Israel-Palestine
And, after 11 days and nights of carnage, a ceasefire has been agreed between Israel and Hamas. The truce, brokered by Egypt and the US, took effect at 2am Gaza time on Friday. US President Joe Biden said that, in a phone call, he had “commended” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for bringing an end to the conflict within 11 days, words that will be met with fury in the Arab world and within the progressive wing of the Democratic party. Israeli air raids killed at least 232 people in Gaza, including 65 children. In Israel, 12 people, including two children, were killed.
More from Al Jazeera here.
Also:
My friend and colleague Laila al-Arian has written a deeply moving essay in the New York Times, reflecting on the life of her grandfather, who poured his life savings into buying an apartment in the Burj Al-Jalaa, a tower block in Gaza that also housed Al Jazeera and the AP, which was targeted and destroyed by an Israeli air strike.
Read it here.
And this, from the Washington Post, takes you into Gaza through the sounds of war. Powerful. If you hit a paywall, try opening it in a Chrome incognito window.
Belgium
Hair-raising story out of Belgium. A soldier said to have far-right views has gone on the run after stealing a cache of weapons from his barracks. Authorities have now closed off an entire national park in an effort to find him. Jurgen Conings had previously threatened the doctor who lead Belgium’s COVID-19 response.
More from BBC here.
Antarctica
Thanks, global warming. A massive iceberg, now the biggest in the world, has broken off from an ice shelf in Antarctica and is now afloat. The iceberg is described as being the same shape as Manhattan — but more than 70 times larger.
More from AFP via France 24 here.