Israel shells Gaza overnight as Palestinians await reopening of Rafah crossing

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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has amended the election law to require candidates to officially endorse the Palestine Liberation Organization’s program, a condition that effectively bars Hamas and similar factions from participating in upcoming polls.

Critics say the change undermines political pluralism and limits voters’ choices by excluding key political groups.

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A Palestinian woman was reported injured after an Israeli military vehicle collided with a car near the town of Sa'ir, north of occupied Hebron, according to Palestinian media.

The U.S. has deployed around ten warships, including the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, to the Middle East, increasing military pressure on Iran amid escalating tensions.

President Trump warned Tehran to negotiate or face potential military action, while Iran says it is open to dialogue but will defend itself if attacked.

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The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has called for Israel to "evacuate all settlers" from the occupied territories, denouncing "state-backed settler violence" in the West Bank.

In a statement published on Wednesday, the UN Office says settler expansion is driving "forced displacement" of Palestinians from the territory, saying this constitutes "a war crime".

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that Iran's Islamic republic was at its weakest ever point and expected protests to resume eventually, as the United States ramps up pressure.

"That regime is probably weaker than it has ever been and the core problem they face - unlike the protests you saw in the past on some other topics - is that they don't have a way to address the core complaints of the protesters, which is that their economy is in collapse", Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

A 28-year-old Palestinian man has died after being shot by Israeli forces near the Tunnels checkpoint north of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, according to Wafa news agency citing the Palestinian health ministry.

Israel accused the individual of allegedly carrying out a stabbing in the area.

Iran has revealed what it says are extensive underwater missile tunnels stocked with hundreds of long-range cruise missiles and warned that the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz would “not stay safe” if Tehran is attacked, amid rising tensions with the United States.

Officials also claimed Iran has “complete dominance” over the strait’s air, surface and subsurface domains and stressed that any conflict would be met with a decisive response.

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Iran will deliver an unprecedented retaliation to any US attack, its mission to the United Nations said Wednesday, in response to a military threat from President Donald Trump.

"Iran stands ready for dialogue based on mutual respect and interests  - BUT IF PUSHED, IT WILL DEFEND ITSELF AND RESPOND LIKE NEVER BEFORE!" the mission wrote on X alongside a screenshot of Trump's social media threat early Wednesday that a "massive Armada" was heading towards the Islamic Republic.

The Iranian mission, warning against US intervention, also referenced the United States' casualties and expenditures in its past two wars.

"Last time the US blundered into wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, it squandered over $7 trillion and lost more than 7,000 American lives", the mission said.

Trump on Wednesday renewed threats to attack Iran, saying "time is running out" to make a deal on nuclear weapons.

"As I told Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn't, and there was 'Operation Midnight Hammer,' a major destruction of Iran. The next attack will be far worse!"

Trump has repeatedly left open the option of new military action against Iran after Washington joined Israel's 12-day war in June aimed at degrading Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as Russia seeks to secure the future of its key military bases in Syria following the ousting of longtime Kremlin ally Bashar al-Assad.

The visit aims to build relations and discuss cooperation, though Russia’s sheltering of Assad remains a contentious issue amid talks on reconstruction and strategic ties.

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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Wednesday that the Iranian government's "days are numbered" as US President Donald Trump renews threats of intervention after a crackdown on protests in the country.

"A regime that can only hold onto power through sheer violence and terror against its own population: its days are numbered", Merz told journalists at a press conference alongside Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan.

"It could be a matter of weeks but this regime has no legitimacy to govern the country", Merz added.

Iranian authorities are pressuring families of protesters killed in recent unrest by withholding bodies, demanding money, and threatening them into silence.

Rights groups say the tactic is meant to suppress dissent and prevent funerals from becoming acts of protest.

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Hamas said on Wednesday it was ready to transfer the governance of Gaza to a Palestinian technocratic committee, while insisting the key Rafah border crossing be fully reopened within days.

"Protocols are prepared, files are complete, and committees are in place to oversee the handover, ensuring a complete transfer of governance in the Gaza Strip across all sectors to the technocratic committee", Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told AFP.

Qassem added that the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt "must be opened in both directions, with full freedom of exit and entry to the Gaza Strip, without any Israeli obstacles".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that a growing Saudi‑Qatar‑Turkey alignment is undermining the 'Abraham Accords' and blocking any chance of future normalisation between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

He argues the emerging bloc is designed to counter UAE–Israeli influence and is fuelled by Riyadh’s worsening rift with Abu Dhabi.

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Israeli lawmakers are preparing for a first vote on the 2026 draft budget, a key test for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s fragile coalition, which risks collapsing if the budget is not passed by the end of March.

Deep divisions over ultra‑Orthodox military conscription and the political fallout from the war on Gaza are driving the tension, raising the possibility of early elections.

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Two Israeli artillery shells fired by Israel have landed in the sea off the coast of Naqoura in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanon's National News Agency.

The Israeli military said it was investigating reports of an alleged "stabbing attack" at a checkpoint near Bayta Jala, just north of occupied Bethlehem.

The statement issued on their X page said the incident did not result in any casualties.

The incident comes as Israeli police say a suspect had been "shot and neutralised" without providing any additional information on the individual's identity or condition.

A convoy of Israeli military vehicles was reported to have entered the village of Ain al-Qadi in Syria's Quneitra, according to Syrian state media SANA, arresting one of its residents.

The army also set up multiple checkpoints in the area as Israeli incursions into the border area continue.

Israeli forces have detained three Palestinians in Beit Ummar, north of the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa.

The outlet added that heavy equipment used for a water network rehabilitation project was seized by Israeli forces.

Iraq's main candidate for the premiership, Nouri al-Maliki, on Wednesday denounced Washington's "blatant interference", after President Donald Trump threatened to end all support to the country if Maliki took the post.

The US has held significant sway over Iraqi politics since leading the 2003 invasion that ousted long-time ruler Saddam Hussein.

"We categorically reject the blatant American interference in Iraq's internal affairs," said Maliki, the only former Iraqi prime minister to have served two terms since the invasion.

"We consider it a violation" of Iraq's "democratic system", in place since 2003, he added on X.

Turkish authorities have arrested six people accused of spying for Iran, including individuals allegedly involved in gathering intelligence on Iranian dissidents living in Turkey.

The operation reflects growing tension between Ankara and Tehran over covert activities on Turkish soil.

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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi discussed efforts to ease regional tensions during a phone call on Wednesday, a Turkish Foreign Ministry source said.

The source provided no additional details. NATO ally Turkey shares a border with Iran and has opposed any military action against its neighbour.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday warned Israel's enemies that they would pay a heavy price if they attacked, speaking at the funeral for the last captive to be recovered from Gaza.

"We are determined to complete our missions: to disarm Hamas and demilitarise Gaza, and we will succeed. Let our enemies know that anyone who raises a hand against Israel will pay an exorbitant price," he told mourners attending the funeral of Ran Gvili, whose remains were returned to Israel this week.

US President Donald Trump says a "massive Armada" is heading to Iran, "moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose".

In a post on his TrutshSocial platform, Trump said the Aircraft Carrier Abraham Lincoln, a larger fleet than the one sent to Venezuela, is "ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary".

The US president threatens Iran that if it doesn't negotiate a deal, "the next attack will be far worse", referring to the US involvement in the 12-day war with Iran in June.

A senior SDF delegation has arrived in Damascus to negotiate the terms of a new ceasefire and security arrangement in northeast Syria, just as President Ahmed al‑Sharaa prepares for talks in Moscow on Russia’s future military presence.

The discussions signal a major shift in control of former SDF‑held areas after a sweeping Syrian government offensive earlier in January.

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US authorities have deported three former members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) who entered the country illegally in 2024, amid sharply rising tensions between Washington and Tehran.

The move comes as Iran faces international condemnation for a deadly crackdown on protests that rights groups say has killed more than 6,000 people.

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Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa has arrived in Moscow, according to Russian media reports.

The Syrian leader is expected to meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and discuss issues ranging from Russian military bases in Syria to ousted Bashar al-Assad.

Israel to reopen Gaza's southern border crossing with Egypt "as early as Sunday", according to senior Israeli army official speaking to Israel's Walla news agency.

The report suggests that the Israeli military has received instructions to begin security preparations to allow for the crossing in both directions of civilians.

At least four people were killed and six others injured across the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, the Palestinian health ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

The body of one other Palestinian was retrieved from under the rubble. 

At least 71,667 people have been killed and 171,343 others injured since 7 October, 2023, according to the ministry's tally. This includes 492 reported deaths since the ceasefire came into effect.

Syrian President Ahmed al‑Sharaa is travelling to Moscow to meet Vladimir Putin as Russia pushes to secure long‑term arrangements for its remaining military bases in Syria.

The talks come amid tensions over Russia’s continued protection of ousted former leader Bashar al‑Assad, whom Sharaa wants extradited, and after Moscow recently withdrew forces from the Qamishli airport, leaving only its Hmeimim and Tartus bases.

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The Foreign Press Association, an international media organisation representing media workers worldwide, says it is "deeply disappointed" at the decision taken by Israe's Supreme Court to postpone the ruling on a petition seeking "free and independent media acess" to the besieged Gaza Strip.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi denied being in contact with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in recent days or requesting negotiations, state media reported on Wednesday.

The foreign minister added Tehran remains in contact with mediating countries that are "holding consultations".

Donald Trump has warned that the United States will stop supporting Iraq if former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki regains power, calling his past rule disastrous.

The warning follows moves by Iraq’s Iran-aligned Coordination Framework to back Maliki’s nomination, deepening tensions with Washington.

Trump’s intervention comes as the US weighs possible military action against Iran and pushes Baghdad to curb Tehran-backed armed groups.

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Turkey's foreign minister on Wednesday urged the U.S. to resolve its disputes with Iran "one by one" instead of through a sweeping deal, saying this would avoid humiliating Iranian officials, and added that Tehran was ready for talks on its nuclear programme.

U.S. President Donald Trump said last week that Washington had an "armada" heading toward Iran but hoped he would not have to use it, as he renewed warnings to Tehran against killing protesters or restarting its nuclear programme.

Tehran brutally cracked down on anti-government protests earlier this month, leading to the death and arrest of thousands of people. Officials blamed the unrest on "armed terrorists and rioters" linked to Iran's foes, the United States and Israel. Rights groups describe the protests as the biggest since the 1979 revolution.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan reiterated that Turkey opposed any foreign intervention or attack on Iran, saying it would be "wrong to start the war again."

"My advice always to the American friends: close the files one by one with Iranians. Start with nuclear, close it, then the other, then the other," Fidan said.

"If you put them as a package all of them, it will be very difficult for our Iranian friends to digest," he said. "It sometimes might seem humiliating for them. It will be very difficult to explain to not only themselves, but also to the leadership."

In June, the United States struck Iran's nuclear facilities amid heightened regional tensions with Israel over the war in Gaza. Talks on Tehran's nuclear programme - which it says is for peaceful purposes - have made little progress.

Turkey, a NATO member that shares a border with Iran, has said it reached out to both U.S. and Iranian officials. Ankara has said Tehran must be allowed to handle its domestic issues on its own, warning that any destabilisation would exceed the region's capacity to manage at this time.

Fidan has also said Israel was still looking to attack Iran.

The remains of the last Israeli captive recovered from the Gaza Strip were set to be buried on Wednesday.

Ran Gvili, an off-duty police officer, was killed fighting militants during the 7 October, 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israel. He was then seized and taken back into Gaza by the group, Israeli officials say.

Gvili was among about 250 people abducted during the attack, which killed around 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies, and set off the war in Gaza in which Palestinians health authorities say Israel kill more than 71,000 Palestinians.

Many of the captives were released during two short ceasefires, but dozens died in captivity. Under the terms of an October deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, Hamas and other groups agreed to return the remaining captives, alive or dead, in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.

Gvili, who was the last to be released, will be buried in his hometown of Meitar in southern Israel. His casket will be driven there in a procession beginning in Camp Shura, a facility where Israel has identified victims of the October 2023 attack.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog were expected to deliver eulogies at the funeral, expected to began at 10:30 a.m. (0830 GMT)

It also completes a core aspect of the initial phase of Trump's plan to end the war. The second stage, which Washington announced had started earlier this month, includes the reopening of Gaza's Rafah border with Egypt.

Iran on Wednesday executed a man arrested in April 2025 on charges of spying for Israel's espionage agency Mossad, the judiciary said.

Hamidreza Sabet Esmailpour, who had been convicted of passing information to a Mossad agent, was hanged at dawn, the judiciary's Mizan news agency said.

Rights groups have previously said 12 people have been hanged on similar charges in the wake of Israel's 12-day war with Iran in June. They have also expressed concern that protesters arrested in the wave of demonstrations this month could also face execution.