"We are dismantling Hamas and targeting its infrastructure and forces so that there will never be another October 7," IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi said during a situational assessment and tour in Rafah, Gaza, on Wednesday, the IDF announced.Halevi was accompanied by the Southern Command commander, Maj.-Gen Yaron Finkelman, Gaza Division commander, Brig.-Gen. Barak Hiram, Nahal Brigade commander, Col. Yair Zuckerman, and other senior commanders."We are exerting pressure on Hamas daily, driving it into greater distress, to ensure the return of the 100 hostages—hopefully alive—and for those who are not, to provide them a proper burial in Israel. Our goal is also to return Israeli residents to their homes," Halevi told IDF troops. "I tell you this: the Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip are coming back to life. Residents are returning, and as they do, our responsibility grows even greater—not less. It is our duty to provide a much stronger security framework so they can feel safe and secure here." He concluded his remarks by thanking the IDF troops for their "incredible work."

US Senator Elizabeth Warren has asked Donald Trump's transition team to hold Elon Musk to the same ethics standards as other transition members, putting oversight of the unusually powerful presidential adviser in the spotlight."Mr. Musk’s substantial private interests present a massive conflict of interest with the role he has taken on as your ‘unofficial co-president,'" Warren said in a letter to the Trump transition team made public by her office on Tuesday. "Currently, the American public has no way of knowing whether the advice that he is whispering to you in secret is good for the country - or merely good for his own bottom line."Musk's role as the co-chair of a newly created Trump advisory body that is not part of the US government, the "Department of Government Efficiency," means that he is not a government employee, Warren noted, "but the conflicts he faces are enormous and the need for him to be subject to similar ethics standards is obvious."The Trump transition team had no immediate comment.

British police said on Tuesday they arrested two Romanian men over the stabbing of a journalist working for a Persian language media organization in London in March.Pouria Zeraati, a British-Iranian journalist who works for Iran International, sustained leg injuries in the attack near his home in Wimbledon, southwest London.Counter-terrorism police led the investigation over concerns he had been targeted because of his work at the television news network, which is critical of Iran's government.Britain's Crown Prosecution Service said earlier this month that Nandito Badea, 19, and George Stana, 23, had been charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and wounding.

Israeli soldiers removed a small far-right group of Israeli civilians who had crossed into Lebanon, appearing to put up a tent, in what the military said on Wednesday was a serious incident now under investigation.The Israelis who crossed the border held up a sign on the border that read "Our Lebanon" in Hebrew. "Any attempt to approach or cross the border into Lebanese territory without coordination is life-threatening and harms the IDF's ability to operate in the area and complete its mission," the IDF stated.

France's foreign minister said on Wednesday that reconstruction aid and the lifting of sanctions in Syria would depend on clear political and security commitments by the new authorities.Speaking in parliament, Jean-Noel Barrot also said Paris would host a follow-up meeting after one held in Jordan last week with Arab, Western and Turkish partners in January.

France has proof that Russia is trying to manipulate influencers in the country, France's foreign minister said on Wednesday."We have evidence that confirms that Russia is also trying to manipulate influencers in European countries, including France. Investigations are ongoing, and we call on content creators and their subscribers to be extremely vigilant about these threats to our public debate," Jean-Noel Barrot told a parliamentary hearing.Quoting a French intelligence source, newspaper Le Monde reported on Wednesday that more than 2,000 European content producers were contacted by people close to Russian authorities to spread pro-Russian propaganda, of which 20, including nine French, accepted doing so.

Advisers to incoming US President Donald Trump are recommending he waive environmental reviews for federally funded critical minerals projects to boost domestic production of materials used in electric vehicles, electronics and weapons, according to a document seen by Reuters.Implementation would reflect a major shift in how Washington reviews proposed mines on federal lands and aims to ensure that projects receiving loans, grants or other government support are able to help the US cut dependence on China, the world's largest miner and processor of lithium, cobalt and other critical minerals.The advisers, tasked by Trump's transition team to develop policy ideas around electric vehicle supply chains, urged Trump to waive requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to expedite permitting and construction reviews for production of critical minerals, batteries and magnets, the document showed. NEPA applies to projects on federal lands.