Overview

• U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said European moves to recognize a Palestinian state are counterproductive and contributed to a breakdown in ceasefire talks.
• Huckabee reaffirmed an "ironclad" U.S. commitment to Israel’s security and said the United States will not join a UN push for Palestinian state recognition next month.
• Hamas said this week it accepted an Arab mediators’ proposal similar to an earlier U.S.-backed plan, but Israel and the United States have not responded.
• Israel approved settlement plans in the E1 area outside Jerusalem, a move critics say would bisect the West Bank and undermine the viability of a contiguous Palestinian state.
• The White House backed Israel’s resumption of wide-ranging military operations, and President Trump wrote that hostages will return only when Hamas is confronted and destroyed.