Monday Briefing: An “all or nothing” Gaza deal
Good morning. We're covering a U.S.-Israeli shift on Gaza and hardship from tariffs in Lesotho. Plus, influencers feted by the Vatican.
U.S. and Israel float 'all or nothing' Gaza dealAfter months of work on a cease-fire and hostage release deal in Gaza that has appeared to reach an impasse, U.S. and Israeli officials have signaled that they will push for a comprehensive agreement to end the war. "We think that we have to shift this negotiation to 'all or nothing' — everybody comes home," Steve Witkoff, the Trump administration's envoy to the Middle East, said in an audio recording of a meeting with hostages' families over the weekend. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and President Trump are said to be working on a deal that would present Hamas with an ultimatum: release the remaining hostages and agree to terms that would disarm the group, or Israel's military campaign would continue. The prospect of quickly advancing toward such a deal appeared dim. Mahmoud Mardawi, a Hamas official, said that the group had not received a proposal for a comprehensive deal and that while Hamas supported such an agreement in principle, it would not disarm. The shift in tone comes as the Israeli government faces global criticism over starvation in Gaza and growing domestic pressure to secure the release of the hostages still held there. Hamas released a video on Friday showing Evyatar David, one of the 20 hostages Israel believes are still living, emaciated in what appeared to be an underground tunnel.
How Trump's tariff threat derailed LesothoWhen the Trump administration finalized its tariffs last week, it looked as if Lesotho had gotten off easy: The country, a small southern African nation, would face tariffs of 15 percent, not the 50 percent rate that Trump announced in April. But the damage had already been done. John Eligon, our Johannesburg bureau chief, spoke to my colleague Katrin Bennhold about the chaos caused by tariffs in Lesotho, where the textile sector accounts for 90 percent of industrial jobs. Click here to watch. Most of Lesotho's textiles have been exported duty-free to the U.S. since a law passed over two decades ago. Trump's threatened 50 percent tariff, the highest rate any nation initially faced, made many U.S. companies stop placing orders. Some factories shut down part or all of their production, leading to thousands of layoffs. For more: The tariffs are already a source of revenue for the U.S. government, which may make them hard to reverse.
Putin tightened control of Russia's internetNew laws signed by President Vladimir Putin this past week will crack down on workarounds that Russians have been using to gain access to foreign apps and banned content. The Kremlin is trying to build a state-controlled internet by replacing Western tech products with Russian alternatives that can be easily monitored and censored. They include a new state-approved messaging service, MAX, which will come preinstalled on all new smartphones sold in Russia starting next month. Moscow is also expanding an effort to block VPNs and prevent their usage by everyday Russians.
More than 2,000 lighthouses and other beacons oversee Norway's rocky coast. Some have stood for centuries, and updating that far-flung network, which is now fully automated, is not easy. Technicians are visiting and refurbishing lighthouses one by one. The photographer Michal Siarek captured their journey. Take a look. Lives lived: David Rendall, a British tenor who held starring roles in major opera houses and overcame a stage accident that nearly ended his career, died at 76.
Catholic influencersThe Catholic Church has long been trying to expand its appeal to young people; for years the Vatican has run an account for the pope on social media. Now it is embracing influencers who promote their faith online. A gathering of hundreds of mostly young Catholic influencers from 70 countries kicked off the Jubilee of Youth celebrations last week in Rome. Nicola Campo, a popular Italian TikToker, said that "it was right that the Church recognized this new type of evangelization and supported it."
Cook: Lemon, Parmesan and basil come together in a sauce that makes this pasta sing. Read: "Flashout" is an exhilarating thriller about a young theater performer with more than a few secrets. Watch: Liam Neeson slips into big, beautiful clown shoes in "The Naked Gun." Travel: Check out these five new and newly reopened museums in Istanbul. Exercise: "Japanese walking" is a fitness trend worth trying.
That's it for today. See you tomorrow. — Dan We welcome your feedback. Send us your suggestions at briefing@nytimes.com.
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