It was supposed to be an off-the-record briefing. But comments from Jared Kushner about the Middle East peace process he's been tasked with are getting some attention.
The Israel-Syria border had been quiet for decades, even though the two countries are technically still at war. But that changed three years ago, when civil war broke out in Syria. Al-Qaeda-linked militants fighting the Syrian regime have battled for the border region, and just won control over it. That is making Israelis quite nervous.
The Israel Defense Forces are unmatched in the Middle East. But seven more of its soldiers died in fighting on Monday, bringing the total to 25 Israelis killed since ground operations began last Thursday. That's because Hamas is better on the battlefield than before.
Fighting in the the Gaza City neighborhood of Shejaiya has reduced many areas to rubble. The BBC's Lyse Doucet tells PRI's The World that residents can't find shelter, despite Israeli assurances to the contrary.
Twenty percent of Israeli citizens are Arab. And recently, Muslim towns like Jisr az-Zarqa, on the Israeli coast, have been holding Ramadan tours to bring in income, show Islamic traditions and build bridges between Jews and Muslims. But this year, the conflict in Gaza has intervened.
Rocket launches are down and tunnels are being destroyed in the Gaza Strip, which are signs of progress for the Israeli military. But Gazans say the ground offensive is creating more deaths and "ghost town scenes" across the tiny territory, with no sign of a possible ceasefire.
The Gaza Strip has been subject to military occupation for decades. Robert Blecher of the International Crisis Group explains how Gaza came to be, who lives there, and why.
Dozens of Palestinians with US passports or legal residency in the US have managed to get out of the Gaza Strip since the most recent violence began, but there are dozens more still there. And it's not clear if or when they will be able to leave.
Mati Milstein and Lihi Yona planned their wedding in Israel months ago. But by the time the ceremony rolled around, rockets from Gaza became one more logistical hurdle on the way to the altar.
Just as in past rounds of violence between Israel and Hamas, it is Palestinian civilians who are paying the highest price. After four days of Israeli bombardment, more than 100 Palestinians are now dead — and many of them are non-combatants.
One man living in the Gaza Strip describes his family's life as Israeli planes launch airstrikes. Sadly, he says, the return of bombings seems like business as usual for Gazans.