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Armed groups who reportedly massacred at least 460 people at a hospital in Sudan’s Darfur region launched their attack in several waves, abducting medical workers and later killing patients, staff, and civilians sheltering inside, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Friday. The assault on Tuesday targeted Saudi Hospital in el-Fasher, a city that had been under siege for 18 months before being captured by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a powerful paramilitary group. Witnesses described fighters moving house to house, killing civilians and committing sexual assaults. Details from the city remain limited, as communications are down and humanitarian access has been cut off. The total death toll from the fighting remains unclear. El-Fasher’s fall marks a new phase in Sudan’s devastating two-year civil war between the RSF and the national army. The conflict has already killed more than 40,000 people, though aid agencies believe the true toll is far higher. It has displaced over 14 million people, triggered deadly disease outbreaks, and caused famine in several parts of Darfur and beyond. Survivors Flee Amid ChaosLocated about 800 kilometers (500 miles) southwest of Khartoum, el-Fasher is now largely cut off. Aid organizations operating there have mostly withdrawn. According to the U.N. migration agency, more than 62,000 people fled the city between Sunday and Wednesday, though only about 5,000 have reached the refugee camp in Tawila, 40 miles away, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). The fate of tens of thousands of others remains unknown. Among the displaced is Fatima Abdulrahim, 70, who fled el-Fasher with her grandchildren. She told the Associated Press she spent five days escaping through gunfire and shelling, often hiding in trenches or behind walls. “Thirst almost killed us,” she said. “We ate grass from the roadside. The dead on the streets were countless.”She said militiamen robbed her group, beat children, and shot young men trying to bring food into the city. At least 450 wounded people have been admitted to Tawila Hospital, many suffering from malnutrition or sexual violence, said Adam Rojal, a local spokesperson for displaced communities. The NRC reported that new arrivals included people with untreated fractures and gunshot wounds, while Doctors Without Borders said 40 of 70 children under five arriving Monday were severely malnourished. WHO Details the Hospital MassacreWHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier provided new information about the killings at Saudi Hospital, which had been the only functioning medical facility in el-Fasher during the siege. He said gunmen attacked the hospital at least three times. On their first assault, they abducted several doctors and nurses — six of whom remain missing. When they returned, they opened fire on those inside, and during a third visit “finished off what was still standing,” Lindmeier said. Videos circulating online show bodies strewn across hospital wards and a fighter shooting a man, though the Associated Press could not independently verify them. The RSF has denied carrying out the massacre, posting a video Thursday that appeared to show its fighters providing care to patients inside the hospital. The timing and authenticity of the footage remain unconfirmed. Dr. Teresa Zakaria, WHO’s head of humanitarian operations, said the hospital is now offering only “limited services.” Since the city’s capture, “there is no longer any humanitarian health presence in el-Fasher, and access remains blocked,” she said. RSF Accused of AtrocitiesEl-Fasher was the Sudanese army’s last major stronghold in Darfur. Its capture gives the RSF near-total control over the vast western region and raises fears that Sudan could fracture further, with the military holding Khartoum and the country’s north and east. The RSF and allied militias have been repeatedly accused of massacres and mass rapes during their campaigns in Khartoum and across Darfur, often targeting civilians from non-Arab African communities. The RSF’s roots lie in the Arab Janjaweed militias, responsible for atrocities in Darfur in the 2000s that killed an estimated 300,000 people. Once armed and supported by Sudan’s military to crush rebel uprisings, the Janjaweed were later reorganized into the RSF as an official force. After jointly toppling longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir in 2019, the RSF and the army briefly shared power before clashing in 2023, igniting the current war.

Health officials in Gaza said Friday that Israel has returned the bodies of 30 Palestinians, a day after Palestinian militants transferred the remains of two Israeli hostages to the Red Cross. According to the Israeli military, the handover of the two hostages’ remains marks another step forward in maintaining the fragile ceasefire, even amid renewed Israeli airstrikes in Gaza this week. The remains were first given to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza, then transported into Israel for identification at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine. Late Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed the remains belonged to Sahar Baruch and Amiram Cooper, both of whom were abducted during Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack that ignited the ongoing war. Since the ceasefire took effect, Hamas has returned the remains of 17 hostages, with 11 more expected to be handed over under the terms of the deal. In exchange, Israel has so far returned 195 Palestinian bodies to Gaza authorities, though their identities remain unconfirmed. Officials say it is unclear whether they were killed during the Oct. 7 assault, died in Israeli custody, or were recovered during Israel’s ground operations in Gaza. Gazan health authorities say efforts to identify the remains have been hampered by a lack of DNA testing kits. Remembering the HostagesBaruch, 25, had been preparing to study electrical engineering when he was kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri. His brother, Idan, was killed in the same attack. The Israeli military later said Baruch was killed during a failed rescue attempt three months into his captivity. Cooper, 84, was an economist and one of the founders of Kibbutz Nir Oz. He was taken hostage along with his wife, Nurit, who was released after 17 days. Israeli officials confirmed in June 2024 that Cooper had been killed in Gaza. Overnight Strikes Leave Dozens InjuredDespite the ceasefire formally remaining in place, renewed Israeli strikes overnight injured at least 40 people in Khan Younis, according to Mohammad Saar, head of nursing at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza. The Israeli army said its attacks targeted “terrorist infrastructure posing a threat to troops” in the area, which is currently under Israeli military control. Earlier in the week, Israeli strikes killed more than 100 people following the shooting death of an Israeli soldier in Rafah. Netanyahu accused Hamas of breaching the ceasefire deal by delaying the return of hostage remains, though Hamas denied involvement in the attack and in turn accused Israel of violating the truce. Speaking at a military graduation ceremony in southern Israel, Netanyahu warned: “If Hamas continues to blatantly violate the ceasefire, it will face powerful strikes, as it did in recent days.”He added that Israel would “act as needed” to remove threats to its forces and reiterated his goal of a demilitarized Gaza — whether enforced by foreign powers or by Israel itself. Ceasefire Under StrainThe international mediators of the ceasefire — Egypt, Qatar, and the United States — have reportedly warned Hamas that Israel will resume military operations in areas still occupied by its fighters after a Thursday deadline expired. A senior U.S. official, speaking anonymously, said Hamas was told that militants must withdraw from the “yellow zone” within 24 hours or risk renewed Israeli strikes. The ceasefire’s enforcement, the official said, allows Israel to target Hamas positions if they remain beyond the designated lines. The truce, launched on October 10, aims to wind down a war that has become the deadliest and most destructive in the long history of Israel-Hamas conflict. The war began after Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people in Israel and took 251 hostages in their October 2023 attack. In the two years since, Israel’s offensive has killed more than 68,600 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. While the ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, independent experts consider its data largely credible. Israel has disputed the figures but has not released alternative numbers.

No one stands above the monarchy — not even the king’s own brother. That principle has now brought an end to Prince Andrew’s royal status. As controversy surrounding Andrew’s ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein continued to mount, and as lawmakers questioned his rent-free stay at the Royal Lodge near Windsor Castle, King Charles III took decisive action on Thursday to protect the institution’s reputation. In a statement from Buckingham Palace, the king announced that Andrew had been stripped of all his royal titles and honors, including his birthright as “prince.” From now on, he will be known simply as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. He has also been ordered to vacate Royal Lodge, the 30-room residence he has occupied for more than two decades. Read more: Princess Kate says sorry for manipulated family photo, saying she was experimenting with editing “The monarchy needed to draw the thickest possible line between Andrew and the rest of the royal family,” said Craig Prescott, a constitutional law expert at Royal Holloway, University of London. “And that’s exactly what the king has done.” A Decisive Break The king’s move followed an earlier, less formal agreement that Andrew would cease using his titles — a step that failed to stem a surge of negative headlines. The continued media scrutiny and calls from Parliament for further sanctions threatened to trigger a public debate about Andrew’s conduct. Charles’s decision comes as he, at 76 and undergoing treatment for cancer, seeks to strengthen the monarchy and stabilize it for his heir, Prince William. “This was clearly about putting the royal house in order, both now and for the future,” said George Gross, a royal historian at King’s College London. “It makes things easier for Prince William — and it always felt inevitable.” Scandal Still Looms While the king’s actions may protect the monarchy’s image, they do not resolve Andrew’s legal and reputational troubles. Renewed attention to his past was sparked by the release of a memoir from Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she was trafficked by Epstein and coerced into having sex with Andrew when she was 17. Giuffre, who had been living in Australia, died by suicide earlier this year. Read more: Prince Harry says William called Meghan “difficult, rude and abrasive” before physical attack Her brother, Sky Roberts, praised her efforts to expose both Epstein and Andrew, and called for the prince’s prosecution. Andrew has consistently denied all allegations. Historian Andrew Lownie, author of Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, told the BBC that he expects further revelations and possible investigations into Andrew’s conduct, including potential abuses of public office. “I don’t think it’s over — but at least the palace is taking firm action,” Lownie said. A Troubled Past Andrew, 65, the late Queen Elizabeth II’s second son, served over 20 years in the Royal Navy before becoming a full-time royal in 2001. His career and reputation have long been clouded by controversy. In 2007, he sold a home near Windsor Castle for 20% above its £15 million asking price to Timur Kulibayev, the Kazakh president’s son-in-law, raising concerns about potential influence-peddling. His connections to figures linked to Libya’s Moammar Gadhafi also prompted his removal as the UK’s special trade envoy. Read more: Harry and Meghan slam British tabloids in new Netflix series Despite these scandals, Andrew was long protected by the queen, who was said to have had a soft spot for her son. That protection crumbled after his disastrous 2019 BBC interview, in which he failed to express sympathy for Epstein’s victims and offered implausible denials. Public backlash forced him to give up all official duties and charity roles soon after. Now, King Charles has completed the separation by severing Andrew’s remaining royal ties. He will be relocated to the king’s private Sandringham estate after vacating the Royal Lodge — a long-disputed residence he had refused to surrender. A Monarchy in Transition Experts say the decision reflects a broader shift in how the royal family is adapting to modern accountability. Craig Prescott noted that while public criticism of the monarchy was muted during Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, Charles faces greater scrutiny and a more demanding public. “This marks a transition toward a monarchy that functions more like a public institution — subject to oversight and public expectation,” Prescott said. “There was both public and parliamentary pressure for the king to act, and he has done so.” Read more: Kate, Princess of Wales, says she has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy

Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to defend global free trade at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit on Friday, where he took center stage after U.S. President Donald Trump skipped the meeting. The annual regional forum, held this year in the South Korean city of Gyeongju, opened a day after Trump departed the country. His earlier meeting with Xi had produced agreements aimed at easing the trade tensions that have rattled the global economy. Although the two leaders’ talks dominated attention, Trump’s absence from APEC underscored his continued rejection of large multilateral gatherings. Critics warn that this could further damage America’s reputation in a forum representing almost 40% of the global population and more than half of world trade. Xi Calls for Unity and Open Trade Addressing APEC’s opening session, Xi urged member nations to strengthen cooperation amid global uncertainty. “The more turbulent the times, the more we must work together,” he said, noting that the world faces “rapid changes and increasing volatility.” He emphasized the importance of stable supply chains, countering U.S. efforts to separate from China economically. Xi also called for deeper collaboration in green industries and clean energy. Read more: Xi, Carney meet in South Korea to rebuild strained China-Canada ties In a written message to the APEC CEO summit, Xi reaffirmed that China remains open to investment and committed to the multilateral trading system. “Those who establish a presence in the Chinese market will seize key opportunities in global competition,” he wrote. “Investing in China means investing in the future.” Representing Trump, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington’s efforts to rebalance trade were aimed at ensuring “fair and reciprocal” terms, and at creating more resilient production networks that reduce dependence on vulnerable sectors. Xi’s Diplomatic Meetings The summit marked Xi’s first visit to South Korea in 11 years. On the sidelines, he met with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. During talks with Takaichi, Xi called for a “constructive and stable relationship for a new era,” while Takaichi expressed hopes of addressing bilateral issues and building a stronger personal rapport with Xi. Xi is also expected to meet South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Saturday, with discussions likely to include North Korea’s nuclear program. APEC’s Growing Challenges Founded in 1989 to promote free and open trade across the Asia-Pacific, APEC now faces mounting challenges, including U.S.-China rivalry, supply chain disruptions, aging populations, and the impact of artificial intelligence on employment. Under Trump, Washington has shifted from cooperation to competition with Beijing, with tariff hikes and an “America First” agenda unsettling global markets and challenging decades of globalization. Read more: WHO: Militia Assault on Darfur hospital came in multiple waves Opening the summit, host President Lee urged members to focus on solidarity and shared prosperity. “We may not always stand on the same side, but we can unite around our common goal of mutual growth,” he said. Canada’s Carney echoed that sentiment, announcing plans to double his country’s non-U.S. exports within a decade, citing “one of the most profound global shifts since the fall of the Berlin Wall.” Despite the positive tone after Trump and Xi’s meeting, experts warn that tensions could flare again as both nations vie for dominance in manufacturing and emerging technologies like AI. “Bringing the two largest economies together to ease tariff and export disputes helped avert the worst outcomes for global trade,” said Leif-Eric Easley, professor at Ewha Womans University. “But APEC should be more than a platform for trade truces — it must advance cooperation on sustainable and digital trade.” South Korea Seeks Consensus As host, South Korea is pushing for all 21 member economies to adopt a joint statement — a goal that eluded APEC in 2018 due to U.S.-China friction. Foreign Minister Cho Hyun recently said that while a strong pro–free trade statement may be difficult, Seoul hopes for a broader declaration highlighting regional peace and prosperity. This year’s agenda also prioritizes collaboration on artificial intelligence and demographic challenges. Read more: Have deep relations with US, extensive economic ties with China: Touhid Hossain

The United Nations human rights chief on Friday condemned U.S. military strikes against boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean suspected of carrying illegal drugs from South America, calling them “unacceptable” and urging they be stopped. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called for an investigation into the attacks, marking the first condemnation of this kind by a U.N. body. Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for Türk, told a regular U.N. briefing that the strikes “and their mounting human cost are unacceptable.” She added that the U.S. must halt such attacks and take all steps necessary to prevent extrajudicial killings aboard these boats. Türk believes that U.S. airstrikes on these vessels violate international human rights law. While U.S. officials, including President Donald Trump, have defended the strikes as necessary to curb drug trafficking, Shamdasani emphasized that lethal force is only permissible as a last resort against imminent threats to life. Otherwise, such actions violate the right to life and constitute extrajudicial killings. She noted the strikes occur outside any armed conflict or hostilities, highlighting the legal and human rights concerns surrounding the campaign. Source: AP

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Friday held talks in South Korea aimed at restoring their long-troubled relationship, calling for “pragmatic and constructive” cooperation between the two nations. Meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, both leaders described the encounter as a “turning point” in bilateral ties, according to statements from Beijing and Ottawa. Xi said relations between China and Canada were showing signs of recovery due to efforts from both sides. “We are ready to work with Canada to use this meeting as an opportunity to bring our bilateral relations back on a healthy, stable, and sustainable track,” he said, as reported by Chinese state media. Carney, who assumed office in March, accepted Xi’s invitation to visit China, though no date was announced. China-Canada ties plunged in late 2018 after Canadian authorities detained Meng Wanzhou, a senior Huawei executive, under a U.S. extradition request. In response, China arrested two Canadian citizens, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, accusing them of espionage. Although all three were released in 2021, the relationship remained frosty, strained further by Ottawa’s decision in 2024 to impose a 100% tariff on Chinese electric vehicles and a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum. China has since offered to remove its import taxes on select Canadian goods if the EV tariff is lifted. According to the Canadian statement, both leaders instructed their officials to quickly resolve trade disputes and other irritants, particularly involving EVs, canola, and seafood. Xi also called for expanding “pragmatic cooperation” in the fields of economy, trade, and energy — sectors where both countries have been affected by tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.  

The United Nations human rights chief has denounced recent U.S. military airstrikes on boats allegedly involved in drug trafficking from South America, calling them “unacceptable” and demanding an immediate halt. In what appeared to be the first such criticism from a UN body, Volker Türk urged an independent investigation into the attacks, which have reportedly killed more than 60 people since early September, according to UN human rights office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani. “These attacks and their growing human toll are unacceptable,” Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva on Friday, quoting Türk. She added that the strikes “violate international human rights law” and constitute extrajudicial killings. U.S. President Donald Trump has defended the operations as part of a broader campaign to block drug shipments from reaching the United States. However, the UN rights office stressed that combating illegal drug trafficking must remain a law enforcement issue, governed by international rules that strictly limit the use of lethal force. “The United States must immediately cease these attacks and take all necessary measures to prevent further loss of life,” Shamdasani said. She emphasized that while Washington has framed the actions as part of anti-narcotics and counterterrorism efforts, global agreements clearly define such matters as requiring proportionate and lawful responses.

King Charles III on Thursday stripped his disgraced brother Prince Andrew of his remaining titles and evicted him from his royal residence after weeks of pressure to act over his relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Buckingham Palace said. After the king’s rare move, which follows years of shameful scandals, he will be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and not as a prince, and he will have to vacate his Royal Lodge mansion near Windsor Castle. Demand had been growing on the palace to oust the prince from Royal Lodge after he surrendered his use of the title Duke of York earlier this month over new revelations about his friendship with Epstein and renewed sexual abuse allegations by one of Epstein's victims, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, whose posthumous memoir hit bookstores last week. But the king went even further to punish him for serious lapses of judgment by removing the title of prince that he has held since birth as a child of a monarch, the late Queen Elizabeth II. “These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him,” the palace said. “Their Majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse.” It is almost unprecedented for a British prince or princess to be stripped of that title. It last happened in 1919, when Prince Ernest Augustus, who was a U.K. royal and also a prince of Hanover, had his British title removed for siding with Germany during World War I. Toppling a prince Giuffre's brother declared victory for his sister, who died by suicide in April at the age of 41. “Today, an ordinary American girl from an ordinary American family, brought down a British prince with her truth and extraordinary courage,” her brother Skye Roberts said in a statement to the BBC. Andrew faced a new round of public outrage after emails emerged earlier this month showing he had remained in contact with Epstein longer than he previously admitted. That news was followed by publication of “Nobody's Girl,” by Giuffre, who alleged she had sex with Andrew when she was 17. The book detailed three alleged sexual encounters with Andrew, who she said acted as if he believed “having sex with me was his birthright.” Andrew, 65, has long denied Giuffre’s claims, but stepped down from royal duties after a disastrous November 2019 BBC interview in which he attempted to rebut her allegations. Andrew paid millions in an out-of-court settlement in 2022 after Giuffre filed a civil suit against him in New York. While he didn’t admit wrongdoing, he acknowledged Giuffre’s suffering as a victim of sex trafficking. King couldn't avoid the controversy Although Charles was involved in discussions with Andrew before he announced he would relinquish his dukedom two weeks ago, the king had largely managed to steer clear of the scandal until this week. After attending an event at Lichfield Cathedral on Monday, the king was heckled by a man who shouted questions about how long he had known about his brother and Epstein and then asked: “Have you asked the police to cover up for Andrew?” The king did not respond and it wasn’t clear if he even heard the man, who was shouted down by others and eventually pulled from sight. But video of the incident made the evening news and was the source of embarrassing headlines the next morning. It’s the most dramatic royal departure since 1936, when King Edward VIII abdicated the throne so he could marry twice-divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson. The couple were given the titles Duke and Duchess of Windsor and lived the rest of their lives in exile outside Britain. Prince Harry, despite renouncing his royal role, feuding with his family and moving to California, remains a prince and the Duke of Sussex. The move by the king means Andrew will no longer be a prince or known as His Royal Highness, the Duke of York, Earl of Inverness or Baron Killyleagh — all titles he held until now. Also gone are honors that include Order of the Garter and status as Knight Grand Cross of the Victorian Order. From favored son to tabloid fodder Andrew, who was said to be his mother's favorite child, had once been the poster boy of the royal family, and his romantic links to a number of models and starlets during his youth were widely chronicled in the British press. His star status peaked after he flew missions as a helicopter pilot in the Royal Navy during the 1982 Falklands War when British forces sailed to the south Atlantic to eject the Argentine military that had invaded the U.K. overseas territories. But he has also been dogged by decades of tawdry headlines about shady business deals, inappropriate behavior and controversial friendships. Even as the Epstein scandal swirled, news broke that showed his damaged reputation and need for money led him to become entangled with a suspected Chinese spy. Andrew is expected to move to a property on the king's Sandringham estate near the northeast coast and receive private financial support from his brother. His ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, who had been living with him in the 30-room mansion, will have to find a new home.

Israel’s military said Thursday that Palestinian militants handed over the remains of two more hostages, in the latest indication that the fragile ceasefire agreement is moving forward despite Israeli strikes on Gaza this week. The two sets of remains were given to the Red Cross in Gaza, then transported into Israel by troops and taken to the National Institute of Forensic Medicine for identification, the Israeli military said. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said late Thursday that the remains had been confirmed as those of Sahar Baruch and Amiram Cooper, both taken hostage during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas that set off the war. Hamas has now returned the remains of 17 hostages since the start of the ceasefire, with 11 others still in Gaza and set to be turned over under the terms of the agreement. In return, Israel has returned the bodies of 195 Palestinians to authorities in Gaza without providing details on their identities. It is unclear if they were killed in Israel during the Oct. 7 attack, died in Israeli custody as detainees or were recovered from Gaza by troops during the war. Health officials in Gaza have struggled to identify the bodies without access to DNA kits. Baruch was readying to pursue an electrical engineering degree when he was taken hostage from Kibbutz Be'eri. His brother, Idan, was killed in the attack. Three months into Sahar’s captivity, the Israeli military said he was killed during an attempted rescue mission. He was 25. Cooper was an economist and one of the founders of Kibbutz Nir Oz. He was captured along with his wife, Nurit, who was released after 17 days. In June 2024 Israeli officials confirmed that he had been killed in Gaza. He was 84. Overnight strikes injure 40 Officials in southern Gaza said Thursday that at least 40 people had been injured in overnight strikes, after Israel declared the ceasefire was back on Wednesday morning. Mohammad Saar, head of the nursing department at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, said it received 40 people wounded in overnight strikes on Khan Younis. The Israeli army said it carried out strikes on “terrorist infrastructure that posed a threat to the troops” in Khan Younis. The area in southern Gaza is under the control of the Israeli military. After strikes earlier this week killed more than 100 people, Israel said it was retaliating for the shooting and killing of one of its soldiers in Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said that Hamas had violated provisions in the deal concerning the handover of remains of hostages. Hamas denied any involvement in the deadly shooting and, in turn, accused Israel of violating the ceasefire deal. Speaking at a graduation ceremony for military commanders in southern Israel Thursday, Netanyahu warned, “If Hamas continues to blatantly violate the ceasefire, it will experience powerful strikes, as it did the day before yesterday and yesterday.” He said Israel would “act as needed” to remove “immediate danger” to its forces. “At the end of the day, Hamas will be disarmed and Gaza will be demilitarized. If foreign forces do this, all the better. And if they don’t, we will do it.” The guarantors of the fragile Gaza ceasefire deal have told Hamas that Israel will resume, and they will not object to, military strikes on targets within the Israeli-occupied zone of the Palestinian territory after a deadline for militants to leave the area expired Thursday. A senior U.S. official said that in messages passed to Hamas by Egypt and Qatar on Wednesday the group was told its remaining fighters in the yellow zone had 24 hours to leave or face Israeli strikes. That deadline expired Thursday, after which the official said “Israel will enforce the ceasefire and engage Hamas targets behind the yellow line.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private diplomatic conversations. The ceasefire, which began Oct. 10, is aimed at winding down a war that is by far the deadliest and most destructive of those ever fought between Israel and Hamas. The war was triggered by the October 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas-led militants, who killed about 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage. In the two years since, Israel’s military offensive has killed more than 68,600 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government and is staffed by medical professionals, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by independent experts. Israel, which some international critics have accused of committing genocide in Gaza, has disputed those figures without providing a contradicting toll.

A former Virginia teacher who was shot by a 6-year-old student in her classroom last year testified Thursday that she believed she had died in the moment of the attack. Abby Zwerner, who taught at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, was wounded in the hand and chest in January 2023 as she sat at a reading table with students. “I thought I had died. I thought I was either on my way to heaven or in heaven,” Zwerner told the court. “Then it all got black. And so, I thought I wasn’t going there. My next memory is seeing two co-workers putting pressure on my wounds.” Zwerner has filed a $40 million lawsuit against a former assistant principal, alleging school officials ignored multiple warnings that the first-grader had brought a gun to class. She spent nearly two weeks in the hospital, underwent six surgeries, and still does not have full use of her left hand. A bullet remains lodged in her chest after narrowly missing her heart. The shooting shocked the Newport News community and raised national questions about how a child so young could obtain and fire a gun. Zwerner has since left teaching and revealed during testimony that she is now a licensed cosmetologist. Zwerner answered questions on the stand for more than an hour. A physician testified Wednesday that Zwerner can’t make a tight fist with her left hand, which has less than half its normal grip strength. Former assistant principal Ebony Parker is accused of failing to act after several people voiced concerns to her in the hours before the shooting that the student had a gun in his backpack. Zwerner testified she first heard about the gun prior to class recess from a reading specialist. The shooting happened a few hours later. Despite her injuries, Zwerner was able to hustle her students out of the classroom. She eventually passed out in the school office. “The moment went by very fast,” she said. Parker is the only defendant in the lawsuit. A judge previously dismissed the district’s superintendent and the school principal as defendants. Parker faces a separate criminal trial next month on eight counts of felony child neglect. Each of the counts is punishable by up to five years in prison upon a conviction. The student’s mother was sentenced to nearly four years in prison for felony child neglect and federal weapons charges. Her son told authorities he got his mother’s handgun by climbing onto a drawer to reach the top of a dresser, where the firearm was in his mom’s purse.