Houthi missile hits Tel Aviv, causes casualties

While in Syria, American diplomats met face-to-face with representatives of the Syrian interim government for the first time, including with its de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa -- the head of HTS, according to U.S. Assistant Secretary for Near East Asia Barbara Leaf.

Leaf told al-Sharaa that the U.S. would not pursue the Rewards for Justice prize of up to $10 million for information on him that has been in effect since 2017 -- effectively dropping the bounty on him.

Despite this, Leaf reiterated multiple times that the U.S. would continue to judge HTS by its actions rather than its words.

"If I'm sitting with the HTS leader and having a lengthy, detailed discussion about a whole series of interests of the U.S., interests of Syria, maybe interests of the region -- suffice to say, it's a little incoherent, then to have a bounty on the guy's head," Leaf said.

American delegation is in Syria for the first time since Bashar al-Assad fled Damascus, the State Department announced Thursday evening.

It also marked the first time the United States government has announced the presence of American diplomats in Syria in over a decade.

The State Department officials in Syria include Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf, Special Presidential Envoy of Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens, and Daniel Rubinstein -- a senior adviser on the Middle East for the State Department.

"They will be engaging directly with the Syrian people, including members of civil society, activists, members of different communities, and other Syrian voices about their vision for the future of their country and how the United States can help support them," a State Department spokesperson said of their agenda.

"They also plan to meet with representatives of HTS to discuss transition principles endorsed by the United States and regional partners in Aqaba, Jordan," the spokesperson continued.

"Lastly, they hope to uncover information about the fate of Austin Tice, Majd Kamalmaz, and other American citizens who disappeared under the Assad regime."

Tice is an American freelance journalist who was kidnapped while working in Syria in 2012.

Kamalmaz is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Syria who disappeared while visiting an elderly relative in the company in 2017. According to the FBI, Kamalmaz “has not been seen or heard from since that day.” He is believed to have died during his detainment, according to U.S. officials.

On Thursday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, “We’re looking at getting on the ground ourselves as quickly as we can.” After the U.K. and France had sent delegations.

-ABC News' Shannon Kingston

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) published a new report on Thursday describing life in Gaza as "life in a death trap," alleging "clear signs of ethnic cleansing as Palestinians are forcibly displaced, trapped and bombed."

"The health care system lies in ruins and medical staff -- including MSF's -- have been detained or killed," the report said. Palestinians, meanwhile, are struggling to survive "apocalyptic" conditions, it said.

"Nowhere is safe, no one is spared and there is no exit from this shattered enclave," said MSF Secretary General Christopher Lockyear.

Human Rights Watch also released a new report accusing Israel of deliberately inflicting conditions of life "calculated to bring about the destruction of part of the population in Gaza."

The HRW report said Palestinian civilians are intentionally deprived of adequate access to water, "most likely resulting in thousands of deaths."

"In doing so, Israeli authorities are responsible for the crime against humanity of extermination and for acts of genocide," the report said.

Israel has denied all allegations of ethnic cleansing or genocide in Gaza.

-ABC News' Samy Zyara, Diaa Ostaz and Somayeh Malekian

The Israel Defense Forces continued strikes on northern and central neighborhoods of the Gaza Strip overnight.

At least 18 bodies were brought to the al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City, the Palestinian Civil Defence reported.

Palestinian medical sources in the Hamas-run territory said at least 43 people were killed in Israeli attacks over the past 24 hours.

-ABC News' Samy Zyara, Bruno Nota and Somayeh Malekian