US eyes eventual Iraq exit as ISIS threat wanes
CNN
The Biden administration is eying an eventual withdrawal of US troops from Iraq as the country's security forces grow more capable and the threat of ISIS wanes, the two countries announced in a joint statement Wednesday.
The statement followed a meeting between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein. The timing of the exit will be determined in upcoming "technical talks," which have not yet been scheduled, to discuss the process of withdrawal, said chief Pentagon spokesman John Kirby.
Three male Israeli hostages and 183 Palestinian prisoners were freed in the fifth round of exchanges between Israel and Hamas Saturday as Israel expressed concern about the appearance of the released captives.
Hamas on Friday released the names of three Israelis it said it would release from Gaza on Saturday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gifted US President Donald Trump a golden pager during their meeting in Washington on Tuesday, an Israeli political source told CNN.
Life in northern Gaza is desperate – there is no water, no electricity and so much rubble that there’s barely enough space to put up tents. Yet many Palestinians are determined to stay and rebuild – even if US President Donald Trump wants them out of the enclave so he can create a Middle Eastern “riviera.”
A Palestinian toddler who doctors say only has days to live without urgent medical treatment was evacuated from Gaza by the Jordanian military on Monday, in a special mission after Israel had repeatedly delayed her evacuation.
Israel and Hamas are expected to release another round of Gaza hostages and Palestinian prisoners as part of their ceasefire deal. Follow for live updates.