The U.S. embassy in Tripoli has categorically denied reports alleging that Washington is working on a plan to relocate up to one million Palestinians from Gaza to Libya.

The denial came in response to an article last week by NBC News, which cited multiple sources claiming the Trump administration had explored a proposal involving negotiations with Libyan officials. The plan allegedly included the release of frozen Libyan funds in exchange for absorbing Palestinian refugees from Gaza.

“The report of alleged plans to relocate Gazans to Libya is untrue,” the embassy said in a statement posted to X early Sunday.

The NBC News report noted that the idea was discussed within the Trump administration as part of broader postwar planning efforts, but emphasized that there is no indication the plan is currently being pursued.

JNS reached out to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, which replied that it is “not offering comment on the report.”

U.S. President Donald Trump has previously floated ideas of relocating Palestinians to other countries in the region, such as Egypt and Jordan. These suggestions were met with strong international opposition, including from Arab states and the United Nations.

During a recent appearance in Doha, Trump reiterated his vision of rebuilding Gaza into a “freedom zone,” having previously suggested a future where it could become the “Riviera of the Middle East.”

As of publication time, the internationally recognized Government of National Unity in Tripoli has not commented on the matter.

Velvet carpets, exquisite state dinners, Arabian horses and cybertruck motorcades. It is impossible to overstate the over-the-top display of opulence and luxury that flanked U.S. President Donald Trump at every step of his trip to the region. As in his first term, Trump gave the Saudis and the Gulf states the honor of his inaugural overseas trip. In return, they lavished him with royal gestures and grandeur and eye-popping landmark contracts totaling approximately $2 trillion.

The breathtaking extravaganza did little to gaslight a broad range of critics, though. Some on the left expressed concern about these deepening economic ties between the United States and countries with a checkered human rights record. They also raised eyebrows at the airplane offered as a gift by Qatar. Some on the right reminded the president of the Saudis’ involvement in the Sept. 11 terror attacks and Doha’s less-than-ideal ties to terrorism. On the Israel front, however, many rushed to conclude that Trump has snubbed Israel in favor of a love affair with some of its rogue neighbors, especially those who harbored Hamas’s leadership and harshly condemned Israel throughout this war.

The truth, however, transcends these concerns. Trump executed an impressive acrobatic feat from his foreign policy playbook with flawless precision. His philosophy came to full display during this trip: strong economic ties as a prescription for forging political and security alliances. Investing in Ukraine’s rare-earth minerals is therefore akin to investing in Saudi Arabia’s AI data centers and Qatar’s counter-drone capabilities; Both serve to entrench American presence and dominance in the region, rather than diplomatic pleasantries. For Trump, business removes barriers.

When Trump called the region to embrace “commerce, not chaos” and export “technology, not terrorism,” he appealed to this same sentiment reaching out to a region redefined by younger leaders who wish to leave past differences behind and develop significant economic powerhouses comfortably cushioned under the auspices of a strong American umbrella. Trump’s background as a real estate mogul was particularly highlighted as he praised the “majestic skyscrapers” and called to “build cities together.” He even complimented the Qatari palace’s “perfect marble.”

Such utilitarian pragmatism, however, should be taken with a grain of salt in a region rife with ideological fault lines. If Trump expects the former Hayat Tahrir al-Sham jihadist or the terror sponsors in Doha to somehow neglect their radical aspirations for the prospect of economic prosperity, then he’s in for an overly optimistic illusion that could undermine American interests. Iran also opened its markets to the world following the 2015 nuclear deal, officially the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, JCPOA, only to use the money for its nuclear program and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC); and Qatar weaponizes its blood money for Hamas, ISIS and radicalizing the American youth in prestigious universities. However, Trump shows no signs of ignoring these realities. On the contrary, he complements his optimism with the waving of a big stick.

This change of tune does not imply a change of tone: Trump is far from losing sight of his strategic geopolitical objectives. He has doubled down on them. Regarding Iran, Israel’s foremost concern and a regime that poses a real threat to the United States and global security, Trump did not disappoint. In his remarks in Riyadh, Trump mentioned Iran no less than 19 times, accusing it of funding “terror and death all over the world” and calling it the “most destructive force” in the region and focusing heavily on its part in wrecking Syria. His remarks triggered an angry response in Tehran. Crucially, he underscored that the regime “cannot have a nuclear weapon.” Trump said that he would be “happy to make a deal,” and hinted that such a deal could be coming soon, but paired the offer with an equally clear threat, warning that there is no time to wait. During his visit in 2022, then-President Joe Biden simply demanded that Iran go back to its vague commitments under the problematic 2015 nuclear deal.

Regarding Gaza, a host of false reporting in the Arab media led some to believe that Trump will somehow throw Israel under the bus or force its hand into capitulating in Gaza or accept a Palestinian state. Yet the war was barely mentioned in the trip, to the point where pro-Palestinian advocates accused the president of forgetting Gaza and pushing it on to the sidelines of U.S. diplomacy. While in Qatar, Hamas’s top sponsor, Trump reiterated his plan to take administrative control over Gaza, making it a “freedom zone,” and he advanced his plan to relocate Gazans.

Finally, Trump called upon “all civilized people” to condemn the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and demanded the release of all hostages. He said a bright future in Gaza cannot occur if its leaders “kidnap, torture and target innocent men, women, and children for political ends.” Trump made these calls right there, in the heart of the Arab peninsula, in front of hundreds of Arab leaders.

Not only did Trump not turn his back on Israel, he used the occasion to advance his vision for the new regional security architecture, one that perfectly aligns with that of Israel. He urged Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords, forging an American-Arab-Israeli alliance that presents a unified front against Iran. Trump went a step further by extending the same offer to the once-jihadist Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and shocking the world by removing U.S. sanctions against that country, saying he wants to “give them a chance at greatness” and that “it’s their time to shine” while urging al-Sharaa to normalize ties with Israel. This could be a bridge too far, but with Trump, surprises are an integral part of routine.

Inasmuch as the trip took place in the Middle East, Trump also on his part kept his eye sharp on the Far East and his adversary in Beijing. Over the past decade, China has ramped up its investments in the region, taking advantage of an American disinterest and disengagement from the region. In 2022, China’s total bilateral good trade volume in the Middle East and North Africa reached $368.4 billion, more than double than the United States’ $144 billion. America cannot play second fiddle to China, and Trump is leaving the region with pockets full of cash and an avalanche of companies signing deals, much to Beijing’s dismay.

Trump articulates a purely pragmatic, common-sense mercantilism that aligns with his utilitarian worldview—embracing prescriptions that work, rejecting premises that fail and giving a chance for money to speak. His optimism and economic investment are far from being reminiscent of those of the European Union, in comparison. The E.U. has long embraced economic power and cultural allure as tenets of foreign policy, yet failed to deliver pragmatism, project military power or sustain a reliable economic infrastructure, with untold debt, painfully slow growth and crippling regulations. Trump complemented his optimism with the clear commitment of a superpower, and an unprecedented $1 trillion defense budget.

Trump’s worldview is no big mystery, but this trip highlighted it in bright letters. He offered a “strong and steady hand” to the Saudi crown prince and spoke with American troops next to the banner “peace through strength”. He exhibited American leadership against the backdrop of those who still believe he is based on isolationism. President Trump offered a golden tray of opportunity, dreaming of “the dawn of the bright new day that awaits for the people of the Middle East” and giving rogue regimes the chance to “shine.” But unlike the appeasing leaders of the past who made promises of a “new Middle East,” Trump carries the cadence of command.

America’s presence now comes with demands, albeit implicit. This renewed American footprint in the region will alienate China, pull Arab countries to America’s orbit, cement the unified front against Iran and design the security architecture that Israel has been advocating for. If Trump succeeds in making good on his promise to deny Iran of nuclear weapons, cut a peace deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia with no significant perks to the Palestinians, and fundamentally change the security reality in Gaza, he will go down in history as the president who reshaped Israel’s strategic posture in the region. Time will tell.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance will reportedly visit Israel on Tuesday to smooth over relations after President Donald Trump skipped the country in his recent Mideast tour.

"If this comes to fruition, he is expected to visit after attending the pope's inauguration," reported Channel 12 correspondent Amit Segal. Pope Leo XIV was inaugurated on Sunday.

"Israel sees the visit as important, due to Vance’s affiliation with the isolationist wing of the administration and also as a signal to the region that relations between the U.S. and Israel are still stable and strong," Segal said.

Vance's strong endorsement of Trump's “America First” policy has raised concerns about his commitment to an active U.S. role in world affairs, including support for Israel.

However, during the presidential election Vance expressed support for continued American involvement. “The idea that there is ever going to be an American foreign policy that doesn’t care a lot about that slice of the world is preposterous,” he said.

He also espoused traditional Republican positions, calling the 2015 Iran nuclear deal a "disaster," describing Israel as America's "most important ally" and endorsing Trump's decision in his first term to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem.

Vance's reported visit would follow Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates between May 13-16.

It marked his first official trip as president, during which he locked in more than $2 trillion in business deals and investments, including $600 billion from Saudi Arabia, $1.2 trillion from Qatar, another $243.5 billion in commercial and defense deals, and $200 billion with the UAE.

Trump also accepted a luxury Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet as a gift from Qatar, referred to as a "flying palace" due to its opulence. Trump plans to use the plane as Air Force One. White House lawyer David Warrington concluded it would be "legally permissible," ABC News reported.

The Qatar visit, along with the jet gift, generated the most criticism, with detractors pointing out that Qatar supports Muslim Brotherhood terrorist groups such as Hamas, and is aligned with Iran.

Also of concern to supporters of Israel was Trump’s meeting in Saudi Arabia with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. The president agreed to remove U.S. sanctions from Syria.

Al-Shaara leads an Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which was Al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria. In March, his forces carried out mass killings against Alawite areas in western Syria. Al-Shaara condemned the attacks and set up a fact-finding committee to investigate.

On May 15, Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in which they discussed Trump's meeting with al-Shaara and reiterated the mutual U.S.-Israel commitment to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, according to a State Department readout of the call.

Further details weren't given.

The Israel Defense Forces intercepted a Yemeni ballistic missile early Sunday, triggering air-raid sirens across central Israel, including in Tel Aviv and surrounding areas.

The missile was fired by the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist group, which has escalated its attacks on Israel in recent weeks.

According to the IDF, the missile was detected and neutralized by aerial defense systems shortly after launch, which was initially reported at 1:57 a.m. Sirens were activated in accordance with protocol, and no impact sites or casualties were reported. However, the Magen David Adom emergency service noted that one individual in Bat Yam, just south of Tel Aviv, sustained minor injuries while en route to a bomb shelter.

This attack follows a series of Houthi missile and drone attacks in recent weeks, including a ballistic missile strike near Ben-Gurion International Airport on May 4 that wounded eight civilians and disrupted air traffic.

In response to the aggression, the Israeli Air Force conducted a major aerial operation on Friday night, targeting Houthi terrorist infrastructure at the Hudaydah and Salif ports in Yemen. Fifteen IAF fighter jets dropped more than 30 munitions on sites used for weapons transfers, marking the eighth IDF attack on Houthi targets since the group joined the war in support of Hamas following the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre.

Defense Minister Israel Katz warned, "If the Houthis continue to fire missiles at the State of Israel, they will suffer painful blows—and the heads of the terrorist group will also be hit. We will defend ourselves with strength against any enemy."

The IDF emphasized that the targeted ports serve as hubs for weapons transfers and exemplify "the Houthi terrorist regime’s systematic and cynical exploitation of civilian infrastructure to advance terrorist activities."

Before the strikes, warnings were issued to civilians in the area to evacuate, aiming to minimize harm to noncombatants.

Following the Ben-Gurion Airport attack, the IDF on May 6 carried out a series of strikes on Sanaa International Airport in Yemen. Dozens of Air Force fighter jets made the more-than-1,000-mile journey and dropped 50 bombs over the course of about 15 minutes, disabling for 11 days the main airport controlled by Houthi terrorists.

Israeli Air Force fighter jets also attacked major power stations in the Houthi capital, as well as a cement factory located north of Sanaa, which was used for building tunnels and terrorist infrastructure.

The Houthi regime has been operating under Iranian direction and funding to harm Israel and its allies, undermining regional stability and disrupting global freedom of navigation, the IDF noted.

Israeli singer Yuval Raphael came in second place in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 Grand Final in Basel, Switzerland, on Saturday night, after being pipped at the post by Austrian singer JJ.

Although Raphael convincingly won the popular vote among audiences across Europe, earning 297 points, she came in a disappointing 14th in the jury vote, with only Azerbaijan giving her the maximum 12 points.

Despite winning the public vote, Raphael scored 357 points for Israel in a nail-biting finish, behind Austria with 436 points and just ahead of Estonia with 356.

“I’ve never felt so victorious in my life,” said Raphael, draped in an Israeli flag, who declared, "Am Yisrael Chai" (The people of Israel live) at the end of the performance of her hopeful ballad, “New Day Will Rise," written and composed by singer-songwriter Keren Peles.

Raphael, 24, who survived the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas massacre at the Nova music festival, took the stage under heightened political tension, with audible boos (in the arena, not on television) from some in the audience protesting Israel’s participation and pro-Palestinian protests outside. Still, her performance received widespread praise and warm applause.

After hearing the results, an emotional Raphael said in an interview with Israel's Kan public broadcaster, “I feel like we’ve won in life. I don’t know how to explain it. I’ll be grateful to our nation every day of my life.”

In response to a question about how she felt coming second to Austria's JJ, whose full name is Johannes Pietsch and who sang an operatic ballad titled "Wasted Love," she generously praised him, saying, "He deserves it."

Noting that she looked forward most to returning home to Israel, her family and friends, the Ra'anana resident told Kan, "We’re going to celebrate—and we’re going to breathe!”

Two major misconceptions continue to distort the conversation about the Middle East, Israel and the war in Gaza.

The first item concerns U.S. President Donald Trump’s stance toward Israel, especially his relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Commentators increasingly portray Trump as a jilted lover, scorned by Netanyahu’s supposed disloyalty.

But the reality is far more strategic than emotional. Israel continues to play a central role in the MAGA vision for the Middle East.

Understanding this requires looking past Trump’s flamboyant tour from Riyadh to Doha to Abu Dhabi, and ignoring the theatrical moments—such as his referring to Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former terrorist, as “an attractive young man,” or gushing that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is “someone I like very much,” while signing $142 billion in weapons sales.

Yes, Trump’s team negotiated directly with Hamas to secure the release of American hostage Edan Alexander. And yes, the United States struck a side deal with the Houthis to prevent attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. But at the core of Trump’s Middle East policy remains a strategic call for Saudi Arabia and the broader Arab world to join the Abraham Accords. And those accords cannot exist without Israel.

This brings us to the second misconception steering the conversation. According to Netanyahu’s strategic doctrine, Israel’s role is to provide regional security by defeating Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. Without that, any regional architecture involving the Saudis, Emiratis, Egyptians and Jordanians risks collapse. Just last week, Israel buried Tzeela Gez, murdered on her way to the hospital to give birth, in one of more than 2,200 terror attacks against Israelis launched or thwarted between January and March alone.

In an interview on Friday with Bret Baier on Fox News, Trump renewed his praise for Netanyahu, describing him as justifiably “angry” about the Hamas massacre of Oct. 7, 2023—calling it “one of the most violent days in the history of the world”—and as someone who “fought hard and bravely.”

That’s the reality. Israeli reservists continue returning to the front, while families are once again left waiting in dreadful uncertainty. Israel stands alone, as it did when it entered Rafah, facing international condemnation driven by a tidal wave of lies about the IDF, a military that, unlike any other, goes to extraordinary lengths to minimize civilian casualties.

If Hamas were to surrender its hostages and weapons, the fighting would end. Even those who fuel antisemitism with the blood libel of “genocide” know this. As historian Robert Wistrich warned, we are seeing a grotesque inversion of morality in which “the Nazis become the Jews.”

The goal of this war is straightforward: to corner Hamas until it relinquishes its weapons and returns the hostages. What is so esoteric about that? What kind of twisted logic imagines that Israel fights for pleasure? This is a war for survival.

And yet, in the near-unanimous global condemnation of Netanyahu’s refusal to capitulate—as during the battle for Rafah—there lies an implicit endorsement of the Oct. 7 atrocities, and a disturbing societal absorption of lies about supposed Israeli war crimes.

Consider the humanitarian crisis. While international actors now work to ease conditions in Gaza, it was Hamas that made the situation catastrophic by seizing food at gunpoint. Video evidence confirms this, even as Israel is scapegoated.

Civilian casualties—still extremely low compared to other conflicts, with a one-to-one ratio of civilians to combatants—are the direct result of Hamas’s militarization of homes, schools, hospitals, children’s bedrooms, and its deliberate policy of preventing civilians from sheltering in underground tunnels.

The totalitarian indoctrination of the territory—what can only be called the “Nazification” of Gaza—has fostered support for terrorism from early childhood, turning civilians into human shields and willing accomplices. One need only recall the funeral of the Bibas family.

Israel cannot, under pain of death, allow this terror regime to survive.

This is where Trump returns to the stage. A president who navigated the Middle East in search of economic transformation that could restore American greatness, Trump still offers Israel an unprecedented opportunity to assert itself in a new regional order. But Israel cannot afford to allow its security to remain in doubt. To survive, it must fight—and make itself heard on Iran.

Talks with the Islamic Republic remain highly unstable. But Trump has repeatedly pledged that Iran will never be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon.

As recently as Friday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called the U.S. president a liar. Still, Trump—unlike the Europeans— has refrained from discussing a “Palestinian state.” He has dropped the obsession with "settlements" that former President Joe Biden clung to so dearly.

The diplomatic playing field is clear. What remains is a profound question: Can a grand Islamic coalition, alongside vast economic incentives, ever truly accept peace with the West?

That may be the defining challenge of our era.

The U.S. State Department read out a phone call between Marco Rubio, the U.S. secretary of state, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the second time in 48 hours.

Rubio talked with the Israeli premier from Rome on Saturday, according to Tammy Bruce, the U.S. State Department spokeswoman. The two spoke about "the situation in Gaza and their joint efforts to secure the release of all remaining hostages," Bruce stated.

Saturday's readout was terser than the one on May 15, in which Bruce stated that the secretary "stressed the deep U.S. commitment to its historic relationship with Israel and the ironclad U.S. support for Israeli security."

She added that the two addressed "Syria following President Trump’s historic meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia" and "shared their mutual commitment to make sure Iran never possesses a nuclear weapon."

The Israel Defense Forces apprehended several Palestinians on Saturday, suspects in the murder of Tzeela Gez in Samaria as she and her husband drove to a delivery room three days ago.

“As part of the IDF and Shin Bet manhunt for the terrorist who carried out the shooting attack …, IDF soldiers, guided by the Shin Bet, carried out targeted searches in the village of Bruqin, near the scene of the attack,” the Israeli military tweeted on Saturday, referring to an Arab town located in western Samaria.

“During the arrest of one of the suspects, a terrorist was spotted running toward the forces while holding a bag suspected to be booby-trapped and shouting ‘Allahu Akbar.’

“In light of the immediate threat, the soldiers engaged with and neutralized the terrorist. No casualties were reported among our forces,” the IDF said.

The military added that an inquiry into Wednesday’s terrorist attack was still underway.

Gez’s baby was delivered in the hospital. The Rabin Medical Center’s Beilinson Hospital said the neonatal unit at its Schneider Children’s Medical Center in Petach Tikvah “fought all night for his life.”

The mother was pronounced dead the following morning.

On Friday morning, Schneider issued a statement saying that the condition of the baby boy remained serious but has stabilized.

“The baby was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit at Schneider in very serious condition and underwent intensive treatment overnight by a multidisciplinary hospital team that fought to stabilize him. The baby’s condition is currently classified as serious. We share in the family’s grief,” said Dr. Omer Niv, deputy director of Schneider, per Israel Hayom.

In the wake of the murder, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, “I am deeply shocked by the horrific attack in Samaria, targeting a heavily pregnant woman and her husband as they were on their way to the delivery room.

“This vile act precisely reflects the difference between us—those who cherish and bring life—and the despicable terrorists whose very purpose is to kill us and cut lives short,” the prime minister said.

The Yesha Council stated in Hebrew that it is “shocked and saddened by the terrible attack in Samaria and embrace the family at this difficult time.

“The only way to prevent such serious attacks is to turn the city centers and villages, from which the murderers emerge, into ruins,” the council said. “We have been warning about this for a long time.”

The international community must exert pressure to end the bloodshed in Gaza and ensure the entry of humanitarian aid into “all areas in need,” heads of state and government said in a joint statement at the Arab League summit in Baghdad on Saturday.

The annual summit was attended by a slew of Arab leaders, including Palestinian Authority head Mahmoud Abbas, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres—a declared persona non grata in Israel. Spain was the only European country present at the summit.

“This genocide has reached levels of ugliness not seen in all conflicts throughout history,” Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said, according to AP.

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi noted that even if ties between Israel and additional Arab countries are normalized, “a lasting, just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East will remain elusive unless a Palestinian state is established in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions.”

He added that Cairo, in collaboration with Doha and Washington, is “exerting intense efforts to reach a ceasefire” in Gaza, efforts that led to the release last week of Israeli-American hostage Idan Alexander.

Al-Sissi went on to say that “once the aggression stops,” Egypt plans to lead international initiatives for the reconstruction of Gaza, AP reported.

Abbas denounced Israel's “genocidal crimes,” which he claimed were a part of a “colonialist project that undermines the project of an independent Palestinian state.”

According to AP, he further called on Hamas to lay down arms and abandon its rule over Gaza.

Guterres told the audience, “We need a permanent ceasefire, now. The unconditional release of all hostages, now. And the free flow of humanitarian aid ending the blockade, now.”

The secretary-general expressed concern that the prospects for a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians would disappear in the wake of the present conflict.

The U.N. chief criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to voluntarily relocate Gazans abroad. “We reject the repeated displacement of the Gaza population, along with any question of forced displacement outside of Gaza,” Guterres said.

Summarizing the 34th Arab summit, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani conveyed his hope via X that it “will be reflected in strengthening the Arab solidarity and consolidating integration between Arab countries in all areas of existing cooperation.”