Tuesday Briefing: Israel Intensifies Gaza Strikes

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/23/briefing/hamas-israel-war-iranian-teenager-chevron-hess-deal.html

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The death toll in Gaza rose sharply yesterday, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, after Israel said it had struck hundreds of targets in the territory in one of the biggest barrages of airstrikes in recent days.

The Gaza health ministry said yesterday that Israeli airstrikes had killed at least 436 people “in the past hours,” bringing the death toll to more than 5,000 since Oct. 7, when Israel began launching airstrikes in retaliation for an attack by the Hamas militant group that killed 1,400 people.

Hamas released two additional hostages yesterday, according to the group and the International Committee of the Red Cross. Their release, which Hamas said was for “humanitarian and health reasons,” came three days after the group set free an Israeli-American mother and daughter. More than 200 others are believed to still be held.

U.S. officials said that the Biden administration had advised Israel to delay a ground invasion of Gaza, to allow more time for negotiations to release the more than 200 people being held hostage by Hamas and other groups in Gaza, and for more humanitarian aid to reach the territory.

Israel said it had attacked Hezbollah positions in Lebanon. These maps show the intensifying conflict on the Israel-Lebanon border.

Analysis: My colleague Steven Erlanger took a close look at how the war has smashed assumptions about the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Diplomacy: In a joint statement on Sunday, President Biden and the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany and Italy urged Israel to protect civilians as it defended itself, and called for the release of all hostages believed to be held in Gaza.

Foreign aid: India has announced the delivery of a shipment of medical and disaster relief for Gaza, as New Delhi tries to balance its long-held support for the Palestinians with its increasing closeness to Israel.

Social media: LinkedIn warned a website that published more than 17,000 posts — and listed thousands of people and grouped them by their workplaces — in an apparent attempt to shame the posts’ authors for their sentiments on the Israeli-Hamas conflict.

Armita Geravand, the Iranian girl who was dragged out of a subway car unconscious shortly after entering it with her hair uncovered earlier this month, has been pronounced brain-dead, Iran’s state media reported on Sunday.

The authorities in Iran, who have not released videos from inside the subway car, said that Geravand collapsed because she had skipped breakfast and her blood sugar dropped. People familiar with the episode said she was pushed by an officer, hit her head and suffered cerebral hemorrhaging.

Geravand’s case has given rise to accusations that she was harmed by agents enforcing Iran’s hijab rules, evoking parallels to Mahsa Amini. Last year, Amini died in the custody of Iran’s morality police after being accused of violating the country’s dress code, prompting nationwide anti-government protests.

Chevron, the second-largest U.S. oil giant, said yesterday that it had agreed to acquire Hess, a medium-size rival, in an all-stock deal valued at $53 billion. It’s the second energy megadeal this month.

The deal marks a further consolidation of the energy industry, especially in the U.S., where smaller companies appear to be taking advantage of relatively high oil prices to join forces with bigger players. The transaction follows Exxon Mobil’s $60 billion purchase of shale driller Pioneer Natural Resources, another sign of confidence in the future of fossil fuels as policymakers promote cleaner sources.

Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, flew to China to negotiate climate agreements and raise his profile ahead of an anticipated presidential bid.

At least 17 people were killed when a passenger train and a freight train collided outside Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, during a busy holiday season.

It may be too late to halt the melting of the West Antarctic ice shelves, a study found.

María Corina Machado, a center-right candidate in a primary to choose a challenger to President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela, appeared to be headed to victory.

Britain wants a cheaper way to handle migrants that fits with its increasingly hostile immigration policies.

Women in Iceland planned a one-day strike to protest gender inequality.

If Donald Trump’s federal election-conspiracy trial is not broadcast live on television, one outlet requested that it be recorded.

New data shows that just a sliver of America’s poorest students get a high score on the SAT test.

Mexico has mounted an ambitious series of investigations to recover plundered cultural treasures.

What happens when a distinctive, exotic color meets one of the most beloved athletes of his generation? You end up with the hottest piece of sports merchandise on the planet. As stocks of Lionel Messi’s pink Inter Miami jersey evaporate from stores — even David Beckham had trouble getting ahold of one — hustling hawkers and counterfeiters have stepped in to meet the shortfall.

Lives lived: Dr. Roland A. Pattillo, who treated female cancers for decades and worked to honor Henrietta Lacks, the woman whose cells have led to striking medical advances, died at 89.

The musician Baaba Maal, the “voice of Wakanda” whom fans know from the soundtracks of “Black Panther” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” originally moved to Dakar, Senegal’s capital, to pursue a law degree. Once he arrived, he knew his life would take a different course.

“If I wanted to be an artist, I said, ‘This is where I’m going to start a career,’” he said when he first arrived, and he has. This year alone, Maal, 70, has released his 14th studio album, “Being,” to critical acclaim and has begun preparations for his Blues du Fleuve festival, which will take place in early December.

These are his five favorite places in Dakar, the city where he found his voice.

Make this lemony shrimp and bean stew.

Do you really need to shower every day?

Plan a trip to Porto, Portugal’s creative hub.

Watch “30 Coins,” a Spanish-language show that is all things spooky and gory.

Read the new memoir by Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth.

Play Spelling Bee, the Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here.

That’s it for today’s briefing. See you tomorrow. — Justin

P.S. The Times has an editors’ note on our coverage of the Gaza hospital explosion.

We welcome your feedback. Send us your suggestions at briefing@nytimes.com.