Axios

President Biden commended the newly approved ceasefire between Israel and Hamas during a speech at the White House Thursday, noting Israelis and Palestinians deserve "equal measures of freedom, prosperity and democracy."

Zoom out: Israel and Hamas approved a ceasefire deal on Thursday that is expected to take effect at 2am on Friday (local time), after 11 days of fighting.

Tel Aviv — President Biden welcomed the imminent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas after eleven days of fighting in a White House statement on Thursday.

The state of play: Israel's Security Cabinet voted earlier Thursday evening to approve the ceasefire, which is set to go into effect at 2am local time (7pm ET). Hamas also backed the ceasefire, but the sides have issued sharply contrasting messages about its terms.

COVID-19 and the digital divide have taken a severe toll on Latino students' education, from the U.S. to Patagonia.

The state of play: In the U.S., Latinos students have fallen considerably behind during the last year, while in Latin America dropout rates are rising.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said Thursday he is "deeply concerned" by Israel's continued demolitions and evictions in the West Bank, calling "all settlement activities" illegal under international law. 

Why it matters: Violence between Israel and Hamas erupted after Israeli forces began forcibly evicting Palestinian families during the last days of Ramadan. The crisis has killed at least 208 Palestinians and 12 people in Israel — including at least 61 Palestinian children and two children in Israel, per the UN.

President Biden is closing in on his pick for ambassador to Israel, with Thomas Nides, a former deputy secretary of state, most likely to be the pick, a source familiar with the process told Axios.

The state of play: Former congressman Robert Wexler was seen as the other primary contender, and was supported by many members of Congress and a coalition of Jewish organizations, but Biden is leaning towards Nides, the source said, while cautioning that the decision was not final.

The European Parliament voted overwhelmingly to freeze efforts to ratify a landmark investment deal with China until Beijing lifts sanctions imposed in retaliation for the EU's condemnation of China's human rights abuses.

Why it matters: It's a major blow to the relationship at a decisive moment, as tensions between Washington and Beijing have left Europe caught between the trans-Atlantic alliance and the economic temptations of greater access to the Chinese market.

Lithuania's parliament passed a resolution on Thursday recognizing China's repression of Uyghur Muslims as genocide, joining the U.S. government and the parliaments of the United Kingdom, Canada and the Netherlands in doing so.

Why it matters: China's campaign of mass detention, surveillance, forced sterilization and forced labor against ethnic minorities in Xinjiang has drawn international condemnation from human rights groups.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene Israel's Security Cabinet at 7pm local time (12pm ET) on Thursday to discuss the military operation in Gaza and the possibility of a ceasefire.

Why it matters: Any ceasefire would require the approval of the Security Cabinet, and senior Israeli officials expect an agreement by this weekend.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) will introduce a resolution on Thursday opposing the U.S. sale of $735 million in precision-guided weapons to the Israeli government, the Washington Post reports.

Why it matters: The sale comes amid the worst spate of violence between Israel and Hamas in years. Progressives in Congress have ramped up pressure on Biden to confront Israel on what they view as human rights abuses in Gaza, where at least 230 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli airstrikes, per AP.

Fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas entered an 11th day Thursday, as international calls grow for a ceasefire following the worst violence to hit the region since 2014.

What's happening: Israeli warplanes again "pounded Gaza overnight" and Hamas rockets hit "at least two" Israeli cities, the Washington Post reports. No rockets were launched from Gaza for roughly eight hours, but sirens warning of rockets in Israel resumed about 9:30am Thursday local time, per Wash Post.

Zhang Yiming, co-founder of TikTok owner ByteDance, is stepping down as CEO and moving to a new role, the company said in a memo released Thursday.

Why it matters: The replacement of Zhang with human resources chief Liang Rubo, another TikTok co-founder, marks the "biggest corporate shake-up" at the firm since it launched in 2012, going on to become a major social media player in China and turning TikTok into a massive global force, per Reuters, which first reported the news.

Colombian lawmakers voted against a bill to overhaul health care system after protesters opposed it because it would increase privatization, AP reports.

Why it matters: Massive anti-government protests began several weeks ago against a now-shelved tax reform, but quickly expanded to demand an end to police brutality, economic inequality, and "the withdrawal of the health measure," per AP.

Attorneys working to reunite migrant families separated under the Trump administration are still seeking to reach the parents of 391 migrant children, according to a federal court filing Wednesday.

The big picture: President Biden has pledged to reunite separated families, but progress has been slow.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi told U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday that Israel needs another few days to complete its Gaza operation, but Blinken stressed that the U.S. expects the operation to end soon, an Israeli official tells Axios

What they're saying: In their call, Blinken told Ashkenazi the U.S. was blocking a French initiative at the UN Security Council on Gaza but cannot keep backing Israel publicly and diplomatically, mainly at the UN, for much longer, Israeli officials say.