Israel

Israel has given final approval for 764 new homes in three settlements in the occupied West Bank, drawing condemnation from the Palestinian Authority and highlighting the strain on regional diplomacy as humanitarian aid to Gaza lags far behind targets set under a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. The approvals were announced by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, an ultra-nationalist who opposes a Palestinian state. Smotrich said that since late 2022, when he took office, 51,370 housing units have been cleared by the government’s…

Israeli airstrikes hit towns in south Lebanon on Wednesday as the Israeli military said it was targeting Hezbollah weapons storage facilities, a day after Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives met for direct talks under a U.N. ceasefire mechanism. The strikes struck Mahrouna, Jbaa, Majadal and Baraasheet, Lebanon's official National News Agency reported, and an AFP photographer saw smoke rising above Jbaa. The Israeli army said it "began conducting strikes on Hezbollah terror targets in southern Lebanon" after…

Return of a body under the ceasefire exposes the fragility of a hard-won pause The slow handover of a single body from Gaza to Israeli custody this week read like a terse footnote in an unfolding diplomatic script — yet it carries disproportionate moral and political weight. Israeli military spokespeople confirmed to the Red Cross that a coffin containing the remains of a hostage was being transferred back to Israeli forces, part of commitments tied to the U.S.-brokered ceasefire plan. Hamas, meanwhile, said it had…

Indirect talks open in Sharm El-Sheikh under Trump plan as Gaza war grinds on Delegations representing Hamas and Israel have begun indirect negotiations in Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Sharm El‑Sheikh aimed at ending nearly two years of war in Gaza, diplomats and officials said Monday, in a U.S.‑backed effort that has raised hopes and doubts in equal measure. Under the outline promoted by former U.S. President Donald Trump — who has waded into the role of broker with envoys including businessman Steve Witkoff and his…

Trump says Israel has agreed to “initial withdrawal line”; ceasefire hinges on Hamas confirmation as strikes continue WASHINGTON — Former US President Donald Trump said on social media that Israel has accepted an “initial withdrawal line” for Gaza and that the details have been shared with Hamas, setting the stage for a tentative ceasefire and a prisoner swap — but only “when Hamas confirms.” The announcement came amid renewed Israeli bombardment that killed dozens on Saturday, underscoring how fragile any pause remains on…

Israeli navy intercepts international aid flotilla en route to Gaza; Greta Thunberg among those taken to port Israeli forces boarded and detained vessels from a high-profile international flotilla attempting to reach Gaza on Saturday, seizing 39 boats, according to the organizers, and leaving only one ship still underway. Live-feed footage verified by Reuters showed soldiers in helmets and night-vision goggles climbing onto decks as passengers — some wearing life vests and huddling with their hands raised — were taken into…

Gaza-bound flotilla reports drone attacks as European ministers push for urgent vote on sanctions Activists aboard a Gaza-bound flotilla off the Greek island of Crete say several of their vessels were targeted overnight by drones and experienced radio jamming and explosions — claims that add fresh urgency to a growing European push to punish both Hamas and hardline Israeli actors over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. “We will not be intimidated,” say flotilla organisers The Global Sumud Flotilla, a coalition of 51 boats…

Luxembourg regulator on the hot seat as finance, diplomacy and activism collide Regulatory shuffle sparks protests In a story that folds finance into foreign policy, Luxembourg’s financial watchdog is set to face questioning by lawmakers after approving paperwork that allows Israel to sell bonds into the European market. The decision follows a move at the start of September when Israel shifted the authorisation for its bond prospectuses from the Central Bank of Ireland to Luxembourg’s regulator. The move has been…

A UN finding that reverberates beyond headlines: what it means to call Gaza a site of genocide When an independent United Nations commission concluded this week that Israel has “committed and continues to commit genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza, it did more than add a grim line to a long list of UN reports. The finding reopened questions about the limits of international law, the responsibilities of powerful states that arm and finance warring parties, and whether the world’s institutions can halt mass suffering when…

Israeli strike flattens 14‑storey Mushtaha Tower in Gaza City as residents flee Explosion levels a high‑rise used to shelter displaced families A massive explosion reduced the 14‑storey Mushtaha Tower to rubble on Friday, sending an enormous plume of smoke over Gaza City and deepening daytime terror for thousands who have already been uprooted by months of war. Video shared on social media and by local news outlets showed the residential block in the Al‑Rimal neighbourhood collapsing after a blast at its base. Gaza’s…