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Israel began its long-threatened ground offensive in Gaza City on Tuesday, sending tanks and remote-controlled armoured cars packed with explosives into its streets, in defiance of international criticism and a UN commission of inquiry’s finding that it was committing genocide in the Palestinian territory.
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said the goals of the offensive were “defeating the enemy and evacuating the population”, omitting any mention of the freeing of the remaining Israeli hostages, which had been a constantly stated war aim until now. Hostage families and their supporters protested near Netanyahu’s Jerusalem residence on Tuesday, accusing him of abandoning their loved ones.
The UN secretary general, António Guterres, said it was clear that Israel had no interest in a peaceful outcome. The ground assault was launched on the day that a panel of human rights experts commissioned by the UN published a report accusing Israel of committing genocide.
What are Palestinians in Gaza City reporting? Many have been forcibly displaced numerous times in “unbearable” conditions and some say they will remain in Gaza City despite the risks. Fatima al-Zahra Sahweil, a researcher, said: “There is not a single day without bombings and deaths in the south, even in the so-called humanitarian zones that the army declared. So, would I just be running from death to death?”
This is a developing story. Follow on our liveblog.
Suspect in Charlie Kirk killing charged with aggravated murder
Utah state prosecutors have charged Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing the far-right activist Charlie Kirk, with aggravated murder and said they intend to seek the death penalty if he is convicted.
Jeff Gray, the top prosecutor in Utah county, where Kirk was shot dead on 10 September, said Robinson had ordered his roommate to delete incriminating text messages and stay silent if questioned after the Turning Point USA executive director’s killing.
The charges filed against Robinson include aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm and witness tampering.
Why have prosecutors said they will pursue the death penalty? Gray said the aggravating circumstances were the 31-year-old Kirk’s “political expression” and the fact that children were present to witness the killing.
What do we know about Robinson’s possible motivations? He is alleged to have sent a text message to his roommate reading: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”
Kash Patel denies politicizing FBI in fiery grilling by Democratic senators
Kash Patel on Tuesday rejected Democratic senators’ accusations that the firings of top FBI agents were politically motivated and vowed to remain in post as the bureau’s director despite reports that the White House was concerned about his leadership.
“I’m not going anywhere. If you want to criticize my 16 years of service, please bring it on. Over to you,” Patel said during his opening statement to the Senate judiciary committee.
The hearing featured several angry exchanges with Democrats and lasted more than four and a half hours. California’s Adam Schiff pressed the director on why Ghislaine Maxwell had been transferred to a lower-security federal prison after speaking with a top justice department official in July. Patel said he was not involved in the decision.
What did he say about Jeffrey Epstein? Despite demands for more transparency over the administration’s investigation of the sex offender, Patel said little on the matter, insisting that a court order prevented him from releasing further documents.
What’s happening with the fired agents? Three former senior officials, including one who served as acting director, last week sued Patel for wrongful termination, accusing Patel of saying he had been instructed to fire agents who investigated Trump.
In other news …
Donald Trump has landed in the UK for an unprecedented second state visit, which has been met with protests in Windsor, including the projection of images of the president with Jeffrey Epstein on to Windsor Castle, and one planned for London.
Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield has stepped away from the ice-cream brand after nearly 50 years, accusing Unilever of silencing the company from speaking out on social issues.
Minneapolis police have said more than a dozen people were injured in two shootings at homeless encampments in the city on the same day.
ChatGPT is developing an age verification system to identify under-18 users, OpenAI has said, after a teenager killed himself following months of chatting with the bot.
Stat of the day: Daily weight loss pill can help cut body weight by a fifth, trial shows
Taking a daily weight loss pill can help people shed up to a fifth of their weight, according to a trial. While weight loss injections have been widely taken up, the advantage of a pill versions is that they are easier to store, distribute and administer and are also expected to be cheaper.
Don’t miss this: James Cromwell on life as Hollywood’s biggest troublemaker
James Cromwell might just be the ultimate actor-activist: over the decades he has marched against the Vietnam war, supported the Black Panthers, protested for animal rights and ended up in jail after a climate sit-in. The LA Confidential and Succession actor talks about how John Cromwell, his actor father, was blacklisted during the McCarthy era, the US’s slide into authoritarianism, and Jeffrey Epstein.
Climate check: Human-made global warming ‘caused two in three heat deaths in Europe this summer’
Global heating caused two in three heat deaths in Europe this summer, early analysis of mortality in 854 big cities has found. The preliminary analysis found that climate breakdown was attributed to 16,500 out of 24,400 heat deaths from June to August.
Last Thing: My weird week of wearing shoulder pals
With the boom in plush toy keyrings such as Labubus, cuddly toys appear to be everywhere. So the Guardian’s Lucy Knight gave “shoulder pals” – Disney characters with a magnetic base that latch on to your shirt – a go. Wearing them out and about, they appear to divide opinion: some people give her a wide berth – but they spark conversations with others.
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