Rubio to brief Congress on Iran before SOTU; Gaza hit by flooding; RSF kills 28 in North Darfur
Israeli strikes continue across Gaza, killing one. Flooding hits displacement camps in Gaza. Board of Peace explores dollar-pegged stablecoin. Israel approved tens of thousands of settlement homes while Palestinian construction was largely blocked. Military and intelligence officials size up U.S. operation against Iran. Iran nears deal to acquire Chinese anti-ship missiles. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will brief House and Senate leaders on Tuesday afternoon ahead of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address. U.S. military kills three in Pacific vessel strike. Supreme Court weighs scope of Helms-Burton Act in Cuba property claims. Former ICE instructor alleges training standards were slashed amid deportation surge. U.S. orders partial embassy drawdown in Lebanon. Islamic State kills four Syrian security personnel; U.S. expects to fully withdraw within a month. Mexico says cartel unrest has eased. RSF attack in North Darfur kills 28. Over a dozen killed in attack in South Sudan. Gulf states back Kuwait after Iraq submits new maritime claims to the United Nations. Attacks on southern Ukraine and possible Ukrainian military advances. Thai Navy seizes Cambodian fishing boat. Former UK ambassador to the U.S. Peter Mandelson released on bail.
New from Drop Site: Iranian officials discuss the “unbelievable flexibility” the country has shown in negotiations with the United States. Drop Site on the Hill. New video about congressional stock trading from Julian Andreone.
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The Gaza Genocide, West Bank, and Israel
Casualty counts: Over the past 24 hours, seven Palestinians were injured in Israeli attacks in Gaza. The total recorded death toll since October 7, 2023 stands at 72,073 killed, with 171,756 injured. Since October 11, the first full day of the so-called ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 615 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 1,658, while 726 bodies have been recovered from under the rubble, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
Israeli strikes continue across Gaza, killing one: One Palestinian was killed and several others injured in an Israeli strike on Beit Lahiya on Tuesday, in northern Gaza. Two Palestinians were injured by Israeli gunfire in the Shujaiya neighborhood of Gaza City, according to Al Jazeera Arabic. Israeli forces launched airstrikes on areas east of Khan Younis, while Israeli artillery targeted
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