An Israeli strike Tuesday in southwestern Syria killed at least four people as Israeli troops occupying the area clashed with local residents, Syrian state media and a war monitor reported. Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said troops fired back at gunmen who attacked them, before launching a drone attack. Syrian state-run news agency SANA said that several people were injured, including a woman. The report said Israeli tanks in the southwestern village of Koayiah also fired several rounds. Britain-based war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights put the death toll at seven. The observatory and a town resident told The Associated Press that clashes had erupted between Israeli troops and residents when the Israeli troops fired. Israel seized a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone inside Syria after Islamist insurgents toppled President Bashar Assad and seized power in December, with Israeli officials saying they will thwart any threats. Israeli officials have also said that they will not allow the new Syrian military south of Damascus, claiming that they aim to protect the Druze, a minority sect present in both Syria and Israel. Syria’s new authorities and U.N. officials have said Israel is violating the 1974 agreement that set up the buffer zone along the border and called for its withdraw. Israeli legislators pass state budget in a move that shores up Netanyahu's government Elsewhere, the spokesperson of an investigative committee tasked with probing days of clashes and revenge attacks in Syria's coastal region that killed hundreds of civilians said they had listened to almost 100 testimonies and received dozens of written and recorded civilian and military statements. “There are areas where the events took place that are dangerous, and some witnesses and residents are afraid to communicate with the committee,” Yasser al-Farhan said at a news conference. He declined to elaborate on the committee's findings so far. The clashes erupted after pro-Assad loyalists attacked a security patrol in the coastal city of Lattakia, leading to revenge killings that broadly targeted Assad's minority Alawite community. The two-day violence was a major setback in Damascus' efforts to improve its image and convince Europe and the United States to lift economic sanctions after over a decade of conflict. SANA also said Tuesday that two internet cables were cut in an act of sabotage, cutting online access across much of the country for 12 hours.

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.

Israel has resumed its military campaign in Gaza with broader objectives and significantly fewer restrictions, raising concerns that this phase could be even more deadly and destructive than the previous one. The war restarted with an unexpected bombardment early Tuesday, killing hundreds of Palestinians, ending the ceasefire, and threatening further devastation unless Hamas releases the remaining hostages and departs from the region. One-month-old rescued from Gaza rubble after airstrike kills parents Former U.S. President Donald Trump has fully endorsed the renewed offensive and previously suggested that Gaza’s 2 million residents be relocated to other countries. Meanwhile, Iran-backed militant groups allied with Hamas are in disarray. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is stronger than ever, and the number of hostages held inside Gaza is at its lowest since Hamas launched the war on October 7, 2023. This gives the Israeli military greater operational freedom. These factors indicate that the next stage of the war could be even more intense than the last, during which tens of thousands of Palestinians were killed, the majority of the population was displaced, and much of Gaza was left in ruins. "If all the Israeli hostages are not released and Hamas is not expelled from Gaza, Israel will act with an intensity you have never seen," Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday. "Return the hostages and expel Hamas, and other options will become available, including relocation to other countries for those who wish. The alternative is total destruction and devastation." Even Less U.S. Pressure to Protect CiviliansThe Biden administration provided critical military and diplomatic backing to Israel during the first 15 months of the war but also sought to reduce civilian casualties. Early in the conflict, Biden convinced Israel to ease its total blockade on Gaza and consistently urged it to allow more humanitarian aid, with mixed success. He opposed Israel’s offensive in southern Gaza in May and temporarily halted a weapons shipment in protest, though Israel proceeded regardless. Biden also played a key role in securing the ceasefire through negotiations with Egypt and Qatar, with Trump’s team later finalising the deal. Israeli strikes across Gaza kill at least 40, Say Hospitals The Trump administration, however, appears to have imposed no restrictions. It has not criticised Israel for sealing off Gaza again, unilaterally withdrawing from the ceasefire agreement, or launching strikes that have killed hundreds of civilians. Israel maintains that it only targets militants and insists that dismantling Hamas is essential to preventing another attack like the one on October 7, when Palestinian militants killed approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages. The Biden administration previously questioned this approach, arguing that Hamas was no longer capable of carrying out such an attack. Before the January ceasefire, the offensive had resulted in over 48,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and militants in its reports but states that more than half of the casualties were women and children. Trump Has Proposed Depopulating GazaTrump appeared to lose interest in the ceasefire weeks ago, saying it should be abandoned if Hamas did not release all hostages immediately. A brief White House effort to negotiate directly with Hamas was abandoned after Israel objected. Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, later blamed Hamas for the ceasefire’s collapse, stating that it had rejected proposals for the immediate release of hostages. Hamas has insisted that it will only release the remaining hostages—its primary bargaining tool—in exchange for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire, and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, as outlined in the ceasefire agreement. Trump, meanwhile, has proposed relocating Gaza’s entire population to other countries so the U.S. could take control of the territory and rebuild it for other inhabitants. Palestinians have rejected this idea, insisting they will not leave their homeland, while Arab nations have also strongly opposed it. Human rights experts argue that such a move would likely violate international law. Israel has welcomed the proposal and stated that it is developing plans to implement it. Netanyahu’s Government Is More Secure Than EverNetanyahu faced intense pressure from the families of hostages and their supporters to maintain the ceasefire in hopes of securing their release. For months, thousands of protesters gathered in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, blocking highways and clashing with police. By resuming the war, Netanyahu has sidelined these critics and reinforced his hard-line coalition. Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who resigned in protest against the ceasefire, rejoined the government shortly after Tuesday’s strikes. Along with Bezalel Smotrich, another far-right ally of Netanyahu, he supports continuing the war, facilitating "voluntary migration" of Gaza’s population, and re-establishing Jewish settlements there, which were removed two decades ago. Netanyahu has also dismissed or forced out several high-ranking officials who appeared more open to a hostage deal. Hamas and Its Allies Are in DisarrayAlthough Hamas still governs Gaza, most of its senior leaders have been killed, and its military capabilities have been significantly weakened. Israel claims to have eliminated around 20,000 militants, though it has not provided evidence. In its first attack after the ceasefire ended, Hamas launched three rockets on Thursday, triggering air raid sirens in Tel Aviv but causing no casualties. Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which engaged in cross-border clashes with Israel for much of the war, was forced to accept a truce last autumn after Israeli strikes killed many of its leaders and devastated southern Lebanon. The fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad, a key ally, has further weakened the group. Iran, which backs both Hamas and Hezbollah and directly exchanged fire with Israel twice last year, appears unlikely to intervene. Israel claims to have severely damaged Iran’s air defences with a wave of retaliatory strikes last autumn, while Trump has warned of U.S. military action if Iran refuses to negotiate a new nuclear deal. Meanwhile, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have resumed launching long-range missiles at Israel, though these have rarely caused significant damage or casualties. The U.S. has responded with a new round of strikes on the Houthis, potentially further reducing their operational capacity. International Criticism May Be More MutedThe initial phase of the war prompted global protests, condemnation from some European leaders, and United Nations action. Israel faced genocide accusations at the International Court of Justice, while the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu. This time, however, the response could be different. The Trump administration has detained foreign-born pro-Palestinian student activists and others, while also threatening to withdraw billions in federal funding from universities accused of tolerating antisemitism. This crackdown makes a repeat of last year’s U.S. campus protests less likely. European nations, already engaged in disputes with Trump over aid to Ukraine and trade tariffs, seem unlikely to challenge him over Middle East policy. Both the U.S. and Israel have firmly rejected the actions of international courts, accusing them of bias. In early February, Trump signed an executive order imposing sanctions on the ICC, of which neither the U.S. nor Israel is a member.

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 

Israel's military announced on Wednesday that it had initiated a “limited ground operation” aimed at reclaiming a portion of a vital Gaza corridor. This escalation appears to intensify Israel's renewed offensive in Gaza, which has broken the ceasefire with Hamas that began in January. As part of the ceasefire agreement, Israel had withdrawn from the Netzarim corridor, a former military zone that divided northern Gaza from the south. Israeli strikes killing hundreds in Gaza are 'Only the Beginning': Netanyahu In other developments, a United Nations staff member was killed, and five others were injured in a strike on a U.N. guesthouse in Gaza on Wednesday, as Israel continued its new offensive, breaking the fragile ceasefire with Hamas. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned of intensifying the assault and stated that evacuations from combat zones would soon be ordered. He also issued a stern warning regarding hostages, asserting that if they were not freed, Israel would act with unprecedented force. Jorge Moreira da Silva, head of the U.N. Office for Project Services (UNOPS), refrained from specifying who was behind the strike in Deir al-Balah, but confirmed that the explosion was intentional and not connected to demining activities. He stated that Israel had been informed of the U.N. facility's location after the first strike and had acknowledged it as a U.N. site. The injured were taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Hospital in Deir al-Balah. The Israeli military denied earlier claims that it had targeted the U.N. compound, but Moreira da Silva revealed that strikes had hit near the compound on Monday, and directly on Tuesday and Wednesday, resulting in the death of the U.N. staff member. There have been no reports of rocket fire or other militant attacks from Gaza since Israel began its airstrikes early Tuesday, effectively ending the ceasefire with Hamas. The ongoing bombardment has resulted in at least 436 deaths, including 183 children and 94 women, with another 678 people wounded, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The military has stated that it targets only militants, attributing civilian casualties to Hamas, which operates in densely populated areas. In the new offensive, the Israeli military claimed to have struck numerous militants and their sites, including the command center of a Hamas battalion. Israel confirms killing Hamas's 'head of government' in Gaza The escalation of violence threatens to return the region to full-scale war after a ceasefire agreement brokered in January had briefly paused the conflict. During this pause, Israel and Hamas had engaged in prisoner exchanges and were poised to negotiate an extension of the truce. However, these talks never materialized, as Hamas demanded Israel’s complete withdrawal from Gaza and the cessation of the war, while Israel proposed extending the truce and securing the release of more hostages without committing to ending the conflict.

Israel launched a wave of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, saying it was hitting Hamas targets in its heaviest assault in the territory since a ceasefire took effect in January. The strikes killed more than 400 people and wounded over 500, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered the strikes because of a lack of progress in talks to extend the ceasefire. Officials said the operation was open-ended and was expected to expand. The White House said it had been consulted and voiced support for Israel’s actions. Hamas warned that Israel’s new airstrikes breached their ceasefire and put the fate of hostages in jeopardy. The surprise attack shattered a period of relative calm during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and raised the prospect of a full return to fighting in a 17-month war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and caused widespread destruction across Gaza.   Gaza Health Ministry revises the number of dead and wounded The Gaza Health Ministry has revised its death toll from Israeli strikes on Tuesday, saying a total of 404 people were killed. It had earlier reported 413 dead. It also revised the number of wounded to 562 from 660. It did not provide an explanation. Medics say the situation inside Gaza hospitals has been chaotic since the strikes began hours before dawn, and that many people are still buried under the rubble. A doctor at a Gaza hospital speaks of ‘horror’ as casualties rise A doctor working at a Gaza hospital said she had witnessed “a level of horror” that was hard to articulate after Israel’s surprise bombardment of the territory. Dr. Tanya Haj Hassan, a volunteer with Medical Aid for Palestinians based at Nasser Hospital, said the pediatric intensive care unit was full. She said she had personally treated at least five patients who died in the emergency room. “The ER was just chaos, patients everywhere, on the floor,” she said. “There were probably three men, and the rest were all children, women, elderly, everybody caught in their sleep, still wrapped in blankets. Terrifying.” Israeli strikes across Gaza kill at least 413 Palestinians, officials say The death toll from a wave of Israeli strikes in Gaza Tuesday has reached 413, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza. The ministry says at least 660 people have been wounded in the strikes. Israel launched a new offensive on Gaza Tuesday, shattering a ceasefire between it and the militant group Hamas and threatening to fully ignite the war in Gaza. Palestinians describe a strike on a school-turned-shelter Palestinians at a school sheltering displaced families in Gaza City say they were shaken violently from their sleep early Tuesday when Israeli jets struck. Hospital officials said more than two dozen people were killed. “People are sleeping peacefully, they set the alarm to wake up for suhoor, and they wake up to death,” said Fedaa Heriz, a displaced woman, referring to the early morning meal during the fasting month of Ramadan. The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the school strike, which was part of a renewed offensive in Gaza. “I heard screaming, my mother and sister screaming, calling for help. I came and entered the room and found the children under the rubble, under the stones,” said Majd Naser, a displaced Palestinian. Hamas says at least 4 senior officials killed in Israeli airstrikes The Hamas-run government media office in Gaza said at least four senior officials, including two top police officers, in the Hamas administration have been killed in Israeli strikes. They include Issam al-Daalis, head of the government administrative committee, Maj. Gen. Mohamed Abu Watfa, undersecretary of the Interior Ministry, Maj. Gen. Bahgat Abu Sultan, director of the domestic security agency and Ahmed al-Hetta, undersecretary of the Justice Ministry. Egypt lashes out at Israel over new attacks in Gaza Egypt, a key mediator in Gaza ceasefire talks, lashed out at Israel, calling its new offensive on Gaza a “flagrant violation of the ceasefire deal.” The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it rejects “all Israeli attacks which aim to … make ongoing efforts to de-escalate and regain stability fail.” It called for the international community to “to immediately intervene to stop the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.” It also urged the parties to “exercise restraint” and give mediators a space to “complete their efforts to reach a permanent ceasefire.” UN human rights chief ‘horrified’ by Gaza strikes The U.N. human rights chief says he’s “horrified” by Israel airstrikes in Gaza overnight that have killed hundreds, according to health authorities in the territory. Volker Türk says the last 18 months of fighting between Palestinian armed groups, including Hamas, and Israeli forces have shown that “the only way forward is a political settlement” and a “military path” offers no way out of the crisis. The rights chief reiterated his calls for hostages held by Hamas and people held arbitrarily to be released “immediately and unconditionally.” “This nightmare must end immediately,” he added in a statement. 69 killed as Israel launches series of deadly airstrikes across Gaza Families of hostages call for a protest outside Israel’s parliament The families of hostages held by Hamas are calling on supporters to protest with them outside Israel’s parliament, saying the resumption of fighting in Gaza puts their loved ones at risk. “With each passing day, the danger to the hostages grows. Military pressure could further endanger their lives,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the main group representing the families, said in a statement announcing the protest. Netanyahu set to meet top security officials on the next step An Israeli official says Netanyahu is to meet with top security officials in the coming half-hour to discuss next steps in the war. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a closed-door meeting. UN secretary-general says he is ‘shocked’ by Israeli strikes in Gaza The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres says he is “shocked” by the Israeli airstrikes in Gaza and has called for the ceasefire in Gaza to be respected. Guterres, in a statement, called for humanitarian aid to resume for people in Gaza and for the hostages held by Hamas to be released unconditionally. Freed British-Israeli hostage says she is ‘crushed' by resumption of fighting Freed British-Israeli hostage Emily Damari says her “heart is broken, crushed and disappointed” by the resumption of fighting in Gaza. In a story on Instagram shared by Israeli media, she said she would keep fighting for the remaining hostages. Israeli strikes kill at least 326 people Gaza’s Health Ministry says Israeli strikes across the territory have killed at least 326 people. The wave of strikes that began early Tuesday is among the deadliest since the start of the 17-month war. Australian prime minister calls for ceasefire to be maintained in Gaza Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called for the ceasefire to be maintained following Israel’s attack on Gaza. “There’s already been enormous suffering there, which is why we’re calling upon all parties to respect the ceasefire and hostage deal that was put in place,” Albanese told reporters. “We’ll continue to make representations. Australia will continue to stand up for peace and security in the region,” he added. Israeli airstrike flattens prison, killing dozens of prisoners and police officers An Israeli airstrike flattened a prison run by the Hamas-led government in Gaza Strip, killing dozens of prisoners and policemen, according to hospital records. The prison was located in the urban Shati refugee camp in Gaza City. Associated Press footage showed a collapsed building and people trying to reach bodies buried under the rubble. The bodies of more than three dozen prisoners and guards were taken to the nearby Shifa hospital. The Hamas-run government operates a police force that numbered in the tens of thousands before the war and quickly returned to the streets after a ceasefire took hold in January. Israel’s military orders people to evacuate eastern Gaza after wave of strikes The Israeli military ordered people to evacuate eastern Gaza and move toward the center of the territory after Israel carried out a wave of airstrikes across the territory. The orders issued Tuesday indicate Israel could launch renewed ground operations. Classes suspended in dozens of Gaza schools after airstrikes The Hamas-run Education Ministry in the Gaza Strip says classes have been suspended in dozens of schools that had recently reopened. The decision came after Israel launched a wave of heavy airstrikes across Gaza early Tuesday, shattering a nearly two-month ceasefire. Schools shut down across Gaza after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack ignited the war, and most were converted to shelters for displaced people. The ministry said it had resumed classes in around 70 schools in recent weeks. A UNICEF staffer describes a harrowing night in Gaza A United Nations staffer in the Gaza Strip described a “very tough night” as Israel resumed heavy strikes across the territory after a nearly two-month ceasefire. Rosalia Bollen, a communications specialist with the U.N. children’s agency, said she woke up around 2 a.m. on Tuesday to “very loud explosions.” She said the UNICEF bass near the southern city of Rafah “was shaking very heavily.” When the strikes subsided, she heard “people yelling, people screaming and ambulances.” “The bombardments have continued throughout the night,” though at a lower intensity than the initial barrage, she said. “The whole night, there’s been just the constant buzzing of drones and planes flying over.” She said the strikes hit tents and structures housing displaced families. “We’re seeing, as of this morning, at least several dozen children killed,” she said. Families of hostages held in Gaza say they are terrified by the resumed airstrikes The main group representing the families of hostages held in Gaza has slammed the decision to return to fighting, saying the move shows the government “chose to give up on the hostages.” The Hostages Families Forum said “military pressure endangers hostages.” It asked the government in a post on X why it “backed out of the agreement” with Hamas that set out a release of all the living hostages in exchange for an end to the war. “We are shocked, angry, and terrified by the deliberate dismantling of the process to return our loved ones from the terrible captivity of Hamas,” the group said. ISIS leader killed in Iraq, Iraqi prime minister says Netanyahu's hard-line ally welcomes return to fighting in Gaza A key governing partner of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the return to fighting in Gaza. Bezalel Smotrich had threatened to leave the government if fighting did not resume, which would imperil Netanyahu’s rule. Critics said those political considerations were influencing Netanyahu’s wartime decision-making. “We remained in the government for this moment despite our opposition to the (ceasefire) deal, and we are more determined than ever to complete the task and destroy Hamas,” Smotrich posted on X. Israeli strikes have killed at least 235 people in the Gaza Strip Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip have killed at least 235 people, according to local hospitals. The toll from the strikes overnight and into Tuesday is based on records from seven hospitals and does not include bodies brought to other, smaller health centers. Rescuers are still searching for dead and wounded. North Korea criticizes US over airstrikes targeting Yemen's Houthi rebels North Korea has criticized the United States over its new campaign of airstrikes targeting Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The state-run KCNA news agency on Tuesday quoted Ma Tong Hui, North Korea’s ambassador to Egypt and concurrently to Yemen, as describing the attacks as a “wanton violation of all international laws including the U.N. Charter and it is an open encroachment upon the sovereignty of other nation that can never be justified.” He also criticized “U.S. hooliganism.” Trump during his first term held summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but the diplomacy collapsed over disagreements on US sanctions. Senior Hamas official says Gaza strikes amount to ‘death sentence’ for remaining hostages A senior Hamas official says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to launch widespread strikes on the Gaza Strip amounts to a “death sentence” for the remaining hostages held there. In a statement early Tuesday, Izzat al-Risheq, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, accused Netanyahu of resuming the war to try and save his far-right governing coalition. “Netanyahu’s decision to return to war is a decision to sacrifice the (Israeli) occupation’s captives and a death sentence against them,” he said. He said Israel didn’t respect its commitments in the ceasefire deal reached in January and urged mediators to “reveal facts” on which side broke the agreement. US security official blames Hamas for renewed fighting National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said the militant group “could have released hostages to extend the ceasefire but instead chose refusal and war.” U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who has been leading mediation efforts along with Egypt and Qatar, had earlier warned that Hamas must release living hostages immediately “or pay a severe price.” Israel expects further military action Israeli officials said the latest operation was open-ended and was expected to expand. “Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said. White House says it was consulted by Israelis before resuming attacks against Hamas White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says the “Trump administration and the White House were consulted by the Israelis on their attacks in Gaza tonight.” “As President Trump has made it clear, Hamas, the Houthis, Iran — all those who seek to terrorize not just Israel, but also the United States of America — will see a price to pay: All hell will break lose,” Leavitt continued, speaking to Fox News on Monday evening. Leavitt is one of three administration officials who face a lawsuit from The Associated Press on First- and Fifth-Amendment grounds. The AP says the three are punishing the news agency for editorial decisions they oppose. The White House says the AP is not following an executive order to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.

Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip killed at least 18 people overnight, including women and children, health officials said Tuesday, as Israel and Hamas appeared to be narrowing in on a ceasefire deal to end the 15-month war and release dozens of hostages. Officials have expressed mounting optimism that they can conclude an agreement in the coming days after more than a year of talks that have repeatedly stalled, AP reports. Two strikes in the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah killed two women and their four children, who ranged in age from 1 month to 9 years old. One of the women was pregnant and the baby did not survive, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, which received the bodies. Another 12 people were killed in two strikes on the southern city of Khan Younis, according to the European Hospital. Rescuers attempt to free survivors from trapped South African miners There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Israel says it only targets militants and accuses them of hiding among civilians in shelters and tent camps for the displaced. Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza began on Oct. 7, 2023, when militants stormed into southern Israel and killed about 1,200 people and abducted around 250. A third of the 100 hostages still held in Gaza are believed to be dead. The Israel Hamas-war has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to health authorities there. The Health Ministry does not distinguish between fighters and civilians, but says women and children make up more than half the fatalities. Meanwhile, President-elect Donald Trump has described a possible ceasefire as being “very close.” “I understand ... there’s been a handshake and they are getting it finished -- and maybe by the end of the week,” Trump told the American cable channel Newsmax Monday night. A missile fired by Houthi rebels targets central Israel as airstrikes hit displaced area in Gaza He added that part of the deal would see “bodies” brought out of the Gaza Strip, without elaborating. Israel and Hamas are under renewed pressure to halt the conflict in the lead-up to Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration. The phased deal would be based on a framework laid out by President Joe Biden in May and endorsed by the UN Security Council.

At least 30 people, including children, were killed in Gaza by Israeli strikes overnight and into Friday morning, hospital staff said, as sirens also sounded across Israel and stalled ceasefire talks were set to resume. Staff at the Al Aqsa Martyrs hospital said more than a dozen women and children were killed in strikes that hit various places in Central Gaza, including Nuseirat, Zawaida, Maghazi and Deir al Balah. Dozens of people were also killed across the enclave the previous day, bringing the total of people killed in the past 24 hours to 56. The Israeli army did not comment on the latest strikes. However, in a statement Friday, it said during the past day it had struck dozens of Hamas gathering points and command and control centers throughout Gaza, areas where Hamas had planned and executed attacks. The army said measures were taken to mitigate civilian harm, such as using precise munitions and aerial surveillance. Israeli strikes across Gaza kill 40, including several kids Strikes Thursday hit Hamas security officers and an Israeli-declared humanitarian zone. Among those killed early Friday was Omar al-Derawi, a freelance journalist. Associated Press reporters saw friends and colleagues mourning over his body at the hospital, with a press vest laid on top of his shroud. Israelis also woke up to attacks early Friday morning. Israel said missiles were fired into the country from Yemen, which set off air raid sirens in Jerusalem and central Israel and sent people scrambling to shelters. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage, though a faint explosion, likely either from the missile or from interceptors, could be heard in Jerusalem. Israel's army said a missile was intercepted. As the attacks were underway, efforts at ceasefire negotiations were expected to resume Friday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he had authorized a delegation from the Mossad intelligence agency, the Shin Bet internal security agency and the military to continue negotiations in Qatar. The delegation is leaving for Qatar on Friday. The U.S.-led talks have repeatedly stalled during 15 months of war, which was sparked by Hamas-led militants’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack into Israel. The militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250. Around 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third believed to be dead. Syrians demand justice for disappeared activists, accountability from all factions Israel’s offensive in retaliation has killed over 45,500 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the territory's Health Ministry, which says women and children make up more than half the dead. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its tally. Israel's military says it only targets militants and blames Hamas for civilian deaths because its fighters operate in dense residential areas. The army says it has killed 17,000 militants, without providing evidence. The war has caused widespread destruction and displaced some 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million, many of them multiple times.

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 40 people on Thursday across central and southern Gaza, including an attack on a sprawling tent camp that Israel has repeatedly bombed despite designating it a humanitarian safe zone. Israel said the strike targeted a righ-ranking police officer, and blames Hamas for civilian deaths. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Thursday he authorized a delegation from the country's intelligence services and military to continue negotiations in Qatar toward a ceasefire deal in Gaza. There was no immediate comment from Hamas. American, Qatari and Egyptian mediators have spent nearly a year trying to broker a ceasefire and hostage release, but their efforts have repeatedly stalled. The Israeli military also claimed responsibility Thursday for a commando raid in western Syria last September that destroyed what it said was an Iranian-led missile factory. Israel’s war in Gaza has killed over 45,500 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who say women and children make up more than half the fatalities. The officials do not distinguish between civilians and combatants in their tally. The war was sparked by Hamas-led militants' Oct. 7, 2023 attack into Israel. They killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250 that day. Around 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. The Israeli military says a missile fired from Yemen has set off air raid sirens in Jerusalem and central Israel. The attack, at 4:30 a.m. Friday, woke millions of people and sent people scrambling to air raid shelters. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage, though a faint explosion, likely either from the missile or from interceptors, could be heard in Jerusalem. The military said interceptors were launched toward the target and the results are under review. Yemen’s Houthi rebels have been launching missiles and drones at Israel nearly every day in recent weeks. Israel has carried out a number of long-range airstrikes in Yemen, some 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) away. But the strikes have failed to stop the attacks. The Houthis have pledged to continue striking Israel until the war in Gaza ends. Israeli strikes in the Maghazi and Nuseirat refugee camps in central Gaza killed at least 14 people late Thursday, including four women and five children. They were taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, where an Associated Press journalist counted the bodies, bringing the death toll on Thursday to at least 40 people. The Israeli army did not immediately comment on the strikes, but says it only targets militants and blames Hamas for civilian deaths. Earlier Israeli strikes killed dozens more people throughout central and southern Gaza, including inside a sprawling tent camp that Israel designated a humanitarian safe zone but has repeatedly targeted. Israel's military said that strike killed a high-ranking police officer who was involved in gathering intelligence used by Hamas’ armed wing in attacks on Israeli forces. The head of the U.N. World Health Organization says Israel is still allowing only a trickle of sick and wounded people in the Gaza Strip to travel abroad for life-saving medical treatment. At least 5,383 patients have been evacuated with the WHO's help since the war broke out in October 2023, leaving more than 12,000 Palestinians still waiting to leave Gaza, said WHO director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a statement Thursday. The rate of evacuations plunged when the Rafah border crossing shut down in May after Israeli troops took it over — since then, only 436 patients have left Gaza, Tedros said. “At this rate, it would take 5-10 years to evacuate all these critically ill patients, including thousands of children,” Tedros said. “In the meantime, their conditions get worse and some die.” He urged Israel to increase the approval rate for medical evacuations, including no denials of child patients, and to allow all possible corridors and border crossings to be used. Israel controls all the entry and exit points for Gaza. COGAT, the Israeli military agency in charge of humanitarian affairs for Palestinians, has said it does everything it can to approve medical evacuations, which are contingent upon a security check. It did not respond when asked for comment on the latest WHO figures. Israel's military said Thursday it struck rocket launchers used by Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon, a rare attack outside the border areas where Israeli forces conduct near-daily operations since a ceasefire went into effect last November, according to Lebanese state media. Under the ceasefire agreement, Israel has until Jan. 25 to withdraw its forces from Lebanon, while Hezbollah militants must relocate north of the Litani River. Read: Last functional hospital in Gaza torched Israel says it has the right to attack Hezbollah anywhere for alleged ceasefire violations, and that Thursday's strikes were in Nabatiyeh province, which straddles both sides of the Litani. Video circulated on social media of a strike in Jbaa, in the Iqlim al-Tuffah region, showing large flames and secondary explosions. No casualties were reported by Lebanon’s National News Agency. Hezbollah did not immediately comment on the attack. Israeli operations in Lebanon since the ceasefire have included gunfire, house demolitions, excavations, tank shelling and airstrikes. These actions have killed at least 27 people, wounded more than 30 and destroyed residential buildings. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says he has authorized a delegation from the Mossad intelligence agency, the Shin Bet internal security agency and the military to continue negotiations in Qatar toward a ceasefire deal in Gaza. The statement had no further details, but Israeli media said the delegation would depart Friday. There was no immediate comment from the Hamas militant group. The U.S.-led talks have repeatedly stalled, and at one point last year Qatar suspended its mediation efforts, expressing frustration. Egypt also is a mediator. Israeli airstrikes killed at least 26 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Thursday as the 15-month war with Hamas dragged on. A strike killed five policemen in the southern city of Khan Younis and their bodies were taken to Nasser Hospital, medical officials there said. Three Palestinians were killed in a separate Israeli strike in central Gaza that hit a group of people walking in the street in the built-up Maghazi refugee camp, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. An earlier strike in nearby Deir al-Balah killed eight people who were helping secure humanitarian aid convoys, the hospital said. At least 10 people were also killed Thursday morning by an airstrike in southern Gaza's Muwasi area, inside an Israeli-declared humanitarian zone. The dead included three children and two senior police officers. Israel said that strike targeted a senior member of Hamas’ internal security apparatus. Israel has repeatedly targeted Gaza's police force, which was part of the Hamas-run government, contributing to a breakdown of law and order that has made it difficult for humanitarian groups to deliver aid. Israel accuses Hamas of hijacking aid for its own purposes. The Israeli military has claimed responsibility for a nighttime raid in Syria last September in which it says dozens of commandos destroyed a top-secret Iranian-led missile factory. Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said Thursday that Iran, working with its Syrian and the Hezbollah allies, planned to build hundreds of precision guided missiles per year at the factory that could be transferred to Lebanon. He said the facility was located in western Syria around the town of Masyaf near the Lebanese border. Read more: A new year dawns on a Middle East torn by conflict and change He said Israel had been monitoring the underground facility for several years, but decided to strike at a time when Israel was at war with Hezbollah and the factory was becoming operational. “This facility posed a clear threat to the state of Israel and this is why we had to take action,” he said. Shoshani said over 100 special force soldiers took part in the Sept. 8 raid, backed by dozens of aircraft. Calling it one of Israel’s most complex operations in years, he said soldiers arrived by helicopter and entered the facility, which he said was dug deep into the side of a mountain. In bodycam footage released by the Israeli military, special forces are seen moving through wide underground hallways and seizing documents, before a large explosion destroys the site. The video, which could not be independently verified, also showed images of what the army said was missile-manufacturing equipment. At the time, Syrian state media reported 18 deaths from a series of Israeli airstrikes in the area. Shoshani said there were no Israeli casualties, and that Israel also damaged another missile-production facility in Lebanon during the war. Israel and Hezbollah reached a cease-fire in late November, halting nearly 14 months of fighting. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was released from the hospital Thursday after recovering from prostate surgery Sunday. Doctors at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital said Netanyahu was recuperating satisfactorily, although he still has a period of recovery ahead. Medical follow-ups will continue as usual, according to a hospital statement. Despite doctor’s orders to remain hospitalized, the 75-year-old leader had briefly left the facility to participate in a vote in Israel’s parliament on Tuesday. Ukraine’s president says his country is poised to reestablish diplomatic ties with Syria after the fall of President Bashar Assad and sharply increase agricultural exports to Lebanon despite being engaged in an almost three-year war with Russia. The developments came after a recent visit to those countries by Ukraine’s top diplomat and its government minister for farming, according to a statement from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday. Ukraine is aiming to build up its security and trade relations in the Middle East, he said. Ukraine and Syria are assessing cooperation within international organizations, and Syria could this year become a “reliable partner” for Ukraine, Zelenskyy said. The Ukrainian officials met with Syria’s new de facto authorities led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. The insurgents had ousted Assad, a longtime ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, in early December. Ukrainian agricultural exports to Lebanon are around $400 million a year but Zelenskyy said he hopes to at least double that. Ukraine is a leading world producer of wheat, corn, barley, sunflower oil and other food products. The Israeli military says it targeted a senior member of Hamas’ internal security apparatus in a strike in the Gaza Strip that Palestinian officials say killed nine other people, including three children. The strike early Thursday hit a tent in an Israeli-declared humanitarian zone known as Muwasi, where hundreds of thousands of displaced people are sheltering in tents during the cold and rainy winter. The military said Hossam Shahwan, a senior officer in the Hamas-run police force in Gaza, was involved in gathering intelligence used by Hamas’ armed wing in attacks on Israeli forces. Maj. Gen. Mahmoud Salah, another senior police official, was also killed in the strike. The military says Hamas militants hide among civilians and blames the group for their deaths in the nearly 15-month war, which was ignited by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack into Israel. The Hamas-run government had a police force numbering in the tens of thousands that maintained a high degree of public security before the war while also violently suppressing dissent. The police have largely vanished from the streets in many areas after being targeted by Israel, contributing to the breakdown of law and order that has hindered the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid. Read  more: Women and children among 12 killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza The forces together with armed vehicles were deployed in the city of Homs Thursday to look for the militants affiliated with ousted President Bashar Assad, state media reported. SANA, citing a military official, said that the new de facto authorities led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham had set up centers in Syria’s third-largest city for former soldiers and militants to hand over their weapons, similar to other parts of Syria. In early December, a lightning insurgency took out the decades-long rule of Assad in less than two weeks. HTS has since run much of war-torn Syria under the authority of its leader Ahmad al-Sharaa. Officials who were part of Assad's notorious web of intelligence and security apparatus have been arrested over the past few weeks. An Israeli strike has killed at least eight Palestinian men in the central Gaza Strip. The dead were members of local committees that help secure aid convoys, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, which received the bodies. An Associated Press reporter at the hospital confirmed the toll. Earlier on Thursday, an Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza killed at least 10 people, including three children and two senior officers in the Hamas-run police. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the strikes. Israel has repeatedly targeted the police, contributing to a breakdown of law and order in the territory that has made it difficult for humanitarian groups to deliver aid. Israel accuses Hamas of hijacking aid for its own purposes. Al Jazeera has condemned the Palestinian Authority’s decision to bar it from operating in the occupied West Bank, saying the decision was “in line” with similar actions taken by Israel. In a statement Thursday, the Qatar-based broadcaster accused the Western-backed authority of seeking to “hide the truth about events in the occupied territories, especially what is happening in Jenin and its camps.” The Palestinian Authority, which cooperates with Israel on security matters, launched a rare crackdown on anti-Israel militants in the urban Jenin refugee camp last month. The authority has international support but is unpopular among many Palestinians, with critics portraying it as a subcontractor of the Israeli occupation. The Palestinian Authority announced the suspension of Al Jazeera’s activities on Wednesday, accusing it of incitement and interfering in Palestinian internal affairs. The Palestinian Authority exercises limited autonomy in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israel banned Al Jazeera last year, accusing it of being a mouthpiece of Hamas. Israeli strikes have killed or wounded several Al Jazeera reporters in Gaza, and Israel has accused some of them of being militants. Israeli forces raided Al Jazeera’s West Bank headquarters last year, but the broadcaster has continued to operate in the territory. Al Jazeera denies the allegations and accuses Israel of trying to silence its coverage. Its 24-hour reporting from Gaza has focused on the deaths of Palestinian civilians. It has also broadcast Hamas and other militant videos in their entirety, showing attacks on Israeli forces and hostages speaking under duress.

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 46 people in the Gaza Strip in the past day, including 11 at a makeshift cafeteria in an Israeli-declared humanitarian zone, medics said. In Lebanon, warplanes struck Beirut’s southern suburbs and killed 33 people elsewhere in the country on Tuesday. The latest bombardment came as the United States said it would not reduce its military support for Israel after a deadline passed for allowing more humanitarian aid into Gaza. The State Department cited some progress, even as international aid groups said Israel had failed to meet the U.S. demands. In Lebanon, large explosions shook Beirut’s southern suburbs — an area known as Dahiyeh, where Hezbollah has a significant presence — soon after the Israeli military issued evacuation warnings for 11 houses there. There was no immediate word on casualties. The Israeli military said it targeted Hezbollah infrastructure, including command centers and weapons production sites, without providing evidence. Another Israeli strike on an apartment building east of Beirut killed at least six people. Wael Murtada said the destroyed home belonged to his uncle and that those inside had fled from the Dahiyeh last month. He said three children were among the dead and other people were missing. An Israeli airstrike on a residential building in central Lebanon killed 15 people, including eight women and four children, and wounded at least 12 others, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said. The strike came without warning, and state media said the building was sheltering displaced families. Israel has been carrying out intensified bombardment of Lebanon since late September, vowing to cripple Hezbollah and stop more than a year of cross-border fire by the Lebanese militant group. A rocket exploded in a storage building in the northern Israeli town of Nahariya on Tuesday, killing two people, first responders said. Another two people were wounded by shrapnel in a separate impact outside the town. A Hezbollah drone smashed into a nursery school near the northern Israeli city of Haifa on Tuesday morning, but the children were inside a bomb shelter and there were no injuries. The impact scattered debris across the playground. Israeli strikes across Gaza kill 46 At the same time, Israel has continued its 13-month campaign in Gaza set off by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack into southern Israel. An Israeli strike late Monday hit a makeshift cafeteria used by displaced people in Muwasi, the center of a “humanitarian zone” that Israel’s military declared earlier in the war. At least 11 people were killed, including two children, according to officials at Nasser Hospital, where the casualties were taken. Video from the scene showed men pulling bloodied wounded from among tables and chairs set up in the sand in an enclosure made of corrugated metal sheets. Read: Israeli strikes kill 14 Palestinians in Gaza A strike on a house in the northern town of Beit Hanoun killed 15 people on Tuesday, including relatives of Al Jazeera journalist Hossam Shabat, who has been reporting from the north. Mohamed Shabat and his wife Dima, both volunteer doctors at Kamal Adwan Hospital, were killed along with their daughter Eliaa, according to hospital director Hossam Abu Safiya. Strikes in central and southern Gaza killed another 20 people, according to Palestinian medical officials. The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the strikes. Under US pressure, Israel allows more aid into Gaza Hours earlier, the Israeli military announced a small expansion of the humanitarian zone, where it has told Palestinians evacuating from other parts of Gaza to take refuge. Hundreds of thousands are sheltering in sprawling tent camps in and around Muwasi, a desolate area with few public services. Israeli forces have also been besieging the northernmost part of Gaza since the beginning of October, battling Hamas fighters it says regrouped there. With virtually no food or aid allowed in for more than a month, the siege has raised fears of famine among the tens of thousands of Palestinians believed to still be sheltering there. The United States gave Israel a 30-day deadline — that expired this week — to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, calling on it to allow at least 350 truckloads to enter each day, among other things. So far, Israel has fallen short. In October, 57 trucks a day entered Gaza on average, and 75 a day so far in November, according to Israel’s official figures. The United Nations puts the number lower, at 39 trucks daily since the beginning of October. Israel has announced a flurry of measures in recent days to increase aid, including opening a new crossing into central Gaza and some small deliveries of food and water to the north. But so far the impact is unclear. More forced evacuations in isolated northern Gaza The military announced Tuesday that four soldiers were killed in Jabaliya, bringing to 24 the number of soldiers killed in the assault there since it began. Palestinian health officials say hundreds of Palestinians have been killed, though the true numbers are unknown as rescue workers are unable to reach buildings destroyed in strikes. Israel has ordered residents in the area to evacuate. But the U.N. has estimated some 70,000 people remain. Read more: Saudi Crown Prince demands immediate end to Israel’s war in Gaza, Lebanon Many Palestinians there fear Israel aims to permanently depopulate the area to more easily keep control of it. On Tuesday, witnesses told The Associated Press that Israeli troops had encircled at least three schools in Beit Hanoun, forcing hundreds of displaced people sheltering inside to leave. Drones blared announcements demanding people move south to Gaza City, said Mahmoud al-Kafarnah, speaking from one of the schools as sounds of gunfire could be heard. “The tanks are outside,” he said. “We don’t know where to go.” Hashim Afanah, sheltering with at least 20 other people in his family home, said the forces were evicting people from houses and shelters. The U.N.’s top humanitarian official, Joyce Msuya, told the Security Council on Tuesday that “acts reminiscent of the gravest international crimes” are being committed in Gaza. “The daily cruelty we see in Gaza seems to have no limits,” she said, pointing to recent developments in Beit Hanoun. Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed more than 43,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities that do not distinguish between civilians and militants in their count but say more than half the dead are women and children. Israel says it targets Hamas militants who hide among civilians. The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted about 250 as hostages. Around 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, about a third of them believed to be dead.