For the first time in nine months, medical evacuees were able to leave Gaza by the Rafah border crossing. A small girl in a pink sweater waved goodbye through the smudged window of a bus as it prepared to depart Gaza on Saturday, packed with 37 ill and injured patients, most of them children with cancer, in need of medical treatment that Gaza's war-ravaged hospitals cannot provide. It was the first time in nine months that medical evacuees have been able to leave Gaza by the Rafah border crossing, and outside Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, weary mothers held their sick and listless children wrapped up in coats, anxiously waving their documents at officials to confirm their place. But their departure was bittersweet — only a few patients made the list that day, and each could bring only one companion. A small boy who tried to squeeze his way onto the bus with his sick brother and mother was escorted off. “They did not allow me to pass,” Khalil, 8, still sobbing from being separated from his family, told NBC News' crew. “My brother went with my mom; he is sick.” The evacuees left by the Rafah crossing into Egypt, which has been reopened as part of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Under the deal, 50 patients and wounded are set to be evacuated every day under the supervision of the World Health Organization. While much of the attention on the ceasefire has focused on the hostage releases, the daily medical evacuations will be chipping away at a mountain of need. “We need to speed up the pace, because, again, we estimate between 12,000 to 14,000 critical patients are needed to medevac,” Rik Peeperkorn, the World Health Organization representative for the occupied Palestinian territories, who was overseeing the evacuation, told NBC News' crew in Gaza. “Trauma injuries, think about amputees, many of them children. Spinal cord injuries, burns, which need multiple different specialized operations and rehabilitation, which they currently cannot get in Gaza. The other is patients for oncology, cancer patients, chronic diseases and cardiovascular diseases, which need to be medevaced out of Gaza.” The conflict has destroyed much of Gaza’s infrastructure, causing its health system to collapse. Beyond the enormous needs of the skyrocketing number of war wounded, hundreds of thousands of people with acute and chronic illnesses were left with limited or no access to medicine and treatment. According to the WHO, from the start of the war on Oct. 7, 2023, to when the ceasefire began on Jan. 19, Gaza's health care system sustained more than 1,200 direct attacks, including at least 660 on health facilities, and over 1,000 attacks that affected health care workers. The Israel Defense Forces says Hamas operates command centers at hospitals, uses ambulances to transport fighters and diverts fuel aid intended for hospital use to military purposes, charges that Hamas and hospital staff members deny. The scale of the crisis for patients remains overwhelming, and for some children, it is too late. Dr. Muhammed Abu Salmiya, the director general of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, once Gaza's top hospital, said two of the children scheduled for evacuation Saturday died before they could make the journey. Last week, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called for 2,500 children to be “immediately evacuated with the guarantee that they will be able to return to their families and communities.” Medical evacuations were rare even before the Rafah crossing closed. From October 2023 to May, the United States, hospitals, various nongovernmental organizations and local officials in Gaza were able to quietly move just 150 patients, most of them children, out of Gaza for lifesaving care. After the Rafah crossing shut down when Israeli forces captured it in May, the improbable became nearly impossible. The last significant evacuation appeared to have been in June, when 21 critically ill children were evacuated from the Gaza Strip.

The explosions tore through the city of Jenin, in the occupied West Bank, sending plumes of smoke into the sky. The Israeli military destroyed almost two dozen buildings in Jenin, a city in the occupied West Bank, as Israel turned to the territory since it withdrew some of its troops during the ongoing ceasefire across the border in Gaza. Video captured by Reuters showed a series of explosions tearing through the city, sending towering plumes of smoke into the sky. In a statement Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces said it demolished 23 buildings in Jenin that were “used as terrorist infrastructure.” Hamas called for an “escalation in the resistance” against Israel after the demolition in Jenin. The number of casualties, if any, is unknown. Israel launched an offensive in Jenin last month to “defeat terrorism,” according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It is the Israeli army’s third major incursion into the city — a longtime stronghold of militant groups, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad — in less than two years. On Sunday, a 16-year-old boy was among five people killed by Israeli airstrikes on Jenin, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Violence by settlers and Israeli military operations has soared in the occupied territory since the war in the Gaza Strip began Oct. 7, 2023, when, Israeli officials say, 1,200 people were killed and around 250 were taken hostage in Hamas’ multipronged attacks on Israel. In the year leading up to the attacks, 253 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank, according to a database kept by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. But since Oct. 7, 2023, the database shows the death toll has risen sharply, with 845 Palestinians killed. And Israel's most recent offensive in January was launched just hours after President Donald Trump rescinded American sanctions on far-right settler groups and people accused of involvement in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. In Gaza, the IDF said an Israeli aircraft fired on a vehicle it said was traveling outside the “agreed inspection route,” which it claimed violated the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. “The IDF is prepared for any scenario and will continue to take any necessary actions to thwart immediate threats to its soldiers,” the statement read. Both attacks coincided with Netanyahu’s departure Sunday for the United States, where he is set to meet with Trump. Netanyahu, the first foreign leader to visit Trump since he was inaugurated last month, left Israel as negotiations for the second phase of talks were expected to begin Monday. Meanwhile, the deputy head of Hamas, Mousa Abu Marzouk, will lead a delegation to visit the Russian capital, Moscow, on Monday, the RIA state news agency reported Sunday. Russia has long held ties to governments and groups in the Middle East, including Israel, Iran, Lebanon and the Palestinian Authority.

Donald Trump's talk of applying new tariffs to goods from America's biggest trade partners has sparked months of uncertainty for business owners. On Saturday, the president made good on his threats, ordering a new 25% tax on shipments from Mexico and Canada and raising existing tariffs on goods from China by 10%. But that has not stopped the questions. "Is it for a day, is it a political flex or is it something that will last for four years?" asked Nicolas Palazzi, the founder of Brooklyn-based PM Spirits. He runs a 21-person business that imports and sells wine and spirits, about 20% of which come from Mexico. Trump's orders set in motion threats that the president has discussed for months, striking at shipments from America's top three trade partners, which together account for more than 40% of the roughly $3tn goods the US imports each year. Canadian oil and other "energy resources" will face a lower 10% rate. But otherwise, there will be no exceptions, the White House said. Trump said the tariffs were intended to hold Canada and Mexico accountable for promises to address illegal immigration and drug trafficking. The measures go into effect on 4 February and are to remain in place "until the crisis is alleviated," according to the orders. If the plans were not a surprise, they still presented a potentially stunning blow to many businesses, especially for those in North America. The three countries have become tightly linked economically after decades of free trade under a treaty signed in the 1990s, known then as Nafta and updated and renamed under the Trump administration to USMCA. The growth of mezcal in the US, brought in by businesses like Palazzi's, has been part of this shift. Since 2003, consumption of tequila and mezcal has roughly tripled, increasing at a rate of more than 7% each year, according to Distilled Spirits Council, a trade group. Overall since the 1990s, trade in spirits between the US and Mexico has surged by more than 4,000% percent, said the organisation, which issued a statement after the president's announcement warning that the tariffs would "significantly harm all three countries". For months, Palazzi has been fielding nervous questions from his suppliers in Mexico, who are typically small, family owned businesses and may not survive if the tariffs are prolonged. If it sticks, he said the 25% tax on the bottles of mezcal, tequila and rum he brings in will push up prices - and sales will drop. "Definitely this is going to impact the business negatively. But can you really plan? No," he said. "Our strategy is roll-with-the-punches, wait and see and adapt to whatever craziness is going to unfold." Economists say the hit from the tariffs could push the economies of Mexico and Canada into recession. Ahead of the announcement, Dan Kelly, president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses, described the looming tariffs from the US, and expected retaliation, as "existential" for many of his members. "Look, we get that the government has got to respond in some fashion …. But at the same time we urge the government to use caution," he said, comparing tariffs on imports to chemotherapy: "It poisons your own people in order to try and fight the disease." "It's going to have an effect everywhere," said Sophie Avernin, director of De Grandes Viñedos de Francia in Mexico, noting that many Americans own Mexican alcohol brands and Modelo beer is actually owned by a Belgian company. Trump, who has embraced tariffs as a tool to address issues far removed from trade, has dismissed concerns about any collateral damage to the economy in the US. But analysts have warned the measures will weigh on growth, raise prices and cost the economy jobs - roughly 286,000, according to estimates by the Tax Foundation, not including retaliation. Those in the alcohol business said the industry had already been struggling to emerge from the shadow of the pandemic and its after-shocks, including inflation, which has prompted many Americans to cut back on dining out and drinking. Smaller firms, who typically have less financial cushion and ability to swallow a sudden 25% jump in cost, will bear the brunt of the disruption. "I'm pretty frustrated," said California-based importer Ben Scott, whose nine-person business Pueblo de Sabor brings in brands from Mexico such as Mal Bien and Lalocura. "There's just a huge cost that's going to affect so many people in ways other than they're paying a couple bucks more for a cocktail, which doesn't sound like a tragedy." Fred Sanchez has spent years pushing to expand his business, Bad Hombre Importing, a small California-based importer and distributor of Mexican agave-based spirits like Agua del Sol, and was recently working on deals in New York and Illinois. But his potential partners started hesitating as Trump's tariff talk ramped up last year. Now, instead of expanding, he is contemplating selling off his stock of liquor and possibly shutting down. He said he had little capacity to absorb the jump in costs and saw little scope for raising prices in the current economy. "25% is just not something that we can realistically pass onto the consumer," he said. Sanchez said he believed that Trump might be using tariffs as a negotiating tactic, and the tax could be short-lived. Still, for his business, damage is already done.

Canada has announced retaliatory tariffs against the US, in a move that marks the beginning of a trade war between the neighbouring countries. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau set out "far-reaching" tariffs of 25%, affecting 155bn Canadian dollars' worth ($106.6bn; £86bn) of American goods ranging from beer and wine, to household appliances and sporting goods. The move matches US President Donald Trump 25% levy on Canadian and Mexican imports to the US - and an additional 10% on China - over his concerns about illegal immigration and drug trafficking. Trudeau said he would "not back down in standing up for Canadians", but warned of real consequences for people on both sides of the border. "We don't want to be here, we didn't ask for this," he said at a news conference late on Saturday. The Canadian prime minister added that tariffs on 30bn-worth US goods would come into force on Tuesday and another 125bn in 21 days to give Canadian firms time to adjust. Trudeau's response targets items including American beer, wine, bourbon, fruits and fruit juices, vegetables, perfumes, clothing and shoes, as well as household appliances, sporting goods and furniture. Lumber and plastics will also face levies and non-tariff measures are also being considered are related to critical minerals and procurement. Economists have warned the introduction of the import taxes by the US, and the response from Canada, as well as Mexico and China, could lead to prices rising on a wide range of products for consumers. A tariff is a domestic tax levied on goods as they enter a country, proportional to the value of the import. The prospect of higher tariffs being introduced on imports to the US has been concerning many world leaders because it will make it more expensive for companies to sell goods in the world's largest economy. Christopher Sands, director of the Wilson Center's Canada Institute, told the BBC that tit-for-tat tariffs between the US and Canada were "mutually assured destruction" and they would impact people's lives very quickly. He said there would be no adjustment time as US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had recently proposed: "Just a massive hit that's going to make a lot of people's lives a lot tougher, very quickly." But the taxes are a central part of Trump's economic vision. He sees them as a way of growing the US economy, protecting jobs and raising tax revenue - and in this case, pushing for policy action. Canada, Mexico and the US have deeply integrated economies, with billions of pounds worth of manufactured goods crossing the borders daily. Canada is America's largest foreign supplier of crude oil. According to the most recent official trade figures, 61% of oil imported into the US between January and November last year came from Canada. While 25% has been slapped on Canadian goods imported to the US, its energy faces a lower 10% tariff. The White House said on Saturday the implementation of tariffs was "necessary to hold China, Mexico, and Canada accountable for their promises to halt the flood of poisonous drugs into the United States". But Trudeau pushed back on the suggestion the shared border posed a security concern, saying less than 1% of fentanyl going into the US comes from Canada. He added less than 1% of illegal migrants entered the US through the border and that tariffs were "not the best way we can actually work together to save lives" Trump has indicated he is ready to escalate the duties further if the countries retaliate to his tariffs, as Canada has done. Prior to the tariffs announcement, Canada has pledged more than $1bn to boost security at its shared border with the US. Trudeau said on Saturday had not spoken to Trump since he had taken office. Mark Carney, the former head of Canada's and England's central banks, told BBC Newsnight on Friday that the tariffs would hit economic growth and drive up inflation. "They're going to damage the US's reputation around the world," said Carney, who is also in the running to replace Trudeau as leader of Canada's Liberal Party.

Canada, Mexico and China have vowed to respond to sweeping new tariffs to their exports to the US announced by President Donald Trump. Trump said a levy of 25% on Canadian and Mexican imports as well as an additional 10% tax on Chinese goods would come into force on Tuesday. Canadian energy faces a lower 10% tariff. The US president said the move was in response to his concerns about illegal immigration and drug trafficking - two of the main promises on which he was elected. In response, both Canada and Mexico said they were preparing similar tariffs on US goods, while China added it would take "necessary countermeasures to defend its legitimate rights and interests". The implementation of tariffs and the subsequent retaliation could mark the start of a new era of global trade wars. Economists have warned the introduction of the import taxes by the US, and the responses from other countries, could lead to prices rising on a wide range of products, from cars, lumber, and steel to food and alcohol. China, Mexico and Canada to retaliate in kind - follow reaction Consumers in all countries could see an increase in the cost of living if businesses decide to pass on higher costs to customers, with US industry groups already raising the alarm. But Trump has indicated he is ready to escalate the duties further if the countries retaliate. "Today's tariff announcement is necessary to hold China, Mexico, and Canada accountable for their promises to halt the flood of poisonous drugs into the United States," the White House said in a statement on X on Saturday. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform: "This was done through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) because of the major threat of illegal aliens and deadly drugs killing our Citizens, including fentanyl." How countries respond to Trump's tariffs is what matters next Will Donald Trump’s tariffs hurt US consumers? Canada hits back, warning people will suffer China ready for new US tariffs A tariff is a domestic tax levied on goods as they enter the country, proportional to the value of the import. They are a central part of Trump's economic vision. He sees them as a way of growing the US economy, protecting jobs and raising tax revenue - and in this case, pushing for policy action. Together, China, Mexico and Canada accounted for more than 40% of imports into the US last year. Canada, Mexico and the US have deeply integrated economies, with billions of pounds worth of manufactured goods crossing the borders daily. In its announcement, the White House accused Mexico's government of having "an intolerable alliance" with Mexican drug trafficking organisations. In her response, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called allegations that the Mexican government had alliances with criminal organisations "slander". Sheinbaum called on the US to do more to clamp down on the illegal flow of guns south to arm the cartels. Her country is willing to work with the US, she said. "Problems are not resolved by imposing tariffs, but by talking." She instructed her economy minister to respond with tariff and non-tariff measures, which are expected to include retaliatory tariffs of 25% on US goods into Mexico. Canada has already announced retaliatory tariffs against the US, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau matching the 25% imposed on his country. He set out "far-reaching" tariffs would affect 155bn Canadian dollars' worth ($106.6bn; £86bn) of American goods ranging from beer and wine, to household appliances and sporting goods. Non-tariff measures being considered are related to critical minerals and procurement, although Trudeau did not offer more detail. "We don't want to be here, we didn't ask for this," he said. "But we will not back down in standing up for Canadians." The Canadian prime minister pushed back on the suggestion the shared border posed a security concern, saying less than 1% of fentanyl going into the US comes from Canada. He also added less than 1% of illegal migrants entered the US through the border. Canada is America's largest foreign supplier of crude oil. According to the most recent official trade figures, 61% of oil imported into the US between January and November last year came from Canada. China said it "firmly opposes" the tariffs, but has not yet announced any retaliatory measures. The 10% tax on its imports to the US will be added over and above tariffs already imposed on China by Trump in his first term and by President Joe Biden. "Trade and tariff wars have no winners," said a spokesperson at China's Washington embassy. Trump has acknowledged there could be "some temporary, short-term disruption" a as a result of tariffs. The car manufacturing sector could be especially hard hit. Parts cross the US, Canadian and Mexican borders multiple times before a final vehicle is assembled. TD Economics suggested the import taxes could push up the average US car price by around $3,000, while the National Homebuilders Association said housing costs could increase. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce said the levies would have "immediate and direct consequences on Canadian and American livelihoods" and will "drastically increase the cost of everything for everyone". The Farmers for Free Trade said with many US farmers already struggling, "adding tariffs to the mix would only exacerbate the situation across much of rural America". But the US Retail Industry Leaders Association, which includes big names such as Home Depot, Target and Walgreens among its more than 200 members, expressed hope tariffs could still be averted. The White House, explaining on Saturday why it was targeting its top trading partners, said Mexican cartels were responsible for trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and other drugs. It said tariffs on Canada would remain until it "co-operates with the US against drug traffickers and on border security". Lastly, it said "China plays the central role in the fentanyl crisis" with exports of the lethal synthetic painkiller. Both the northern and southern US borders have reported drug seizures, though amounts at the border with Canada are considerably lower than those with Mexico, according to official data. US border agents seized 43lbs (19.5kg) of fentanyl at the northern border between October 2023 and last September, compared to more than 21,000lbs (9,525.4kg) at the southern border. Still, recent reports from Canadian intelligence agencies suggest a growing number of transnational organised crime groups are manufacturing drugs in Canada. Ashley Davis, a Republican lobbyist for businesses, who represents major US companies, including Walmart and Boeing, and has been involved in discussions about tariffs, told the BBC's World Business Report she thought Trump would pull back on the tariffs in North America if he could point to progress on the issues he has raised as complaints – especially immigration. "You have to remember – the border and China are the two biggest issues that Americans voted him on in the elections in November. Anything he can do to claim wins on that, I think he's going to do," she said.

Jenin Amro, 23, says Israeli authorities still have yet to tell her why she was detained for 13 months before being released as part of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. DURA, West Bank — Israeli soldiers burst into her bedroom in the middle of the night as she slept, arresting her at gunpoint as her younger sisters watched on. But after more than a year in prison, Jenin Amro told NBC News she still doesn’t know why she was detained. Like all of the 90 Palestinian women and children released in the first hostage exchange between Israel and Hamas in January, she was labeled as a “terrorist” by the Israel Prison Service. But Amro denies any militant ties, and Israeli authorities have not responded to multiple requests for specific details on why she was held for over a year. “How am I a terrorist? I was a university student who attended, studied and lived with my family,” the 23-year-old told NBC News last month, two days after she was freed as part of the deal between Israel and Hamas and was allowed to return to her family home in Dura in the occupied West Bank. Sitting in a plastic chair outside her family’s stone-built home surrounded by greenery and farm animals, Amro said she was “in shock” as she was taken to Damon Prison near the Israeli city of Haifa. “I was wondering what was happening and why this was happening to me,” she said. Nearby, her father, Mohammad Amro, 58, watched on with a look of concern for his eldest daughter while Amro’s younger sister Boshara, 21, stood beside him. Her mother, Hind Taleb Amro, 58, and other siblings were all close by. Her uncle Raef Mohammed Amro, who said his journey from Jenin in the West Bank’s north to Dura to see her had taken 10 hours instead of two because of Israeli checkpoints, embraced her with a warm hug. Describing the Damon Prison as “unfit for human habitation,” Amro said with a soft but determined voice that she and the other women suffered physical and verbal abuse from Israeli guards. Some were “beaten,” she said, recalling one case where a woman who had difficulty walking was dragged on the floor and “no one was allowed to help.” While she said she hadn’t weighed herself since her release, it was “clear” she had lost weight during her time in detention. Meal sizes were small, she said, adding that the small amount of yogurt for breakfast and a plate of fries for lunch would be shared between groups of detainees. She said all of the women she was detained with were Palestinian and that some had been arrested over social media posts, while others, like her, had not been charged. The reality of her situation “didn’t fully register until the very last day,” adding that she still struggled to understand whether she was able to to leave “and return to my life.” The Israel Prison Service did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the conditions at the facility. Asked why Amro was detained, the Israel Defense Forces referred NBC News to the Israel Security Agency, or Shin Bet. Shin Bet did not respond to multiple inquiries from NBC News and the Israel Prison Service did not respond to a request for comment. Amro’s lawyer Ahmed Safia said that throughout her time behind bars, he had repeatedly asked Israeli authorities to explain why the young woman, who was studying agricultural engineering at Hebron University, had been detained, only to be told that the information was secret. He said she was one of thousands of Palestinians held by Israel under a controversial practice known as “administrative detention,” which it uses to hold people without trial or other usual legal proceedings, based on alleged secret evidence it does not share with detainees, their families or legal representatives. The practice has been criticized by rights groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch that say it has been used to hold Palestinians without charge and due process. Israel has defended the practice as a necessary security measure. Before some 580 Palestinian prisoners were released in the four exchanges for Israeli hostages during the current truce, Israel was holding 3,376 administrative detainees without trial, according to data from HaMoked, an Israeli human rights organization. Meanwhile, inside Israel, ultranationalist lawmakers have criticized the ceasefire and hostage release deal. Among them is Itamar Ben-Gvir, who resigned from his post as national security minister in protest. He has objected to the fact that hundreds of Palestinian prisoners will be freed and argued that it leaves open the possibility of Hamas staying in power in Gaza, where health officials say more than 47,000 people been killed in the Israeli military offensive since Oct. 7, 2023, though researchers estimate the death toll is likely significantly higher. Israel began its campaign after Hamas’ multipronged attacks on the country in which roughly 1,200 people were killed and around 250 were taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. Despite the objections of Ben-Gvir and some of his fellow lawmakers, the first three Israeli hostages — Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari, a dual British citizen — were freed last month in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, all of whom were women and children under the age of 19. All of them, including Amro were described as “terrorists” by Israel, a fact that came as little surprise to Sarit Michaeli, international outreach director for Jerusalem-based human rights organization B’Tselem, who said Israel used it as a blanket term to describe the freed Palestinians. In general, she said, many people detained by Israel “haven’t been charged with any sort of violent offenses,” and “some have not been charged at all.” On Jan. 25, four female Israeli soldiers Daniella Gilboa, Naama Levy, Karina Ariev and Liri Albag were also released in exchange for 200 Palestinian prisoners, some of whom were serving life sentences after being convicted of deadly attacks. But while the truce between Israel and Hamas has held for more than a week in Gaza, the Israeli military has ramped up military activity in the occupied West Bank, launching a major operation in the northern city of Jenin last week. The offensive began after President Donald Trump rescinded American sanctions on far-right Israeli settler groups and individuals accused of involvement in violence against Palestinians in the territory, in one of his first acts in office. Israel has occupied the West Bank since the Six-Day War against its Arab neighbors, which saw the country seize the West Bank and east Jerusalem from Jordan and the Gaza Strip from Egypt. Since then, it has built and expanded Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Most countries deem them illegal under international law, a position disputed by Israel, which sees the territory as a security bulwark. In 2019, the first Trump administration abandoned the long-held U.S. position that the settlements are illegal before it was restored by his successor, Joe Biden. Muted celebrations Before she was released on Jan. 20, Amro’s family waited for hours in the cold at a rendezvous point for the freed prisoners. Her younger sister Boshara said she “couldn’t describe the feeling” of having her sister home. In a voice note before Amro was released, Boshara said she was “like a mother to me, in her kindness and in everything she does.” But throughout Amro’s detention, Boshara said she had no contact with her sister and was unable to visit her, adding that her family was disturbed by her sibling’s “very bad mental state, especially the mental and physical stress she was subjected too.” In video shared with NBC News, Amro’s family and friends could be seen celebrating her return on Jan. 20. Wearing a flower crown, she could be seen being carried down the street on the shoulders of two men as she was greeted by a cheering crowd. But Amro, her sister and their father said they received a visit from Israeli forces that day warning them not to celebrate again. A spokesperson for the IDF denied its forces had specifically visited Amro’s family, but said they had been in the Dura area that day to disperse a march being held in support of Hamas. As for Amro, she said she hoped to overcome the ordeal, finish her degree and eventually open a plant or flower shop, but she feared she would be detained again — a threat she said Israeli authorities made to her upon her release. “I am more determined, strong,” she told NBC News in a message after her ordeal, adding that she planned to “continue my life with passion.” Speaking outside her home last week, she said she wanted to share her story because she thought it was important for Palestinians to demand “our rights” and to shine a light on the “injustice happening” under Israeli detention. “Everything I have experienced in prison makes me feel that the world should know,” she said.

US President Donald Trump will impose tariffs on Saturday of 25% on Mexico, 25% on Canada and 10% on China, says the White House. But Trump said on Friday that Canadian oil would be hit with lower tariffs of 10%, which could take effect later, on 18 February. The president also said he planned to impose tariffs on the European Union in the future, saying the bloc had not treated the US well. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Canada and Mexico duties were in response to "the illegal fentanyl that they have sourced and allowed to distribute into our country, which has killed tens of millions of Americans". Trump has also repeatedly said the move was to address the large amounts of undocumented migrants that have come across US borders as well as trade deficits with its neighbours. Ms Leavitt told a news briefing at the White House on Friday: "These are promises made and promises kept by the President." During the election campaign, Trump threatened to hit Chinese-made products with tariffs of up to 60%, but held off on any immediate action on his first day back in the White House, instead ordering his administration to study the issue. US goods imports from China have flattened since 2018, a statistic that economists have attributed in part to a series of escalating tariffs that Trump imposed during his first term. Booze, oil and orange juice: How Canada could retaliate Trump's tariffs hit China hard before - this time it's ready Earlier this month, a top Chinese official warned against protectionism as Trump's return to the presidency renews the threat of a trade war between the world's two biggest economies - but did not mention the US by name. Addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Ding Xuexiang, Vice Premier of China, said his country was looking for a "win-win" solution to trade tensions and wanted to expand its imports. China, Canada and Mexico are the top US trading partners, accounting for 40% of the goods imported into the US last year, and fears are rising that the new steep levies could kick off a major trade war as well as push up prices in the US. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday: "It's not what we want, but if he moves forward, we will also act." Canada and Mexico have already said that they would respond to US tariffs with measures of their own, while also seeking to assure Washington that they were taking action to address concerns about their US borders. The BBC has reached out to the Chinese embassy in the US for comment. If US imports of oil from Canada and Mexico are hit with levies it risks undermining Trump's promise to bring down the cost of living. Tariffs are an import tax on goods that are produced abroad. In theory, taxing items coming into a country means people are less likely to buy them as they become more expensive. The intention is that they buy cheaper local products instead - boosting a country's economy. But the cost of tariffs on imported energy could be passed on to businesses and consumers, which may increase the prices of everything from petrol to groceries. Around 40% of the crude that runs through US oil refineries is imported, and the vast majority of it comes from Canada. On Friday, Trump agreed tariff costs are sometimes passed along to consumers and that his plans may cause disruption in the short-term. Mark Carney, the former head of Canada's and England's central banks, told BBC Newsnight on Friday that the tariffs will hit economic growth and drive up inflation. "They're going to damage the US's reputation around the world," said Carney, who is also in the running to replace Prime Minister Trudeau as leader of Canada's Liberal Party.

Mark Carney, the frontrunner to be the next Canadian prime minister, has said his country is "going to stand up to a bully" after US President Donald Trump said he would unveil tariffs of 25% on Canada. Speaking exclusively to BBC Newsnight, 59-year-old Carney said Canada will "match dollar for dollar the US tariffs". As well as levying a 25% tariff on Canadian imports on Saturday, the White House has announced tariffs of 25% on Mexico and 10% on China. Carney, who announced his run for leader of Canada's governing Liberal Party in January, is the former governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England. He is currently one of five candidates in the running to succeed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau - and has so far secured the largest support base among Liberal MPs. The leadership race will conclude on 9 March. The winner will replace Trudeau - who announced his intention to resign in January after nine years in office - both as prime minister and party leader. Canada is then required to hold a federal election to elect a new government on or before 20 October, with the Liberal party currently trailing their Conservative rivals in the polls. In response to the tariff announcement, Carney told Newsnight that "President Trump probably thinks Canada will cave in". "But we are going to stand up to a bully, we're not going to back down," he said. "We're united and we will retaliate." The former Bank of England governor said the tariffs are "going to damage the US's reputation around the world". "They're going to hit growth. They're going to move up inflation. They're going to raise interest rates," he said. He added that it's the "second time" in less than a decade that the US has "in effect, ripped up a trade agreement with its closest trading partner". In 2020, towards the end of Donald Trump's first term, the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (UCMCA) came into effect - effectively an update to Nafta, the agreement between the three countries which had been in place since the 1990s. Economists have suggested the newly imposed tariffs could have a devastating immediate impact on Canada's economy - while also leading to higher prices for Americans. Tariffs are a central part of Trump's economic vision. He sees them as a way of growing the US economy, protecting jobs and raising tax revenue. Outgoing Prime Minister Trudeau has said Canada's response will be "forceful" and "immediate" to the new tariffs. Trump said on Friday that Canadian oil would be hit with lower tariffs of 10%, which would take effect later, on 18 February. The president also said he planned to impose tariffs on the European Union in the future, saying the bloc had not treated the US well.

Chinese bargain retailer Temu changed its business model in the U.S. as the Trump administration’s new rules on low-value shipments took effect Friday. In recent days, Temu has abruptly shifted its website and app to only display listings for products shipped from U.S.-based warehouses. Items shipped directly from China, which previously blanketed the site, are now labeled as out of stock. Temu made a name for itself in the U.S. as a destination for ultra-discounted items shipped direct from China, such as $5 sneakers and $1.50 garlic presses. It’s been able to keep prices low because of the so-called de minimis rule, which has allowed items worth $800 or less to enter the country duty-free since 2016. The loophole expired Friday at 12:01 a.m. EDT as a result of an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in April. Trump briefly suspended the de minimis rule in February before reinstating the provision days later as customs officials struggled to process and collect tariffs on a mountain of low-value packages. The end of de minimis, as well as Trump’s new 145% tariffs on China, has forced Temu to raise prices, suspend its aggressive online advertising push and now alter the selection of goods available to American shoppers to circumvent higher levies. A Temu spokesperson confirmed to CNBC that all sales in the U.S. are now handled by local sellers and said they are fulfilled “from within the country.” Temu said pricing for U.S. shoppers “remains unchanged.” “Temu has been actively recruiting U.S. sellers to join the platform,” the spokesperson said. “The move is designed to help local merchants reach more customers and grow their businesses.” Before the change, shoppers who attempted to purchase Temu products shipped from China were confronted with “import charges” of between 130% and 150%. The fees often cost more than the individual item and more than doubled the price of many orders. Temu advertises that local products have “no import charges” and “no extra charges upon delivery.” The company, which is owned by Chinese e-commerce giant PDD Holdings, has gradually built up its inventory in the U.S. over the past year in anticipation of escalating trade tensions and the removal of de minimis. Shein, which has also benefited from the loophole, moved to raise prices last week. The fast-fashion retailer added a banner at checkout that says, “Tariffs are included in the price you pay. You’ll never have to pay extra at delivery.” Many third-party sellers on Amazon rely on Chinese manufacturers to source or assemble their products. The company’s Temu competitor, called Amazon Haul, has relied on de minimis to ship products priced at $20 or less directly from China to the U.S. Amazon said Tuesday following a dustup with the White House that had it considered showing tariff-related costs on Haul products ahead of the de minimis cutoff but that it has since scrapped those plans. Prior to Trump’s second term in office, the Biden administration had also looked to curtail the provision. Critics of the de minimis provision argue that it harms American businesses and that it facilitates shipments of fentanyl and other illicit substances because, they say, the packages are less likely to be inspected by customs agents.

The move to ban UNRWA from the Palestinian territories came as 2 million people grappled with the destruction of the 15-month Gaza war. Its has alarmed the international community. JERUSALEM — Israel’s ban on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees went into effect Thursday in a move that the world body has warned will jeopardize humanitarian aid efforts in the Gaza Strip, the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem. The move comes as 2 million Palestinians living in those areas are grappling with the destruction wrought during the 15 months of the Gaza war and its timing — coming at an especially vulnerable moment for the Palestinian territories — has alarmed the international community. The Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank, believes the ban will further stoke tensions between Palestinians and Israelis in the occupied West Bank and in Gaza, where a fragile ceasefire remains in place. Israel has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Six-Day War between Israel and its Arab neighbors, which saw the country seize the West Bank and east Jerusalem from Jordan and the Gaza Strip from Egypt. Since then, it has built and expanded Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Most countries deem them illegal under international law, a position disputed by Israel which sees the territory as a security bulwark. Israel, which claims that Hamas members have infiltrated UNRWA, argues that the agency’s absence will depoliticize humanitarian aid, make delivery more efficient and help keep it out of Hamas’ hands. UNRWA Director-General Philippe Lazzarini has warned of “disastrous” consequences if Israel bans the aid organization from the Palestinian territories. The ban comes into effect less than two weeks after a Gaza ceasefire deal allowed for a surge in humanitarian aid into the enclave with the expected weekly entry of 4,200 trucks of aid. Because they claim that UNRWA has exaggerated the proportion of Gaza’s aid it provides, Israeli officials say that other aid bodies, other UN agencies and municipal departments will step in to fill the gap left by UNRWA. What is UNRWA? Often described as the main humanitarian and social security provider for the Palestinians, UNRWA was established in 1949 and went into operation in 1950 to serve some 750,000 Palestinians who fled or were driven from their homes during the foundation of the state of Israel. UNRWA, which is funded by a combination of U.N member states and the U.N. itself, now provides humanitarian aid, education and health services to 5.9 million Palestinian refugees and their descendants, who are also considered refugees under the agency’s charter. Some 2.4 million of these people are in Jordan, 1.6 million in Gaza, 900,000 are in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, and a further 1 million are spread across Syria and Lebanon. While the U.N. General Assembly controls UNRWA, annually extending its mandate to operate, the body only functions with the approval of local authorities. According to UNRWA itself, it has more than 17,000 employees, most of them Palestinian refugees — in territories impacted by the ban, where 2.4 million people are recognized as refugees — plus a small number of international staff. What's Israel saying? Lawmakers on the political right in Israel and the U.S. have long argued that the education material taught in UNRWA schools is antisemitic and incites violence against Israel. They also say that UNRWA has helped to perpetuate the refugee status of Palestinians and used them as a political tool against Israel rather than helping them integrate into their environments. More recently, they have claimed that UNRWA has failed to prevent Hamas from using its facilities in Gaza, infiltrating its organization and misappropriating aid supplies. Those arguments gathered support in Israel after the Israel Defense Forces said it had found Hamas-built tunnels under UNRWA schools and weapons in UNRWA faculties. When Hamas led the Oct. 7 2023, terrorist attack on Israel in which Israeli officials say more than 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage, some of those casualties and hostages were taken by members of UNRWA staff, according to Israel. What's the response? In its own defense, UNRWA has said that its educational material is designed to highlight tolerance and democracy and has denied any connection to terrorist activities. The body says that its staff must remain neutral and that any staff who are not are fired. It says that less than 1% of staff have been found guilty of such violations. Last August, an independent investigation regarding the Oct. 7 2023, attack commissioned by U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres examined 19 staff members and found that in nine cases, “the evidence obtained by [the UN’s Office of Internal Oversight Services] indicated that the UNRWA staff members may have been involved in the armed attacks.” Lazzarini told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday that the Israeli Foreign Ministry had orchestrated a campaign against UNRWA “motivated by the desire to strip Palestinians of their refugee status.” What does cancellation mean? As dictated by a motion approved in October by its parliament, Israel is canceling the 50-year-old agreement with the U.N. under which it allows UNRWA to operate in Gaza, the West Bank and east Jerusalem. While services in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon will not be impacted, that means Israel will no longer communicate with UNRWA staff, issue visas for its international workers or recognize existing visas — meaning many foreign staff will have to leave the occupied Palestinian territories. Initially, the ban will be felt most in east Jerusalem, where UNRWA has been ordered to vacate its premises, while some of its operations in the West Bank will likely be wound down more gradually. What does UNRWA say? It remains unclear what the impact will be on aid in Gaza. U.N. figures suggest that Gaza is acutely in need of aid given that Israel’s military offensive — which local health authorities say killed 47,000 people — left around 90% of Gaza’s population, or 1.9 million people, displaced from their homes. Around 60% of Gaza’s broader infrastructure has also been destroyed, the U.N. says. UNRWA’s local permits are issued through local Gaza authorities and with the Israeli army planning to withdraw from many areas of the enclave, the U.N. body will no longer need to coordinate its movements with Israel. According to Lazzarini, UNRWA employs 13,000 staff members and has 300 facilities in the enclave. While it’s expected that services will continue, the logistical viability of dealing with an Israeli military that controls Gaza’s land borders but no longer recognizes UNRWA may be placed in jeopardy. Lazzarini told the Security Council on Tuesday that “since October 2023, we have delivered two-thirds of all food assistance [in Gaza], provided shelter to over a million displaced persons, and vaccinated a quarter of a million children against polio.” What do Israel and the U.S. say? Israeli officials say that UNRWA represents a fraction of the aid in Gaza and that it has exaggerated its role. They add that the weekly entry of 4,200 trucks of humanitarian assistance into Gaza as part of the ceasefire agreement will not be impacted. The Israeli military’s Office of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the [Palestinian] Territories (COGAT) says that, including UNRWA, there are 11 U.N. agencies and 17 nonprofits involved in aid efforts in Gaza, while the office of Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel said that 13.5% of aid there comes from UNRWA. The Biden administration halted funding to UNRWA in 2024 and President Donald Trump has since supported Israel’s ban on the body. Dorothy Shea, a U.S. envoy to the U.N., told the Security Council on Tuesday that “UNRWA exaggerating the effects of the laws and suggesting that they will force the entire humanitarian response to halt is irresponsible and dangerous.” “What is needed is a nuanced discussion about how we can ensure that there is no interruption in the delivery of humanitarian aid and essential services,” she added.