Israel accepted the latest cease-fire proposal, the U.S. said
Antony Blinken, the U.S. secretary of state, said yesterday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel had accepted a “bridging proposal” aimed at closing the gap between Israel and Hamas on a cease-fire deal for Gaza. Hamas officials did not immediately comment, but they have called the proposal slanted toward Israel.
A spokesman for Netanyahu confirmed that the prime minister had told Blinken that Israel had agreed to the proposal, which U.S., Egyptian and Qatari mediators presented last week. Blinken discussed it during a three-hour meeting with Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
What’s next: Negotiations are expected to resume this week in Egypt. Blinken said the talks represented “probably the best, maybe the last” chance to bring the Israeli hostages home and “put everyone on a better path to enduring peace and security.”
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🇺🇸 U.S. ELECTION 2024
The presidential election is less than 80 days away. This is what we’re watching.
The Democratic National Convention’s opening night
Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on the first night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, thanking President Biden, whom she is replacing on the party’s ticket, for his “lifetime of service to our nation.” She added, “When we fight, we win,” words that have fast become a rallying cry for Democrats.
With Biden and Hillary Clinton — the party’s two previous nominees for president — both giving speeches, the evening symbolized how Democrats are moving on from the old guard that led the party for decades. Recap our live coverage of opening night.
Donald Trump: American intelligence agencies said that Iran was responsible for hacking into the former president’s campaign and had tried to breach the Biden-Harris campaign, too.
Here’s what else to know:
Do you have questions about the election? Send them to us, and we’ll find the answers.
Stay up-to-date: Live coverage| Poll tracker | The Run-Up podcast | On Politics newsletter
Ukraine aims to cut off Russian troops
Russian troops defending a pocket of territory wedged between the Seym River and the border with Ukraine were at risk of becoming surrounded, military analysts said, after Ukraine bombed three bridges that are the only routes for resupply or retreat. It is unclear how many Russian soldiers remain in the area.
The situation adds another challenge to a Russian Army caught off guard by Ukraine’s startling incursion over the border on Aug. 6. The operation has given Ukrainian forces a new sense of optimism, though analysts and Western officials said it was too soon to know whether it would lead to strategic success.
Analysis: President Volodymyr Zelensky is hoping to use captured Russian territory as leverage in future peace talks, but it’s a risky bet. Russians who know President Vladimir Putin expect him to lash out in response, believing that his military has the upper hand.
Go deeper: The fighting has mostly taken place over flat plains, and trying to encircle troops has been a key tactic for both armies. Getting surrounded or pinned against a river — in “kettles,” as the Russian military puts it — is a feared outcome for soldiers.
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A recovery effort at the British Museum
In the year since the British Museum said it had fired a curator for stealing from its storerooms and selling the artifacts online, the organization has struggled to deal with fallout from the scandal, which has battered its reputation as a protector of world treasures.
While a police investigation continues, the museum has asked an eight-person team in its Greek and Roman department to search for about 1,500 missing artifacts, online and otherwise. So far, the team has secured the return of 634 items, leaving more than 850 missing.
Each member of the recovery team has a different area of focus — including working out what is actually missing. Read more about the investigation.
That’s it for today’s briefing. See you next time. — Natasha
P.S. The Opinions, an audio show from our Opinion section, is now available on podcast platforms.
Reach Natasha and the team at briefing@nytimes.com.