Axios

Three Israeli hostages who were held by Hamas for 491 days were released on Saturday as part of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

Why it matters: The release brings the number of hostages who were released in the first phase of the deal to 21.

President Trump said on Friday that there is "no rush" moving forward with his "Gaza takeover" plan, which he also described as a "real estate transaction" between America and Israel.

Why it matters: Trump's comments at the top of his Oval Office meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba seem to be putting the brakes on the plan after it stunned the middle East and generated alarm among America's Arab allies.

President Trump hit the International Criminal Court (ICC) with sanctions in an executive order on Thursday that accused the international tribunal of targeting the U.S. and its ally Israel.

The big picture: The action comes days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Trump during a visit to Washington, D.C.

President Trump signed an executive order that temporarily freezes tariffs on low-cost packages from China.

Why it matters: The order reinstates the long-standing de minimis exception for such packages, which are typically valued below $800. This provides relief for consumers who would face higher costs on retail goods shipped from China.

A broad coalition of Jewish organizations, including reform and conservative Jewish groups, is denouncing President Trump over moves on democracy, his "scapegoating" of immigrants and transgender people, and says his empowering of Elon Musk "to force ideological conformity" threatens the country's "democratic norms."

Why it matters: The open letter, which was released Friday, is signed by more than 100 groups from many Jewish denominations, perspectives and broad missions. It's the latest criticism of Trump by religious organizations over his immigration and cost-cutting policies.

President Trump is taking a sledgehammer to a bedrock of U.S. foreign policy, ripping up decades of "soft power" in favor of a highly personalized, transactional, coercive style of dealmaking.

Why it matters: For Trump, results speak loudest. Less than three weeks into office, his administration already has struck deals of varying substance with Canada, Mexico, Colombia, Panama, El Salvador, Guatemala and even Venezuela.

The Trump administration is being sued over its move to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), with unions representing workers in the lawsuit calling the action "unconstitutional and illegal."

The big picture: The lawsuit that was filed in federal court Thursday seeks to block efforts to place most of USAID's 10,000-strong global workforce on administrative leave by Friday night and restore currently frozen funding and operations.