A drone launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels wounded 22 people in the southern Israeli city of Eilat on Wednesday, according to medics. It was a rare breach of Israel's sophisticated missile defenses, which have greatly limited casualties from such attacks.

In the Gaza Strip, at least 41 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire, according to local hospitals. U.S. President Donald Trump's Mideast envoy expressed optimism over a new plan for ending the war, without saying what it entails or if Israel or Hamas have accepted it.

Turning the page on decades of distance, Syria's president addressed the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday, marking the first time any president from his country has done so in almost 60 years. As he spoke, hundreds of people gathered in front of giant screens in Syrian cities and towns to witness the speech while waving the country's flags.

After six decades of dictatorship that killed 1 million people and tortured hundreds of thousands, "Syria is reclaiming its rightful place among the nations of the world," Ahmad al-Sharaa told the international community.

France, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Belgium were among 10 nations this week to to recognize a Palestinian state that does not yet exist.

Portugal, Luxembourg, Andorra, Malta and Monaco were the other half. Of 193 United Nations member nations, more than 150 now recognize Palestinian statehood. Most had done so decades ago. The United States and other Western powers have held off, saying Palestinian statehood should be part of a final agreement resolving the decades-old Middle East conflict.

A day after France led other nations in recognizing Palestinian statehood, the U.N. Security Council once again aired a deep divide between the veto-wielding United States and most of the rest of the world over how to end the war in the Gaza Strip and resolve the Mideast conflict.

At a special session to discuss the crisis, one representative after another expressed horror at Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack and Israel's ongoing military offensive in the Gaza Strip, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, destroyed vast areas and displaced around 90% of the population, many of them starving. Most nations called for an immediate ceasefire and an influx of humanitarian aid.

Palestinians across the Gaza Strip and the Israeli-occupied West Bank welcomed news that a flurry of Western countries have recognized a Palestinian state, while expressing doubt the move will improve their dire circumstances.

On Monday, France, Andorra, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, and Monaco announced or confirmed their recognition of a Palestinian state at the start of a high-profile meeting at the United Nations aimed at galvanizing support for a two-state solution to the Mideast conflict. Their announcements came a day after the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Portugal did the same. More nations are expected to follow, in defiance of Israel and the United States.

The downtown Cairo apartment of Alaa Abd el-Fattah was filled with laughter and joy Tuesday as family and friends gathered to absorb the long-awaited news: the pro-democracy Egyptian-British activist had finally walked free.

Abd el-Fattah was pardoned by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and released Monday after spending almost all the past 12 years in prison. He and five other prisoners had been pardoned after the National Council for Human Rights acted on behalf of their families, urging the president to consider their situations on humanitarian grounds.

Activists taking part in a flotilla seeking to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza said Wednesday that some of their boats were attacked by drones overnight while sailing south of Greece.

The Global Sumud Flotilla said it was attacked during the night by "unidentified drones and communications jamming." It said that "at least 13 explosions" were heard on and around several flotilla boats, while drones or aircraft dropped "unidentified objects" on at least 10 boats.

Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, visiting New York for the U.N. General Assembly, voiced hope Monday for a security deal that eases tensions with Israel but he played down the prospect of recognition.

French President Emmanuel Macron officially recognized a Palestinian state at the United Nations on Monday, spurring a wave of Western moves to defy Israel in making the landmark -- if symbolic -- move.

Hamas armed wing released a video on Monday showing an Israeli-German hostage alive, the second such footage of him shared by the militants this month.