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Israel Opens New Route Out of Gaza City, Death Toll Passes 65,000

Israeli tanks deployed near the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel, 17 September 2025. (EPA)
Israeli tanks deployed near the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel, 17 September 2025. (EPA)
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Israel Opens New Route Out of Gaza City, Death Toll Passes 65,000

Israeli tanks deployed near the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel, 17 September 2025. (EPA)
Israeli tanks deployed near the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel, 17 September 2025. (EPA)

The Israeli military said it was opening an additional route for 48 hours that Palestinians could use to leave Gaza City as it stepped up efforts on Wednesday to empty the city of civilians and confront thousands of Hamas combatants. 

Hundreds of thousands of people are sheltering in the city and many are reluctant to follow Israel's orders to move south because of the dangers along the way, dire conditions, a lack of food in the southern area and fear of permanent displacement. 

"Even if we want to leave Gaza City, is there any guarantee we would be able to come back? Will the war ever end? That's why I prefer to die here, in Sabra, my neighborhood," Ahmed, a schoolteacher, said by phone.  

At least 63 people were killed by Israeli strikes and gunfire across the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, with most of the casualties in Gaza City, local health authorities said. 

They said the latest fatalities took the Palestinian death toll from the two-year war between Israel and Hamas past 65,000. Palestinian officials and rescue workers say the true figure is likely higher as many remains are trapped under the rubble of destroyed buildings. 

The war was triggered by the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. 

TANKS EDGE FORWARD, OFFICIAL SAYS ASSAULT WILL TAKE MONTHS 

Gaza health authorities also reported a drone attack on a specialist children's hospital, which did not cause casualties but forced young patients and their families outside. 

Israel estimates about 400,000 people, or 40% of those who were in Gaza City on August 10 - when it announced plans to take control - have already fled. The Gaza media office says 190,000 have headed south and 350,000 have moved to central and western areas of the city.  

A day after Israel announced the launch of its ground offensive to seize control of Gaza's main urban center, tanks had moved short distances towards the city's central and western areas from three directions, but no major advance was reported. 

An Israeli official said military operations were focused on getting civilians to head south and that fighting would intensify over the next month or two. 

The official said Israel expected around 100,000 civilians to remain in the city, which would take months to capture, and the operation could be suspended if a ceasefire was reached with the Hamas group. 

The prospects of a ceasefire appear remote after Israel attacked Hamas political leaders in Doha last week, infuriating Qatar, a co-mediator in ceasefire talks. Defying global criticism of the attack, including a rebuke by Israel's stalwart ally, the United States, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel would strike Hamas leaders anywhere. 

NO CASUALTIES REPORTED AFTER DRONE HITS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL 

The Hamas-run government's Ministry of Health said an Israeli drone had dropped grenades on one floor of the Rantissi children's hospital on Wednesday. No casualties were reported but the ministry said some 40 families took their children away. 

"This hospital is the only specialist facility for children with cancer, kidney failure, and other life-threatening conditions – but even these gravely ill children are not spared from relentless bombardment," said Fikr Shalltoot, Gaza director at the UK-based charity Medical Aid for Palestinians. 

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

In leaflets dropped over Gaza City, the military said Palestinians could use the newly reopened Salahudin Road to escape towards the south and that they had until lunchtime on Friday to do so. 

But the situation remained chaotic and dangerous for civilians, who have been streaming away on foot, by donkey cart or in vehicles in recent days. 

Much of Gaza City was laid waste early in the war in 2023, but around 1 million Palestinians had returned there to homes among the ruins. Forcing them out would mean confining most of Gaza's population to overcrowded encampments in the south where a hunger crisis is unfolding. 

ISRAEL FACING INTERNATIONAL CENSURE OVER NEW OFFENSIVE 

The United Nations, aid groups and foreign governments have condemned Israel's offensive and the proposed mass displacement. In a separate response to the Gaza conflict in general, a UN Commission of Inquiry concluded on Tuesday that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza. Israel called the assessment "scandalous" and "fake". 

Israeli forces control Gaza City's eastern suburbs and have been pounding three areas in the southeast, north and northwestern coastal areas of the city, from which tanks have been pressing towards the center and western areas. 

"Gaza is being wiped out. A city that is thousands of years old is being wiped out in front of the whole cowardly world," said Ahmed, the schoolteacher. 

In Nuseirat refugee camp in the enclave's center, an airstrike destroyed a high-rise building on Wednesday, prompting residents of nearby buildings to flee in panic. 

Palestinian and UN officials say no place is safe, including in the southern area designated by Israel as a "humanitarian zone". On Tuesday, an airstrike killed five people in a vehicle as they were leaving Gaza City for the south. 

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Arab World

Palestinian President’s Advisor: Board of Peace, Related Entities Are a ‘Temporary Arrangement’

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ advisor Dr. Mahmoud Al-Habbash. WAFA
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ advisor Dr. Mahmoud Al-Habbash. WAFA
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Palestinian President’s Advisor: Board of Peace, Related Entities Are a ‘Temporary Arrangement’

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ advisor Dr. Mahmoud Al-Habbash. WAFA
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ advisor Dr. Mahmoud Al-Habbash. WAFA

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ advisor Dr. Mahmoud Al-Habbash said that the situation in the Gaza Strip, along with the formation of the Board of Peace and its related entities is not a Palestinian choice.

This is “a temporary arrangement (mandated by the UN Security Council) that the Palestinian leadership rejects under any circumstances... but it is the lesser of two evils,” Al-Habbash told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Speaking from Ramallah, Al-Habbash said that the Palestinian leadership “chose this arrangement to stop the massacre and open a potential window ... leading to a Palestinian state.”

US President Donald Trump announced last week the formation of the Board of Peace, a new body of world leaders meant to oversee next steps in Gaza.

The White House said there would be a main board, chaired by Trump himself, a Palestinian committee of technocrats meant to govern the war-wracked territory, and a second "executive board" that appears designed to have a more advisory role.

“Our clear and firm position is that we did not create this reality,” said Al-Habbash. “Rather, it is a reality imposed on us for two reasons: First, Israel’s aggression ... and second, the reckless adventure carried out by Hamas movement, which whetted Israel’s appetite to liquidate the Palestinian cause.”

According to Al-Habbash, “this transitional arrangement is the least harmful to the Palestinian cause,” because it ensures that Palestinians remain in the Gaza Strip and prevents displacement.

Arab World

UN Human Rights Commissioner Calls for Accountability for Atrocity Crimes in Sudan

UN Human Rights commissioner Volker Turk 
UN Human Rights commissioner Volker Turk 
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UN Human Rights Commissioner Calls for Accountability for Atrocity Crimes in Sudan

UN Human Rights commissioner Volker Turk 
UN Human Rights commissioner Volker Turk 

UN Human Rights commissioner Volker Turk said on Sunday he is alarmed by the increasing militarization of society by all parties to the conflict in Sudan, also expressing his worries that the atrocity crimes committed during and after the takeover of El Fasher would be repeated in the Kordofan region.

Speaking at a press conference in Port Sudan, where the government had been operating as a temporary capital since the conflict began, the UN envoy said the proliferation of advanced military equipment, in particular drones, across Sudan has enhanced the military capabilities of both the Sudanese army (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), prolonging hostilities and deepening the crisis for civilians.

“I am deeply alarmed by the increasing militarization of society by all parties to the conflict, including through the arming of civilians and recruitment and use of children,” Turk noted.

The envoy said that during his visit to refugee camps in north Sudan, he heard accounts of widespread summary executions by RSF during the offensive on El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur region – for revenge, for suspected affiliation with the Sudanese Army or its allied Joint Forces.

He added, “I am very worried that the atrocity crimes committed during and after the takeover of El Fasher are at grave risk of repeating themselves in the Kordofan region, where the conflict has been rapidly escalating since late October.”

Horror and Hell

Turk also said the Sudanese population had endured “horror and hell,” especially with the expansion of the fighting in Kordofan.

“The Kordofan states are extremely volatile, with relentless military engagements, heavy shelling, drone bombardments and airstrikes causing widespread destruction and collapse of essential services,” he warned.

Since the end of October, and after taking control of El Fasher in Darfur, the RSF attacks have expanded into the neighboring Kordofan region, resulting in a continued displacement of civilians from the besieged city – all in the context of extreme food insecurity, with famine conditions confirmed in Kadugli, and risk of famine in other areas including Dilling, according to Turk.

The latest UN figures show that more than 65,000 people have been displaced since October.

At his press conference at Port Sudan airport, the envoy said that during his four-day visit to Port Sudan, Dongola, Ad Dabba and Merowe, he has met with those who have been hardest hit by brutal violence and injustice in this war.

“The terrifying experiences of these survivors must provoke action to end this conflict, and to make sure they can access what they need: medical care, psychosocial care, justice and support to pursue education and a livelihood”.

End This Madness

Turk and his UN team had visited the Al Afad site for internally displaced people (IDPs) in Ad Dabba, where they met with a large number of displaced people from the regions of Darfur and Kordofan.

“In my meetings with more than 50 local and international organizations in Dongola and Port Sudan, I heard appeals directed to those waging this war and the international community to end this madness,” he said.

“And to allow NGOs, journalists, lawyers and humanitarian actors to do their essential work without undue restrictions and reprisals,” Turk added.

He said the RSF and the Sudanese army must cease intolerable attacks against civilian objects that are indispensable to the civilian population, including markets, health facilities, schools and shelters.

“Attacks on critical civilian infrastructure are serious violations that can amount to war crimes,” Turk affirmed.

The UN envoy said the international community must ensure that the perpetrators of the horrific violations in Sudan face justice, regardless of their affiliation.

My Office, he said, is working to document and report on these violations and abuses to pave the way for accountability.

Turk described as “despicable” the fact that large sums of money are being spent on procuring increasingly advanced weaponry – funds he said that should be used to alleviate the suffering of the population.

Protection of Civilians

The envoy then called on all parties to the conflict to ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, to guarantee safe passage for civilians to leave areas of active conflict – including Kadugli and Dilling – and for humanitarian aid to enter where it is needed.

He also repeated his call from three years ago, when he last visited Sudan, urging all those involved to set aside entrenched positions, power games, and personal interests, and to focus on the common interests of the Sudanese people.

The envoy then left Sudan with a plea that human rights be central to building confidence and bringing this war to an end, to resuming the difficult task of building a sustainable peace.

“It is difficult, but certainly not impossible, with the resilience and power of the Sudanese people,” he affirmed.

Arab World

Syrian Government Announces Ceasefire with Kurdish-led SDF

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa after signing an agreement at the presidential palace in Damascus on January 18, 2026. (EPA)
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa after signing an agreement at the presidential palace in Damascus on January 18, 2026. (EPA)
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Syrian Government Announces Ceasefire with Kurdish-led SDF

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa after signing an agreement at the presidential palace in Damascus on January 18, 2026. (EPA)
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa after signing an agreement at the presidential palace in Damascus on January 18, 2026. (EPA)

The Syrian government Sunday announced a ceasefire with the Syrian Democratic Forces, taking almost full control of the country and dismantling the Kurdish-led forces that controlled the northeast for over a decade.

The announcement comes as tensions between government forces and the SDF boiled over earlier this month, eventually resulting in a major push by government forces toward the east. The SDF appeared to have largely retreated after initial clashes on a tense front line area in eastern Aleppo province.

Hours after the government announced the deal, SDF leader Mazloum Abdi confirmed it in a video statement, saying the group had accepted the agreement, which stipulates their withdrawal from Raqqa and Deir Ezzor provinces “to stop the bloodshed.”

“We will explain the terms of the agreement to our people in the coming days,” he said.

Syria’s Defense Ministry said it ordered the fighting to halt on the front lines after the agreement was announced.

Syria’s new leaders, since toppling Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, have struggled to assert their full authority over the war-torn country. An agreement was reached in March that would merge the SDF with Damascus, but it didn't gain traction as both sides accused each other of violating the deal.

Since the push, the government has largely asserted control of the Deir Ezzor and Raqqa provinces, critical areas under the SDF that include oil and gas fields, river dams along the Euphrates, and border crossings.

Syria’s state-run news agency SANA showed President Ahmed al-Sharaa signing and holding the agreement. Abdi, who was scheduled to meet with the president in Damascus was not seen, though his signature appeared on the document.

Sharaa told journalists that Abdi could not travel due to bad weather and will visit Damascus on Monday.

“It’s a victory for all Syrians of all backgrounds,” Sharaa told journalists in Damascus after signing the agreement. “Hopefully Syria will end its state of division and move to a state of unity and progress.”

US Envoy Tom Barrack met with Sharaa earlier Sunday as government forces were sweeping into the city of Raqqa and across Deir Ezzor. Abdi reportedly joined the meeting over the phone.

Barrack praised the agreement, saying it will lead to “renewed dialogue and cooperation toward a unified Syria,” ahead of working on the details of implementing the integration.

“This agreement and ceasefire represent a pivotal inflection point, where former adversaries embrace partnership over division,” said Barrack in a post on X.

The agreement includes dismantling the SDF and having its forces join Syria’s military and security forces, while senior military and civilian officials would be given high-ranking positions in state institutions.

The SDF would have to give up the Raqqa and Deir Ezzor provinces — both Arab-majority areas — to the Syrian military and government, as well as its border crossings and oil and gas fields.

Hassakah province, the heartland of the Kurdish population, is only expected to give its civilian administration back to Damascus, while the Kurdish-led agencies that handled prisons and sprawling camps with thousands of detained ISIS group fighters and families would be handed over to Damascus.

Agreement will be implemented gradually

There was no clear timeline on when and how the different elements of the agreement will take effect. Sharaa told journalists that it will be gradually implemented, beginning with the cessation of hostilities.

It appeared that tensions following clashes in Aleppo earlier this month had calmed after Abdi announced that his troops will withdraw east of the Euphrates River, and Sharaa issued a presidential decree that would strengthen Kurdish rights in the country.

Initially the withdrawal appeared to be going as planned, but then new clashes broke out and the Syrian military seized Tabqa, continuing into Raqqa province.

A senior Syrian government official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly said government forces pushed eastward because the SDF despite saying they will withdraw east of the Euphrates by 7 a.m. did not do so.

Armed Arab clans in Raqqa and Deir Ezzor that largely do not support the SDF backed Damascus. By Sunday evening, the SDF lost control of large swaths of its territory and infrastructure, including dams and oil and gas fields.

The SDF took Raqqa from the ISIS group in 2017 as part of its military campaign to take down the group’s so-called "caliphate", which at its peak stretched across large parts of Syria and Iraq.

An Associated Press reporter in the area said that large military convoys swept into Raqqa city Sunday evening and were greeted by residents. It appeared that the SDF had withdrawn.

Raqqa celebrates

Crowds in Raqqa celebrated in the streets late into the evening, waving Syrian flags and setting off fireworks, while some fired into the air.

“Today, everyone is born anew,” said Yahya Al Ahmad, who was among the revelers.

A couple of thousand Kurdish families who lived in the areas captured by government forces fled to the SDF-controlled city of Qamishli amid the offensive. Many of them had previously been displaced from other areas multiple times during Syria’s 14-year civil war and were living in tents camps. A cultural center in the city was turned into a temporary shelter for them.

Residents of Qamishli expressed both hope and skepticism about the deal.

“The Kurds have become victims of international agreements and international deception,” said Goran Ibrahim, a doctor. But he said, “With regards to this agreement, the positive part is the end of the fighting in the region.”

Syria's ambassador to the UN, Ibrahim Olabi, told the AP, “Really this is now a moment to show that Syrians are able to put differences aside and move ahead...It’s a victory for Syria.”