Israel

Wishah among at least 260 Palestinian journalists killed since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October 2023Qatar-based news network Al Jazeera says one of its journalists was killed by an Israeli strike in Gaza on Saturday, becoming one of the at least 260 Palestinian journalists to have been killed since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October 2023.Ahmed Wishah, a cameraman for the network, was killed in a strike targeting a house in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, the broadcaster said on its website. Continue reading...

Mona Khalil led decades-long effort to protect nesting site for turtles near her home in south of the countryThe Lebanese marine activist Mona Khalil, who became a beloved figure in the country for a decades-long effort to protect a nesting site for turtles near her home, has died from injuries sustained in an Israeli strike.Khalil, 76, ran a sanctuary called the Orange House Project near the Mediterranean city of Tyre. She hosted volunteers in her house to clean and monitor a mile-long beach and welcomed tourists to stay and learn about conservation. Continue reading...

Outbreak of fighting between Hezbollah and Israel has forced mediators to cancel US-Iran peace talks in SwitzerlandIsraeli strikes on southern Lebanon have killed at least 16 people, local authorities said on Saturday, despite reports of a renewed ceasefire aiming to end persistent violence that threatens the new agreement between the US and Iran.Lebanon’s civil defence agency said its personnel transported “16 dead and 12 wounded” to hospital, adding that they had been working “since the early morning hours” in the Nabatieh district in response to “ongoing attacks targeting the area”. Continue reading...

• Iran has stated it is open to pursuing diplomatic engagement with the United States, provided Washington can guarantee that Israel adheres to the terms of a ceasefire. • This demand comes as violent clashes continue to escalate across Gaza and Lebanon, complicating efforts to stabilize the region. • The move highlights Iran's strategic use of U.S. leverage to ensure Israeli compliance, signaling that diplomacy is contingent on verifiable security guarantees.

In ‘middle Israel’ there are fears Iran could rebuild stronger – and there is particular ire for Donald TrumpIn the Tree brasserie off Herzl Street in Rehovot, there was much that almost everyone agreed on. Few contested that the ceasefire deal concluded by Iran and the US a few days earlier was very bad for Israel. “We were betrayed by President Trump,” said Avi Perez, 55.They believed, too, that Israel, more than ever, was surrounded by danger that it would have to confront alone. “It is strange. One day we were in the [bomb] shelters with our children … The next day, everything is supposed to be normal. But nothing has been resolved,” said Shaham Nowick, 35, as he studied the menu. Continue reading...

Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency to use International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition for ‘regulatory work’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia’s health watchdog has adopted a contested definition of antisemitism to guide its regulatory work.The move has been welcomed by the nation’s peak Jewish body while the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (Apan) has warned it could silence health professionals from criticising Israel’s human rights record. Continue reading...

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing significant political backlash and criticism from the United States following continued military attacks in Lebanon. • These operations are seen as defying existing peace agreements and escalating tensions with Iran, which supports Lebanese militant groups. • The situation is critical as Israel attempts to balance its security goals against the risk of a wider regional war and deteriorating diplomatic ties with Washington.

US-Iran meeting in Switzerland over implementation of deal cancelled amid clashes in southern LebanonMiddle East crisis – live updatesIsrael and Hezbollah agreed to renew a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon on Friday after 24 hours of intense violence that posed an early challenge to the new agreement between the US and Iran to end their conflict.A meeting due to take place on Friday between the US and Iran in Switzerland to discuss implementation of the new deal was cancelled when Hezbollah killed four Israeli soldiers and Israel carried out a wave of retaliatory airstrikes in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa valley that killed at least 47 people. Continue reading...

JD Vance lambasted Israeli critics of the proposed deal, but did not travel to Europe as planned. Plus, at 82 years old, Keith Richards still gives some of the best interview quotes in townGood morning. Talks set to take place today between the US ⁠⁠and ​Iran to implement a peace deal were abruptly cancelled. The White House said the US still looked forward to “beginning technical talks as soon as possible”. Hezbollah-linked media reported Tehran was delaying sending its delegation due to Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Lebanon.The talks were set to begin in the Swiss village of Obbürgen two days after the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that opened a 60-day window to negotiate a permanent agreement over Iran’s nuclear programme, while reopening the strait of Hormuz. The centre of the strait is blocked with about 80 mines that will need clearing for normal shipping to resume, the independent tanker owner trade body has said.What is happening in Lebanon? Hezbollah targeted Israeli forces near Nabatieh with several salvoes of rocket fire after Israeli shelling. Israel responded with a wave of airstrikes, killing at least 18 people and injuring 33. Iran has said Israel’s attacks on Lebanon must end as part of any peace deal.What did JD Vance say to Israeli critics of the deal? In sharp words, the vice-president said: “Donald J Trump is the only head of state in the entire world ‌who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this ‌moment in time. If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left ‌in the entire world.”Why does Trump’s Iran entanglement echo the Jimmy Carter years? In this excellent analysis piece Robert Tait reminds us that one of Trump’s earliest political forays was lambasting the Democratic president during the 1980 Iran hostage crisis. Trump, Tait says, now finds himself in a position that uncannily resembles that of his predecessor – unable to bend Iran to his will despite superior US military power. Continue reading...

IDF claims continuing strikes come after Iran-backed group repeatedly violated ceasefire; JD Vance cancels trip as US-Iran talks set for Friday cancelledUS-Iran talks in Switzerland abruptly called offJD Vance tells Iran deal critics in Israel: Trump is your only ally left in the worldWelcome to our continuing live coverage of events in the Middle East.Israel’s military says it is attacking Hezbollah in several areas across southern Lebanon and has been striking throughout Thursday night.Vance lashed out at Israeli critics of the Iran deal, saying Donald Trump was Israel’s only ally left in the world, in a sharp rebuke that referenced the billions in defence aid ⁠the country receives from America. Trump “is the only head of state in the entire world ‌who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this ‌moment in time”, Vance told reporters.Trump said the ​US expected “a ⁠complete ceasefire on all fronts, including ⁠Lebanon, Hezbollah ​and Israel”, adding in a social media post: “We ‌encourage everyone ‌in the ‌Middle East Region to maintain their commitment to allowing our negotiations ‌to beautifully unfold.”Iran’s supreme leader said he approved the deal with the US despite having a “different view”, without elaborating. Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said in message read on state television: “In principle, I had a different view [about the memorandum of understanding], but I issued my permission due to the commitment that the honourable [Iranian] president, as the chairman of the Supreme National Security Council, gave me on behalf of himself and other members to protect the rights of the Iranian nation and the resistance front.”In Khamenei’s message on Thursday – his first reaction to the Iran-US deal – he claimed Trump had “used all kinds of levers” to secure the deal “out of desperation”. The US president has claimed the agreement is a victory for Washington and averts a “worldwide depression”.Iran announced plans to introduce a system of maritime fees in the strait of Hormuz after the 60-day period of negotiation triggered by the signing of the memorandum of understanding with the US. Tehran, claiming a historic victory over the US, said the strait was under its control and a European plan for a naval mission to escort ships though the vital waterway would not be welcome, reports Patrick Wintour.Vance said the 60-day period in which to reach a final agreement with Iran started on Thursday. That would set a deadline for the final agreement between Iran and the US as 17 August.US Central Command ended its blockade in the Hormuz strait, it announced on social media. The US naval blockade of the strait had been in effect since 13 April, with control of the waterway being a key point of conflict in the war. Marine Traffic data showed that at least seven ships had crossed the strait on Thursday.The US would restart military action and ⁠reimpose a ⁠blockade ​against Iran if it did not fulfil its commitments ⁠under the signed agreement, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said at a meeting with Nato defence ministers in Brussels.Khamenei said in his message that he received assurances from Pezeshkian about the deal and that it would not be accepted “if the American side wants to make excessive demands”. “It is obvious that the face-to-face negotiations that will be held in the future will not mean accepting the enemy’s point of view,” he added.Pakistan’s foreign ministry said the agreement’s signing ceremony in Switzerland, which was due to take place on Friday, was cancelled as it is understood that the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran has already been signed remotely.EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she was representing the bloc’s position on the Middle East, after Israel announced it was severing diplomatic relations over allegations she had compared the country to apartheid South Africa. Continue reading...

Progressive Jewish group calls for more focus on the threat from the far right and the recognition of a diversity of views within the communityFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFar-right extremism and the conflation of Jewish identity with Israel are the main drivers of antisemitism in Australia, the Jewish Council of Australia (JCA) says.In its submission to the royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion, the liberal Jewish group calls for more focus on the “often overlooked” threat from the far right, and recognition of the diversity of views within the Jewish community instead of the “tendency to treat Jews collectively as representatives of Israel”. Continue reading...

• The ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran persists as one of the most significant and enduring security challenges in the Middle East. • Beyond military confrontation, the struggle has evolved into a multidimensional crisis involving nuclear concerns, energy security, technology, and international governance. • Potential attacks on critical infrastructure pose severe global risks, including the release of hazardous substances and resulting humanitarian and public health emergencies.

• US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian have electronically signed a memorandum of understanding to end a nearly four-month conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran. • The 14-point plan mandates an immediate cessation of military operations on all fronts and the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to global shipping. • A critical component of the deal is a commitment to prevent Iran from developing or acquiring nuclear weapons, addressing a primary security concern for the US and Israel.

In a sharp rebuke to critics of Trump’s deal with Iran, the vice-president referenced the billions in defence aid Israel recieves from the USNews: Iran announces plans to bring in maritime fees for strait of Hormuz Analysis: Iran peace deal makes clear how far US has been forced to retreat since 2025 US vice-president JD Vance has lashed out at Israeli critics of the Iran deal, saying Donald Trump is Israel’s only ally left in the world, in a sharp rebuke that referenced the billions in defence aid ⁠the country receives from America.Vance was defending the deal ⁠reached this week to end the war ​with Iran that critics in the US and Israel have slammed for failing to curb Iran’s missile program and providing no clear path to dismantling its nuclear facilities, while constraining Israel in its war with Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. Continue reading...

• An Israeli newspaper has condemned the U.S. deal with Iran as a "catastrophic capitulation," contradicting President Trump's claim that the United States is the primary winner. • Critics argue that the agreement fails to address Iran's strategic "chokehold" on the Strait of Hormuz, leaving the U.S. and Israel vulnerable. • The Tehran Times has used the situation to criticize the U.S. and Israel for allegedly exploiting and then discarding exiled Iranian opposition groups.

Images show Israeli military using six companies’ bulldozers and excavators to demolish south Lebanon villagesHuman rights experts have alleged that six multinational construction equipment conglomerates may be aiding and abetting war crimes by supplying excavators and bulldozers to Israel, after photos and videos showed the Israeli military using their equipment to demolish villages in south Lebanon. The Guardian geolocated and verified images showing the Israeli military using excavators made by six companies – Caterpillar, Volvo, Hyundai, Doosan, Hitachi and Komatsu – to destroy homes, public utilities, shops and other structures across southern Lebanon.Israel has levelled entire villages inside the “yellow line”, a 608 sq km area occupied by Israel along the Lebanese-Israeli border. At least 46 villages in south Lebanon have suffered heavy damage, most of it caused by demolitions carried out after the 17 April Lebanon-Israel ceasefire, according to a satellite analysis by Bellingcat. Continue reading...

Pamphlets from event featured projects in West Bank and East Jerusalem despite previous denials by organisersAn Israeli real estate event in north London appears to have advertised the sale of land in Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, despite previous denials that illegal settlement properties would be marketed at the event.Pamphlets shared with the Guardian from the event on Sunday showed real estate projects in Ma’ale Adumim, Givat Ze’ev, Kfar Eldad and Teneh Omarim in the occupied West Bank, as well as Ramat Eshkol and Givat Hamatos in East Jerusalem. Continue reading...

Israel’s continued military operation in southern Lebanon puts at risk the agreement reached between Iran and the US on SundayFull report: Iran says peace deal dependent on Israel’s withdrawal from LebanonAnalysis: Where does Iran deal leave US-Israel relationship?Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of the crisis in the Middle East.Iran’s military has threatened to respond to Israel after strikes in southern Lebanon killed four people, despite an agreement being reached between Tehran and Washington to end the Middle East war, including in Lebanon.A US-Iran deal aimed at ending the Middle East war will be signed at Switzerland’s mountainside Burgenstock resort on Friday, the Swiss foreign ministry confirmed to AFP. The site, located near Lucerne in central Switzerland, is difficult to access and therefore easily secured. It “was proposed by the Pakistani and Qatari mediators, as well as by the US and Iran”, Switzerland’s foreign ministry said.Two months of final negotiations will begin immediately after the initial deal between the US and Iran is signed. Negotiations will continue for a 60-day window after the ceremony, officials told AFP, leading to a plan for the lifting of economic sanctions and decisions on the fate of Iran’s nuclear programme.Trump said that he would send the deal with Iran to the US Congress for a review. “I like the idea, send it to Congress please,” he said at the start of a meeting with the UAE president Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the G7 summit. “I mean who wouldn’t approve it.”Speaking at the G7, Trump has said the strait of Hormuz will be open by Friday and that the full text of the peace deal will be released in a “formal setting”. Trump also said he expects the “second stage” of the deal “to go quickly”.The US will allow Iran to immediately start selling oil and fuel again as part of the deal to end the war, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources familiar with the matter. Iran can only sell oil if they keep to the terms of the deal, as US official told Reuters. It includes the free flow of navigation in the strait of Hormuz and not obtaining an nuclear weapon.An Iranian deputy foreign minister said the two-month US naval blockade on Iranian ports had been lifted ahead of the planned formal signing of a deal ending the war. “The lifting of the blockade was something we had emphasised from the outset. It has now begun, and the blockade has been lifted prior to the formal signing” scheduled for Friday, said Iranian deputy foreign minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi, according to the government’s website.Qatar, a key mediator between the US and Iran, said it believed the framework peace agreement could deliver security to the Middle East. “We are cautiously optimistic that the signing of the memorandum of understanding will lead to the next phase of regional security through the talks that will take place on the nuclear programme and on other issues,” foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari told reporters in Doha, as he praised Pakistan’s mediation efforts. Continue reading...

• Iran has threatened a "harsh response" following recent military attacks targeting Lebanon. • Former U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be "more responsible" regarding operations in Lebanon. • The situation highlights escalating regional tensions as Iran warns of retaliation against Israel's military actions.

Prime minister faces prospect of going it alone against Iran as strategic interests of US and Israel are divergingIt took more than a day after news of Donald Trump’s deal with Iran went public for Benjamin Netanyahu to speak out.When he finally appeared at a press conference on Monday evening, the Israeli prime minister skirted a cornerstone of his past public appearances: his excellent relationship with the US president. Continue reading...

Abbas Araghchi says ‘war has not fully come to an end’ without Israeli forces leaving territories occupied during present conflictMiddle East crisis – live updatesIran’s top diplomat has said a peace deal with the US would require Israel to withdraw from Lebanon, as concern grows that Israel could undermine diplomatic efforts to finally end the Middle East war, with Donald Trump even criticising his ally and war partner as irresponsible.“Without the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territories they occupied during this war, the war has not fully come to an end,” said the Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi. Continue reading...

• G7 energy billionaires have reportedly accumulated $300 million daily amid ongoing conflicts involving the US, Israel, and Iran. • Total billionaire wealth has surged by nearly $10 trillion during the fifth global economic crisis since 2020. • Between 2024 and 2025, G7 nations reduced official development assistance to the world's poorest countries by $48 billion, the largest cut in history.

• Slovenia is entering a new diplomatic phase aimed at strengthening relations with Israel and the global Jewish community following several years of tension. • Jewish communities are closely monitoring the Slovenian government's policies and moral leadership, as these decisions influence the broader environment for Jewish life across Europe. • The shift is significant because national political tones in Central European capitals often resonate internationally, impacting regional stability and interfaith relations.

Comments by Israel Katz come after announcement of interim deal between Washington and TehranMiddle East crisis – live updatesIsraeli military forces will not withdraw from a vast swathe of territory they have seized in southern Lebanon, the country’s defence minister has said, hours after Donald Trump and officials in Iran announced a new preliminary agreement between Washington and Tehran to end hostilities on “all fronts” in the Middle East pending a final settlement in about two months.Israel Katz’s remarks were the first official Israeli comments after the announcement of the interim deal. Iranian and US officials are to meet on Friday in Geneva for a signature ceremony, diplomatic sources in Pakistan, the principal mediator, said. Continue reading...

• The United States and Iran have confirmed a peace deal to end the ongoing conflict involving the US and Israel, as reported on Sunday, June 14, 2026. • The formal signing of the agreement is scheduled to take place this coming Friday. • This deal represents a critical diplomatic breakthrough aimed at halting hostilities and stabilizing the region after a period of intense warfare.

About 1,000 people demonstrated for and against show in north London synagogue promoting sale of property in IsraelAbout 1,000 people protested for and against a show promoting the sale of property in Israel on Sunday, with police making 14 arrests.Those opposed to the event, which was held in a north London synagogue, claimed it was also selling property in land illegally occupied by Israel and is part of an expansionist plan to drive out Palestinians. Organisers denied this was the case. Continue reading...

US president says ‘all sides should stand down’ as mediators seek to conclude preliminary US-Iran peace deal negotiationsMiddle East crisis – live updatesDonald Trump was forced to call for restraint on Sunday after Israel launched fresh airstrikes on Beirut as mediators sought to conclude negotiations on a preliminary peace deal between Iran and the US that would bring the three-month war in the Middle East to a definitive end.Trump played down new Israeli strikes but said “all sides should stand down”. Continue reading...

More than 100 UK lawmakers urge government to cancel London event, warning it is linked to land ‘stolen from Palestinians’More than 100 UK lawmakers have called for the cancellation of an Israeli real estate event scheduled to take place in London on Sunday, which had appeared to advertise the sale of land in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.In a letter sent to the foreign secretary on Friday, 101 parliamentarians and members of the House of Lords, warned the event was “firmly embedded in Israel’s project of colonial expansion by facilitating the sale of land that has been stolen from Palestinians” and called on the government to take “all necessary steps” to stop the event from going ahead in the capital. Continue reading...