The U.S. and U.K. on Saturday conducted another round of airstrikes against military targets controlled by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, both countries' defense secretaries announced.
Why it matters: This is the fourth round of US-UK strikes against the Houthis amid continuous attacks by the rebel group against commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
U.S., Qatari and Egyptian officials presented a new more detailed framework for a hostage deal to Israeli negotiators during a key meeting in Paris on Friday, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the issue.
The big picture: The updated framework proposes that Hamas release roughly 40 hostages held in Gaza in exchange for a six-week ceasefire and the freeing of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, the sources said. It also would allow some Palestinians to begin returning to northern Gaza.
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's body was given to his mother after Russian officials gave Navalny's mom a three-hour ultimatum to accept a secret burial or prison burial, Navalny's spokesperson said Saturday.
The big picture:President Biden has said Navalny's prison death on Feb. 16 is the impetus for new sanctions aimed at both Russian officials and its war machine in play in Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The Biden administration asked Israel to stop targeting members of the Hamas-run civilian police force who escort aid trucks in Gaza, warning that a "total breakdown of law and order" is significantly exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the enclave, three U.S. and Israeli officials told Axios.
Why it matters: U.S. officials say they are increasingly concerned "that Gaza is turning into Mogadishu" as a security vacuumand desperation have opened the door for armed gangs to attack and loot aid trucks, putting even more pressure on the Strip's already strained humanitarian system.
Secretary of State Tony Blinken said on Friday that Israeli settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank is "inconsistent with international law," reversing a Trump-era decision that had overturned decades of U.S. policy on the issue.
Why it matters: Blinken's decision to reverse what has been known as the "Pompeo doctrine" comes as a response to the Israeli government's announcement on Thursday that it plans to expand the settlements in the West Bank, a U.S. official told Axios. The move has been considered by the State Department for the last three years.
The Biden administration on Friday announced a new package of sanctions targeting Russian officials and companiesover the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and the invasion of Ukraine.
Why it matters: President Biden has said he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin was responsible for Navalny's death in prison, and Navalny's allies have said they suspect high-level Russian authorities were involved.
China is set to send two new pandas to the San Diego Zoo — so is there hope for D.C.?
Why it matters: This is the first time in two decades that the Chinese government will send new pandas to the U.S. — a promising sign for "panda diplomacy" and the future of the National Zoo's panda program.
Ukraine's best hope for year three of Russia's invasion may be to avoid losing additional territory — andsome military analysts question whether even that will be achievable without urgent help from Washington.
Why it matters:Ukrainian hopes for a decisive breakthrough were dashed in 2023, and Russia now has clear manpower and firepower advantages. As the war crosses the two-year mark, it has devolved into a deadly stalemate that could tilt in Russia's favor.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's post-war plan for Gaza, which was unveiled Thursday, doesn't rule out a role for the Palestinian Authority and stresses Israel will only allow reconstruction to take place after the enclave is demilitarized.
Why it matters: It's the first time Netanyahu has presented any written position on his plans for the day after the war in Gaza. But the principles laid out in Thursday's document are short on concrete details and largely based on Netanyahu's public statements from the last few months.
