senior political analyst Marwan Bishara highlights the US stance under Donald Trump, noting that while Trump aims to assert his leadership, his position ultimately aligns with Netanyahu’s interests. He empha-sizes the ongoing coordination between Israel and the Trump administration, pointing to key meetings between Israeli and US envoys as crucial to decision-making. Bishara suggests that Netanyahu seeks unwavering American support to ensure strategic backing, reducing reliance on other international players.

The far-right AfD threatens to breach the political "firewall" that has long kept it out of power, as election disinformation from both the US and Russia disrupts the German media’s election coverage.

Arab leaders are meeting in Saudi Arabia to discuss countering US President Donald Trump’s plan for United States control of the besieged and bombarded Gaza Strip and the expulsion of its people, diplomatic and government sources have said. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has invited the leaders of Gulf Arab countries, Egypt and Jordan for the meeting in the capital, Riyadh, on Friday, according to Saudi state news agency SPA.

The US president has said in a radio interview with Fox News that he was “a little bit surprised” that Jordan and Egypt have voiced opposition to his plan to “take over” Gaza and displace Palestinians. “I’ll tell you, the way to do it is my plan – I think that’s the plan that really works,” Trump said. “But I’m not forcing it, I’m just going to sit back and recommend it. “And then the US would own the site, there’d be no Hamas, and there’d be development and you’d start all over again with a clean plate.”

Israeli captives Eliya Cohen, Omer Wenkert and Omer Shem Tov have appeared on stage at the handover location in Nuseirat. They are smiling and gesturing to a cheering crowd of Palestinians. One of the captives kissed the forehead of a Palestinian fighter standing next to him.

Captives Avera Mengistu and Tal Shoham have now been handed over to the Red Cross. They are heading now to the Israeli military base in Gaza. The captives will undergo medical examinations before being reunited with family members.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, anxiety is growing in Kinshasa. Rwandan-backed M23 rebels are advancing in the east, spreading out across north and south Kivu and are now aiming for the city of Uvira. This is happening at such a rapid pace that it is stirring up memories of events of three decades ago. Many regional players are involved including Uganda, Burundi and South Africa. And that is increasing concerns the conflict could spread beyond the DRC. Can M23 rebels push all the way to Kinshasa? And what are the risks the conflict may escalate into another regional war?

For the first time since the Nazis, Germany’s far right nears power. With the AfD in second place ahead of a crucial election, the once-fringe party is now centre stage. How did they rise, and what impact will their growing influence have on Germany?

Three years into the Ukraine-Russia war, tens of thousands of people have died, and Russia occupies one-fifth of Ukrainian land. For the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, United States and Russian officials met to begin peace negotiations in Saudi Arabia. In a reversal of US policy, US President Donald Trump excluded European leaders and his administration indicated Ukraine would not join NATO or regain control of all its territory controlled by Russia. Trump recently called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator” and blamed Ukraine for starting the war. Trump’s latest comments and actions have left European countries scrambling to determine the future of Ukraine as well as the broader security landscape of Europe. So what would a Trump-brokered deal look like for Ukrainians? And will it represent a fundamental shift in Russia’s global standing?

A panel of distinguished guests joins Al Jazeera’s live to discuss Riyadh unprecedented gathering of Arab leaders. In the studio is Adnan Hayajneh, a political analyst and International Relations Specialist. Joining from Cairo is Hussein Haridy, former Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister. Also contributing from Riyadh is Abdulaziz Al Ghashian, a Senior Fellow and Director of Research at the Observer Research Foundation Middle East.