Israelis take to the streets in Jerusalem to protest the war with Hamas and the conflict in Gaza on December 13, 2024. Those present brought signs and banners calling for an end to the conflict.

Syrian rescuers search the Saydnaya prison in Damascus, looking for loved ones, on December 10, 2024. The search comes after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was ousted over the weekend.

President Joe Biden hosts the Christmas for All Dinner, delivers remarks at the Brookings Institution and attends the White House Tribal Nations Summit along with Vice President Kamala Harris, among the highlights of this week in Washington.

Israeli soldiers patrol the border fence with Syria in the northern, Israeli-controlled Golan Heights on December 10, 2024. Israel is extending is presence on the ground inside Syria after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was ousted over the weekend.

Syrians in the Lebanese town of Bar Elias celebrate on December 8, 2024, after President Bashar al-Assad of Syria is ousted over the weekend by jihadist-led rebels. Syrians in Lebanon flocked to the Masnaa Border Crossing between Lebanon and Syria to return home after the regime's collapse.

Rock band The Grateful Dead, filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, musician Bonnie Raitt, and jazz trumpeter and pianist Arturo Sandoval were recognized for their achievements at the 47th annual Kennedy Center Honors in Washington with a formal dinner and medallion ceremony. Harlem's Apollo Theater also was recognized. President Joe Biden hosted the honorees at the White House on December 8, 2024.

Service members from the United States, Japan and Australia participated in a joint military exercise, Yama Sakura 87, at Camp Asaka in Tokyo on December 6, 2024. Yama Sakura 87 is a scenario-driven command post exercise to help build operational readiness and strengthen deployment capabilities among allied forces.

Elon Musk and the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency hold a meeting at the Capitol Building and Secret Service Acting Director Ronald L. Rowe Jr. testifies about the attempted assassination attempts on President-elect Donald Trump, among the highlights of this week in Washington.

Sotheby's previews its New York luxury sales items, including jerseys and cleats worn by NFL great Tom Brady, in New York City on December 5, 2024. The live auction, which begins December 10, also includes dresses worn by the late Audrey Hepburn and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.

President Joe Biden hosted the 102nd annual National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony, the final one of his presidency, at the White House and President's Park in Washington on December 5, 2024. James Taylor, Trisha Yearwood, Muni Long and The War and Treaty performed.

A Stegosaurus fossil named Apex is on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City during a press preview event on December 5, 2024. Apex, which measures 11.5 feet tall and 27 feet long, will be open to visitors starting on December 8.

The 92nd annual Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting ceremony took place in New York City on December 4, 2024. Kelly Clarkson, Coco Jones, Backstreet Boys and Little Big Town performed. This year's tree is a 74-feet tall Norway Spruce from Massachusetts.

South Koreans protest President Yoon Suk Yeol and call for him to be impeached after his attempt to impose martial law failed at the National Assembly in Seoul on December 4, 2024. South Korea's opposition parties have submitted an impeachment motion against Yoon.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and members Alaska's Congressional delegation, along with Gov. Mike Dunleavy of Alaska, take part in the annual lighting of the Capitol Christmas Tree in Washington on December 3, 2024. The tree is a 80-foot Sitka Spruce from Tongass National Forest.

Lebanese civilians clean the streets of debris after the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah in the Dahieh district of Beirut on December 2, 2024. Recent cease-fire violations have raised the tension between Israel and Hezbollah, however.

First lady Jill Biden presented the 2024 White House Holiday decorations in Washington on December 2, 2024. The theme for 2024 is a "Season of Peace and Light."

Hundreds of participants dressed as Santa Claus and other holiday-themed characters participated in the 2024 Santa Parade Osaka at Osaka Castle in Osaka-Prefecture, Japan, on December 1, 2024. The event benefits charities that support children.

Thousands of displaced Lebanese residents started to return home after the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah. The 60-day cease-fire, announced by U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron, came into force in Lebanon at 4 a.m. local time on November 27, 2024.

President Joe Biden makes a statement on Israel and Hezbollah reaching a cease-fire agreement and pardons two turkeys for Thanksgiving, among the highlights of this week in Washington.

Israel launched a new wave of extensive airstrikes that hit the area of Tayouneh on the outskirts of Beirut's southern suburbs, on November 26, 2024. The airstrikes come ahead of an expected cease-fire to end the 13-month war between Israel and Hezbollah.