4 d. ago Vance says Knesset votes on annexing West Bank are an ‘insult’ as Netanyahu halts progress

US vice-president suggests votes were ‘stupid political stunt’ as Israeli PM halts further work on billsMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has ordered a halt to the advancement of parliamentary bills linked to the annexation of the West Bank after the US vice-president, JD Vance, described a vote on two bills in the Knesset as an “insult”.The bills applying Israeli law to the occupied West Bank, which would be tantamount to the annexation of land Palestinians want for a state, won preliminary approval from Israel’s parliament on Wednesday, barely a week after Donald Trump pushed through a deal aimed at ending a two-year Israeli offensive in Gaza. Continue reading...

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7 d. ago At least 135 mutilated bodies of Palestinians had been held at notorious Israeli jail, say Gaza officials

Documents indicate they came from Sde Teiman, which already faces allegations of torture and unlawful deathsMiddle East crisis – live updatesAt least 135 mutilated bodies of Palestinians returned by Israel to Gaza had been held in a notorious detention centre already facing allegations of torture and unlawful deaths in custody, officials from Gaza’s health ministry told the Guardian.The director general of the health ministry, Dr Munir al-Bursh, and the spokesperson for Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, where the bodies are being examined, said a document found inside each body bag indicated the bodies all came from Sde Teiman, a military base in the Negev desert, where, according to photos and testimonies published by the Guardian last year, Palestinian detainees were held in cages, blindfolded and handcuffed, shackled to hospital beds, and forced to wear nappies. Continue reading...

Events

7 d. ago Gaza ceasefire live: Trump’s envoys arrive in Israel amid scramble to shore up fragile truce – Middle East crisis live

US envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner expected to meet members of Benjamin Netanyahu’s governmentUS President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner have returned to Israel, a US embassy spokesperson has said.They are overseeing the Gaza ceasefire agreement, which they helped broker, and are expected to meet members of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Continue reading...

Politics

7 d. ago Truce resumes after Israeli airstrikes on Gaza amid scramble to shore up ceasefire – Middle East crisis live

US envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner reportedly heading to Israel on Monday Donald Trump said yesterday the ceasefire he brokered was still in place.The US president told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday that Hamas has been “quite rambunctious” and “they’ve been doing some shooting.” He suggested that the violence might be the fault of “rebels” within the organization rather than its leadership. “It’s going to be handled toughly but properly,” he said. Continue reading...

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8 d. ago Scramble to shore up ceasefire as Israel hits Gaza with deadly raids

IDF says attack followed Hamas forces firing at its troops, but both sides say they are committed to ceasefireMiddle East crisis – live updatesIsrael launched waves of lethal airstrikes on Sunday and cut off all aid into Gaza “until further notice” after a reported attack by Hamas, in escalations that marked the most serious threat so far to the increasingly fragile ceasefire in the devastated territory.Two Israeli soldiers, including an officer, were killed in the Hamas attack. Palestinian officials said dozens died in the retaliatory airstrikes. Continue reading...

Events

8 d. ago War in Gaza caused big political shifts, and more are likely on the road to peace

Trump’s 20-point plan is forcing Middle East rivals to set aside differences and collaborate after years of competitionMiddle East crisis – live updatesIf the war in Gaza had dramatic consequences across the Middle East, overturning long-held assumptions, resetting the geopolitical map and provoking massive shifts in public opinion, any durable peace is likely to have equally momentous effects.Some counsel caution. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Israel reportedly halts supply of aid into Gaza as it launches ‘massive wave of attacks’ – Middle East crisis live

Ceasefire close to total collapse as Israeli military says it has launched strikes in response to ‘blatant violation’ of agreement by HamasIsraeli airstrikes on Gaza as ceasefire comes under threatFreed Israeli hostage David Cunio received a hero’s welcome in the city of Yavne, where residents lined the streets waving Israeli and American flags as he was driven from hospital to rejoin his family, The Times of Israel reports.Cunio, who was abducted from kibbutz Nir Oz with his family during the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack, leaned out of the car window to shake hands and thank supporters as music played and people applauded. Continue reading...

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8 d. ago Gaza agency says 11 killed in Israeli strikes as IDF says Hamas had fired at its troops – Middle East crisis live

Ceasefire in crisis with Israeli military warning further strikes are possibleIsraeli airstrikes on Gaza as ceasefire comes under threatFreed Israeli hostage David Cunio received a hero’s welcome in the city of Yavne, where residents lined the streets waving Israeli and American flags as he was driven from hospital to rejoin his family, The Times of Israel reports.Cunio, who was abducted from kibbutz Nir Oz with his family during the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack, leaned out of the car window to shake hands and thank supporters as music played and people applauded. Continue reading...

Events

8 d. ago Israel launches Rafah airstrikes as Hamas warns ‘escalation’ could hamper handover of hostage remains – Middle East crisis live

Militant group say they have found another body of an Israeli hostage in Gaza and plan to hand over today if ‘conditions allow’Israeli airstrikes on Gaza as ceasefire comes under threatFreed Israeli hostage David Cunio received a hero’s welcome in the city of Yavne, where residents lined the streets waving Israeli and American flags as he was driven from hospital to rejoin his family, The Times of Israel reports.Cunio, who was abducted from kibbutz Nir Oz with his family during the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack, leaned out of the car window to shake hands and thank supporters as music played and people applauded. Continue reading...

Events

8 d. ago Reports of Israel airstrikes on Rafah as Gaza ceasefire deal comes under threat

Air force reportedly carries out attack after Hamas militants emerge from tunnels and shoot at Israeli soldiersMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe Israeli air force carried out airstrikes in Rafah in southern Gaza on Sunday, Israeli media reported, in the most serious threat so far to the week-long ceasefire in the strip.The airstrikes reportedly occurred after Hamas militants emerged from tunnels in the Rafah area and shot at Israeli soldiers in the morning, prompting a firefight. Israel’s army radio reported that deadly clashes in Rafah were continuing. Continue reading...

Events

8 d. ago Reports of Israeli attack on Gaza amid rising tensions over ceasefire – Middle East crisis live

Israeli media reports come as Hamas and Israel trade accusations over breaches of the US-brokered ceasefireIsraeli airstrikes hit Rafah in southern Gaza, Israeli and regional media report, as clashes flared between Israeli forces and Hamas despite a fragile US-brokered ceasefire.Israel’s public broadcaster Kan said the air force was striking targets in Rafah, while other outlets reported attacks elsewhere in southern Gaza and in the city of Jabalia in the north of the territory. Israeli TV network Channel 12 said prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a phone call with defence minister Israel Katz and senior army officials as the situation unfolded. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago Gaza aid still critically scarce, say agencies, as Israel delays convoys

UN urges opening of all crossing points as fewer than half of intended trucks enter strip and WHO warns of ‘spiralling’ diseaseMiddle East crisis – live updatesAid remains critically scarce in Gaza one week into the ceasefire, humanitarian agencies have warned, as Israel delays the entry of food convoys into the territory. The Israeli government and Hamas continue to trade blame over violations of the truce.The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday that it had brought about 560 tonnes of food per day on average into Gaza since the ceasefire began, but it was still below what was needed. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago South African activists on Gaza flotilla claim harsh treatment by Israel over genocide case

Six South African activists who were detained by Israel while attempting to reach Gaza as part of an aid flotilla claim that they were subjected to harsher treatment than others

Politics

2 w. ago Israel prevents new aid flotilla from reaching Gaza and says activists will be deported

Israel intercepts all nine boats of Freedom Flotilla Coalition in international waters

Politics

2 w. ago ‘We’re the closest we’ve ever been to ending the war’: Inside the Hamas

Hamas and Israeli negotiators are in Egypt, with Trump’s plan being treated like a guidebook rather than the deal itself. Chief international correspondent Bel Trew has been speaking to officials behind the scenes

Events

3 w. ago Greta Thunberg cheered by crowd in Athens after Israel expels Gaza flotilla activists

‘Let me be very clear, there is a genocide going on,’ says activist

Politics

3 w. ago First footage of Greta Thunberg after Israel deports Gaza flotilla activists

Greta Thunberg landed in Greece on Monday, 6 October, after being deported from Israel alongside 170 other members of the Global Sumud Flotilla.

Politics

3 w. ago Gaza flotilla latest: Greta Thunberg and 170 activists deported to Greece and Slovakia by Israel

Around 450 people were arrested when Israeli forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla

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3 w. ago Greta Thunberg among 171 Gaza flotilla activists deported by Israel; ceasefire negotiations due to begin in Egypt – Middle East crisis live

Activists deported to Greece and Slovakia; negotiators from the US, Israel and Hamas are set to begin talksIran signalled its support for Trump’s Gaza plan, with the country’s foreign ministry saying it supports any initiative that brings an end to the genocide of Palestinian people.Iran’s foreign ministry wrote in a post on X:Taking into account the dangerous dimensions and aspects of this proposal, and while reiterating its warning about the repeated breaches and obstructionism by the Zionist regime in fulfilling its promises, especially in light of its expansionist and racist plans, the Islamic Republic of Iran considers any decision in this regard to be within the authority of the Palestinian people and resistance.It welcomes any decision by them that guarantees halting the genocide of Palestinians, the withdrawal of the occupying Zionist army from Gaza, respect for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, the entry of humanitarian aid, and the reconstruction of Gaz...

Events

3 w. ago Gaza ceasefire talks live: Israeli airstrikes continue with negotiations due to begin in Egypt

Negotiators from the US, Israel and Hamas are set to begin talks, as the US president said the first phase should be completed this weekIsrael continues Gaza bombardment as Trump plan negotiators arrive in CairoEgyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has praised Donald Trump’s Gaza plan, saying it could mark the start of a path towards stability in the region.In an address to mark the 1973 war between Israel and Egypt that led to the end of Israel’s occupation of the Sinai peninsula, Sisi said on Monday:I can only extend my praise and appreciation for US President Donald Trump for his initiative that seeks a ceasefire in Gaza after two years of war, genocide, killing and destruction.A ceasefire, the return of prisoners and detainees, the reconstruction of Gaza and the launch of a peaceful political process that leads to the establishment and recognition of the Palestinian state means we are on the right path to lasting peace and stability. Continue reading...

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