President Vladimir Putin said Russia could restart the Nord Stream 2 pipeline immediately if Germany gave the green light. He claimed the pipeline alone could supply Germany and much of Europe’s energy needs, but argued Berlin refuses to act because Washington says “no,” adding that Europe is “completely powerless.”

Israeli officials assess that the Rafah crossing is likely to be used primarily to allow Gazans to leave the Strip, raising questions about how Egypt will respond. Saudi outlet Al-Hadath reports that Jordanian, Egyptian, and European intelligence officials recently met in Ramallah with Palestinian Authority intelligence chief Majed Faraj to discuss reopening the Rafah crossing. One proposal under consideration is the establishment of an alternative terminal inside Gaza, initially limited to sick and wounded patients, operating under a strict one-in, one-out arrangement with Egypt. The delegation reportedly arrived in Ramallah by Jordanian helicopter and included Jordanian intelligence chief Ahmed Husni Khatoukai.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he was puzzled by Mark Carney’s thinking, arguing that Canada relies heavily on the United States. He emphasized that north–south trade far outweighs any potential east–west trade and dismissed the idea of “middle countries” charting an independent path, recalling that a similar approach under French President François Mitterrand in the 1980s failed—and, he said, would fail again today.

A year after her release from Hamas captivity, Agam Berger performed at the “From Holocaust to Growth” conference marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day.