As the death toll reaches 50,000 Palestinians killed, Israel is considering a full-scale ground invasion and military occupation of Gaza. U.S. officials are meeting with Russian and Ukrainian diplomats in Saudi Arabia to negotiate a potential ceasefire. And, China's premier is calling for open markets and global investment amid the country's economic slowdown. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.Today's episode of Up First was edited by Alex Leff, Ryland Barton, Reena Advani, Janaya Williams and Mohamad ElBardicy.It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas.We get engineering support from Arthur Laurent , and our technical director is Carleigh StrangeLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Chapter 1: What are Israel's plans for Gaza?
Israel is making plans to occupy Gaza.
You cannot destroy Hamas without controlling the entire Gaza Strip.
But what would it take to hold the territory, and what does it mean for the Palestinians living there?
I'm Steve Inskeep with Michelle Martin, and this is Up First from NPR News. Negotiators from the United States and Ukraine met in Saudi Arabia over the weekend to iron out a ceasefire deal with Russia. But as bombs keep falling on Kyiv, is a real truce even possible?
And China is trying to rebalance its economy. Steve is in Beijing for China's annual conference for global business to find out how China is planning to deal with the U.S. trade war.
China is trying to rebalance its economy.
Falling back to the law of the jungle will be a regression in history and a tragedy for humanity.
Stay with us. We'll give you the news you need to start your day. We have new details about military plans Israel has drawn up for Gaza.
Israel is considering a ground invasion to fully occupy the territory within a few months and establish Israeli military rule over Palestinians there. It's unclear whether these plans will actually be carried out. We do know that Israel resumed its war in Gaza, where Palestinians have updated their death count, saying it surpassed 50,000.
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Chapter 2: Can Israel control the Gaza Strip effectively?
NPR's Daniel Estrin is on the line with us now from Tel Aviv. Daniel, good morning.
Good morning, Michelle.
What can you tell us about these classified plans?
Well, I've spoken to two people who they reviewed the classified plans and they spoke to me on condition of anonymity to discuss them. The plans would have Israeli forces occupy Gaza, entering at multiple points, pushing Palestinians into a small zone designated for civilians and
and that Israel is examining options for the military to control the distribution of food, which would be limited to a minimum caloric amount. Now, both people who reviewed these plans said it's unclear if they would really be carried out or if they're just a negotiation tactic to pressure Hamas to release more hostages. In fact, it might be both, getting some hostages free and
Hamas captivity initially, but then gradually moving toward full military rule over Palestinians in Gaza, which would go far beyond what Israel has stated as its war goals. The military told me it would not comment on future operational plans.
Do these plans for Israel ruling Gaza have the support of the Trump administration?
We don't know. Trump administration officials did not return my requests for comment. We do know that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed Israel's military operations in Gaza yesterday. We also know that President Trump's Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff, has acknowledged that Bibi Netanyahu's return to war is not what many Israelis want.
He talked about that in a podcast interview with commentator Tucker Carlson, published Friday.
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Chapter 3: Do Israelis support the military occupation of Gaza?
You cannot destroy Hamas without controlling the entire Gaza Strip. Eventually, you'll have to control everything. Bringing a collapse of Hamas as a governmental and military entity, this can be achieved in a few months.
So he's saying a few months, but other Israeli defense officials and analysts who I spoke with are more skeptical about that. Also, Dan Shapiro, a top Pentagon official on Mideast policy under the Biden administration, spoke with us. They're saying, OK, well, once Israel occupies Gaza, then what? This could mire Israeli soldiers in Gaza for decades.
And we're hearing from reservist soldiers already. They're exhausted after more than a year of war and very skeptical that this could actually change the picture fundamentally.
That is Empire's Daniel Estrin in Tel Aviv. Daniel, thank you.
You're welcome.
Delegations from the United States and Ukraine have begun talks in Saudi Arabia to try to achieve a ceasefire in Russia's war with Ukraine.
Ukraine's defense minister called these conversations productive. The Americans meet the Russians next. So far, both sides have agreed to stop targeting each other's energy infrastructure, although Ukraine's president says that is far from a genuine ceasefire.
We're going to go now to NPR's Eleanor Beardsley, who is in Kyiv, Ukraine's capital. Eleanor, hello. Good morning, Michelle. So you've been talking to people in Kyiv, people who are just trying to live their lives. Do the people that you've heard from think that these talks could produce a real ceasefire?
Not really, because no one believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin really wants to stop the war. And frankly, the proof of that is all around them. On Saturday night, Russia launched one of its biggest drone attacks yet against Ukraine's capital, Kyiv. And I was cowering in the bathroom as this battle went on for over an hour in the skies. And I stuck my phone out the window.
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Chapter 4: What progress has been made in Ukraine ceasefire talks?
I went yesterday to an apartment block near the river that was hit by a drone and where an older woman had burned to death in her top floor apartment. And people were gathered out front. Everybody was looking up. The apartment was blackened. The roof and ceiling were gone. Windows were blown out all around. And there was a lot of damage to the building.
Wow, that sounds terrible. What do Ukrainians say? What do they tell you about these ongoing attacks, even as the ceasefire talks are taking place?
Yeah, well, they say these attacks just sort of make the talks a farce. I spoke with a 19-year-old law student, Tatiana, who was at the building. She didn't want to give her last name, but she pulled up a video on social media of the woman on the top floor's death, and she asked me to share it with Americans.
And this is a part of the video of the screaming.
Everything is a nightmare.
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Chapter 5: How does the situation in Kyiv reflect Putin's intentions?
Chapter 6: What is the impact of China's economic policies on global trade?
And China is trying to rebalance its economy. Steve is in Beijing for China's annual conference for global business to find out how China is planning to deal with the U.S. trade war.
China is trying to rebalance its economy.
Falling back to the law of the jungle will be a regression in history and a tragedy for humanity.
Stay with us. We'll give you the news you need to start your day. We have new details about military plans Israel has drawn up for Gaza.
Israel is considering a ground invasion to fully occupy the territory within a few months and establish Israeli military rule over Palestinians there. It's unclear whether these plans will actually be carried out. We do know that Israel resumed its war in Gaza, where Palestinians have updated their death count, saying it surpassed 50,000.
NPR's Daniel Estrin is on the line with us now from Tel Aviv. Daniel, good morning.
Good morning, Michelle.
What can you tell us about these classified plans?
Well, I've spoken to two people who they reviewed the classified plans and they spoke to me on condition of anonymity to discuss them. The plans would have Israeli forces occupy Gaza, entering at multiple points, pushing Palestinians into a small zone designated for civilians and
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Sign in to access all 61 segments of this chapter and more.
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