When Israel rescued two Hamas-held hostages from Rafah, the operation raised sharp concerns among Israel’s friends and partners that the long-signaled move into the overcrowded city had begun. Those concerns are adding to Israel’s own.

• Senate aid package: The Senate passed an emergency spending package early Feb. 13 that would provide military aid to Ukraine and Israel, replenish U.S. weapons systems, and provide humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza. The bill also includes about $1.9 billion in weapons aid to Taiwan and about $3.3 billion to build more submarines in support of a security partnership with Australia and the United Kingdom. 
• In Gaza, hope for peace: Officials from the United States, Egypt, Israel, and Qatar met in Cairo Feb. 13 to seek a truce in Gaza. The talks ended without a breakthrough. Israeli tanks shelled the eastern sector of Rafah city overnight, residents said, although the anticipated ground offensive did not appear to have started.
• Stalemate in Pakistan: Pakistan’s two largest political parties have been wrangling over who will be prime minister. An inconclusive vote last week forced them to join forces and try to form a coalition in a parliament dominated by independents.
• Indonesian polls: Indonesians will cast their votes Feb. 14 for a new president in one of the world’s biggest elections. The stakes will be high for the U.S. and China.

Read these news briefs.

With Gazans crowded into fewer and fewer places that offer only negligible refuge, thousands of families are consumed with the search for shelter, that most basic of human needs. In winter, donated waterproof tents are a prized possession.

With support for Myanmar’s military junta declining and rebels gaining ground through unprecedented cooperation, 2024 could prove a pivotal year in the country’s civil war.

The idea behind raising base pay closer to a “living wage” – pay that covers basic expenses – is that it builds better communities. But some businesses say the increases push them to the brink.

In our progress roundup, freedom to grow and thrive was given to pollinators in a Costa Rican town that calls itself “Sweet City.” And in three prefectures of Japan, families can take their kids out of school for three days of their choice.

Indonesia, the world’s third-largest democracy, holds an election Feb. 14 that will shape the future of the Southeast Asian giant. The stakes are as serious as ever. Three candidates are vying to become president and have engaged in the usual hard knocks of politics. Yet for the average Indonesian, election campaigns have long been useful for something else.

They are an opportunity for joy, or what is known as pesta demokrasi (democracy fiesta). With a population spread over thousands of islands, Indonesia is well known for its diverse culture of performances – expressive dances, puppetry, dramas, music, and costumes. That doesn’t stop for elections. Campaigns are like theater or celebrations, with citizens as spectators.

Take, for example, the leading presidential candidate, Prabowo Subianto, a former army general who once suppressed pro-democracy activists under a former dictator. He has gained popularity with young people by dancing on a stage like a silly grandfather. Another candidate, Anies Baswedan, a former governor of Jakarta, caters to fans of K-pop by using TikTok to reveal details of his personal life.

In past elections, local officials have spruced up voting booths with themes, such as a spooky house, to help increase voter turnout. For this election, the exuberance of campaigning – especially in the number of banners, posters, and flags – has been so vast that local officials have been told to recycle campaign props, not dump them as waste in landfills.

The boisterous bounty of party fun serves a purpose. The current president, Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, who enjoys a huge popularity, says he does not want Indonesia’s democracy to become a war zone. A country so big and diverse cannot afford ugly identity politics, divisive disinformation, or campaign violence. Ensuring joy in campaigns is part of an antidote to all that.

“The pesta demokrasi (fiesta of democracy) is a cause for celebration not only for Indonesia, but also for democracy and forces for peace all over the globe,” India’s ambassador to Indonesia, Sandeep Chakravorty, wrote in The Jakarta Post.

This election, in which some 204 million voters will choose more than 20,000 representatives, is one of the world’s most complex. For the sake of national harmony, elections must be a “consolidating event,” Jokowi said.

“We cannot afford to let the candidates have good relations, while their supporters, including those in regions, are still fighting each other,” he said last year. An election, he added, “is a festival for the people, an occasion that is supposed to bring joy rather than anxiety.”