British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday, February 27, 2025, in Washington, D.C., aiming to secure American backing for Ukraine in potential ceasefire agreements with Russia. Starmer has warned that any ceasefire without a strong security guarantee could allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to regroup and renew hostilities.
On Sunday, President Donald Trump expressed frustration with the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas after seeing footage of the Israeli hostages released over the weekend. He compared their appearance to Holocaust survivors.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly praised President Donald Trump's leadership in facilitating the recent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
On Wednesday, Hamas declared its plans to release eight hostages on Thursday, including three Israelis—two women and an 80-year-old man—and five Thai nationals.
As part of a fragile ceasefire, Hamas militants in Gaza released four Israeli female soldiers on Saturday. In exchange, Israel released 200 Palestinian prisoners, including individuals convicted of deadly attacks, marking a critical moment in the ongoing conflict.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi announced his resignation on Tuesday, citing the military’s inability to anticipate the deadly Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. His resignation, effective March 6, 2025, comes alongside the intended resignation of Major General Yaron Finkelman, head of the IDF Southern Command.
