Gaza

• The U.S. and Israel are certain that it was an errant Palestinian rocket - not an Israeli airstrike - that killed hundreds at a hospital in Gaza City, but the Arab world is blaming Israel. Both sides are sure of their version and seething.
• Pres. Biden has been clear in his support for the Israeli side: he plans to deliver a primetime address tonight appealing to Americans to back his requests for military support for both Israel and Ukraine. But his diplomats also facilitated a plan to allow 20 trucks of aid into Gaza from Egypt and announced $100 million in further humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the West Bank.

• The UK Ministry of Defense reported that Russia's military intelligence agency (GRU) is likely supervising and financing a new private military company, Redut, that's recruiting "volunteer units" to fight in Ukraine.
• Redut's head recruiter is former Wagner Group chief of staff Andrei Troshev, and he's calling up many former Wagner fighters to "volunteer" their services again.
• Putin's aim in recruiting "volunteers" is likely to avoid unpopular mandatory mobilizations.

• According to the FBI, over half of China's current efforts to steal U.S. technology take place in the San Francisco area, with a focus on advanced technologies being developed in Silicon Valley.

• Against my expectations, the U.S. Treasury Department agreed to ease some sanctions on Venezuela based on news of Tuesday's agreement between Pres. Maduro's government and the opposition - even though cynics doubt the government is going to uphold its end of the deal.
• The sanctions relief measures are accordingly minor and temporary: they'll expire after six months unless the government "meets its commitments" to work towards elections in late 2024 and demonstrates "respect to those who are wrongfully detained" (including opposition figures and some Americans).

• The government of Guinea-Bissau paid the Turkish utility that runs its electricity - Karpowership - $6 million of the overdue $15 million it owes, and Karpowership restored electricity to Bissau after a two-day outage.