Israel-gaza war (2023- )

Officials said Israel helped arm and back Yasser Abu Shabab’s Popular Forces, part of a strategy against Hamas, before a local clan killed him this week.

Israel had agreed to open the Rafah crossing as part of the October cease-fire deal with Hamas but kept it closed. Egypt denied that the border would reopen soon.

In many ways, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request mimics how President Trump has assailed his perceived enemies and attacked legal proceedings against him.

The Israeli military said it had fired on two “suspects” on Saturday who had crossed cease-fire lines in southern Gaza and did not comment on reports that they were young children.

Israel confirmed the remains belonged to Dror Or, 48, who was abducted during Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks. The bodies of two captives are believed to be still in Gaza.

Israel’s military said it had launched attacks across Gaza after Palestinian militants shot at its troops. The six-week-old cease-fire has been pierced periodically by bursts of violence.

A little-known group sold passage to desperate Palestinians who didn’t know their destination, catching the South African government by surprise.

The Trump administration wants the Security Council to adopt a resolution that has the 20-point U.S. plan annexed, effectively making it international law.

The cease-fire with Hamas has blunted the hunger faced by Gazans during the war. But aid agencies say Israeli restrictions are still hobbling their work.