Israeli airstrike kills at least 30 in Al-Shati camp, Gaza City – Early Thursday, an Israeli airstrike flattened a cluster of residential buildings in the Al-Shati refugee camp west of Gaza City, killing at least 30 Palestinians, several of them children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Civil defense teams have been unable to reach all victims due to ongoing shelling and blocked roads. This is the second time the camp has been targeted this week. →
Hezbollah launches deepest drone strike yet into Israel, targeting Kiryat Shmona suburbs – The Lebanese Hezbollah announced early Thursday that it launched an explosive drone squadron deep into occupied Israeli territory, targeting a military logistics base in the suburbs of Kiryat Shmona — the furthest penetration of an aerial attack from Lebanon in the current escalation. Hezbollah called it "a preliminary retaliation" for the assassination of a senior field commander. →
Yemen's Ansar Allah claims successful missile strike on Israeli ship in Arabian Sea – The Yemeni Armed Forces (Ansar Allah, also known as Houthis) announced early Thursday that they targeted the Israeli-linked cargo vessel MSC Michel in the Arabian Sea with a swarm of naval missiles, scoring a direct hit. Maritime security sources reported an explosion near a ship's hull. This is the fourth such attack in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea corridor this month. →
Israeli forces raid and seal Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis, detaining medical staff – Israeli forces raided Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis early Thursday, forcing all staff and patients to evacuate and sealing the facility's entrances, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS). 12 medical personnel, including two doctors, were detained and allegedly stripped for interrogation. The World Health Organization condemned the raid as a "direct violation of international humanitarian law." →
Iraq's PMF claims downing of US MQ-9 Reaper drone over Saladin Province – The Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) announced early Thursday that its air defense units shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Saladin Governorate, north of Baghdad, claiming it was "violating Iraqi airspace" for "spying" near Balad airbase. US Central Command confirmed it lost contact with one of its drones over Iraq but did not immediately comment on the PMF's claim. →
Trump announces plans for "very strong" attacks on Iran; US strikes Iran's water facilities – US President Donald Trump said Wednesday evening that the US intends to launch "widespread and powerful" strikes against Iran, warning that Iran "took too long to negotiate a deal" and "will have to pay the price." Earlier, US forces struck several sites in Iran, including water infrastructure, retaliating for the downing of a US helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran accused the US of repeated ceasefire violations. →
US House advances bill to sanction ICC over Netanyahu arrest warrant – The US House Foreign Affairs Committee voted 26-19 along party lines Wednesday to advance the "Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act," which would impose severe sanctions on the International Criminal Court and its prosecutors if arrest warrants are issued for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The bill, backed by House Speaker Mike Johnson, now heads to the full House floor. →
Sudan RSF shelling kills 15 in Omdurman market – The Sudanese Rapid Support Forces (RSF) shelled the Souk Libya market in Omdurman Thursday morning, killing at least 15 civilians and wounding dozens more, according to local medical sources. Separately, the World Food Programme warned that the conflict in Darfur has pushed areas into "catastrophic hunger," with famine conditions already present in several displacement camps. →
Gaza Health Ministry: total Palestinian death toll surpasses 115,000, 70% women and children – The Gaza Health Ministry released a grim update Thursday, reporting that over 35,000 confirmed fatalities and 80,000 injured have been recorded since October 7, with 72% of identified victims being women and children. The ministry warned of a "catastrophic" collapse in the health system and noted that thousands of bodies remain unrecoverable under rubble. →
Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya placed in solitary confinement after 500 days – Israeli authorities have moved Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, into solitary confinement after holding him for more than 500 days without charge. According to Physicians for Human Rights Israel, he was transferred from Ketziot prison to Ramon prison; the reason for the move was not disclosed. →
Amnesty International: West Bank ethnic cleansing, settler attacks are Israeli state policy – Amnesty International released a report Wednesday stating that Israel uses war crimes to accelerate its "annexation agenda and settlement expansion" in the occupied West Bank, calling settler violence a state policy. The report documents systematic land confiscations, displacement, and violent attacks by settlers with military complicity. →
UK, Canada, France, Norway impose sanctions on settler networks in the West Bank – Britain announced a package of sanctions coordinated with Canada, France, and Norway targeting networks that fund, facilitate, and carry out settler violence in the occupied West Bank. The sanctions freeze assets and impose travel bans on individuals and entities involved. →
Products from Israeli settlements reach Europe under false Israeli origin labels – A new investigation by the Global Echo Litigation Center alleges that agricultural products from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and Syrian Golan are routinely exported to Europe labeled as "from Israel," violating longstanding EU policies that require distinguishing between Israel and occupied territories. →
Ben-Gvir calls for taking Lebanese women and children hostage – Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir proposed during a security cabinet meeting Tuesday that Israel detain Lebanese "women and youth" to pressure Hezbollah, saying "that's what hurts them the most." The comments were widely condemned as a call for collective punishment under international humanitarian law. →
Mass protests in Cairo and Amman against normalization with Israel – Thousands of protesters gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square and outside the Israeli embassy in Amman late Wednesday, denouncing normalized ties with Israel and demanding an end to diplomatic and economic relations. Egyptian security forces arrested at least 150 protesters, while in Amman marchers burned the Israeli flag and called for the embassy's closure. →
Former European leaders urge tougher EU action against Israel over Gaza and West Bank – More than 460 former European political figures, including former Irish leaders Leo Varadkar and Eamon Gilmore, and former European Parliament President Pat Cox, published an editorial calling on the EU to take tougher action, including curtailing trade and suspending parts of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. The appeal comes ahead of an EU foreign ministers meeting next week. →
An Israeli airstrike flattened a cluster of residential buildings in the Al-Shati refugee camp west of Gaza City early Thursday, killing at least 30 Palestinians, several of them children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The strike hit a densely populated area, collapsing multiple homes onto families sleeping inside. Palestinian civil defense teams have been unable to reach all the victims due to ongoing shelling and blocked roads. This attack is part of a broader wave of intensified strikes across the Strip, targeting the camp for the second time this week. According to Al Jazeera English, the escalation comes amid continued ground operations in Rafah and other areas.
Israeli forces raided Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis early Thursday, forcing all staff and patients to evacuate and sealing the facility's entrances, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) . The PRCS reported that Israeli troops detained 12 medical personnel, including two doctors, and stripped them for interrogation, accusing them of harboring "Hamas operatives." The hospital, one of the last functioning medical facilities in the area, had been treating hundreds of wounded patients. The World Health Organization condemned the raid, calling it a "direct violation of international humanitarian law," as reported by Al Jazeera English.
The Gaza Health Ministry released a grim statistical update Thursday, reporting that the total number of Palestinians killed since October 7 has reached 115,000, including over 35,000 confirmed fatalities and 80,000 injured. The ministry detailed that 72% of the identified victims are women and children, with over 17,000 children killed. The statement also warned of a "catastrophic" collapse in the health system, noting that thousands of bodies remain unrecoverable under rubble due to the ongoing ground invasion and lack of heavy equipment. These figures, updated daily, have been consistently verified by UN agencies and human rights groups as reliable. Reporting in Arabic, Arab48 provided the detailed breakdown.
Israeli authorities have moved Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, into solitary confinement after holding him for more than 500 days without charge. Abu Safiya, 53, was detained by Israeli forces on December 27, 2024, while working at Kamal Adwan Hospital, which had continued operating through more than 80 days of siege and repeated Israeli attacks. According to Middle East Monitor, Physicians for Human Rights Israel received information that he was transferred from Ketziot prison to Ramon prison, part of the Ganot prison complex, where he was placed in solitary confinement. His son, Elyas, reported that the family had not been informed of the reason. Images circulating on social media, reported by RT Arabic, showed Abu Safiya appearing exhausted and bearing visible signs of torture during his ongoing trial.
Despite the destruction of 96% of Gaza's farmland, farmers are returning to fields buried in rubble and unexploded ordnance, hoping to rebuild an agricultural sector decimated by Israel's genocide. According to Mondoweiss, Israel's blockade makes recovery nearly impossible, with restrictions on seeds, tools, and water, alongside the constant threat of military attacks. Farmers in the Nuseirat and Khan Younis areas described returning to their land only to find soil contaminated by saltwater and debris, with many irrigation systems destroyed.
The Lebanese Hezbollah announced early Thursday that it had launched an explosive drone squadron deep into occupied Israeli territory, targeting a military logistics base in the suburbs of Kiryat Shmona — the furthest penetration of an aerial attack from Lebanon in the current escalation. The Israeli military claimed its air defenses intercepted most of the drones, but acknowledged that some debris fell in open areas, sparking fires. This attack comes hours after an Israeli raid deep in southern Lebanon killed a senior Hezbollah field commander. Reporting in Arabic, Al Jazeera Arabic reported that Hezbollah released a statement calling the strike "a preliminary retaliation" for the assassination.
Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for the seizure of Lebanese "women and youth" to exert pressure on Hezbollah during a security cabinet meeting on Tuesday, according to Israeli media. "Let's start thinking outside the box about Hezbollah. Conquering territory and killing many terrorists, but also detaining their women and youth and taking them to terrorist prisons. That's what hurts them the most," Ben-Gvir said, as reported by Middle East Monitor. The comments are seen as an explicit call for collective punishment against Lebanese civilians and family members of Hezbollah fighters, in violation of international humanitarian law. Separately, an Israeli minister evaded a question about whether Tel Aviv would "surrender" to Iran's "unity of arenas" equation, as reported by RT Arabic.
Despite a US-mediated ceasefire announced in April, Israel has continued besieging villages, razing farmland, and attacking journalists and rescue workers in southern Lebanon, according to a report by +972 Magazine. The report describes how during the nearly two-month "ceasefire," Israel has expanded its occupation, with civilians who remain describing a daily struggle to survive under constant threat of shootings, abductions, and destruction of homes and infrastructure. Israeli forces have also been disappearing civilians, with families unable to get information on the fate of their relatives.
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has refused a demand to remove approximately 2,300 Hezbollah elements from south of the Litani River, according to Al Quds Al Arabi. The report also notes that Hezbollah's Al-Manar channel has been mocking "the silence of the authorities" amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes on southern villages. Separately, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued urgent evacuation warnings for the villages of Al-Ghassaniya, Houmine al-Fawqa, and Ansariya, followed by airstrikes on these towns and surrounding areas.
The standoff between the US and Iran escalated dramatically Wednesday evening as US President Donald Trump announced that the US intends to launch "widespread and powerful" strikes against Iran, warning that Iran "took too long to negotiate a deal" and "will have to pay the price." Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said: "We will attack them, and it will be very strong," referring to Iran's downing of a US Apache helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz, as reported by Al Quds Al Arabi.
Earlier, US forces struck several sites in Iran, including water infrastructure, in what Washington said was retaliation for the downing of the helicopter. According to Al Jazeera English, the targeting of water facilities is particularly significant as it could affect civilian water supplies and is considered a potential war crime. Trump also wrote on Truth Social that Iran's "Military is a complete and total mess" and that "the Bully of the Middle East is DEAD!!!" as reported by Middle East Monitor.
Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Wednesday that repeated US ceasefire violations, contradictory messages, and shifting demands are undermining diplomatic efforts. "The United States, through the contradictory messages it sends, the repeated changes in its positions and demands, and, worst of all, repeated violations of the ceasefire, is harming the diplomatic process," Baghaei stated, as reported by Middle East Monitor.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Wednesday that Iran must move beyond the current "no war, no peace" situation, emphasizing that while war is not in the country's interest, "if they seek to violate our dignity, our land and our territory, we will not surrender," according to Middle East Monitor.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) warned Iran Wednesday that its attacks "do not serve any understanding or rapprochement and close the doors of dialogue." In a statement following a ministerial meeting in Manama, the GCC condemned recent hostile attacks that hit Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait, according to Al Quds Al Arabi. The statement reflects growing Gulf anxiety over the expanding conflict between Iran and the US-Israel axis, as the region braces for further escalation.
Trump also claimed that the agreement being negotiated with Iran is "fully ready" and that all Tehran needs to do is "sign the final document," as reported by RT Arabic. However, Iran's leadership has not confirmed readiness to sign, and earlier reports indicated that Tehran is studying US modifications to the draft memorandum of understanding, with talks continuing over the final text.
In an exclusive interview with Mondoweiss, Mohsen Rezaei, a senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader and former IRGC Commander, stated that Tehran will not separate Lebanon from any deal with Washington, including a nuclear deal. "Lebanon is a red line that cannot be crossed," Rezaei said, as Iran seeks to redefine the terms of negotiations with the US. This underscores that any US-Israel military campaign against Hezbollah would risk a direct Iranian response, linking the Lebanon front directly to broader negotiations.
The Yemeni Armed Forces (Ansar Allah, also known as Houthis) announced early Thursday that they targeted the Israeli-linked cargo vessel MSC Michel in the Arabian Sea with a swarm of naval missiles, scoring a direct hit. Brigadier General Yahya Saree, a military spokesperson, stated in a televised address that the attack was in support of the "oppressed Palestinian people" and that operations would continue until the aggression on Gaza stops. The Israeli military and the shipping company have not yet confirmed the strike, but maritime security sources reported an explosion near a ship's hull in that area, according to Al Masirah. This marks the fourth such attack in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea corridor this month, further threatening maritime security and global supply chains.
Protests in southern and eastern Yemen entered their third day Thursday, with demonstrators in Aden closing streets and burning tires amid a heavy security crackdown and arrests. In Hadramawt, calls for a comprehensive civil strike were issued, driven by deteriorating electricity services and economic conditions, according to Al Quds Al Arabi. The protests add another layer of instability in a country already fragmented by war.
The Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) , an umbrella of state-sanctioned paramilitary groups, announced early Thursday that its air defense units shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Saladin Governorate, north of Baghdad. The PMF stated the drone was "violating Iraqi airspace" and engaged in "spying" activities near the Balad airbase, which hosts American personnel. US Central Command confirmed it lost contact with one of its drones over Iraq but did not immediately comment on the PMF's claim, as reported by Al Jazeera Arabic. The incident marks the first time Iraqi forces have downed an advanced US drone, signaling a significant escalation in the targeting of US assets and raising concerns about the stability of the US military presence in Iraq.
Amnesty International released a report Wednesday stating that Israel uses war crimes to accelerate its "annexation agenda and settlement expansion" in the occupied West Bank, calling settler violence a state policy. According to Al Jazeera English, the report details systematic land confiscations, displacement, and violent attacks by settlers with military complicity. From January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2025, Israeli settlers killed 61 Palestinians and injured 3,778, according to data cited by Middle East Monitor. The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory noted that "Israeli authorities have consistently acknowledged settler violence as a problem, while promoting structural conditions that enable it."
Britain announced a package of sanctions coordinated with Canada, France, and Norway targeting networks that fund, facilitate, and carry out settler violence in the occupied West Bank. The sanctions freeze assets and impose travel bans on individuals and entities involved, as reported by Al Jazeera Arabic. Campaigners, however, argue that these sanctions reflect a need to manage public anger rather than a genuine shift in state policy, and that targeting the Israeli government itself is necessary, according to Al Jazeera English.
A new investigation by the Global Echo Litigation Center, titled "Importing Occupation," alleges that agricultural products from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and Syrian Golan are routinely exported to Europe labeled as "from Israel," in violation of longstanding EU policies requiring a distinction between Israel and occupied territories. According to Middle East Monitor, the report says that "retailers and food manufacturers responsible for labelling their products are involved in consumer deception by falsely labelling the origin of agricultural settlement goods exported to the EU."
Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin called Wednesday on the international community to take practical steps to stop illegal Israeli settlement activity and displacement targeting Palestinians. Speaking during a field visit to the Khan al-Ahmar Bedouin community east of occupied East Jerusalem, Shahin said: "Israel understands only the language of action on the ground and the international community must therefore take practical measures," as reported by Middle East Monitor.
The US House Foreign Affairs Committee voted 26-19 along party lines Wednesday to advance the "Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act," which would impose severe sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its prosecutors if they issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The bill, backed by House Speaker Mike Johnson, would block ICC officials from entering the US, freeze their assets, and revoke their visas. The legislation, which critics call an unprecedented assault on judicial independence, now heads to the full House floor for a vote. The ICC has accused Israel of committing starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and other crimes, according to Reuters.
More than 460 former European political figures, including former Irish leaders Leo Varadkar and Eamon Gilmore, and former European Parliament President Pat Cox, published an editorial calling on the EU to take tougher action against Israel over its military operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Other signatories include former prime ministers of Italy, Slovenia, and Sweden. The op-ed comes ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg next week and an EU summit in Brussels, where proposals to curtail trade with Israel and suspend parts of the EU-Israel Association Agreement are expected to be discussed, according to Middle East Monitor.
Thousands of protesters gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square and outside the Israeli embassy in Amman late Wednesday, denouncing normalized ties with Israel and demanding an end to all diplomatic and economic relations. In Cairo, demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and chanted "No to normalization, no to the embassy, Gaza is not for sale," after calls for a "Day of Rage" circulated on social media. Egyptian security forces deployed heavily, arresting at least 150 protesters. In Amman, the protests were the largest in months, with marchers burning the Israeli flag and calling for the closure of the Israeli Embassy, amid growing public anger over Jordan's role as a transit route for aid to Gaza, as reported by Middle East Eye.
The Sudanese Rapid Support Forces (RSF) shelled the Souk Libya market in Omdurman Thursday morning, killing at least 15 civilians and wounding dozens more, according to local medical sources. The attack is the latest in the RSF's campaign to seize control of the capital region. Separately, the World Food Programme warned that the conflict in Darfur has pushed areas into "catastrophic hunger," with famine conditions already present in several displacement camps. The international community has largely failed to stop the war, as both the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces continue to receive arms from external backers, according to BBC.
A Pakistan military helicopter crashed in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Thursday, killing all on board, according to Al Jazeera English. There has been a heavy security presence in the area amid ongoing protests in the region. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
A manhunt is underway for at least 10 suspects in a mass shooting that left 12 people dead near Johannesburg, according to Al Jazeera English. The attack occurred in a township area, with police describing it as a professionally executed hit. South Africa has seen a surge in violent crime in recent months.
A US diplomat was found dead in Yangon, Myanmar, and a Thai woman is in custody, according to Al Jazeera English. The US State Department confirmed the fatality but refused to provide more information. The incident adds to the complex security situation in Myanmar amid ongoing civil conflict.
Russia said Wednesday that the "possible restructuring" of its military facilities in Syria is being discussed, according to Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. Speaking at a media briefing in Moscow, Zakharova said Russia's military presence in Syria is a topic of discussion in contacts with Damascus, including in the context of a "possible restructuring of the functionality" of Russian military facilities, as reported by Middle East Monitor. Russia maintains two key military facilities in Syria: a naval logistics center in Tartus and the Hmeimim air base in Latakia.
In the Syrian border town of Quneitra, Israel is reportedly seizing land, attacking and abducting residents, mauling them with army dogs, and spraying chemical agents over farmland, while the Syrian government remains silent, according to Mondoweiss. The report details a pattern of Israeli incursions into Syrian territory since the ceasefire with Hezbollah, exploiting the power vacuum to expand territorial control.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that its forces disabled an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman for the second consecutive day, after accusing it of violating the blockade and preventing oil transfer from Iran, according to RT Arabic. This action is part of the ongoing US campaign to enforce sanctions on Iranian oil exports, further heightening tensions in the strategic waterway.
The European Commission added the Algerian airline Air Express Algeria to its air safety list, effectively banning it from operating within EU airspace, according to RT Arabic. The decision was based on safety concerns, the specifics of which were not disclosed.