Israel has begun an invasion of southern Gaza, the last section of the territory that had been under full Hamas control, with dozens of armored vehicles rolling closer to its main city and strikes pummeling urban areas.
Satellite imagery analyzed by The Times showed that the Israeli military had pushed into southern Gaza between Friday and Sunday, soon after the collapse of its weeklong truce with Hamas. The move sets the stage for what is likely to be the decisive battle of the war: a showdown in Khan Younis, the largest city in the south, where Israeli officials believe Hamas’s military and political leadership has sought shelter since fleeing from the north. Here’s the latest.
The Israeli military has not confirmed a ground invasion of the south, although it has been signaling one for days and warning civilians in several areas to evacuate.
The invasion is expected to compound the dire living conditions in an area widely damaged by airstrikes, beset by communications outages and overcrowded with displaced civilians struggling with disease and shortages of water, food, fuel and medical equipment.
In New York City, protesters called on the U.N. to condemn sexual violence that Hamas is accused of committing during its Oct. 7 attacks. Here’s what we know about the allegations, which are supported by witness testimony and documentary evidence.
A visual investigation: My colleague Riley Mellen found that a rocket launched from Gaza on Oct. 7 hit an Israeli military base believed to house nuclear-capable missiles.
Justices seemed split over Purdue Pharma’s settlement
The Supreme Court heard arguments today over a bankruptcy deal for Purdue Pharma that would give billions of dollars to those harmed by the opioid epidemic in exchange for shielding its owners — the Sackler family — from additional opioid-related lawsuits. A Justice Department office had challenged the deal, saying that it violated federal law.
The justices seemed divided, reflecting the tension between the practical effect of unraveling the settlement and broader concerns about whether the Sacklers should be granted such wide-ranging immunity.
U.S. money for Ukraine will soon run out
In a blunt letter addressed to the House speaker, Shalanda Young, the White House’s budget director, warned today that the U.S. would run out of money to send weapons to Ukraine by the end of the year if Congress did not approve additional aid. The potential loss in American assistance, she wrote, would “kneecap Ukraine on the battlefield.”
The message was the latest Biden administration salvo against a growing number of Republicans who say they are weary of shouldering the costs and the political capital of a war that could grind on for years.
In other news from the war, The Times obtained exclusive documents providing the fullest picture yet of Russia’s secretive prison recruiting effort.
Climate experts assailed the leader of COP28
Since the U.N. climate summit began last week, tensions have been simmering around the decision to hold the major event in one of the world’s biggest oil-producing countries. Today, the anger burst out into the open when Sultan Al Jaber, an Emirati oil executive who is leading the conference, launched into an angry public defense of his position on ending fossil fuel use.
Al Jaber had been under fire for a video from two weeks ago in which he says there is “no science” to support a phaseout of oil and gas in order to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. After critics attacked his comments, Al Jaber suggested he had not said what he can be heard saying on the video.
More top news
Law: A former U.S. diplomat was accused of working for decades as a secret agent for Cuba, while rising up the ranks of the State Department.
Court: The trial of the actor Jonathan Majors, who is charged with assaulting his ex-girlfriend, began today.
Politics: Democratic governors advised Biden to talk more about abortion and less about Donald Trump.
Education: A study suggested that a California program that trains teachers in the science of reading improved test scores in low-performing schools.
Campaign: Here’s why a second Trump presidency could be more radical than the first.
Politics: Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota, the wealthy former software executive, dropped out of the race for the G.O.P. nomination.
Military: Days after an Osprey aircraft went down off the coast of Japan, the U.S. Air Force said that the bodies of five crew members had been found.
Health: In what could be the first effective therapy for brain injuries, five people performed better cognitively after they had electrodes implanted.
Nature: Following a multiyear conservation effort, New Zealand’s national bird, the kiwi, hatched eggs near the capital for the first time in living memory.
Music: Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” topped the charts this week for the first time, 65 years after she recorded it.
TIME TO UNWIND
The best podcasts of 2023
Audio can be a difficult format for discovery: There are now so many options that it can be hard to find something that matches your taste without sitting down and listening for hours. So I always appreciate podcast recommendations.
My colleague Reggie Ugwu has a list of 10 of the best podcasts from this year, including stalwarts like “Decoder Ring” as well as a new comedy series in which Amy Poehler is a gleefully unhinged couples therapist.
A new literary prize looks behind bars
Over the next six months, a jury of inmates in prisons across six states will be able to read and debate books, then vote on the winner of a new award, the Inside Literary Prize.
The prize, which was founded by literary and criminal justice groups, is seeking to create a way for incarcerated people to meaningfully participate in the national cultural conversation. The books in contention include Tess Gunty’s “The Rabbit Hutch” and “The Haunting of Hajji Hotak and Other Stories,” by Jamil Jan Kochai.
Dinner table topics
Christmas in Washington: It takes 300 volunteers, 98 trees, a 300-pound gingerbread house and much more to transform the White House for the holidays.
Frasier’s updated wardrobe: Kelsey Grammer’s beloved sitcom character Frasier Crane is back with new clothes that reflect shifts in American elitism.
Virtual concert: A performance by the rapper Eminem inside the video game Fortnite failed to live up to its hype.
A reader asks: Is it ever inappropriate to wear red lipstick? Our fashion critic answered.
WHAT TO DO TONIGHT
Cook: You probably have the ingredients in your pantry to make this vegetarian skillet chili.
Watch: Beyoncé’s new film, “Renaissance,” pulls back the curtain — a little.
Read: A new biography sheds light on the genre-defining career of Ella Fitzgerald.
Strategize: Dave the Diver was one of the best video games of 2023.
Look back: These are this year’s best plays and musicals, according to our critic.
Decorate: Don’t buy cheap Christmas lights every year. These will last a decade.
Compete: Take this week’s Flashback history quiz.
Play: Here are today’s Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all our games here.
ONE LAST THING
The Oxford word of the year is … ‘rizz’
Every year, Oxford University Press, the world’s second-oldest academic press, selects a word that captures the ethos of the previous 12 months and has the potential to carry “lasting cultural significance.” Its pick for 2023: “rizz.”
The word, which is derived from “charisma,” is slang for “style, charm or attractiveness.” It beat out contenders like situationship, prompt, de-influencing and Swiftie. If you’ve never heard of rizz, you’re not alone; just a few years ago, it was virtually unknown.
Have a hip evening.
Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Matthew
We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com.