Lauren Freyer

Their plan was to act as human shields to protect Palestinian farmers from Israeli settler attacks, which have hit a record high, according to the U.N.

This week, settlers ransacked the West Bank's biggest dairy farm and also torched a mosque.

Lior Amichai, director of Peace Now and advocacy groups, sent NPR this voice memo from a checkpoint where Israeli soldiers blocked their passage to Borin.

The Israeli military tells NPR it did this for public safety after a week marred by an increase in violent incidents.

Lauren Fryer, NPR News, Tel Aviv.

You're listening to NPR News.

Here's part of what President Trump said in a speech to Israel's Knesset last month.

Mr. President, why don't you give him a pardon?

Now in a letter released by the Israeli president's office, Trump repeats that, writing, quote, He calls Netanyahu's prosecution political and unjustified.

Israel's mostly ceremonial president does have the authority to pardon some criminals.

But an official close to his office who isn't authorized to speak on the matter tells NPR you can't pardon someone who hasn't been convicted.

And notes the Israeli president has urged Netanyahu and prosecutors to halt the trial and strike a deal.

Lauren Freyer, NPR News, Tel Aviv.

Phase one was halting violence, exchanging bodies and boosting humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Phase two is disarming Hamas, deploying international troops and governing post-war.

Hamas's handover of the remains of Hadar Goldin, an Israeli soldier killed in a previous Gaza war,

could impact phase two negotiations over some 200 Hamas fighters.

They're believed to be holed up in Rafa in southern Gaza.

Israel's been demanding they surrender or be killed.

The U.S.