2 h. ago Israel begins its invasion of Gaza City after calling up 60,000 reservists as Palestinians flee

Israel Defense Forces spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said it now controls the outskirts of Gaza City, which was one of Hamas' last strongholds.

Politics

7 h. ago Israel calls up 60,000 reservists with invasion of Gaza's largest city imminent

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the Israeli military to prepare for a major ground assault on Gaza City, where almost half of the territory's displaced residents are now sheltering

Politics

21 h. ago Israel to call up 50,000 reservists before planned offensive on Gaza City, says Israeli military official – Middle East crisis live

Call-up notices sent as Israeli plans to increase its offensive; Israel studies Hamas’ response to proposal for 60-day ceasefireGood afternoon, Israel will call up 50,000 reservists before a planned offensive to take Gaza City but most forces that would operate in the Gaza Strip’s largest urban centre would be active duty soldiers, an Israeli military official said on Wednesday. The call-up notices could be sent in the coming days, with reservists to report for duty in September, the military official said.“Most of the troops that will be mobilised in this new stage will be active duty and not reservists,” said the official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday that he treats leaders of other countries with respect after his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu attacked him over his decision to recognise a Palestinian state. “I don’t take these things personally, I engage with people diplomatically. He has had similar t...

Events

24 h. ago Israel calls up 60,000 troops as defence minister approves plans to seize Gaza City

Defence Minister Israel Katz's move, confirmed by a spokesperson, piled pressure on Hamas as mediators pushing for a ceasefire in the nearly two-year war in Gaza awaited an official Israeli response.

Politics

25 h. ago Israeli military will call up 50,000 reservists as it plans new phase of war in Gaza

An Israeli military official says the country’s top generals have approved plans to begin a new phase of operations in some of Gaza’s most densely populated areas

Events

25 h. ago Row between Israel and Australia descends into personal insults as Netanyahu calls Albanese ‘weak’

Australian home minister tells Israel’s PM that ‘strength is not measured by how many people you can blow up’

Politics

26 h. ago Gaza City invasion plan approved by Israel with 60k reserve troops to be called up

Defense Minister Israel Katz approved the invasion plan on Wednesday - which will see 60,000 reserve troops mobilised and civillians evacuated to the South of the strip

Politics

28 h. ago Trump calls Israel’s Netanyahu a ‘war hero’ and says ‘I guess I am too’

The president made the remarks in a radio interview complaining he was not given enough credit for bombing Iran’s nuclear sites

Politics

29 h. ago Australian minister says ‘strength not measured by how many people you can blow up’ as row with Netanyahu escalates

Australian home affairs minister’s criticism comes after Israeli prime minister calls Anthony Albanese a ‘weak politician who betrayed Israel’Netanyahu lashes out at AlbaneseFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia’s government has rejected Benjamin Netanyahu’s incendiary criticism and accused some Israeli politicians of “bigoted” views about Palestinians as the extraordinary political fight between the two nations turns uglier.The home affairs minister, Tony Burke – whose refusal of a travel visa for the far-right Knesset member Simcha Rothman stoked criticism from Jerusalem – backed in his decision and criticised the Israeli prime minister over the war in Gaza, where tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians have been killed in Israel’s military and bombing campaign. Continue reading...

Politics

45 h. ago People Make Glasgow tower refurb sparks row over need for affordable homes during city housing crisis

EXCLUSIVE: Shelter warned the housing emergency in Scotland's largest city was getting worse due to a chronic lack of affordable accomodation.

Events

52 h. ago There's a word for the EU's inaction over Gaza: racism | Shada Islam

Europe frames the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza as a humanitarian crisis rather than a deliberate political choice. There will be a moral reckoningThe president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and her team face growing criticism of the controversial EU-US tariff deal agreed in July. I am hoping for similar calls for accountability over the EU’s complicity in Israel’s unfolding genocide in Gaza. Such a reckoning is long overdue.I have watched in despair for almost two years as European governments have done little or nothing while Israel has devastated Gaza through bombings, targeted strikes and forced starvation after the 7 October attack by Hamas. There are so many sanctions at the EU’s disposal which they are still refusing to deploy; so many levers they are refusing to pull. The bloc is Israel’s biggest trading partner, accounting for 32% of Israel’s total trade in 2024. Yet at every meeting, EU leaders and foreign ministers have failed to secure the majorit...

Events

62 h. ago London councils will be ‘unable to provide basic services’ after government funding shake

BusinessLDN – which represents more than 170 of the city’s largest employers – urged ministers to ensure that the Fair Funding Review takes account of the city’s higher costs and levels of deprivation

Politics

62 h. ago Hamas says it accepts proposal for Gaza ceasefire and release of hostages

Deal would include 60-day halt to military operations and exchange of half of living Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisonersHamas officials say they have accepted a proposal for a Gaza ceasefire deal that would include the release of half of the approximately 20 remaining living Israeli hostages as part of a phased resolution to the war, as Gaza health officials said 62,000 Palestinians had died in the 22 months of war.The proposed deal follows negotiations between Hamas and Egyptian and Qatari officials that have been taking place in Cairo in recent days, and comes after the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was confronted on Sunday by Israel’s biggest protests of the war, which called for a deal to secure the release of the hostages. Continue reading...

Events

3 d. ago Scores of Palestinians killed and thousands flee after Israel launches fresh airstrikes and announces plans to capture Gaza's largest city

The Hamas-run municipality of Gaza City's southern Zeitoun district described the situation as 'catastrophic', with residents enduring almost constant explosions from Israeli air strikes.

Events

4 d. ago Israeli military preparing to expel Gaza City residents as baby in tent among those killed in latest attacks

Military claims it is displacing population ‘to ensure their safety’ even as health officials report deadly attacks on previously designated safe zonesThe Israeli military will begin preparing for the forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza City, it said on Saturday, as health officials said it had killed at least 40 people including a baby in a tent and people seeking aid in its latest attacks.The announcement came days after Israel said it intended to launch a new offensive to seize control of Gaza City, the enclave’s largest urban centre, in a plan that raised international alarm. The Israeli offensive has already displaced most of the population, killed tens of thousands of civilians and created a famine. Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago Kids playground dubbed 'largest' of its kind coming to Welsh city

The indoor adventure playground also comes with a surprising feature

Politics

5 d. ago Anchorage, Alaska city guide: What to do and where to stay in America’s last frontier

Alaska’s largest city is a place to climb mountains and meet local wildlife, says Alan Dymock, with post-adventure refreshments available in 12 different breweries

Politics

5 d. ago Heading to Dublin for the Oasis weekender? The best places to eat, drink and stay

Grab a pint at Toner’s, get the Bad Sisters experience in Howth and sing along to Irish folk at O’Donoghues. Maddy Mussen has your guide to spending a weekend in Ireland’s largest city

Politics

5 d. ago Anchorage, Alaska city guide: What to do and where to stay in the capital of America’s last frontier

Alaska’s largest city is a place to climb mountains and meet local wildlife, says Alan Dymock, with post-adventure refreshments available in 12 different breweries

Politics

6 d. ago Aid groups call on Israel to end 'weaponization' of aid in Gaza

Over 100 nonprofit groups have warned that Israel's rules for aid organizations in Gaza and the West Bank will block crucial relief efforts

Politics