The main things to know as voters in 27 countries head to the ballot box to shape the next five years of European Union policies.

In the town of Nuseirat in central Gaza, where the hostages were rescued, residents reported intense Israeli bombardments.

Under Emmanuel Macron, “culinary diplomacy” is back on the menu, with a lavish dinner fortifying an old alliance at a tense historical moment.

Four hostages were rescued by Israeli forces after being held in Gaza since the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, the Israeli military said. The rescue operation in the town of Nuseirat in central Gaza unleashed a heavy aerial bombardment that killed scores, according to hospital officials in the area.

See totals and national results from the 2024 E.U. parliament elections.

The French president calls for new elections.

Voters in the European Union delivered strong gains to anti-immigrant, nationalist parties, challenging leaders in Germany and France, and unsettling the political establishment.

The move is unlikely to force Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from office. But Mr. Gantz’s exit exposes the fractures within Israel’s leadership eight months into the war in Gaza.

The U.N. passes a cease-fire resolution for Gaza.

People in Africa’s most populous nation are suffering as the price of food, fuel and medicine has skyrocketed out of reach for many.