Israel is arming local militias in Gaza in an effort to counter Hamas in the besieged enclave, officials say, as opposition politicians warned that the move endangers national security.

But as law enforcement investigates the violent incidents -- from the New Orleans truck rampage to the Molotov cocktail attack in Boulder -- some counterterrorism experts say they're worried the federal government has taken its eye "off the ball" in preventing terrorism as its priorities shift -- from counterterrorism to mass deportation.

The United Nations General Assembly will vote on Thursday on a draft resolution that demands an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in the war in Gaza after the United States vetoed a similar effort in the Security Council last week.

Israel's leader says arming "clans in Gaza" to help fight Hamas will save lives. Opposition leaders say the weapons "will eventually be turned against" Israelis.

If Mr Abu Shabab’s motives are grubby, they are at least easy to understand. He is neither an ideologue nor a do-gooder; he is a criminal. Joining forces with Israel, at a time when Israel is the only conduit for aid into Gaza, is a logical next step for him.

A senior Hamas official criticized the United States for treating Israel's demands as the "only response for negotiation," calling it a violation of "the integrity and fairness of mediation" in ceasefire talks.

From the daily newsletter: a report from Israel on a doctor’s difficult choices. Plus: Dhruv Khullar on R.F.K., Jr.,’s alarming vaccine house-cleaning.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned five nations that imposed sanctions on two controversial Israeli officials and called for a "reversal of the sanctions."