Middle East

Israeli tanks advanced to the centre of Rafah for the first time on Tuesday, three weeks into a ground offensive in the southern Gaza city that has stirred global condemnation for its continued civilian toll.

Israel struck overnight in the area that has been designated as a safe area for the hundreds of displaced Palestinian families in Rafah city.

ICJ president says the humanitarian situation in Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah is now classified as ‘disastrous’.

In a move that has sent shockwaves through the international community, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders.

The International Criminal Court's prosecutor said on Monday he had requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his defence chief and three Hamas leaders over alleged war crimes.

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has died in a helicopter crash. Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and seven other people were also confirmed dead in the crash along with President Ebrahim Raisi, state media reported. The flight came down on Sunday in remote and mountainous north west.

Cairo has described the move as a response to the worsening intensity of attacks on civilians in Gaza.

Israeli forces pushed deep into the ruins of Gaza's northern edge on Monday to recapture an area where they had claimed to have defeated Hamas months ago, while at the opposite end of the enclave tanks and troops pushed across a highway into Rafah.

The prime minister’s pledge comes after President Biden warned the IDF against a major offensive in the Gazan city of Rafah.