ELSEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, NEARLY TWO DOZEN PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN ATTACKS IN NORTHERN GAZA AS THE WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS RAGES ON.

MEDICS AND RESIDENTS SAY ISRAELI TROOPS STORMED A SCHOOL BEING USED AS A SHELTER IN BEIT HANOUN AND KILLED SEVERAL PEOPLE AND DETAINED OTHERS.

IN OTHER PARTS OF GAZA, AT LEAST NINE WERE KILLED IN AIRSTRIKES ON HOMES IN BEIT LAHIYA AND JABALIA.

THE ISRAELI ARMY SAYS IT WAS TARGETING HOMES WHERE HAMAS MILITANTS WERE PLANNING ATTACKS.

RESIDENTS SAY THEY KEEP MOVING TO TRY TO ESCAPE THE FIGHTHING AND THAT THEY HAVE FEW OPTIONS LEFT.

>> [TRANSLATED] WE WERE SLEEPING.

WE'RE ALL CIVILIANS, THIS IS A SAFE SHELTER.

THEY TOLD US TO HEAD SOUTH, SO WE LEFT.

I WENT TO KHAN YOUNIS, FROM KHAN YOUNIS WE MOVED TO RAFAH, AND FROM RAFAH, WE FLED TO DEIR AL-BALAH.

AGAIN, WE SAW THE BOMBING AND A RED LIGHT COMING DOWN ON US, THE TENT COLLAPSING ON US.

I MIRACULOUSLY SURVIVED WITH MY DAUGHTERS AND HUSBAND.

JOHN: ACCORDING TO THE UNITED NATIONS, MORE THAN HALF THE BUILDINGS IN GAZA HAVE BEEN DAMAGED OR DESTROYED, AND NEARLY 2 MILLION RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN DRIVEN FROM THEIR HOMES.

THAT'S ABOUT 90% OF THE POPULATION.

MEANWHILE, ISRAEL SAYS IT WANTS TO DOUBLE THE POPULATION OF ISRAELI SETTLERS IN THE GOLAN HEIGHTS ALONG THE BORDER WITH SYRIA.

PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU SAID IT'S VITAL TO BLOSSOM AND SETTLE IN THE AREA BECAUSE A NEW FRONT HAD OPENED.

ISRAELI FORCES WENT INTO THE BUFFER ZONE BETWEEN SYRIA AND THE GOLAN HEIGHTS SHORTLY AFTER THE FALL OF THE ASSAD REGIME IN WHAT NETANYAHU CALLED THAT A - - CALLED A TEMPORARY SECURITY MEASURE.

SINCE THEN MORE TROOP MOVEMENTS HAVE BEEN SPOTTED IN THE AREA.

PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP ADDED ANOTHER LOYALIST AND VETERAN OF HIS FIRST TERM TO HIS SECOND TERM WHITE HOUSE STAFF.

MR. TRUMP SAID LONG-TIME FOREIGN POLICY ADVISOR RICHARD GRENELL WILL BE HIS ENVOY FOR SPECIAL MISSIONS.

HE WILL BE WORKING IN WHAT HE CALLED THE HOTTEST SPOTS AROUND THE WORLD, INCLUDING VENEZUELA AND NORTH KOREA.

GRENELL HELD SEVERAL POSTS DURING THE FIRST TRUMP TERM, INCLUDING AMBASSADOR TO GERMANY AND ACTING DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE.

STILL TO COME ON PBS NEWS WEEKEND, WHAT A SECOND TRUMP ADMINISTRATION COULD MEAN FOR ABORTION ACCESS NATIONWIDE.

AND HOW SOME INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE OFFERING UP IDEAS TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE.

>> THIS IS PBS NEWS WEEKEND, FROM THE DAVID AND RUBENSTEIN STUDIO AT WETA IN WASHINGTON, HOME OF THE