Axios

The death of former Secretary State Henry Kissinger — arguably America's most famous and divisive diplomat — has triggered an outpouring of remembrance, respect and revulsion from current and former U.S. officials.

State of play: Nearly 24 hours after news of Kissinger's passing broke on Wednesday night, President Biden put out a statement praising Kissinger's "fierce intellect" but noting that "we often disagreed. And often strongly."

Hamas released eight more hostages after reaching a last-minute agreement with Israel on Thursday to extend the pause in fighting in Gaza to a seventh day.

State of play: Negotiators are working to extend the humanitarian ceasefire further, but by late Thursday local time, it was unclear if another extension was likely.

Israel Defense Forces chief of staff Gen. Herzi Halevi told Secretary of State Tony Blinken on Thursday that the Israeli military operation in Gaza, including in the southern part of the enclave, is expected to take "more than a few additional weeks," three people with direct knowledge of the meeting said.

Driving the news: The White House is increasingly concerned an Israeli operation in the southern Gaza Strip — where 2 million Palestinians are concentrated — would lead to significantly more civilian casualties and deepen the humanitarian crisis in the enclave.

Russia's Supreme Court on Thursday declared the international LGBTQ rights movement "extremist," effectively outlawing LGBTQ activism, multiple outlets reported.

Why it matters: This is the most drastic move against gay, lesbian and transgender rights in Russia, per the AP. While it remains unclear how the ruling will be enforced, participating in "extremist organizations" is a punishable criminal offense in Russia.

Venezuelans on Sunday will vote on whether to establish a new state in a disputed, oil-rich territory long ruled by Guyana.

State of play: Some observers see Venezuela's referendum as an escalation of the century-long dispute over the Essequibo territory.

As Latin American leaders head to the COP28 climate summit, a new study warns that some politicians and their followers have been using recent extreme weather events to spread misinformation about climate change, a new report finds.

Why it matters: More than 1 million people in Latin America and the Caribbean were internally displaced in 2021 because of disasters worsened by climate change, and a failure to address the issue through policies will lead to more displacement, according to a different study released last week.

Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger died at his home in Connecticut on Wednesday at age 100, according to his website.

The big picture: The author, academic and statesman was the top U.S. diplomat for two presidents and a central figure in U.S. foreign policy in the latter half of the 20th century.

Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who died on Wednesday at age 100, left a major mark on the world stage while serving as the top U.S. diplomat under two presidents, and beyond.

The big picture: He was lauded as a distinguished author, academic and statesman, but also criticized for some Cold War policies — notably the bombing of Cambodia in the 1970s. His being jointly awarded the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize for helping negotiate a cease-fire in Vietnam prompted two members of the Nobel committee to resign.

Israel and Hamas have agreed to extend the pause in fighting in Gaza for another day after the militant group said it would release more Israeli hostages, according to the Qatar Foreign Ministry.

The big picture: The announcement came just minutes before the temporary truce was set to end.

Uncertainty around U.S.-China relations was a dominant theme at the New York Times DealBook Summit Wednesday, as well as a potential conflict with Taiwan.

Driving the news: "I think the Chinese leadership at this juncture is overwhelmed by its internal challenges," Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen told Andrew Ross Sorkin.

Vice President Kamala Harris is scheduled to attend the UN's COP 28 climate summit in Dubai this week, the White House said Wednesday.

Why it matters: Harris would be the top U.S. official going unless President Biden makes a surprise appearance.