Israeli strikes kill at least 72 in Gaza, including sleeping family
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Three children and their parents were killed in an Israeli strike on a tent camp in Muwasi near the southern city of Khan Younis. They were struck while sleeping, relatives said. Relatives of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip mourn their deaths at Al-Shifa Hospital. (AP) 'What did these children do to them? What is their fault?' said the children's grandmother, Suad Abu Teima, as others knelt to kiss their bloodied faces and wept. Some placed red flowers into the body bags. Also among the dead were 12 people near the Palestine Stadium in Gaza City, which was sheltering displaced people, and eight more in apartments, according to staff at Shifa Hospital. More than 20 bodies were taken to Nasser Hospital, according to health officials. A midday strike killed 11 people on a street in eastern Gaza City, and their bodies were taken to Al-Ahli Hospital. Another strike on a gathering in eastern Gaza City killed eight including five children, the hospital said. A strike on a gathering at the entrance to the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza killed two, according to Al-Awda Hospital. Palestinians dig through sand looking for belongings after an Israeli strike hit a displacement tent camp in Gaza City, Saturday, June 28, 2025. (AP) US President Donald Trump says there could be a ceasefire agreement within the next week. Taking questions from reporters on Friday, he said, 'We're working on Gaza and trying to get it taken care of". An official with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer will arrive in Washington next week for talks on a Gaza ceasefire, Iran and other subjects. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media. Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas have been on again, off again since Israel broke the latest ceasefire in March, continuing its military campaign in Gaza and furthering the territory's dire humanitarian crisis. Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, fewer than half believed to still be alive. They were among 251 hostages taken when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, sparking the war. 'What more is left to do in Gaza that has not already been done? Who else is left to eliminate?' Yotam Cohen, brother of hostage Nimrod Cohen, said on Saturday evening as weekly rallies by families and supporters resumed following Israel's ceasefire with Iran. The war has killed over 56,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. It says more than half of the dead were women and children. It said the dead include 6089 killed since the end of the latest ceasefire. Israel says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas, accusing the militants of hiding among civilians because they operate in populated areas. There is hope among families of hostages that Trump's involvement in securing the recent ceasefire between Israel and Iran might lead to more pressure for a deal in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is riding a wave of public support for the Iran war and its achievements, and he could feel he has more space to move toward ending the war in Gaza, something his far-right governing partners oppose. Hamas has repeatedly said it is prepared to free all the hostages in exchange for an end to the war in Gaza. Netanyahu says he will end the war only once Hamas is disarmed and exiled, something the group has rejected. Palestinians inspect damaged tents after an Israeli strike hit a displacement camp in Gaza City. (AP) Meanwhile, hungry Palestinians are enduring a catastrophic situation in Gaza. After blocking all food for 2 1/2 months, Israel has allowed only a trickle of supplies into the territory since mid-May. More than 500 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds more wounded while seeking food since the newly formed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began distributing aid in the territory about a month ago, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Palestinian witnesses say Israeli troops have opened fire at crowds on roads heading toward the sites. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots and that it was investigating incidents in which civilians had been harmed while approaching the sites. Thousands of Palestinians walk for hours to reach the sites, moving through Israeli military zones. Separate efforts by the United Nations to distribute limited food have been plagued by armed gangs looting trucks and by crowds of desperate people offloading supplies from convoys. Saturday's death toll included two people killed by Israeli gunfire while waiting to receive aid near the Netzarim corridor, a road that separates northern and southern Gaza, according to Al-Shifa and Al-Awda hospitals, which each received one body. There was no immediate Israeli military comment. Gaza
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The Advertiser
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US Senate extends vote on Trump's 'big beautiful bill'
The US Senate has extended its debate on President Donald Trump's controversial budget, with the expectation of voting on the plan, which would add more than $5 trillion to the public debt. Republicans told the media that the "vote-a-rama" would begin at 9am local time on Monday (11pm AEST), the process in which lawmakers present amendments to the initiative, which contains key elements of Trump's agenda, such as tax and public spending cuts, and increased funding for defence and immigration control. It is still uncertain whether all 53 senators from Trump's party will support the bill, as it would add $US3.3 trillion ($A5.1 trillion) to the public debt within 10 years, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) now estimates, a higher estimate than the $US2.4 ($A3.7) trillion in the version approved by the House in May. Other lawmakers question the cuts to social programs such as Medicaid and food stamps because the CBO predicts that 12 million people will lose their health insurance by 2034 under the initiative, which would cut $US1.1 trillion ($A1.7 trillion) in public health policies. Among the critics is Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who resigned from his re-election bid on Sunday after publicly opposing the bill and drawing criticism from Trump. "Facts matter, people matter. The Senate's approach to Medicaid breaks promises and will push people who truly need it off Medicaid," the lawmaker said. Elon Musk, also took a swipe at the bill, which would end tax breaks for the electric vehicles that his automaker Tesla manufactures, posting on X it was "utterly insane and destructive" and "political suicide for the Republican Party". Meanwhile, Democrats displayed unified opposition by first forcing 16 hours of reading aloud of the 940-page bill and then exhausting the 10 hours of debate allotted to each party to delay the process and highlight the tax cuts for the wealthy and the budget. "Democrats are exposing on the floor through parliamentary inquiries the hypocrisy of what Republicans are trying to do here in the Senate. We are exposing how Republicans are trying to hide the true cost of their gifts to billionaires," Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said. Trump intensified his lobbying in the last week to get the Senate to approve his controversial "Big, Beautiful Bill" for signing by Friday, Independence Day. The controversy grew this week after the release of the 940-page draft currently being discussed by the Senate. It includes more cuts than those approved by the House of Representatives, particularly to social programs and tax incentives for wind and solar energy, and electric vehicles. The US Senate has extended its debate on President Donald Trump's controversial budget, with the expectation of voting on the plan, which would add more than $5 trillion to the public debt. Republicans told the media that the "vote-a-rama" would begin at 9am local time on Monday (11pm AEST), the process in which lawmakers present amendments to the initiative, which contains key elements of Trump's agenda, such as tax and public spending cuts, and increased funding for defence and immigration control. It is still uncertain whether all 53 senators from Trump's party will support the bill, as it would add $US3.3 trillion ($A5.1 trillion) to the public debt within 10 years, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) now estimates, a higher estimate than the $US2.4 ($A3.7) trillion in the version approved by the House in May. Other lawmakers question the cuts to social programs such as Medicaid and food stamps because the CBO predicts that 12 million people will lose their health insurance by 2034 under the initiative, which would cut $US1.1 trillion ($A1.7 trillion) in public health policies. Among the critics is Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who resigned from his re-election bid on Sunday after publicly opposing the bill and drawing criticism from Trump. "Facts matter, people matter. The Senate's approach to Medicaid breaks promises and will push people who truly need it off Medicaid," the lawmaker said. Elon Musk, also took a swipe at the bill, which would end tax breaks for the electric vehicles that his automaker Tesla manufactures, posting on X it was "utterly insane and destructive" and "political suicide for the Republican Party". Meanwhile, Democrats displayed unified opposition by first forcing 16 hours of reading aloud of the 940-page bill and then exhausting the 10 hours of debate allotted to each party to delay the process and highlight the tax cuts for the wealthy and the budget. "Democrats are exposing on the floor through parliamentary inquiries the hypocrisy of what Republicans are trying to do here in the Senate. We are exposing how Republicans are trying to hide the true cost of their gifts to billionaires," Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said. Trump intensified his lobbying in the last week to get the Senate to approve his controversial "Big, Beautiful Bill" for signing by Friday, Independence Day. The controversy grew this week after the release of the 940-page draft currently being discussed by the Senate. It includes more cuts than those approved by the House of Representatives, particularly to social programs and tax incentives for wind and solar energy, and electric vehicles. The US Senate has extended its debate on President Donald Trump's controversial budget, with the expectation of voting on the plan, which would add more than $5 trillion to the public debt. Republicans told the media that the "vote-a-rama" would begin at 9am local time on Monday (11pm AEST), the process in which lawmakers present amendments to the initiative, which contains key elements of Trump's agenda, such as tax and public spending cuts, and increased funding for defence and immigration control. It is still uncertain whether all 53 senators from Trump's party will support the bill, as it would add $US3.3 trillion ($A5.1 trillion) to the public debt within 10 years, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) now estimates, a higher estimate than the $US2.4 ($A3.7) trillion in the version approved by the House in May. Other lawmakers question the cuts to social programs such as Medicaid and food stamps because the CBO predicts that 12 million people will lose their health insurance by 2034 under the initiative, which would cut $US1.1 trillion ($A1.7 trillion) in public health policies. Among the critics is Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who resigned from his re-election bid on Sunday after publicly opposing the bill and drawing criticism from Trump. "Facts matter, people matter. The Senate's approach to Medicaid breaks promises and will push people who truly need it off Medicaid," the lawmaker said. Elon Musk, also took a swipe at the bill, which would end tax breaks for the electric vehicles that his automaker Tesla manufactures, posting on X it was "utterly insane and destructive" and "political suicide for the Republican Party". Meanwhile, Democrats displayed unified opposition by first forcing 16 hours of reading aloud of the 940-page bill and then exhausting the 10 hours of debate allotted to each party to delay the process and highlight the tax cuts for the wealthy and the budget. "Democrats are exposing on the floor through parliamentary inquiries the hypocrisy of what Republicans are trying to do here in the Senate. We are exposing how Republicans are trying to hide the true cost of their gifts to billionaires," Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said. Trump intensified his lobbying in the last week to get the Senate to approve his controversial "Big, Beautiful Bill" for signing by Friday, Independence Day. The controversy grew this week after the release of the 940-page draft currently being discussed by the Senate. It includes more cuts than those approved by the House of Representatives, particularly to social programs and tax incentives for wind and solar energy, and electric vehicles. The US Senate has extended its debate on President Donald Trump's controversial budget, with the expectation of voting on the plan, which would add more than $5 trillion to the public debt. Republicans told the media that the "vote-a-rama" would begin at 9am local time on Monday (11pm AEST), the process in which lawmakers present amendments to the initiative, which contains key elements of Trump's agenda, such as tax and public spending cuts, and increased funding for defence and immigration control. It is still uncertain whether all 53 senators from Trump's party will support the bill, as it would add $US3.3 trillion ($A5.1 trillion) to the public debt within 10 years, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) now estimates, a higher estimate than the $US2.4 ($A3.7) trillion in the version approved by the House in May. Other lawmakers question the cuts to social programs such as Medicaid and food stamps because the CBO predicts that 12 million people will lose their health insurance by 2034 under the initiative, which would cut $US1.1 trillion ($A1.7 trillion) in public health policies. Among the critics is Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who resigned from his re-election bid on Sunday after publicly opposing the bill and drawing criticism from Trump. "Facts matter, people matter. The Senate's approach to Medicaid breaks promises and will push people who truly need it off Medicaid," the lawmaker said. Elon Musk, also took a swipe at the bill, which would end tax breaks for the electric vehicles that his automaker Tesla manufactures, posting on X it was "utterly insane and destructive" and "political suicide for the Republican Party". Meanwhile, Democrats displayed unified opposition by first forcing 16 hours of reading aloud of the 940-page bill and then exhausting the 10 hours of debate allotted to each party to delay the process and highlight the tax cuts for the wealthy and the budget. "Democrats are exposing on the floor through parliamentary inquiries the hypocrisy of what Republicans are trying to do here in the Senate. We are exposing how Republicans are trying to hide the true cost of their gifts to billionaires," Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said. Trump intensified his lobbying in the last week to get the Senate to approve his controversial "Big, Beautiful Bill" for signing by Friday, Independence Day. The controversy grew this week after the release of the 940-page draft currently being discussed by the Senate. It includes more cuts than those approved by the House of Representatives, particularly to social programs and tax incentives for wind and solar energy, and electric vehicles.
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
BBC pressured over 'death to IDF' Glastonbury chant
Britain's prime minister has led criticism of chants at Glastonbury for "death" to the Israeli military as the BBC faces pressure to explain why it kept broadcasting. Rapper Bobby Vylan, of rap punk duo Bob Vylan, on Saturday led crowds on the festival's West Holts Stage in chants of "Free, free Palestine" and "Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)". A member of Belfast rap trio Kneecap suggested fans "start a riot" at his bandmate's forthcoming court appearance related to a terrorism charge. Responding to the chants from Bob Vylan, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said there was "no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech". "I said that Kneecap should not be given a platform and that goes for any other performers making threats or inciting violence. "The BBC needs to explain how these scenes came to be broadcast." A member of Kneecap said "f*** Keir Starmer" during their performance after the prime minister called for the band not to play at the festival. Avon and Somerset Police said video evidence from the performances would be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation. Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis said Bob Vylan's chants "very much crossed a line". "We are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence," she said in Instagram. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said Bob Vylan was "inciting violence and hatred" and should be arrested and prosecuted. "By broadcasting his vile hatred, the BBC appear to have also broken the law," he said. "I call on the Police to urgently investigate and prosecute the BBC as well for broadcasting this. Our national broadcaster should not be transmitting hateful material designed to incite violence and conflict," he posted on X. Health Secretary Wes Streeting called it a "pretty shameless publicity stunt" and said the BBC and Glastonbury have "questions to answer about how we saw such a spectacle on our screens". Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the scenes "grotesque". "Glorifying violence against Jews isn't edgy. The West is playing with fire if we allow this sort of behaviour to go unchecked," she wrote on X. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to the BBC director general about Bob Vylan's performance, a government spokesperson said. The BBC said it showed a warning during the performance and that viewers would not be able to access it on demand. A spokesperson for the broadcaster said: "Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan's set were deeply offensive. "During this live stream on iPlayer, which reflected what was happening on stage, a warning was issued on screen about the very strong and discriminatory language. "We have no plans to make the performance available on demand." The Israeli embassy said it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival". The Campaign Against Antisemitism said it would be formally complaining to the BBC over its "outrageous decision" to broadcast Bob Vylan. "Our national broadcaster must apologise for its dissemination of this extremist vitriol, and those responsible must be removed from their positions," a spokesperson said. with PA Britain's prime minister has led criticism of chants at Glastonbury for "death" to the Israeli military as the BBC faces pressure to explain why it kept broadcasting. Rapper Bobby Vylan, of rap punk duo Bob Vylan, on Saturday led crowds on the festival's West Holts Stage in chants of "Free, free Palestine" and "Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)". A member of Belfast rap trio Kneecap suggested fans "start a riot" at his bandmate's forthcoming court appearance related to a terrorism charge. Responding to the chants from Bob Vylan, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said there was "no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech". "I said that Kneecap should not be given a platform and that goes for any other performers making threats or inciting violence. "The BBC needs to explain how these scenes came to be broadcast." A member of Kneecap said "f*** Keir Starmer" during their performance after the prime minister called for the band not to play at the festival. Avon and Somerset Police said video evidence from the performances would be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation. Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis said Bob Vylan's chants "very much crossed a line". "We are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence," she said in Instagram. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said Bob Vylan was "inciting violence and hatred" and should be arrested and prosecuted. "By broadcasting his vile hatred, the BBC appear to have also broken the law," he said. "I call on the Police to urgently investigate and prosecute the BBC as well for broadcasting this. Our national broadcaster should not be transmitting hateful material designed to incite violence and conflict," he posted on X. Health Secretary Wes Streeting called it a "pretty shameless publicity stunt" and said the BBC and Glastonbury have "questions to answer about how we saw such a spectacle on our screens". Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the scenes "grotesque". "Glorifying violence against Jews isn't edgy. The West is playing with fire if we allow this sort of behaviour to go unchecked," she wrote on X. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to the BBC director general about Bob Vylan's performance, a government spokesperson said. The BBC said it showed a warning during the performance and that viewers would not be able to access it on demand. A spokesperson for the broadcaster said: "Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan's set were deeply offensive. "During this live stream on iPlayer, which reflected what was happening on stage, a warning was issued on screen about the very strong and discriminatory language. "We have no plans to make the performance available on demand." The Israeli embassy said it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival". The Campaign Against Antisemitism said it would be formally complaining to the BBC over its "outrageous decision" to broadcast Bob Vylan. "Our national broadcaster must apologise for its dissemination of this extremist vitriol, and those responsible must be removed from their positions," a spokesperson said. with PA Britain's prime minister has led criticism of chants at Glastonbury for "death" to the Israeli military as the BBC faces pressure to explain why it kept broadcasting. Rapper Bobby Vylan, of rap punk duo Bob Vylan, on Saturday led crowds on the festival's West Holts Stage in chants of "Free, free Palestine" and "Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)". A member of Belfast rap trio Kneecap suggested fans "start a riot" at his bandmate's forthcoming court appearance related to a terrorism charge. Responding to the chants from Bob Vylan, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said there was "no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech". "I said that Kneecap should not be given a platform and that goes for any other performers making threats or inciting violence. "The BBC needs to explain how these scenes came to be broadcast." A member of Kneecap said "f*** Keir Starmer" during their performance after the prime minister called for the band not to play at the festival. Avon and Somerset Police said video evidence from the performances would be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation. Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis said Bob Vylan's chants "very much crossed a line". "We are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence," she said in Instagram. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said Bob Vylan was "inciting violence and hatred" and should be arrested and prosecuted. "By broadcasting his vile hatred, the BBC appear to have also broken the law," he said. "I call on the Police to urgently investigate and prosecute the BBC as well for broadcasting this. Our national broadcaster should not be transmitting hateful material designed to incite violence and conflict," he posted on X. Health Secretary Wes Streeting called it a "pretty shameless publicity stunt" and said the BBC and Glastonbury have "questions to answer about how we saw such a spectacle on our screens". Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the scenes "grotesque". "Glorifying violence against Jews isn't edgy. The West is playing with fire if we allow this sort of behaviour to go unchecked," she wrote on X. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to the BBC director general about Bob Vylan's performance, a government spokesperson said. The BBC said it showed a warning during the performance and that viewers would not be able to access it on demand. A spokesperson for the broadcaster said: "Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan's set were deeply offensive. "During this live stream on iPlayer, which reflected what was happening on stage, a warning was issued on screen about the very strong and discriminatory language. "We have no plans to make the performance available on demand." The Israeli embassy said it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival". The Campaign Against Antisemitism said it would be formally complaining to the BBC over its "outrageous decision" to broadcast Bob Vylan. "Our national broadcaster must apologise for its dissemination of this extremist vitriol, and those responsible must be removed from their positions," a spokesperson said. with PA Britain's prime minister has led criticism of chants at Glastonbury for "death" to the Israeli military as the BBC faces pressure to explain why it kept broadcasting. Rapper Bobby Vylan, of rap punk duo Bob Vylan, on Saturday led crowds on the festival's West Holts Stage in chants of "Free, free Palestine" and "Death, death to the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)". A member of Belfast rap trio Kneecap suggested fans "start a riot" at his bandmate's forthcoming court appearance related to a terrorism charge. Responding to the chants from Bob Vylan, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said there was "no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech". "I said that Kneecap should not be given a platform and that goes for any other performers making threats or inciting violence. "The BBC needs to explain how these scenes came to be broadcast." A member of Kneecap said "f*** Keir Starmer" during their performance after the prime minister called for the band not to play at the festival. Avon and Somerset Police said video evidence from the performances would be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation. Glastonbury organiser Emily Eavis said Bob Vylan's chants "very much crossed a line". "We are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence," she said in Instagram. Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said Bob Vylan was "inciting violence and hatred" and should be arrested and prosecuted. "By broadcasting his vile hatred, the BBC appear to have also broken the law," he said. "I call on the Police to urgently investigate and prosecute the BBC as well for broadcasting this. Our national broadcaster should not be transmitting hateful material designed to incite violence and conflict," he posted on X. Health Secretary Wes Streeting called it a "pretty shameless publicity stunt" and said the BBC and Glastonbury have "questions to answer about how we saw such a spectacle on our screens". Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the scenes "grotesque". "Glorifying violence against Jews isn't edgy. The West is playing with fire if we allow this sort of behaviour to go unchecked," she wrote on X. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to the BBC director general about Bob Vylan's performance, a government spokesperson said. The BBC said it showed a warning during the performance and that viewers would not be able to access it on demand. A spokesperson for the broadcaster said: "Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan's set were deeply offensive. "During this live stream on iPlayer, which reflected what was happening on stage, a warning was issued on screen about the very strong and discriminatory language. "We have no plans to make the performance available on demand." The Israeli embassy said it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival". The Campaign Against Antisemitism said it would be formally complaining to the BBC over its "outrageous decision" to broadcast Bob Vylan. "Our national broadcaster must apologise for its dissemination of this extremist vitriol, and those responsible must be removed from their positions," a spokesperson said. with PA
The Age
2 hours ago
- The Age
‘The war is over and who paid the price?' The families who lost everything in Netanyahu's 12-day war
Raja Khatib can't stop thinking about the way things were before the missile fell from the sky. His seemingly charmed life with his wife and three daughters in the lavish family home he called their palazzo. Their holiday home in Italy, funded by his thriving career as a successful, respected lawyer. 'It felt like I had the best life,' he says. 'I had everything.' Slumped in a brown chair in his elderly parents' living room, he takes a deep breath as he prepares to tell his story. Soon, a tear begins streaming down his cheek. The Khatib family had just returned from a holiday in Italy when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorised a series of surprise attacks on key military and nuclear facilities in Iran a fortnight ago, triggering a war between the Middle East's dominant military powers. On the second day of the war, Iran fired a ballistic missile at Haifa, Israel's third-largest city and the home of the country's most important naval base. Israel's famed Iron Dome air defence system intercepted the missile, protecting the residents of Haifa. Instead of its target destination, the missile landed on top of the Khatibs' home in Tamra, 25 kilometres away. The three-storey structure was made of thick stone and concrete, had two safe rooms, yet proved no match for the bomb. As he discovered to his horror as he searched through the rubble in the black of night, Khatib's wife Manar died in the attack. So did two of the couple's three daughters – Shada, a university student, and 13-year-old Hala. His sister-in-law, who lived in the building with his brother, died as well. 'My palace is gone and I don't care,' he says. 'I don't want to see the house. I will never want to live there again. If God gives me strength, I will live somewhere else.' He is tormented by the thought that if his family had remained in Italy just one day longer, the outbreak of the war would have prevented them from flying home. Some days he wishes he too died in the attack, so he could avoid the pain of living without his wife and daughters. They are buried, side by side, in a cemetery next to his parents' home. Like almost all the 37,000 residents of Tamra, Khatib is a Muslim and an Arab citizen of Israel. Around 20 per cent of Israel's population – around 2 million people – are Arab, with many preferring to be known as Palestinian citizens of Israel, reflecting the fact they are descendants of those who remained after the creation of the Jewish state. Although technically enjoying the same legal and voting rights, Arab citizens of Israel often face entrenched segregation, economic inequality and discrimination. Adding to Khatib's grief is that some of his fellow citizens cheered on the attack that killed his wife and daughters. In a video that has been widely shared and condemned in Israel, people speaking Hebrew can be heard celebrating as they watch rockets landing on Tamra while singing a hateful anti-Arab song, May your village burn. Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who visited Tamra after the attack and met with Khatib, condemned the video as 'appalling and disgraceful'. Netanyahu said he 'vehemently' rejected such rejoicing. 'The missile makes no distinction,' he said. 'It harms Jews as well as Arabs. They're coming to destroy all of us, and we stand in this battle together.' Loading While most Israelis would indeed recoil at the video, there is no denying the political divisions between the nation's Jewish majority and Arab minority – including on the war with Iran. A survey by the Israel Democracy Institute taken during the war found that 82 per cent of Jewish Israelis supported the strikes on Iran, while 65 per cent of Arab Israelis opposed the attacks and were suspicious of their timing. Khatib believes Netanyahu launched the strikes for self-interested political reasons, to distract from political scandals and anger over his handling of the war in Gaza. As a ceasefire agreement took hold this week after 12 days of fighting, Netanyahu hailed Israel's operation in Iran as a 'historic victory' that would be 'studied by armies all over the world'. Khatib, however, does not believe any military gains are worth the pain he is suffering. 'The war is over, and who paid the price? I did, and other families like mine.' We encounter a different message altogether at Bat Yam, a city near Tel Aviv that is a stronghold of Netanyahu's conservative Likud party. Just hours after Khatib's home in Tamra was hit, an Iranian missile cratered into a 10-storey apartment building, killing nine people. The town's mayor has described the blast as the most devastating missile attack in Israel's history. Many of the surrounding apartments were destroyed and rendered unlivable, including the home of car salesman Ronen Sha'a Shua and partner Ivanka. Since the attack two weeks ago, they have come to their apartment to see if they can enter to salvage any belongings, but it is still too dangerous to do so. Mangled air-conditioning units dangle from buildings like oversized Christmas ornaments, with electricity wires and steel beams spilling out everywhere. Rather than being disillusioned by the attack, the couple say they feel galvanised and more patriotic than ever. 'I'm not even mad about this because I support the war,' says Ronen, who is Jewish, as he gazes up at his bombed-out apartment. 'It was a justified war and we did an incredible job.' Before the war, they were considering moving to Ivanka's birth country of Bulgaria for a quieter life. 'This has made up our minds: now Israel is No.1. We saw what we are up against.' Asked his thoughts on Netanyahu, he uses the prime minister's nickname: 'I love you, Bibi.' Asked why, he says: 'It's simple: you feel security with him. There's no better alternative. With him, it feels like we have a security guard, someone you can believe in.' While he says Netanyahu is partly to blame for the failures that led to the October 7 attacks, he says the Israeli military and intelligence services also share responsibility. First elected in 1996, Netanyahu has been in office for most of the past 30 years, making him the longest-serving prime minister in Israeli history. For almost all that time he has said that a nuclear-armed Iran would pose an existential threat to Israel, and has urged successive US presidents to attack Iranian nuclear enrichment facilities. All said no, until Donald Trump on Sunday agreed to unleash bunker-busting bombs on Iran's three main nuclear facilities. The impact of the strikes remains contested. While Trump insists Iran's nuclear facilities have been 'obliterated', a leaked assessment by the US Defence Intelligence Agency concluded they probably only set back the Iranian nuclear program by a few months and that much of the nation's stockpile of highly enriched uranium may have been moved before the strikes. The long-term consequences of the war also remain unclear, with some analysts arguing it will ultimately drive the Iranians to develop nuclear weapons. Such arguments currently have little traction in Israel, where Operation Rising Lion (as the campaign against Iran was officially called) has been hailed as a strategic triumph. Electronic billboards beside major highways in Israel are displaying messages of thanks to Trump for intervening in the conflict, and Netanyahu is basking in praise for weakening Israel's biggest strategic adversary. 'Israel may have removed the most multi-sided octopus of threats it has ever faced – and in one fell swoop, and put every adversary in the region on notice that it will no longer play nice,' ran a typical analysis in The Jerusalem Post. Following the ceasefire agreement this week, veteran US Middle East negotiator Aaron David Miller summed up the situation by telling The New York Times: 'The most ruthless, politically savvy politician in Israel today sits astride Israeli politics and the US-Israeli politics, for now, like some sort of colossus … Netanyahu comes out of this, for now, extraordinarily powerful.' Even in Tel Aviv – a famously progressive bastion where Netanyahu is widely loathed – we find grudging respect for his decision to strike Iran and success at convincing Trump to enter the conflict. Loading Walking along the beach promenade as the sun sets over the horizon, aged care worker Ifat Shani says: 'I've been against him all the time, but he did the right thing now. It will be good for all of the Middle East if Iran cannot get a nuclear bomb; they do not want Israel to exist here.' Like most other Israelis she regards the Iranian regime as a uniquely menacing threat given its support for proxy groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas, and its stated vow to wipe Israel off the map. Sitting with a group of friends nearby watching the sunset, 27-year-old French-Israeli Alexia Maarek says she is no fan of Netanyahu's domestic policies or his far-right governing coalition. But she applauded his decision to take on Iran. 'The war with Iran was not negotiable,' she insists. As she throws a ball around with her granddaughter in Tel Aviv's Dizengoff Square, Monica Levi says: 'Before I thought we needed someone else, but now I think he is clever.' Similarly, all of Netanyahu's main political foes backed his strategy on Iran. 'Benjamin Netanyahu is a bitter political rival,' said the centrist opposition leader Yair Lapid. 'I think he's the wrong person to lead the country. But on that, he was right.' Naftali Bennett, Netanyahu's chief conservative opponent, praised the government for working to remove the 'cancerous growth' of Iran's nuclear program. In a rare public statement, the head of the Mossad spy agency, David Barnea, said: 'Israel, thanks to this entire security apparatus, today feels like a different country, a safer country, a braver country that is prepared for the future … Objectives that once seemed imaginary have now been achieved.' As with last year's stunning pager attacks against Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon and the killing of militant leader Hassan Nasrallah, the operation against Iran has led to a boost in Netanyahu's popularity. A poll taken this week by the Walla newspaper found Netanyahu's Likud party gaining ground in the polls, and would pick up an extra four seats in the Israeli parliament, although not enough to form a coalition government. One-third of Israelis said their view of Netanyahu had improved, compared with 8 per cent who said they viewed him more negatively, and 54 per cent whose view was unchanged. Loading Netanyahu's critics are growing increasingly concerned by a prospect that seemed unthinkable after the failures of October 7. 'The biggest danger facing us all – Israelis and Palestinians – is that after the war in Iran, Prime Minister Netanyahu might be, once again, electable,' Gershon Baskin, a fierce critic of Netanyahu and veteran hostage release negotiator, wrote on Substack this week. The complex relationship between Netanyahu and Trump frayed on Tuesday, when Trump publicly demanded Israel not retaliate against Iran for a missile strike that killed four people in the southern city of Beersheba. 'We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don't know what the f--- they're doing,' Trump fumed. Two days later, the bromance was back on as Trump hailed Netanyahu as a 'great hero' on social media and called for all criminal charges against him to be dropped. Netanyahu is facing charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, including allegations he traded favours with media proprietors for positive coverage. He has pleaded not guilty, and his trial, which began in 2020, continues to proceed at a glacial pace. 'After the war, he should quit on a high note like a king,' taxi driver Mordehai Rahamim says of Netanyahu. 'He's been around too long. There is too much drama around one person.' But with the Israeli political left in disarray, he believes Netanyahu will win re-election next year. Tamar Hermann, one of Israel's top experts on public opinion, cautions not to overestimate the impact of the 12-day war on Netanyahu's popularity. 'It has changed little if anything,' the senior fellow at the Israel Democracy Institute says. Rejecting fevered speculation that Netanyahu could call snap elections to capitalise on his success, she notes that the euphoria of military triumph can quickly fade as life returns to normal. 'Less than half the Israeli public has full or partial trust in Netanyahu,' she says. Still, she believes Netanyahu has a real shot at re-election next year. Loading The end of the war with Iran will see the focus again return to Gaza, and the plight of the remaining 50 Israeli hostages held by Hamas, around half of whom are believed to be alive. Indeed, celebrations at the ceasefire with Iran were muted by the news on the same day that seven Israeli soldiers had been killed in Gaza. Speaking to Israelis of all political persuasions over the past week, we found an overwhelming desire to secure a hostage release deal and pervasive fatigue with the war. 'Finish it, it's enough,' Netanyahu supporter Ronen Sha'a Shua says. 'We can't move on until our hostages come back.' The pro-Netanyahu Israeli Hayom newspaper reported that Trump and Netanyahu have agreed to end the war in Gaza within two weeks, and that a coalition of four Arab countries will govern the strip. While these reports have not been confirmed, it is widely believed that Trump's decision to intervene against Iran was somehow linked to an agreement to wrap up the war in Gaza and pursue new peace agreements with Israel's neighbours. 'We think we will have some pretty big announcements on countries that are coming into the Abraham Accords,' Trump adviser Steve Witkoff said this week, referring to the agreements that saw Israel normalise relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco in Trump's first term. Raja Khatib, whose wife and two daughters died in the Iranian missile attack, urges Netanyahu, a lifelong opponent of a Palestinian state, to go even further. 'I hope the wars will end and that there will be a just peace, that there will be two states: Palestinian and Jewish living side by side,' he says. 'Otherwise, the Middle East will burn and there will be more wars.' At times, when he sits in silence, he hears the voice of his late wife telling him to keep living for the sake of their middle daughter, Rozan, 16, who made it to the family safe room and survived the missile attack. 'I have to build a new house, build a new life,' he says, 'but the pain will be forever.'
