World
Middle East
Israeli airstrike kills 18 people from one family in Gaza
Israeli airstrikes in Gaza and Lebanon killed at least 28 people, just hours after mediators expressed optimism for an imminent ceasefire.
- by Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy
Latest
Explainer
Middle East tensions
Death in a guesthouse, ships under attack, a ‘wounded snake’: How to understand the Middle East
As old enmities simmer and alliances shift, tensions are ratcheting up still more in the region. Who’s who – and what’s next?
- by Jackson Graham, Angus Holland and Cindy Yin
World of photos, August 18, 2024
The best photos from the international wire agencies as chosen by our picture editors.
As Gaza toll passes 40,000, the dead are buried in yards, streets, stacked graves
Inside Gaza the small, densely populated strip of land is now packed with bodies. Families, fleeing repeatedly to escape offensives, bury their dead wherever possible.
- by Julia Frankel and Wafaa Shurafa
Opinion
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Going to war isn’t making Israel safer. Its enemies have only grown in number
Tens of thousands have been killed and many more wounded in the bombing of Gaza. But when the guns eventually fall silent, the threat to Israel will remain.
- by Rodger Shanahan
Agree to a ceasefire in Gaza and we won’t attack, Iranian officials tell Israel
In Israel, many observers believe a response is imminent after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Iran would “harshly punish” Israel for the strike in Tehran.
- by Parisa Hafezi and Laila Bassam
US warns Iran-backed ‘set of attacks’ on Israel could come within days
Officials have been on the lookout for retaliatory strikes by both Iran and Hezbollah for the killings, and the US has been beefing up its presence in the region.
- by Lolita C. Baldor
Updated
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Israeli strike on Gaza school kills dozens, as regional tensions spiral
The latest attack, along with the recent killing of Hamas’ leader, has brought an increased risk of escalation into a broader war in the Middle East.
‘No excuses’: US, Egypt and Qatar call on Israel, Hamas to resume Gaza talks
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it had accepted the invitation, although his critics accuse him of slowing talks to end the war in Gaza.
- by Ellen Knickmeyer
Mastermind of October 7 attack on Israel appointed leader of Hamas
Yahya Sinwar, the architect of the most devastating attack on Israel in decades, has been in hiding in Gaza, defying Israeli attempts to kill him.
- by Nidal al-Mughrabi
Government slams Iranian ambassador for backing destruction of Israel
Anthony Albanese decried the ambassador’s comments on Israel as hateful and antisemitic, while Foreign Minister Penny Wong labelled them repugnant.
- by Matthew Knott