Lebanon's parliament elected army commander Joseph Aoun as president on Thursday, ending a presidential void that had lasted over two years, reports AP. This marked the 13th attempt by the legislature to choose a successor to former President Michel Aoun — who is unrelated to the army commander — following the end of his term in October 2022. Prioritise reconstruction of Gaza, West Bank, Lebanon: Prof Yunus The vote took place just weeks after a fragile ceasefire agreement brought a 14-month conflict between Israel and Hezbollah to a halt. It also came at a time when Lebanon's leaders are seeking international aid for reconstruction efforts. Migrant workers in Lebanon struggle to return home amid alleged abuse and war Aoun was widely considered the preferred choice of both the United States and Saudi Arabia, whose support Lebanon will require to ensure Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon, as outlined in the agreement, and to secure funding for rebuilding after the war. 105 stranded Bangladeshis return from war-torn Lebanon

Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Thursday said it is crucial to move beyond humanitarian interventions and shift focus towards the reconstruction of Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon. "Let D-8 therefore kickstart a process, with an approximate estimation of the costs of reconstruction in Palestine and Lebanon," he said, adding that they can thereon press on formulation of international strategies for resource mobilization. The Chief Adviser made the remarks while delivering the speech during a special session on humanitarian crisis and reconstruction challenges in Gaza and Lebanon on the sidelines of the D-8 Summit. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi chaired the session. Prof Yunus urges focus on attitudes, ethics in skilling young workforce The United Nations has cautioned that removing the 40 million tonnes of rubble left in the wake of Israel’s bombardment could take at least 15 years, Dr Yunus said. "We understand that the rubble may contain over 10,000 bodies of the deceased. And this is also contaminated with asbestos," he said. Dr Yunus said Bangladesh commends the government of Egypt for convening this special session. "We gather at a time when Israeli aggression and the 14-month long brutal genocide against the Palestinian people continue unabated in the occupied Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Words should suffice little," he said. To say the least, Dr Yunus said, they are in utter dismay at Israel’s blatant disregard to long-held international norms, laws and conventions. "The ways the hostilities in Lebanon are spreading, there are heightened fears of further escalation. This can lend to dire and long-term consequences for peace and stability across the region, impacting global society and polity, not just economy," he said. Dr Yunus urges Pakistan to resolve 1971 issues for improved ties From Cairo, Dr Yunus said, they must voice their unity and unwavering commitment, in solidarity with their Palestinian brothers and sisters, at this existential time in their history. "Throughout our history, Bangladesh has stood firmly in support of the Palestinian cause. We consistently condemned the illegal occupation and the violent repression carried out by Israel," said the Chief Adviser. He said they remain steadfast in advocating a just and lasting solution, through a two-State solution to the crisis, with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and harmony. "Palestine has to emerge as a fully independent and viable State based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital," Dr Yunus said. "This is what we also articulated in detail before the International Court of Justice this February as the Court finally called Israel's occupation illegal, in its Advisory Opinion," he added. Bangladeshis are profoundly concerned over the current state of affairs and Palestinians are no expendable people, Dr Yunus said. "Every Palestinian life matters." The Chief Adviser said it is not an issue that merely concerns the Muslims. "Rather, a universal cause where human dignity is tested. It is about universal pledge to protect the vulnerable. It is indeed our moral duty to stand by them, resolutely." There are around six million Bangladeshi migrant workers and expatriate professionals, across the region, including in Lebanon who have been making significant contributions to the development of the countries across the Middle East, Dr Yunus said. Dhaka seeks ‘comprehensive roadmap’ for Rohingya repatriation "Their safety and security are at risk. We call upon all actors and stakeholders, indeed beyond the region, to take decisive and collective actions to end the brutalities unleashed by the Israeli forces," he said. The massacres in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon, are clear violations of international law, and constitute war crimes. "Those responsible must account. That is why, last November, Bangladesh stood up at the International Criminal Court asking for expeditious investigations into the heinous crimes against humanity," Dr Yunus said. Such actions on accountability can deter the perpetrators against further and future atrocities, he said. "Alongside, let us intensify our efforts on realisation of a viable two-State solution," Dr Yunus said.  

In a crowded shelter on the outskirts of Beirut, Isatta Bah cradles her baby, Blessing, as she waits for an exit visa to return to Sierra Leone. The 24-year-old endured what she described as exploitative work conditions, sexual violence, and the ravages of Lebanon’s recent war. “My time in Lebanon has been very hard. I just want to go home,” Bah said. Bah is one of hundreds of migrant workers stranded in Lebanon, seeking repatriation after a ceasefire ended the 14-month conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. Attracted by promises of stable jobs and decent pay, many migrants enter Lebanon under the controversial Kafala sponsorship system. However, the system, often criticized by human rights groups, leaves workers vulnerable to exploitation, including withheld wages and confiscated passports. Bah’s ordeal began in 2022 when she arrived in Lebanon, expecting to work in a supermarket for $200 per month. Instead, she was sent to care for an elderly woman. Within weeks, her 3-year-old son back in Sierra Leone passed away, and she wasn’t allowed time to grieve. Bah fled her employer’s home but left behind her passport and documents. Her situation worsened when she and five housemates were abducted and raped after being misled by a taxi driver. The trauma stayed with her, and two months later, she discovered she was pregnant. Read: 105 stranded Bangladeshis return from war-torn Lebanon The war added to her hardships. When Israeli strikes targeted Beirut’s southern suburbs in September, Bah fled on foot with her baby and friends. Since October 2023, an estimated 37 migrant workers have died and 150 have been injured, according to the U.N.’s International Organization for Migration (IOM). Displaced and vulnerable, many migrants found limited support. Most government shelters refused to house non-Lebanese, said activist Dea Hajj Shaheen. She and other volunteers transformed an abandoned car dealership into a shelter for over 200 Sierra Leonean women, including Bah. Despite its modest conditions, the shelter provided safety and community. Women cooked together, danced to music, and even fashioned a Christmas tree from sticks. However, challenges persist as many lack the necessary documents to leave Lebanon. “We had to arrange exit permits, immigration clearances, and travel documents for children,” said Shaheen, who facilitated the repatriation of 120 women and children with IOM’s help last month. IOM reports over 10,000 requests for repatriation, a fraction of the 175,000 migrant workers in Lebanon. As of late November, the organization had assisted over 400 people in returning home, including charter flights for migrants from Bangladesh and Sierra Leone. On Nov. 19, joy filled Beirut’s airport as Sierra Leonean women celebrated their long-awaited departure. “Life in Lebanon was tough, but I’m thrilled to go home,” said Amanata Thullah, who spent four years in the country. Read more: Despite ceasefire Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon continue While many left, Bah remains at the shelter, awaiting her turn. After initial delays due to missing documents for her baby, a lawyer waived the requirements, clearing her path for repatriation. “I dream of continuing my education and studying computer science,” Bah said, smiling at her baby. “Blessing gives me hope and joy. Watching her grow reminds me that there’s still something beautiful to hold on to.”  

Suheil Hamwi, a Lebanese man who spent 32 years imprisoned in Syria, has finally returned to his home in Lebanon following a major offensive by insurgents that ousted the government of Bashar Assad, reports AP. Hamwi, who worked as a merchant in Chekka, northern Lebanon, was abducted in 1992 on Saint Barbara’s Day, a holiday akin to Halloween. He was taken by force when a group of men dragged him into their car as he fetched whiskey for a customer. His family did not hear from him for years. US keen to support Syrian leaders on conditions He was among hundreds of Lebanese citizens detained during Syria’s occupation of Lebanon from 1976 to 2005. On Sunday, in the wake of Syria’s opposition forces advancing, Hamwi and other prisoners discovered their guards had fled. Seizing the moment, they walked free. “I’m still scared this might not be real,” Hamwi told The Associated Press from his home, the same place he left more than three decades ago. Yet, he added, “I found my freedom.” Decades of Uncertainty For years after his disappearance, Hamwi’s family had no idea where he was. Sixteen years later, his wife learned he was detained in Syria, but the reasons for his arrest remained unclear. It wasn’t until 20 years after his abduction that Hamwi was informed of the charges against him: he was accused of being a member of the Lebanese Forces, a Christian political party and militia opposed to Syria’s military presence in Lebanon during the 15-year Lebanese civil war. Hamwi endured years of cryptic interrogations and isolation. Held in multiple facilities, including the notorious Saydnaya prison, he faced torture during his early captivity but said it eventually ceased. In 2008, after 16 years, his wife was allowed to visit him, a meeting that became an annual occurrence. The Path to Freedom Last week, prisoners heard rumours of rebel advances but didn’t expect the impact to reach them. Early Sunday, chaos erupted as prisoners discovered the guards had abandoned their posts. Rebels broke open gates, and prisoners began escaping. Hamwi, along with others, walked into uncertainty, guided by strangers back to Lebanon. He crossed into his homeland via the Arida border crossing, where his family awaited him. A Joyful Homecoming Back in Chekka, Hamwi was greeted by his two grandchildren, meeting them for the first time. Photos of family milestones, including his son George’s graduation and wedding, filled the home he hadn’t seen in over 30 years. Amidst laughter and shared memories, neighbours and friends gathered to celebrate. Josephine, his wife, served sweets while friends asked, “Do you remember me?” Hamwi recognised many faces, rekindling old connections. He has undergone medical tests to assess the physical toll of his decades-long captivity and is adjusting to life outside prison. Still, he eagerly anticipates reuniting with his son George, now an engineer in the Gulf. In their first phone call, George expressed the words Hamwi had longed to hear: “I miss you. I love you. I’m waiting to see you.”

Bangladesh has repatriated 105 stranded citizens from war-torn Lebanon. These individuals, who had been seeking to return home voluntarily, arrived on Thursday at 11:00 pm via Emirates Airlines flight EK-584, with the entire cost covered by the government, according to a press release on Friday. Despite ceasefire Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon continue The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, the Bangladesh Embassy in Beirut, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) collaborated to facilitate this operation. Officials ensured a seamless return for the group, marking another step in the government’s ongoing efforts to assist citizens impacted by the conflict, it said. Earlier this week, the government also brought back 40 individuals on December 3 and 64 individuals on December 4. This latest flight brings the total number of repatriated Bangladeshis from Lebanon to 963 across 15 flights. Displaced people return to south Lebanon as ceasefire appears to hold Upon arrival at the airport, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, and IOM welcomed the returnees. IOM provided each individual with Tk 5,000 as pocket money, food items, and basic medical assistance. Ministry officials also spoke with the returnees to learn about their experiences during the conflict and offer support. Tragically, one Bangladeshi has been reported killed in a bombing in Lebanon. The government remains committed to repatriating all Bangladeshi expatriates willing to return from Lebanon amid the ongoing conflict. The Bangladesh Embassy in Beirut continues to work tirelessly to ensure the safe return of those desiring repatriation and to guarantee the safety of those choosing to stay, added the release.

On Thursday, Israel launched an airstrike on southern Lebanon, marking the first such attack since a ceasefire with Hezbollah was declared earlier this week. The Israeli military stated the strike targeted a rocket storage site linked to Hezbollah, accusing the group of violating the truce. Lebanese authorities reported sporadic incidents of Israeli shelling and gunfire, which injured two people attempting to return to southern Lebanon. While Lebanese media identified the injured as civilians, the Israeli military described them as suspects breaching the ceasefire. Despite these skirmishes, the truce largely held as Lebanese forces began deploying in areas long dominated by Hezbollah. Read: Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah start a ceasefire after nearly 14 months of fighting Efforts are underway to facilitate the return of displaced residents. Over 1.2 million people were forced to flee their homes during Lebanon's deadliest conflict in decades. However, restrictions remain in place, with both Israeli and Lebanese authorities cautioning civilians against entering border zones still under military control. Israeli forces reported opening fire on "several suspects" entering restricted areas in southern Lebanon, though specifics were not disclosed. Lebanese state media reported two civilians wounded in the border village of Markaba amid ongoing Israeli tank fire in nearby villages, which caused no casualties. Adding to the tension, the Lebanese military accused Israel of multiple ceasefire breaches, citing airstrikes and surveillance operations. An Israeli military spokesperson announced a curfew for Lebanese residents south of the Litani River, enforcing strict movement restrictions from Thursday evening to Friday morning. Read: Displaced people return to south Lebanon as ceasefire appears to hold The fragile truce, brokered by the U.S. and France, mandates Hezbollah’s withdrawal north of the Litani River and a gradual Israeli pullback, with Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers set to patrol a buffer zone. Lebanese military officials are clearing unexploded ordnance and debris to pave the way for displaced families to return. Drone footage revealed extensive destruction in towns like Qana, which has endured repeated devastation in past conflicts with Israel. Residents returning to sift through the rubble expressed a mix of grief and resilience. “They’re determined to destroy us,” said Aref AbouKhalil, a local taxi driver. “But we’ll build it again.” Israel’s military chief, Lt. Gen. Herzl Halevi, emphasized that any violations of the ceasefire would be met with force. He reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to the agreement while urging caution for displaced Israelis considering returning to their northern border communities. Though the day saw reduced violence compared to recent months, the situation remains tense. The ongoing war in Gaza, which triggered this conflict, continues unabated, with no resolution in sight. Source: With inputs from agencies

Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah militants began a ceasefire Wednesday in a major step toward ending nearly 14 months of fighting as a region on edge wondered whether it will hold. Some celebratory gunshots could be heard in parts of Beirut’s southern suburbs, battered over the past two months, but no immediate violations of the ceasefire were reported. Israel has said it will attack if Hezbollah breaks the agreement, and an Israeli military spokesman, in an Arabic-language X post in the first half-hour of the ceasefire, warned evacuated residents of southern Lebanon to not head home yet, saying the military remained deployed there. The ceasefire calls for an initial two-month halt to fighting and requires Hezbollah to end its armed presence in southern Lebanon, while Israeli troops are to return to their side of the border. Thousands of additional Lebanese troopsand U.N. peacekeepers would deploy in the south, and an international panel headed by the United States would monitor compliance. The ceasefire began at 4 a.m. Wednesday, a day after Israel carried out its most intense wave of airstrikes in Beirut since the start of the conflict that in recent weeks turned into all-out war. At least 42 people were killed in strikes across the country, according to local authorities. The ceasefire does not address the devastating war in Gaza, where Hamas is still holding dozens of hostages and the conflict is more intractable. There appeared to be lingering disagreement over whether Israel would have the right to strike Hezbollah if it believed the militants had violated the agreement, something Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted was part of the deal but which Lebanese and Hezbollah officials have rejected. Netanyahu supports ceasefire proposal with Hezbollah Israel's security Cabinet approved the U.S.-France-brokered ceasefire agreement after Netanyahu presented it, his office said. President Joe Biden, speaking in Washington, called the agreement “good news” and said his administration would make a renewed push for a ceasefire in Gaza. The Biden administration spent much of this year trying to broker a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza but the talks repeatedly sputtered to a halt. President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to bring peace to the Middle East without saying how, and his team linked the deal to Trump's looming return to office. Any halt to the fighting in Lebanon is expected to reduce the likelihood of war between Israel and Iran, which backs both Hezbollah and Hamas and exchanged direct fire with Israel on two occasions earlier this year. Israel says it will ‘attack with might’ if Hezbollah breaks truce Netanyahu presented the ceasefire proposal to Cabinet ministers after a televised address in which he listed accomplishments against Israel’s enemies. He said a ceasefire with Hezbollah would further isolate Hamas in Gaza and allow Israel to focus on its main enemy, Iran. “If Hezbollah breaks the agreement and tries to rearm, we will attack,” he said. “For every violation, we will attack with might.” Biden said Israel reserved the right to quickly resume operations in Lebanon if Hezbollah breaks the terms of the truce, but that the deal "was designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities.” Netanyahu’s office said Israel appreciated the U.S. efforts in securing the deal but “reserves the right to act against every threat to its security.” Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati welcomed the ceasefire and described it as a crucial step toward stability and the return of displaced people. Hezbollah has said it accepts the proposal, but a senior official with the group said Tuesday it had not seen the agreement in its final form. “After reviewing the agreement signed by the enemy government, we will see if there is a match between what we stated and what was agreed upon by the Lebanese officials,” Mahmoud Qamati, deputy chair of Hezbollah’s political council, told the Al Jazeera news network. Israel cracks down on Palestinian citizens who speak out against the war in Gaza “We want an end to the aggression, of course, but not at the expense of the sovereignty of the state," he said, referring to Israel's demand for freedom of action. “Any violation of sovereignty is refused.” Warplanes bombard Beirut and its southern suburbs Even as ceasefire efforts gained momentum in recent days, Israel continued to strike what it called Hezbollah targets across Lebanon while the militants fired rockets, missiles and drones across the border. An Israeli strike on Tuesday leveled a residential building in central Beirut — the second time in recent days warplanes have hit the crowded area near downtown. At least seven people were killed and 37 wounded, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. Israel also struck a building in Beirut's bustling commercial district of Hamra for the first time, hitting a site around 400 meters (yards) from Lebanon’s Central Bank. There were no reports of casualties. The Israeli military said it struck targets linked to Hezbollah's financial arm. The evacuation warnings covered many areas, including parts of Beirut that previously were not targeted. Residents fled. Traffic was gridlocked, with mattresses tied to some cars. Dozens of people, some wearing pajamas, gathered in a central square, huddling under blankets or standing around fires as Israeli drones buzzed overhead. Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee issued evacuation warnings for 20 buildings in Beirut's southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has a major presence, as well as a warning for the southern town of Naqoura where the U.N. peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL, is headquartered. UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said peacekeepers will not evacuate. Israeli forces reach Litani River in southern Lebanon The Israeli military also said its ground troops clashed with Hezbollah forces and destroyed rocket launchers in the Slouqi area on the eastern end of the Litani River, a few kilometers (miles) from the Israeli border. Under the ceasefire deal, Hezbollah is required to move its forces north of the Litani, which in some places is about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the border. Hezbollah began firing into northern Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, saying it was showing support for the Palestinians, a day after Hamas carried out its attack on southern Israel, triggering the Gaza war. Israel returned fire on Hezbollah, and the two sides have exchanged barrages ever since. Israel escalated its bombardment in mid-September and later sent troops into Lebanon, vowing to put an end to Hezbollah fire so tens of thousands of evacuated Israelis could return to their homes. More than 3,760 people have been killed by Israeli fire in Lebanon the past 13 months, many of them civilians, according to Lebanese health officials. The bombardment has driven 1.2 million people from their homes. Israel says it has killed more than 2,000 Hezbollah members. Hezbollah fire has forced some 50,000 Israelis to evacuate in the country’s north, and its rockets have reached as far south in Israel as Tel Aviv. At least 75 people have been killed, more than half of them civilians. More than 50 Israeli soldiers have died in the ground offensive in Lebanon.

Israeli troops fought fierce battles with Hezbollah fighters on Friday in different areas in south Lebanon, including a coastal town that is home to the headquarters of U.N. peacekeepers. A spokesman for the U.N. peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL told The Associated Press that they are monitoring “heavy clashes” in the coastal town of Naqoura and the village of Chamaa to the northeast. UNIFIL’s headquarters are located in Naqoura in Lebanon’s southern edge close to the border with Israel. “We are aware of heavy shelling in the vicinity of our bases,” UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti said. Asked if the peacekeepers and staff at the headquarters are safe, Tenenti said: “Yes for the moment.” Several UNIFIL posts have been hit since Israel began its ground invasion of Lebanon on Oct. 1, leaving a number of peacekeepers wounded. The fighting came a day after the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and a Hamas military leader, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity over their 13-month war in Gaza and the October 2023 attack on Israel respectively. The warrant marked the first time that a sitting leader of a major Western ally has been accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity by a global court of justice. Israel’s war has caused heavy destruction across Gaza, decimated parts of the territory and driven almost the entire population of 2.3 million people from their homes, leaving most dependent on aid to survive. Israel launched its war in Gaza after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 250. Around 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead. Israel has also launched airstrikes against Lebanon after the Hezbollah militant group began firing rockets, drones and missiles into Israel the day after Hamas’ attack last October. A full-blown war erupted in September after nearly a year of lower-level conflict.  

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 46 people in the Gaza Strip in the past day, including 11 at a makeshift cafeteria in an Israeli-declared humanitarian zone, medics said. In Lebanon, warplanes struck Beirut’s southern suburbs and killed 33 people elsewhere in the country on Tuesday. The latest bombardment came as the United States said it would not reduce its military support for Israel after a deadline passed for allowing more humanitarian aid into Gaza. The State Department cited some progress, even as international aid groups said Israel had failed to meet the U.S. demands. In Lebanon, large explosions shook Beirut’s southern suburbs — an area known as Dahiyeh, where Hezbollah has a significant presence — soon after the Israeli military issued evacuation warnings for 11 houses there. There was no immediate word on casualties. The Israeli military said it targeted Hezbollah infrastructure, including command centers and weapons production sites, without providing evidence. Another Israeli strike on an apartment building east of Beirut killed at least six people. Wael Murtada said the destroyed home belonged to his uncle and that those inside had fled from the Dahiyeh last month. He said three children were among the dead and other people were missing. An Israeli airstrike on a residential building in central Lebanon killed 15 people, including eight women and four children, and wounded at least 12 others, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said. The strike came without warning, and state media said the building was sheltering displaced families. Israel has been carrying out intensified bombardment of Lebanon since late September, vowing to cripple Hezbollah and stop more than a year of cross-border fire by the Lebanese militant group. A rocket exploded in a storage building in the northern Israeli town of Nahariya on Tuesday, killing two people, first responders said. Another two people were wounded by shrapnel in a separate impact outside the town. A Hezbollah drone smashed into a nursery school near the northern Israeli city of Haifa on Tuesday morning, but the children were inside a bomb shelter and there were no injuries. The impact scattered debris across the playground. Israeli strikes across Gaza kill 46 At the same time, Israel has continued its 13-month campaign in Gaza set off by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack into southern Israel. An Israeli strike late Monday hit a makeshift cafeteria used by displaced people in Muwasi, the center of a “humanitarian zone” that Israel’s military declared earlier in the war. At least 11 people were killed, including two children, according to officials at Nasser Hospital, where the casualties were taken. Video from the scene showed men pulling bloodied wounded from among tables and chairs set up in the sand in an enclosure made of corrugated metal sheets. Read: Israeli strikes kill 14 Palestinians in Gaza A strike on a house in the northern town of Beit Hanoun killed 15 people on Tuesday, including relatives of Al Jazeera journalist Hossam Shabat, who has been reporting from the north. Mohamed Shabat and his wife Dima, both volunteer doctors at Kamal Adwan Hospital, were killed along with their daughter Eliaa, according to hospital director Hossam Abu Safiya. Strikes in central and southern Gaza killed another 20 people, according to Palestinian medical officials. The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the strikes. Under US pressure, Israel allows more aid into Gaza Hours earlier, the Israeli military announced a small expansion of the humanitarian zone, where it has told Palestinians evacuating from other parts of Gaza to take refuge. Hundreds of thousands are sheltering in sprawling tent camps in and around Muwasi, a desolate area with few public services. Israeli forces have also been besieging the northernmost part of Gaza since the beginning of October, battling Hamas fighters it says regrouped there. With virtually no food or aid allowed in for more than a month, the siege has raised fears of famine among the tens of thousands of Palestinians believed to still be sheltering there. The United States gave Israel a 30-day deadline — that expired this week — to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, calling on it to allow at least 350 truckloads to enter each day, among other things. So far, Israel has fallen short. In October, 57 trucks a day entered Gaza on average, and 75 a day so far in November, according to Israel’s official figures. The United Nations puts the number lower, at 39 trucks daily since the beginning of October. Israel has announced a flurry of measures in recent days to increase aid, including opening a new crossing into central Gaza and some small deliveries of food and water to the north. But so far the impact is unclear. More forced evacuations in isolated northern Gaza The military announced Tuesday that four soldiers were killed in Jabaliya, bringing to 24 the number of soldiers killed in the assault there since it began. Palestinian health officials say hundreds of Palestinians have been killed, though the true numbers are unknown as rescue workers are unable to reach buildings destroyed in strikes. Israel has ordered residents in the area to evacuate. But the U.N. has estimated some 70,000 people remain. Read more: Saudi Crown Prince demands immediate end to Israel’s war in Gaza, Lebanon Many Palestinians there fear Israel aims to permanently depopulate the area to more easily keep control of it. On Tuesday, witnesses told The Associated Press that Israeli troops had encircled at least three schools in Beit Hanoun, forcing hundreds of displaced people sheltering inside to leave. Drones blared announcements demanding people move south to Gaza City, said Mahmoud al-Kafarnah, speaking from one of the schools as sounds of gunfire could be heard. “The tanks are outside,” he said. “We don’t know where to go.” Hashim Afanah, sheltering with at least 20 other people in his family home, said the forces were evicting people from houses and shelters. The U.N.’s top humanitarian official, Joyce Msuya, told the Security Council on Tuesday that “acts reminiscent of the gravest international crimes” are being committed in Gaza. “The daily cruelty we see in Gaza seems to have no limits,” she said, pointing to recent developments in Beit Hanoun. Israel’s campaign in Gaza has killed more than 43,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities that do not distinguish between civilians and militants in their count but say more than half the dead are women and children. Israel says it targets Hamas militants who hide among civilians. The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted about 250 as hostages. Around 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, about a third of them believed to be dead.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” and called for a total Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza. The prince also criticised Israeli attacks on Lebanon and Iran  at a summit of Muslim and Arab leaders. In a sign of improving ties between rivals Riyadh and Tehran, he warned Israel against launching attacks on Iranian soil, reports BBC. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said it was a “failing of the international community” that the war in Gaza had not been stopped, accusing Israel of causing starvation in the territory Prince Faisal Bin Farhan Al-Saud said: "Where the international community primarily has failed is ending the immediate conflict and putting an end to Israel’s aggression.” The war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack, which saw hundreds of gunmen enter southern Israel. About 1,200 people were killed and 251 others taken hostage. Israel retaliated by launching a military campaign to destroy Hamas, during which more than 43,400 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Read more: Traumatized by war, hundreds of Lebanon's children struggle with wounds both physical and emotional A report by the UN’s Human Rights Office found that close to 70% of verified victims over a six-month period in Gaza were women and children. Leaders at the summit also condemned what they described as Israel's “continuous attacks” against UN staff and facilities in Gaza. In the backdrop of the well-attended summit, is Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Gulf leaders are aware of his closeness to Israel, but they also have good relations with him, and want him to use his influence and his fondness for deal-making to secure an end to conflicts in this region. In Saudi Arabia, Trump is viewed much more favourably than Joe Biden, but his track record in the Middle East is mixed. He pleased Israel and angered the Muslim world by recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital as well as the annexation of the occupied Golan Heights.