Israeli Strikes on Gaza Kill at Least 27 Palestinians

Palestinian girls look at the rubble of the Abou Mahadi family destroyed in Israeli strikes in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on APril 28, 2025. (Photo by BASHAR TALEB / AFP)
Palestinian girls look at the rubble of the Abou Mahadi family destroyed in Israeli strikes in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on APril 28, 2025. (Photo by BASHAR TALEB / AFP)
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Israeli Strikes on Gaza Kill at Least 27 Palestinians

Palestinian girls look at the rubble of the Abou Mahadi family destroyed in Israeli strikes in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on APril 28, 2025. (Photo by BASHAR TALEB / AFP)
Palestinian girls look at the rubble of the Abou Mahadi family destroyed in Israeli strikes in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on APril 28, 2025. (Photo by BASHAR TALEB / AFP)

Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip overnight into Monday killed at least 27 Palestinians, according to local health officials. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

Israel has carried out daily strikes on Gaza since ending its ceasefire with Hamas last month. It has cut off the territory's 2 million Palestinians from all imports, including food and medicine, since the beginning of March in what it says is an attempt to pressure the militant group to release hostages.

The daily bombardment and widespread hunger is taking a heavy toll on Gaza's most vulnerable residents, including pregnant women and children. The United Nations' highest court began holding hearings on Monday into Israel's obligation to facilitate humanitarian aid to the territories it occupies.

Israel says the International Court of Justice is biased against it. It says enough aid entered during the ceasefire to sustain the population and accuses Hamas of siphoning it off.

Humanitarian workers say supplies are running desperately low, with most people eating one meal or less a day. They say the UN closely monitors aid distribution and deny any significant diversion.

Strikes hit three homes

An airstrike hit a home in Beit Lahiya, killing 10 people, including a Palestinian prisoner, Abdel-Fattah Abu Mahadi, who had been released as part of the ceasefire. His wife, two of their children and a grandchild were also killed, according to the Indonesian Hospital, which received the bodies.

Another strike hit a home in Gaza City, killing seven people, including two women, according to the Gaza Health Ministry's emergency service. Two other people were wounded.

Late Sunday, a strike hit a home in the southern city of Khan Younis, killing at least 10 people, including five siblings as young as 4 years old, according to the Health Ministry. Two other children were killed along with their parents, according to Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies.

Israel says it makes every effort to avoid harming civilians and blames Hamas for their deaths because the militants operate in densely populated areas. Palestinians say nowhere in blockaded Gaza is safe.

No end in sight to the 18-month-old war

The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251. Hamas is still holding 59 hostages, 24 of whom are believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed over 52,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were fighters or civilians. Israel's bombardment and ground operations have destroyed vast areas of Gaza and left most of its population homeless.

The Health Ministry says 2,151 people, including 732 children, have been killed since Israel shattered the truce on March 18.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the offensive until all the hostages are returned and Hamas is either destroyed or agrees to disarm and leave the territory. He says Israel will then implement US President Donald Trump's proposal to resettle much of Gaza's population in other countries through what the Israeli leader refers to as "voluntary emigration."

Palestinians say the plan would amount to forcible expulsion from their homeland after Israel's offensive left much of Gaza uninhabitable. Human rights experts say it would likely violate international law.

Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in return for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, as called for in the ceasefire that Israel ended.



Kurds Say Sharaa's Decree Falls Short, Syrian Government Forces Enter Deir Hafer

Syrian army convoys enter the Deir Hafer area in the eastern Aleppo countryside, Syria, after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced the handover of the area west of the Euphrates to the Syrian government, 17 January 2026. EPA/AHMAD FALLAHA
Syrian army convoys enter the Deir Hafer area in the eastern Aleppo countryside, Syria, after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced the handover of the area west of the Euphrates to the Syrian government, 17 January 2026. EPA/AHMAD FALLAHA
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Kurds Say Sharaa's Decree Falls Short, Syrian Government Forces Enter Deir Hafer

Syrian army convoys enter the Deir Hafer area in the eastern Aleppo countryside, Syria, after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced the handover of the area west of the Euphrates to the Syrian government, 17 January 2026. EPA/AHMAD FALLAHA
Syrian army convoys enter the Deir Hafer area in the eastern Aleppo countryside, Syria, after the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced the handover of the area west of the Euphrates to the Syrian government, 17 January 2026. EPA/AHMAD FALLAHA

Syria's Kurds on Saturday said a presidential decree recognizing the minority's rights and making Kurdish an official language fell short of their expectations as Syrian government forces entered the outskirts of a northern town.

In a statement, the Kurdish administration in Syria's north and northeast said the decree issued by President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Friday was "a first step, however it does not satisfy the aspirations and hopes of the Syrian people".

It added that "rights are not protected by temporary decrees, but... through permanent constitutions that express the will of the people and all components" of society.

Al-Sharaa’s decree affirmed that Syrian citizens of Kurdish origin are an integral and original part of the Syrian people, and that their cultural and linguistic identity is an inseparable component of Syria’s inclusive national identity.

The decree commits the state to protecting cultural and linguistic diversity and guarantees Kurdish citizens the right to preserve their heritage, arts, and mother tongue within the framework of national sovereignty.

It recognizes Kurdish as a national language and allows it to be taught in public and private schools in areas where Kurds make up a significant proportion of the population.

It also grants Syrian nationality to all residents of Kurdish origin living on Syrian territory, including those previously unregistered, while ensuring full equality in rights and duties.

The decree further designates Nowruz, celebrated annually on March 21, as an official public holiday.

Syrian government forces entered the outskirts of the northern town of Deir Hafer Saturday morning after the command of Kurdish-led fighters said it would evacuate the area in an apparent move to avoid conflict.

This came after deadly clashes erupted earlier this month between government troops and the US-backed and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the city of Aleppo, Syria’s largest.

It ended with the evacuation of Kurdish fighters from three neighborhoods taken over by government forces.

An Associated Press reporter saw on Saturday government tanks, armored personnel carriers and other vehicles, including pickup trucks with heavy machine-guns mounted on top of them, rolling toward the town of Deir Hafer from nearby Hamima after bulldozers removed barriers. There was no SDF presence on the edge of the town.

Meanwhile, the Syrian military said Saturday morning its forces were in full control of Deir Hafer, captured the Jarrah airbase east of the town, and were working on removing all mines and explosives. It added that troops would also move toward the nearby town of Maskana.

On Friday night, after government forces started pounding SDF positions in Deir Hafer, the Kurdish-led fighters’ top commander Mazloum Abdi posted on X that his group would withdraw from contested areas in northern Syria. Abdi said SDF fighters would relocate east of the Euphrates River starting 7 a.m. (0400 gmt) Saturday.

The easing of tension came after US military officials visited Deir Hafer on Friday and held talks with SDF officials in the area.

The United States has good relations with both sides and has urged calm.


US Names Rubio, Tony Blair, Kushner to Gaza Board under Trump's Plan

Palestinians move past the rubble of residential buildings destroyed during the war, in Gaza City, January 16, 2026. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Palestinians move past the rubble of residential buildings destroyed during the war, in Gaza City, January 16, 2026. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
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US Names Rubio, Tony Blair, Kushner to Gaza Board under Trump's Plan

Palestinians move past the rubble of residential buildings destroyed during the war, in Gaza City, January 16, 2026. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Palestinians move past the rubble of residential buildings destroyed during the war, in Gaza City, January 16, 2026. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas

The White House on Friday announced some members of a so-called "Board of Peace" that is to supervise the temporary governance of Gaza, which has been under a fragile ceasefire since October.

The names include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Trump is the chair of the board, according to a plan his White House unveiled in October.

Israel and Hamas signed off on Trump's plan, which says a Palestinian technocratic body will be overseen by the international board, which will ⁠supervise Gaza's governance for a transitional period.

The White House did not detail the responsibilities of each member of the "founding Executive board." The names do not include any Palestinians. The White House said ⁠more members will be announced over the coming weeks.

The board will also include private equity executive and billionaire Marc Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga and Robert Gabriel, a Trump adviser, the White House said, adding that Nickolay Mladenov, a former UN Middle East envoy, will be the high representative for Gaza.

Army Major General Jasper Jeffers, a US special operations commander, was appointed commander of the International Stabilization Force, the White House said. A UN Security Council resolution, adopted in mid-November, authorized the board and countries working with it to establish that force in Gaza.

The White House also named an 11-member "Gaza Executive Board" that will include Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, the UN special coordinator for the Middle East ⁠peace process, Sigrid Kaag, the United Arab Emirates minister for international cooperation, Reem Al-Hashimy, and Israeli-Cypriot billionaire Yakir Gabay, along with some members of the executive board.

This additional board will support Mladenov's office and the Palestinian technocratic body, whose details were announced this week, the White House said.

Israel and Hamas have accused each other of ceasefire violations in Gaza, where more than 450 Palestinians, including over 100 children, and three Israeli soldiers have been reported killed during the truce.

Israel's assault on Gaza since October 2023 has killed tens of thousands, caused a hunger crisis and internally displaced Gaza's entire population.


Israel Continues Targeting UN Peacekeepers in Southern Lebanon

A convoy from the Spanish contingent of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) passes through the town of Qlayaa in southern Lebanon, October 12, 2024. dpa
A convoy from the Spanish contingent of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) passes through the town of Qlayaa in southern Lebanon, October 12, 2024. dpa
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Israel Continues Targeting UN Peacekeepers in Southern Lebanon

A convoy from the Spanish contingent of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) passes through the town of Qlayaa in southern Lebanon, October 12, 2024. dpa
A convoy from the Spanish contingent of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) passes through the town of Qlayaa in southern Lebanon, October 12, 2024. dpa

Attacks on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) have continued in southern Lebanon, raising growing concern among Lebanese and diplomatic circles.

The latest incident occurred on Thursday in the border village of Adaisseh, where an Israeli drone dropped a grenade near a UNIFIL patrol despite prior coordination with the Israeli army. No injuries were reported.

In a statement, UNIFIL said that while its patrol was conducting routine operations, peacekeepers “were warned by locals about a potential danger at a home and discovered an explosive device connected to a detonating cord.”

“The peacekeepers set up a security cordon and prepared to check another house. Soon after, a drone that had been hovering overhead dropped a grenade about 30 meters from the peacekeepers,” said the statement.

Such Israeli activities on Lebanese territory put local civilians at risk and are a violation of Security Council Rresolution 1701, it added.

It warned that any actions that put peacekeepers at risk are serious violations of Resolution 1701, and undermine stability.

Lebanese sources familiar with UNIFIL’s operations said the incident was not an isolated event but part of a pattern of repeated Israeli targeting of UN peacekeeping patrols and positions over the past two years, including in areas subject to clear international security arrangements.

According to the sources, Israeli actions have continued despite advance notification of UNIFIL movements along the Blue Line.

UNIFIL patrols routinely inform the Israeli army of their routes, locations, and timing to avoid misunderstandings, weakening claims of accidental or mistaken targeting.

The sources said there is no convincing military or political explanation for the repeated incidents other than a deliberate effort to pressure or limit the presence of the international force in southern Lebanon.

Diplomatic sources warned that such attacks hinder UNIFIL’s ability to carry out its mandate to maintain stability and monitor the cessation of hostilities, despite repeated investigations that have yielded inconclusive results.