The Biden administration is proposing the Palestinian Authority re-activate members of its security forces in Gaza to prepare a local security and police force for the enclave after the conflict, U.S. officials say.
Why it matters: The move is part of the administration's stated goal to "revitalize" the unpopular and weak Palestinian Authority so it could once again play a role in governing the Gaza Strip in the coming months.
The three Israeli hostages who were mistakingly killed by Israeli troops were holding a stick with a white piece of cloth and shouted "help" in Hebrew before being shot, Israeli Defense Forces officials said on Saturday.
The latest: "The shooting at the hostages was done in violation of the IDF rules of engagement," IDF chief of staff Herzi Halei said in a statement. "It is not allowed to shoot at a person who is holding a white flag and wants to surrender. But this shooting was conducted under stress and on a battlefield," he added.
Israel's Mossad spy agency director David Barnea met with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Friday night in Europe to discuss resuming negotiations to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, according to two sources familiar with the meeting.
Why it matters: It was the first meeting between senior Israeli and Qatari officials since the collapse of the seven-day ceasefire that led to the expansion of the Israeli military operation to southern Gaza.
