Middle East

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called on Israel to immediately halt its operation, saying it was “fuelling an already explosive situation”. He urged Israeli forces to “exercise maximum restraint and use lethal force only when it is strictly unavoidable”. The IDF said the five Palestinians were killed after “exchanges …

On Tuesday evening, Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security Gilles Michaud said in a statement that the UN was determined to stay in Gaza to deliver life-saving aid to Palestinian civilians. But, he noted, “like most Palestinians in Gaza, we are running out of safe spaces for our own staff”. Mr …

They have reportedly sunk two ships and killed at least two crew members in that time. They have claimed – often falsely – that they are targeting ships only linked to Israel, the US or the UK. The Sounion was first hit by gunfire from two small boats last Wednesday, …

It is not known why the ship wanted to dock, but vessels on long journeys tend to stop for supplies, respite or to offload or take on cargo. Last December, Namibia’s neighbour and ally South Africa launched an ongoing case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) alleging Israel is …

Last week, Israel’s domestic intelligence chief Ronen Bar wrote to ministers warning that Jewish extremists in the West Bank were carrying out acts of “terror” against Palestinians and causing “indescribable damage” to the country. Since the start of the war in Gaza, there has been an acceleration in settlement growth …

The Nur Shams camp has been targeted by the IDF several times in recent months. In April, the Palestinian Red Crescent said 14 people died in a two-day Israeli operation. And in July the IDF bulldozed the camp’s main street. In Monday’s second reported attack near Bethlehem, Palestinian media said …

The spotlight has also fallen on Israel’s religious leaders. Rabbi Eliyahu Mali attracted attention after he gave a talk in March at a conference for Israel’s Zionist yeshivas – Jewish religious schools with a strong belief in the State of Israel. Rabbi Mali is the head of a yeshiva that …

The United Nations says it has had to temporarily suspend its aid operation in the Gaza Strip because of Israeli military evacuation orders in the centre of the Palestinian territory. A senior official told the BBC that its humanitarian staff had been unable to operate on Monday because of safety …

It was the biggest flare-up here since the Gaza war began last October, after Hamas killed 1,200 people in Israel in a single day. Since then, Hezbollah has been trading fire with Israel across their shared border, showing support for its ally Hamas, and proclaiming solidarity with the people of …

Earlier, Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, told a cabinet meeting that “what happened today is not the end of the story”. “We are striking Hezbollah with surprising crushing blows,” he said. “Three weeks ago, we eliminated its chief-of-staff and today we thwarted its attack plan.” “Nasrallah in Beirut and [Iranian …

Aid agencies say doctors in Gaza are also struggling to treat a huge caseload of dysentery, pneumonia, and severe skin diseases because of the collapse of the health sector. “The reason behind the spread of these bacterial diseases is the complete lack of a sanitation system,” paediatric consultant Dr Ahmed …

For weeks now diplomats have been working to try to avoid the crisis in Gaza escalating into a wider regional conflict. The United States has warned the ongoing failure to agree a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas could see those diplomatic efforts fail. But despite intense …

The Israeli military says its warplanes are hitting Hezbollah targets in Lebanon after detecting moves to fire missiles and rockets into Israel. “In a self-defence act to remove these threats, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) is striking terror targets,” IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said. Israel said Lebanese civilians had been …

Poliovirus, most often spread through sewage and contaminated water, is highly infectious. It can cause disfigurement and paralysis, and is potentially fatal. It mainly affects children under the age of five. Humanitarian groups have blamed the re-emergence of polio in Gaza on disruption to child vaccination programmes and massive damage …

An investigation by The Times newspaper found that several of the Yemeni accounts bore the blue tick of verification. Both The Times and the BBC have approached X for comment, but have not so far received any response. Most of the platform’s content moderators were laid off after the new …

In Gaza on Wednesday, at least 50 Palestinians were killed by Israeli air strikes, Hamas-run health authorities said. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it hit around 30 targets across the territory, including tunnels, launch sites and an observation post. The targets included the UN-run Salah al-Din school in Gaza …

However, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement has repeatedly targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November. The Houthis say they are acting in support of the Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. They have claimed – often falsely – that …

Mr El Attar says his wife – Hala – was “dedicated” to helping displaced people. She was working for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (Unrwa), he says, a UN agency that provides support for Palestinian refugees. Now the nurse says he is forced to come to terms with …

Chaim Peri lived in Kibbutz Nir Oz, which was one of the 26 communities and towns close to the Gaza perimeter fence targeted by Hamas on 7 October. The film lecturer and lifelong peace activist was abducted after he voluntarily left the saferoom of his home to protect his wife, …

According to an Israeli media report, Mr Netanyahu later told a meeting of hostage families that he “convinced” Mr Blinken that the deal must see Israeli troops remaining in areas of Gaza he described as “strategic military and political assets”, including along the southern border with Egypt. The reported comments …