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At least 32 people, including 12 children, were killed in airstrikes across Gaza City as Israel escalates its offensive and urges residents to evacuate, medical officials reported Saturday. Israel has intensified strikes on Gaza City, targeting high-rise buildings it claims house Hamas surveillance equipment, in a bid to seize the city, considered Hamas’ last stronghold. One overnight strike in Sheikh Radwan killed a family of 10, including a mother and three children. Despite calls to leave, many residents remain due to high relocation costs, repeated displacement, and safety concerns. Israel says over 250,000 people have left northern Gaza, while the UN estimates more than 100,000 have moved south since mid-August. Humanitarian agencies warn mass displacement is worsening the crisis, with shelters and supplies still pending entry into Gaza. The bombardment follows Israel’s recent strike targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar, raising concerns for ongoing ceasefire negotiations and the safety of around 48 hostages still held in Gaza. The Gaza conflict began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, killing over 1,200 people and abducting 251. Israel’s retaliation has killed over 64,700 Palestinians, including large numbers of women and children, and displaced about 90% of Gaza’s population.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent airstrike targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar appears to have failed, escalating tensions with Qatar and straining ties with the U.S. The strike, aimed at exiled Hamas officials meeting over a U.S. ceasefire proposal, killed five low-level Hamas members and a Qatari security guard, but Hamas claims its senior leaders survived. The attack has drawn sharp criticism across the Arab world, disrupted ongoing ceasefire negotiations, and threatened the safety of 20 hostages still believed alive in Gaza. While Netanyahu faces international backlash, he remains resolute, backed by his hard-line coalition, and has vowed further action if Hamas leadership continues to operate from Qatar. Experts say the failed strike undercuts Netanyahu’s vision of “total victory” over Hamas, complicates efforts to secure a ceasefire, and risks alienating Israeli citizens seeking an end to the war. Despite this, Netanyahu’s political position remains secure, with his coalition’s support outweighing public opposition. Israel continues its offensive in Gaza City, urging evacuation of around one million residents ahead of a planned invasion. The Trump administration has expressed unhappiness over the strike but has not indicated steps to pressure Israel to halt the war.

Yemen’s national museum and other historical sites in the capital Sanaa were damaged during Israeli airstrikes that killed at least 35 people and injured more than 130, the Houthi-run Ministry of Culture said Thursday. The ministry warned that thousands of historical artifacts inside the museum could be at risk, though their current condition remains unclear. Photos and video from the strike site showed damage to the building’s facade. The ministry called on the United Nations cultural agency UNESCO to condemn the attack and intervene to protect the museum and its collections. Most of the casualties occurred in Sanaa, where a military headquarters and a fuel station were struck, according to the Houthi-run health ministry. Israel has previously launched airstrikes in retaliation for Houthi missile and drone attacks on its territory. The Iran-backed Houthis have expressed support for Hamas and Palestinians in Gaza and recently sent a drone that breached Israel’s air defenses, hitting a southern airport. Israeli airstrikes kill at least 35 in Yemen: Houthi officials Israeli Strikes in Lebanon In a related development, Israel carried out strikes in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah sites in the Bekaa Valley and southern Zrariyeh, the Israeli military said Thursday. Lebanon’s health ministry reported one death from a drone strike near Tyre and said Israeli forces entered the border village of Aita al-Shaab to demolish a building that had formerly served as a school for special needs students. Since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire ended the latest Israel-Hezbollah conflict in November, Israel has continued near-daily strikes in Lebanon, aiming to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its military capabilities. Lebanese officials have condemned these attacks as violations of the ceasefire. The recent strikes in Yemen and Lebanon highlight escalating tensions in the region and growing international concern over civilian and cultural heritage casualties.

Israel launched another round of heavy airstrikes in Yemen on Wednesday, killing at least 35 people and wounding more than 130, just days after Houthi rebels carried out a drone attack on an Israeli airport, according to the Houthi-run health ministry. Rescue teams continued searching through the rubble. Most of the casualties were reported in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital, where a military headquarters and a fuel station were among the sites hit. Al-Masirah, a Houthi-controlled news channel, said nearby homes were also damaged. Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said rebels fired surface-to-air missiles at Israeli jets in response. The strikes came amid rising international scrutiny of Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she would push for sanctions and a partial trade suspension against Israel over its operations in the Gaza Strip. The EU remains divided on the issue. Israel has urged around 1 million Palestinians to evacuate Gaza City as it steps up its offensive targeting Hamas’ remaining stronghold, while the Gaza Health Ministry reported 41 more deaths and 184 injuries in the past 24 hours, including 12 people seeking humanitarian aid. Thousands remain displaced, struggling with limited food, shelter, and fuel. The war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, killing over 1,200 people and abducting 251. Israel’s retaliatory campaign has so far killed more than 64,600 Palestinians, with women and children accounting for about half of the deaths, according to Gaza authorities. Meanwhile, Israel’s strike on Qatar, a U.S. ally, targeting senior Hamas figures drew widespread condemnation and added to Israel’s diplomatic isolation. Hamas said its senior leaders survived the attack, though several bodyguards were killed. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is worsening, with famine declared in parts of the city. Von der Leyen described it as a “man-made famine” and urged immediate action to protect civilians, especially children. Israel maintains that it allows sufficient humanitarian aid and blames Hamas for civilian casualties.

Israel has carried out a strike on senior Hamas leaders in Qatar's capital Doha A Hamas official says its negotiating team was targeted in the attack, reports BBC. Qatar's foreign ministry says the attack is a "blatant violation" of international law, adding it "will not tolerate this reckless Israeli behaviour and the continuous tampering with the security of the region" The IDF says it "conducted a precise strike" and those targeted "are directly responsible for the brutal October 7 massacre" The Hamas negotiating team is based in Doha; they have not been involved in any indirect negotiations with Israel since July.

Israel’s military said Tuesday it launched an airstrike aimed at Hamas leadership, though it did not specify the location. Shortly after the announcement, a powerful explosion was heard in Doha, Qatar’s capital, sending black smoke into the sky. Al Jazeera, the Qatar-based news network, linked the blast to Israel’s statement. It was not immediately known if there were any casualties. Hamas’ political leadership has long been based in Qatar, which has served as a key mediator in negotiations between the group and Israel for years, including during the current Gaza war. Analysts warn that a strike targeting Hamas’ exiled leaders could complicate ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and secure the release of hostages taken in the group’s Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

Gaza health authorities said on Thursday that 84 Palestinians were killed and 338 injured in Israeli attacks across the area in the past 24 hours. Since the war began on October 7, 2023, a total of 64,231 Palestinians have died and 161,583 have been injured. At least 2,356 people were killed and over 17,244 hurt while trying to get food, the authorities added. Hospitals in Gaza also reported three more deaths from starvation and malnutrition in the past day, bringing the total to 370, including 131 children, since the start of the conflict. The war started when Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking hostages. Israel responded with a large military offensive that has heavily damaged the coastal territory.

A vessel in the Red Sea was targeted Thursday in a suspected Houthi attack, officials said, as the Yemeni rebels step up missile launches against Israel. The incident occurred off Hodeida, with the UK Maritime Trade Operations center reporting an “unknown projectile” landing near the ship amid heavy electronic interference. The vessel and crew were unharmed. Maritime security firms Ambrey and EOS Risk Group also confirmed the apparent assault, noting the Houthis have shifted from sporadic fire to multiple daily attacks on Israel in recent days. The strike follows an Israeli raid last week that killed the Houthis’ prime minister and other leaders. The rebels have increasingly used cluster munitions, raising interception challenges for Israel as it prepares a new Gaza offensive. Since November 2023, the Houthis have attacked over 100 ships, sinking four and killing at least eight sailors. Their renewed campaign comes as prospects for a Gaza ceasefire and U.S.-Iran nuclear talks remain uncertain.

Israel began mobilizing tens of thousands of reservists Tuesday to expand its offensive in Gaza City, amid domestic opposition and international criticism. Ground and air operations targeted northern and central Gaza, including Zeitoun and Shijaiyah neighborhoods, repeatedly hit during the 23-month conflict with Hamas. Once a bustling area, Zeitoun has been largely emptied and reduced to rubble, now considered a “dangerous combat zone” by Israel’s military. Gaza City, Hamas’ political and military hub, still hosts extensive tunnel networks and hundreds of thousands of civilians facing both combat and famine. Israel plans to call up at least 60,000 reservists while extending the service of 20,000 already deployed. Criticism of the war is growing in Israel, with movements encouraging reservists to refuse service, though the impact of the latest call-up remains unclear. Malnutrition deaths in Gaza are rising, with 185 reported in August, the Health Ministry said. The ministry also reports 63,557 deaths and 160,660 injuries since the war began, with roughly half of the dead being women and children. The figures are widely cited by U.N. agencies as the most reliable estimates. The conflict began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. Forty-eight remain in Gaza, with around 20 believed alive, according to Israel.

Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Monday left at least 31 people dead as the military pushed forward with its offensive in the territory’s largest city, according to health officials. At the same time, leading genocide scholars accused Israel of committing genocide, charges the Israeli government strongly denies. Explosions from artillery and airstrikes shook Gaza City after Israel declared it a combat zone last week. Residents in Jabaliya refugee camp and the city’s outskirts said explosive-laden robots were being used to destroy buildings. “Another merciless night in Gaza City,” said Saeed Abu Elaish, a medic originally from Jabaliya who is sheltering in the city’s northwest. Health officials reported that at least 31 people were killed Monday, more than half of them women and children. Thirteen deaths occurred in Gaza City, which has been repeatedly targeted since Hamas-led militants launched the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war. Israel insists its operations are aimed at militants and says Hamas is responsible for civilian deaths because it operates in crowded neighborhoods. Gaza under siege: war and hungerGaza City residents, many uprooted multiple times, now face both conflict and famine. The world’s top food-crisis authority declared last month that Gaza is in the grip of famine — a crisis worsened by Israel’s blockade, mass displacement, and the collapse of local food production. Since the war began, 63,557 Palestinians have been killed and 160,660 wounded, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. While the ministry does not separate civilians from fighters, it says women and children account for about half of the dead. The ministry, run by Hamas but staffed by health professionals, is considered by U.N. agencies and experts to provide the most credible figures, though Israel disputes them and has not offered its own count. On Oct. 7, Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people in Israel, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages. Forty-eight captives remain in Gaza, with Israel believing around 20 are alive. Genocide accusations escalateOn Monday, the International Association of Genocide Scholars, the world’s largest body of experts in the field, declared that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. Israel — founded after the Holocaust in which 6 million Jews and others were killed — strongly rejects the charge. It maintains that it seeks to minimize civilian harm and is waging a defensive war after Hamas’ attack, which Israel calls genocidal in nature. The association’s resolution stated that “Israel’s policies and actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide,” as well as crimes against humanity and war crimes. The resolution passed with support from 86% of members who voted. Voting details were not disclosed. “People who are experts in the study of genocide can see this situation for what it is,” said Melanie O’Brien, the association’s president and professor of international law at the University of Western Australia. Israel’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the declaration as “an embarrassment to the legal profession and to any academic standard,” saying it was “entirely based on Hamas’ campaign of lies.” In July, the Israeli rights groups B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel also accused Israel of genocide — the first time Jewish-led organizations inside the country had used the term. International human rights organizations have made similar accusations. Grief and anger at hostage funeralThousands attended the funeral of Idan Shtivi, one of two hostages whose remains were retrieved last week. A private ceremony was held for the other, Ilan Weiss. Some mourners lashed out at the government for failing to secure a deal with Hamas to end the war and bring the hostages home. “It is very, very infuriating that no one, no one from this government stands up and says enough,” said Ami Dagan, a mourner from Rishon Letzion. “It’s a horror, it’s profound sadness and grief beyond words to describe the anger, the insult to the hostages, the insult to the fallen, the insult to the soldiers sent once again to Gaza," said Ruti Taro, another mourner. “No one knows why, except for the power-hungry ruler.” Criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has grown, with many Israelis accusing him of prolonging the war for political survival. Large-scale protests demanding a ceasefire and hostage release have surged in recent weeks. Flotilla departs Barcelona after storm delayMeanwhile, an activist flotilla aiming to break Israel’s blockade set sail again from Barcelona after stormy weather forced a temporary return to port. The Global Sumud Flotilla, involving about 20 boats with participants from 44 countries, includes climate activist Greta Thunberg. She had joined a previous flotilla in July that was intercepted by Israel. This is the largest attempt yet to symbolically challenge Israel’s blockade, though past efforts have all been stopped at sea. Israel says the blockade is necessary to block weapons shipments to Hamas, insisting aid can reach Gaza through other means. As the latest offensive in Gaza City continues, Israel has further restricted food deliveries to northern Gaza.