OAKLAND, Calif.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Washington on Wednesday.
According to State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce, they discussed diplomatic efforts in Gaza aimed at releasing hostages and establishing a durable ceasefire, emphasizing the necessity for Hamas to be completely disarmed and disempowered. ​

The Israel Defense Forces is finalizing plans to evacuate Rafah city and establish a strategic buffer zone along Gaza’s southern border, in what Israeli officials describe as a critical step in the dismantling of Hamas’s military presence in the area.
The plan centers on the construction of the Morag Corridor—a new security strip extending from the Mediterranean coast in the west through the former settlement of Morag, and connecting to the Philadelphi Corridor along the Egyptian border, according to Hebrew media reports. The corridor is expected to stretch up to 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) into Gaza, effectively encircling Rafah.

President Donald Trump intensified his efforts to punish his critics by signing a pair of memoranda directing the Justice Department to investigate two officials from his first administration and stripping them of any security clearances they may have. Trump’s targeting of Miles Taylor, a former Department of Homeland Security official in Trump’s first term, and Chris Krebs, a former top cybersecurity official, came as the Republican president has sought to use the powers of the presidency to retaliate against his adversaries, including law firms. Trump also on Wednesday retaliated against another law firm, Susman Godfrey, as he seeks to punish firms that have links to prosecutors who have investigated him or employed attorneys he sees as opponents.