TOP OF THE AGENDA

A divisive figure in a country at war

Benjamin Netanyahu's first stint in power came in 1996 on a platform opposing the Oslo peace process. Credit: Getty Images

By the time Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power for an unprecedented sixth term at the end of 2022, Israel had held five elections in less than four years. His new government then sparked mass protests over judicial reform, but tensions were cast aside after Hamas attacked southern Israel on 7 October. Still, as international editor Jeremy Bowen reports, many in the country hold Mr Netanyahu responsible for the security lapses that allowed the massacre of about 1,200 people and the capture of an estimated 253 hostages, more than 100 of whom are still being held in Gaza. At a protest in Jerusalem, thousands called for Mr Netanyahu's resignation and for early elections.

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• US weapons: Despite a week of tensions with Israel over its conduct of the Gaza War, Washington is reported to have authorised arms transfers to its ally worth billions of dollars.

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• Gaza hospitals: Israel's military says it has concluded a two-week military operation in al-Shifa that has destroyed much of the complex. Meanwhile, an Israeli air strike hit a courtyard in al-Aqsa hospital, killing four people and injuring 17 others, including journalists.

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• 'It's not perfect': Correspondent Lucy Williamson reports from a US military plane tasked with parachuting aid parcels over Gaza.

WORLD HEADLINES

• Unifil: The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon is investigating a strike that injured three of its observers and a translator who had been patrolling the Blue Line border between the country and Israel.

• Mexico's Oaxaca state: The bodies of eight Chinese nationals have been found on a beach after their boat capsized along a route used by people trying to enter the US.

• 'Fraud factories': Indian authorities say they have rescued 250 citizens who had been fored to run online scams in Cambodia.

• Partial legalisation: A first set of rules decriminalising cannabis use has taken effect in Germany, where the issue remains controversial.

• Not a souvenir: Journalists travelling on Air Force One have been warned not to steal from the US presidential plane, after items such as branded pillowcases, glasses and gold-rimmed plates allegedly vanished from the jet following a recent trip.

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