Israel's plans for long-term control of Gaza

Plus, renaming birds and the cost of living in different regions of Ontario [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on Israel’s plans in Gaza, the emerging art of naming birds and the cost of living in the GTA. DON’T MISS Said Khatib/AFP via Getty Images israel-hamas war [Netanyahu says Israel will have an “overall security” role in Gaza indefinitely]( A month into the war, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has given his clearest indication yet that Israel plans to maintain control over Gaza after removing Hamas, stating Israel will take “overall security responsibility” of the coastal enclave. Netanyahu ruled out a cease-fire without the release of Israeli hostages, but in an ABC News interview aired Monday, he expressed openness to “little pauses” to facilitate aid delivery to Gaza. [Here’s what you need to know](. - More: Israeli airstrikes have reduced entire city blocks in Gaza to rubble. Around 70 per cent of the territory’s 2.3 million residents have fled their homes, with many heeding orders to go south of the besieged territory, which is also being bombed. The Palestinian death toll has surpassed 10,000, according to Gaza officials. - Go deeper: Gaza residents say the Shati refugee camp, which houses refugees from the 1948 war, has been heavily bombarded from the air and sea over the past two days. - On the home front: A new document containing names of Canadians was published by the General Authority for Crossings and Borders in Gaza. [Here’s what that could mean for their evacuation](. Andrew Francis Wallace/The Star birding [Naming birds is complicated — that’s why some woodpeckers and sparrows at your feeder are getting new monikers]( For centuries, many birds have been given possessive common names based on the people who studied them. But just as statues and streets have undergone their own reckonings, birds’ names are also facing scrutiny, Katie Daubs writes. The McCown’s longspur, for example, was named after an amateur collector — and Confederate general who fought to uphold slavery. A 2019 attempt to change the name failed, but now the American Ornithological Society is promising to change the names of all English bird names that honour people. [Could new names make birding more inclusive?]( - Context: “There is power in a name, and some English bird names have associations with the past that continue to be exclusionary and harmful today,” said the American Ornithological Society’s President Colleen Handel. “We need a much more inclusive and engaging scientific process that focuses attention on the unique features and beauty of the birds themselves.” Lance McMillan/The Star cost of living [Toronto-area workers must make at least $25 an hour for a living wage]( Rising rent and food prices have only continued to make life more expensive for people across Ontario, a new report affirms. In the GTA — the most expensive region in the province — a worker must earn $25.05 per hour to make ends meet, while in Southwest Ontario — the least expensive region — they must earn $18.65. Both numbers are significantly higher than the provincial minimum wage, which rose to just $16.55 in October. [Here’s what people have to earn in other parts of Ontario to get by](. - More: The Ontario Living Wage Network determines these before-tax figures by examining costs for shelter, food and transportation, as well as a modest vacation and “opportunities to engage in local culture and community.” - The Star’s take: [Canada needs a fruitful grocery policy that benefits all Canadians](. - ICYMI: If you know nothing about money, [follow these four simple rules](. [Smart Money newsletter launch] Get expert help with your money. If you’re looking for advice you can trust when it comes to managing your finances, you might like the Star’s new Smart Money newsletter, [sponsored by Fidelity](. Every week, Smart Money will break down what you need to know to make, save and manage your money. [Sign up for free here](. WHAT ELSE Premiers and opposition are pushing Justin Trudeau to cut the carbon levy on natural gas. [Here’s what they’re saying](. After nearly two months, evidence in the [case against the accused murderer of a Muslim family came to a close](. The massive overhaul of the Toronto Port Lands is already something to see. [Just don’t plan on taking the TTC](. “I am a human being.” [A female veteran is calling out MPs studying the Canadian Armed Forces’ culture](. Hamas’ actions are unjustifiable, but if Israelis want the world to stand with us, [we have to acknowledge our responsibility for the current reality]( Michal Mozes writes. [Have Canadian workplaces ever seen censorship like this?]( Freedom of speech is under attack, Muneeza Sheikh writes. [Toronto rapper Houdini was a victim of an “orchestrated assassination,”]( a jury was told Monday. “It’s a pretty big issue for the city.” [A ransomware attack caused the 10-day outage at the Toronto Public Library](. Traffic is still tangled at this Toronto intersection — [many months after it was supposed to be fixed](. Ontario job postings may soon include salary ranges. [Here’s what you need to know](. Why Shawn Levy made “All the Light You Cannot See” a [war story that’s also “beautiful, elegiac, lyrical.”]( The Raptors’ Scottie Barnes is setting the NBA on fire. [And the numbers are only part of the story](. ICYMI Fred Thornhill for The Star [Inside a Greenbelt developer’s push to build a cottage country resort — and how the community is pushing back.]( CLOSE-UP Steve Russell/The Star UNCLE TONY’S: Siva Sathasivam has fought hard to keep menu prices down at his restaurant, but it has come at a cost. The 60-year-old is now down to only one server most days — himself. [Take a closer look at how Canadian restaurants are struggling to survive as diners turn away from skyrocketing prices](. Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_203406). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. Or, if you'd prefer, you can unsubscribe from this newsletter by clicking the first link below. [Unsubscribe From This Newsletter]( [Sign Up for More Newsletters and Email Alerts]( [View in Browser]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](