank and the U.N.

The plan centers on a series of projects, including a deepwater port, a desalination plant, an online health care service and a transportation corridor connecting Gaza with the West Bank. The most forward-looking components, such as a new currency to replace the Israeli shekel, assume the establishment of Palestinian autonomy, which Netanyahu has vowed to resist.

Aid: A ship with 400 tons of food for Gaza arrived in Israel yesterday. The U.S. military is building a humanitarian pier in Gaza. Read about how it will work.

Hostages: Hamas released a video of two Israeli captives that suggested that they were still alive. Thousands rallied in Tel Aviv on Saturday to push Israel to do more to fight for the release of the hostages.

A large building with a red flag on a flagpole nearby. The facade includes a windowed wall.

The Chinese Embassy in Berlin. Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Why Chinese spies seemed to pop up across Europe

Last week, courts in Britain and Germany saw first-of-their-kind espionage cases against China: Six people were charged with spying for Beijing in three separate cases. Two — a hawkish young Briton and a German of Chinese descent — were assistants to lawmakers.

China experts said that the charges suggested that European countries were stepping up their response to Beijing’s espionage — rather than that Beijing was ramping up its spying. Europe “has lost patience with China,” said one researcher, who had recently served as an adviser to the European Commission on China.

The Dutch and Polish authorities also raided the offices of a Chinese security equipment supplier as part of an E.U. crackdown on what it sees as unfair trading practices. This month, Sweden also expelled a Chinese journalist who had been a resident of the country for two decades, saying that the reporter posed a threat to national security.

What’s next: Xi Jinping, China’s leader, will travel to Europe next month. He will skip Britain and Germany, instead visiting Hungary and Serbia, China’s last two staunch allies on the continent. He will also head to France.

Demonstrators hold Ukrainian flags with people’s pictures on them in a public square.

A demonstration in Kyiv last fall, which highlighted the plight of prisoners of war. Brendan Hoffman for The New York Times

Russia tortured Ukrainian P.O.W.s

Some Ukrainians who had been prisoners of war in Russia are returning to the country with physical and psychological wounds. They have spoken of enduring relentless beatings, electric shocks, rape and other sexual violence, and mock executions — torture so extreme that one expert described it as a systematic, Russian state-endorsed policy.

But Ukraine is sending them back to active duty after only a few months off, and often without having undergone adequate treatment. “I started having flashbacks, and nightmares,” said one soldier, who returned to training after spending nine months being tortured in Russian captivity. He was then diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Details: Nearly 3,000 Ukrainians have been released from Russian custody since the 2022 invasion. More than 10,000 more remain.

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MORE TOP NEWS

Damaged buildings in China shown from above.

The authorities said 141 factory buildings had been damaged by the tornado and recent rains. China News Service, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

China: At least five people died when a tornado hit Guangzhou on Saturday. The event also damaged many factory buildings.
Vietnam: The political turmoil deepened on Friday when Vuong Dinh Hue, the chairman of the National Assembly, resigned amid a widening anti-corruption campaign.
Planes: A Delta Boeing 767 turned around after it lost its emergency slide after takeoff. It was not immediately clear what caused the slide to detach.
British royals: King Charles III will return to public duties this week, about three months after he said that he had cancer. It’s an encouraging sign of his recovery.
The U.S.: President Biden joked about Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. “I’m a grown man running against a 6-year-old,” he said. See red carpet looks.
British policy: Asylum seekers fear that they could be deported to Rwanda. “I came to the U.K. for the U.K.,” one said.
South Africa: My colleagues looked at how far the country has come in meeting the goals of the Freedom Charter, a foundational document for the nation post-apartheid.

Campus Protests

Two police officers hold a person wearing all black and a face mask while walking.

There have been more than 800 arrests of protesters on U.S. campuses since April 18. Sophie Park for The New York Times

Nationwide: Police officers arrested more than 200 protesters on Saturday at four universities, officials said.
Columbia University: The school on Friday barred from campus a student protest leader, who said on video months ago that “Zionists don’t deserve to live.” The student apologized.
Analysis: There are more protests on U.S. campuses than overseas. That may be more because of partisan politics than the war in Gaza.

MORNING READ

An animated black-and-white GIF of a white man with white hair in a chair turning to the camera.

Avishag Shaar-Yashuv for The New York Times

My colleague Lulu Garcia-Navarro spoke with Yair Lapid, the leader of Israel’s opposition party, in “The Interview,” our new series.

“There is a reason why everything is happening, and the reason is Hamas,” he said. “The reason is not Israel.” Read their full conversation.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

Heavy metal in hijabs: The band Voice of Baceprot has electrified Indonesians with progressive songs about female empowerment and pacifism. Now the group is taking its music to the West.
Stand down: The academic Beth Linker is challenging the conventional wisdom about proper posture.
Culinary diplomacy: The meals enjoyed by U.S. dignitaries visiting China can send subtle geopolitical signals.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times .

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ARTS AND IDEAS

an illustration with graphic maps of the us and new york city, among other things

10 years of The Upshot

A decade ago, The Times introduced the Upshot, a section devoted to explaining “politics, policy and everyday life.” More than 5,000 articles later, the Upshot has been many things to many readers. To celebrate its 10th birthday, we’ve collected 100 stories that embody the section.

We have the Fried Calamari Index, a measure of food trendiness; a three-dimensional curve that predicts the economic future; how 8,000 different American demographic groups vote; the evolution of women in stock photos; and 96 more analytical, visual and data-driven stories. Take a look.

RECOMMENDATIONS

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Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Cook: Mint brightens this creamy asparagus pasta.

Listen: These podcasts can help soothe the anxious mind.

Read: “Liberty Equality Fashion” explores the clothes that embodied the French Revolution.

Work out: These exercises can help your sex life.

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

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

You can reach us at briefing@nytimes.com.

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