Good evening. I'm Jeff Bennett. Amna Nawaz is away. On the news hour tonight, Israel moves closer to take over Gaza City in the latest escalation of the war with Hamas. President Trump says he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin soon as the deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine passes.

And recent natural disasters highlight FEMA's changing role under the Trump administration.

FEMA help is getting to places much slower than it was under the previous administration and even under the first President Trump administration.

Welcome to the News Hour. Israel, Gaza, and much of the world are reacting to a decision by Israel's

security cabinet to take control of Gaza City. The move comes nearly two years into the war sparked by Hamas' attack on Israel.

A conflict that has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, leveled large parts of the the territory and left starvation rampant across the

strip. President Trump has not commented on today's announcement, but it drew swift condemnation

from the UK, Saudi Arabia, Germany, and others, and sparked protests inside Israel.

Stephanie Syne begins our coverage.

Outside of the defense minister's home today, family and friends of Israeli hostages

gathered in protest. A long table was set up with empty seats and uneaten bread, a symbol of

the many Shabbat dinners missed. They worried the Israeli government's decision to take over Gaza City will further

put the living hostages at risk. We just want this government to listen to us, to listen

to the families, to listen to the people who demand returning everybody. Until they return,

our table cannot be full. At the UN, there was clear condemnation,

including warnings about how the decision would affect Palestinians. The decision marks a dangerous

escalation and risks deepening the already catastrophic consequences for millions of Palestinians.

In Germany, Chancellor Friedrich Mertz said his country will suspend exports of military equipment to Israel that could be used in Gaza.

Some 86% of Gaza is already under Israeli military control or under displacement orders.

Most of the enclave's two million people live in

Gaza City, Dar al-Bala, and in tent camps in the Muwasi area along the coast. Experts warn a

takeover of Gaza City would squeeze the population into an even tighter area and further complicate

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