dismissed any talk of Palestinian statehood# after the Gaza war ends.

That laid division with U.S. policy, but the prime minister# said he's made his stance clear to Washington.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, Israeli Prime Minister# (through translator): In any future arrangement,## Israel needs security control tell this truth to our American friends.# The prime minister needs to be capable of## saying no to our friends, saying no when# necessary and saying yes when possible.

GEOFF BENNETT: In response, the# State Department underscored## the U.S. stance that postwar planning# must i MATTHEW MILLER, State Department Spokesman: The# is no way to solve their long-term challenges,## to provide lasting security# and there is no way to solve## the short-term challenges of rebuilding# Gaza and establishing governance i and providing security for Gaza without# the establishment of a Palestinian state.

GEOFF BENNETT: Netanyahu also# insisted again today that the## fighting will continue until there# is a decisive In Gaza, the Hamas-run Health Ministry# reported the Palestinian death toll has## passed 24,600.

And Palestinian medics# said an Israeli missile destroyed a## home in Rafah today, killing 16 people.# Half of them were said to be children.

On the Israeli side, the family of Kfir# Bibas, the youngest hostage still in Gaza,## marked his first birthday.

They have# had no word of him since his abduction.

The U.S. military has hit Houthi# rebels in Yemen for the fifth time,## knocking out two anti-ship missiles.

That# comes after the rebels, backed by Iran,## staged another drone attack on a U.S. commercial# vessel.

President Biden acknowledged today## the Houthis seem undeterred, but he# said the retaliation will continue.

Pakistan struck back at Iran today# with airstrikes that killed at least## nine people.

It came two days after# Iranian strikes inside Pakistan.

Cell## phone video today showed a large# crater after a Pakistani strike on## an Iranian village.

The Pakistanis said they# targeted separatists hiding along the bord MUMTAZ ZAHRA BALOCH, Pakistani Foreign Ministry# Spokesperson: This morning's action was taken## in light of credible intelligen by these terrorists.

Acts like the one which took# place a couple of nights ago create difficulties.

GEOFF BENNETT: Iran says its airstrikes earlier## this week also targeted separatists# Ba ck in this country, this week's winter storms# are now blamed for at least two dozen deaths.## The latest victims were in Portland,# Oregon.

Three people were apparently## electrocuted Wednesday after a live power# line fell on their SUV.

A baby insi rescued.

Yet another round of freezing rain# is expected in the Pacific Northwest tonight.

In Georgia, a judge will hear allegations# against the district attorney who accused## former President Trump of trying to overturn# the 2020 election results.

A defense lawyer## alleges that Fani Willis had an affair with# her special prosecutor and profited financially## from the case.

The motion seeks to toss the# indictment.

Willis has not directly addressed the## allegations, but has defended her staff and her# decision-making.

The hearing will be next month.

Severe drought in Panama is forcing authorities# to cut shipping traffic through the Panama Canal## by 36 percent.

Low water levels, going back# to last fall, have caused traffic jams for## the 50-mile waterway.

It's one of the world's# most vital routes for international trade.

Canal## administrators say they hope conditions will# improve when the rainy season starts in may.

And on Wall Street, stocks recouped some losses,## with big tech leading the way.

The Dow Jones# industrial at 37468.

The Nasdaq also added 200 points,# more than 1 percent.

The S&P 500 rose 41.

And Spelman College in Atlanta has received the# largest single gift ever made to a historically## Black college.

A billionaire couple, Ronda Stryker# and William Johnston, announced today they're## donating $100 million to the women's school.# Most of the money will endow scholarships.

And still to come on the "NewsHour": a bipartisan# deal would expand the child tax credit to provide## relief to struggling families; the Biden# administration considers whether to ban menthol## cigarettes; the demand for women-focused tourism# rises as more women take solo trips abroad;## and author Michele Norris discusses her new book# on how Americans see their race and identity.