| | | | |  | | By Matt Berg | |  People and health workers unearth bodies found at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on April 23, 2024. | AFP via Getty Images | With help from Eric Bazail-Eimil, Nahal Toosi, Lara Seligman and Paul McLeary Subscribe here | Email Matt | Email Eric Israel’s military says the Biden administration’s calls for an investigation into reports of mass graves near a major hospital in Gaza don’t make sense — because they already looked into it. Over the past few days, U.S. officials, including national security adviser JAKE SULLIVAN, have called for Israel to “thoroughly and transparently” investigate reports of mass graves at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, which Israeli forces last raided in February. The State Department came under fire from reporters and advocates for refusing to call for an independent investigation, instead saying the U.S. will press Israel for information. When NatSec Daily asked Israel Defense Forces spokesperson NADAV SHOSHANI whether Israel plans on investigating, he at first waived off the question, calling the reports “fake news.” Asked if that means Israel won’t investigate the mass grave reports, Shoshani said: “Investigate what?” He then added that Israel has already looked into the matter and found that there was no wrongdoing. “We gave answers. We don’t bury people in mass graves. Not something we do.” Shoshani didn’t provide details of that investigation or who Israel provided answers to specifically. “The Israelis have told us privately what they’ve said publicly, that they totally reject the allegations,” a U.S. official told NatSec Daily, granted anonymity to detail private conversations. “We aren’t in a position to validate that, and would like a thorough and transparent investigation into the reports.” At least two of the three burial sites were dug prior to Israeli troops arriving, The New York Times reports. But the Gaza Civil Defense said only about 100 people were buried in graves before the IDF raid, and a total of 392 bodies were recovered. Earlier this week, the Israeli military said its troops had exhumed bodies, in a respectful manner, that Palestinians had previously buried as they searched for remaining hostages. Those not belonging to Israeli hostages were returned to the graves, the military said. European Union and United Nations leaders have called for an independent investigation. “This is really gruesome, gruesome stuff,” YOUSEF MUNAYYER, head of Palestine/Israel Program at Arab Center Washington D.C., told NatSec Daily, citing reports that some people buried had their hands tied. If Israel is found culpable, it could bolster the case that the Israeli military has violated international humanitarian law during its war with Hamas. Though U.S. lawmakers have been silent about the graves so far, outspoken critics of Washington’s military assistance to Israel could seize on the report as another reason to stop sending weapons to Israel. “A lot of people are losing faith in the administration's handling” of allegations of human rights violations by Israel, Munayyer said. Read: EU pledges further $73M in humanitarian aid for Palestinians by our own PIERRE EMMANUEL NGENDAKUMANA
| | NOT LAYING DOWN THE LEAHY LAW: Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN has told Speaker MIKE JOHNSON that the U.S. is still engaging with Israel on whether to withhold aid from an Israeli military unit accused of human rights abuses, according to a letter sent to the speaker. Blinken has provisionally determined that two other Israeli military units also accused of rights abuses have undergone enough remediation to where aid will not need to be suspended under U.S. Leahy Laws. Two civilian authority units accused of abuses also will not face an aid suspension, at least for now. The Israeli government has “presented new information” regarding the one remaining unit Blinken has yet to make a determination about, the secretary of State wrote in a letter to Johnson, which our own NAHAL TOOSI obtained. The letter was previously reported by ABC News’ ANNE FLAHERTY. The unit referred to in the letter — but not named — is the Netzah Yehuda battalion, according to the New York Times’ MICHAEL CROWLEY. “We will engage on identifying a path to effective remediation for this unit,” Blinken wrote in the letter, a copy of which was posted on X by the Washington Post’s JOHN HUDSON. A U.S. official familiar with the topic stressed to Nahal that Blinken’s determinations have yet to be finalized and could still change. BIG BAD BLINKEN? Blinken ended his trip to Beijing on a frosty note, warning China’s leadership to stop exporting materials that help Russia in its war against Ukraine or face more retribution from the U.S., our own PHELIM KINE reports. Blinken said he told Chinese leader XI JINPING and Foreign Minister WANG YI that the Biden administration is running out of patience with Beijing’s refusal to stop providing key components for Russia’s defense industrial base, like microelectronics and machine tools. “We’re looking at the actions that we’re fully prepared to take if we don’t see a change … we’ve already imposed sanctions on more than 100 Chinese entities, export controls and we’re fully prepared to take additional measures,” Blinken said, possibly referring to the U.S. drafting sanctions that could cut some Chinese banks off from the global financial system. For his part, Xi called on the U.S. to not treat China as a foe: “We should help each other flourish, not harm each other,” he said, per our own STUART LAU. Read: EU pulls its gun on China by Stuart, CAMILLE GIJS and KOEN VERHELST RAFAH FEARS MOUNT: Egyptian officials are hoping that a last-ditch effort to salvage hostage deal negotiations today will give the U.S. and others more time to pressure Israel to avoid an invasion of Rafah, The Wall Street Journal’s JARED MALSIN and SUMMER SAID report. Egyptians are pursuing two tracks for the negotiations: The first involves working with Israeli officials to create a new proposal that could prompt Hamas to reengage in negotiations and free some hostages, and a second that tries to pressure Israel to pull back from its plan to invade Rafah entirely, Egyptian officials told WSJ. Leading the charge is intelligence chief ABBAS KAMEL, who headed to Israel today with a delegation to meet with DAVID BARNEA, head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, and other top Israeli officials. Egyptian officials have low hopes that a hostage deal will be reached, per the WSJ. SecState Blinken will visit Israel next week for talks about the hostage deal and Rafah, an Israeli official told The New York Times’ PATRICK KINGSLEY. AID FOR UKRAINE: Defense Secretary LLOYD AUSTIN today confirmed the biggest package of military aid to Ukraine to date, after a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, our own LARA SELIGMAN and PAUL McLEARY write in. The new $6 billion package, which Lara and Paul scooped Thursday, will allow the Pentagon to contract with industry for critical new capabilities for Kyiv, including Patriot and NASAMs air defense interceptors, “significant amounts” of artillery ammunition and air-to-ground munitions, counter-drone systems and more, Austin said. Austin reversed course on previous Pentagon objections to sending longer-range Army Tactical Missile Systems to Ukraine, saying that "we are comfortable that we are in a good place and will remain in a good place,” with the stockpiles the U.S. has. Before quietly sending the missiles that can hit targets almost 200 miles away last month, the Pentagon insisted that it was worried about its own stockpile of the weapon. “In two years time, things change,” Austin said, adding that he’s not worried about the targets that Kyiv will choose with the weapons it is being given. “It’s up to them on how and when to use it, and our hopes are that they’ll create some pretty good effects with that and other things.” Scroll down to Complex for more on the missile conversation. DRINKS WITH NATSEC DAILY: At the end of every long, hard week, we like to highlight how a prominent member of Washington’s national security scene prefers to unwind with a drink. Today, we're featuring Rep. DINA TITUS (D-Nev.), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee who spoke with Eric about an Azerbaijan sanctions bill introduced today. (Scroll down for more on that.) After a day of legislating on behalf of the people of the Las Vegas suburbs, Titus enjoys unwinding with a vodka martini, straight. Her favorite place to imbibe with a martini is the famed Harry's New York Bar in Paris. "I don't get to go there nearly often enough, so I usually drink them at home with my husband," she quipped. As good a place as any in our books. Cheers, representative! IT’S FRIDAY. WELCOME TO THE WEEKEND: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily! This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at mberg@politico.com and ebazail@politico.com, and follow us on X at @mattberg33 and @ebazaileimil. While you’re at it, follow the rest of POLITICO’s national security team: @alexbward, @nahaltoosi, @PhelimKine, @laraseligman, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @leehudson, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130, @ErinBanco, @reporterjoe, and @JGedeon1.
| | | | THE GOLD STANDARD OF DEFENSE POLICY REPORTING & INTELLIGENCE: POLITICO has more than 500 journalists delivering unrivaled reporting and illuminating the policy and regulatory landscape for those who need to know what’s next. Throughout the election and the legislative and regulatory pushes that will follow, POLITICO Pro is indispensable to those who need to make informed decisions fast. The Pro platform dives deeper into critical and quickly evolving sectors and industries, like defense, equipping policymakers and those who shape legislation and regulation with essential news and intelligence from the world’s best politics and policy journalists.
Our newsroom is deeper, more experienced, and better sourced than any other. Our defense reporting team—including Lara Seligman, Joe Gould, Paul McCleary, Connor O’Brien and Lee Hudson—is embedded with the market-moving legislative committees and agencies in Washington and across states, delivering unparalleled coverage of defense policy and the defense industry. We bring subscribers inside the conversations that determine policy outcomes and the future of industries, providing insight that cannot be found anywhere else. Get the premier news and policy intelligence service, SUBSCRIBE TO POLITICO PRO TODAY. | | | | | | | | POPE COMES OUT TO PLAY: The Pope will take part in the G7 meeting of world leaders for the first time in history — to discuss artificial intelligence. POPE FRANCIS will show face at the summit, scheduled for June 13-15, to discuss one of “the greatest anthropological challenges of our time,” Italian Prime Minister GIORGIA MELONI said today, per Reuters’ CRISPIAN BALMER. Francis is expected to “give a decisive contribution to drawing up an ethical and cultural regulatory framework to artificial intelligence,” Meloni said. The pope has been outspoken about his concerns about AI, calling for a global treaty to regulate the technology, which U.S. lawmakers have said Washington isn’t ready to take part in. Read: RISHI SUNAK promised to make AI safe. Big Tech’s not playing ball by our own VINCENT MANANCOURT, GIAN VOLPICELLI and MOHAR CHATTERJEE
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: PAC-3 MSE: Enabling a Hardened Defense against Maritime Threats
Lockheed Martin is developing advanced IAMD capabilities to give sailors more options using existing capabilities. Integrating PAC-3 MSE into the Aegis Weapon System would deliver an advanced, combat-proven IAMD capability to U.S. Sailors. Learn more. | | | | | TANKS, BUT NO TAURUS: This one might sound familiar: Germany and the U.S. have similar high-tech weapons that could theoretically help Ukraine turn the war’s tide, but German Chancellor OLAF SCHOLZ is hesitant. After news that the U.S. and U.K. would send long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine as part of the foreign aid package, German Defense Minister BORIS PISTORIUS said Scholz won’t send his country’s Taurus missiles because they have a longer range. Scholz himself said his position “will not change.” This reminded NatSec Daily of the debate last year over whether Germany would send its Leopard tanks to Ukraine, and it did so after the U.S. pledged its M1 Abrams tanks to Kyiv. This time, don’t expect Scholz to budge, experts say. The U.S. doesn’t want Ukraine to strike too far into Russia, and Taurus missiles can reach over 300 miles — almost double the distance of the U.S.-provided ATACMS. The war could escalate if Ukraine tried to use Germany’s missiles to strike too deep, the German Marshall Fund’s MARKUS ZIENER told NatSec Daily. Scholz wants to be “100 percent in sync with the U.S.,” Ziener said. Ukrainians don’t expect Scholz to change his mind either: “It's frustrating to see this delay in taking decisive action. Hopefully, the next chancellor will address this issue more effectively, should the war persist,” MAKSYM SKRYPCHENKO, president of the Transatlantic Dialogue Center think tank, told NatSec Daily. TANKS FOR NOTHING? Speaking of Abrams, Ukraine pulled the U.S.-provided tanks for its frontlines because Russian drones were making it too difficult for them to operate without being detected or attacked, two U.S. military officials told The Associated Press’ TARA COPP. Read: What spending caps? Senators open to boosting the Pentagon’s budget by our own CONNOR O’BRIEN and JOE GOULD
| | ‘MARCH OR APRIL’: Less than two months into Johnson’s speakership, Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY told him Ukraine could only hold off Russian forces until March or April, our own ALEX WARD reports. The pair’s December meeting and the bleak prognosis contributed greatly to Johnson’s decision to go against his conservative colleagues and come to the aid of Ukraine with a $60 billion aid package, according to three people familiar with the speaker’s thinking. Most importantly, it provided Johnson with a deadline — one the speaker took on as his own for the Ukraine aid package. While there’s no single reason why Johnson got to yes on Ukraine aid, the meeting gave Johnson more urgency to decide if staking his speakership to send more weapons to Ukraine was worth it, the people said. FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY — NATO AGENDA: Top Democratic and Republican senators outlined what they want the White House prioritize during the NATO summit in Washington commemorating the alliance’s 75th anniversary in July. In a letter to Biden today, Sens. JEANNE SHAHEEN (D-N.H.) and THOM TILLIS (R-N.C.), co-chairs of the Senate NATO Observer Group, said they want the summit to emphasize NATO’s continued support for Ukraine, recognize the bloc’s partnerships in the Indo-Pacific, push all members to meet the 2 percent defense spending requirement, host a meeting on NATO’s Women, Peace and Security Policy, and invite NATO partners and aspiring members — including Zelenskyy — to the summit. The senators also called on Biden to work with lawmakers to allow NATO’s Secretary General JENS STOLTENBERG to address a joint session of Congress.
| | | |   | | | | | AZERBAIJAN SANCTIONS: A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill that would enable sanctions against Azerbaijani officials for their role in human rights violations, Eric writes in. The final version of the bill, shared first with NatSec Daily, calls on the administration to review more than 40 Azerbaijani government officials and determine whether they took part in human rights abuses against journalists, opposition activists and academics. Individuals deemed responsible for abuses would then be subject to U.S. sanctions. Titus, one of the co-sponsors of the bill, told NatSec Daily that the bipartisan bill is needed to send a clear message on Washington’s policy toward Azerbaijan to the Armenian diaspora. “It's a mixed signal coming from the administration, and people are getting pretty discouraged about it,” Titus observed, noting Biden’s decision to provide Azerbaijan military assistance as recently as 2022. “I do think the administration needs to work in that community to kind of explain this position and remind people that he recognized the genocide and some of the good things he's done.”
| | | | POLITICO IS BACK AT THE 2024 MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE: POLITICO will again be your eyes and ears at the 27th Annual Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles from May 5-8 with exclusive, daily, reporting in our Global Playbook newsletter. Suzanne Lynch will be on the ground covering the biggest moments, behind-the-scenes buzz and on-stage insights from global leaders in health, finance, tech, philanthropy and beyond. Get a front-row seat to where the most interesting minds and top global leaders confront the world’s most pressing and complex challenges — subscribe today. | | | | | | | | | — DINH HUE, head of Vietnam’s parliament, resigned amid a corruption investigation. — ISAAC “IKE” HARRIS joined the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation as an adjunct fellow. He most recently served as an adviser to the undersecretary of defense for policy on matters relating to China and tech competition.
| | — IVO DAALDER, POLITICO: Listen to the US or brace for escalation — the choice is Israel’s to make — ROBERT ALMELOR DELFELD, Foreign Policy: The U.S. munitions deficit is a political problem — PARMY OLSON, Bloomberg: U.S. has little to fear from Chinese AI, for now
| | — Center for Strategic and International Studies, 9:30 a.m.: The future of the Indo-Pacific — Atlantic Council, 9:45 a.m.: A back-to-business birthday: priorities for the 2024 NATO summit in Washington — International Institute for Strategic Studies, 10 a.m.: Turmoil in the Red Sea: assessing the Houthis' strategic agenda. — Center for American Progress, 11 a.m.: A progressive, principled, and pragmatic approach toward China policy — Brookings Institution, 2 p.m.: Domestic deployment of the National Guard — German Marshall Fund of the United States, 2:30 p.m.: Exposing the PRC's distortion of UN General Assembly resolution 2758 to press its claim over Taiwan — Wilson Center's Mexico Institute, 3 p.m.: Mexico's second presidential debate Thanks to our editor, Heidi Vogt, who should be sanctioned by the U.S. government. We also thank our producer, Giselle Ewing, who we trust to impose those sanctions.
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: PAC-3 MSE: Enabling a Hardened Defense against Maritime Threats
To succeed in a multi-domain environment, sailors need more advanced options to stay ahead of evolving threats. Learn more. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |
