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  • Israeli troops kill Palestinians for crossing a vague ceasefire line

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    A dividing line, at times invisible, can mean life or death for Palestinians in Gaza.Those sheltering near the territory’s “yellow line” that the Israeli military withdrew to as part of the October ceasefire say they live in fear as Israeli soldiers direct near-daily fire at anyone who crosses or even lingers near it.Video above: Palestinians struggle for food amid floodingOf the 447 Palestinians killed between the ceasefire taking effect and Tuesday, at least 77 were killed by Israeli gunfire near the line, including 62 who crossed it, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Among them were teenagers and young children, The Associated Press found.And although the military has placed some yellow barrels and concrete barriers delineating the limits of the Palestinian zone, the line is still unmarked in certain places and in others was laid nearly half a kilometer (0.3 miles) deeper than what was agreed to in the ceasefire deal, expanding the part of Gaza that Israel controls, according to Palestinians and mapping experts.“We stay away from the barrels. No one dares to get close” said Gaza City resident Ahmed Abu Jahal, noting that the markers are less than 100 meters (110 yards) from his house — instead of the roughly 500 meters (546 yards) outlined in a map put out by the Israeli military.As of Tuesday, the military had acknowledged killing 57 people around the yellow line, saying most were militants. It said its troops are complying with the rules of engagement in order to counter militant groups, and are informing Palestinians of the line’s location and marking it on the ground to “reduce friction and prevent misunderstandings.”Easy to get lostUnder the ceasefire, Israel withdrew its troops to a buffer zone that is up to 7 kilometers (4 miles) deep and includes most of Gaza’s arable land, its elevated points and all of its border crossings. That hems more than 2 million Palestinians into a strip along the coastline and central Gaza.People of all ages, some already dead, have been showing up almost daily at the emergency room of Gaza City’s Al-Ahli hospital with bullet wounds from straying near the line, said hospital director Fadel Naeem.Amid the vast destruction in Gaza, the demarcation line often isn’t easy to detect, Naeem said. He recounted picking his way through undamaged paths during a recent visit to the southern city of Khan Younis. He didn’t notice he was almost across the line until locals shouted at him to turn back, he said.The Israeli military said most of the people it has killed crossing the line posed a threat to its troops. According to a military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with military rules, troops issue audible warnings and then fire warning shots whenever someone crosses the line. Many civilians retreat when warning shots are fired, though some have been killed, the official acknowledged.Killed while playing near the lineZaher Shamia, 17, lived with his grandfather in a tent 300 meters (330 yards) from the line in northern Gaza’s Jabaliya refugee camp. On Dec. 10, he was playing with his cousin and some friends near the line, according to video he took before his death.Suddenly, shots rang out and the video stopped. Soldiers approaching the line with an armored bulldozer had fired on the teens, hitting Zaher, said a witness.A neighbor eventually found Zaher’s body, which had been crushed by the bulldozer, said Zaher’s grandfather, Kamal al-Beih: “We only recognized him from his head.”Two doctors, Mohamed Abu Selmiya and Rami Mhanna, confirmed that the teen had been killed by gunshots and then run over by a bulldozer. The military official said he was aware that Shamia was a civilian and that the military was looking into it.Maram Atta said that on Dec. 7, her 3-year-old daughter, Ahed al-Bayouk, was playing with siblings outside of their tent, which was near the yellow line along Gaza’s southern coast. Atta was preparing lentils when she heard aircraft overhead, then shots.A stray projectile whizzed close to her and struck Ahed, who was dead before they reached the clinic.“I lost my daughter to what they keep calling a ‘ceasefire’” said Atta, crying. “What ceasefire are they talking about?”A military official denied the killing.Deadly ambiguityThe line’s exact location is ambiguous, differing on maps put out by the Israeli military and the White House.Neither matches the line troops appear to be marking on the ground, according to Palestinians and geolocation specialists.Video below: Palestinians react to UN plan for Gaza futureChris Osiek, an open source intelligence analyst and consultant, has geolocated a number of yellow blocks based on social media videos. He found at least four urban areas where troops set the blocks several hundred meters deeper into Gaza than the military map-specified yellow line.“This is basically what you get when you simply let Trump make an image and post it on Truth Social and let the IDF make their own,” he said, using the acronym for the military. “If it’s not a proper system, with coordinates that make it easy for people to navigate where it is, then you leave the ambiguity free for the IDF to interpret the yellow line how they basically want.”The military official dismissed such criticism, saying any deviations from the map amount to just a few meters. But to Palestinians hemmed in by widespread destruction and displacement, every few meters lost is another house that can’t be sheltered in — another they doubt will ever be returned.‘The line is getting very close’Under the ceasefire, Israeli forces are only supposed to remain at the yellow line until a fuller withdrawal, though the agreement doesn’t give a timeline for that. With the next steps in the deal lagging and troops digging into positions on the Israeli side, though, Palestinians wonder if they are witnessing a permanent land takeover.In December, Israel’s defense minister described the yellow line as “a new border line — serving as a forward defensive line for our communities and a line of operational activity.”The military has continued leveling buildings inside the Israeli-held zone, turning already damaged neighborhoods to moonscapes. Almost all of the city of Rafah, on Gaza’s border with Egypt, has been razed over the past year. The army says this is necessary to destroy tunnels and prepare the area for reconstruction.In some places, demolitions since the ceasefire have encroached beyond the official yellow line. Since November, troops have leveled a swath of Gaza City’s Tuffah neighborhood extending some 300 meters (330 yards) outside the Israeli-held zone, according to Oct. 14 and Dec. 18 satellite photos provided by Planet Labs.Video below: Israeli settlers forcibly enter Palestinian home, kill sheep in latest West Bank attackAbu Jahal moved back to his damaged house in Tuffah at the ceasefire’s start. He said he frequently saw new yellow barrels appear and the military forcing out anyone living on its side of the markers.On Jan. 7, Israeli fire hit a house near him, and the residents had to evacuate, he said. Abu Jahal said his family — including his wife, their child, and seven other relatives — may also have to leave soon.“The line is getting very close,” he said.

    CAIRO, Cairo Governorate —

    A dividing line, at times invisible, can mean life or death for Palestinians in Gaza.

    Those sheltering near the territory’s “yellow line” that the Israeli military withdrew to as part of the October ceasefire say they live in fear as Israeli soldiers direct near-daily fire at anyone who crosses or even lingers near it.

    Video above: Palestinians struggle for food amid flooding

    Of the 447 Palestinians killed between the ceasefire taking effect and Tuesday, at least 77 were killed by Israeli gunfire near the line, including 62 who crossed it, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Among them were teenagers and young children, The Associated Press found.

    And although the military has placed some yellow barrels and concrete barriers delineating the limits of the Palestinian zone, the line is still unmarked in certain places and in others was laid nearly half a kilometer (0.3 miles) deeper than what was agreed to in the ceasefire deal, expanding the part of Gaza that Israel controls, according to Palestinians and mapping experts.

    “We stay away from the barrels. No one dares to get close” said Gaza City resident Ahmed Abu Jahal, noting that the markers are less than 100 meters (110 yards) from his house — instead of the roughly 500 meters (546 yards) outlined in a map put out by the Israeli military.

    As of Tuesday, the military had acknowledged killing 57 people around the yellow line, saying most were militants. It said its troops are complying with the rules of engagement in order to counter militant groups, and are informing Palestinians of the line’s location and marking it on the ground to “reduce friction and prevent misunderstandings.”

    Easy to get lost

    Under the ceasefire, Israel withdrew its troops to a buffer zone that is up to 7 kilometers (4 miles) deep and includes most of Gaza’s arable land, its elevated points and all of its border crossings. That hems more than 2 million Palestinians into a strip along the coastline and central Gaza.

    People of all ages, some already dead, have been showing up almost daily at the emergency room of Gaza City’s Al-Ahli hospital with bullet wounds from straying near the line, said hospital director Fadel Naeem.

    Amid the vast destruction in Gaza, the demarcation line often isn’t easy to detect, Naeem said. He recounted picking his way through undamaged paths during a recent visit to the southern city of Khan Younis. He didn’t notice he was almost across the line until locals shouted at him to turn back, he said.

    The Israeli military said most of the people it has killed crossing the line posed a threat to its troops. According to a military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with military rules, troops issue audible warnings and then fire warning shots whenever someone crosses the line. Many civilians retreat when warning shots are fired, though some have been killed, the official acknowledged.

    Killed while playing near the line

    Zaher Shamia, 17, lived with his grandfather in a tent 300 meters (330 yards) from the line in northern Gaza’s Jabaliya refugee camp. On Dec. 10, he was playing with his cousin and some friends near the line, according to video he took before his death.

    Suddenly, shots rang out and the video stopped. Soldiers approaching the line with an armored bulldozer had fired on the teens, hitting Zaher, said a witness.

    Jehad Alshrafi

    FILE – The body of 11-year-old Palestinian girl Hamsa Hosou, killed by Israeli fire in Jabalia, is brought to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026.

    A neighbor eventually found Zaher’s body, which had been crushed by the bulldozer, said Zaher’s grandfather, Kamal al-Beih: “We only recognized him from his head.”

    Two doctors, Mohamed Abu Selmiya and Rami Mhanna, confirmed that the teen had been killed by gunshots and then run over by a bulldozer. The military official said he was aware that Shamia was a civilian and that the military was looking into it.

    Maram Atta said that on Dec. 7, her 3-year-old daughter, Ahed al-Bayouk, was playing with siblings outside of their tent, which was near the yellow line along Gaza’s southern coast. Atta was preparing lentils when she heard aircraft overhead, then shots.

    A stray projectile whizzed close to her and struck Ahed, who was dead before they reached the clinic.

    “I lost my daughter to what they keep calling a ‘ceasefire’” said Atta, crying. “What ceasefire are they talking about?”

    A military official denied the killing.

    Deadly ambiguity

    The line’s exact location is ambiguous, differing on maps put out by the Israeli military and the White House.

    Neither matches the line troops appear to be marking on the ground, according to Palestinians and geolocation specialists.

    Video below: Palestinians react to UN plan for Gaza future

    Chris Osiek, an open source intelligence analyst and consultant, has geolocated a number of yellow blocks based on social media videos. He found at least four urban areas where troops set the blocks several hundred meters deeper into Gaza than the military map-specified yellow line.

    “This is basically what you get when you simply let Trump make an image and post it on Truth Social and let the IDF make their own,” he said, using the acronym for the military. “If it’s not a proper system, with coordinates that make it easy for people to navigate where it is, then you leave the ambiguity free for the IDF to interpret the yellow line how they basically want.”

    The military official dismissed such criticism, saying any deviations from the map amount to just a few meters. But to Palestinians hemmed in by widespread destruction and displacement, every few meters lost is another house that can’t be sheltered in — another they doubt will ever be returned.

    ‘The line is getting very close’

    Under the ceasefire, Israeli forces are only supposed to remain at the yellow line until a fuller withdrawal, though the agreement doesn’t give a timeline for that. With the next steps in the deal lagging and troops digging into positions on the Israeli side, though, Palestinians wonder if they are witnessing a permanent land takeover.

    In December, Israel’s defense minister described the yellow line as “a new border line — serving as a forward defensive line for our communities and a line of operational activity.”

    The military has continued leveling buildings inside the Israeli-held zone, turning already damaged neighborhoods to moonscapes. Almost all of the city of Rafah, on Gaza’s border with Egypt, has been razed over the past year. The army says this is necessary to destroy tunnels and prepare the area for reconstruction.

    In some places, demolitions since the ceasefire have encroached beyond the official yellow line. Since November, troops have leveled a swath of Gaza City’s Tuffah neighborhood extending some 300 meters (330 yards) outside the Israeli-held zone, according to Oct. 14 and Dec. 18 satellite photos provided by Planet Labs.

    Video below: Israeli settlers forcibly enter Palestinian home, kill sheep in latest West Bank attack

    Abu Jahal moved back to his damaged house in Tuffah at the ceasefire’s start. He said he frequently saw new yellow barrels appear and the military forcing out anyone living on its side of the markers.

    On Jan. 7, Israeli fire hit a house near him, and the residents had to evacuate, he said. Abu Jahal said his family — including his wife, their child, and seven other relatives — may also have to leave soon.

    “The line is getting very close,” he said.

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  • IDF destroys Hamas shaft in northern Gaza with loaded ‘ready to fire’ rocket aimed at Sderot

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    The military slammed the terror organization for breaching the ceasefire, noting that loading the launcher is a violation of the US-brokered agreement.

    The IDF struck and destroyed a Hamas tunnel shaft in northern Gaza that contained a rocket launcher that was loaded and ready to fire at the southern Israeli city of Sderot, the military announced on Saturday evening.

    “The shaft was used by Hamas to conceal a rocket launcher that was ready to fire toward southern Israel and posed an immediate threat to Israeli civilians,” the IDF stated.

    The military went on to slam the terror organization for breaching the ceasefire, noting that loading the launcher was a violation of the US-brokered agreement.

    The IDF also asserted that it had employed measures ahead of striking the Hamas target to reduce harm to civilians in the area through the use of “precise munitions, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence.”

    Palestinian Hamas terrorists gather at the site of the handing over of the bodies of four Israeli hostages in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza on February 20, 2025. (credit: EYAD BABA/AFP via Getty Images)

    Some 13,500 rockets fired from Gaza throughout Israel-Hamas War

    Prior to the implementation of the ceasefire in October of last year, Hamas’s capacity to fire rockets was decimated throughout the course of the war. Still, since the outbreak of the fighting on October 7, 2023, Gazan terrorists fired some 13,500 rockets at Israeli territory, according to the Institute for National Security Studies.

    It went on to note that Israeli troops would continue to operate in the area in accordance with the ceasefire agreement and would continue to work to confront additional immediate threats.

    IDF strikes terrorist in Lebanon, cites Hezbollah ceasefire violations

    Hamas’s violation of the ceasefire was the second ceasefire violation of the day that the IDF said it responded to.

    Earlier, the military noted that it had struck a Hezbollah terrorist in the Al-Khiyam area of southern Lebanon.

    The IDF stated the strike was a response to “Hezbollah’s continued violations of the ceasefire understandings,” but did not provide any details on the identity of the terrorist or the activities the individual was engaging in at the time of the strike.

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  • Israel strikes car in Gaza City, says it killed senior Hamas commander

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    The Israeli military said on Saturday it killed Ra’ad Sa’ad, a senior Hamas commander, by striking a car in Gaza City. Gaza health authorities said the attack on the car killed five people and wounded at least 25 others.

    In a joint statement on X, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said they directed Sa’ad be killed after a Hamas explosive device detonated and wounded Israeli soldiers. Sa’ad, according to Israel, held several senior positions in Hamas and was a central figure in its military leadership.

    Hamas, in its own statement, did not confirm Sa’ad’s death, but called the car strike a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel that was agreed to in October.

    “This crime reaffirms that the [Israeli] occupation is deliberately seeking to undermine and sabotage the ceasefire agreement through its escalating and continuous violations,” Hamas reportedly said.

    The ceasefire agreement was announced on Oct. 10, two years after Hamas militants killed 1,200 and took 251 hostage in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, most of whom were returned in previous negotiations. Since then, Israeli troops have killed more than 70,700 Palestinians in Gaza, many of them women and children, and have displaced most of the enclave’s population.

    Health authorities in Palestine say Israel has violated the ceasefire multiple times, even daily, and at least 386 people have been killed in strikes by its military since Oct. 10. Israel, meanwhile, says three of its soldiers have died since the ceasefire began, and that it is responding to ceasefire violations by Hamas.

    Multiple die after heavy rain hits Gaza

    Nearly 795,000 displaced Palestinians are at “heightened risk” because of rainfall triggered by Storm Byron this week, the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration said. Storm Byron hit Greece and Cyprus before making landfall in Gaza.

    Heavy rain has been falling across “hundreds of displacement sites, overwhelming areas where even moderate rainfall can quickly become dangerous,” the IOM said.

    “Despite the ceasefire, displaced Palestinians continue to live in overcrowded areas with little protection against rising water levels,” according to the organization.

    This comes as much of Gaza’s infrastructure has already been destroyed in Israeli strikes.

    Sana Abu Harad, 38, spoke to NBC News as she and her child, who the outlet said was shivering, sat inside her drenched tent.

    “Everything is underwater,” said said in an interview with NBC. “Why must this little child sleep in floodwater? I struggled so much just to get this tent, and now nothing protects us. Where will I live with my children now?”

    Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, said in a post on X Saturday that WHO is continuing to face challenges in bringing “vital supplies,” including laboratory reagents and diagnostic equipment, into Gaza as being they were classified as “dual-use.” Israel has restricted items it deems can be used for military purposes.

    Aid organizations said, and an Associated Press analysis of data from COGAT showed, that aid deliveries to Gaza are falling far short of the amount ordered by the ceasefire agreement. COGAT, the Israeli military body in charge of coordinating aid entry, insisted to the AP that it is complying with the agreements call for it to allow 600 aid trucks into Gaza, even though its own figures showed an average of only 459 trucks a day have entering since Oct. 12.

    In Gaza, Tedros said Saturday, at least 10 people died in the last 24 hours because of heavy rains. On Friday, NBC News reported that the Ministry of Interior and National Security in Gaza said fourteen people had died within 24 hours.

    “Thousands of families are sheltering in tents with scant protection from the harsh winter,” Tedros said. “Combined with poor water and sanitation, a surge in acute respiratory infections, such as flu, as well as hepatitis, and diarrhoeal diseases is expected.”

    He called for the “urgent entry” of resources to Gaza “to enable timely detection, response, and treatment of people facing these diseases.”

    The post Israel strikes car in Gaza City, says it killed senior Hamas commander appeared first on Straight Arrow News.

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  • Gaza Strip sees flooding after heavy rainfall

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    Heavy rainfall in Israel and the Palestinian Territories has caused severe flooding in the largely destroyed Gaza Strip.

    Palestinian media reported on Tuesday that many people living in temporary tent camps along the coast were particularly affected by the harsh weather conditions.

    Videos and pictures showed Palestinians moving between flooded tents and struggling to remove the water.

    A spokesman for the militant Palestinian organization Hamas called on the international community to take serious steps to support the approximately 2 million people in the devastated area.

    Winter has begun, he said, making the suffering of many displaced people unbearable.

    A ceasefire was in the war between Israel and Hamas was declared on October 10.

    Nevertheless, violent incidents continue to occur, with both sides accusing each other of violations. It is still completely unclear when reconstruction of the largely destroyed area can begin.

    The war was triggered by the unprecedented massacre carried out by Hamas and other extremist organizations in Israel on October 7, 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 others were abducted to the Gaza Strip.

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  • Taking out Hamas’ million-dollar ‘root’ tunnel is game changer, analyst says

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    The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) released a video showing what it describes as one of Hamas’s “most complex” underground infrastructures extending beneath the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

    According to the IDF, the seven-kilometer-long “root tunnel” runs roughly 25 meters underground, contains about 80 rooms and was used for command operations, weapons storage and sheltering Hamas operatives.

    The video shared on X on Nov. 20 travels through reinforced concrete passageways and large chambers, showing the sophistication and scale of Hamas’s underground network.

    The Israeli military claims the tunnel originated beneath a United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) compound and stretched beneath civilian sites.

    Israel’s Doha Strike Sent A Decisive Message That Terror Will Find No Safe Haven

    “IDF troops uncovered one of Gaza’s largest and most complex underground routes, over 7 km long, ~25 meters deep, with ~80 hideouts, where abducted IDF officer Lt. Hadar Goldin was held,” the post read.

    Read On The Fox News App

    Israeli analysts say the demolition of this tunnel marks a strategic blow to Hamas and “paves the path to its defeat.”

    “The destruction of this tunnel as well as many others like it or similar… as well as other terror facilities pushes Hamas to the edge,” said Professor Kobi Michael, senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) and the Misgav Institute.

    Idf Holds Memorial Ceremony At Base Attacked By Hamas On Oct. 7 Honoring Fallen Troops 

    “It is one of the longest and [most] complicated tunnels that have been discovered, but it is not the only one,” he told Fox News Digital.

    Michael explained that Hamas’ root tunnels form the backbone of its underground warfare system.

    “This is an example of a root tunnel, a strategic one that feeds many tactic tunnels and is used for strategic purposes [such] as command and control, weapon storage, manufacturing platforms of weapon[s] and strategic logistics,” he said.

    Israel Set To Launch Gaza City Offensive: High Stakes, High Costs Ahead 

    Smoke rises from Gaza City seen from Deir al-Balah, following intense Israeli military attacks on northern Gaza, on Oct. 5, 2025.

    “Such a tunnel is usually manned by hundreds of militants and commanders.”

    The IDF believes this particular tunnel network may have been connected to the area where Lt. Hadar Goldin, an Israeli soldier abducted during the 2014 Gaza war, was held captive. Hamas returned Goldin’s remains earlier this month – after more than a decade.

    The tunnel’s exposure sheds new light on the extent of its underground operations.

    Israel’s Covert Campaign Targets Hamas Terrorists Behind Oct 7 Massacre

    “I have no idea about the cost but if you take into consideration the amount of the building materials, labor and facilities and its length, it is a matter of millions of INS,” he claimed. “Hamas chose routes under sensitive civilian and humanitarian facilities in order to prevent the IDF from attacking the tunnel.”

    As Israel continues operations in Gaza, the destruction of Hamas’s tunnel networks remains central to its strategy to dismantle the group’s military capabilities and prevent future attacks.

    In 2014, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he wanted to destroy the tunnels, which Hamas militants used to infiltrate Israeli territory, “with or without a ceasefire.”

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    According to a 2023 investigation by Reuters, Hamas had said it had been using the tunnels to hide hostages seized in its Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

    Israel’s military said its ground forces had uncovered around 1,500 Hamas tunnels and shafts throughout the Gaza Strip, per the report.

    Original article source: Taking out Hamas’ million-dollar ‘root’ tunnel is game changer, analyst says

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  • Hamas member’s diary published, reveals exploitation of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure

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    The terrorist described how Hamas used UN and civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip to its advantage in battle.

    IDF soldiers seized the personal journal of a Hamas commander from Beit Hanun in Gaza, N12 News reported on Sunday.

    Terrorist Khaled Abu Akram’s diary entries prove how Hamas exploits civilian infrastructure in Gaza. For example, in one entry from May 2024, Akram writes about how he went to set up an ambush at a school after tunnels in the area were bombed.

    “I went with Abu Saleh (a unit commander in a different company in the area) to set up a new ambush at the Al-Naim school after the tunnels in the area were bombed, and the previous ambush was destroyed,” he wrote.

    Akram also described how Hamas used UN infrastructure in the Gaza Strip to its advantage.

    “Additionally, we took the batteries from the UNRWA clinic, removed the solar panels, and prepared the water well,” Abu Akram wrote in his diary.

    A Hamas terrorist stands next to heavy machinery, after Hamas said that it found the remains of an Israeli hostage on Tuesday and prepares to return it to Israel through the Red Cross, in Gaza City, November 4, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/DAWOUD ABU ALKAS)

    IDF destroys Beit Hanun tunnel where three soldiers were killed 11 months ago

    On Friday night, the IDF destroyed a tunnel complex where three members from the Kfir Brigade’s 92nd Battalion were killed 11 months ago, the military said on Saturday.

    Positioned east of the Yellow Line, near the Beit Hanun area of the Gaza Strip in an IDF-controlled region, the tunnel ran one kilometer wide and was dozens of meters deep, the army added.

    The three IDF soldiers who were killed there nearly a year ago were Capt. Ilay Gavriel Atedgi, St.-Sgt. Netanel Pessach, and Sgt.-Maj. Hillel Diener. One other soldier was wounded in the incident.

    Hamas stockpiling weapons in sympathetic countries despite Gaza disarmament deal

    Hamas has started stockpiling weapons in African countries, Yemen, and other nations sympathetic to the terrorist organization, Israeli public broadcaster KAN News reported on Sunday.

    The report follows the implementation of the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which stipulates the disarmament of the latter.

    According to KAN, the weapons are being stockpiled so that they can later be smuggled to locations, including the Gaza Strip, where Hamas can access them.

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  • Gaza’s water turns poisonous as Israel’s genocide leaves toxic aftermath

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    Israel’s war on Gaza has not only razed entire neighbourhoods to the ground, displaced families multiple times and decimated medical facilities, but also poisoned the very ground and water on which Palestinians depend.

    Four weeks into a fragile ceasefire, which Israel has violated daily, the scale of the environmental devastation is becoming painfully clear.

    In Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, what was once a lively community has become a wasteland. Homes lie in ruins, and an essential water source, once a rainwater pond, now festers with sewage and debris. For many displaced families, it is both home and hazard.

    Umm Hisham, pregnant and displaced, trudges through the foul water with her children. They have nowhere else to go.

    “We took refuge here, around the Sheikh Radwan pond, with all the sufferings you could imagine, from mosquitoes to sewage with rising levels, let alone the destruction all around. All this poses a danger to our lives and the lives of our children,” she said, speaking to Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim Alkhalili.

    Heavily damaged buildings are reflected in a water basin in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood of Gaza City on October 22, 2025 [File: Omar Al-Qattaa/AFP]

    The pond, designed to collect rainwater and channel it to the sea, now holds raw sewage after Israeli air attacks destroyed the pumps. With electricity and sanitation systems crippled, contaminated water continues to rise, threatening to engulf nearby homes and tents.

    “There is no doubt there are grave impacts on all citizens: Foul odours, insects, mosquitoes. Also, foul water levels have exceeded 6 metres [20ft] high without any protection; the fence is completely destroyed, with high possibility for any child, woman, old man, or even a car to fall into this pond,” said Maher Salem, a Gaza City municipal officer speaking to Al Jazeera.

    Local officials warn that stagnant water could cause disease outbreaks, especially among children. Yet for many in Gaza, there are no alternatives.

    “Families know that the water they get from the wells and from the containers or from the water trucks is polluted and contaminated … but they don’t have any other choice,” said Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza City.

    A boy fills a plastic bottle with water inside a camp for displaced Palestinians at a school-turned-shelter in Al-Rimal neighbourhood of Gaza City on November 5, 2025. [File: Omar Al Qattaa]

    A boy fills a plastic bottle with water in a camp for displaced Palestinians, at a school-turned-shelter in the Remal neighbourhood of Gaza City on November 5, 2025 [Omar Al Qattaa]

    Destroyed water infrastructure

    At the COP30 Climate Summit in Brazil, Palestinian Ambassador Ibrahim al-Zeben described the crisis as an environmental catastrophe intertwined with Israel’s genocide.

    “There’s no secret that Gaza is suffering because of the genocide that Israel continues to wage, a war that has created nearly a quarter of a million victims and produced more than 61 million tonnes of rubble, some of which is contaminated with hazardous materials,” he said.

    “In addition, the deliberate destruction of sewage and water networks has led to the contamination of groundwater and coastal waters. Gaza now faces severe risks to public health, and environmental risks are increasing,” al-Zeben added.

    Israel’s attacks have also “destroyed” much of the enclave’s agricultural land, leaving it “in a state of severe food insecurity and famine with food being used as a weapon”, he said.

    In September, a UN report warned freshwater supplies in Gaza are “severely limited and much of what remains is polluted”.

    “The collapse of sewage treatment infrastructure, the destruction of piped systems and the use of cesspits for sanitation have likely increased contamination of the aquifer that supplies much of Gaza with water,” the report by the United Nations Environment Programme noted.

    Back in Sheikh Radwan, the air hangs thick with rot and despair. “When every day is a fight to find water, food, and bread,” Mahmoud said, “safety becomes secondary.”

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  • For Gaza’s fishermen, the sea is their last lifeline after Israel’s war

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    Surrounded by three walls on a land of ruins, as Israeli bombs continue to rain down from the skies, for many in Gaza, the sea remains the only open horizon, a shimmering promise of elusive freedom.

    Its waters, and the fish within them, have long nourished Palestinians cut off from the world, partially easing the pain of Israel’s bombardment, punishing siege and starvation policies.

    Targeting a meal for his family, Salem Abu Amira – known to locals as “The Beast” – dives deep beneath the waves. Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim Alkhalili reports from Gaza City.

    “People here call me ‘The Beast’ because I managed to catch a fish that was more than a metre and a half [5ft] long. It is rare – but the truth is I’ve caught many big fish,” Abu Amira tells Al Jazeera.

    Free diving runs in Salem Abu Amira’s blood. He learned the craft from his father at a young age – a skill passed down through generations and a lifeline for his family.

    Before Israel’s war, Gaza’s fishermen sailed far out to sea, where the waters teemed with fish. In 2020, the World Bank estimated that about 18,000 people in Gaza directly depended on fishing for their livelihoods, with an extended effect on more than 110,000 family members.

    But Israel’s genocidal war decimated that and their lives.

    Salem Abu Amira, known to locals as ‘The Beast’, prepares to freedive off the coast of Gaza [Al Jazeera]

    “We can no longer reach the places we used to. Now we can only fish close to the shore – where there are no big fish,” Abu Amira says.

    “Restrictions have been imposed on us since the beginning of the war and continue to this day. But I have no source of livelihood. I can’t just sit at home waiting for someone to support me,” he adds.

    Before the war, Gaza’s fishermen hauled in more than 4,600 tonnes of fish each year, despite the constant risk of being arrested, injured, or killed by Israeli forces.

    Since the war began, more than two years ago, most of their boats have been destroyed. The Ministry of Agriculture told the United Nations in a report that as of December 11, 2024, the Israeli military had killed 200 fishers and their associates out of approximately 6,000 individuals engaged in the fishing profession.

    Those still trying to cast their nets just metres (some feet) from the shore have come under Israeli fire.

    Gaza's local fishermen preparing their boats before going out at sea [Al Jazeera]

    Gaza’s fishermen prepare their boats before going out to sea [Al Jazeera]

    In January, Israel declared Gaza’s waters a “no-go zone”, banning fishing, swimming, and any access to the sea.

    The result has been devastating: Gaza has lost 94 percent of its catch, cutting off one of its last remaining sources of food.

    Fishing, once a vital source of both income and nourishment, has been brought to its knees.

    “Fishermen are the most exposed to danger. Often, the occupation forbids them from going to the sea, and free divers cannot get their diving gear – which affects their ability to work in the coming days,” Zakaria Bakr, head of the Fishermen’s Committees in Gaza, told Al Jazeera.

    After months of displacement, Abu Amira has returned home – restless, hungry for a catch, and preparing his small boat to venture back into the waters.

    Fishing in Gaza

    Salem Abu Amira making a catch under Gaza’s waters [Al Jazeera]

    “The Beast” will dive again, searching for fish he can sell at the market. For fishermen like him, the sea isn’t just a workplace, it’s a lifeline.

    “I am determined to pass on my profession to my children. It is a pleasure and a hobby. Fishing relieves stress and provides a source of income,” he says.

    After hours in the water, Salem surfaces with a lucky catch: Several fish and an octopus to feed his family and sell in the market.

    For Gaza’s fishermen, the struggle is no longer just about survival. It’s about preserving a centuries-old bond with the sea, and holding on to the last sense of freedom they have left.

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  • Senior Qatari diplomat warns that Gaza could end in a ‘no war, no peace’ situation

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    “We don’t want to reach a situation of no war, no peace,” Majed al-Ansari, adviser to Qatar’s prime minister and spokesperson for the foreign ministry warned.

    The situation in Gaza could develop into a “no war, no peace” deal, where Israel keeps its troops inside the strip due to the impossibility of establishing an international security force, a senior Qatari diplomat warned in an interview with The Guardian on Friday.

    “There is a need for the international community to go in, assess the damage, start thinking about reconstruction, working on reconstruction, and to formally keep the peace,” Majed al-Ansari, adviser to Qatar’s prime minister and spokesperson for the foreign ministry said. “This is what will significantly shift the whole process from war to the day after.”

    According to Ansari, Qatar is hopeful that the UN Security Council will approve a resolution that would “mandate an administration and an international force in Gaza, that we would be able to stabilize the situation.”

    “In principle, a lot of the countries in the region and beyond have agreed to be part of this, but in practice that needs a very concrete mandate for the force,” he detailed.

    Ansari also addressed the problem of finding the remains of the hostages: “There are a lot of challenges before we are able to dispense with stage one [of the deal]. Including the difficulty of excavating the remains of those [hostages] who were killed and ascertaining their identities, and the violations that result in the death of Palestinians every day at the hands of IDF soldiers.”

    Palestinians carry aid supplies in Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza Strip, June 16, 2025; illustrative. (credit: REUTERS/DAWOUD ABU ALKAS)

    Qatar still critical of Israel’s strike on its soil against Hamas

    Another topic that Ansari spoke about was the IDF’s attempt to assassinate senior Hamas leadership in Doha on September 9.

    “It was designed to push us out, not only out of these [Gaza] talks, but to push us out as an internationally trusted mediator,” he said. “We were working on more than 10 mediations on the day of the attack.”

    “This was not an attack we could brush off and continue doing the work that we were doing,” he said, and detailed that the US had to ensure that no more attacks would happen on Qatari soil for negotiations to resume.

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  • Israel resumes Gaza strikes, accusing Hamas of ceasefire violations

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    Nearly three weeks after a ceasefire began in the Gaza war, the Israeli Air Force renewed attacks on the Gaza Strip after the Israeli government accused Hamas of attacking Israeli troops and violating the ceasefire agreement.

    Shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to carry out immediate “powerful” strikes, Palestinian eyewitnesses on Tuesday said the Israeli Air Force was hitting targets around Gaza City.

    The Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that several Palestinians had been killed and wounded in the Tuesday evening attacks in and around Gaza City.

    In the south, at least five people were killed in another airstrike, according to the Hamas-controlled civil defence.

    A spokesman said that children were among them. A vehicle was targeted in the town of Khan Younis in the south of the coastal strip, he said. An Israeli military spokesman said the report was being investigated.

    Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned Hamas that it would pay a “heavy price” for attacking Israeli soldiers in Gaza and violating an agreement on the return of deceased hostages, his office said.

    Katz said Tuesday’s attack by militants in southern Gaza had crossed a “glaring red line” and that the Israeli military would respond with “great force.”

    “Hamas will pay many times over for attacking the soldiers and for violating the agreement to return the fallen hostages,” he added.

    Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Palestinians had attacked soldiers in Rafah earlier on Tuesday, including with a rocket-propelled grenade, and that a sniper was also involved in the assault.

    Hamas delays body handover after new attacks

    The Palestinian Islamist militia announced it would postpone the transfer of another hostage’s remains, which had been scheduled for Tuesday evening, following the renewed Israeli attacks.

    The al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing, said on Telegram the delay was a response to “violations by the occupation (Israel).”

    A body had previously been found during search operations in a tunnel in the south of the Gaza Strip, it said, but new Israeli attacks were hindering the searches and the handover.

    Anger over slow hostage remains return

    The Israeli government is angered over what they have called deliberate stalling tactics from Hamas in handing over 28 bodies of hostages, of which 13 must still be returned.

    Hamas says it is difficult to find the dead because they are buried under the rubble of bombed buildings and tunnels.

    On Monday evening, Hamas again handed over human remains, but forensic examinations in Israel revealed that they belonged to an Israeli whose body the army had already brought back to Israel in autumn 2023.

    On Tuesday, the Israeli army released a video that it says shows Hamas members removing a body from a building, burying it in the ground and then calling in representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for the “recovery” of the body. Red Cross staff has to date dealt with the handover of the mortal remains of hostages.

    This triggered great anger and outrage in Israel, and was the reason for Netanyahu’s security consultations on the next steps.

    Repeated ceasefire violations

    Since October 10, Hamas and Israel have accused each other of repeated ceasefire violations. More than 90 Palestinians have already been killed since the latest ceasefire, according to the Hamas-run health authority.

    The trigger for the Gaza war was the massacre by Hamas and other terrorists in Israel on October 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 abducted.

    In subsequent massive Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, more than 68,500 people were killed, according to the Hamas-run health authority.

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  • Israel weighs five options if Hamas fails to return hostage remains

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    Israel is working on alternative options if Hamas does not comply with demands to return the remains of hostages still in Gaza, security establishment insiders say.

    Israel is working on five options in case Hamas fails to deliver on returning the hostage remains, insiders within the Israeli security establishment said on Monday.

    In no specific order, the five options being explored are: Extending operational control, targeted escalation, hostage remains retrieval operation, diplomatic pressure, and ending existing agreements.

    Extending operational control

    The first option involves Israel launching operations to expand control over key areas, increasing the percentage of the Gaza Strip with an IDF presence.

    Following the policies outlined by Defense Minister Israel Katz, the IDF has been active along the border, targeting and destroying Hamas infrastructure, including terror tunnels.

    Targeted escalation

    The second option would involve further escalation of Israel’s military efforts within Gaza, targeting Hamas operatives and field commanders. The IDF has already demonstrated this approach by striking a vehicle carrying Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives preparing for an attack.

    Palestinians seen carrying out Hamas-controlled excavations in search for remains of slain hostages in the Gaza Strip, October 27, 2025 (credit: TPS-IL)

    More aggressive steps could include a return to targeted killings of senior Hamas leadership, who no longer have human shields.

    Hostage remains retrieval operations

    A third option would be to utilize Israeli intelligence for retrieving the remains, employing air, ground, and land maneuvers. Although such an operation would carry a high risk for IDF personnel and could cause environmental damage, it remains a viable option to pressure Hamas.

    Diplomatic pressure

    Another option Israel may employ is diplomatic pressure, particularly leveraging the US to apply influence on mediators such as Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, urging them to ensure the return of all hostages.

    Such measures would set the stage for Israel to shift to Phase II, including closing border crossings and reducing humanitarian aid and energy supplies to Gaza.

    Termination of existing agreements

    The fifth option involves the cancellation of all agreements and understandings with Hamas, effectively leading to a resumption of intense fighting across Gaza. While this is not currently seen as a favorable option, it remains a theoretical response should all else fail.

    Gunmen stand guard at the funeral of Marwan Issa, a senior Hamas deputy military commander who was killed in an Israeli airstrike during the conflict between Israel and Hamas, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in the central Gaza Strip, February 7, 2025. (credit: AGUSTIN MARCARIAN/REUTERS)

    Gunmen stand guard at the funeral of Marwan Issa, a senior Hamas deputy military commander who was killed in an Israeli airstrike during the conflict between Israel and Hamas, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in the central Gaza Strip, February 7, 2025. (credit: AGUSTIN MARCARIAN/REUTERS)

    Hamas using hostages as bargaining chips?

    There are increasing concerns within Israeli circles that Hamas may be using the remains of the fallen as “bargaining chips” and actively misleading Red Cross teams. Israel is contemplating several strategies in coordination with the US to ramp up pressure on Hamas.

    Hamas is believed to be well aware of the locations where the remains are buried, while sending Red Cross teams and Egyptian officials to areas unrelated to the real burial sites.

    Meanwhile, reports indicate that Hamas is operating near the IDF’s border, close to the Yellow Line, complicating the Israeli military’s ability to respond to suspicious movements. In some instances, the IDF has even adjusted its positioning.

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  • Graveyards are now last option shelters in Gaza for Palestinians amid ruins

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    Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians who lack shelter or a home to return to after Israel destroyed their residences across Gaza are pitching tents in graveyards as a last resort, as the humanitarian catastrophe in the enclave remains acute despite a fragile ceasefire deal.

    “This graveyard wasn’t meant for the living,” Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary said, reporting from the southern city of Khan Younis. “But today, it’s home to dozens of families who have nowhere else to go.”

    Khoudary said Palestinians were camping at the site “not because they want to, but because it’s the last free space available.”

    “Graveyards have become shelters not out of choice, but out of desperation,” she added.

    Rami Musleh, a father of 12 who was displaced from the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoon could not find any viable option other than the graveyard.

    “For parents, the emotional toll is heavy. The psychological trauma of war is made worse by having to raise children among tombstones,” Musleh told Al Jazeera.

    With no safe shelter left and no land to return to, many families in Gaza are now pitching tents inside graveyards [Screen grab/Al Jazeera]

    Another resident, Sabah Muhammed, said the cemeteries have now lost all their sacredness.

    “Graveyards, once sacred spaces for the dead, are now silent witnesses to a living crisis. No water, no electricity, and no privacy … only the bare minimum to survive,” she told Al Jazeera.

    “In Gaza, even the land for the dead is now the only refuge for the living.”

    According to the United Nations, at least 1.9 million people – or about 90 per cent of the population – across the Gaza Strip have been displaced during the war. Many have been displaced repeatedly, some 10 times or more.

    Palestinians in southern Gaza are squeezed into overcrowded shelters as Israel issued forced orders for residents of northern Gaza and Gaza City to evacuate and then bombarded many as they fled south.

    The price of renting even a square meter of land to pitch a tent is prohibitive for many displaced Palestinians, who lack a stable income and are dependent on scarce humanitarian assistance.

    UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinians, said 61 million tons of debris now cover Gaza and entire neighbourhoods have been erased. It said families were searching the ruins for shelter and water.

    While a fragile ceasefire has been in effect since October 10, Israel is continuing to heavily restrict humanitarian aid into Gaza. The International Court of Justice on Wednesday ruled Israel must allow aid into Gaza, stating it cannot use starvation “as a method of warfare”.

    Aid is mainly being channelled into the central and southern parts of the Gaza Strip through the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing, while none of the crossings in the north have been opened.

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  • UN’s top court says Israel obliged to allow UN aid into Gaza

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    The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has said Israel has a legal obligation to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip by the UN and its entities to ensure the basic needs of Palestinian civilians there are met.

    An advisory opinion from the UN’s top court also said Israel had not substantiated its allegations that the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) lacked neutrality or that a significant number of its staff were members of Hamas or other armed groups.

    The UN’s chief said he hoped Israel would abide by the “very important decision”.

    But Israel rejected the ICJ’s opinion as “political” and insisted it would not co-operate with Unrwa, which it has banned.

    The opinion is non-binding, but it carries significant moral and diplomatic weight.

    In December, the UN General Assembly asked the ICJ for an opinion on Israel’s obligations, as an occupying power and a member of the UN, towards UN agencies and other international organisations operating in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

    It came after the Israeli parliament passed laws banning any activity by Unrwa on Israeli territory and contact with Israeli officials.

    The ICJ was asked to also cover in its opinion Israel’s duty to allow the unhindered delivery of essential supplies to Palestinian civilians.

    Israel tightened its blockade on Gaza after the start of its war with Hamas two years ago and has since restricted – and at times completely stopped – the entry of food and other aid for the 2.1 million population.

    Before this month’s ceasefire deal took effect, UN-backed global experts had warned that more than 640,000 people were facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity and that there was an “entirely man-made” famine in Gaza City.

    Israel rejected the famine declaration, insisting it was allowing in sufficient food.

    The ICJ’s President Yuji Iwasawa read out its advisory opinion at The Hague on Wednesday.

    He said the panel of 11 international judges agreed that Israel, as an occupying power, was required to fulfil its obligations under international humanitarian law.

    The first obligation was to “ensure that the population of the Occupied Palestinian Territory has the essential supplies of daily life, including food, water, clothing, bedding, shelter, fuel, medical supplies and services”, according to the judge.

    The second was to “agree to and facilitate by all means at its disposal relief schemes on behalf of the population of the Occupied Palestinian Territory so long as that population is inadequately supplied, as has been the case in the Gaza Strip”.

    The other obligations listed included respecting the prohibitions on forcible transfer from an occupied territory and on the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare.

    Judge Iwasawa said the panel were also of the opinion that Israel had “an obligation to co-operate in good faith with the United Nations by providing every assistance in any action it takes in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, including [Unrwa]”.

    Israel was also obliged to ensure “full respect for the privileges and immunities accorded to the United Nations” and its officials, as well as for the “inviolability of the premises of the United Nations… and for the immunity of the property and assets of the organisation from any form of interference”, he added.

    Yuji Iwasawa, the president of the International Court of Justice, read out the advisory opinion [Reuters]

    When asked about the advisory opinion in Geneva, UN Secretary General António Guterres said: “This is a very important decision. And I hope that Israel will abide by it.”

    He added that the advisory opinion came at a moment in which the UN was doing everything it could to boost aid deliveries to Gaza and deal with the “tragic situation” there.

    Israel’s foreign ministry said it categorically rejected the advisory opinion, describing it as “entirely predictable from the outset regarding Unrwa”.

    “This is yet another political attempt to impose political measures against Israel under the guise of ‘international law’,” it added.

    The ministry also said Israel was fully upholding its obligations under international law and that it would “not co-operate with an organisation that is infested with terror activities”.

    Unrwa – the largest humanitarian organisation in Gaza, with 12,000 Palestinian staff based there – has repeatedly denied Israel’s allegation that it is deeply infiltrated by Hamas, which is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the US, UK and other countries.

    Israel has said that Unrwa staff took part in the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken to Gaza as hostages, and claimed that the agency still employs more than 1,400 “Hamas operatives”.

    The UN said last year that it had fired nine of Unrwa’s staff in Gaza after investigators found evidence that they might have been involved in the 7 October attack. Another 10 staff were cleared because of insufficient evidence.

    Judge Iwasawa said the information the ICJ received was “not sufficient to establish Unrwa’s lack of neutrality”, and that Israel had “not substantiated its allegations that a significant part of Unrwa employees ‘are members of Hamas… or other terrorist factions’”.

    A lorry carrying aid waits at the Israeli side of the Kerem Shalom crossing with Gaza (20 October 2025)

    The UN’s World Food Programme said on Tuesday that around 750 tonnes of supplies a day were crossing into Gaza under the ceasefire deal [Reuters]

    Since the Israeli laws banning Unrwa took effect in January, the agency says its Palestinian staff have continued providing assistance and education, health and other services to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

    However, the agency says Israel has banned it from bringing aid into Gaza and stopped issuing visas to Unrwa’s international staff.

    Unrwa says at least 309 of its staff and 72 people supporting the agency’s activities have been killed since the start of the war in Gaza. The territory’s Hamas-run health ministry says Israeli attacks during the conflict have killed at least 68,229 people in total.

    Unrwa’s acting Gaza director, Sam Rose, told the BBC that the agency welcomed the advisory opinion because it “underscores the obligations of Israel under international law”.

    “The ruling of today says that Israel’s laws against Unrwa have gone against those obligations, as have its actions on the ground,” he said.

    The Palestinian foreign ministry said the advisory opinion made “very clear that Israel must cease these illegal policies and that states have an obligation to bring Israel into compliance with its obligations in this regard”.

    “Israel must immediately lift the unlawful ban on Unrwa and allow all other international organisations invited by Palestine to operate freely and safely,” it added.

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  • ‘Heinous crimes’: PA condemns Hamas for reported executions in Gaza

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    The Palestinian Authority “strongly condemned” the reported field executions carried out by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, a statement shared by the Palestinian News and Information Agency (WAFA) said.

    The Palestinian Authority presidency issued an unusually sharp denunciation of Hamas on Tuesday night, condemning what it called “field executions” carried out in the Gaza Strip in recent days and demanding accountability under Palestinian law.

    In a statement carried PA state agency WAFA, the presidency said it “strongly condemns the recent field executions carried out by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which claimed the lives of dozens of citizens outside the framework of the law and without fair trials,” calling the acts “heinous crimes that are utterly rejected under any pretext.”

    The statement framed the reported killings as “a blatant violation of human rights” and “a grave breach of the rule of law,” asserting they reflect “the movement’s determination to impose its authority through force and terror, at a time when the people in Gaza are enduring the hardships of war, destruction, and siege.”

    It urged an immediate halt to the violations, protection for civilians, and legal action against “all those involved in these crimes within the framework of the law and the legitimate Palestinian judiciary.”

    Hamas police officers stand guard, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City, October 11, 2025. (credit: Stringer/Reuters)

    PA calls Gaza an integral part of the State of Palestine

    Underscoring the PA’s claim to national responsibility, the presidency said Gaza “is an integral part of the State of Palestine” and argued that restoring “the rule of law and legitimate institutions” in the territory is the only path to ending chaos and rebuilding public trust “on the basis of justice, accountability, and respect for the dignity of the Palestinian people.”

    It held Hamas “fully responsible for these crimes,” saying they harm “the supreme interests of the Palestinian people,” entrench the group’s control in Gaza, “provide pretexts to the occupation,” obstruct reconstruction, deepen internal division, and “hinder the establishment of a free and independent State of Palestine.”

    The PA statement did not specify the number of people allegedly executed, nor provide names or independent documentation. Hamas did not immediately issue a response to the presidency’s condemnation.

    WAFA’s bulletin emphasized that accountability should occur “within the framework of the law” and the “legitimate Palestinian judiciary,” signaling the PA’s position that only formally mandated courts can impose criminal penalties and that any executions carried out without due process violate Palestinian and international norms.

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  • Who are the hostages being released?

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    The Israeli military says the first hostages have been handed over by Hamas and have returned to Israel. Until Monday, 48 hostages were still being held in Gaza, 20 of whom are believed to be alive.

    All but one were among the 251 people abducted during the Palestinian group’s attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, during which about 1,200 other people were killed.

    Israel responded by launching a military campaign in Gaza, during which more than 67,000 people have been killed, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.

    Hostages who Israel says have been released

    Eitan Mor, 25, was working as a security guard at the Nova music festival. His father Mor said he saved dozens of people before being kidnapped by Hamas gunmen. In February 2025, Eitan’s family said they had received a sign of life from him. Three months later, they said a released hostage who spent time with him in a tunnel had told them how he had acted as a “spokesman to the captors” and “lifted everyone’s spirits”.

    Alon Ohel, 24, has Israeli, German and Serbian citizenship. Hamas footage showed him being taken away as a hostage from the Nova festival. Alon was not seen in another video until August 2025, when he was filmed being driven around Gaza City with Guy Gilboa-Dalal. Last month, Alon’s family approved the publication of a still from a new video which they said showed he had gone blind in one eye.

    Gali and Ziv Berman, 28-year-old twin brothers, were abducted from Kibbutz Kfar Aza with their neighbour, Emily Damari. Ziv was held with Emily for 40 days before they were separated. She was released in January 2025 during the last ceasefire. Gali and Ziv’s family said they had been informed by other hostages released in early 2025 that they were still alive.

    Twins Gali and Ziv Berman were taken hostage along with their British-Israeli neighbour Emily Damari, who has since been released [The Hostages and Missing Families Forum]

    Guy Gilboa-Dalal, 24, attended the festival with his brother, Gal, who said the last time they saw each other was just before Hamas launched its first barrage of rockets into Israel at the start of the attack. Gal evaded the gunmen on the ground, but Guy was kidnapped. Last month, Hamas released a video showing Guy and another hostage, Alon Ohel, being driven around Gaza City in late August as the Israeli military prepared to launch an offensive there.

    Matan Angrest, a 22-year-old Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier, was in a tank that was attacked near the Gaza perimeter fence on 7 October. One video showed a crowd pulling him from the tank unconscious and injured. Earlier this year, his family said they had been told by released hostages that he was suffering from chronic asthma, untreated burns and infections.

    Omri Miran, 48, was abducted from his home in Nahal Oz. His wife, Lishay, said she last saw him being driven away in his own car. She and their two young daughters, Roni and Alma, were not taken with him. In April 2025, Hamas released a video showing Omri marking his 48th birthday. In response: Lishay said: “I always said and I always knew, Omri is a survivor.”

    Omri Miran

    Hamas published a video earlier this year purporting to show Omri Miran alive [The Hostages and Missing Families Forum]

    Hostages who are set to be released

    Ariel Cunio, 28, was abducted in the attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz on 7 October. Ariel’s brother Eitan, who escaped the Hamas-led gunmen, said the last message from Ariel said: “We are in a horror movie.” Ariel’s partner, Arbel Yehud, was freed in January 2025 under a deal that saw Hamas hand over 25 living and eight dead hostages during a two-month ceasefire.

    David Cunio, 35, another of Ariel’s brothers, was also kidnapped from Nir Oz. David’s wife Sharon Aloni Cunio and their then-three-year-old twin daughters Ema and Yuly were among the 105 hostages released during a week-long ceasefire in November 2023. Sharon’s sister Danielle Aloni and her daughter Emilia were also freed. In February 2025, David’s family said released hostages had told them that had recently seen him alive.

    Matan Angrest, a 22-year-old Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier, was in a tank that was attacked near the Gaza perimeter fence on 7 October. One video showed a crowd pulling him from the tank unconscious and injured. Earlier this year, his family said they had been told by released hostages that he was suffering from chronic asthma, untreated burns and infections.

    Matan Zangauker, 25, was taken with his partner Ilana Gritzewsky from Nir Oz. Ilana was released during the November 2023 ceasefire. In December 2024, Hamas released a video showing Matan in captivity. He said he and his fellow hostages were suffering from skin ailments, shortages of food, water and medicine.

    Eitan Horn, 38, an Israeli-Argentine dual national, was kidnapped along with his elder brother Yair from Nir Oz. Yair was freed in February 2025 during the last ceasefire. Hamas released a video at the time showing Eitan and Yair hugging and breaking down in tears ahead of the latter’s release. “Every day we imagined what we’d do if we were freed,” Yair recalled recently.

    Nimrod Cohen, 21, was serving as an IDF soldier when his tank was attacked by Hamas at Nahal Oz. In February 2025, his family were told by one of the released hostages that he was still alive in captivity but in poor physical and mental shape. After the new ceasefire was agreed, his mother Viki posted on social media: “My child, you are coming home.”

    Dozens of people were taken hostage during the attack by Hamas gunmen on the Nova music festival. Among those believed to be still alive are:

    Yosef-Chaim Ohana, 25, had been at the festival with a friend, who said they had remained to help people escape the gunfire before running themselves. In May 2025, Hamas published a video showing Yosef and another hostage, Elkana Bohbot. Yosef is seen sitting beside Elkana, who is lying on the ground. An intravenous drip is hooked up to the wall next to Elkana.

    Yosef-Chaim Ohana

    Yosef-Chaim Ohana was captured while trying to help others flee Hamas gunmen [The Hostages and Missing Families Forum]

    Avinatan Or, 32, was kidnapped at the festival along with his girlfriend, Noa Argamani, but they were immediately separated. Noa and three other hostages were rescued in an Israeli military operation in central Gaza in June 2024. In March 2025, Avinatan’s family said they had received a sign that he was still alive. His British-Israeli mother, Ditza, has said she just wants to put her ear to his chest and hear his heartbeat again.

    Maxim Herkin, 37, is an Israel-Russian dual national who was invited to the festival at the last moment. His two friends were among the 378 people killed in the attack. In April 2025, Maxim appeared in a Hamas video along with Bar Kupershtein – the first signs of life from either man since they were taken hostage. The following month, Maxim was seen alone in another video and appeared to be bandaged up. Hamas said was the result of an Israeli air strike.

    Maxim Herkin

    Maxim Herkin is one of two dual nationals believed to still be alive in Hamas captivity [The Hostages and Missing Families Forum]

    Bar Kupershtein, 23, was working at the festival and stayed behind during the attack to help treat casualties. He told his grandmother that he would head home as soon as they were finished. But he was later identified him in a video of hostages. They heard no further information about him until April 2025, when he was seen in a video with Maxim Herkin.

    Segev Kalfon, 27, was running away from the festival with a friend when he was taken hostage by Hamas gunmen. Two months later, the Israeli military found a video of the abduction. In February 2025, released hostage Ohad Ben Ami told Segev’s father, Kobi, that they had been held captive with four other men in a tunnel in “terrible conditions”.

    Evyatar David, 24, was at the festival and on the morning of the attacks. He texted the family to say “they are bombarding the party”. His family say they later received a text from an unknown number, containing video footage of Evyatar handcuffed on the floor of a dark room. In August 2025, Hamas published a video of an emaciated and weak Evyatar in a tunnel. The footage caused outrage in Israel and deep concern among his family. “He’s a human skeleton. He was being starved to the point where he can be dead at any moment,” said his brother Ilay.

    Rom Braslabski, 21, was working on security for the festival. According to an account published by Hostages and Missing Families Forum, he was trying to rescue an injured person in the attack when he was caught in a volley of fire. In August 2025, Palestinian Islamic Jihad published a video of Rom, in which he is seen crying as he says he has run out of food and water. He says he is unable to stand or walk, and “is at death’s door”. Medical experts said he was suffering from “deliberate, prolonged, and systematic starvation”.

    Hostages whose conditions are unknown

    Tamir Nimrodi, 20, was an education officer in the IDF at the Erez Crossing on 7 October. The last time his mother, Herut, saw him was in a video of his abduction posted on social media that day. Since then, she has received no signs of life and his fate is unknown.

    Bipin Joshi, 24, a Nepalese agriculture student, was kidnapped from Kibbutz Alumim. Footage from 7 October 2023 showed him walking inside al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City. His family received no signs of life for a year, until the Israeli military shared a video showing him in captivity around November 2023. The family released the footage just before the new ceasefire was announced, describing it as “proof of life”.

    Bipin Joshi

    Bipin Joshi is one of two men whose status is uncertain [The Hostages and Missing Families Forum]

    Hostages who are confirmed dead

    Tamir Adar, 38, was a member of Nir Oz’s community security squad who was killed while fighting Hamas gunmen during the 7 October attack, his kibbutz announced in January 2024. The body of the farmer and father-of-two is being held by Hamas in Gaza.

    Sonthaya Akrasri, 30, was a Thai agricultural worker killed in the attack on Kibbutz Be’eri, Thailand’s foreign ministry said in May 2024, citing the available evidence. His body is being held by Hamas in Gaza.

    Muhammad al-Atarash, 39, was a sergeant-major in the IDF and served as a tracker. In June 2024, the IDF confirmed the father-of-13 from the Bedouin village of Sawa was killed while fighting Hamas gunmen near Nahal Oz on 7 October and that his body was being held in Gaza.

    Sahar Baruch, 24, was kidnapped from Be’eri. In January 2024, the IDF announced that he had been killed during a rescue attempt by Israeli forces in Gaza. It was not clear whether he was killed by Hamas or Israeli gunfire.

    Uriel Baruch, 35, was abducted from the Nova festival. In March 2024, the father-of-two’s family said they had been informed by the IDF that he was killed in captivity in Gaza.

    Inbar Hayman, 27, was kidnapped during the attack on the Nova festival and was killed by Hamas in captivity, her family said. She is the last female hostage being held.

    Inbar Hayman

    Inbar Hayman, believed to be dead, is the last woman being held by Hamas [The Hostages and Missing Families Forum]

    Itay Chen, 19, was an Israeli-American who was serving as a soldier in the IDF on 7 October. The IDF said he was killed during Hamas’s attack on Nahal Oz base and that his body was taken back to Gaza as a hostage.

    Amiram Cooper, 85, was abducted from Nir Oz. The IDF said in June 2024 that he had been killed along with three other hostages – Nadav Popplewell, Chaim Peri and Yoram Metzger – months earlier in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. The IDF said it had been operating in the area at the time but did not confirm how they were killed. Hamas had earlier claimed they were killed by an IDF strike.

    Oz Daniel, 19, was a sergeant in the IDF’s 7th Armoured Brigade and was killed during a battle with Hamas gunmen near the Gaza perimeter fence on 7 October. His body was taken to Gaza as a hostage, according to the IDF.

    Ronen Engel, 54, was kidnapped from Nir Oz on 7 October along with his wife, Karina Engel-Bart, and their daughters, Mika and Yuval. Karina, Mika and Yuval were released during the ceasefire in November 2023. The following month, the IDF confirmed that Ronen has been killed in captivity.

    Meny Godard, 73, was killed during the attack on Be’eri with his wife, Ayelet, and his body was taken to Gaza as a hostage, his family said in February 2024. In March 2025, the IDF said some of Meny’s remains had been found at a Palestinian Islamic Jihad outpost in Rafah, but that the group was believed to be holding the rest.

    Meny Godard

    Meny Godard’s body was taken into Gaza after Hamas killed him alongside his wife [The Hostages and Missing Families Forum]

    Ran Gvili, 24, was a sergeant in the Israel Police who was killed while fighting Hamas-led gunmen in Kibbutz Alumim on 7 October. His body was subsequently taken to Gaza as a hostage, according to the IDF.

    Tal Haimi, 41, was part of Kibbutz Nir Yitzhak’s rapid response team and was killed during the attack there on 7 October. The father-of-four’s body was taken to Gaza, where it is still being held.

    Asaf Hamami, 41, was a colonel in the IDF and commander of the Gaza Division’s Southern Brigade. He was killed near Kibbutz Nirim on 7 October and his body is being held in Gaza, according to the IDF.

    Guy Illouz, 26, was shot twice during the attack on the Nova festival and died of his wounds after being taken hostage, his family said. Released hostages are said to have confirmed his death.

    Guy Illouz

    Guy Illouz died in captivity as a result of injuries sustained in the attack on the Nova festival [The Hostages and Missing Families Forum]

    Eitan Levi, 53, was a taxi driver who was killed by Hamas gunmen on a road close to the Gaza perimeter on 7 October. His body was then taken to Gaza, where Palestinians were filmed beating and kicking it.

    Eliyahu Margalit, 75, was killed by Hamas fighters in Nir Oz on 7 October, the IDF confirmed in December 2023. His body is being held in Gaza.

    Joshua Mollel, 21, was a Tanzanian student who was undertaking an agricultural internship at Kibbutz Nahal Oz when it was attacked on 7 October. The Tanzanian government confirmed in December 2023 that he was killed that day and that his body was being held by Hamas.

    Omer Neutra, 21, an Israeli-American and grandson of Holocaust survivors, was serving as an IDF tank commander near Gaza when Hamas attacked on 7 October. The IDF later said he was killed that day and his body taken to Gaza.

    Daniel Peretz, 22, was a captain in the IDF’s 7th Armoured Brigade. Originally from South Africa, he was killed in an attack on his tank near Nahal Oz on 7 October and his body was taken to Gaza, the IDF said.

    Dror Or, 48, and his wife, Yonat, were killed in the attack on Be’eri, the kibbutz confirmed in February 2024. Two of his three children, Noam and Alma, were taken hostage and were released as part of the November 2023 ceasefire deal. Dror’s body is being held in Gaza.

    Dror Or

    Dror Or was killed alongside his wife [The Hostages and Missing Families Forum]

    Suthisak Rintalak, 43, was a Thai agricultural worker killed in the attack on Kibbutz Be’eri, Thailand’s foreign ministry said in May 2024, citing the available evidence. His body is being held by Hamas in Gaza.

    Lior Rudaeff, 61, was killed while attempting to defend Nir Yitzhak from attack on 7 October, the kibbutz said. His body is being held as a hostage.

    Yossi Sharabi, 53, was kidnapped from Be’eri along with his brother, Eli. In January 2024, the kibbutz announced that the father-of-three had been killed in captivity in Gaza. The following month, the IDF said an investigation had found that he was likely to have been killed when a building collapsed following an Israeli strike on another building nearby. His body is being held by Hamas. Eli, who was released in February 2025, told the BBC last week how important it was for the family to have a funeral and closure.

    Arie Zalmanowicz, 85, was abducted from Nir Oz on 7 October. In November 2023, Hamas released a video showing him saying he felt unwell. The following month his kibbutz said he had died in captivity.

    Hadar Goldin, 23, was a lieutenant in the IDF’s Givati Brigade who was killed in combat in Gaza in 2014. His body has been held hostage by Hamas since then.

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  • ‘We’re chasing what’s left of life’: Gazans journey back to destruction

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    JABALIA, Gaza Strip — The trailer creaked under the weight of mattresses, blankets, tents, a gas cylinder, weathered plastic barrels, burlap sacks of clothes, plastic chairs, gardening tools, various kitchen utensils and a toy tricycle — the collective belongings of Mohammad Abu Warda and his family.

    Abu Warda, 34, tugged at the ropes securing the load, and hitched the trailer to his tractor. He glanced a moment at his mother, 60-year-old Bouthaina Warda, who was braiding his daughter’s hair, then turned to look at the coastal highway heading northward to Gaza City.

    It was time to go home.

    “The last time we took this highway, we were escaping death,” Abu Warda said, his hands straining against the rope as he tightened it once more.

    “Today, we’re chasing what’s left of life.”

    All around him others were embarking on a similar journey, stacking whatever they had salvaged of their belongings onto whatever transportation they could manage. Donkey carts and tractors jostled for space with pickups and larger transport trucks, the diesel fumes mixing with dust and the salty sea air.

    Every few hundred yards, more people would join on the Al-Rashid Highway from the side streets, adding to the slow-moving deluge of hundreds of thousands returning home to see what — if anything — remained of the lives they had in north Gaza.

    The homecoming arrives at a time of hope after two years of war. A breakthrough Israel-Hamas ceasefire continues to hold, with prospects for an enduring peace. President Trump was headed to Israel in time for Monday’s expected release of the last hostages held in Gaza, with Israel set to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and plans for a surge of aid into the famine-stricken territory.

    Abu Warda had endured displacement early in the war, when he and his family left their house in Jabalia, a few miles north of Gaza City, in November 2023; they returned to it 14 months later in January of this year, before Israel’s intensified assault on Gaza City and the northern part of the enclave last month forced them out again.

    This time, Abu Warda — whose uncles and cousins had braved the 16-mile trek back from central Gaza’s Khan Yunis to Jabalia the day before — knew it would be a bitter homecoming.

    Mohammad Abu Warda sits amid the rubble in Jabalia, which his family returned to on Sunday.

    (Bilal Shbeir / For The Times)

    “Everything is gone. The house is destroyed,” he said.

    Sitting in the trailer, Bouthaina spoke, her voice small and somber.

    “People keep saying we’re going home. But home isn’t there anymore,” she said. “We’re just going to see what’s left. A pile of rubble.”

    Many of 2.1 million people living in the Gaza Strip (which at some 140 square miles is less than a third the area of Los Angeles) face similar circumstances, with nearly the entire population being forced to move over the last two years and more than 90% of homes damaged, according to expert estimates.

    Some parts of the enclave are suffering from famine as a result of a months-long Israeli blockade, say the U.N. and other aid groups, which also have accused Israel of genocide. Israel denies the charge and says it acted to destroy Hamas.

    Meanwhile, the enclave’s infrastructure, whether in healthcare, water or sanitation, has been devastated; especially in Gaza City, according to Asem Al-Nabih, spokesman for the Gaza City municipality.

    “I can’t explain to you the massive amount of damage we’re seeing,” he said.

    He added that the Israeli military had deployed booby-trapped armored assault vehicles, which inflicted damage not only to structures above ground but also to water wells, underground piping and sewage pumps, not to mention roadways.

    “Our priority now is to get water, and we’ve started clearing the main roads so people can get to what’s left of their homes,” he said. “But at the same time, we’ve lost most of our heavy and medium equipment over the last two years, so we can’t do much to relieve people’s suffering.”

    The war began Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people — two-thirds of them civilians, according to Israeli authorities — and kidnapping about 250 others.

    In retaliation, Israel launched a massive military offensive that has killed more than 67,000 people, over 3% of the enclave’s population, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Though it does not distinguish between civilians and fighters in its tally, its figures are seen as reliable and have been used by the U.N. and the Israeli military.

    Abu Warda gunned the tractor’s engine, pushing it faster as he passed the shell of a seaside cafe where his family once stopped for tea and grilled chicken on weekend sojourns. Lining the side of the road were abandoned sandals, plastic water bottles hardened by the sun, and broken toys — remnants of the exodus in months gone by.

    With every mile the family came closer to Jabalia, the landscape shifted, with fewer tents, more ruins and more dust lining people’s faces. Entire apartment blocks leaned into each other, like carelessly toppled dominoes.

    Finally, six hours later, Abu Warda parked the tractor before a heap of masonry and distressed rebar in Jabalia: home.

    “I remember my window was there,” Abu Warda said, pointing to a hollow space between fallen slabs of concrete.

    A trailer holds the possesions of Mohammad Abu Warda's family.

    A trailer holds the possessions of Mohammad Abu Warda’s family, which fled northern Gaza months ago to escape attacks by the Israeli military.

    (Bilal Shbeir / For The Times.)

    A school notebook, dusty and dog-eared, peeked from the rubble. He fished it out and brushed off the cover. His son’s name was still visible, written in red marker.

    Abu Warda’s sister, 25-year-old Amal Warda, bent to the ground and grabbed a handful of gray dust.

    “This is what we came back for,” she said quietly. “To touch the truth with our own hands.”

    As the afternoon wore on, the family used rope scavenged from a neighbor’s courtyard to secure a tarp between two taller chunks of concrete. Abu Warda found an old metal kettle and lighted a small fire with scraps of wood, then brewed tea he poured into dented cups and passed around.

    A few neighbors and cousins emerged from similarly destroyed ruins, exchanging greetings that sounded both joyous and fragile. Someone offered water. Another shared news of which wells in the area were still functioning, along with information about U.S. assistance.

    The children started playing, scampering up piles of debris. Bisan, Abu Warda’s 12-year-old niece, grabbed a stick and traced a drawing of a house with four windows and a tree. She added her family standing outside, with smiles on their faces. When the wind blew it away, she drew it again.

    “Gaza still breathes through its people,” Amal said. “As long as people are back here, life will slowly get back too.”

    By sunset, the sea breeze turned cool. The family stretched out the blankets they had brought with them and slept under the tarp. Abu Warda looked up at the sky.

    “I’m not sure what tomorrow is going to bring,” he said.

    “But I do know this: Being here, even if it’s in ruins, is better than waiting for news in a tent.”

    Special correspondent Shbeir reported from Jabalia and Times staff writer Bulos from Jerusalem.

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    Bilal Shbeir, Nabih Bulos

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  • Inside one battle-scarred Gaza building, displaced families tell the story of the war

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    The Skeik building, in a quiet road off Omar al-Mukhtar Street in western Gaza City, was a familiar sight to Gaza’s lovers.

    The tree-lined street that ran beside it was once a favourite place for courting couples, eager to avoid Gaza’s socially conservative gaze.

    But the road nicknamed “Lovers’ Street” – and the six-storey building that overlooks it – is now surrounded by rubble. There are few residents left who remember the old days. Those hiding here now are not running from Gaza’s disapproval, but from Israeli tanks.

    Gaza’s war has left this once-glitzy neighbourhood in ruins. The smart shops and restaurants running down to the beach are now pockmarked with shrapnel and bullet holes, the park with its French-manicured trees, is buried under grey rubble.

    [BBC]

    The Skeik building itself is still standing, but its walls are now splattered by shrapnel and a large artillery-sized hole has punched through an upper floor. Its pre-war faces replaced by an ever-changing confetti of displaced people.

    Two years after Gaza’s war began, this one building offers a snapshot of how the conflict has eroded ties to home and community among Gaza’s people, and what impact that has had.

    The previous tenants of the Skeik building are long gone. Above the boarded-up storerooms on the ground floor, eight of the building’s 10 apartments have become temporary homes for families displaced by the war.

    Hadeel Daban – fourth floor

    Hadeel and her two young sons look at an iPad. A graphic image of the building is inset in the top left corner of the image, highlighting the fourth floor of the building, where Hadeel lives with her family.

    [BBC]

    Twenty-six-year-old Hadeel Daban lives on the fourth floor with her husband and three young children: nine-year-old Judi, six-year-old Murad and two-year-old Mohammad.

    The family arrived here two months ago, paying 1,000 shekels ($305; £227) a month to camp in the empty rooms.

    “The people who were here before us left because it was dangerous,” Hadeel said. “Shrapnel hits the walls here, but it’s still better than a tent.”

    The family’s few belongings are neatly stashed in piles of bags along the walls. Torn sheets cover the gaping holes where the windows used to be. It’s the 12th place the family has moved to.

    “When loading our belongings on a cart, I put my children on top of it all and tell them to play with the items, like the kitchen stuff,” Hadeel told me. “I tell them we’re going to live a different life, a bit away from the one we had.”

    The family home stands less than a mile away, in Gaza City’s al-Tuffah neighbourhood. They fled in the first week of the war, after a relative’s apartment above theirs was hit.

    They returned a few months later. But on 15 March 2024, a strike on the building next door to them killed Hadeel’s mother-in-law, injured the three children and buried Hadeel’s husband alive.

    “We spent hours searching for him, and found him under the rubble,” she said.

    Her husband, Izz el-Din, was unconscious. They took him to al-Shifa hospital, where Hadeel says she was told her husband had a skull fracture and was in a coma.

    Three days later, he was still being treated when Israel sealed the hospital and began a two-week military operation there, to root out Hamas command posts, it said.

    It was only when Israeli forces finally withdrew that Hadeel was reunited with her husband, fragile but alive.

    Hadeel told us he still needed regular medical checks. “I used to take him to a neurologist [in Gaza City], but six weeks ago all the doctors moved to the south,” she said.

    A home is not just shelter or belongings. And all three families we spoke to in the Skeik building had moved multiple times.

    “None of my neighbours are my neighbours anymore, because new people come every month,” Hadeel said. “I don’t even know where my original neighbours are – some went south, some were killed or injured. There are no neighbours anymore.”

    On the day our colleague met Hadeel, Gaza City was emptying again as hundreds of thousands of people headed for safer areas further south.

    The Israeli army, advancing through the city, had issued “a last warning” to leave. But the families we spoke to were planning on staying put.

    While Hadeel was talking to our cameraman, a series of explosions echoed through the apartment.

    Through the windows, huge grey clouds rose in the middle distance.

    Neither of her young sons even flinched.

    A map points to the Skeik Building in Gaza City.

    [BBC]

    The Skeik building was built in 2008, on the back of the construction boom that swept Gaza City in the mid-1990s. A prime location right next to the American International School and a block away from the Palestinian parliament – both now in ruins.

    It was this central location, off the main Omar al-Mukhtar street, that put the Skeik building in the path of Israeli tanks during the first months of the war.

    Al-Shifa hospital lies two blocks to the north. Within weeks of the invasion, Israel’s army moved in to capture the complex, saying it was being used as a Hamas base.

    Troops approached from several directions, including the roads around Omar al-Mukhtar street.

    Near the back of the Skeik building, a large rectangular hole has been blown in the wall. Inside, Hebrew graffiti reads, “the last Samurai” – a reference to a Hollywood film about a 19th Century Japanese warrior outgunned by modern weapons.

    We asked Israel’s army whether its forces had ever used the building or fought there. We received no reply.

    But the building’s owner, Suheil Skeik, now living in Turkey, told us the block had been used as an observation post by Israeli troops during operations.

    And Israel said it had struck several compounds used by Palestinian snipers in the area in March.

    Ground forces remained in Gaza City for months during the first months of the war, launching a second assault on al-Shifa hospital in March 2024, while Hadeel’s husband was being treated inside.

    With such a rapid turnover of residents, no one in the building now remembers what happened in those early months of the war.

    But the fighting still continues around it.

    Muna Shabet – fifth floor

    Muna gazes out her window. A graphic image of the Skeik building is inset into the top left corner of the image, highlighting the fifth floor of the building where Muna lives.

    [BBC]

    In the apartment above Hadeel’s, 59-year-old Muna Amin Shabet plays with her grandchildren beneath large bullet holes punched in the wall.

    “Two days ago, bullets hit here, inside the building,” she explained. “I grabbed the children and ran with them over there, where it’s safer. We sat there praying to God that it would be OK. The children were terrified.”

    Muna is also from al-Tuffah neighbourhood. She’s been living here since August with her husband, three of her children, and her grandchildren. They aren’t paying rent. The family lost everything, Muna says, when their home was destroyed weeks into the war.

    “They levelled the entire al-Tuffah area – all of it, not one house was left,” she said. “We are starting life again, collecting spoon by spoon, plate by plate. Famine came, and we ground pigeon-feed to eat, and lived on wild greens,” she told us. “After two years of war, I say I am not alive, I am one of the dead.”

    Another resident, from the northern town of Beit Lahia, told us his area was now a “wasteland”, after Israel’s army razed it to the ground. “There are no houses, or even any signposts left, to tell you there was once a neighbourhood here,” he said.

    The UN says 90% of Gaza’s residential buildings have been damaged or destroyed. Whole neighbourhoods – with their shared history, family ties, and social support – demolished.

    But the idea of home is harder to destroy than bricks and mortar.

    When our cameraman visits Muna’s apartment, two of her granddaughters are drawing a picture. It’s an idyllic story-book image of a house – small and neat, with a sloping red tile roof. The sun is perched on the horizon, the sky is pink and blue, there are trees and plants.

    It looks nothing like where they live.

    And the widespread destruction of housing and communities has often meant families splintering to survive.

    Of Muna’s five sons, two have moved to the south, another has gone to stay with his in-laws. The others, she says, have come and gone. Even she and her husband spent months apart before moving to the Skeik building, while Muna sheltered with relatives.

    The extended family that once surrounded her and anchored her world is fraying.

    “We are scattered. The separation is the hardest thing,” she said. “Life has been stripped away. My health is gone. Our home is gone, and the dearest people to our hearts are gone – nothing is left for us.”

    Shawkat al-Ansari – first floor

    Shawkat and his young child. A graphic image of the Skeik building is inset into the top left corner of the image, highlighting the first floor of the building where Shawkat lives.

    [BBC]

    It’s a feeling Shawkat al-Ansari knows well.

    Originally from Beit Lahia, now razed to the ground, he told us his mother and sister were sleeping on the street in southern Gaza, while Shawkat lived with his wife and seven children on the first floor of the Skeik building.

    Four months ago, his brother went missing.

    “He went to get flour from the house of one of our in-laws in Shejaiya [on the northern edge of Gaza City]. We still don’t know what happened to him. We searched everywhere but couldn’t find him.”

    The constant churn of people moving in search of food, safety or shelter has made it hard to keep families together.

    “We were living OK before,” Shawkat said. “Now my brother is missing, and we’re all stranded in different places.”

    One by one, the anchors holding people in place – home, community, family – have been loosened by the constant uprooting of Gaza’s population and the razing of its neighbourhoods and streets.

    Now, sitting in the empty concrete rooms of the Skeik building, Shawkat is also watching the future slip away. His children were doing well at school before the war, he says, but now they’re forgetting how to read and count.

    The constant movement is freezing their lives.

    Days later, we received a call from Hadeel. She and several other families in the Skeik building were on the move again.

    Israeli forces had dropped smoke bombs across the area, she told us, to signal that they were about to enter.

    “We didn’t see the tanks last night,” she said, “but if we don’t leave now, we’ll wake up to them tomorrow.”

    Hadeel was packing up when we spoke, planning to join her brother nearby before trying to head south together.

    “We’ll stay on the streets and live in a tent,” she said. “No matter what we do, nothing will rebuild what’s inside us. My children aren’t my children anymore. There’s more suffering than innocence in their eyes now.”

    All across Gaza, the buildings left standing have become transit hubs for families, brought together then separated by the war.

    If negotiations succeed, peace could end their journeys, and reconstruction could bring them a different kind of future.

    But their old lives are behind them.

    This war has wiped out the road to the past.

    Additional reporting by Aamir Peerzada and Gaza colleagues. Design by the BBC’s Visual Journalism team.

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  • IDF, Shin Bet reveal underground weapons workshop adjacent to Gaza City hospital

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    According to the IDF, the Hamas terrorist activity that occurred near the hospital happened without the involvement or knowledge of the Jordanians who run the hospital.

    The IDF revealed on Saturday a tunnel shaft leading to an underground workshop used for manufacturing weapons that was found adjacent to the Jordanian Hospital in southern Gaza City.

    According to the IDF, the Hamas terrorist activity that occurred near the hospital happened without the involvement or knowledge of the Jordanians.

    Exploiting humanitarian facilities

    “The Hamas terrorist organization operates systematically in hospital areas, exploiting humanitarian facilities for military purposes,” said the IDF.

    “For years, the organization has established an underground system beneath hospitals throughout the Strip, which is used to produce weapons and conduct combat.”

    IDF reveals Hamas tunnels across from Gaza City hospital (IDF SPOKESPERSON’S UNIT)

    Soldiers from the IDF’s 36th Division worked alongside the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), the Intelligence Directorate, and the Yahalom combat engineers to locate the tunnel.

    An additional tunnel shaft was located beneath Hamad Hospital in Gaza City.

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  • Israel’s army says it will advance preparations for the first phase of Trump’s ceasefire plan

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    Israel’s army said Saturday that it would advance preparations for the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza and return all the remaining hostages, after Hamas said it accepted parts of the deal while others still needed to be negotiated.Related video above: President Trump announces ceasefire proposal to end Gaza conflictThe army said it was instructed by Israel’s leaders to “advance readiness” for the implementation of the plan. An official who was not authorized to speak to the media on the record said that Israel has moved to a defensive-only position in Gaza and will not actively strike. The official said no forces have been removed from the strip.This announcement came hours after Trump ordered Israel to stop bombing Gaza once Hamas said it had accepted some elements of his plan. Trump welcomed the Hamas statement, saying: “I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE.”Trump appears keen to deliver on pledges to end the war and return dozens of hostages ahead of the second anniversary of the attack on Tuesday. His proposal unveiled earlier this week has widespread international support and was also endorsed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.On Friday, Netanyahu’s office said Israel was committed to ending the war that began when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, without addressing potential gaps with the militant group. Netanyahu has come under increasing pressure from the international community and Trump to end the conflict. The official told the AP that Netanyahu put out the rare late-night statement on the sabbath, saying that Israel has started to prepare for Trump’s plan due to pressure from the U.S. administration.The official also said that a negotiating team was getting ready to travel, but there was no date specified.A senior Egyptian official says talks are underway for the release of hostages, as well as hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention. The official, who is involved in the ceasefire negotiations, also said Arab mediators are preparing for a comprehensive dialogue among Palestinians. The talks are aimed at unifying the Palestinian position towards Gaza’s future.On Saturday, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the second most powerful militant group in Gaza, said it accepted Hamas’ response to the Trump plan. The group had previously rejected the proposal days earlier.Also on Saturday, Gaza’s Health Ministry said that the death toll in the nearly two-year Israel-Hamas war has topped 67,000 Palestinians. The death toll jumped after the ministry said it added more than 700 names to the list whose data had been verified.Gaza’s Health Ministry does not say how many were civilians or combatants. It says women and children make up around half of the dead. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the U.N. and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.Progress, but uncertainty aheadYet, despite the momentum, a lot of questions remain.Under the plan, Hamas would release the remaining 48 hostages — around 20 of them believed to be alive — within three days. It would also give up power and disarm.In return, Israel would halt its offensive and withdraw from much of the territory, release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and allow an influx of humanitarian aid and eventual reconstruction.Hamas said it was willing to release the hostages and hand over power to other Palestinians, but that other aspects of the plan require further consultations among Palestinians. Its official statement also didn’t address the issue of Hamas demilitarizing, a key part of the deal.Amir Avivi, a retired Israeli general and chairman of Israel’s Defense and Security Forum, said while Israel can afford to stop firing for a few days in Gaza so the hostages can be released, it will resume its offensive if Hamas doesn’t lay down its arms.Others say that while Hamas suggests a willingness to negotiate, its position fundamentally remains unchanged.This “yes, but” rhetoric “simply repackages old demands in softer language,” said Oded Ailam, a researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs. The gap between appearance and action is as wide as ever and the rhetorical shift serves more as a smokescreen than a signal of true movement toward resolution, he said.Unclear what it means for Palestinians suffering in GazaThe next steps are also unclear for Palestinians in Gaza who are trying to piece together what it means in practical terms.Israeli troops are still laying siege to Gaza City, which is the focus of its latest offensive. On Saturday, Israel’s army warned Palestinians against trying to return to the city, calling it a “dangerous combat zone.”Experts determined that Gaza City had slid into famine shortly before Israel launched its major offensive there aimed at occupying it. An estimated 400,000 people have fled the city in recent weeks, but hundreds of thousands more have stayed behind.Families of the hostages are also cautious about being hopeful.There are concerns from all sides, said Yehuda Cohen, whose son Nimrod is held in Gaza. Hamas and Netanyahu could sabotage the deal or Trump could lose interest, he said. Still, he says, if it’s going to happen, it will be because of Trump.”We’re putting our trust in Trump, because he’s the only one who’s doing it. … And we want to see him with us until the last step,” he said.Magdy reported from Cairo.

    TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) —

    Israel’s army said Saturday that it would advance preparations for the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza and return all the remaining hostages, after Hamas said it accepted parts of the deal while others still needed to be negotiated.

    Related video above: President Trump announces ceasefire proposal to end Gaza conflict

    The army said it was instructed by Israel’s leaders to “advance readiness” for the implementation of the plan. An official who was not authorized to speak to the media on the record said that Israel has moved to a defensive-only position in Gaza and will not actively strike. The official said no forces have been removed from the strip.

    This announcement came hours after Trump ordered Israel to stop bombing Gaza once Hamas said it had accepted some elements of his plan. Trump welcomed the Hamas statement, saying: “I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE.”

    Trump appears keen to deliver on pledges to end the war and return dozens of hostages ahead of the second anniversary of the attack on Tuesday. His proposal unveiled earlier this week has widespread international support and was also endorsed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

    On Friday, Netanyahu’s office said Israel was committed to ending the war that began when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, without addressing potential gaps with the militant group. Netanyahu has come under increasing pressure from the international community and Trump to end the conflict. The official told the AP that Netanyahu put out the rare late-night statement on the sabbath, saying that Israel has started to prepare for Trump’s plan due to pressure from the U.S. administration.

    The official also said that a negotiating team was getting ready to travel, but there was no date specified.

    A senior Egyptian official says talks are underway for the release of hostages, as well as hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention. The official, who is involved in the ceasefire negotiations, also said Arab mediators are preparing for a comprehensive dialogue among Palestinians. The talks are aimed at unifying the Palestinian position towards Gaza’s future.

    Abdel Kareem Hana

    Mourners attend the funeral of Palestinians killed in an Israeli army strike, outside Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025.

    On Saturday, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the second most powerful militant group in Gaza, said it accepted Hamas’ response to the Trump plan. The group had previously rejected the proposal days earlier.

    Also on Saturday, Gaza’s Health Ministry said that the death toll in the nearly two-year Israel-Hamas war has topped 67,000 Palestinians. The death toll jumped after the ministry said it added more than 700 names to the list whose data had been verified.

    Gaza’s Health Ministry does not say how many were civilians or combatants. It says women and children make up around half of the dead. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government, and the U.N. and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.

    Progress, but uncertainty ahead

    Yet, despite the momentum, a lot of questions remain.

    Under the plan, Hamas would release the remaining 48 hostages — around 20 of them believed to be alive — within three days. It would also give up power and disarm.

    In return, Israel would halt its offensive and withdraw from much of the territory, release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and allow an influx of humanitarian aid and eventual reconstruction.

    Hamas said it was willing to release the hostages and hand over power to other Palestinians, but that other aspects of the plan require further consultations among Palestinians. Its official statement also didn’t address the issue of Hamas demilitarizing, a key part of the deal.

    People look at photos of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, in Jerusalem, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. Hebrew sign reads, "don't forget us". (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

    Ohad Zwigenberg

    People look at photos of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, in Jerusalem, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. A Hebrew sign reads, “don’t forget us.”

    Amir Avivi, a retired Israeli general and chairman of Israel’s Defense and Security Forum, said while Israel can afford to stop firing for a few days in Gaza so the hostages can be released, it will resume its offensive if Hamas doesn’t lay down its arms.

    Others say that while Hamas suggests a willingness to negotiate, its position fundamentally remains unchanged.

    This “yes, but” rhetoric “simply repackages old demands in softer language,” said Oded Ailam, a researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs. The gap between appearance and action is as wide as ever and the rhetorical shift serves more as a smokescreen than a signal of true movement toward resolution, he said.

    Unclear what it means for Palestinians suffering in Gaza

    The next steps are also unclear for Palestinians in Gaza who are trying to piece together what it means in practical terms.

    Israeli troops are still laying siege to Gaza City, which is the focus of its latest offensive. On Saturday, Israel’s army warned Palestinians against trying to return to the city, calling it a “dangerous combat zone.”

    Experts determined that Gaza City had slid into famine shortly before Israel launched its major offensive there aimed at occupying it. An estimated 400,000 people have fled the city in recent weeks, but hundreds of thousands more have stayed behind.

    Families of the hostages are also cautious about being hopeful.

    There are concerns from all sides, said Yehuda Cohen, whose son Nimrod is held in Gaza. Hamas and Netanyahu could sabotage the deal or Trump could lose interest, he said. Still, he says, if it’s going to happen, it will be because of Trump.

    “We’re putting our trust in Trump, because he’s the only one who’s doing it. … And we want to see him with us until the last step,” he said.

    Magdy reported from Cairo.

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  • IDF shifts to defensive operations only in the Gaza Strip

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    Gaza City will remain under siege, but the IDF will not move from the lines it has already reached, N12 reported.

    The IDF shifted from offensive to defensive maneuvers, N12 News reported on Saturday.

    Gaza City will remain under siege, but the IDF will not move from the lines it has already reached.

    A senior Israeli official confirmed to N12 that the political echelon “instructed the IDF to move to defensive activity only in the Strip and to stop the operation to capture Gaza City.”

    IDF Spokesman in Arabic Avichay Adraee stated that the area north of Wadi Gaza is still considered an active combat zone in a statement on X/Twitter.

    IDF still considers areas of Gaza an active combat zone

    “For your safety, avoid returning north or approaching areas where IDF forces are operating anywhere in the Strip — including its southern regions,” the statement reads.

    On Friday evening, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir instructed the military to prepare for the release of the hostages.

    In a statement, the IDF said that it will transfer a majority of its manpower to the Southern Command to ensure the protection of Israeli troops.

    Reuters, citing Gazan authorities, reported that Israel struck Gaza on Saturday.

    Israeli fire killed six people across the Gaza Strip, the Gazan Strip’s authorities said. One strike killed four people in a house in Gaza City, while another killed two others in Khan Younis in the south, medical workers and Gazan authorities said.

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