Fdd's overnight brief

Israel

A group of around 100 senior figures from Syria’s Druze are expected to visit the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Friday, members of the community said, in a further sign of Israel’s support for the minority group. – Reuters

Arab foreign ministers said on Wednesday they would continue consultations with U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy over Egypt’s plan for rebuilding the Gaza Strip, an alternative to Trump’s proposed takeover of the Palestinian territory. – Reuters

Egypt said on Thursday it appreciated U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks on not demanding that residents of Gaza leave the enclave, according to a statement from the foreign ministry. – Reuters

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem welcomed on Wednesday U.S. President Donald Trump’s apparent retreat from his proposal for a permanent displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, urging him to refrain from aligning with the vision of the “extreme Zionist right.” – Reuters

The International Court of Justice will hold hearings next month on Israel’s humanitarian obligations toward Palestinians, amid an Israeli government freeze on letting aid into Gaza. – Agence France-Presse

Jordan Bardella, the leader of France’s far-right National Rally (RN) party, is to make an unprecedented visit to Israel later this month to attend a conference on fighting antisemitism, a party source said on Wednesday. – Agence France-Presse

The White House’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, is in Qatar to join indirect talks between Israel and Hamas on extending the fragile ceasefire in Gaza. – BBC

Police and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) arrested an Israeli-Arab resident of Taiba on suspicion he had provided security information to terrorists in the West Bank, the two agencies said on Thursday. – Jerusalem Post

Police arrested a man in his 20s on suspicion he had carried out a shooting in Jerusalem’s King George Avenue on Wednesday night, wounding one, the police said on Thursday. – Jerusalem Post

The IDF received a report about a shooting near Ariel, the military announced on Wednesday. The 18-year-old shooting victim arrived at the industrial zone of Ariel with a gunshot wound and was treated by MDA paramedics. – Jerusalem Post

Israel received a sign of life of Avinatan Or from former hostages who were held in refugee camps in central Gaza, N12 revealed for the first time on Wednesday evening. – Jerusalem Post

Approximately two years after the Knesset Constitution Committee approved a previous version of a bill to alter the makeup of the committee responsible for electing judges, which led to mass protests and social unrest, the committee on Wednesday began voting on a watered-down version of the same bill. – Jerusalem Post

Israel has recently intensified its intelligence operations, using drones to deploy espionage devices in various areas of the Gaza Strip and collect information on future targets, the London-based Arabic newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported, citing sources from Palestinian terror factions in Gaza. – Jerusalem Post

A 4-year-old Gazan boy was sent by Hamas to a military post in Gaza border security zone on Tuesday, the IDF said on Wednesday. The IDF noted troops had returned the boy to the Gaza Strip in coordination with international organizations. – Jerusalem Post

In an apparent softening of his proposal to take over the Gaza Strip, US President Donald Trump asserted Wednesday that the plan does not involve expelling Palestinians. – Times of Israel

Bassel el-Bizri writes: The negotiations between Israel and Lebanon may be fragile. There are still deep divisions, powerful obstacles, and hard questions ahead. But the fact that both sides are even at the table is extraordinary in itself […]Peace between Israel and Lebanon was once considered impossible. Now, for the first time, it feels within reach. And I believe we owe it to the next generation to try. This time, it feels like we just might succeed. – Times of Israel

Ghaith al-Omari writes: Given the magnitude and complexity of the issues facing the Trump administration in the Middle East, it is unlikely to prioritize building relations with Ramallah. Yet recent PA actions and announcements signal a desire to reach out to Washington. The United States can garner significant benefits from these overtures without diverting attention and resources from other regional priorities. – Washington Institute

Russia & Ukraine

On Wednesday—after Ukraine agreed to a cease-fire proposal following talks with Washington in Saudi Arabia—President Trump said: “It’s up to Russia now.” – Wall Street Journal

Russia should work to weaken the U.S. negotiating position on Ukraine by stoking tensions between the Trump administration and other countries while pushing ahead with Moscow’s efforts to dismantle the Ukrainian state, according to a document prepared for the Kremlin. – Washington Post

The resumption of U.S. aid and intelligence sharing following peace talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, has reignited hope in Kyiv that Washington is willing to be a partner in ending the war with Moscow, even as resistance to a ceasefire mounted in Russia and the Kremlin declined to immediately endorse the proposal. – Washington Post

Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, dressed in fatigues, visited a command post near the front in Kursk late Wednesday to cheer on his military’s ejection of Ukrainian forces from much of the territory they had been occupying in the Russian border region. – New York Times

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that he hoped a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine could take place within “days” if Russian leaders agreed, and that he planned to get diplomats from the Group of 7 allied nations to focus on ending the war in a meeting this week in Canada. – New York Times

Russia has presented the U.S. with a list of demands for a deal to end its war against Ukraine and reset relations with Washington, according to two people familiar with the matter. – Reuters

Ukraine’s top army commander said on Wednesday that Kyiv’s troops will keep operating in Russia’s Kursk region as long as needed and that fighting continued in and around the town of Sudzha. – Reuters

President Donald Trump said U.S. officials were heading to Russia on Wednesday to discuss a U.S.-Ukraine agreement on a proposed 30-day pause in fighting and a pathway to peace talks. – Reuters

A widely-used online Ukrainian battlefield map appeared to show Ukrainian forces no longer in control of the town of Sudzha in Russia’s Kursk region on Wednesday. – Reuters

Matthew Kroenig writes: In the last few weeks, Democrats, the mainstream media, and U.S. allies have suffered a collective panic attack. They should take a breath, stop overreacting to rhetoric and symbolism, and focus on the results. If NATO allies are spending more on defense in the coming months, and there is a cease-fire in Ukraine—plausible, if not likely, outcomes—European security will be in a better place than it is today. – Foreign Policy

Turkey

Turkey’s military has kept up deadly attacks in Syria and Iraq on fighters linked to the Kurdish insurgent group P.K.K. in the two weeks since the movement’s founder called on his followers to lay down their arms and disband. – New York Times

Turkey has emerged as a key potential partner in restructuring European security, diplomats and analysts say, as Europe scrambles to bolster its defence and find guarantees for Ukraine under any forthcoming ceasefire deal urged by the United States. – Reuters

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he urged Turkey to play a key role in any peace process for Ukraine during talks with President Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Wednesday. – Reuters

The leader of a Turkish nationalist party has said he was arrested and detained on political grounds as part of an opposition crackdown that contradicts the government’s purported effort to boost democracy while ending a Kurdish militant insurgency. – Reuters

When Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed foreign ambassadors at an iftar dinner in Ankara to break the Ramadan fast last week, he was clear about what he wanted: a permanent seat for an Islamic country on the United Nations Security Council and European Union membership for Turkey. – Bloomberg

Korean Peninsula

As Trump slaps tariffs on China, Mexico and Canada in retaliation for everything from drug trafficking to trade imbalances with the U.S., Choi said he worries the president’s attention will soon turn to South Korea, which runs one of the world’s biggest trade surpluses with the U.S. – Wall Street Journal

South Korean military investigators charged two Air Force pilots on Thursday with criminal negligence over an accidental bombing of a village last week during a training exercise, which injured at least 29 people and caused extensive property damage. – Reuters

South Korea’s air traffic authorities will ban drones from flying around the Constitutional Court in Seoul from Thursday ahead of the ruling on the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. – Reuters

South Asia

After more than a day of fighting with separatist militants who hijacked a train carrying hundreds of passengers, Pakistan’s army said it had brought the insurgent attack to an end, but that 21 passengers and four paramilitary personnel had been killed. – Wall Street Journal

Indian authorities arrested at Washington’s request a cryptocurrency exchange administrator accused of money laundering conspiracy and violating sanctions, India’s top crime fighting bureau said on Wednesday. – Reuters 

Elon Musk’s Starlink signed an agreement with India’s top telecom operator on Wednesday to bring the U.S. satellite internet giant’s services to the world’s most populous country, a day after announcing a similar agreement with the country’s second-largest provider. – Associated Press

With Donald Trump’s tit-for-tat tariffs on India looming next month, millions of Americans may have to brace for steeper medical bills. Last week, Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal made an unscheduled trip to the US for discussions with officials, hoping to strike a trade deal. – BBC

Europe

Last month roughly 10,000 NATO troops carried out drills just miles from Ukraine’s border to test a new quick-reaction force created after Russia’s large-scale invasion of its neighbor. The show of military muscle was unusual for who was absent: the U.S. – Wall Street Journal

The European Union and Canada announced retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. on Wednesday, further escalating a global trade war after the U.S. imposed levies on global steel and aluminum imports. – Wall Street Journal

Greenlanders voted to rebuff President Trump’s bid to control their icebound, mineral-rich island and to restore calm after a tumultuous few weeks dominated by the U.S. leader’s covetous comments. – Wall Street Journal

Rheinmetall said it expects sales to grow by between 25% and 30% this year, and is likely to lift its guidance in the comings months to better capture the impact of Europe’s plans to rearm. – Wall Street Journal

Northvolt, Europe’s biggest hope for producing batteries in the region to power the transition to electric vehicles, will be split up and sold after it filed for bankruptcy on Wednesday in its home country, Sweden. – New York Times

Bosnian state prosecutors on Wednesday ordered the arrest of Serb separatist leader Milorad Dodik and his aides for ignoring a court summons, a move which Dodik pledged to resist with help from Russia in a widening standoff over the fragile country. – Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday vowed to respond to the European Union’s threat to impose counter tariffs on 26 billion euros ($28 billion) worth of U.S. goods from next month after Trump implemented blanket tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. – Reuters

Former Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta joined the race for May’s presidential election re-run on Wednesday as the hard right worked to ensure they had a candidate in the contest after the ban on pro-Russian Calin Georgescu threw the vote wide open. – Reuters

Prince William will travel to Estonia next week to visit British troops involved in NATO operations there as part of the UK’s drive to show solidarity with its allies and highlight its commitment to the defence of the alliance’s eastern flank. – Reuters

Greenland’s likely new prime minister on Wednesday rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s effort to take control of the island, saying Greenlanders must be allowed to decide their own future as it moves toward independence from Denmark. – Associated Press

The U.K. government said Wednesday it has expelled a Russian diplomat and a diplomatic spouse in a tit-for-tat response to the expulsion of two British embassy staff in Moscow earlier this week. – Associated Press

Portugal slid back into more political uncertainty Wednesday after its third government fell in as many years when Prime Minister Luis Montenegro lost a confidence vote in Parliament. – Associated Press

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed disappointment Wednesday over the Trump administration’s decision to impose tariffs on global steel and aluminum imports, and said a retaliatory response was possible. – Associated Press

US President Donald Trump assailed what he cast as imbalances in global trade during a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, reiterating his threat to impose reciprocal tariffs on other nations. – Bloomberg

Slovakia doubled its exports of weapons and ammunition last year, becoming one of the most significant European arms exporters by share of gross domestic product, according to analysis conducted by one of the country’s largest commercial banks. – Bloomberg

The EU will pledge funds to help with reconstruction in Syria at a donors conference it’s hosting next week, the bloc’s commissioner for the Mediterranean said, as officials continue to evaluate the interim regime that holds power in Damascus. – Bloomberg

Russian and Iranian agents are behind “state-sponsored terrorism” against Europe, the European Union’s top diplomat said Wednesday, responding to revelations that Russia was recruiting people in Europe to spread disinformation and conduct sabotage and cyberattacks. – Politico

Tariffs on goods being imported into the US could tip Europe’s largest economy into another recession, according to the president of Germany’s central bank. – BBC

Steven Wills writes: No doubt Europe would be challenged in mustering the coordinated force necessary to repel Russian aggression, but its naval forces are highly professional, and well-coordinated through NATO training. They can succeed in deterring and if necessary, defeating Russian naval forces. Lack of US nuclear submarine support is the one critical naval shortfall that could affect the ability to deter Russian aggression. European NATO would need to fix this to deter and ultimately defeat Russia. – Center for European Policy Analysis

The Americas

Major Ecuadorean Indigenous organization CONAIE and leftist social organizations said on Wednesday they will not support incumbent Daniel Noboa for president in an April run-off and that they have asked leftist candidate Luisa Gonzalez to respond to a list of proposals. – Reuters

Venezuela’s opposition has drafted a broad proposal for energy sector reform that would allow participation of international companies, a bid to attract support from Big Oil and from U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, according to sources and a summary of the proposal seen by Reuters. – Reuters

Brazil’s government has asked Congress to approve a nearly 40 billion reais ($6.9 billion) budget reallocation, boosting spending on pensions while cutting funds for the popular Bolsa Familia cash transfer program. – Reuters

Ireland announced on Wednesday a donation of 15 million euros ($16.3 million) to Brazil’s Amazon Fund, the Brazilian government said. – Reuters

Caribbean leaders this week rejected U.S. accusations of Cuban labor exploitation after the United States announced it will restrict the visas of officials tied to a Cuban government program that sends medics abroad. – Reuters

Argentine retirees and fans of several soccer teams clashed with police Wednesday during a protest in front of Congress in the capital, Buenos Aires, against the economic policies implemented by the government of President Javier Milei. – Associated Press

A powerful gang coalition has launched new attacks on Haiti’s capital, driving dozens of families from homes as police vowed Wednesday to hold the gunmen back. – Associated Press

United States

The captain of a container ship that struck an oil tanker transporting fuel for the U.S. military on Monday was a Russian citizen, the company that owns that ship said on Wednesday. – New York Times

U.S. Muslim and Jewish advocacy groups criticized President Donald Trump on Wednesday for referring to the top Senate Democrat, Senator Chuck Schumer, as a Palestinian, with the organizations saying the president used the term as a slur. – Reuters

A U.S. judge on Wednesday extended his order blocking federal authorities from deporting a detained Columbia University student, in a case that has become a flashpoint of the Trump administration’s pledge to deport some pro-Palestinian college activists. – Reuters

Attorneys for the daughter of a U.S.-sanctioned Russian billionaire asked a U.S. federal court Tuesday for access to the financial records of officials including the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, whose administration is under scrutiny for seizing and selling the family’s 265-foot (81-meter) megayacht and not releasing documents related to the sale. – Associated Press

Editorial: President Trump has often said the U.S. needs talented immigrants, and a green card is crucial to the process of becoming a permanent resident and perhaps a citizen. The Administration needs to be careful that it is targeting real promoters of terrorism, and not breaking the great promise of a green card by deporting anyone with controversial political views. – Wall Street Journal

Matthew Hennessey writes: Many of the most anti-American immigrants are here to study at our colleges and universities. Some marry U.S. citizens. All make full use of America’s unique freedoms while running down the country every chance they get. Mr. Khalil checks all the boxes: perpetual student, preppy wardrobe, revolutionary zealot, American wife. As a graduate-student organizer during the campus anti-Israel protests last year, he enjoyed far more freedom of speech than he could have dreamed of in Syria, where he was apparently born, or in Lebanon, where he apparently got his undergraduate degree. – Wall Street Journal

Editorial: Congress and the White House shouldn’t be doling out favors to such companies. Instead, they should be adopting policies that incentivize investment and growth, encourage research and development, build a skilled and creative labor force, modernize infrastructure, and, yes, welcome more talented immigrants to work in the US and to start the next generation of great companies. – Bloomberg

Jake Blumencranz writes: Jewish students should not have to hide their identity to feel safe at school. They shouldn’t have to wonder whether their professors, classmates or administrators will defend their rights. And they certainly shouldn’t be left to fend for themselves while politicians offer nothing but hollow statements. If schools and universities refuse to act, then we must hold them accountable. If they tolerate antisemitism, they should be defunded—plain and simple. This is a test of moral clarity. I know where I stand. Where do New York’s leaders stand? – Fox News

Melanie Phillips writes: That nation and its foundational values have been under sustained assault by liberal universalists led by the Democratic Party. Scratch an opponent of Israel and you’ll find someone who believes the worst of the West and rubbishes its institutions. Scratch a protester against the West and you’ll find an enemy of Israel. The war against Israel is a war against the West; and the war against the West is a war against the Jews. – New York Post

Defense

Civilian mariners and employees who work at the Navy’s public shipyards and maintenance entities are exempt from an ongoing hiring freeze across the Department of Defense, the Navy’s top officer told the Senate on Wednesday. – USNI News

With the Pentagon increasingly likely to be locked into a yearlong continuing resolution for the first time ever, the head of the Senate Armed Services Committee said today that Congress may need to beef up the amount of funding it is pursuing for defense through a parallel process known as budget reconciliation. – Breaking Defense

Bryan Clark, Dan Patt, and Nadia Schadlow write: A magazine of inflexible high-performance weapons risks leaving the US military underprepared for future conflicts, particularly against China. Using widely available commercial components and building on US manufacturing and digital strengths, the DoD could field a complementary family of weapons that can be rapidly produced, deployed, and updated. By embracing a new paradigm that values scalability, adaptability, and digital innovation, the United States can produce more affordable weapons and ensure that America remains a formidable force in an increasingly complex and uncertain geopolitical security environment. – Breaking Defense