Israel reopens Gaza food sales as Rafah raid chokes aid The Israeli military has lifted a ban on the sale of food to Gaza from Israel and the occupied West Bank as its battlefield offensive chokes international aid, according to Palestinian officials, businessmen and international aid workers. Army authorities gave Gazan traders the green light to resume their purchases from Israeli and Palestinian suppliers of food such as fresh fruit, vegetables and dairy goods this month, days after Israeli forces launched an assault on the enclave's southernmost city of Rafah, the people said. The offensive against Rafah, a key gateway…

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Biden allows Ukraine limited use of US arms to strike inside Russia, say US officials President Joe Biden quietly has authorized Kyiv to launch U.S.-supplied weapons at military targets inside Russia that are supporting an offensive against the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, four U.S. officials said on Thursday. The decision marks a policy shift by Biden, who had steadfastly refused to allow Ukraine to use American weaponry for strikes inside Russia. Russia's embassy in Washington and Russia's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The U.S. officials,…

Israel seizes Gaza's entire border with Egypt, presses with raids into Rafah Israeli forces have taken control of a buffer zone along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, the country's military said on Wednesday, giving Israel effective authority over the Palestinian territory's entire land border. Israel also continued deadly raids on Rafah in southern Gaza despite an order from the International Court of Justice to end attacks on the city, where half of Gaza's 2.3 million people had previously taken refuge. In a televised briefing, chief military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said Israeli forces had gained "operational" control over…

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Soldiers in Ukraine say US-supplied tanks have made them targets for Russian strikes Ukrainian crews working on US-supplied Abrams tanks have told CNN of a series of the weaknesses and flaws with the armored vehicles, calling into doubt their utility on the war’s ever-changing frontlines. The donation was announced by US President Joe Biden as evidence of the United States’ “enduring and unflagging commitment to Ukraine.” CNN journalists were the first reporters to see the M1 Abrams in Ukraine, at a location in the country’s east, where around six vehicles were visible, hiding in the foliage. Crews trained…