Middle East

OHCHR has verified that Israeli forces and settlers have killed 1,030 Palestinians there, including 233 children, since October 7, 2023.

WHO continues to call for safe access through all evacuation routes, particularly to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and for medical evacuation convoys to be expedited at crossings.

The entirety of Gaza's population now lives below the poverty line, with per-capita GDP plunging to $161 (Sh20,899), unemployment soaring to 80 per cent, and inflation nearing 240 per cent.

The UN estimates that rebuilding homes, roads, hospitals, and other basic services in Gaza will cost more than Sh 9.1 trillion ($70 billion) and will take many years.

The latest truce proposal, presented on behalf of the US, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, has not been released publicly.

The Hope Championship for Amputee Football in the Gaza Strip ran for four days last week.

According to UNICEF, at least 67 children have been killed in “conflict-related incidents” since the Hamas-Israel pause in hostilities was announced on October 10, at a rate of two a day.

There is still a long way to go before people can find an answer to that question - not in promises or temporary pauses, but in days of uninterrupted life.

The organisation Al-Majd Europe says it's helping Palestinians emigrate to third countries. But it has been accused of helping facilitate "forcible transfer" from Gaza. DW spoke to a representative of the organisation.

Children’s Fund, UNICEF, highlighted the case of six-year-old twins Yahya and Nabeela, who were critically injured by an unexploded remnant of war in the north of the wartorn enclave.

Mudavadi dismissed allegations that senior public officials or their relatives hold interests in recruitment firms sending Kenyans to the Gulf.

Central to the document is the creation of a Board of Peace (BoP) - described as a "transitional administration" for Gaza - tasked with overseeing reconstruction and political coordination.

The Times of India paper quoted unnamed officials as saying that 45 passengers were aboard the bus while reportedly travelling from Mecca to Medina.

Officials reiterated that Israel’s assertion of sovereignty over the occupied West Bank and its annexation of parts of it, are in breach of international law, which has been confirmed by the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The PS called on all mothers in Saudi Arabia with undocumented children to reach out to the Embassy in Riyadh, the Consulate in Jeddah or the State Department in Nairobi for assistance.

In a rare statement on X on Wednesday, Herzog denounced the incident, criticising violence targeting both civilians and Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) soldiers.

Following two years of deadly conflict, a “catch-up” campaign to immunise some 44,000 children under the age of three against measles, mumps and other illnesses kicked off on Sunday. They will also be screened for malnutrition.

Erdogan has been one of Israel's strongest critics during its military campaign in Gaza, which began in 2023.

The Secretary-General stressed that the UN’s positions “have been very clear” and are not dependent “on cooperating with this or that country.”

Once built to host football fans during the 2022 World Cup, it now functions as an emergency housing and medical rehabilitation centre, with living quarters, a 24-hour primary health centre, physiotherapy and prosthetic rehabilitation units, counselling and social support spaces, and buildings repurposed for children’s activities.

The move, formally announced by Nairobi's Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, is part of President William Ruto's directive to expand Kenya's foreign presence in key global hubs.

The initiative seeks to raise funds for medical relief while promoting unity and solidarity with Palestinians.

In its verdict, the ICJ unanimously reaffirmed that the use of starvation as a method of warfare is prohibited under international law. The court also ordered Israel, by ten votes to one, to agree to and facilitate humanitarian relief in Gaza provided by the UN and its entities.

The decision brings to a close a 12-year partnership that had positioned Saudi Arabia as host of the inaugural event, originally scheduled to take place in 2027 in Riyadh.

The report, authored by UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, accuses these nations of turning a blind eye as Gaza’s two million residents endure mass casualties and a deepening humanitarian catastrophe.

Reports from medical sources in Gaza indicate that the overnight assault targeted homes, vehicles, tents housing displaced families, and a hospital inside the designated "yellow line" zone.

Aid continues to enter Gaza, with more than 300 truckloads of supplies collected from the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom crossing between Friday and Saturday.

The four-day public session at Istanbul University marks the culmination of a year-long effort by international jurists, scholars, and civil society figures to document Israeli crimes committed against Palestinians.

At the same time, UN partners monitoring population flows across Gaza have reported more than 425,000 movements from southern to northern parts of the strip since October 10.

She said access remains limited as "only two of the seven Israeli-controlled crossings into Gaza are operational."

Under the current ceasefire terms, Hamas was given 72 hours to release all Israeli captives, both living and dead, in exchange for Israel freeing Palestinians serving life sentences and detainees from Gaza. Nearly 2,000 Palestinians were released as part of the deal.

According to Hosni Mohana, the municipality's public relations officer, these operations aim not only to restore transportation routes but also to prepare sites for temporary camps to shelter displaced residents before winter sets in.

Gaza itself has been razed to the ground in many areas. The United Nations estimates 83 per cent of all structures and housing units have been damaged in Gaza City.

The move follows Israel’s warning that humanitarian aid to Gaza could be restricted until all 28 deceased hostages were returned. On Monday, Hamas handed back 20 living hostages along with four bodies.

Reports indicate that the incident occurred in Khan Younis and the Shujayea neighbourhoods of Gaza City, as Palestinians went back to their homes to assess the damage caused by relentless Israeli attacks.

According to a note seen by Reuters and confirmed by the UN, no fuel or gas will be allowed into Gaza except for specific humanitarian infrastructure needs.

The announcement comes as a ceasefire brokered by the United States, Qatar and Egypt continues to hold, alongside the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian detainees, offering what the UN Secretary-General described as “the fragile hope of calm after months of devastation.”

The group is part of 250 Palestinians being released from Israeli jails, alongside about 1,700 detainees from Gaza, under a ceasefire agreement reached last week. In return, Hamas has freed 20 Israeli captives.

The conflict, which began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people in southern Israel and abducted 250 others, has left more than 67,000 Palestinians dead, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Two years of Israeli strikes have left Gaza in ruins, caused famine, and killed more than 67,000 people, according to the Gaza health authorities.

The UN’s top aid official, Tom Fletcher insisted on Thursday that “the whole UN humanitarian family” is mobilized to get aid into Gaza.

The withdrawal covers districts such as Tel al-Hawa and Al-Shati camp, which were among the hardest hit during Israel’s recent offensive.

The withdrawal of Israeli troops is part of a deal that also calls for the release of several hundred Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the remaining 48 hostages in Gaza.

While the deal marks a crucial step toward ending hostilities, the broader framework for lasting peace remains unsettled.

Guterres said the UN and its partners were ready to “move now,” with teams and supplies already in place to scale up food, water, medical and shelter assistance inside Gaza.

Reconstruction will cost over $7 billion, according to WHO estimates, covering humanitarian response, early recovery and long-term rebuilding.

Nairobi praised the truce's key provisions, including the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

The Secretary-General urged “all concerned to abide fully by the terms of the agreement,” including the release of hostages who have been held for over two years now in Gaza “in a dignified manner.”

UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires said that, on average, one child has been killed or injured every 17 minutes, describing the figure as "unacceptable" and "staggering."

The flotilla, comprising multiple vessels carrying hundreds of activists from 44 countries, was stopped about 70 nautical miles off the Gaza coast, where Israeli forces boarded the vessels and redirected them to an Israeli port.

The talks, mediated by Egypt and supported by the United States, follow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement that a hostage release deal could be announced later this week.