Four Israeli hostages who were held by Hamas were rescued on Saturday morning in a military operation of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Shin Bet and the Israeli police counter terrorism unit, the IDF said in a statement.
Why it matters: The military operation took place as the Biden administration pushes for a deal that will secure the release of hostages and lead to a ceasefire in Gaza.
Israeli minister Benny Gantz is expected to announce in a speech on Saturday his party's withdrawal from the emergency government formed after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, according to political sources close to Gantz.
Why it matters: Gantz's move wouldn't bring down Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, which still holds a 64-member majority in the Knesset. But it would likely destabilize the government and exacerbate the political crisis in Israel as the war in Gaza continues and as hostage and ceasefire negotiations are ongoing.
President Biden on Friday publicly apologized to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for the months-long holdup in sending additional U.S. military aid to the country.
Why it matters: The apology — which came one day after the leaders took part in D-Day commemorations — is Biden's first to Ukraine over the deadly delay.
The growth of space and cyber technologies worldwide is raising the likelihood that war — or at least its ripple effects — will crash onto America's doorstep.
Why it matters: Centuries of national security strategy, relying on protection provided by the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, are being rattled by these weapons that conquer vast distances.
U.S., Egyptian and Israeli officials failed to make progress in a meeting last Sunday about reopening the Rafah crossing after the Israeli side refused to allow any role for the Palestinian Authority in operating the strategic site, according to four U.S. and Israeli officials.
Why it matters: Reopening the crossing on the border of Egypt and Gaza, preventing Hamas from smuggling weapons into the Strip from Egypt and maintaining a tenuous peace between Israel and Egypt are top priorities for the Biden administration.
A group of over 100 former federal prosecutors and federal agents on Thursday sent a letter to Secretary of State Tony Blinken, asking that the U.S. government "step up its efforts" to secure the release of crypto executive Tigran Gambaryan from a Nigerian prison, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: This increases pressure on the State Department, one day after it received a similar letter from 16 members of Congress.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday that the new U.S. policy allowing Ukraine to use long-ranged weapons to strike deeper into Russia is "going to prove to be very, very helpful."
Why it matters: There's growing concern that if Russia defeats Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin will begin threatening other countries.
