A possible cease-fire in Israel-Gaza conflict
Israel and Hamas will most likely reach a cease-fire agreement within the next two days, according to a senior Israeli official familiar with the negotiations and two others who corroborated the account.
The cease-fire under discussion would begin with an end to all Israeli attacks on Hamas infrastructure and facilities, as well as a halt to rocket fire from Hamas at Israeli cities. Israel is also demanding that Hamas stop digging attack tunnels toward Israel and halt violent demonstrations on the Gaza-Israeli border.
The agreement would come after strong urging from the international community, including the U.S., Germany and France. Officially, Israel has denied the existence of negotiations or the imminent signing of a deal, but that may be a tactic designed to put pressure on Hamas by showing that Israel does not fear further escalation.
“I was surrounded by death”: When rescuers in Gaza pulled a man and his 7-year-old daughter from the rubble after an airstrike, he awoke to a new life — one without his wife and four other children.
Toll: Israel’s Gaza bombardment has killed at least 227 people, including 64 children and a Palestinian reporter, Yusef Abu Hussein, the first journalist to be killed in the conflict. Hamas rockets have killed 12 people in Israel.
Mob violence: Israeli extremists have formed more than 100 new groups on WhatsApp to target attacks against Palestinians, including a mass street brawl in the town of Bat Yam on Israel’s coast. The episode was one of dozens across the country that the authorities have linked to a surge of extremist activity on the service.
Repercussions abroad: Jewish groups and European leaders have raised concerns that the conflict is spilling over into anti-Semitic words and actions in Europe, including attacks on synagogues in Germany.
Vaccinated travelers may visit the E.U.
The E.U. agreed yesterday to reopen its borders to visitors who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus and to those coming from countries with limited community transmission, permitting broader travel just in time for the summer tourism season.
The new rules, which are set to become formal policy next week, could be rolled out immediately, though many countries are likely to progress more cautiously. The bloc would also maintain an emergency brake option, allowing it to quickly snap back to more restrictive travel conditions if necessary.
Europe’s reopening: Here’s our guide to six of the continent’s most popular tourist destinations, explaining what is required for entry and what to expect if you do visit.
Here are the latest updates and maps of the pandemic.
In other developments:
A proposed climate law divides France
Less meat, more trains, no more outdoor gas heaters on cafe terraces: A wide-ranging environmental bill passed this month by the French National Assembly promises to change the way the French live, work and consume.
But President Emmanuel Macron, in his bid to make France a global champion in the fight against climate change, is encountering resistance from all sides. The environmentally conscious accused the bill of “greenwashing” and prioritizing corporate interests; and the country’s business federations denounced what they deemed its overregulation and job-killing populism.
Context: Macron faces re-election next year against an array of challengers, including France’s rising Green Party. Even the far-right National Rally, his party’s chief rival, has embraced its own brand of down-to-earth environmentalism.
Pushback: Tens of thousands of French climate activists protested the legislation, which they warned was so diluted that France would be unable to meet its commitments to the Paris climate agreement.
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Other Big Stories
From the Met Gala to your lunchtime salad bowl, Naomi Osaka — the 23-year-old Haitian-Japanese tennis champion — is suddenly ubiquitous. She made $37.4 million in endorsements and tournament prizes between May 2019 and May 2020, the most that a female athlete has earned in a single year.
“She ticks every box,” Cindy Gallop, a brand consultant, said, adding, “You can practically hear the brand managers thinking: ‘She is absolutely the right person to sponsor, right now.’”
ARTS AND IDEAS
Give the gift of time apart
Alone time is a precious commodity for couples and families that might not realize their irritability and stress could be tied to a lack of solitude. Allowing someone 24 hours of rest, or even just a few hours of undisturbed time alone, “can change the way they show up for others,” Nedra Tawwab, a therapist, told The Times.
The gift of free time can range from a night with friends to having your partner take the kids to the park on a Saturday afternoon so you can enjoy a deliciously empty house. Look for opportune windows to give alone time: If you’re taking the kids to visit your newly vaccinated parents for the weekend, does your partner really need to come along?
“A day of total freedom is both an opportunity to connect with your individual self and helps foster feelings of empowerment, which is a powerful antidote to the helplessness that a lot of us have felt during the pandemic,” said Jodie Eisner, a clinical psychologist. “It expands your recently narrowed comfort zone by reminding you that you’re capable and independent.”
