National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Thursday the administration would be talking with Israeli authorities about the reported detentions of the brothers, as well as the Israeli military’s arrest of an American woman in the occupied West Bank earlier in the week.

Borak Alagha, 18, and Hashem Alagha, 20, two brothers born in the Chicago area, are among fewer than 50 U.S. citizens known to still be trying to leave sealed-off Gaza, nearly four months into the Israeli-Hamas war.

Other U.S. green-card holders and close relatives of the citizens and permanent residents also are still struggling and unable to leave, despite U.S. requests they be allowed to exit, according to their American families and advocates.

Cousin Yasmeen Elagha, a law student at Northwestern University, said Israeli forces entered the family home in the town of al-Masawi, near Khan Younis, around 5 a.m. Gaza time Thursday.

The soldiers tied up and blindfolded the women and children in the family, and placed them outside the home, the cousin said.

The two American brothers, their Canadian citizen father, a mentally disabled uncle and two other adult male relatives were taken away by the Israelis, and have not returned, Elagha said.

Men of a neighboring household were also taken away. So were other adult male relatives of another Alagha family household, for a total of about 20 family members detained, the U.S. cousin said.

An advocate for American families who are still trying to get loved ones out of Gaza faulted U.S. officials Thursday for not having moved more urgently to help get the Alagha brothers and other Palestinian-Americans, U.S. residents and close relatives out of harm’s way in Gaza.

Detention or death under an Israeli airstrike “were two of the biggest fears this family has had all along. And now the worst has happened,” said Maria Kari, an immigration attorney who has been advocating for the family.

The State Department said Thursday it was seeking more information on the reported detentions. It cited privacy concerns for the brothers in not commenting further.

The brothers would be among three American citizens taken into custody by Israeli forces this week, during the same time Secretary of State Antony Blinken was visiting the region to try to mediate with ally Israel and regional Arab leaders.

Earlier this week, a 46-year-old Palestinian-American woman, Samaher Esmail, was taken from her home in the occupied West Bank on Monday and detained. The Israeli military said she had been arrested for “incitement on social media” and held for questioning.

The U.S. Embassy in Israel said Thursday it had no updates on her case.

Esmail’s family said the U.S. Embassy asked them on Thursday for a list of medications she needs for uterine cancer, but said it would not be able to have contact with her before Monday. Relatives said they still do not know where she is being held.

Israel and Egypt control the official exit lists that are the only authorized way out of Gaza for foreigners and Palestinians. U.S. authorities say they are working with the two U.S. allies to get more of the names of Americans, U.S. residents and their close kin placed on the exit lists. The Alagha brothers’ family says they are among those who have been unable to get their names on the lists.

Israeli security forces in the course of the war have rounded up large numbers of Palestinian military-age men in Gaza, later releasing some. Israel says the mass detentions are a necessary part of fighting Hamas. Palestinians say Israel is unjustly including large numbers of civilian adult males in the sweeps.

Wissam Muhammad Sabir Al-Saadi, also known as Abu Baqir Al-Saadi, was a leader of the Kataib Hezbollah group and responsible for “directly planning and participating in attacks” on Americans, according to the U.S. military.

The latest U.S. strike targeted a car driving through Baghdad’s eastern Mashtal neighborhood around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, officials said. Al-Saadi was the only person killed, according to the U.S., while militia groups said the strike also killed two others.

Iraq’s government was not told about the U.S. strike ahead of time, American military leaders said.

The U.S. has targeted various Iran-backed militia groups across Iraq and Syria in response to the Jan. 28 attack on Tower 22, an American military outpost in Jordan that lies only a few miles from Iraq and Syria.

About one week after the attack, the U.S. struck various sites across Iraq and Syria that it linked to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a loose confederation of Iran-backed militias that American leaders blamed for the attack in Jordan. Kataib Hezbollah, which is different from the Lebanon-based Hezbollah, is part of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq.

“Our response began today,” President Biden said after that first wave of attacks. “It will continue at times and places of our choosing.”

There have been more than 150 attacks on U.S. military personnel in the Middle East during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The Jordan drone strike, however, is the only attack that has killed American troops.

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The historic touch was announced by organizers on Thursday. And the Eiffel Tower pieces are not tiny or hidden — they form the centerpieces of the medals.

L’or olympique, le graal d’une vie d’un sportif de haut niveau !
Chaque édition des Jeux a sa médaille
Celle de #Paris2024 est française, rayonnante et unique avec un fragment de fer d’origine de la tour Eiffel de 1889 !@Olympics @jeuxolympiques pic.twitter.com/prp23OXWUa

— Paris 2024 (@Paris2024) February 8, 2024

Because the Eiffel Tower has been refurbished and restored several times over the years, original iron pieces of the structure have been removed and stored by the Eiffel Tower Operating Co. Paris 2024 organizers kept that in mind when designing the medals.

“The concept came after a few discussions. We realized that there’s one symbol known across the world, which is the Eiffel Tower,” head designer Joachim Roncin said. “We said to ourselves, ‘Hey, what if we approached the Eiffel Tower Operating Co. to see if it’s possible to get a bit of the Eiffel Tower to integrate into the medal?'”

The result is a hexagonal centerpiece on the front of the medals. The original Eiffel Tower iron pieces, each weighing about 18 grams, were polished to remove their “Eiffel Tower brown” paint and set in the medal with six small clasps.

Disks of gold, silver and bronze surround the central Eiffel Tower hexagon. The reverse side shows Nike, the Greek goddess of victory. All Olympic medals have displayed Nike on one side since 1928. This year’s medals also depict the Parthenon and the Eiffel Tower on the back.

“Having a gold medal is already something incredible. But we wanted to add this French touch, and we thought that the Eiffel Tower would be this cherry on the top,” Roncin said. “Having a piece of it is a piece of history.”

All medals for the 2024 Paralympics, which follow about two weeks after the Olympics conclude, will also have a piece of the Eiffel Tower in them.

The reverse side of the Paralympic medals shows the Eiffel Tower as if someone was looking up at the structure from underneath. Additionally, the words “Paris 2024” are written in Braille, which was invented by Frenchman Louis Braille.

The Paris Olympics will begin July 26 and end Aug. 11. The Paralympics will begin Aug. 28 and end Sept. 8.

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“We’re in journalism,” he said in a video posted to social media. “Our duty is to inform people.”

Why I'm interviewing Vladimir Putin. pic.twitter.com/hqvXUZqvHX

— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) February 6, 2024

Carlson was first spotted in Moscow over the weekend attending a performance at the Bolshoi Theater. When asked Monday if an interview with Russia’s president was on his agenda, he told Kremlin-adjacent newspaper Izvestia, “We’ll see.” But the 54-year-old right-wing provocateur made clear Tuesday that was his plan and offered an explanation.

“Two years into a war that’s reshaping the entire world, most Americans are not informed,” Carlson said of Russia’s war with Ukraine, which began in February 2022. “They have no real idea what’s happening in this region.”

Carson also thanked Elon Musk “to his great credit” for allowing his unedited Putin interview to be posted on social media platform X, which began hosting Carlson’s content after Fox News dumped the former primetime host in April. The “live to tape” interview will also appear on TuckerCarlson.com at a time not yet announced.

According to Carlson, he’s not interviewing the Russian leader because “we love Vladimir Putin,” but rather because “we love the United States.”

Carlson has been heavily criticized for numerous comments he’s made sympathetic to the way Putin and his politics are perceived in the U.S.

“Has Putin ever called me a racist?” Carlson, whose racially charged rhetoric is well-documented, asked Fox News viewers in 2022. “Has he threatened to get me fired for disagreeing with him? These are fair questions, and the answer to all of them is ‘No.’ Vladimir Putin didn’t do any of that.”

Russian state television has also been known to praise Carlson’s work. In 2020, progressive media outlet Mother Jones reported that the Kremlin told Russian media outlets “it is essential” they promote reporting by Carlson that’s critical of the U.S.

Since leaving television, Carlson has posted interviews with former President Donald Trump, alleged human trafficker Andrew Tate and fraudster Larry Sinclair, who claims to have had “a night of crack cocaine-fueled sex” with former President Barack Obama.

The Duke of Sussex reportedly touched down at London’s Heathrow Airport on Tuesday around 12:35 p.m., local time. Images shared by BBC News show the 39-year-old royal arriving a short time later at Clarence House in London, where King Charles has lived with his wife, Camilla, the queen consort, for some 20 years. According to local media, he’s been resting at the residence while undergoing treatment.

Meghan and their two children — Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lilibet, 2 — did not make the trip, according to reports.

The prince’s dash overseas comes despite the fact that he and his father have long had a troubled relationship, since around the time he stepped back from his royal duties in 2020. In subsequent interviews as well as his explosive 2023 memoir, “Spare,” Harry said he and Meghan faced racism and mistreatment from the British press, adding that the royal family did not offer them any support or assistance. The duchess said her mental health suffered as a result.

Still, the Duke of Sussex is hoping for a happy reunion with his father and the rest of his loved ones someday. In a 2023 “60 Minutes” profile, Prince Harry revealed that he wants to have a relationship with his family again.

“That’s all I’ve ever asked for,” he said.

Buckingham Palace on Monday announced King Charles had begun treatment for cancer, further revealing that it was discovered during his “recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement.” As a result, the 75-year-old monarch will “postpone public-facing duties,” though he “will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual.”

While the type of cancer was not provided, officials noted that the King did not suffer from prostate cancer.

SEE MORE: King Charles diagnosed with cancer, to limit public-facing appearances

“The King is grateful to his medical team for their swift intervention, which was made possible thanks to his recent hospital procedure,” the statement said. “He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible.”

A 23-year-old woman who said Alves raped her on Dec. 31, 2022, testified behind closed doors to protect her identity. Two friends who were with her that night testified as well.

Alves, 40, has consistently claimed that he is not guilty. He has changed his story about the night multiple times.

The woman told police last year that she and her friends encountered Alves at a Barcelona nightclub. She said that after a brief interaction, Alves took her into a bathroom, groped her and then raped her.

In court on Monday, the friends said Alves and the woman were in the bathroom for about 15 minutes. Alves left first, and then the woman walked out and appeared “devastated,” one friend testified, according to Reuters.

“She said she needed to go. We left to get our coats from the concierge and before getting there my cousin told me [Alves] had hurt her a lot and had ejaculated inside of her,” the witness said.

When the allegations first became public, Alves claimed he had never seen the woman before. Once he was arrested, he admitted to meeting her but denied they had any sexual contact. Three months later, he admitted to having sex but claimed it was consensual. Alves said he lied initially in a desperate attempt to save his marriage.

Spanish prosecutors are seeking a 9-year prison sentence for Alves if he is convicted. He has already spent a year behind bars at a prison outside Barcelona after a judge deemed he was a flight risk.

Alves’ native Brazil does not extradite its own citizens. Another Brazilian soccer star, Robinho, was part of a 2013 gang rape of a woman in a Milan nightclub, according to authorities. He was convicted in 2017, but he has remained in his home country and never seen an Italian prison.

Alves was a global superstar with Barcelona from 2008 to 2016, winning numerous trophies with the club and his teammate, Lionel Messi. At the time of his arrest, he was playing for the Mexican club Pumas, which terminated his contract in response.

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Buckingham Palace did not say exactly what type of cancer the 75-year-old monarch was battling.

“During the king’s recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted,” the family said in a statement published online. “Subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer.”

Charles was hospitalized Jan. 26 for the prostate procedure. He walked out three days later alongside Queen Camilla.

The king will receive regular treatment as an outpatient, according to Buckingham Palace. He had his first treatment session Monday.

Doctors advised Charles to limit public-facing appearances, one day after he attended church service in Sandringham. Other royals are expected to stand in for him.

“Throughout this period, His Majesty will continue to undertake state business and official paperwork as usual,” the statement read. “The king is grateful to his medical team for their swift intervention, which was made possible thanks to his recent hospital procedure. He remains wholly positive about his treatment and looks forward to returning to full public duty as soon as possible.”

Charles informed his sons personally of the diagnosis, according to the BBC. Prince Harry is expected to fly from the U.S. to the U.K. and meet with his father.

The royal family’s schedule of public appearances is likely to significantly change in upcoming months, as both Charles and Catherine, the Princess of Wales, are unable to attend scheduled engagements. The princess is recovering from abdominal surgery, and she departed the hospital on the same day Charles did.

Prince William had planned to step back from public duties to care for his and Kate’s three children, but the prince announced Monday that he would be back in the public sphere while his father battles cancer.

Charles was diagnosed with cancer less than 18 months into his reign. He was next in line for the throne for 70 years while his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, ruled.

“Wishing His Majesty a full and speedy recovery,” U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wrote on social media. “I have no doubt he’ll be back to full strength in no time, and I know the whole country will be wishing him well.”

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Of the 99 dead, 32 bodies had been identified, according to Chile’s state coroner. Most of them died in Chile’s Valparaiso region, a seaside city popular with tourists and retirees. Drone footage from Agence France-Presse showed what looked to be an endless wasteland of smoking, charred ruins that had once been homes. More than a thousand residences were damaged, authorities said.

Chilean President Gabriel Boric on Saturday declared a regional state of emergency as at least 92 forest fires raged. He later announced a two-day mourning period starting Monday, even as he warned the country to brace for more.

“It is Chile as a whole that suffers and mourns our dead,” Boric said in a televised speech to the nation, according to Reuters. “We are facing a tragedy of very great magnitude.”

By Sunday, there were 161 active fires across the country, Álvaro Hormazábal, director of the National Disaster Prevention and Response Service, told CNN Chile. Of those, 102 were under control, 40 were still being battled and 19 were under observation.

About 1,400 firefighters were deployed Sunday, BBC News reported, citing Interior Minister Carolina Toha. Military personnel were also on hand, and the cause of the fires was being investigated. There was even the possibility that at least some of them had been intentionally set.

“These fires began in four points that lit up simultaneously,” the Valparaíso region’s Governor, Rodrigo Mundaca told AFP. “As authorities, we will have to work rigorously to find who is responsible.”

The inferno comes amid a heat wave that has temperatures soaring to 104 degrees Fahrenheit, AFP noted.

The death toll was set to “increase significantly,” Boric said, as responders made their way through neighborhoods that had been gutted. He compared the devastation to the 2010 earthquake and tsunami that killed 500 people, he said.

The national disaster service SENAPRED said Sunday that flames had scorched 64,000 acres, or about 100 square miles. Finance Minister Mario Marcel estimated damages would be in the “hundreds of millions of dollars” in the Valparaiso region alone.

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