Before the war, Hamada Shaqoura was a food blogger. Now, he spends his days cooking to feed children and displaced people in Gaza. And he figured out a way to reach millions on social media without saying a word. His intense stare at the camera as he cooks various dishes has been easy for many to understand. Hamada finally opens up and shares his story with Business Insider. He told us why he sees food as a symbol of resistance and why it's important for him to cook food people had before the war, like chicken wings, tacos, croissants and popsicles.

• President-elect Trump has picked Massad Boulos to be his advisor on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs.
• Boulos' son, Michael, is married to Donald Trump's youngest daughter, Tiffany Trump.
• The announcement comes as Trump aims to reshape Middle East diplomacy in his second term.

As President-elect Donald Trump continues to craft his second-term agenda, he announced a key advisor on Sunday that could impact his handling of affairs in the Middle East.

By tapping Lebanese American businessman Massad Boulos as his senior advisor on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs, Trump is bringing on board a key campaign surrogate whose son Michael is also married to his daughter Tiffany.

The president-elect — who was able to exploit Democratic divisions over the war in Gaza and pry away some Muslim and Arab American voters from Vice President Kamala Harris in the general election — reaffirmed on Sunday that he wants to form "tremendous new coalitions" with Arab Americans.

"Massad is a dealmaker, and an unwavering supporter of PEACE in the Middle East," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. "He will be a strong advocate for the United States, and its interests, and I am pleased to have him on our team!"

Trump's selection of Boulos is a signal that he'll seek his own diplomatic imprint in the Middle East, which for over a year has seen the war in Gaza become one of the most devastating and polarizing ongoing conflicts in the world, reverberating in Lebanon, Yemen, and now Syria.

Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to The Associated Press.

President Joe Biden's handling of the conflict was a significant issue in the US presidential race, with Harris pledging that she and the president were working hard for a cease-fire agreement. But the conflict likely chipped away at Harris' Arab American support, as well as that of some progressive Democrats who had long opposed both the war and American military aid to Israel.

During the 2024 campaign, Boulos traveled throughout Michigan to promote Trump's candidacy among Arab American and Muslim voters, The New York Times reported.

"We don't have to win over everybody," Boulos told the newspaper shortly before the election. "There are some that strongly believe that they wouldn't vote for either of the major candidates. That's fine with us."

Trump went on to flip Michigan, part of the Democratic Party's all-important "blue wall," by a narrow margin — which cut off Harris' clearest path to the White House.

Boulos isn't the only family member who'll have a role in the administration beginning next year.

Trump on Saturday announced that he had selected Charles Kushner, the real estate developer and father of son-in-law Jared Kushner, as his next US ambassador to France.

Ivanka Trump, a senior advisor in Trump's first term, is not expected to be a part of the second administration.

Musk admitted X is throttling links but this is a new level of weird.

• PM Benjamin Netanyahu offered $5 million to anyone in Gaza who handed over hostages to Israel.
• He also offered safe passage out of the war-torn territory to those Palestinians who cooperate.
• In Israel, there is mounting pressure on Netanyahu to free those remaining in captivity in Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Tuesday that Palestinians in Gaza who turn over Israeli hostages will be offered $5 million as a reward, as well as an exit route out of the war-torn territory.

During Hamas' terror attack across the Israeli border on October 7, 2023, 251 Israeli and foreign hostages were taken, according to Israeli figures.

To date, some 117 of them have been freed or released, and 37 were brought back dead, leaving close to 100 that are thought to still be in Gaza.

It's unclear exactly how many of those hostages remain alive, as well as their precise whereabouts.

But there is intense and growing pressure within Israel, led by the families of the hostages, to bring the captives home. Negotiations have been at a standstill for months.

Netanyahu said Tuesday, while touring a section of the Gaza Strip, that Israel is doing everything it can to locate and return the hostages, per The Times of Israel.

He added, "Whoever dares to harm our hostages — he is a marked man. We will pursue you, and we will get you."

The $5 million pledge builds on earlier reports of a generous but unspecified reward from Israel to those who cooperate.

The New York Times reported that Netanyahu also offered a "safe way out for himself and his family" to whoever returns hostages to Israel.

Leaving Gaza remains a major challenge for Palestinians.

Exiting through Israel requires an Israel-issued permit, and according to reporting by several media outlets, departure via Egypt often involves exorbitant fees.

However, remaining in Gaza amid Israel's invasion remains incredibly dangerous.

The Israel Defense Forces has sought to destroy Hamas and free the hostages, but with that has come devastating destruction.

Humanitarian groups, such as the Red Cross, have put the death toll at more than 43,000 Palestinians, with over 100,000 people injured.