When the Israeli military seized control of the border crossing at Rafah, the Egyptian government seemed to be taken by surprise. Egypt’s government has stopped cooperating with aid shipments into Rafah. It’s also joined South Africa’s effort at the International Court of Justice to bring charges of genocide against Israel. Experts say the 45-year-old Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty is being put at risk.
As talks around a possible ceasefire in Gaza continue, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that the Israeli military is still planning to launch a ground offensive into Rafah. But there are signs that negotiators are getting closer to a ceasefire deal.
Pro-Palestinian protests at universities in the US are showing no signs of slowing down. But they aren’t limited to the United States. At The University of Sydney, in Sydney, Australia, students have set up a temporary encampment modeled on US ones. And students at other universities around the world are following suit.
As war continues in Gaza, Israelis and Palestinians are also fighting. A recent Israeli military raid on a Palestinian refugee camp killed at least 10 people. Israel said it was a counterterrorism operation against Hamas. The raid led to a general strike staged by Palestinians across the West Bank where, since Oct. 7, 2023, tensions and violence have increased.
Israel carried out another attack on Iran, this time on the city of Isfahan. It follows Iran’s firing of hundreds of drones and missiles at Israel for Israel’s strike on the Iranian Embassy complex in Syria. US officials have urged restraint and a deescalation of tensions. The World’s host Carol Hills speaks with Ali Vaez, the Iran project director for the International Crisis Group.
Hamas’ deadly attacks on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, left about 1,200 people dead, and about 250 taken as hostages. Some of those hostages were released after negotiations with Hamas last November. Most of the world first saw the terrifying videos and images from a music festival where hundreds had gathered for the weekend. Host Marco Werman traveled to the Nova music festival site and two other areas where Hamas struck.