The Trump administration has approved a major nearly $3 billion arms sale to Israel, bypassing a normal congressional review to provide the country with more of the 2,000-pound bombs that it has used in the war against Hamas in Gaza.

The White House said on Sunday that it supports Israel's decision to delay releasing 600 Palestinian prisoners, citing the "barbaric treatment" of Israeli hostages by Hamas.

Israel must take note as it navigates complex foreign policy challenges, it cannot assume that traditional diplomatic norms remain intact.

Zionism was always conceived as a colonial project - and now many in the West are starting to see the threat it poses

IDF destroys underground Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanon • Hamas reportedly ready to hand Gaza to PA | Page 2 of 3

Sinn Féin Senator Conor Murphy has said his party's boycott of St Patrick's Day celebrations in the US "wasn't a decision that was taken lightly", but was "necessary". On Friday, the party announced it will not travel to Washington DC for the annual festivities next month over US President Donald Trump's stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Michelle O'Neill and Mary Lou McDonald will boycott the event in light of Donald Trump's suggestion that Palestinians should be relocated from Gaza under his "takeover" plan.