Donald Trump said he would encourage Russia to attack US allies.

That's where we're starting the seven from the Washington Post.

I'm Hannah Jewel. It's Monday, February 12th.

Let's get you caught up with today's seven stories.

The former president spoke at a campaign rally in South Carolina on Saturday.

He described a conversation he said he had with a foreign leader when he was president about

funding for NATO.

One of the presidents of a big country stood stood up said, well sir if we don't pay and we're attacked by Russia

Will you protect us? I said you didn't pay you're delinquent? He said, yes, let's say that happened. No, I would not protect you. In

fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You got to pay.

You got to pay your bills. Some officials questioned whether this conversation actually happened.

And Trump didn't say which country's leader he was talking about.

But whether or not they're true, these comments sparked concern among European leaders over the weekend

about what a second Trump term could mean for the military alliance.

NATO was founded in 1949 to bolster security in Western Europe among countries worried about Soviet advances.

The Alliance rests on the principle of collective defense.

That means that an attack on one member is considered to be an attack on all of its 31 member states.

Trump has long railed against what he sees as European countries free-loading off the US

military, but his claim over the weekend was provocative even by Trump's standards.

Number two, dozens of people are reported dead in Israeli strikes on southern Gaza.

Israel's military said it rescued two hostages in the overnight operation.

It said the hostages were 60 and 70 years old and were in good medical condition.

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