U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that a deal for a ceasefire in Gaza and release of remaining hostages by Hamas is near the "goal line."

"I believe we're inside the 10 yard line and driving toward the goal line" on an "agreement that would produce a ceasefire, get the hostages home, and put us on a better track to trying to build lasting peace and stability," Blinken said at a forum in Colorado.

Israel threatened reprisals after a drone claimed by Yemen's Houthi rebels penetrated its vaunted air defenses and killed a civilian in a Tel Aviv apartment building near a U.S. embassy annex.

The attack drew condemnation from U.N. chief Antonio Guterres and an appeal for "maximum restraint" to avoid "further escalation in the region."

The bodies of four Pakistanis killed in an attack on a Shiite mosque in Oman this week have been repatriated and handed to their families, officials said Friday.

Relatives of the victims were present when the Pakistan International Airlines flights landed at the Islamabad and Lahore airports. Airline spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez said the bodies were repatriated at orders from the government and handed to the victims' relatives for burial.

First came the Israeli military bulldozers, which tore down a quarter of the homes in the West Bank Bedouin village of Umm al-Khair. Then came the settler attacks.

In the aftermath, dozens of people were left homeless and without consistent access to water and electricity. Several were injured from pepper spray and sticks, and the village's water pipe was cut — all, they said, as Israeli soldiers looked on.

The top United Nations court is delivering a nonbinding advisory opinion Friday on the legality of Israel's 57-year occupation of lands sought for a Palestinian state, a ruling that could have more effect on international opinion than it will on Israeli policies.

Friday's hearing comes against the backdrop of Israel's devastating 10-month military assault on Gaza, which was triggered by the Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel. In a separate case, the International Court of Justice is considering a South African claim that Israel's campaign in Gaza amounts to genocide, a claim that Israel vehemently denies.

Britain's new government announced on Friday it has lifted the January funding suspension for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) and committed to providing £21 million ($27 million) in new funds.

"We are overturning the suspension of UNRWA funding," British foreign minister David Lammy told parliament, adding that the U.N. agency was "absolutely central" to providing humanitarian aid to Gaza, which is facing a humanitarian crisis sparked by Israel's war against Hamas.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a surprise visit to troops in southern Gaza on Thursday, saying it was essential that Israel keep control of a strip of territory along the territory's border with Egypt, just days before he was set to give a speech to the U.S. Congress.

Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for a drone strike early Friday that hit part of central Tel Aviv near the U.S. Embassy, killing one person and injuring 10.

The aerial strike rumbled through the streets causing shards of shrapnel to rain down and spreading shards of glass over a large radius. The Houthis have launched drones and missiles toward Israel throughout the Israel-Hamas war, in solidarity with the Palestinian people and against Israel. But until Friday, all were intercepted by either Israel or Western allies with forces stationed in the region.

The results of Syria's parliamentary elections, announced Thursday, showed that President Bashar Assad's Baath Party has won a majority of seats, as expected.

The elections for 250 parliamentary seats were held Monday at 8,151 centers in government-held areas of the country, but the voting was repeated in several districts -- including Aleppo, Latakia, Hama and Daraa -- after election officials said there had been irregularities, including voters casting ballots twice.

The U.S. military's pier to get humanitarian aid into Gaza has come to an end after a series of problems.

The pier was pulled from the Gaza shore on June 28 due to rough seas, and bad weather prevented troops from reinstalling it. Now, it's being dismantled and brought home.