Freed Yazidi captive, Lebanon’s Syria crossing, early US concerns on Gaza and Houthi emails

A 21-year-old Yazidi woman kidnapped by Islamic State militants in Iraq a decade ago has been freed from Gaza in a secret operation. Israeli strikes cut off Lebanon's main border crossing with Syria as intense Israeli attacks on Beirut's southern suburbs are thought to be targeting Hezbollah’s heir apparent. Reuters has reviewed email exchanges between senior U.S. administration officials in the days after the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel which show alarm that a rising death toll in Gaza could violate international law. And a Houthi email campaign indicates the group is casting their net wider and targeting Greek merchant ships in the Red Sea, despite a lack of connection to Israel.

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