Israel issued a rare statement of regret for a strike on the only Catholic church in Gaza, which killed three people, injured 10 and left the church seriously damaged on Thursday.
The big picture: The strike, which Israel claims was a mistake, led to backlash from world leaders, including Pope Leo XIV, and a call from President Trump to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Qatar, Egypt and the U.S. presented Israel and Hamas with an updated Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal proposal on Wednesday, two sources with direct knowledge tell Axios.
The mediators believe recent concessions from Israel, which are incorporated into the updated proposal, could enable the parties to reach a deal soon, the sources say.
Why it matters: The deal under negotiation involves a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, the release of 10 live hostages and the remains of 18 deceased hostages, the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails, and a massive increase in humanitarian aid into Gaza.
President Trump has set a radical new course in the U.S.-China rivalry, ceding ground to Beijing in pursuit of a far narrower vision of America's role in the world.
Why it matters: Six months into office, the Trump administration has hollowed out the machinery of American soft power and retreated from key arenas where the U.S. has sought to blunt China's rise.
A federal judge on Wednesday delayed making a ruling on whether Kilmar Ábrego García should be released from jail as he awaits trial, multiple outlets reported.
The big picture: The legal U.S. resident, who spent nearly three months in an El Salvador mega-prison before being returned to a Tennessee jail, is awaiting trial on human smuggling charges to which he has pleaded not guilty.
Expelling migrants to third-countries that are not their place of origin is becoming a cornerstone of President Trump's deportation strategy.
The big picture: The administration's increasing number of third-country deportation agreements showcases a dogged desire to pursue every possible avenue to fulfill Trump's promise to deport record numbers of noncitizens.
The Transportation Security Administration's security protocols could be in for another shakeup — this time involving the long-standing limits on carry-on liquids.
The big picture: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said TSA is looking to modify the liquid rule Wednesday at the Hill Nation Summit.
A new proposal in Congress would stop federal immigration agents from detaining and possibly deporting U.S. citizens.
Why it matters: U.S. citizens aren't supposed to be arrested or detained unless agents allege they're breaking laws. But reports of citizens of Latino descent being detained — or stopped and asked to prove citizenship — are rippling through Latino communities nationwide.
The Trump administration has asked Israel to halt its strikes on Syrian government targets and to open direct talks with Damascus, a senior U.S. official told Axios on Wednesday.
Why it matters: U.S. officials are highly concerned that the Israeli attacks — including on Syrian military headquarters in Damascus and near the presidential palace — could destabilize the new Syrian government.
The U.K. and France committed to buying additional Storm Shadow cruise missiles, wielded in the Russia-Ukraine war, while also pursuing a more sophisticated replacement.
Why it matters: It's a sign of deepening relations between London and Paris, where the missile is known as SCALP.
The deal falls under an updated Lancaster House Agreement, which details military and defense-tech cooperation between the two governments.
NATO's 5% spending commitment is a watershed moment for an alliance dogged by laggard investment outside the U.S. — if, that is, members actually fork over the trillions in long-term spending required to make it a reality.
Why it matters: At a time of weapons upheaval and global war, friends are precious.
The Trump administration deported five migrants from Cuba, Jamaica, Laos, Vietnam and Yemen to the tiny African nation of Eswatini on Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security announced.
The big picture: The deportation flights came after the Supreme Court last month allowed the administration to resume deportations of migrants to third countries that were not their place of origin.
