General
Tuesday Briefing
Protests and work stoppages in Israel.
Protesters in Tel Aviv yesterday.Credit…Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times
Netanyahu refuses a cease-fire in Gaza
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel rebuffed calls from allies, protesters and the families of hostages for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza that would facilitate the return of hostages, doubling down on his refusal to agree to a truce that would involve Israel’s withdrawal from the territory.
At a news conference defending his plans, Netanyahu asked what message it would send to Hamas if Israel were to cede under pressure after the deaths of more hostages: “Slay hostages, and you’ll get concessions?” He added that the end of the war would come only “when Hamas no longer rules Gaza.”
His comments came after work stoppages and protests at thousands of primary schools and at several municipalities, transport networks and hospitals across the country. A court ordered union leaders to halt the labor strike in the afternoon.
In other news:
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Britain announced that it would suspend the exports of some weapons to Israel, saying that a legal review had concluded there was a “clear risk” the weapons could be used in a way that would breach international law. In Washington, President Biden said Netanyahu wasn’t doing enough to bring the hostages home.
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Thousands of mourners attended the funeral of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a dual Israeli American citizen who was one of six hostages found dead this weekend.
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Polio vaccinations continued for a second day in Gaza. The Gazan Health Ministry said that more than 72,600 children were vaccinated on Sunday.
Biden and Harris courted unions in Pennsylvania
At a union event in Pittsburgh, President Biden made his first appearance on the campaign trail since ceding the nomination to Vice President Kamala Harris, rallying the labor movement in support of his second in command. “I’ll be on the sidelines,” he said, “but I’ll do everything I can to help.” Here’s the latest.
