10 things you need to know today: December 15, 2023

The US urges Israel to shift to precision strikes on Hamas, Putin says his Ukraine goals remain unchanged, and more

Russian President Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin meets the press
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1. US urges Israel to shift to precision attacks on Hamas

The Biden administration is urging Israel to end its large-scale offensive in the Gaza Strip by the end of the year, The New York Times reported Thursday, citing American officials. Israel says its war with Hamas could last "more than several months," but President Joe Biden wants Israel to shift to precision attacks against Hamas as civilian deaths rise and international support for Israel weakens. "I want them to be focused on how to save civilian lives — not stop going after Hamas, but be more careful," Biden said. U.S. intelligence officials believe nearly half of Israel's strikes have used unguided "dumb" bombs more likely to kill noncombatants. The New York Times, The Washington Post

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Harold Maass, The Week US

Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.