29 h. ago UK ready to put ‘boots on ground’ in Ukraine if ceasefire reached, says minister

John Healey says UK is committed to helping secure peace ahead of Trump-Putin meeting in Anchorage

Politics

4 d. ago Middle East crisis live: WHO asks for more medical aid to be allowed into Gaza before Israeli offensive

World Health Organization says it needs to deal with ‘catastrophic’ health situation in Gaza before Israel moves to ‘take control’ of Gaza CityIn a post on X, Israel Defense Forces claim to have “debunked” what it called Hamas’s “starvation campaign” in Gaza.The IDF said that reviews of documents showed that most deaths by malnutrition in Gaza were linked to “severe pre-existing conditions” and that only a handful of the 133 deaths by malnutrition claimed by Gaza’s authorities in July could be “verified”. The post said that the “expert review concluded that there are no signs of a widespread malnutrition phenomenon among the population in Gaza”. Continue reading...

Politics

4 d. ago Israel plans to widen coming offensive beyond Gaza City into last areas not under its control

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel plans to widen its coming offensive beyond Gaza City to the last areas not yet under Israeli control

Politics

7 d. ago Anas Sarwar brands Benjamin Netanyahu 'war criminal' as new Gaza offensive announced

The Scottish Labour leader blasted the Israeli Prime Minister's plans to take over Gaza City as the conflict escalates.

Events

7 d. ago ‘I will live here, and I will die here’: Palestinians defiant as Israel plans to seize control of Gaza Strip

While some in Gaza City are preparing to evacuate to the south, others refuse to be displaced againDisplaced repeatedly. Forced to live in tent camps or amid the ruins of their homes. Stricken by hunger and deprived of medical supplies.Now, 22 months into the war, around 1 million Palestinians are bracing for another catastrophe after the Israeli security cabinet’s decision to take control of the entire Gaza Strip. Such an offensive would force them toward the south of the territory, and an uncertain future. Continue reading...

Politics

7 d. ago ‘I will live here, and I will die here’: Palestinians defiant as Israel plans to seize control of Gaza City

While some in Gaza City are preparing to evacuate to the south, others refuse to be displaced againDisplaced repeatedly. Forced to live in tent camps or amid the ruins of their homes. Stricken by hunger and deprived of medical supplies.Now, 22 months into the war, around 1 million Palestinians are bracing for another catastrophe after the Israeli security cabinet’s decision to take control of Gaza City. Such an offensive would force them toward the south of the territory, and an uncertain future. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Germany halts arms sales to Israel over Gaza offensive as Starmer warns of ‘more bloodshed’

Chancellor Friedrich Merz said it was ‘increasingly difficult to understand’ how the latest military push will help achieve Israel’s aims

Events

8 d. ago Israel’s Gaza City plan sparks global condemnation with warnings of more destruction and suffering – latest updates

Widespread calls for takeover plan to be stopped with UK’s Starmer saying escalation will ‘only bring more bloodshed’ and Germany halting arms exportsNetanyahu announces plan to take over Gaza CityThe UK’s ambassador to Israel has said extending the war in Gaza would only lead to more deaths and that occupying Gaza would be a “huge mistake”.Simon Walters was quoted by Israel’s Haaretz newspaper as saying on Thursday:The IDF has achieved all that it can achieve in Gaza, and extending the war any further will simply lead to more deaths. Deaths of soldiers, deaths of Palestinians, deaths of hostages.If you want to defeat Hamas, you cannot achieve that through military force. You need to use politics and diplomacy and you need to give the people of Gaza an alternative to Hamas.We are working with friends, allies in Europe and in the Middle East to generate a real plan for what happens after the fighting stops, after the war.It needs to be a description of what the governments will be fo...

Events

8 d. ago Lammy to host Vance in UK as Starmer denounces Israel’s plan to take control of Gaza City – UK politics live

The foreign secretary is to welcome the US vice-president to Chevening, his grace-and-favour residence, and Gaza is expected to be on their agendaGood morning. Keir Starmer has this morning denounced the Israeli government’s decision to take over Gaza City, agreed overnight, saying it will “only bring more bloodshed”. He has been under growing pressure for a long time, from within the Labour party, as well as from the Liberal Democrats, the Greens and the Corbyn/Sultana independent leftwingers, to be more critical of Israel, and that led to the decision last week to recognise the state of Palestine. This morning’s statement, which will almost certainly have no practical impact but which is marginally stronger than what Starmer has been saying in the past, is fresh evidence of a shift in thinking.In his statement, Starmer said:The Israeli government’s decision to further escalate its offensive in Gaza is wrong, and we urge it to reconsider immediately. This action will do nothing to ...

Politics

8 d. ago Israel's decision to 'escalate Gaza offensive is wrong and will only bring more bloodshed,' warns Starmer

The PM has said that Britain will recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel meets four conditions including ending the “starvation” in Gaza, a ceasefire, and moves towards a two-state solution.

Events

8 d. ago Middle East crisis live: Israel security cabinet approves plan to take over Gaza City amid reports of disagreements with military

The announcement comes after Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel intended to take full control of Gaza and hand over the territory’s governance to friendly Arab forcesThe Axios reporter Barak Ravid has cited an Israeli official as saying Israel’s occupation of Gaza City is to involve besieging Hamas fighters there while carrying out a ground offensive.Ravid’s post on X says:Senior Israeli official tells me: The operation that the IDF is currently preparing for is only in Gaza City. The goal is to evacuate all Palestinian civilians from Gaza City to the central camps and other areas by October 7. A siege will be imposed on the Hamas militants who remain in Gaza City, and at the same time, a ground offensive will be carried out in Gaza City. The Prime Minister and the Defense Minister have been authorized to approve the IDF’s final operational plan1. Disarming Hamas of its weapons.2. Return of all hostages – both the living and the deceased. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago A wasteland of rubble, dust and graves: how Gaza looks from the sky

The Guardian joins a Jordanian military airdrop for a rare chance to observe a landscape devastated by Israel’s offensive Seen from the air, Gaza looks like the ruins of an ancient civilisation, brought to light after centuries of darkness. A patchwork of concrete shapes and shattered walls, neighbourhoods scattered with craters, rubble and roads that lead nowhere. The remnants of cities wiped out.But here, there has been no natural disaster and no slow passage of time.Members of Jordan’s military stand among pallets of aid about to be dropped on Gaza. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Norway to review $2tn oil fund’s investments in Israeli companies

Finance minister Jens Stoltenberg orders probe after outcry over allegations that groups have aided Gaza offensive

Economics

1 week ago Israeli cabinet meeting postponed as tensions rise over Netanyahu’s occupation plan

Officials said prime minister was planning offensive to fully occupy Gaza, but resistance reveals splits in governmentIsrael-Gaza war – live updatesAn Israeli security cabinet meeting, which had been expected to discuss Benjamin Netanyahu’s call for the “full occupation” of Gaza, has been postponed amid mounting tensions over whether the plan is feasible.Amid a stalling of ceasefire negotiations with Hamas, Israeli officials had briefed local and international media that the prime minister was considering an expansive offensive, aimed at taking full control of the Palestinian territory after 22 months of war against the militant group Hamas. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago Gaza latest: UK to evacuate 100 children for urgent medical care as Netanyahu pushes for ‘full occupation’

Israeli prime minister signals plan to expand military offensive in Gaza

Events

3 w. ago Israel extends Gaza offensive to areas not yet reached by ground forces

Military evacuation order for Deir al-Balah, where some Israeli hostages are believed to have been held, draws criticism

Politics

3 w. ago Israel orders evacuations in central Gaza as ceasefire talks stall and military offensive widens

The Israeli military has issued new evacuation warnings for central Gaza, an area where ground operations have been rare

Events