Democratic lawmakers had expressed concerns to Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken about the rifles possibly going to settler militias or being misused by the police.

Doctors say 2-year-old Habiba al-Askari has days to live as gangrene creeps up her arms and legs, and only an urgent medical evacuation out of Gaza may save her life.

Hamas released eight more hostages in Gaza Thursday as part of an ongoing ceasefire agreement with Israel in exchange for releasing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

Three Israelis and five Thai nationals were freed earlier in what PM Benjamin Netanyahu called "shocking scenes".

On Thursday, laws passed by Israel in October come into effect banning the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency, known as UNRWA, from Israeli territory and prohibiting Israeli officials from any contact with the agency.

Trump sent Witkoff to ensure the ceasefire agreement advances to the second phase, which will require hashing out more thorny questions about Gaza’s future.

News that three high-profile hostages are expected to be released has brought excitement and trepidation to Israel on Friday.

The next test for Israel and Hamas will come on February 2nd, when talks resume on the next stage of the ceasefire—which includes the withdrawal of Israeli troops from all of Gaza and the release of more hostages. Whether the ceasefire can endure will depend on those discussions. ■

Dual U.S.-Israeli national Keith Seigel is among the 3 hostages expected to be released by Hamas in the fourth swap with Israel.

The Israeli government ban on UNRWA over national security concerns and links to terrorism began Jan. 30. UNRWA has called the move by Jerusalem as "disastrous."