Israeli tanks open fire near Rafah crossing

An Al Jazeera correspondent has reported that Israeli tanks are firing “heavily” near the Rafah crossing in southern Gaza.

Israeli drone attack kills two Palestinians in Rafah

As we reported a short while ago, there have been reports of Israeli tanks opening fire in Rafah, southern Gaza. Our colleagues now report that at least two Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli drone attack on a group of people in the area.

‘Intensive’ Israeli gunfire continues near Rafah

We have been reporting on the ongoing Israeli attacks in Rafah in southern Gaza, including a drone attack on a group of Palestinians that killed two people.

The Quds Press Agency is now reporting that Israeli military vehicles are carrying out “intensive and continuous gunfire” in al-Salam neighbourhood, east of Rafah city. No further casualties have been reported so far.

Number of Gaza dead reaches 48,453

Palestinian rescue teams have recovered seven more bodies from the rubble in Gaza, pushing the overall death toll from Israel’s war to 48,453, Gaza’s Health Ministry says.

Another six Palestinians were killed by Israeli gunfire in the past 48 hours, a ministry statement said. Eight wounded people were also admitted to hospitals, increasing the number of injured in the war to 111,860.

Hamas says Gaza aid block impacts Israeli captives

The Palestinian group once again accused Israel of “committing the war crime of collective punishment” by halting aid to Gaza for a seventh day, saying it also affected Israeli captives still held there.

Hamas said: “The repercussions of such crime extend beyond our people in Gaza to include the occupation’s prisoners [captives] held by the resistance, who are also affected by the lack of food, medicine and healthcare.”

The movement said Netanyahu “bears full responsibility” for the consequences of the aid block and accused him of “indifference” towards the captives held in Gaza.

On Sunday, Israel announced it was blocking aid deliveries to Gaza until Palestinian fighters accepted its terms for an extension of the ceasefire which had largely halted more than 15 months of fighting.


_{Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza was one of the main areas pounded by Israeli bombardments}

Fire breaks out in Gaza warehouses containing food supplies: Civil defence

Gaza’s civil defence says it is trying to contain a “huge” fire that broke out in warehouses containing food supplies on Al-Nasr Street, north of Gaza City.

“Our crews [faced] major obstacles in extinguishing the fire,” the civil defence said. “Only two fire engines participated in extinguishing the huge flames after the Israeli occupation destroyed most of the civil defence vehicles.”

People in Gaza salvage from the ruins to rebuild their homes

Many displaced Palestinians who returned to find their homes in ruins say waiting for help to arrive isn’t an option. Instead, they are finding whatever materials they can to build rooms and shelter in the winter months.

UN’s Albanese calls for Israel’s suspension from the UN

The United Nations special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory has said that Israel is “targeting Palestinians as a people, and this is what defines the crime of genocide”, according to the Palestinian media.

In an interview with Palestine TV, Albanese stressed that while she does not believe Israel wants to kill every Palestinian, the aim is to annihilate the concept of Palestinian existence in the occupied territory.

“Israel has violated the UN Charter, and it must be held accountable for its actions,” she said.

Albanese added: “I have called for the suspension of Israel’s credentials in the UN because of its disregard for international rules and laws. Israel has destroyed or damaged UN premises, targeted shelters, and accused the UN of terrorism.”


Azerbaijani FM calls for solution to Gaza crisis

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has called for a resolution to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza based on international law.

“During this holy month of Ramadan for the entire Islamic world, we hope for the resolution of the disturbing humanitarian situation in Gaza and the Middle East, guided by the principles of international law,” Bayramov said on X.

Main events on March 8th

Hamas calls for immediate negotiations on phase two

Hamas says its officials have met with the head of Egypt’s general intelligence agency, Hassan Mahmoud Rashad, in Cairo, to discuss progress on implementing the Gaza ceasefire.

“The delegation emphasised the necessity of adhering to all terms of the agreement, proceeding immediately to initiate negotiations for the second phase, opening the border crossings, and allowing the entry of relief materials into Gaza without any restrictions or conditions,” it said.

Hamas also backed the Egypt-led proposal for Gaza’s reconstruction, including its call for a transitional government to manage the territory until elections can take place.

“The delegation confirmed the movement’s approval to form a Community Support Committee composed of independent national figures to manage Gaza until the Palestinian house is organised and general elections at all national, presidential, and legislative levels are conducted,” it said.

Families of Israeli captives pile pressure on Netanyahu

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office has released a statement confirming that Israel will dispatch a negotiating team to the Qatari capital Doha to meet with mediators to see what’s going to come next as part of the ceasefire deal.

Israel says they want to extend phase one of the deal in order to bring about the release of as many captives as possible, but without committing to phase two.

Hamas has said previously that this is a red line for them, that they entered into this deal that’s in multiple phases to reach an end of the war.

But Israel has gone so far as to cut off all humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip for around a week now, to put that pressure on Hamas to cave to Israel’s demands.

Nonetheless, there’s still so much pressure on the Israeli prime minister from family members of Israeli captives who are accusing the premier of prolonging the war for his own personal and political gain.

They say that phase two of this deal is the only way to ensure the release of the remaining captives in Gaza.

‘Donald Trump is threatening to kill my family. Will the world stop him?’

“To the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD! Make a SMART decision. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW OR THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY LATER!”

These were not the words of some far-right provocateur lurking in a dark corner of the internet. They were not shouted by an unhinged warlord seeking vengeance. No, these were the words of the president of the United States, Donald Trump, the most powerful man in the world. A man who, with a signature, a speech or a single phrase, can shape the fate of entire nations. And yet, with all this power, all this influence, his words to the people of Gaza were not of peace, not of diplomacy, not of relief – but of death.

THIS IS A WARZONE: Israeli Jew in Jenin Refugee Camp

As an Israeli Jew, despite multiple warnings and having to circumnavigate the entire country to get there, I visited Jenin Refugee Camp, Palestine.

In late February 2025, Israeli forces deployed tanks to Jenin - the first such deployment since 2002 - as part of a broader operation aimed at dismantling militant groups (Hamas and Islamic Jihad) in the region. This operation, expected to last up to a year, has resulted in the displacement of approximately 40,000 Palestinians, marking the largest displacement since 1967.

The refugee camp is completely demolished and has become a ghost town. Come along as we meet the Palestinians of Jenin, listen to their stories, and witness reality unfolding.

‘One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This’ - Author Omar El Akkad on Gaza

“I think operating under the systems of power that we have generally, relies in large extent on looking away, and this was much, much more difficult to look away from.”

Acclaimed author and journalist Omar El Akkad joined Mehdi Hasan to talk about Gaza and how people have shamelessly looked away from the first “live-streamed genocide” in history.

‘It’s a good sign’ as Israeli negotiators head to Doha for Gaza talks

It appears Israel is ready to move Gaza ceasefire talks forward after Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office said it “accepted the invitation of US-backed mediators” to visit Qatar on Monday.

“There are things happening behind the scenes and apparently some positive messages coming from Hamas through the mediators to the Israeli government,” Yoni Ben-Menachem, an Israeli political analyst, told Al Jazeera.

“I think it’s a good sign that this security delegation is leaving tomorrow for Qatar and there might be positive developments.”

The US-Hamas direct talks are a “separate channel”, he said, adding the Israeli government is following the plan by US envoy Steve Witkoff to “extend the first stage of the captives deal for another two months to avoid going to war in Gaza in the month of Ramadan and then the Jewish holiday Passover”.

US-Hamas meeting ‘very helpful’, US envoy Boehler says

President Donald Trump’s envoy Adam Boehler says direct US meetings with Hamas on the release of captives in Gaza were extremely “helpful”. He did not rule out additional encounters with the Palestinian group.

Boehler said in an interview with CNN’s State of the Union programme he believes something could “come together on Gaza within weeks”. He did not elaborate.

US hostage envoy Adam Boehler says he understood the consternation and concern expressed by Israeli official Ron Dermer about his direct contact with Hamas, but emphasized he had a clear goal in his talks.

“We’re the United States. We’re not an agent of Israel,” Boehler said in an interview with CNN. “We have specific interests at play, and we did communicate back and forth. What I wanted to do is jumpstart some negotiations that were in a very fragile place. And I wanted to say to Hamas, ‘What is the end game that you want here?'”

US envoys are due in the Middle East this week to continue talks on a ceasefire in Gaza. Boehler said he believes a deal could be reached in which all of the captives could be freed, not just the Americans held in the enclave.

Hamas praises US envoy Witkoff’s ceasefire efforts

Discussions between the US special envoy for hostage affairs, Adam Boehler, and Hamas broke with a decades-old policy by Washington against negotiating with groups the US brands as “terrorist” organisations.

Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is headed to the region and is expected to engage in Gaza truce talks.

Senior Hamas official Taher al-Nono praised what he described as the “important role” played by Witkoff in reaching the January 19 ceasefire agreement that halted major attacks on Gaza.

“We hope that he [Witkoff] will work to succeed in the negotiation of the second phase [of the truce],” al-Nono told Reuters.

US hostage envoy says Hamas has offered to lay down arms for five to 10 years

The US hostage envoy Adam Boehler has told Israel’s Channel 11 that Hamas has suggested an exchange of prisoners, as well as a five to ten year truce in which the Palestinian group “would lay down all weapons”, and not be involved in politics.

Boehler repeated some of those details in a series of interviews held with Israeli and US media outlets, after reports emerged of Israeli unhappiness with his unprecedented direct talks with Hamas.

Boehler also added that an “optimistic” scenario would see Israeli captives held in Gaza released in “weeks”.

Smotrich plans to set up Gaza ‘migration administration’: Report

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has announced Israel’s government will create a large-scale “migration administration” to handle Palestinians leaving Gaza.

“This [expulsion] plan is taking shape with ongoing actions in coordination with the [US] administration… It involves identifying key countries, understanding their interests – both with the US and with us – and fostering cooperation,” Smotrich said at an event in parliament.

Smotrich – who has repeatedly called for Israel to push Palestinians out of Gaza and resettle the territory – called the task logistically “complex”, according to Israeli media.

On top of resettling Gaza, Smotrich – who lives in a settlement in the occupied West Bank – has also pushed for Israel to expand its West Bank settlements. Last year, he said he would bring “a million” new settlers into the occupied territory.

Vast majority of Israelis ‘willing to pay the price’ for captive release

A mass rally was held in Tel Aviv with family and friends of the captives demanding the Israeli government adhere to the ceasefire agreement with Hamas and get the abductees released.

“Netanyahu’s interests are not the interests of the state of Israel or its people,” said Zahiro Shahar Mor, nephew of captive Avraham Munder, at the demonstration.

“The vast majority of the Israeli public wants all remaining hostages to be returned home immediately, and they’re willing to pay the price for that.”

Before their weekly rally in Tel Aviv, relatives appealed to US President Donald Trump who met eight former captives on Wednesday.

“Mr President, a return to war means a death sentence for the living hostages left behind. Please, Sir, do not allow Netanyahu to sacrifice them,” a statement said.

The silence of feminists in the face of genocide in Gaza

For decades, women of colour and those from the Global South have watched as Western feminists champion causes that align with their values while remaining silent on the struggles that don’t.

In Gaza, for example, thousands of Palestinian women have been kept imprisoned and displaced. Yet, mainstream feminist movements that mobilise for women and against gendered violence have largely looked away.

Female pro-Palestine protesters attacked by police in Germany

German police violently assaulted female pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Berlin during a march commemorating International Women’s Day.

At least 28 people were arrested and one police officer was injured in the melee, according to police.

The incident is part of a broader pattern of crackdowns on pro-Palestinian protests across the country. Authorities have banned Arabic chants and speeches at demonstrations, citing “public security”, and have frequently resorted to violence to disperse protests.

NEW | German police violently attacked female pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Berlin during a march commemorating female resistance and International Women’s Day.

This latest incident is part of a broader pattern of crackdowns on pro-Palestinian protests and speech across the… pic.twitter.com/0qbFBjr30P

— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) March 8, 2025

New head of Israeli military visits troops in Syria

Eyal Zamir, who was appointed the military’s chief of staff last week, visited Israeli troops in southern Syria, the Israeli military says.

Israel took the opportunity presented by the fall of President Bashar al-Assad in December to illegally occupy more Syrian territory along the buffer zone between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and the remainder of Syria.

It has also repeatedly bombed military sites throughout Syria.

Israel says it will issue permits for Syrian Druze workers in occupied Golan Heights

Israel’s Ministry of Defence says it will allow Syrian Druze workers to enter the occupied Golan Heights, but didn’t give a timeline for when permits would be issued.

The Druze are an ethnoreligious minority that largely identifies as Arab and is Arabic-speaking. The community is found in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and the Golan Heights – Syrian territory occupied by Israel.

Israel took the majority of the Golan Heights in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and then annexed the area in 1981 despite condemnation by the United Nations and the international community.

Only the United States recognises Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan, which is strategically important because it overlooks the plains of northern Israel and southwestern Syria.

_{An Israeli soldier walks by the ceasefire line with Syria and the occupied Golan Heights}