The Biden administration believes it has won assurances from Israel that it will not hit Iranian nuclear or oil sites as it looks to strike back following Iran's missile barrage earlier this month, two U.S. officials said Tuesday.

The administration also believes that sending a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery to Israel and roughly 100 soldiers to operate it has eased some of Israel's concerns about possible Iranian retaliation and general security issues.

The Biden administration has warned Israel that it must increase the amount of humanitarian aid it is allowing into Gaza within the next 30 days or it could risk losing access to U.S. weapons funding.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned their Israeli counterparts in a letter dated Sunday that the changes must occur. The letter, which restates U.S. policy toward humanitarian aid and arms transfers, was sent amid deteriorating conditions in northern Gaza and an Israeli airstrike on a hospital tent site in central Gaza that killed at least four people and burned others.

Israeli strikes have killed at least 3 people in the southern town of Qana, which has long been associated with civilian deaths after Israeli strikes during previous conflicts with Hezbollah.

The Health Ministry said 54 people were wounded in the strike and that rescue efforts were still underway.

Israeli warplanes targeted Wednesday Haret Hreik in Beirut's southern suburbs, for the first time in nearly a week.

The strikes on southern Beirut were the first in six days, and came after caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the United States had given him assurances that Israel would curb its strikes on the capital.

Qatar's ruling emir said Tuesday his small, energy-rich nation will hold a referendum on ending a short-lived experiment in electing members of the country's advisory Shura Council.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani offered no immediate timeline for the referendum in an annual address to the Shura Council, which drafts laws, approves state budgets, debates major issues and provides advice to the ruler. The body does not have sway over matters of defense, security and the economy.

The Israeli Defense Ministry said it is speeding up development of new technologies to counter drone attacks like the Hezbollah strike this week that killed four soldiers.

Israel’s air defenses have performed well during a year of war against enemies across the region, particularly against rocket and missile attacks. But at times, they have struggled against drones, with unmanned aerial vehicles responsible for several deadly attacks.

With characteristic bravado, Donald Trump has vowed that if voters return him to the White House, "inflation will vanish completely."

It's a message tailored for Americans who are still exasperated by the jump in consumer prices that began 3 1/2 years ago.

New England leaf-watching season is in full swing, as people from as far as Florida and Berlin flock to the region for scenic drives, train rides and bus tours to soak in the splendid hues of red, orange and bronze. With quaint towns and covered bridges scattered through swaths of changing forest, the rural Northeast provides an ideal setting to view nature's annual show.

"Leaf-peeping is one of the most accessible tourism things that you can do," said Teddy Willey, the general manager of the Frog Rock Tavern in Meredith, New Hampshire. "You don't have to have the athleticism to be a hiker, you don't have to have the money to own a boat."

Israeli police said one officer was killed and four civilians were wounded in a shooting Tuesday on a highway in central Israel.

Police did not immediately provide the identity of the shooter, but police spokeswoman, Mirit Ben Mayor, said that it was a militant attack.

A team of American troops supporting a missile defense system in Israel has arrived in the country, the U.S. military said.

A statement from Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder announced the team’s arrival in Israel on Monday. They’ll operate a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery there to defend against ballistic missile attacks from Iran. Tehran has launched two missile attacks on Israel as the wars in Gaza and Lebanon rage.