5 d. ago ‘I heard them take their last breath’: survivor recounts Gaza paramedic killings

Munther Abed, 27, was in the first ambulance on the scene of an airstrike near Rafah when Israeli soldiers opened fire• Gaza paramedic killings: a visual timelineA survivor from a massacre of Palestinian paramedics and rescue workers in Gaza has said he saw Israeli troops open fire on a succession of Red Crescent ambulances and rescue vehicles and then use a bulldozer to bury the wreckage in a pit.Munther Abed, a 27-year-old Red Crescent volunteer, was in the back of the first ambulance to arrive on the scene of an airstrike in the Hashashin district of Rafah before dawn on 23 March, when it came under intense Israeli fire. His two Red Crescent colleagues sitting in the front were killed but he survived by throwing himself to the floor of the vehicle. Continue reading...

Events

7 d. ago Palestinian paramedics shot by Israeli forces had hands tied, eyewitnesses say

Senior doctor who saw bodies says men appeared to have been ‘executed’, adding to evidence of potential war crimeSome of the bodies of 15 Palestinian paramedics and rescue workers, killed by Israeli forces and buried in a mass grave nine days ago in Gaza, were found with their hands or legs tied and had gunshot wounds to the head and chest, according to two eyewitnesses.The eyewitness accounts add to an accumulating body of evidence pointing to a potentially serious war crime on 23 March, when Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance crews and civil defence rescue workers were sent to the scene of an airstrike in the early hours of the morning in the al-Hashashin district of Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city. Continue reading...

Politics

7 d. ago Middle East crisis live: Israel issues evacuation order for parts of northern Gaza

IDF says residents should evacuate Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahiya and the neighbourhoods of Sheikh Zayed, al-Manshiya and Tal al-ZaatarThe IDF has issued a forced evacuation order to residents in parts of northern Gaza: Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahiya and the neighbourhoods of Sheikh Zayed, al-Manshiya and Tal al-Zaatar.Avichay Adraee, an Arabic language spokesperson for the Israeli army, said it is a “final” warning before the “raid”. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Israel killed 15 Palestinian paramedics and rescue workers one by one, says UN

Workers on a mission to help colleagues were buried in mass grave in southern Gaza, says humanitarian officeFifteen Palestinian paramedics and rescue workers, including at least one United Nations employee, were killed by Israeli forces “one by one” and buried in a mass grave eight days ago in southern Gaza, the UN has said.According to the UN humanitarian affairs office (Ocha), the Palestinian Red Crescent and civil defence workers were on a mission to rescue colleagues who had been shot at earlier in the day, when their clearly marked vehicles came under heavy Israeli fire in Rafah city’s Tel al-Sultan. A Red Crescent official in Gaza said that there was evidence of at least one person being detained and killed, as the body of one of the dead had been found with his hands tied. Continue reading...

Events

8 d. ago Israel issues sweeping new evacuation orders for Gaza’s Rafah

The Israeli military could soon launch a fresh offensive in the southern city

Politics

8 d. ago Middle East latest: Israel prepares to move deeper into Gaza and issues new evacuation orders

The Israeli military has indicated it could soon launch another major offensive in Rafah and ordered most of the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip evacuated

Politics

1 week ago Israel admits firing at ambulances in Gaza after Palestinians say rescuers missing in Rafah

Body of team leader found almost a week after six rescuers went missing, Gaza’s civil defence agency saysIsrael’s military has admitted it fired on ambulances in the Gaza Strip after identifying them as “suspicious vehicles”, with Hamas condemning it as a “war crime” that killed at least one person.The incident took place last Sunday in the Tal al-Sultan neighbourhood in the southern city of Rafah, close to the Egyptian border. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago US appears to confirm fresh strikes on Yemen; Israel issues fresh calls to evacuate northern Gaza – Middle East crisis live

US attacks target Houthis in a bid to regain control of international shipping lanes; IDF tells people to head towards ‘known shelters’ At least five people have been killed in Israeli shelling of the southern Syrian province of Daraa, local authorities said.In a post on Telegram, provincial authorities reported a provisional toll of “five people killed in the Israeli bombardment of the town of Kuwayya... west of Daraa”. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Israel military issues further calls to evacuate northern Gaza as airstrikes continue – Middle East crisis live

Military tells people to head towards ‘known shelters’ despite the fact there is no guarantee of safety as 57 people killed in past 24 hoursAs we mentioned in the opening summary, Israel’s security cabinet has approved a suggestion by the country’s defence minister, Israel Katz, to set up a new administration within his department tasked with enabling Palestinians to “voluntarily” leave Gaza, their homelands.In a statement a couple of days ago, Katz’s office said the new directorate would work to:Prepare for and enable safe and controlled passage of Gaza residents for their voluntary departure to third countries, including securing their movement, establishing movement routes, checking pedestrians at designated crossings in the Gaza Strip, as well as coordinating the provision of infrastructure that will enable passage by land, sea and air to the destination countries.The ministry of foreign affairs and expatriates condemned in the strongest terms Israel’s announcement of the establ...

Events

2 w. ago Israel launches fresh wave of strikes in Gaza as scores left dead in pre dawn attacks

The strikes across the territory hit homes in the cities of Khan Younis and Rafah in southern Gaza and the northern town of Beit Lahiya, according to doctors in the region.

Events

2 w. ago Israel sends troops into Gaza as it launches ground incursion

Israeli defense minister Israel Katz issues ‘final warning’ to Gaza residents to hand over hostages and eliminate Hamas or face devastation

Politics

2 w. ago Israel issues 'final warning' to Gazans and says it will strike Hamas with 'strength never seen before' amid new ground offensive

Protesters filled the streets on Wednesday between Israel 's parliament, the Knesset, in Jerusalem and Netanyahu's house.

Events

2 w. ago Israel issues 'final warning' to Gazans and says it will act against Hamas with 'strength never seen before' amid new ground offensive

Protesters filled the streets on Wednesday between Israel 's parliament, the Knesset, in Jerusalem and Netanyahu's house.

Events

3 w. ago Israel shatters Gaza ceasefire – Today in Focus Extra – podcast

Israeli military forces carried out strikes on dozens of targets across Gaza early on Tuesday, leaving more than 400 people dead. Emma Graham-Harrison reportsOn Tuesday, Israel launched a wave of airstrikes on Gaza, killing more than 400 people. This bombardment brings the fragile ceasefire, which began in mid-January, to an end.Israel also issued evacuation orders for the northern town of Beit Hanoun and other communities further south, which suggests that Israeli troops may launch a renewed ground operation. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Israel resumes fighting in Gaza with '235 killed' as chilling warning issued

Hamas has said the fresh wave of Israeli attacks puts the fate of the hostages in jeopardy after a six-week ceasefire in which it released 36 hostages in exchange for 2,000 prisoners

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