Palestinian Territories

Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered his military to draw up a plan to evacuate Palestinian refugees before it begins a ground attack to defeat remaining Hamas fighters.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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

A dozen humanitarian organisations in Australia have called upon the prime minister and foreign minister for an urgent reinstatement of funding for the UN's aid agency in Gaza.

The new measures signed by Joe Biden will punish Israeli settlers who have been involved in attacks on Palestinians.

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.

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

Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong signals the nation may soon again send aid money to the UNRWA, but the executive director of UNICEF tells 7.30 she understands why nations are uncomfortable given recent allegations.

According to UNICEF there are an estimated 19,000 children who have been orphaned or alone in Gaza.

Many Israelis say that they will never forgive Palestinians for what Hamas did. It's this "never forgiving" that puts the two sides further apart than ever in this decades-old conflict, writes John Lyons. 

Authorities in Gaza say Israeli forces are also attacking hospitals in the besieged enclave.

Hamas said the proposed deal would see the group first release men, children, the elderly and wounded while humanitarian delivery would resume in Gaza. 

Israeli troops disguised as medical staff have conducted a rain in hospital in the West Bank, killing three alleged gunmen.

The biblical story of Amalek was invoked by Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu following the October 7 Hamas attack. South Africa says this is evidence of genocidal intent. But who were the Amalekites, and why is this relevant to the ICJ case?

Israel's army identified the main target of the hospital raid as a member of the Islamist militant movement, with the other two being from a local group of gunmen.