In short: Israel has passed a law that would allow it to deport family members of Palestinian attackers, possibly to the Gaza Strip. The legislation will allow first-degree relatives, who knew about terror attacks in advance, to be expelled for up to 20 years. It has been criticised as “a dangerous escalation in Israel’s […]
Read MoreTwo thirds of verified Gaza dead women, children: UN
The UN Human Rights Office said on Friday nearly 70 per cent of the fatalities it has verified in the Gaza war were women and children, and condemned what it called a systematic violation of the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law. The UN tally since the start of the war, in which Israel’s military […]
Read MoreUN commission accuses Israel of destroying Gaza’s health sector and says both sides have tortured people
In short: Israel has been accused of destroying Gaza’s health care system through “relentless and deliberate attacks”. A UN commission also accused both sides of torturing and sexually abusing Palestinian prisoners and Israeli hostages. What’s next? The International Court of Justice is investigating allegations that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, and the International Criminal […]
Read MoreWhy is Israel competing in Eurovision?
Key Points Eurovision is an annual song competition featuring artists from mainly European countries. Israel first became eligible for Eurovision in 1957 and made its debut in 1973. It has since won four times. Protesters are calling for Israel to be excluded from the 2024 competition due to its military campaign in Gaza. More than […]
Read MoreIsrael-Hamas war: UN’s grim Gaza forecast as aid halted
UN chief Antonio Guterres has warned that Gaza risked an “epic humanitarian disaster” as Israeli military operations around its far-southern city of Rafah effectively halted aid operations. Earlier this week, Israeli ground troops seized eastern areas of the city, including the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza, but they have […]
Read MoreAustralia votes ‘yes’ at United Nations as Palestinian push for full membership gathers momentum
In short: A Palestinian bid for full membership of the United Nations gathered momentum on Friday, after a resolution passed through the organisation’s General Assembly recognising it was qualified to join. A total of 143 nations — including Australia — voted in favour, while nine were against and 25 abstained. What’s next: The vote doesn’t […]
Read MoreUniversities told to stamp out anti-Semitism
Police have downplayed the smashing of a window at a university rally as a “peaceful protest’’, despite federal Education Minister Jason Clare demanding universities stamp out anti-Semitism and prioritise student safety. At the University of Queensland, vice-chancellor Deborah Terry told staff on Friday that the university was sending police CCTV footage of an unknown protester […]
Read MoreAustralia backs UN resolution to grant Palestine full member status
Australia has backed a United Nations General Assembly resolution that would grant Palestine full member status, breaking with the US in a move that is likely to infuriate the Jewish community. In a sign of Israel’s growing isolation internationally as the war in Gaza approaches its eighth month, the UN General Assembly voted by 143 […]
Read MoreIsraeli tanks push back in Gaza’s north, jets hit Rafah
Israeli tanks have pushed back into some areas of the northern Gaza Strip which they had left weeks ago while warplanes conducted air strikes on Rafah, the Palestinians’ last refuge in the south of the territory, killing and wounding several people, medics and residents say. Residents reported an internet outage in the areas of Beit […]
Read MoreThe UN and the UK have voiced grave concern over escalating violence in the West Bank, demanding that Israeli security forces “immediately” stop supporting settler attacks on Palestinians in the occupied territory.
The comments came hours after two Palestinian men were killed by Israeli settlers in a northern village south of Nablus in the latest violent attack involving settlers in the increasingly tense West Bank. Palestinians said the incident followed a clash when settlers entered Palestinian-owned land and assaulted residents, while settlers said it began with an […]
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