Gaza

• Israel said its troops have encircled "Hamas strongholds" in Jabalia (northern Gaza), and satellite imagery confirmed it has also begun a ground invasion of southern Gaza - especially around Khan Younis, where Israeli soldiers are in close combat with Hamas fighters.

• The U.S. is considering setting up a task force to protect commercial ships in the Red Sea from Houthi missiles and drones after a series of attacks targeting Israeli-linked vessels.

• Pres. Putin is reportedly planning to visit Saudi Arabia and UAE tomorrow in an effort to geopolitically reengage now that Western support for Ukraine is losing momentum.
• Saudi and UAE are not signatories to the International Criminal Court's (ICC's) founding treaty, so they would not be obligated to carry out the ICC's outstanding warrant for his arrest.

• China is miffed that a U.S. Littoral Combat Ship - the USS Gabrielle Giffords - sailed past the Second Thomas Shoal in the disputed Spratly Islands without Beijing's approval (which wouldn't have been granted anyway).
• China is also "disappointed" with Moody's for downgrading its credit rating over an ongoing property crisis and slower economic growth than expected.

• Victor Manuel Rocha - a former senior U.S. diplomat who last served as the U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia - was arrested late last week on charges of spying for Cuba (where he was born) for decades. Court documents don't specify what kind of intel he's suspected of passing to Havana.

• An errant Nigerian military drone in Kaduna State killed 85 civilians - instead of the insurgents and bandits it was targeting - over the weekend.