Israel Hamas Conflict

The US President has denied he demanded Israel delay its ground invasion of Gaza.

A furious diplomatic spat between Israel and the United Nations is escalating, with Israeli officials calling for the resignation of Secretary General Antonio Guterres after he said Hamas' October 7 attacks on the country "did not happen in a vacuum."

Following the meeting in Beirut, a brief statement said Hezbollah's leader Hassan Nasrallah agreed with Hamas' Saleh al-Arouri and Islamic Jihad's leader Ziad al-Nakhleh on the next steps.

It comes as Israeli airstrikes on the besieged strip reportedly killed more than 700 people in a day.

Israeli diplomats have taken umbrage at Antonio Guterres after he called for an immediate ceasefire and said "clear violations of international humanitarian law" have been witnessed in Gaza.

Israel's deputy ambassador to the US admits his country may pay "a dear price" for defending itself against Hamas but says it will not come close to that it is already paying with the loss of lives.

Australian Defence Force personnel and aircraft are heading to the Middle East as Israel's anticipated ground invasion of Gaza looms.

United Nations chief warned at a high-level meeting that the situation in the Middle East is growing more dire by the hour, with the risk of the Gaza war spreading through the region increasing.

Yocheved Lifshitz has described her ordeal after being kidnapped by the Palestinian militant group, saying she "went through hell".

Aid agencies are calling for a ceasefire in Gaza as doctors warn an Israeli blockade on fuel means many more vulnerable babies and wounded people in hospitals will soon die.

LIVE UPDATES: The tech company confirmed the move, as the country prepares for a potential ground invasion into Gaza.

Yousra Abu Sharekh's days begin in the southern Gaza Strip often after sleepless nights amid blaring ambulance sirens and the clamor of neighbors in the brief pause between relentless Israeli airstrikes.

It comes as the US expresses increasing concern that the escalating Israel-Hamas war will spark a wider conflict.

Ohad Munder-Zichri's will mark his ninth birthday in captivity after he and his family were taken by Hamas militants from Nir Oz more than two weeks ago.

Israel has stepped up its bombardment after letting in some few relief trucks.

The black ink is a small sign of the fear and desperation felt by parents in the densely populated enclave.

Antony Blinken is fearing the fighting is about to spread – and has blamed one country for the expected escalation.

Israeli warplanes have struck targets across Gaza, including in areas where Palestinian civilians have been told to seek refuge.

The two-week-old war with Hamas has threatened to spiral into a broader conflict.

The Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza has opened, allowing desperately needed aid to flow to civilians running short of food, medicine, water.

Melbourne grandparents have told of the moment war erupted around them, while they were visiting relatives in Israel, as almost 100 Australians return home on last repatriation flight.

Uri Raanan of Illinois told The Associated Press that he spoke to his daughter by telephone.

The assessment was based on classified information, satellite imagery, and intelligence shared by other countries.

Amid the fighting, Israel's defence minister said the country did not have plans to maintain control over civilians in Gaza after its war against the Hamas militant group.

The PM says his priority has been to engage with Australian representatives of both sides of the conflict.

The US President is making the case for deepening US involvement in two unpredictable foreign conflicts in a rare Oval Office address.

Israel bombarded Gaza early on Friday, hitting areas in the south where Palestinians had been told to seek safety.

The current crisis in the Middle East could disrupt global oil supplies and push prices higher, according to the Associated Press.

Between 800-850 police will attend tomorrow's protest at Sydney Town Hall after working with march organisers to ensure a peaceful event.

A US Navy warship operating in the Middle East intercepted multiple projectiles near the coast of Yemen on Thursday, two US officials told CNN.

Hamas fighters likely fired North Korean weapons during their October 7 assault on Israel, a militant video and weapons seized by Israel show.

Denmark, Sweden and Norway joined Australia in further tightening travel advisories for Lebanon and cautioned against travel there until further notice as Hamas and Hezbollah say they bombarded Israel from Lebanon.

Israel pounded the Gaza Strip with airstrikes, including in the south where Palestinians were told to take refuge, and the country's defence minister told ground troops to "be ready" to invade.

Israeli airstrikes have pounded locations across the Gaza Strip, including parts of the south that Israel had declared as safe zones.

The government urged Australians wishing to leave to depart by commercial aircraft as soon as possible.

She's been hailed a hero in Israel and told US President Joe Biden about how she diverted militants.

Biden said data from his Defence Department showed it was not likely a strike by the Israeli military, something a National Security Council spokesperson later posted on social media.

Israel said it will allow Egypt to deliver limited quantities of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, the first crack in a 10-day siege on the territory.

Joe Biden has touched down at Tel Aviv ahead of a meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu.

It's one of only two mercy flights to bring Australians home, with the government confirming there wouldn't be any more.

If confirmed, the attack would be by far the deadliest Israeli airstrike in five wars fought since 2008.

As Gaza faces constant bombardment from Israel, health workers in the besieged enclave struggle to keep locals alive.

A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would not confirm whether they launched strikes in those areas.

The risks of a presidential visit to Israel are not small. On Monday, as Antony Blinken met with Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, air sirens blared, forcing the two men to shelter in place.

Oil prices rose above $91 a barrel Monday as diplomatic efforts to address the crisis in the Middle East intensified.

Police said the man attended a pro-Palestinian gathering in Sydney's CBD, in the wake of Hamas attacks earlier this month.

US leaders are mounting an urgent effort to prevent Israel's war against Hamas and a resulting civilian catastrophe in Gaza from escalating into a widening regional conflict.

More than a million people have fled their homes ahead of an expected Israeli ground invasion.

LIVE UPDATES: The Israeli military says Hamas and other Palestinian militants are holding 199 hostages in Gaza – higher than previous estimates.

The myriad tunnels under Gaza are best known as passageways used to smuggle goods from Egypt and launch attacks into Israel.