Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has ordered the military to prepare a plan to evacuate the population of Rafah ahead of an expected Israeli invasion of the southern Gaza town.

Israeli forces have bombed Rafah, the southern-most city of Gaza, which was housing over one million people escaping from the north.

Benjamin Netanyahu's fragile coalition government is dependent on far right parties which do not support a detente with Hamas.

The Israeli Prime Minister labelled Hamas's ceasefire proposal 'delusional', while the US remained hopeful a deal could be reached.

The foreign minister says she has spoken with the United Nations aid agency in Gaza as new reports emerge questioning Israel's claims that its staff were involved in the October 7 terrorist attacks.

A US drone strike in Iraq's capital has killed a high-ranking commander of the Kataib Hezbollah militant group who is responsible for "directly planning and participating in attacks" on American troops in the region, the US military says.

Benjamin Netanyahu says total victory is 'within reach', describing Hamas' terms to release the remaining hostages as 'delusional'.

Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected a Hamas ceasefire deal that would ensure the return of hostages still held in Gaza.

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis say they have fired missiles at two more vessels in the Red Sea, causing damage to the ships.

The development towards a new halt in fighting comes as Israel's evacuation orders now cover two-thirds of Gaza, according to a UN monitor. 

US top diplomat Antony Blinken, who is currently visiting the Middle East, says the response has been 'positive'.

Biden's executive order authorising sanctions on four violent Israeli settler leaders will probably be meaningless. Settlers know they have virtual immunity for such actions, writes John Lyons.

The US Secretary of State's number priorities are to secure the release of Israeli hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza.

About 16,000 livestock will stay stranded on a ship in Perth after the federal agriculture department forbid them from being re-exported.

The Israel-Gaza war has spilled over in Lebanon, Jordan and the Red Sea, fuelling fears of a wider war in the Middle East. Let's take a look at the key players and how the conflict is escalating.

Israel's national security and finance ministers have accused President Biden of being 'too interested' in providing aid to Gaza.

British and US warplanes have struck 36 Houthi targets in Yemen to degrade the capabilities of Iran-backed militia.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says his country and its allies will not hesitate to defend the flow of free commerce through the Red Sea, where the Houthis have been targeting vessels. 

John Lyons describes the significance of the United States taking military action against Iraq and Syria.

Signs of a Hamas resurgence in the Gaza Strip's largest city underscore the group's resilience despite Israel's deadly air and ground campaign against it over the past four months.

The US military says the US carried out retaliatory air strikes in Iraq and Syria against more than 85 targets linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard and the militias they back.

The US President signed an executive order imposing sanction on the four settlers as the Israeli far right becomes increasingly ascendant amid the war.

US President Joe Biden imposes sanctions on four Israeli men accused of being involved in settler violence in the West Bank, signalling growing US displeasure with the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Aleksandr Uman's anti-war posturing drew the ire of the Kremlin, and now, he and his bandmates have found safety in Israel after an international saga that raised questions about Russia's influence abroad. 

Israel is insisting the biggest aid provider for Palestinians in Gaza must leave the territory, alleging Hamas fighters are part of the agency.