Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that Israel will go forward with its planned operation into Rafah to root out remaining Hamas fighters. The Iranian foreign minister visits Damascus after the embassy there was attacked. An update from Kyiv and a look at drought in Africa

Israel withdraws some troops from southern Gaza as negotiators meet in Cairo. Nicaragua accuses Germany of being complicit in genocide in Gaza by selling weapons to Israel. An update from Kyiv and a look at Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s visit to China, and security in the South China Sea.

Following a conversation between Biden and Netanyahu, Israel opens a border grossing in northern Gaza as the UN Security Council meets in New York. NATO wraps up its 75th birthday party in Brussels, US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen is in China and a look at water scarcity in the Middle East

President Biden talks to Prime Minister Netanyahu on Thursday as the rift deepens between the two leaders after the deaths of aid workers earlier in the week. An update from Brussels as NATO celebrates 75 years while shelling continues in Kharkiv. Plus, politics in Turkey following recent elections.

At least nine dead and 900 injured after an earthquake strikes Taiwan, just one day after Joe Biden and Xi Jinping talk. The world is still reeling from Tuesday’s killing of workers from the World Central Kitchen in Gaza, and the Ukrainian foreign minister visits Brussels, and politics in Thailand.

An aid convoy from the World Central Kitchen is attacked in Gaza leaving seven dead. The Iranian embassy in Damascus is attacked and a top military official is killed. Shelling continues in Kharkiv, and a new look at the U.S. and NATO as election season ramps up.

Israeli forces withdraw from Shifa hospital in Gaza after two weeks as Benjamin Netanyahu’s government faces the biggest public protests since October 7th. Plus, a look at Easter in the Holy Land, an update from Kyiv and elections in Turkey.

Observers say Israel launches a new attack on Aleppo, killing more than 30 people and wounding others. The news comes as Prime Minister Netanyahu says Israel is ready to resume cease-fire talks with Hamas. Overnight, Russian forces launched 99 drones and missiles targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure while President Zelensky announced Ukraine is preparing for a new major Russian assault in the upcoming months. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken plans to go to France and Belgium next week to enhance unity among close U.S. allies in their support for Ukraine in its war against Russia and for Israel in its war against Hamas militants. Analysts say he faces a tough task. Russia on Thursday vetoed the annual renewal of a panel of experts that oversees the enforcement of long-standing United Nations sanctions against North Korea. VOA's Scott Walterman discusses with Gregg Brazinsky of George Washington University. And it's cherry blossom season in Washington D.C., and amidst the blooming trees along the Tidal Basin stands 'Stumpy,' a cherished figure among the 1,400 cherry blossom trees adorning the area's monuments.

Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children as revived talks to avert further suffering ahead of Israel’s potential military operation in Rafah. Friday marks one year since a U.S. journalist has been held in a Russian jail as courts keep extending his time. Plus, the dangers for journalists covering the crisis in Haiti and a summit on the growing threat of extreme heat across the globe.

Famine is looming in Gaza as the U.S. and Israel continue to disagree over aid. Netanyahu remain defiant following UN resolution and Hamas’ leader is seen in Iran. The latest from Kyiv and more from the collapsed bridge in Baltimore. Plus, a look at elections in Africa.