Former US President Donald Trump has written to Israeli President Isaac Herzog, requesting a pardon for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is currently facing corruption and abuse of power charges. Herzog’s office confirmed receipt of the letter on November 12, noting that any pardon request must follow formal procedures. In his letter, Trump described the charges against Netanyahu as politically motivated and unjust, praising him as a long-time ally in confronting adversaries such as Iran. Netanyahu, who has denied all allegations, thanked Trump publicly on social media for his support. The Israeli leader’s trial has faced multiple delays due to the ongoing Gaza conflict, while Trump’s intervention has drawn attention to the close ties between the two politicians.

A BBC Verify analysis of satellite imagery has revealed that Israeli forces destroyed more than 1,500 buildings in Gaza after a ceasefire with Hamas began on October 10. The images, taken up to November 8, show widespread destruction in areas under Israeli control, raising concerns that the actions may violate ceasefire terms brokered by the United States, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey. Experts suggest the actual number of destroyed buildings could be higher. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) maintain that their operations comply with the ceasefire framework. The ceasefire, based on a 20-point peace plan, was supposed to halt all military actions, including air and artillery strikes. However, visual analysis indicates continued large-scale demolitions in Gaza, particularly around eastern Khan Younis, where previously undamaged residential areas now appear destroyed.

Israel has imposed new restrictions on humanitarian aid entering Gaza, worsening the crisis for civilians already trapped amid devastation from continuous airstrikes. The UN reports that aid supplies remain far below the population’s urgent needs, despite the delivery of 37,000 metric tons—mostly food—since October 10. Limited entry through the Al-Qarara and Kerem Abu Salem crossings offers little relief, while northern and Egypt–Gaza routes remain sealed. NGOs have also been denied access. The UN and the World Food Programme are calling for the reopening of all crossings, warning that over a million displaced Gazans are suffering severe shortages of food, clean water, medicine, and shelter. With homes destroyed and infrastructure collapsed, humanitarian agencies fear the worsening blockade could push Gaza into an even deeper humanitarian disaster.

In an exclusive interview with NDTV on November 4, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar expressed deep gratitude toward India for standing by Israel during its conflict with Hamas. He stated, “India was by our side, and we will remember that forever.” Sa’ar highlighted that bilateral relations between Israel and India have reached unprecedented strength, driven by cooperation in defense, agriculture, technology, and intelligence.

He revealed that both nations are finalizing a new memorandum of understanding on defense collaboration and developing frameworks for intelligence sharing. Sa’ar also commended Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the first world leader to call Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack, reinforcing the friendship between the two nations.

On the Israel–Palestine issue, Sa’ar rejected the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state that could threaten Israel’s security, emphasizing lessons learned from past mistakes. He reaffirmed Israel’s goal to dismantle Hamas’s military capabilities and end its regime in Gaza. The minister further noted that Israel and India share similar experiences in combating terrorism, and their partnership symbolizes a strong, strategic, and future-oriented alliance.

Since the ceasefire in Gaza began on October 10, Israeli forces have allegedly breached the agreement at least 194 times, according to Palestine’s official media office. Director Ismail al-Thawabteh told Anadolu News Agency that violations include crossing the so-called “yellow line,” military incursions, gunfire, shelling, airstrikes, and obstructing the entry of medical supplies, medicines, tents, and mobile homes into Gaza. He emphasized that, contrary to expectations, the ceasefire has not brought relief to the Palestinian population.

The media office reports these violations daily to international mediators. Al-Thawabteh warned civilians against approaching the “yellow line,” noting prior incidents where Israeli forces killed unarmed civilians without warning. Although the ceasefire protocol stipulated the deployment of heavy machinery to recover bodies trapped under rubble, Israel has allowed only limited access for recovering its own casualties. Approximately 9,500 Palestinians remain missing or dead under debris, and around 288,000 families live in open or temporary shelters. Nearly 90% of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure has been destroyed, resulting in estimated damages of $70 billion. The official office further claimed that Israel is deliberately worsening the humanitarian crisis by blocking over 6,000 aid trucks at the Rafah border with Egypt.

Israel has threatened to intensify its military operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, accusing the Lebanese government of failing to disarm the Iran-backed group despite a ceasefire agreement reached in late 2024. The warning came a day after an Israeli airstrike in Nabatieh killed four people, including a member of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Katz stated that “Hezbollah is playing with fire,” and warned that any threat to northern Israel would be met with maximum force.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry confirmed the casualties, while President Joseph Aoun ordered the army to resist Israeli incursions. Israeli officials claim Hezbollah is rebuilding its arsenal, smuggling hundreds of short-range missiles from Syria. Israel warned Beirut that if Hezbollah is not disarmed, southern suburbs of the capital could face renewed bombing.

Although Hezbollah suffered heavy losses during last year’s conflict, the group continues to operate militarily and financially. The U.S. has urged Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah, but the group and its allies strongly oppose such measures. Despite the truce, Israeli air and ground strikes have continued, heightening tensions along the border and raising fears of another full-scale war in the region.

Israel has ignored the ceasefire agreement and continued its deadly operations in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of five Palestinians across northern, eastern, and central Gaza. Mahmoud Suleiman Al-Wadiya and others were killed, while several were injured, including family members of the victims. In southern Gaza’s Khan Yunis, two more Palestinians succumbed to injuries from recent Israeli strikes. Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces shot and killed 15-year-old Yamen Samed Yusuf Hamed in Silwad, near Ramallah, and delayed medical assistance by preventing ambulance access. Since October 2023, Israeli forces and settlers have increased attacks in the West Bank, killing over 1,062 Palestinians, injuring nearly 10,000, and arresting around 20,000, including 1,600 children. Humanitarian organizations continue to raise concerns over the escalating violence.

Israel has carried out fresh airstrikes on Gaza, killing two Palestinians, despite announcing that the ceasefire would remain in effect. The attack, which took place in Beit Lahia on Wednesday evening, comes just days after more than 100 people, mostly women and children, were killed in heavy bombardments ordered by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following the death of an Israeli soldier in Rafah. Israel claims the latest strike targeted a weapons storage site that posed an immediate threat to its forces. The renewed assault has cast doubt on Gaza’s already fragile truce. The United States has stated that the ceasefire remains “not at risk,” while Qatar, a key mediator, expressed disappointment but remains hopeful about progress. The United Nations condemned the attacks, with Secretary-General António Guterres voicing deep concern over civilian casualties, including many children.

Israel’s government has approved the construction of 1,300 new homes in the Gush Etzion settlement bloc, located south of occupied East Jerusalem, according to Israeli media outlet Channel 14. The decision was reportedly made unanimously by Israel’s Special Planning and Building Committee earlier this week. The new housing plan, centered in the Har Harushim area near Alon Shvut, includes residential buildings, schools, public facilities, parks, and a large commercial center meant to serve surrounding settlements.

The approval comes amid renewed international criticism of Israel’s settlement activities. U.S. President Donald Trump recently commented that Israel was “not taking any action” in the West Bank, despite ongoing developments that contradict his statement. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has been accelerating settlement expansion ahead of next year’s Knesset elections, aiming to establish facts on the ground that hinder the creation of a future Palestinian state.

Since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government took office in late 2022, approximately 48,000 settlement units have been advanced in the West Bank, averaging about 17,000 units annually. The United Nations has repeatedly condemned Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories as illegal under international law and a serious threat to the two-state solution.

At least 100 Palestinians were killed overnight in renewed Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, according to hospital and civil defense sources. The attacks, launched between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, reportedly targeted residential areas, refugee shelters, and makeshift tents, killing at least 91 people initially, later confirmed to have risen above 100, including 35 children. Gaza’s hospital authorities said emergency medical teams continue to treat hundreds of wounded civilians amid severe shortages of medical supplies.

The strikes have been widely condemned as a violation of the fragile ceasefire agreement. International calls for intervention to protect Palestinian civilians have grown louder, as global organizations and governments urge Israel to halt the bombardment. U.S. President Donald Trump commented that Israel “retaliated after a soldier’s death,” but claimed the response “would not endanger the ceasefire.” He also urged Hamas to “act responsibly.”

The latest escalation follows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s direct order for intensified operations after a gunfire exchange in Rafah killed an Israeli soldier. Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have reportedly killed around 70,000 Palestinians and injured over 170,000, underscoring the catastrophic humanitarian toll of the conflict.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered immediate, large-scale air and ground attacks on Gaza following allegations that Hamas violated the ongoing ceasefire agreement. According to Israeli authorities, Hamas has failed to return the bodies of 13 Israeli hostages still believed to be trapped under rubble in Gaza, an act they describe as a direct breach of the truce.

Hamas, however, stated that the recovery of those bodies requires heavy machinery and expert teams due to the extensive destruction in the area. Although Israel allowed limited humanitarian assistance for rescue efforts, the retrieval of all remains remains incomplete. Mediators—including U.S. officials and former President Donald Trump—had reportedly warned earlier that recovering the hostages’ remains from the ruins would be extremely difficult.

Under the ceasefire deal, Hamas was supposed to return the bodies in exchange for Israel partially halting its military operations. With progress stalled, the situation has once again escalated sharply. Analysts believe Netanyahu’s renewed offensive may serve as a strategic response to justify continued military actions, further complicating peace prospects. Observers also fear the new strikes could severely worsen Gaza’s already dire humanitarian crisis.

Israeli Army Chief Lieutenant General Yaal Zamir has declared that the war in Gaza will continue until Hamas returns the bodies of all Israeli hostages killed during the conflict. Speaking at a conference of IDF lieutenant commanders in Jerusalem on October 27, Zamir emphasized that the mission remains “sacred,” with two key goals — recovering the bodies of Israeli hostages and sustaining the campaign against Hamas. He stressed that the Israel Defense Forces are committed to fulfilling their moral and professional duty with courage and determination. The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages. Israel’s subsequent offensive in Gaza has resulted in over 67,000 Palestinian deaths. Although a ceasefire brokered by former U.S. President Donald Trump began on October 10, the issue of returning the bodies of deceased hostages continues to hinder lasting peace.

Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, has given preliminary approval to a bill that seeks to formally annex the occupied West Bank into Israeli territory, effectively extending Israeli sovereignty over the Palestinian land. The bill passed by a narrow 25–24 vote and must undergo three more rounds of voting before becoming law. Despite opposing the bill, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced support for it from some coalition and opposition members. The proposal has drawn sharp condemnation from the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, and Arab nations including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, all warning that it violates international law and threatens peace efforts. The move also contradicts recent U.S. policy statements discouraging annexation. Critics say the legislation undermines the two-state solution and further entrenches Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories.

Israeli air and ground assaults continue in Gaza, intensifying concerns about the fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire with Hamas. The Palestinian Civil Defense reported four people killed in two separate incidents in the Al-Shifa area, while Israeli forces claim they targeted militants crossing the designated “yellow line.” Residents say widespread destruction makes the line nearly impossible to identify. Both Israel and Hamas accuse each other of violating the ceasefire. At least 42 people, including children, were killed in Israeli airstrikes on October 19, which Israel calls retaliation for the killing of two soldiers by Hamas, a claim the group denies. Humanitarian aid delivery faces delays due to multiple checkpoints, despite Israel announcing a partial resumption of the ceasefire. U.S. envoys, including Steve Whitlock and Jared Kushner, have met with Israeli officials, while Vice President J.D. Vance is scheduled to visit. Discussions on Hamas disarmament and Gaza administration reforms remain contentious.

Israeli forces launched new airstrikes and opened fire in Gaza despite an ongoing ceasefire, killing several Palestinians and sparking fears that the fragile truce could collapse. According to Al Jazeera, four civilians were killed in the Al-Shaaf area of Gaza City when they returned to inspect their destroyed homes. The Israeli army claimed they fired on militants who had crossed a boundary known as the “yellow line,” established under a U.S.-brokered ceasefire on October 10. Since then, Gaza authorities report at least 97 Palestinians killed, with both sides accusing each other of violating the agreement. Last Sunday, Israeli airstrikes reportedly killed 42 people, including children. Hamas denied Israeli claims of attacks near Rafah and accused Israel of seeking excuses to restart the conflict. Despite threats to block humanitarian aid, Israel later confirmed it would maintain the truce. The UN said aid deliveries to Gaza have resumed.