What next for Gaza after Lebanon ceasefire, and a muddy ancient discovery: Morning Rundown

Uncertainty in Gaza after a ceasefire deal brings relief to Lebanon. The FBI is investigating several bomb threats targeted at several Connecticut Congress members and a pint-size pup wins the National Dog Show. 

Here’s what to know today.

As fragile Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire takes hold, what’s next for Gaza?

Fighting may appear to be winding down between Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah, but it remains to be seen how the truce might affect Palestinians desperate for the war in Gaza to end.

On a visit to the Czech Republic on Thursday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Israel would end the war in Gaza when it “achieves its objectives” of returning the hostages held by Hamas and ensuring the militant group no longer controls the enclave. “Right now, it is very hard” to see a Palestinian partner for peace, Sa’ar said, before adding that “we believe that eventually peace is inevitable.”

The sense that a pause in fighting at the Lebanese border appears unlikely to spread south in the short term was shared by ordinary residents of Gaza. 

In the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, public relations employee Mohammed Nasser told an NBC News crew: “We had hoped that this agreement would be comprehensive and include the Gaza Strip, or at least a deal would be reached on a ceasefire and end the ongoing suffering here.”

“There are great concerns here in the Gaza Strip that the ceasefire in Lebanon will become a reason for expanding military operations here in the Gaza Strip,” he added.

Connecticut Congress members targeted with bomb threats

Five of Connecticut’s lawmakers say they were targeted with bomb threats on Thanksgiving day, though no bombs were ultimately found.

Democratic Reps. Jim Himes, Jahana Hayes, Joe Courtney, John Larson and Rosa DeLauro announced they received threats. Sen. Chris Murphy also confirmed to NBC News he was a target of the threats as well.

The FBI has not released any information about the investigation into the threats but the news follows several bomb and “swatting” threats received by President-elect Donald Trump’s planned administration officials earlier this week.

A muddy discovery hints at humanity’s ancient past

Researchers have found a new set of footprints in Kenya that offer an insightful look into human life around 1.5 million years ago. In 2021, an initial set of muddy footprints were found in a region called Koobi Fora. A year later, another set of prints appeared to researchers that appeared to walk perpendicular to the first set.

The muddy prints weren’t trampled over by other animals and they showed no sign of cracking before they were buried by sand, indicating they were left within hours or days of one another.

According to researchers, the discovery adds to growing understanding that ancient human relatives likely interacted and co-existed with each other.

Pug love at the National Dog Show

For the first time in at least a decade, a pug has been crowned best in show at the 92nd annual National Dog Show.

 The pug, named Vito, has a long list of accolades including best of breed at this year’s Westminster Dog Show and best of breed at the AKC National Show last year. Despite Vito being only 2 ½ years old, his owner said Vito has racked up 25 best-in-shows.

National Dog Show contestants are judged based on overall appearance, temperament and structure according to their breeds’ official standards. And by all of these rules, Vito was “everything a pug should be,” said one judge.

NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified

Black Friday is here, and NBC Select’s shopping editors are rounding up all the best sales from retailers like Amazon and Walmart to tech and small home appliance discounts. You can find them all here, and they’ll be updating all the deals in real time — all day long. Read All About It

• Organic eggs sold at Costco are being recalled over concerns they may be contaminated with salmonella.
• Australian lawmakers approved a social media ban for children under the age of 18.
• The College Football Playoff is on the horizon. Check out which games will decide the final bracket.
• Billboard apologized to Taylor Swift after using a clip of her nude wax figure in a social media post.

Staff Pick: Why the 1978 Village People song “YMCA” is topping the charts

Data shows song listenership is up, search interest in the tune is nearly off the charts, and the dance track hit No. 1 on a Billboard dance music sales chart for the first time. Why? Donald Trump. The president-elect’s dance moves have been in the news, and “YMCA” is the song he’s often dancing to. The Village People lead singer and “YMCA” co-author tells NBC News what started as a nuisance has turned into a source of joy.

— — Joe Murphy, data editor

Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown. Today’s newsletter was curated for you by Kaylah Jackson.