President Donald Trump on Friday called Saudi Arabia's announcement that suspects are in custody in the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi a "good first step" and said he would work with Congress on a U.S. response.

The president spoke to the media at a defense roundtable in Arizona hours after Saudi Arabia claimed that Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor last seen on Oct. 2, was killed in a "fistfight" at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The kingdom also said that 18 suspects were in custody and that intelligence officials had been fired.

The Islamic State group has released six of 27 Druze hostages it seized during a deadly July attack in Syria's Sweida province in exchange for a prisoner swap and ransom, a monitor said Saturday.

Saudi Arabia on Saturday admitted that critic Jamal Khashoggi was killed during a "brawl" inside its Istanbul consulate, an explanation that President Donald Trump said he found credible but failed to convince top US lawmakers.

Three major Holy Land churches on Friday called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to block draft legislation they said was aimed at expropriating their property.

Dozens of Palestinians were hit by Israeli gunfire Friday as thousands protested near Gaza's border with Israel, the health ministry in the enclave said.

Turkey is seeking to strike a fine balance in the controversy over the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, aware the aftermath could boost its economy and diplomatic hand but prove highly damaging if the case is mishandled.

The prayer leader at Mecca's Grand Mosque called Friday for "unity" in the face of "fabrications" against Saudi Arabia, over two weeks after a dissident journalist's disappearance sparked a diplomatic crisis.

The United Arab Emirates warned Friday that the growing controversy over the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi should not be exploited to "destabilize" Saudi Arabia.

Turkey on Friday widened the investigation into the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi after his visit to the Saudi consulate, searching a forest in the city and interviewing the mission's staff.

Turkish investigators have searched a forest in Istanbul as part of the probe into the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, local media reported on Friday.