Pope Leo XIV will travel to Turkey and Lebanon next month on the first foreign trip of his papacy, making a symbolically important gesture to Christians and Muslims on a pilgrimage to two countries that Pope Francis had planned to visit.

The Vatican on Tuesday announced that Leo will visit Turkey from Nov. 27-30, and Lebanon from Nov. 30-Dec. 2. The visit to Turkey will include a pilgrimage to Iznik to mark the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea, the first ecumenical council.

Ed Gabriel, president of the American Task Force on Lebanon, a nonprofit that aims to build stronger U.S.-Lebanon ties, told journalists that the $190 million for the Lebanese Army and $40 million for Internal Security Forces will be mainly in training and equipment.

Gabriel, who met several top officials in recent days including Army chief Rodolphe Haykal and President Joseph Aoun, said the president is "determined to get things (disarmament) done.”

Two years after Hamas' attack ignited the war in the Gaza Strip, the militant group is weakened but not defeated, Israel has clobbered its enemies across the region but failed to achieve its main goals, and no one knows how it all will end.

The Oct. 7, 2023, attack, the deadliest on Israeli soil, sparked one of the most devastating military campaigns since World War II, leaving tens of thousands of Palestinians dead, flattening vast areas of the blockaded territory and triggering a famine in parts.

Thousands of people converged on southern Israel on Tuesday to mourn the dead as the nation marked two years since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack plunged the region into a devastating war, while Israel and Hamas pressed on with indirect peace talks in Egypt.

The main memorial is being organized by the bereaved families, separate from a ceremony that the government will hold on the anniversary next week according to the Hebrew calendar. The split reflects deep divisions over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's leadership, which many blame for the failure to secure a ceasefire that would free the remaining hostages held by the militants.

Some of the activists detained while trying to reach Gaza by sea have returned to their home countries to describe mistreatment at the hands of Israeli guards, claims that Israel denies.

Some 450 activists were arrested as Israeli forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla, a fleet of 42 boats seeking to break Israel's naval blockade of Gaza and deliver a symbolic amount of aid to the famine-stricken territory. Those detained between Wednesday and Friday were brought to Israel, where many remain in prison.

Hundreds of thousands of people across several European cities marched Sunday in support of Palestinians and an aid flotilla 's attempt to reach Gaza.

Israeli and Hamas officials are set to hold indirect talks at an Egyptian resort Monday on a U.S.-drafted peace plan to end the ruinous war in Gaza on the eve of its second anniversary.

Many uncertainties remain about the plan presented by U.S. President Donald Trump last week, including the disarmament of the militant group — a key Israeli demand — and the future governance of Gaza. Trump is seeking an agreement on Gaza, which he has indicated could pave the way for a revamped Middle East peace process that could reshape the region.

Israel's army said Saturday that it would advance preparations for the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza and return all the remaining hostages, after Hamas said it accepted parts of the deal while others still needed to be negotiated.

Hamas said Friday that it has accepted some elements of U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in the Gaza Strip, including giving up power and releasing all remaining hostages, but that others require further consultations among Palestinians.

The statement came hours after Trump said that Hamas must agree to the deal by Sunday evening, threatening an even greater military onslaught nearly two years into the war sparked by the Oct. 7 attack into Israel. There was no immediate response from the United States or Israel, which is largely shut down for the Jewish Sabbath.

The U.S. military has begun drawing down its mission in Iraq under an agreement inked with the Iraqi government last year, officials said Wednesday.