Israel warned that its Gaza campaign was escalating
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel declared yesterday that his country was “on the eve of a forceful entry to Gaza.” Israel’s security cabinet has approved a new plan for tens of thousands of additional soldiers to seize territory in the enclave and relocate Palestinians to the south.
Netanyahu said that the new military action would bring home the remaining hostages, but critics warned that the plan would endanger the lives of hostages without fundamentally changing a dynamic created by 18 months of war. The organization representing the families of hostages issued a statement urging Israel not to widen the war.
What’s next: Israel said the offensive would start slowly as cease-fire talks continued ahead of President Trump’s trip next week to the Gulf region. A government spokesman said the campaign called for Israeli soldiers to hold territories for an indefinite period of time “to prevent Hamas from taking it back.”
Aid: The cabinet also approved a new mechanism for allowing the distribution of humanitarian aid. Food shortages in Gaza have reached “catastrophic” levels, the U.N. has warned.
Trump administration offered migrants $1,000 to leave
The Trump administration said yesterday that it was offering undocumented immigrants $1,000 and assistance traveling to their native country if they left the U.S. on their own.
Already, officials said, one migrant from Honduras had taken the government up on the offer and flown from Chicago back to his home country. The money will be paid after migrants confirm they have traveled back home through an app.
“If you are here illegally, self-deportation is the best, safest and most cost-effective way to leave the United States to avoid arrest,” Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, said in a statement.
Related: Rwanda’s foreign minister said his country is in early talks with the Trump administration about taking in migrants deported from the U.S.
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Sexual abuse survivors gathered in Rome, with a message
Survivors of sexual abuse and those who monitor how well the Catholic Church handles abuse cases have arrived in Rome ahead of the papal conclave, which begins tomorrow. They are hoping to persuade cardinals to make the issue a priority when choosing the next pope.
Pope Francis is credited with addressing the issue more strongly than his predecessors had, but new cases continue to emerge and clerical abuse remains a ruinous issue for the Church.
The Vatican spokesman said that during pre-conclave meetings the cardinals had discussed sexual abuse in the church, and considered it a “wound to be kept open” so that awareness of the problem remained alive and concrete paths for healing can be identified.
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On Saturday, people in Texas who mostly work for SpaceX, Elon Musk’s rocket company, voted to create their own city: Starbase. SpaceX has already been building homes in the area, and has plans for retail stores, a school — and a sushi restaurant near Musk’s house.
The tricky politics of the Met Gala
The splashiest party of the year, the Met Gala, is devoted for the first time entirely to designers of color. With the Trump administration effectively declaring war on diversity, the event, which gets underway soon after this newsletter hits your inbox, is also the most politically charged in years.
That has left sponsors, including Instagram and Louis Vuitton, walking a precarious tightrope as the celebration of pop culture turns into a potential political statement, our chief fashion critic, Vanessa Friedman, writes.
An array of Black celebrities serves as co-chairs of the gala this year: ASAP Rocky, Lewis Hamilton, Colman Domingo and Pharrell Williams. LeBron James is the honorary chair. The event has already raised a record $31 million.
We have live coverage here. Read about the Met exhibition on Black style.
