Headlines
Israel Tightens Siege on Gaza As Hamas Reviews Trump’s Peace Deal Offer
Israel’s defence minister has said the country’s forces are “tightening the siege” around Gaza City by extending a military corridor across the territory towards the coast.
Israel Katz also issued a final warning to the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the city to evacuate southwards, saying those who remained during the offensive against Hamas would be “terrorists and supporters of terror”.
Hospitals reported that 45 people had been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza City on Wednesday, while the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it had been forced to suspend operations there.
Israel is stepping up the assault as Hamas weighs its response to a new US plan to end the war.
Arab and Turkish mediators are understood to be pressing for a positive response, but a senior Hamas figure has said the armed group is likely to reject it.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has described Gaza City as Hamas’s “last stronghold”.
It has said the offensive aims to secure the release of the 48 hostages still held by Hamas – 20 of whom are believed to be alive – and ensure the group’s “decisive defeat”.
Israel’s defence minister told Israeli media on Wednesday that the IDF was “currently completing the capture of the Netzarim corridor to the western coast of Gaza” – a reference to the Israeli military zone that runs east-west from the perimeter with Israel.
“This will tighten the siege around Gaza City, and anyone leaving it south will be forced to pass through the IDF’s checkpoints,” the Haaretz newspaper quoted Katz as saying.
He warned that this was the “last chance for Gaza [City] residents who are interested in moving south and leaving Hamas terrorists isolated in Gaza City itself in the face of IDF activity that continues at full strength”.
“Those who remain in Gaza will be terrorists and terror supporters,” he warned.
The International Committee of the Red Cross stated that “under international humanitarian law, civilians must be protected whether they stay or leave Gaza City”.
It also said that Israel, as the occupying power, had an obligation to ensure their basic needs were met, including by protecting medical personnel and allowing the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian assistance throughout the Strip.
The ICRC’s warning came in a statement announcing that the intensification of military operations had forced it to suspend operations at its office in Gaza City, where it said civilians were “being killed, forcibly displaced and made to endure dire conditions”.
“The ICRC will continue to strive to provide support to civilians in Gaza City, whenever circumstances allow, from our offices in Deir al-Balah and Rafah [in central and southern Gaza], which remain fully operational,” it said.
“This includes providing medical donations to the few remaining health facilities in Gaza City and doing the utmost to facilitate the movements of first responders.”
Also on Wednesday, the IDF’s Arabic spokesman announced that people in the south of Gaza would no longer be able to use the al-Rashid coastal road to travel north to Gaza City. The road would remain open for those fleeing south, he said.
Gaza’s Hamas-run Government Media Office condemned the decision, which it said was “part of the ongoing policy of suffocation, siege, and genocide perpetrated by the occupation [Israel] against our Palestinian people in the Strip”.
The IDF has ordered Gaza City residents to evacuate to a designated “humanitarian area” in the southern al-Mawasi area.
Israeli media cited the IDF as saying on Monday that about 800,000 people had fled the city since the plans for the offensive were announced in August, and that between 250,000 and 350,000 people remained.
However, the UN and its humanitarian partners said they had only monitored 397,000 people crossing into southern Gaza as of Saturday.
Unicef spokesman James Elder told the BBC that during a recent visit to Gaza City he had witnessed “multiple air strikes in the very short time” and “a mix of children who are emaciated [and] utterly exhausted women”.
“Anyone who could speak English would explain to me that staying in Gaza City is not a choice, that they don’t have the funds to go south. They don’t have the transport. Once they get south, they know there’s no land, and certainly that they don’t have a tent,” he said.
They also knew that conditions in al-Mawasi were overcrowded and unsanitary, and that it was not spared from Israeli strikes, he added.
“They’ve seen what shrapnel does to a tent. They’ve seen tents engulfed by flames. So they’re well aware that safety, be it from the skies or disease from the ground, certainly doesn’t exist.”
Medics said 29 of those killed in Gaza City on Wednesday were brought to al-Ahli hospital, in the southern Zeitoun neighbourhood.
A video filmed overnight appeared to show four severely injured men wearing high-visibility jackets receiving treatment inside a tent there.
The Hamas-run Civil Defence agency alleged that a team of its paramedics and firefighters were “directly targeted” by an Israeli strike as they responded to a strike on nearby al-Falah school, which was being used as a shelter for displaced families.
It said the rescuers had been performing humanitarian work, wearing uniforms, and driving marked vehicles, and that the attack constituted a flagrant violation of international law.
The agency initially said seven rescuers were injured and two were in a critical condition. Later, it announced that one of them, Munther al-Dahshan, had died.
Palestinian media reported that six people were killed in the initial strike on the school. One Civil Defence member said on social media that the casualties included children, and posted a video of a severely injured boy lying on a hospital bed frame.
When asked to comment, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that it “struck a Hamas terrorist” and that “steps were taken in order to mitigate harm to civilians”.
Israel’s government approved plans for the Gaza City offensive following the breakdown of indirect talks with Hamas on a previous US proposal for a deal that would have seen about half of the hostages released during a 60-day ceasefire.
Arab and Turkish mediators have been meeting Hamas leaders in Qatar, putting pressure on them to accept the new 20-point peace plan unveiled by President Donald Trump on Monday.
However, a senior Hamas figure told the BBC that it served “Israel’s interests” and that the group was likely to reject it.
The plan includes an immediate end to the war, the release of all the hostages within 72 hours in exchange for almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, as well as the disarmament of Hamas and a gradual Israeli troop withdrawal.
Trump told reporters on Tuesday that Hamas leaders had “three or four days” to accept the terms. He later warned that they would “pay in hell if they don’t sign”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meanwhile told a government meeting that he agreed to the plan because it achieved all of Israel’s war objectives.
However, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is said to have called the plan “dangerous” and “full of holes”.
The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
At least 66,148 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
BBC
President Donald Trump vowed on Sunday that the United States would take Greenland “one way or the other,” warning that Russia and China would “take over” if Washington fails to act.
Trump says controlling the mineral-rich Danish territory is crucial for US national security given increased Russian and Chinese military activity in the Arctic.
“If we don’t take Greenland, Russia or China will, and I’m not letting that happen,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, despite neither country laying claim to the vast island.
Trump said he would be open to making a deal with the Danish self-governing territory “but one way or the other, we’re going to have Greenland.”
Denmark and other European allies have voiced shock at Trump’s threats over the island, which plays a strategic role between North America and the Arctic, and where the United States has had a military base since World War II.
A Danish colony until 1953, Greenland gained home rule 26 years later and is contemplating eventually loosening its ties with Denmark.
The vast majority of its population and political parties have said they do not want to be under US control and insist Greenlanders must decide their own future — a viewpoint continuously challenged by Trump.
“Greenland should make the deal, because Greenland does not want to see Russia or China take over,” Trump warned, as he mocked its defenses.
“You know what their defense is, two dog sleds,” he said, while Russia and China have “destroyers and submarines all over the place.”
Denmark’s prime minister warned last week that any US move to take Greenland by force would destroy 80 years of transatlantic security links.
Trump waved off the comment saying: “If it affects NATO, it affects NATO. But you know, (Greenland) need us much more than we need them.”
AFP
Iran has warned the United States against any military action, saying it would retaliate if the U.S. President Donald Trump follows through on threats to intervene as Tehran continues its crackdown on nationwide protests.
Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, issued the warning during a parliamentary session broadcast live on Iranian State television.
Qalibaf praised the country’s military response to the protests and cautioned that both the U.S. military and Israel are considered “legitimate targets” in the event of an attack on Iran.
Referring to Israel as “the occupied territory,” Qalibaf said Iran would not rule out launching a preemptive strike against either country if it perceives a threat.
“In the event of an attack on Iran, both the occupied territory and all American military centers, bases and ships in the region will be our legitimate targets,” Qalibaf said.
“We do not consider ourselves limited to reacting after the action and will act based on any objective signs of a threat,” he added.
The warning came amid scenes of heightened tension in the chamber, as hardline lawmakers rushed the dais and chanted, “Death to America!”
Iran has been rocked by widespread protests challenging the country’s theocratic system over the past few weeks, prompting a sustained security crackdown by authorities.
Activists estimated that at least 116 people have died in connection with the demonstrations, while about 2,600 others have been detained, according to the U.S.-based Human Right Activists News Agency. Exact figures remain unclear due to internet shutdowns and disrupted phone services across the country.
Trump has warned that the United States is prepared to act if Iranian authorities kill protesters.
“If Iran (shoots) and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” Trump said earlier this month.
“Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready tohelp!!!” he added on his Truth Social platform.
Meanwhile, The New York Times reported that Trump has been briefed on possible military strike options against Iran but has yet to make a final decision.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has publicly acknowledged Super Eagles striker Akor Adams following his goal celebration in Nigeria’s 2-0 quarter-final win over Algeria at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Adams scored Nigeria’s second goal against the Desert Foxes, making amends for earlier missed chances and helping the Super Eagles secure a place in the semifinals.
However, it was his celebration, rather than the finish itself, that drew widespread attention across the continent.
Tribute to DR Congo superfan
After finding the net, the Sevilla forward marked the moment with a gesture inspired by DR Congo superfan Mboladinga ‘Lumumba’.
The Congolese supporter has become a familiar figure at the tournament for standing throughout all DR Congo matches as a tribute to the legacy of former prime minister Patrice Lumumba.
Adams’ celebration mirrored Mboladinga’s stance, a move widely interpreted as a sign of respect and solidarity beyond national lines. The moment resonated with fans and officials alike, quickly gaining traction on social media.
CAF Reaction and fan response
CAF highlighted the gesture on its official X account, sharing an image of Adams’ celebration alongside a brief but pointed message. “Standing still. Akor.,” the continental body wrote.
The post prompted a wave of reactions from football fans across Africa. A user identified as @MrChirenga commented, “Love the fact that Africans are becoming more and more united fam … Love from Zimbabwe.”
Another fan, @abuagoody, praised Adams’ qualities, writing, “Such an impressive player. The last players that played like him for Nigeria are John Utaka, Brown Ideye and Uche.”
Others focused on Adams’ technical ability, with @MouxCaa adding, “Akor Adams is a type of player you see touching the ball and you automatically know it’s a professional footballer.”
