Kyle Anzalone

China and Russia used their veto power at the UN Security Council to kill a US-sponsored resolution that said there was a need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, with other countries arguing its language was watered down. The US previously rejected a series of resolutions that demanded a ceasefire.

US officials are losing patience as Kiev fails to heed American demands to stop attacking Russian energy infrastructure. The White House fears the attacks will lead to an increase in oil prices and trigger reprisals by Moscow.

A State Department official said that there is a “significant risk” of mass starvation throughout Gaza, and some regions of the Strip are “ quite possibly ” already in a state of famine. Millions of Palestinians are on the brink of starvation as a result of Israel's brutal six-month military assault and a blockade on aid entering the Strip.

Pro-Palestinian activists surrounded the Radio City Music Hall in New York City as President Joe Biden hosted one of his most prominent campaign events featuring his two Democratic predecessors. Inside the hall, protesters disrupted the speeches criticizing Biden's unyielding support for Israel.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a stark warning to Tel Aviv that Israel risked becoming no different from Hamas if it did not curb civilian casualties in Gaza. The senior official also said that the White House welcomed the opening of another border crossing into the territory, but would not be satisfied until more aid reached the Palestinians.

The head of US European Command told Congress that training Ukrainian pilots on advanced American-made fighter jets was progressing slowly. One of the primary suppliers of F-16s to Ukraine, the Netherlands, said that only half of its planes are combat-ready. The planned transfers have been delayed almost a year since they were announced last spring, leading some Ukrainian officials to believe that the weapons will no longer be a game-changer.

Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has mocked an Israeli attack on Iran as “lame,” after Tehran thwarted a small IDF drone strike early on Friday. The incursion was the latest in a cycle of violence between the two Middle Eastern powers after Tel Aviv destroyed Iran's consulate in Damascus and Tehran responded with strikes of its own. Ben Gvir had urged Israel to “go berserk” in retaliation.

Last week, Axios reported the US would blacklist an Israeli military battalion drawing severe criticisms from top officials in Tel Aviv

Secretary of State Antony Blinken ended his three-day trip to China by instructing Beijing to end exports that help Russia's industrial sector or face US sanctions and tariffs. In China, Blinken met with People's Republic of China (PRC) President Xi Jinping and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Israel has informed Egyptian mediators that Hamas has one week to agree to a hostage deal or Tel Aviv will begin the invasion of Rafah. The Israeli proposal does not offer a permanent ceasefire, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared the attack on the city will occur with or without the release of hostages.