Middle East

As he and his family queued in their car, Mohammed al-Rifi declared that that he would be able to “get back to life” once he reached Gaza City. “I feel like I died and now I will get back to life,” he told Reuters news agency. “The feeling is indescribable …

Thousands of Palestinians are returning to north Gaza after Israel and Hamas reached a deal to free six hostages this week. The Palestinians were due to return over the weekend, but were held up by a row over an Israeli hostage held by Hamas, Arbel Yehud. Hamas released four soldiers …

On Friday, the office of the Israeli prime minister said the withdrawal outlined in the ceasefire was “conditioned on the Lebanese army deploying in southern Lebanon and fully and effectively enforcing the agreement, while Hezbollah withdraws beyond the Litani”, a river about 30km (20 miles) from the Blue Line – …

The Israeli military has previously said it is in the midst of a “thorough investigation into the events of 7 October, including those in Nahal Oz, and the circumstances preceding”. One woman from the unit, Agam Berger, remains in Gaza. In a statement on Saturday, her family said they were …

Earlier on Saturday, Muhammad Emad Al-Din was one of the thousands waiting to return home to northern Gaza. “I know my house might be destroyed, but I’ll pitch a tent over its remains. I just want to go back,” he told the BBC over the phone. “I need to reclaim …

“After the conclusion of the necessary activities in the prisons and the approval of political authorities, all the terrorists were released from the Ofer and Ktziot prisons,” the Israel Prison Service said in a statement. Some of the released prisoners were hoisted aloft by crowds to loud cheers and fireworks …

Saturday’s event in Palestine Square, Gaza City, was highly choreographed by Hamas, unlike last weekend’s chaotic handover. The four hostages emerged from cars and were shepherded by masked gunmen to a stage erected in the square, where moments earlier a Red Cross official had sat at a desk to sign …

The imagery captured on 21 January shows new structures and trucks at the cleared area. Construction appears to have begun at the beginning of this year, with lower resolution imagery showing gradual development at the site since 1 January. A new track or road measuring around 1km also appears to …

Hamas is also expected to provide information about the remaining 26 hostages due to be released over the next five weeks. This includes the Bibas family – two parents and two children, one of whom, Kfir, was 10 months old when taken captive and is the youngest hostage. It is …

Everything gets mixed up together. The child’s multi-coloured backpack. A running shoe. A steel pot perforated by shrapnel. Bits of beds, chairs, cookers, lampshades; the glass of broken windows, mirrors, drinking glasses. Scraps of clothing. These last shredded, dust covered items can be markers. Often they belong to the dead …

Yemen has been devastated by a civil war that escalated 10 years ago, when the Houthis seized control of the country’s north-west from the internationally-recognised government and a Saudi-led coalition supported by the US intervened in an effort to restore its rule. The fighting has reportedly left more than 150,000 …

He told us military bulldozers had reached the middle of the camp, and that he was worried the operation there was about to start in earnest. “There are still a lot of people inside the camp – the elderly, sick, and kids,” he said. “They can’t leave. God help them.” …

Most of the deaths recorded since the Assad regime fell happened on former battle front lines, according to the White Helmets. Most of those killed were men. Mr Talfah took us to two huge fields riddled with landmines. Our car followed his on a long, narrow and winding dirt road. …

Yemen’s Houthi movement says it has released the crew of the cargo ship Galaxy Leader, which its fighters seized in November 2023 at the start of their campaign of attacks on Red Sea shipping linked to the Gaza war. Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reported that the 25 crew of the …

Tuesday’s attack took place on Nahalat Binyamin Street, an area popular for its restaurants and nightlife, and on the nearby Gruzenberg Street, where the attacker stabbed another person and was shot dead. Israeli media reported that an American residency permit and border control ticket were found on the body of …

BBC Verify’s Nick Eardley examines Hamas’ footage of the moment three hostages were handed over. BBC News

On Sunday night, UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher warned that the humanitarian needs of Palestinians in Gaza were “staggering”. UN officials have previously blamed the humanitarian crisis on Israeli military restrictions on aid deliveries, the hostilities and the breakdown of law and order. Israel has insisted there are no limits …

“I’ve never had a moment of doubt… I always knew that [Tice] is going to walk free. And, you know, we have a whole new way of thinking about how that’s going to happen,” she said. “I can hardly wait for my arms around [him].” On Sunday, Debra Tice – …

Ninety Palestinians were released from Israeli jails as part of the first phase in a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. Footage shows the prisoners, mostly woman and children, greeted by cheers upon arrival as people gathered to welcome them in the occupied West Bank. In exchange for these prisoners, …

Such aid is tangible assistance. It can be weighed, counted, loaded, and ultimately distributed. People can be fed and given medicine. But there is another challenge whose demands are immense, and which will have a profound impact on the future of Gaza. The war has created unknown numbers of traumatised …