Thousands of people from across the capital gathered at Suhrawardy Udyan on Saturday afternoon, aiming to intensify global solidarity with the oppressed people of Palestine. The grand rally, titled ‘March for Gaza’, began around 3:15 pm with the screening of a documentary on atrocities of Israel on Palestinian people. Thousands stream into Suhrawardy Udyan in solidarity with Palestine Maulana Abdul Hye Mohammad Saifullah moderated the event. Amar Desh editor Mahmudur Rahman read out the declaration demanding an end to atrocities in Gaza by Israel and urging the Muslim world to sever all ties with Israel. Earlier, thousands of people of all ages from across the capital gathered at Suhrawardy Udyan, joining in small and large processions to take part in the 'March for Gaza' programme. ‘March for Gaza’ in Dhaka today in protest against Israeli atrocities People, including students, chanted slogans '1 2 3 4, occupation no more', 'from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free' among others. Protesters were seen carrying a 70-ft flag of Palestine and various placards denouncing mass killing in Gaza and demanding a free Palestine. People from all walks of life, leaders and activists of political parties, social organisations came together in solidarity with the people of Palestine. Artists, poets and popular social media influencers also joined the programme to raise bold voices against the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Speakers at the rally called on world leaders to bring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other architects of the atrocities to justice. Political leaders present at the event demanded international accountability and immediate action to stop the bloodshed in Gaza. Palestine Solidarity Movement Bangladesh organised the rally. The platform, Palestine Solidarity Movement Bangladesh, created a Facebook event titled ‘March for Gaza’. As of 6pm on Friday, around 73,000 people had shown interest in the event and 6,300 confirmed their participation. According to the organisers, this will be the largest public gathering in Dhaka in support of Palestine. BNP to join ‘March for Gaza’ protest against Israeli Genocide in Palestine They have urged people from all political affiliations and backgrounds to join the programme. Additional security arrangements were taken centering the rally to ensure law and order situation while traffic police also took measures including diversion on certain roads to manage traffic flow, said deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Talebur Rahman.

Thousands of people from across the capital began streaming into Suhrawardy Udyan early Saturday morning, well ahead of the scheduled start of a mass rally in solidarity with the people of Gaza. Although the grand gathering, titled ‘March for Gaza’, was set to begin at 3pm, large and small processions started arriving at the venue early in the day. Some groups entered the venue from Shahbagh, others from Doel Chattar and Nilkhet, slowing the traffic in parts of the capital. Crowds carrying Palestinian flags were seen marching from different locations towards the historic ground particularly from around Dhaka University. Palestine Solidarity Movement Bangladesh organised the rally. Organisers said the main event protesting Israeli aggression was scheduled to begin after 3pm where Islamic scholar Dr Mizanur Rahman Azhari is expected to deliver the keynote speech. ‘March for Gaza’ in Dhaka today in protest against Israeli atrocities They said the purpose of the rally is to raise a united voice against Israeli aggression and demonstrate unwavering support for the innocent civilians of Palestine.

International cinema has long engaged with the deeply complex realities of Palestine. Over decades, filmmakers have chronicled the Palestine-Israel backdrop with striking honesty and resilience. These cinematic narratives have earned critical acclaim and prestigious awards across global platforms. Let’s explore ten of the greatest films ever made on Palestine that continue to echo far beyond the screen. Top 10 Award-winning Palestinian Movies & Documentaries . No Other Land / 2024 / IMDb: 8.3 / Rotten Tomatoes: 100% (Audience) Created by a Palestinian-Israeli activist collective, the film documents a community’s resistance in the occupied West Bank (2019–2023). It confronts forced displacement after their land was declared an Israeli "firing zone." The documentary boasts Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, and Rachel Szor as its writers and directors in their directorial debut. Read more: Farewell to ACP Pradyuman: Tribute to Sony TV Crime Drama CID's Legendary Character This Yabayay Media and Antipode Films Production won Best Documentary Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards. Full Movie Link:https://www.bilibili.tv/en/video/4794982676436992?bstar_from=bstar-web.homepage.recommend.all Farha / 2021 / IMDb: 8.0 / Rotten Tomatoes: 87% (Audience) Directed and written by Darin J. Sallam, this historical drama film features Karam Taher in the titular role. The supporting cast includes Ashraf Barhom and Ali Suliman. Set during the 1948 Nakba, the film portrays a young Palestinian girl's coming-of-age. The screenplay was inspired by a real-life story of a girl named Radieh, which director Sallam heard in her childhood. Read more: Top 10 Netflix English Originals Releasing in May 2025 The produced credit goes to Deema Azar, William Johansson Kalen, and Ayah Jardaneh. Celebrated for its powerful storytelling, “Farha” seized the top youth feature title at the 2022 Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Instant Movie Stream: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8xmpas 5 Broken Cameras / 2011 / IMDb: 7.9 / Rotten Tomatoes: 88% (Audience) Capturing grassroots protests in Bil'in, this documentary unfolds through Emad Burnat’s lens, a Palestinian farmer who began filming in 2005; Israeli filmmaker Guy Davidi joined in 2009. The story revolves around the destruction of Burnat’s five cameras, tracing a family’s life across five years of unrest. This film’s award journey spans Sundance, the Golden Apricot in Yerevan, and a coveted International Emmy win. The crowning moment came with its Best Documentary nomination at the 2013 Oscars. Read more: April 2025 K-Drama Lineup: Top 10 Binge-worthy Premieres Direct Watch Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcTN3g-b0iA Omar / 2013 / IMDb: 7.5 / Rotten Tomatoes: 84% (Audience) Produced by David Gerson, Hany Abu-Assad, and Waleed Zuaiter, this drama film thrives with the writing and directing of Hany Abu-Assad. The plot centres on a young Palestinian fighter coerced into becoming an informant. He was being manipulated into admitting guilt following an Israeli soldier’s death. Adam Bakri embodies the title character, supported by Waleed Zuaiter and Leem Lubany. Read more: Pakistani Dramas Taking Over 2025: 10 Top Picks for Your Watchlist “Omar” took home accolades from Cannes and the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. Earning a spot among the 86th Oscar nominees for Best Foreign Language Film was its proudest distinction. Streaming Access: https://ww4.fmovies.co/film/omar-10224/ Paradise Now / 2005 / IMDb: 7.4 / Rotten Tomatoes: 87% (Audience) Bankrolled by Bero Beyer, this psychological drama flourishes under the direction of Hany Abu-Assad, who co-wrote it with Pierre Hodgson and Beyer. This intense drama traces the final hours of two childhood friends recruited for a suicide mission in Tel Aviv. Read more: April 2025 Hindi Films Lineup: Top 10 Most Hyped Bollywood Releases Kais Nashef, Ali Suliman, Lubna Azabal, and Hiam Abbass portray the main characters. The movie’s highest recognition arrived with a Golden Globe Award win and an Oscar nomination for the Best Foreign Language Film. Full Access Here: https://www.lookmovie2.to/movies/play/1689756712-paradise-now-2005

At least 32 people, most of them women and children, were killed in Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, local health authorities reported on Sunday, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu travelled to the United States to meet President Donald Trump for discussions about the ongoing conflict. Israel, which ended its ceasefire with Hamas last month, has captured territory in an attempt to compel the militant group into agreeing to a new truce and the release of remaining hostages. The country has also prevented the entry of food, fuel, and other critical supplies into Gaza for more than a month, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the enclave, which heavily depends on external aid. Phone footage challenges Israel’s account of killing 15 Palestinian medics On Sunday evening, the Israeli military instructed residents of several areas in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, to evacuate, shortly after around 10 projectiles were launched from the territory—marking the largest attack from Gaza since Israel resumed military operations. The military said about five of those projectiles were intercepted. Hamas’ armed wing claimed responsibility. A rocket hit the city of Ashkelon, and debris fell in other locations, police said. According to the Magen David Adom emergency service, one person sustained minor injuries. The military later announced it had targeted and hit a rocket launcher in Gaza. Israeli airstrikes overnight into Sunday hit a tent and a home in Khan Younis, a city in the south, killing five men, five women, and five children, according to Nasser Hospital, which received the victims’ bodies. Among the deceased was a female journalist. “My daughter was innocent. She had no part in any of this — she was passionate about journalism and loved it deeply,” her mother, Amal Kaskeen, said. Israeli forces establish new security corridor in Southern Gaza A toddler’s body occupied one side of an emergency stretcher. “My cousin was killed, and Trump wants the Gaza issue resolved quickly — that’s clear from what happened this morning,” said Mohammad Abdel-Hadi, a relative of one of the victims. In the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza, Israeli shelling claimed at least four lives, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. An Associated Press journalist at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah reported that seven bodies — including those of a child and three women — had arrived there. Meanwhile, a strike in Gaza City hit civilians queuing outside a bakery, killing at least six people, including three children, according to the civil defence service operated by Gaza’s Hamas-led administration. Netanyahu Meets Trump Amid Protests Against the War In Jabaliya, dozens of Palestinians demonstrated against the war, with social media footage showing them marching and chanting anti-Hamas slogans. While such protests are uncommon, they have taken place in recent weeks. Within Israel, resentment is growing over the renewed conflict and its implications for the hostages still held in Gaza. Hostage families, recently released individuals, and their supporters have urged President Trump to work towards ending the hostilities. Netanyahu is scheduled to meet Trump on Monday, their second encounter since Trump began his new term in January. The prime minister stated that their agenda would include discussions on the conflict and the newly imposed 17% tariff on Israel — part of a broader U.S. global trade policy. “There are many leaders waiting for similar discussions regarding their economies. It reflects the strong personal ties and the critical connection between the U.S. and Israel during this difficult time,” Netanyahu said during the conclusion of his visit to Hungary. The United States, alongside Egypt and Qatar, is one of the key mediators in truce negotiations and supported Israel’s decision to resume the conflict last month. Israeli airstrike on Gaza School kills 27 Human Toll of the Conflict Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed since then, including 15 medics whose bodies were only recovered a week after their deaths. Israel’s military recently revised its narrative about the incident, partially captured on video, which had drawn criticism from officials with the Red Cross, Red Crescent, and the United Nations. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched an attack on Israel, killing around 1,200 people and abducting 251. Of those hostages, 59 remain in Gaza — with 24 believed to be alive. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 50,695 Palestinians have been killed by Israel’s offensive. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants but says over half the dead were women and children. Israel claims it has killed about 20,000 militants but has not provided evidence to support this figure. Early Monday, airstrikes hit within the Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital compound. Explosions were recorded by an Associated Press camera, with smoke and flames visible from a distance. No immediate reports of casualties were available. Escalation in the West Bank The Palestinian Health Ministry in the occupied West Bank said that an American-Palestinian teenager was killed, and two others were wounded — one critically — and alleged that Israeli settlers were responsible for the shooting. The Israeli military said it was investigating the incident in Turmus Ayya, a town near Jerusalem with a significant Palestinian-American community. The war in Gaza has fuelled violence in the West Bank, where Israeli military operations have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians and the displacement of tens of thousands. There has also been a rise in both settler violence and Palestinian attacks on Israelis.

Israel's military operation in Gaza has expanded to seize "large areas," according to the defence minister, while hospital officials in the Palestinian territory report that Israeli strikes overnight and into Wednesday have killed over 40 people, including nearly a dozen children. Israel’s offensive in Gaza is "expanding to crush and clean the area" of militants while "seizing large areas that will be added to the security zones of the State of Israel," Defence Minister Israel Katz stated in a written announcement. Israel strikes kill 3 in Beirut Israel has long maintained a buffer zone inside Gaza along its security fence, which has significantly expanded since the war began in 2023. While Israel argues that the buffer zone is essential for security, Palestinians see it as a land grab further reducing the already narrow coastal enclave, home to around 2 million people. Katz did not specify which areas of Gaza would be seized in this expanded operation, which he said involves the “extensive evacuation” of residents from combat zones. His remarks followed Israel’s order for a full evacuation of the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that Israel intends to maintain indefinite but unspecified security control over Gaza once Hamas is defeated. The minister urged Gaza’s residents to "expel Hamas and return all hostages." The militant group still holds 59 captives, 24 of whom are believed to be alive, after most others were freed through ceasefire agreements or other negotiations. “This is the only way to end the war,” Katz declared. Since the collapse of the ceasefire last month, Israel’s expanding areas of operation and evacuation orders have resulted in “no-go” zones covering more than 60% of Gaza, according to Olga Cherevko, spokesperson for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Aid organisations are offering assistance where possible, though supplies are dwindling due to Israel’s monthlong blockade. These "no-go" zones include the military zone in the Netzarim corridor—an Israeli-controlled strip dividing northern and southern Gaza—as well as the expanded buffer zone and newly designated evacuation areas. The Hostage Families Forum, representing most captives' relatives, expressed shock over the defence minister’s announcement. The group stated that Israel’s government has a duty to secure the release of all 59 hostages and must pursue every possible negotiation channel. “Their lives hang in the balance as more and more disturbing details emerge about the horrific conditions they’re being held in—chained, abused, and in desperate need of medical attention,” the forum said. It urged the Trump administration and other mediators to maintain pressure on Hamas for their release. “Our highest priority must be an immediate deal to bring ALL hostages back home—the living for rehabilitation and those killed for proper burial—and end this war,” the group added. Children killed in strike on UN building Israel continued its strikes on Gaza, with overnight air raids killing 17 people in the southern city of Khan Younis. Another 15 were killed in an attack in northern Gaza on Wednesday, according to hospital officials. At Nasser Hospital, officials said 12 bodies from an overnight airstrike included five women—one of them pregnant—and two children. The Gaza European Hospital reported receiving five bodies from separate airstrikes. Later on Wednesday, officials at the Indonesian Hospital said an Israeli strike on a U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) building in Jabaliya refugee camp killed 15 people, including nine children and two women. The Palestinian Civil Defence reported that the building had previously functioned as a UNRWA clinic but was now housing displaced individuals. It said the attack hit two rooms and that rescue teams retrieved the bodies of seven victims and 12 wounded survivors. Juliette Touma, a spokesperson for UNRWA, stated that the facility was no longer operating as a clinic but served as a shelter for about 735 displaced people from 160 families. Despite warnings from UNRWA staff about the dangers after Wednesday’s attack, many families have remained at the site “simply because they have absolutely nowhere else to go,” Touma said, adding that no UNRWA staff were harmed in the strike. The Israeli military stated that it targeted Hamas operatives in the area, alleging that they were hiding in a “command and control centre” used to coordinate armed activities and functioned as a central meeting place for the group. Separately, the European Hospital confirmed receiving the bodies of eight people killed in Khan Younis, while three others killed in Zawaida in central Gaza were taken to Al-Aqsa Hospital, according to hospital officials. The war began on 7 October 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. Israel orders evacuation of most of Rafah Israel’s ongoing offensive has resulted in the deaths of more than 50,000 Palestinians, including hundreds killed since the recent ceasefire ended about two weeks ago, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel claims to have killed around 20,000 militants, though it has not provided evidence.

Gaza's Health Ministry reports that Israel targeted the largest hospital in southern Gaza on Sunday night, resulting in one death, several injuries, and a significant fire. The strike hit the surgical building of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, just days after the hospital was overwhelmed with casualties following Israel’s resumption of attacks last week. Israel's military confirmed the strike, claiming it targeted a Hamas militant operating at the hospital. Israel attributes civilian deaths to Hamas, accusing them of operating in densely populated areas. Israeli airstrikes kill senior Hamas leader, 18 others; Houthis launch missile toward Israel Nasser Hospital, like many other medical facilities in Gaza, has sustained damage from Israeli airstrikes throughout the conflict. The Health Ministry also reported that over 50,000 Palestinians have died in the ongoing conflict, with the military stating that they have killed dozens of militants since the end of a ceasefire earlier this week. On the political front, public unrest in Israel has been growing, with protests outside Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office and calls for changes in direction. Meanwhile, in Gaza, Israel's military ordered thousands of people to leave the severely damaged Tel al-Sultan neighborhood in Rafah, causing more displacement amidst ongoing strikes. Israel also confirmed the death of a Hamas leader, Salah Bardawil, in an airstrike in Muwasi, along with his wife. In southern Gaza, hospitals reported receiving 24 more bodies from overnight strikes, including several women and children. The Health Ministry's figures show a staggering death toll, including over 15,000 children. Meanwhile, Israel claims it has killed around 20,000 militants, although they have not provided evidence. Israel retaliates with strikes on Lebanon after rocket attack The ceasefire that had been in place since January has collapsed, with no progress in the planned negotiations for the next phase. Additionally, Israel's government passed a measure to create 13 new settlements in the West Bank, bringing the total number of settlements to 140, despite international opposition.

When the first explosions struck Gaza at around 1:30 am this week, a visiting British doctor stepped onto the balcony of a hospital in Khan Younis and watched as missiles streaked across the sky before slamming into the city. Beside him, a Palestinian surgeon gasped, “Oh no. Oh no.” After two months of ceasefire, the devastation of Israeli bombardment had returned. The experienced surgeon turned to the visiting doctor, Sakib Rokadiya, and urged him to head to the emergency ward. Israel orders troops to go deeper into Gaza Soon, torn bodies poured in—brought by ambulances, donkey carts, or carried by desperate relatives. What shocked the doctors most was the number of children. “Child after child, young patient after young patient,” Rokadiya recalled. “The vast majority were women, children, and the elderly.” Thus began a chaotic 24 hours at Nasser Hospital, the largest medical facility in southern Gaza. The sudden Israeli offensive shattered the ceasefire that had been in place since mid-January, aiming to pressure Hamas into releasing more hostages and accepting revised terms of the truce. It became one of the deadliest days in the 17-month war. The aerial assaults killed 409 people across Gaza, including 173 children and 88 women, while hundreds more were wounded, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between militants and civilians in its count. More than 300 casualties inundated Nasser Hospital. Like other hospitals in Gaza, it had suffered damage from Israeli raids and airstrikes throughout the war, leaving it without essential equipment and running low on antibiotics and other necessities. After the first phase of the ceasefire expired on March 2, Israel blocked the entry of medicine, food, and supplies into Gaza. Triage The hospital’s emergency ward overflowed with the wounded, described to The Associated Press by Rokadiya and Tanya Haj-Hassan, an American paediatrician—both volunteers with the charity Medical Aid for Palestinians. The injured came from a tent camp, where missiles had ignited a fire, and from homes struck in Khan Younis and Rafah, further south. A nurse was desperately trying to resuscitate a boy sprawled on the floor, shrapnel embedded in his heart. Nearby, a young man sat trembling, most of his arm missing. A barefoot boy carried in his younger brother, no older than four, whose foot had been blown off. Blood covered the floor, mixed with fragments of bone and tissue. “I was overwhelmed, running from corner to corner, trying to decide who to prioritise, who to send to surgery, who to declare beyond saving,” Haj-Hassan said. “It’s an incredibly difficult decision, and we had to make it repeatedly,” she said in a voice message. Some wounds were easy to overlook. One little girl seemed fine—she only felt pain when she breathed, she told Haj-Hassan. But once undressed, doctors realised she was bleeding into her lungs. Looking through the curly hair of another girl, Haj-Hassan discovered shrapnel embedded in her brain. Two or three injured patients were crammed onto gurneys and rushed to surgery, Rokadiya said. He scribbled notes on slips of paper or directly onto patients’ skin—one for surgery, another for a scan. He wrote names when he could, but many children arrived with no known relatives, their parents either dead, wounded, or lost in the chaos. Often, he simply wrote “UNKNOWN.” In the Operating Room Dr Feroze Sidhwa, an American trauma surgeon from California volunteering with the medical charity MedGlobal, rushed to the hospital’s designated area for the gravely wounded who still had a chance of survival. But the first child he saw—a girl around three or four years old—was beyond help. Her face was torn apart by shrapnel. “She was technically still alive,” Sidhwa said, but with so many other patients needing urgent care, “there was nothing we could do.” He had to tell the girl’s father that she was dying. Then he moved on, performing around 15 surgeries back to back. Palestinian surgeon Khaled Alserr and an Irish volunteer surgeon worked tirelessly alongside him. They operated on a 29-year-old woman with a shattered pelvis, her web of veins bleeding profusely. Despite their efforts, she died 10 hours later in the ICU. Another patient was a six-year-old boy with two holes in his heart, two in his colon, and three more in his stomach, Sidhwa said. They managed to repair the damage and even restarted his heart after he went into cardiac arrest. But he, too, died hours later. “They died because the ICU simply didn’t have the capacity to care for them,” Sidhwa said. Ahmed al-Farra, head of the hospital’s paediatrics and obstetrics department, explained that the ICU lacked critical antibiotics, among other essential supplies. Israel resumes Gaza war with broader goals and fewer limits Sidhwa reflected on his experience at Boston Medical Center when the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing happened, killing three people and injuring around 260 others. “Boston Medical couldn’t have handled the number of cases we saw at Nasser Hospital,” he said. The Hospital Staff Rokadiya was struck by the resilience of the hospital staff as they cared for each other while under immense pressure. Workers moved through the hospital, handing out water to exhausted doctors and nurses. Cleaners worked swiftly to remove the bloodied clothing, blankets, tissues, and medical waste piling up on the floors. At the same time, many staff members were dealing with personal tragedies. Alserr, the Palestinian surgeon, had to go to the morgue to identify the bodies of his wife’s father and brother. “The only thing I saw was a bundle of flesh and bones, melted and shattered,” he said in a voice message, without elaborating on how they were killed. Another staff member lost his wife and children. An anaesthesiologist—who had already lost his mother and 21 relatives earlier in the war—later received word that his father, brother, and cousin had been killed, Haj-Hassan said. The Aftermath Around 85 people died at Nasser Hospital that Tuesday, including about 40 children between the ages of one and 17, al-Farra reported. Airstrikes continued throughout the week, killing several dozen more. Among the dead were at least six senior Hamas figures. Israel has vowed to continue its offensive against Hamas, insisting the group must release more hostages, despite having disregarded ceasefire conditions requiring negotiations for a long-term end to the war. The Israeli government maintains it does not target civilians and blames Hamas for their deaths, arguing that the group operates within civilian areas. Tuesday’s bombardment also helped Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu consolidate his political standing. The offensive secured the return of a right-wing party to his coalition, strengthening his government ahead of a crucial budget vote that could have led to its collapse. Haj-Hassan continues to check on the children in Nasser’s ICU. The girl with shrapnel in her brain remains unable to move her right side. Her mother, limping from her own injuries, came to see her and told Haj-Hassan that the little girl’s sisters had been killed. “I cannot begin to process or comprehend the scale of mass killing and the slaughter of families in their sleep that we are witnessing here,” Haj-Hassan said. “This cannot be the world we live in.”

A one-month-old girl was rescued from the rubble in Gaza after an Israeli airstrike killed her parents. On Thursday, as rescuers sifted through the debris of a collapsed apartment in Khan Younis, they heard the cries of a baby beneath the wreckage. Israeli strikes across Gaza kill at least 40, Say Hospitals Amidst shouts of “God is great,” a man emerged carrying the infant, wrapped in a blanket, and handed her to waiting paramedics. Despite being alive, the baby girl showed signs of distress as the paramedics checked her over. Her family, including her brother, mother, and father, perished in the airstrike. Rescuers noted that the baby had been trapped under the rubble since dawn. Hazen Attar, a civil defense worker, said, “She had been crying, then falling silent until we were able to free her.” The infant, identified as Ella Osama Abu Dagga, was born just 25 days earlier, during a fragile ceasefire that many hoped would end the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced nearly the entire population. The girl's grandparents were the only survivors from the family. The airstrike also claimed the lives of a neighboring family, including a father and his seven children. Rescuers were seen recovering the body of one of the children from the wreckage. Israel resumed airstrikes on Gaza on Tuesday, ending the ceasefire and reigniting the conflict. Israel cited Hamas's rejection of a new ceasefire proposal as the reason for the renewed fighting. Since the resumption of strikes, nearly 600 people have been killed in Gaza, with the majority being women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The strike that destroyed the girl's home targeted Abasan al-Kabira, a village near the Gaza-Israel border, killing at least 16 people. The area had been evacuated earlier by the Israeli military. The Israeli military insists it targets militants and blames Hamas for civilian casualties, alleging that Hamas operates within residential areas. The military did not immediately comment on the recent airstrikes. Later, Israel reinstated a blockade on northern Gaza, including Gaza City, which had been lifted under the ceasefire agreement. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel launches ground operation to retake key Gaza corridor In retaliation, Israel’s air and ground assaults have resulted in nearly 49,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Israel claims to have killed around 20,000 militants, though it has not provided evidence.

Israeli airstrikes overnight and into Thursday killed at least 40 Palestinians across Gaza, according to three hospitals. The attacks targeted homes in the southern cities of Khan Younis and Rafah, as well as Beit Lahiya in the north. Israel resumed intense bombardments on Tuesday, breaking a ceasefire that had paused fighting and enabled the release of over two dozen hostages. Israeli officials blamed Hamas for the renewed conflict, accusing the group of rejecting an Israeli-backed proposal that differed from their prior agreement. According to Gaza's Health Ministry, more than 400 Palestinians—primarily women and children—were killed on Tuesday alone. There have been no reports of Hamas launching rockets or carrying out attacks since fighting resumed. Israeli Ground Troops AdvanceFor the first time since the ceasefire took effect in January, Israeli ground troops moved deeper into Gaza on Wednesday, securing part of a corridor that divides the northern and southern regions of the territory. Israel has also cut off essential supplies, including food, fuel, and humanitarian aid, to Gaza’s roughly 2 million residents. Officials say military operations will continue until Hamas releases the 59 remaining hostages—35 of whom are believed to be dead—and relinquishes control of the territory. The Trump administration, which mediated the earlier ceasefire, has expressed full support for Israel. Hamas has stated that it will only release the hostages in exchange for a permanent ceasefire and Israel’s full withdrawal from Gaza, as outlined in the January agreement brokered by the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar. Israel launches ground operation to retake key Gaza corridor The militant group, which does not recognize Israel, has indicated a willingness to transfer power to the Palestinian Authority or a politically independent committee but refuses to disarm until Israel ends its long-standing occupation of lands Palestinians seek for a future state. Civilian CasualtiesIsrael has yet to comment on the latest airstrikes. The military maintains that its attacks target militants and blames Hamas for civilian casualties, citing the group's presence in residential areas. The European Hospital in Rafah reported that 26 people, mostly women and children, were killed in strikes on two homes. One attack killed a father and his seven children. Meanwhile, Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis received seven bodies from an overnight airstrike on a home, and the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahiya reported seven more deaths from a separate strike. Background of the WarThe war erupted on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched a deadly assault into southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and capturing 251 hostages. Many hostages have since been freed through ceasefire deals, with Israeli forces rescuing eight alive and recovering dozens of bodies. Israel’s retaliatory offensive has been one of the deadliest and most destructive in recent history. The Gaza Health Ministry reports nearly 49,000 Palestinian deaths, stating that more than half were women and children. While Israel claims to have killed about 20,000 militants, it has not provided evidence. Israeli strikes killing hundreds in Gaza are 'Only the Beginning': Netanyahu The war displaced nearly 90% of Gaza’s population at its peak, leaving vast devastation across the enclave. Many who returned home during the ceasefire found their neighborhoods reduced to rubble. Source: With input from agency 

In the early hours of Tuesday, Israel carried out a wave of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, claiming to target dozens of Hamas positions in what it described as the most extensive attack since a ceasefire took effect in January. Palestinian officials reported at least 69 fatalities. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the strikes were ordered due to stalled ceasefire negotiations. Officials described the operation as open-ended and anticipated further expansion. ISIS leader killed in Iraq, Iraqi prime minister says “Israel will now take increasingly forceful military action against Hamas,” Netanyahu’s office announced. The surprise offensive disrupted a period of relative calm during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, raising fears of a full-scale resumption of the 17-month war, which has already claimed over 48,000 Palestinian lives and caused widespread destruction in Gaza. The escalation also cast uncertainty over the fate of approximately two dozen Israeli hostages still believed to be alive in Hamas captivity. Hamas denounced the strikes as an “unprovoked escalation,” stating that they jeopardised the lives of the hostages. There was no immediate response from the U.S. However, over the weekend, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who has been leading mediation efforts alongside Egypt and Qatar, warned that Hamas must release the living hostages immediately “or face severe consequences.” An Israeli official, speaking anonymously about the ongoing military operation, stated that Israel was targeting Hamas' military leadership and infrastructure and planned to extend the assault beyond aerial bombardments. The official accused Hamas of using the ceasefire period to regroup and plan new attacks. In recent weeks, Hamas militants and security personnel had visibly returned to Gaza’s streets. Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, warned that “the gates of hell will open in Gaza” unless the hostages were freed. “We will not halt our operations until all hostages are returned and our war objectives are fully achieved,” he asserted. Explosions echoed throughout Gaza, and hospitals reported receiving at least 69 bodies from the morning airstrikes. The territory’s civil defence agency indicated that rescue efforts were severely hindered due to multiple simultaneous strikes. Ceasefire negotiations had stalledThe airstrikes came two months after a ceasefire agreement had temporarily paused the war. During the first phase, Hamas released about three dozen hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. However, since the ceasefire ended two weeks ago, both sides have struggled to reach an agreement on a second phase that would involve the release of the remaining 60 hostages and a potential end to the war. Hamas has insisted that Israel must completely withdraw its forces and end the war in exchange for releasing the remaining hostages. Israel, on the other hand, has maintained that it will not stop fighting until Hamas' military and governing capabilities are dismantled and all hostages are freed. Iranian, Azerbaijani FMs hold phone talk over ties, regional issues Netanyahu has repeatedly threatened to resume military operations. Earlier this month, he also halted the entry of food and humanitarian aid into Gaza to exert pressure on Hamas. “This escalation follows Hamas’ continued refusal to release our hostages and its rejection of all proposals from U.S. presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and other mediators,” Netanyahu’s office stated on Tuesday. Hamas official Taher Nunu condemned the Israeli offensive, stating: “The international community now faces a moral test—either it allows the occupation army to resume its crimes, or it enforces an end to the aggression against Gaza’s innocent civilians.” Gaza was already facing a humanitarian crisisThe war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a cross-border attack that killed approximately 1,200 people and took 250 hostages. Israel responded with a military campaign that has since killed over 48,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, and displaced an estimated 90% of Gaza’s population. Gaza’s Health Ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but reports that over half of the dead were women and children. The ceasefire had brought some temporary relief, allowing hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to return to what was left of their homes. However, Gaza remains devastated, with no immediate plans for reconstruction. A resumption of full-scale hostilities threatens to undo any progress made in alleviating the humanitarian crisis. An Israeli ground offensive could be especially lethal, as large numbers of civilians have now returned to their homes. Before the ceasefire, many had sought refuge in tent camps that provided relative protection from airstrikes. The return to fighting could also deepen internal tensions in Israel regarding the fate of the remaining hostages. Many of those who were released by Hamas described harsh conditions in captivity, leading to growing domestic pressure on the Israeli government to extend the ceasefire to secure the release of all hostages. Hostage families and supporters have repeatedly urged the government to prioritise negotiations. Tens of thousands of Israelis have recently taken part in mass demonstrations calling for a ceasefire and the release of the hostages. Further protests are planned for Tuesday and Wednesday following Netanyahu’s controversial decision to dismiss the head of Israel’s internal security agency, Shin Bet. Critics view the move as an attempt to shift blame for the government’s failures in the October 7 attack and its handling of the war. Since the ceasefire took effect in mid-January, Israeli forces have killed dozens of Palestinians whom the military claims entered restricted areas or posed security threats. Despite ongoing tensions, the ceasefire had largely held without a major resurgence of violence. The first phase of the agreement had facilitated the exchange of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody. Egypt, Qatar, and the United States have continued efforts to broker a second phase of negotiations. Israel has proposed securing the release of half the remaining hostages in exchange for a commitment to further ceasefire talks. However, Hamas insists that both sides adhere to the original agreement, which calls for negotiations on a broader truce, the release of all hostages, and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Hamas is believed to be holding 24 living hostages and the bodies of 35 others.