First Thing: Israel pulls its ground troops from southern Gaza

After four months of fighting in Khan Younis – and amid ceasefire talks – Israel withdraws troops for ‘tactical reasons’. Plus: a total solar eclipse

Good morning.

Israel has pulled all of its ground troops out of southern Gaza for “tactical reasons”, the country’s army has said, relieving reservists after nearly four months of intense fighting in the decimated southern city of Khan Younis. Displaced Palestinians from the city may now be able to return to their homes.

While two brigades will remain in northern Gaza, the withdrawal raises questions about the future direction of the war. The Israeli defense minister, Yoav Gallant, said on Sunday evening that the move was part of preparations to launch a ground attack on Gaza’s southern-most city of Rafah, but the timing of the announcement coincided with the beginning of a round of mediated talks in Cairo aimed at securing a second ceasefire and hostage release deal.

How are the truce talks in Cairo going? Negotiations in the Egyptian capital have made “significant progress”, the Egyptian state-linked outlet Al-Qahera reported on Monday. The Qatari and Hamas delegations were expected to return “within two days to finalize the terms of the agreement”.

What is being discussed? Before the new talks began, Hamas reiterated its demands issued in a 14 March proposal, which include a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, a return of displaced people to their homes, and a “serious” exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages being held in Gaza.

Boeing engine cover falls off during takeoff

In the latest in a series of safety problems facing the aircraft manufacturer Boeing, US airline regulators have opened an investigation after an engine cowling on a Boeing plane fell off during takeoff on Sunday and struck the wing flap. Southwest Airlines flight 3695 rose to about 10,300 ft (3,140 metres) before returning safely 25 minutes after takeoff to Denver international airport, where it was towed to a gate. There were no injuries.

In other news …

At least 94 people have died and 26 are missing after an overcrowded makeshift ferry sank off the north coast of Mozambique.

Joe Biden could be left off the November election ballot in Ohio unless the Democratic National Convention meets earlier or statutory requirements in the state are changed or exempted, the Ohio secretary of state said.

A Colorado journalist was removed from the state Republican party assembly this weekend because the state party chair claimed her reporting on the party was “very unfair”.

Stat of the day: Trillions of cicadas are about to erupt from the earth in the US

Trillions of cicadas are expected to emerge from the earth in much of the mid-western and eastern US when the surfacing of two separate cicada broods coincide. These are periodical cicadas with a life cycle that involves the juvenile cicadas living underground and feeding on plant sap for years before surfacing en masse. The simultaneous appearance of the two cicada broods – known as Brood XIX and Brood XII – has not happened since 1803.

“It’s really exciting. I’ve been looking forward to this for many years,” said Catherine Dana, an entomologist who specializes in cicadas at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “For the public, it’s going to be a really special experience.”

Don’t miss this: The tens of thousands missing in Gaza

After six months of chaos and war, the whereabouts of tens of thousands in Gaza are unknown. With more than 33,000 killed – mostly women and children – the loved ones of the missing fear the worst. Some cling to the hope that some of the disappeared, especially badly traumatized children or the psychologically ill, may still be alive but are unable to find their relatives. Others hope – and also fear – that their missing loved ones may be detained by the Israeli army.

“All over the world, people tell us that the most painful part of a conflict is not the hunger or the danger but the separation from relatives and not knowing what has happened to them,” said Sarah Davies, a spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Israel and the occupied territories.

… or this: Detecting the undetectable deepfake

With generative AI getting better and better each day, the days of looking for tell-tale signs to spot a fake are nearly over. Experts are now scrambling in a race against time for new methods to counter disinformation.

“We’re running out of time of still being able to do manual detection,” said Mike Speirs, of the AI consultancy Faculty, where he leads the company’s work on counter-disinformation. “The models are developing at a speed and pace that is, well, incredible from a technical point of view, and quite alarming.”

Climate check: Toxic PFAS may be contaminating water sources of US prisons

A study has found that at least 1 million people, including 13,000 juveniles, are estimated to be housed in prisons with water sources that are probably contaminated with toxic PFAS. These a class of about 15,000 chemicals often used to make products resistant to water, stains and heat that have been linked to cancer, liver problems, thyroid issues, birth defects, kidney disease, decreased immunity and other serious health problems.

“We need to think about who is exposed and who has the least agency to mitigate their exposure – that’s why this is such a unique population,” said Nicholas Shapiro, a study co-author at the University of California in Los Angeles. “We see the dehumanization of incarcerated people across the country, and these exposures are symptoms of that larger problem.”

Last Thing: Total eclipse of the heart

A large swath of the US, Canada and Mexico will experience a total solar eclipse today. But while most will be looking skyward, animal behaviorists at several zoos across its pathway will be watching animals to clock their reaction to the sudden darkness. During an eclipse in 2017, usually sedentary tortoises started rutting, frantic giraffes ran around aimlessly, and siamang gibbons embarked on an abrupt and tumultuous chorus of screams and barks.

“Most of the things that we saw then were related to what we call circadian responses, so sort of going into evening behavior, but we did see a lot of anxiety-related behavior as well,” said Adam Hartstone-Rose, a professor of biological sciences at North Carolina State University, who will be leading a team of researchers and volunteer observers on Monday at Fort Worth zoo, Texas.

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