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Israel Kills at Least 50 in Gaza, Tanks Deepen Raid in the North

Palestinians walk through the destruction in the wake of an Israeli air and ground offensive in Jabalia, northern Gaza Strip, on May 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Enas Rami, File)
Palestinians walk through the destruction in the wake of an Israeli air and ground offensive in Jabalia, northern Gaza Strip, on May 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Enas Rami, File)
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Israel Kills at Least 50 in Gaza, Tanks Deepen Raid in the North

Palestinians walk through the destruction in the wake of an Israeli air and ground offensive in Jabalia, northern Gaza Strip, on May 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Enas Rami, File)
Palestinians walk through the destruction in the wake of an Israeli air and ground offensive in Jabalia, northern Gaza Strip, on May 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Enas Rami, File)

Israeli military strikes killed at least 50 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip as Israeli forces tightened their squeeze around Jabalia in the north of the enclave on Tuesday, amid fierce battles with Hamas-led fighters.

Palestinian health officials said at least 17 people were killed by Israeli fire near Al-Falouja in Jabalia, the largest of Gaza's eight historic refugee camps, while 10 others were killed in Bani Suhaila in eastern Khan Younis in the south when an Israeli missile struck a house.

Earlier on Tuesday, an Israeli airstrike destroyed three houses in the Sabra suburb of Gaza City, and the local civil emergency service said they recovered two bodies from the site, while the search continued for 12 other people who were believed to have been in the houses at the time of the strike.

Eight others were killed when a house was struck in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza.

Later on Tuesday, the Gaza health ministry said one doctor was killed when he tried to help the people wounded by Israeli strikes in Al-Falouja in Jabalia. It added that several medics were wounded when their ambulance came under Israeli fire in the northern and southern Gaza Strip.

Jabalia has been the focus of an Israeli offensive for more than 10 days, with troops returning to areas of the north that came under heavy bombardment in the early months of the year-long war.

The operation has raised concerns among Palestinians and UN agencies that Israel wants to clear residents from the north of the crowded enclave, a charge it has denied. Residents said Israeli forces destroyed dozens of houses in the past 10 days.

The United Nations human rights office said on Tuesday the Israeli military appeared to be "cutting off North Gaza completely from the rest of the Gaza Strip."

"Amid intense ongoing hostilities and evacuation orders in northern Gaza families are facing unimaginable fear, loss of loved ones, confusion, and exhaustion. People must be able to flee safely, without facing further danger," Adrian Zimmerman, ICRC Gaza head of sub-delegation, said in a statement.

"Many, including the sick and disabled, cannot leave, and they remain protected under international humanitarian law – all possible precautions must be taken to ensure they remain unharmed. Every person displaced has the right to return home in safety," he added.

The Israeli military's humanitarian unit, COGAT, which overseas aid and commercial shipments to Gaza, said in a statement on Tuesday that the operations in Jabalia were targeting terrorist infrastructure and operatives embedded inside civilian areas. It said it was facilitating humanitarian and in particular medical aid to residents.

Hamas denies it embeds its operatives amongst civilians.

JABALIA ENCIRCLED

The Israeli military has now encircled the Jabalia camp and sent tanks into nearby Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun towns, with the declared aim of stamping out Hamas fighters who are trying to regroup there.

The Israeli military has told residents to leave their homes and head to safety in southern Gaza. Palestinian and UN officials say there was no place safe in Gaza.

Hamas' armed wing said fighters were engaged in fierce battles with Israeli forces in and around Jabalia.

Zimmerman also urged for health facilities in the north to be protected, saying hospitals there were struggling to provide medical services.

Gaza's health ministry said the army ordered the three hospitals operating there to evacuate but medical staffers said they were determined to continue their services even though they are overwhelmed by the growing number of casualties.

COGAT said in recent days it had facilitated the transfer of 33 patients, medical staff and accompanying personnel from the Kamal Adwan Hospital in the north to functioning facilities elsewhere in Gaza.

It said it has also provided 68,650 liters of fuel to hospitals and coordinated the delivery of 800 blood transfusion units.

Ismail Al-Thawabta, the director of the Hamas-run Gaza government media office, said Israel was trying to give a misleading impression and that its forces had been preventing ambulance and civil emergency teams from recovering the bodies of dozens of people from the streets.

Israel "aims to completely destroy the health system and hospitals," Thawabta said, adding that Israel's military has maintained a siege on the region for more than 170 consecutive days, closing all humanitarian access points.

On Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the level of civilian casualties in northern Gaza.

The northern part of Gaza is home to well over half the territory's 2.3 million people and hundreds of thousands of residents were forced to flee their homes amidst heavy bombing in the first phase of Israel's assault on the territory.

Around 400,000 people remained, according to United Nations estimates.

Israel launched the offensive against Hamas after the armed group's Oct. 7 attack on Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and around 250 taken hostage to Gaza, by Israeli tallies. More than 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in the offensive so far, according to Gaza's health authorities. 

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Arab World

Palestinian Leader Abbas Announces Presidential Election in Early 2027

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. (AFP file photo)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. (AFP file photo)
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Palestinian Leader Abbas Announces Presidential Election in Early 2027

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. (AFP file photo)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. (AFP file photo)

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has issued a decree calling for presidential elections in early 2027 and for legislative elections to be held in November of this year, official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported, without saying if he would run.

"President Mahmoud Abbas announced that presidential elections will be held in early 2027," Wafa said, citing a statement from the presidency.

The 90-year-old leader's decree also calls for legislative elections to take place in November of this year, it added.

Arab World

MSF Sacks 18 Staff Over Abuse of Sudanese Refugees in Chad

International Organization for Migration (IOM) Deputy Director General SungAh Lee visits the IOM registration office for returnees at the Adre border post on June 8, 2026. (AFP)
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Deputy Director General SungAh Lee visits the IOM registration office for returnees at the Adre border post on June 8, 2026. (AFP)
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MSF Sacks 18 Staff Over Abuse of Sudanese Refugees in Chad

International Organization for Migration (IOM) Deputy Director General SungAh Lee visits the IOM registration office for returnees at the Adre border post on June 8, 2026. (AFP)
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Deputy Director General SungAh Lee visits the IOM registration office for returnees at the Adre border post on June 8, 2026. (AFP)

Dozens of Doctors Without Borders staff have been accused of sexually abusing Sudanese refugees in Chad, the organization said Monday, adding that it dismissed 18 workers after investigations found "serious misconduct".

The medical charity, which goes by its French acronym MSF, said it had launched a series of investigations into "serious allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse" put forward in late 2024 by Sudanese refugees hosted in eastern Chad.

Since breaking out in April 2023, Sudan's civil war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than 12 million people, nearly one million of whom have fled west to Chad, according to the United Nations.

In an email confirming information first reported by the Associated Press, MSF -- one of the biggest organizations providing aid in the refugee camps in eastern Chad -- said its investigations had found a number of cases of "serious misconduct".

"We deeply regret the harm caused," it said.

The medical charity described how its investigations had over several months "identified allegations of misconduct, including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse".

"While some of the 59 allegations were corroborated by the review, others remained unverified as in some cases neither victims nor perpetrators could be identified," it said, stressing that "where investigations established serious misconduct, immediate disciplinary action was taken".

"As a result, 18 staff have been dismissed and are now barred from working with MSF."

The organization said the accused workers belonged to several employment categories, including contracted staff, daily workers, external contractors and suppliers.

"To protect the confidentiality, privacy and safety of those affected, in line with a survivor-centered approach, we are not able to share further details on individual cases or outcomes," the organization said.

The charity stressed that "this misconduct represents a serious breach of MSF's values and responsibilities.

"We continue to work to strengthen our prevention, detection and response systems," it said.

"We encourage staff, patients and community members to report to us any misconduct and are committed to ensuring that our reporting channels are safe, accessible and trusted."

Arab World

Sources to Asharq Al-Awsat: Egypt Approves Yahya Diab as Acting Head of Syria’s Mission

**Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi during a meeting with his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the Arab Summit in Cairo in March 2025 (Egyptian Presidency)**
**Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi during a meeting with his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the Arab Summit in Cairo in March 2025 (Egyptian Presidency)**
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Sources to Asharq Al-Awsat: Egypt Approves Yahya Diab as Acting Head of Syria’s Mission

**Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi during a meeting with his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the Arab Summit in Cairo in March 2025 (Egyptian Presidency)**
**Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi during a meeting with his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the Arab Summit in Cairo in March 2025 (Egyptian Presidency)**

Two Syrian sources, one of them at the Foreign Ministry, told Asharq Al-Awsat that Egypt has informed Syria of its approval of Ambassador Yahya Diab to head the Syrian diplomatic mission in Cairo, following its reservations over the previous nominee.

A Syrian source familiar with the matter said Diab had already been informed that Cairo had approved his nomination and that he is currently working to conclude his commitments outside Syria before returning to Damascus to take the necessary steps to assume his duties in Egypt.

However, the source noted that Diab had not been informed whether he had been nominated as ambassador or as chargé d’affaires.

“If he is nominated as ambassador, the decision will be issued through a presidential decree addressed to Egypt. A chargé d’affaires, however, is appointed by a decision of the foreign minister,” the source said.

Another source at the Syrian Foreign Ministry revealed that Diab would be appointed as “chargé d’affaires of the Syrian ambassador to Egypt,” adding that he is also likely to serve as Syria’s permanent representative to the League of Arab States, unless another candidate is nominated for that position, which does not require approval from the Egyptian authorities.

He added: “Arrangements are currently underway to obtain the necessary accreditation from Cairo so that the new Syrian mission can begin its work as soon as possible.”

Asharq Al-Awsat was unable to reach Egypt’s Foreign Ministry for confirmation.

Yahya Diab (Syrian Memory Platform)

‘In Response to the Egyptian Side’

About a week ago, a Syrian Foreign Ministry source told Asharq Al-Awsat the name of the new ambassador nominated to represent Syria in Egypt, replacing Mohammad Taha Al-Ahmad, whose nomination Cairo had objected to.

At the time, the source said the new nominee was Yahya Diab and that his nomination “came in response to the Egyptian side and out of a desire to advance relations between the two countries toward deeper and broader horizons.”

At the time, an Egyptian official source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Syrian government had submitted another candidate to head its diplomatic mission in Cairo, noting that matters were “moving toward the approval of the new nominee by the Egyptian authorities.”

The source added that “matters are proceeding normally and positively with the Syrian side.”

Diab is a member of the executive office and the office for foreign relations and diplomats at the Free National Gathering of Employees in Syrian State Institutions. Before the Syrian revolution, he served in several diplomatic postings in Rome, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Belgrade. He also headed the trade union committee at the Syrian Foreign Ministry and holds a law degree from Damascus University.

A report published by Asharq Al-Awsat on June 1 cited a source familiar with the matter as saying that Cairo had objected to the nomination of Taha Al-Ahmad as Syria’s ambassador to Egypt and that “Egyptian reservations” were hindering the reception of a number of members of the Syrian diplomatic mission.

Prospects for Cooperation

Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Egyptian-Syrian relations have moved cautiously toward bilateral engagement due to Cairo’s concerns regarding the issue of armed groups, before gradually shifting toward economic cooperation.

In late April, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met his counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the Arab-European Consultative Summit held in Cyprus. Media outlets in Cairo and Damascus reported at the time that the two leaders held a “friendly discussion” on regional developments and ways to enhance cooperation.

In January, Damascus hosted the first Egyptian-Syrian Economic and Investment Forum, with the participation of a number of Egyptian business, finance and chamber of commerce leaders. The event aimed to build effective partnerships between the two countries and explore opportunities for cooperation in trade, industry, services, infrastructure and reconstruction.

Last Saturday, Mohamed Omar Abdel Aziz El-Feki, chargé d’affaires of the Egyptian embassy in Damascus, said Egypt is looking to expand cooperation with Syria across various sectors, particularly in reconstruction.

He made the remarks to reporters following a tour of the Buildex International Construction Exhibition in Damascus, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

At the same event, Haitham Hussein, chairman of Egypt Industrial Complex, announced plans to establish a large industrial zone in Syria during the coming phase to support production and create employment opportunities.

Hussein said the proposed project would focus on food-processing, textile and agricultural industries, as well as sectors linked to reconstruction. He also stressed the importance of establishing integrated industrial cities capable of meeting the requirements of the next stage.