Israel formally promised the Biden administration last week that it has no intention of forcibly displacing Palestinians from northern Gaza or starving the civilian population there, according to a copy of the letter obtained by Axios.
Why it matters: Despite the assurances, Biden administration officials are deeply concerned that the Israel Defense Forces will not allow tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians that left northern Gaza — especially the town of Jabalia — to return.
President Biden has authorized the provision of anti-personnel mines to Ukraine for the first time, a defense official confirmed to Axios Wednesday.
Why it matters: It's the second major U.S. policy shift in a matter of days aimed at strengthening Ukraine's defenses against Russian forces, and comes on the heels of the Kremlin ramping up its nuclear threats.
A village on the Italian island of Sardinia is offering homes from $1.06 to Americans looking to leave the U.S. following President-elect Trump's reelection, per CNN.
The big picture: The drive of Ollolai, a rural village in the province of Nuoro, follows a spike in online searches in the U.S. for moving abroad following the presidential election.
U.S. national security consulting company Orbis recently delivered to the Israeli government a study on how to securely deliver humanitarian aid in Gaza, according to two Israeli officials.
Why it matters: The U.S. has pressed Israel to get more aid into Gaza, but the breakdown of law and order in the enclave means even the supplies that do enter are frequently looted, and often end up on the black market. Orbis was tasked with delivering a plan to safely distribute the aid.
That includes about 50 young people and groups of women who had been held in high security prisons.
The opposition attributed the release to the pressure placed on the regime when the cases were elevated to international courts because almost all the detentions had been arbitrary.
2. Large swaths of Honduras are underwater after tropical storm Sara struck the country last Thursday and through the weekend.
More than 1,700 neighborhoods have been cut off by flooding and destroyed bridges, according to authorities.
Although Sara did not develop into a hurricane, it brought heavy rains and stayed over Honduras for days, leading rivers and lakes to overflow.
President-electTrump has vowed to crack down on immigration and start mass deportations on Day 1 of his presidency, but the operation will be difficult to pull off without major structural overhauls.
Why it matters: A backlog of nearly 4 million immigration cases and a shortage of immigration judges and detention centers can hinder quick deportation.
CrowdStrike has identified a brand-new China-linked cyber-espionage operation that's infiltrating telecommunications networks, according to a report first shared with Axios.
Why it matters: China has shown a new willingness to spy on its adversaries using whatever means possible — putting any remaining diplomatic relations between Beijing and the rest of the world in jeopardy.
The late Benny Martinez, a Mexican American civil rights leader who helped organize a historic meetingbetween LULAC andPresident John F. Kennedy, now has a post office named after him.
The big picture: The move comes as Latino elected officials push for more buildings and parks to be renamed in honor of importantHispanic figures.
