Hundreds of thousands flee Israeli military's unprecedented force devastating assault on Gaza City

Israel is pounding Gaza City with some of the heaviest strikes in two years of war in its bid to force residents to make a perilous and costly journey towards the overcrowded south.

Having lost his eyesight in an Israeli airstrike, Ahmed Daif Allah spent part of the past week stumbling blindly toward an uncertain safety.

“The journey is incredibly tough, more than anyone could imagine,” Ahmed’s wife, Rafiq, told a local journalist who provided their footage to NBC News. “There is no pity, there is no humanity,” added Rafiq, who led her husband by the hand throughout their dayslong walk from Gaza City to the southern part of the enclave.

The couple is among the hundreds of thousands who have fled Gaza’s most populous area since Israel launched its new offensive on Tuesday, heeding Israeli leaflets and social media warnings to head south.

Palestinians from Gaza City move southwards with their belongings, on the coastal road near the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, on September 19, 2025 [Eyad Baba/AFP]

Avichay Adraee, the Israeli army’s Arabic-language spokesperson, warned Gaza City’s beleaguered population on Friday that it would be deploying “unprecedented force”, telling them to “take this opportunity and join the hundreds of thousands” moving south on al-Rashid coastal road – now the only permitted escape route.

Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum related “distressing” reports from Gaza City on Friday, with people forced west towards the coastal road unable to rest under the relentless pace of attacks aimed at levelling buildings and infrastructure.

“This current military operation is completely destroying entire blocks, and there are still families who are trapped under the debris of the targeted houses, particularly in the Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood,” said Abu Azzoum, reporting from Nuseirat in central Gaza.

While a growing number of Palestinians may now want to leave, despite their earlier resistance, many are unable to afford the cost of renting a vehicle to take household items and furniture to the overcrowded al-Mawasi area in southern Gaza.

Still, Abu Azzoum said hundreds have embarked on the long journey, many on foot, to al-Mawasi, which has itself come under Israeli attack in the past despite being designated a “safe zone”

Nivin Ahmed, 50, fled south from Gaza City to the central city of Deir el-Balah on Thursday, walking with seven family members.

“We walked more than 15km [9 miles], we were crawling from exhaustion,” she told the news agency AFP. “My youngest son cried from fatigue. We took turns dragging a small cart with some of our belongings.”

‘Dangerous situation on all levels’

The Israeli military said about 480,000 Palestinians had fled Gaza City since late August, while Gaza’s civil defence agency said on Friday that some 450,000 have been displaced towards the south.

Going on United Nations estimates of some one million people living in the enclave’s largest urban centre at that time, around half the population may already have fled.

However, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics said this week that approximately 740,000 people were still in the north of the enclave as of Tuesday.

Israeli forces killed 43 people across the Strip since dawn on Friday, including 26 people in Gaza City, according to medical sources.

Three civilians were killed in an Israeli air strike that targeted a residential house in Gaza City’s Tal al-Hawa, close to the Netzarim Corridor, sources told Al Jazeera.

Friday’s death toll also includes two aid seekers who were killed by the Israeli army in southern Gaza.

Displaced Palestinians at a community kitchen in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on September 19, 2025 [AFP]

A medical source at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza told Al Jazeera that a nine-year-old child had died from severe malnutrition in the hospital’s paediatric ward amid the worsening famine in the enclave.

The latest case brings the total number of deaths from Israel’s man-made famine to 441 since the war on Gaza began, according to Gaza Health Ministry figures.

Hospitals are struggling to cope with no fuel having entered the Strip for more than 10 days, according to Amjad Shawa, head of the Palestinian NGOs Network in Gaza.

He said fuel supplies in the besieged enclave will last just 72 hours, portending a “dangerous situation on all levels”.

Did Pedro Sánchez ‘regret’ not having ‘nuclear bombs’ to stop the war in Gaza?

A handful of Spanish media reported on Monday that Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had expressed “regret” that his country did not have “nuclear bombs” to stop Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.

An article by newspaper La Gaceta was headlined: “Pedro Sánchez regrets not having nuclear weapons to ‘stop’ the Israeli response to Hamas.”

“Sánchez regrets not having nuclear arms to prevent the ‘genocide’ in Gaza,” media outlet OK diario wrote.

But a closer examination of Sánchez’s comments shows that, while the headlines cannot be considered incorrect, they have been taken out of context and sensationalised.

The Spanish premier explained that, although lacking a large military force, Spain was using the mechanisms at its disposal to curb the Israeli offensive in Gaza, where the Palestinian death toll now exceeds 64,000 according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

“Spain, as you know, doesn't have nuclear bombs, aircraft carriers, or large oil reserves,” Sánchez explained. “We alone can't stop the Israeli offensive. But that doesn't mean we won't stop trying. Because there are causes worth fighting for, even if winning them isn't in our sole power.”

He then went on to outline some of the measures adopted by Spain over the last two years in order to put pressure on the government of his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, and alleviate the suffering of civilians in Gaza.

These include humanitarian support for Gaza, the suspension of military equipment sales to Israel and the recent recognition of a Palestinian state.

His comments came while announcing nine further fresh measures, including an all-out arms embargo on Israel and a ban on the import of products from Israel’s illegal settlements.

But Sánchez’s political opponents were swift to accuse him of siding with Hamas, a designated terrorist organisation whose October 7 attacks on Israel initially triggered the war in Gaza.

he leader of the far-right party Vox, Santiago Abascal, claimed that “Sánchez would like to have nuclear weapons … but not to defend Spain. To defend Hamas.”

A spokesperson for the centre-right Popular Party (PP) also questioned what Sánchez had meant with his reference to nuclear arms: “A nuclear bomb on Tel Aviv? Is that what he intends to do?” Carlos Díaz-Pache, the party’s spokesperson in the Assembly of Madrid, asked.

Right-wing commentators have also been quick to judge the premier’s comments.

But claims that Sánchez would support a nuclear attack against Israel, or has encouraged a nuclear war against Israel, are inaccurate. Euroverify detected these misleading claims circulating in several languages on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and X.

FBI unveils new VIDEO of Charlie Kirk’s assassin

The FBI has released new video footage of the suspect in the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, showing the gunman leaping from a rooftop at Utah Valley University before fleeing into a wooded area.

The shooting occurred shortly after 12:20pm Mountain Time on Wednesday, when the suspect fired a single rifle round from the roof of a campus building that struck Kirk in the neck as he addressed a student audience.

The newly released video shows the figure running across the roof, climbing down the building – leaving behind palm impressions, smudges believed to contain DNA, and a shoe imprint, according to the FBI. The suspect is then seen sprinting across a grassy area near a parking lot, and disappearing into nearby woods.

A high-powered Mauser bolt-action rifle, along with ammunition marked with “transgender” and “anti-fascist” slogans, was later recovered in that wooded area, according to law enforcement sources cited by ABC News.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox urged the public to assist in the manhunt, noting that more than 7,000 tips have already been submitted to the FBI – the largest volume since the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013.

“We cannot do our job without the public’s help right now,” Cox said at a press conference on Thursday. The governor also announced that Utah will “pursue the death penalty” once the suspect is caught.

The FBI’s Salt Lake City office continues to share images of the person of interest and is offering up to $100,000 for information leading to the arrest of the suspect. Trace evidence collected so far includes shoe impressions, a forearm imprint, and a palm print recovered from the rooftop where the shot was fired.

The FBI continues to work alongside our law enforcement partners to seek justice in the murder of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025. We are releasing additional photos of a person of interest. Information about this developing investigation can be found… pic.twitter.com/woZacCxYgE

— FBI Salt Lake City (@FBISaltLakeCity) September 12, 2025

Kirk, 31, the founder of Turning Point USA, was a prominent conservative activist and close ally of President Donald Trump. His assassination has been described by officials as a targeted political assassination.

The reason for the mismatch would soon become apparent. After the briefing, Mr. Patel took to X again, this time to announce, “The subject in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement.”

He added, “Our investigation continues.”

There are no indications any of this has jeopardized Mr. Patel’s job. He is a close ally to a powerful Trump aide, Stephen Miller. For his part, Mr. Bongino appears to have weathered a crisis earlier this summer after he called on his boss, Attorney General Pam Bondi, to quit over her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.

Yet there are unmistakable signs the White House thinks the bureau needs leadership help. Last month, the White House tapped Andrew Bailey, the attorney general of Missouri, to serve as deputy director of the F.B.I., forcing Mr. Bongino to share power with a far more experienced manager. Mr. Bailey started work this week.

On Thursday, about 22 hours after Mr. Kirk was shot, the investigation appeared to pick up momentum, when the police and the F.B.I. released security camera footage of a man in sunglasses and baseball cap believed to be the shooter, along with information about the bolt-action rifle and ammunition found near the campus.

Past investigations of high-profile incidents have also been plagued by missteps, including the 2013 inquiry after the deadly bombing at the Boston Marathon.

While there were multiple false starts as the public sought to identify the bombers, officials quickly zeroed in on two brothers, Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, as the likely culprits after the F.B.I. published images and asked for the public’s help.

Law enforcement continued to search for the shooter.Credit...Kim Raff for The New York Times

The appeal led to a frantic police chase and shootout.

Since then, law enforcement’s ability to take video clips and feed them through facial recognition software for possible matches has vastly improved.

“We are confident in our abilities to track that individual,” the F.B.I.’s special agent in charge in Salt Lake City, Robert Bohls, said Thursday morning. “If we’re unsuccessful in identifying them, immediately, we will reach out to the public.”

By afternoon, Mr. Patel posted another, more conventional message on his X account, one that might have been written by any of his predecessors — offering up to $100,000 “for information leading to the identification and arrest of the individual(s) responsible for the murder of Charlie Kirk.”

At a news conference on the university’s campus in Orem hours later, Mr. Cox reiterated the plea for help in identifying and tracking the suspect.

Mr. Patel, flanking him, stayed silent.

Glenn Thrush covers the Department of Justice for The Times and has also written about gun violence, civil rights and conditions in the country’s jails and prisons.

Devlin Barrett covers the Justice Department and the F.B.I. for The Times.

Adam Goldman writes about the F.B.I. and national security for The Times. He has been a journalist for more than two decades.

Qatari prime minister slams Israel - 'State terrorism’

Qatar PM LIVE: ‘Revenge Begins…’: Doha To BOMB Israel? BIG Announcement After IDF Strike

Massive tensions between Qatar and Israel after the latter attacked Doha on September 9. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani called out Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying, “These barbaric actions only reflect the barbarism of this person, who is dragging the region to a place where it unfortunately cannot be repaired.” Al Thani added that "The State of Qatar affirms that it will not tolerate any infringement on its sovereignty or territorial integrity. It will respond firmly to any reckless breach or attack that threatens its security and the stability of the region." He also called on other regional players to respond to Israel's barbaric actions. On September 9, Israel struck the headquarters of Hamas’ political leadership in Doha as members of the militant group gathered to consider a US proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. #Israel #Qatar #DohaStrike #Hamas #Netanyahu #MiddleEast #Tension #SheikhMohammed #AlThani #BarbaricActions #Sovereignty #Ceasefire #Gaza #GazaWar #GazaCeasefire #HamasPoliticalLeadership

Dikirim oleh The Times of India pada Selasa, 09 September 2025

Qatar said it has the right to respond to Israel’s strike in Doha that targeted Hamas political leaders, which it decried as a “blatant attack”.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, the Qatari prime minister, described Tuesday’s attack as “state terrorism” that targeted the security and stability of the region.

“Qatar… reserves the right to respond to this blatant attack,” he told a late night press conference.

“We believe that today we have reached a pivotal moment. There must be a response from the entire region to such barbaric actions.”

US president Donald Trump said he was “very unhappy” about Israel’s airstrike that killed six people, saying it advances neither Israel nor America's goals.

Trump called the strike on Hamas's political wing "unfortunate" and said he had directed US envoy Steve Witkoff to warn Qatar but it was too late to stop the strike.

Hamas said five of its lower-ranking members and a Qatari security official were killed in the airstrike, but that all its leaders survived the attack.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the strike on Qatar was “entirely justified”.

Trump ally Charlie Kirk shot dead at campus event in Utah

Charlie Kirk, a major supporter of Donald Trump and the executive director of the Turning Point USA organization, has died after he was shot while delivering a talk at Utah Valley University, the US president has announced.

The 31-year-old activist and influencer was shot in the neck while taking questions from a crowd gathered on the grounds of the university. Kirk was reportedly shot from a building about 200 yards from where he stood, having addressed the crowd for some 20 minutes, a university spokesperson told New York Times.

“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, extending condolences to Kirk's wife Erika and family.

Around 90 minutes after he announced, "The subject for the horrific shooting today that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody," FBI Director Kash Patel said moments ago that the person has been released.

"The subject in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement. Our investigation continues and we will continue to release information in interest of transparency," Patel wrote.

Justin Hickens says he was standing about 20 yards from Kirk as the influential conservative activist addressed a large crowd at Utah Valley University today. Then, in the middle of Kirk’s remarks, Hickens heard “a big, loud shot.”

When people realized Kirk had been shot, they started running from the outdoor pavilion area, some knocking over barricades as they fled, Hickens said.

Hickens is one of scores of people who had gathered to see Kirk.

At a news conference hours after the shooting, University Police Chief Jeff Long said six police officers were at the event, which about 3,000 people attended. There were “some plainclothes police officers that were in the crowd as well,” he said.

“We train for these things, and you think you have things covered, and these things, unfortunately, they happen,” he said. “You try to get your bases covered, and unfortunately, today we didn’t. Because of that, we had this tragic incident.”

Video shows the moment Charlie Kirk was shot

Police arrest almost 900 at London protest supporting banned group Palestine Action

Police officers carry a protester during a London rally in support of the banned group Palestine Action on Sept. 6, 2025. (Joanna Chan / Associated Press)

British police said Sunday that they arrested almost 900 people demonstrating in London against a ban on the group Palestine Action, which has been deemed a terrorist organization by the government.

Almost 1,600 people have now been detained, many for silently holding signs supporting the group, since it was outlawed two months ago. Protesters say the ban on Palestine Action is an unwarranted curb on free speech and the right to protest.

The Metropolitan Police force said 890 people were arrested at Saturday's demonstration, the vast majority, 857, under the Terrorism Act for supporting a proscribed organization. Some 33 were detained for other offenses, including 17 for assaulting police officers.

Defend Our Juries, the campaign group organizing the protest, said 1,500 people took part in the demonstration outside Parliament, sitting down and holding signs reading “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.”

Within minutes, police began arresting the demonstrators, as bystanders chanted “Shame on you,” and “Met Police, pick a side, justice or genocide.” There were some scuffles and angry exchanges as officers dragged away demonstrators who went limp as they were removed from the crowd.

Legitimate exercise of fundamental freedoms across the UK,” Volker Türk warned.

He added that according to international standards, terrorist acts should be confined to crimes such as those intended to cause death or serious injury or the taking of hostages.

Huda Ammori, Palestine Action’s co-founder, has condemned the government’s decision to ban it as “catastrophic” for civil liberties, leading to a “much wider chilling effect on freedom of speech.”

The group has been supported by prominent cultural figures including bestselling Irish author Sally Rooney, who said she planned to use the proceeds of her work “to keep backing Palestine Action and direct action against genocide.”

Israel — founded in part as a refuge in the wake of the Holocaust, when some 6 million European Jews were murdered — vehemently denies it is committing genocide.

Britain’s government stressed that proscribing Palestine Action as a terrorist group does not affect other lawful groups — including pro-Palestinian or pro-Israel voices — campaigning or peacefully protesting.

About 20,000 people, by a police estimate, attended a separate pro-Palestinian march in London on Saturday.

19 Killed in Nepal ‘Gen Z’ Protests Over Social Media Ban and Corruption

Demonstrators try to break through police barricades during a protest against corruption and the government's decision to block several social media platforms, in Kathmandu, Nepal, September 8, 2025. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar Purchase Licensing Rights

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Nepal’s government lifted ban on social media platforms Tuesday a day after violent street protests that left at least 19 people killed.

Some of the world’s largest platforms, including Facebook, X and YouTube were blocked last week, followed by a massive protest rally in the capital Kathmandu on Monday.

Police in Nepal’s capital of Kathmandu opened fire on demonstrators protesting a government attempt to regulate social media.

The Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak also resigned late Monday at an emergency Cabinet meeting called by Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli.

Rallies swept the streets around the Parliament building, which was surrounded by tens of thousands of people angry at authorities who said the companies had failed to register and submit to government oversight.

The gunfire unfolded as the government pursues a broader attempt to regulate social media with a bill aimed at ensuring the platforms are “properly managed, responsible and accountable.” The proposal has been widely criticized as a tool for censorship and for punishing government opponents who voice their protests online.

About two dozen social networks that are widely used in Nepal were repeatedly given notices to register their companies officially in the Himalayan nation, the government said. Those that failed to register have been blocked since last week.

Organisers of the protests, which spread to other cities in the Himalayan country, have called them "demonstrations by Gen Z."

They say the protests reflect young people's widespread frustration with the government's perceived lack of action to tackle corruption and boost economic opportunities.

The government last week decided to block access to several social media platforms, including Facebook, a decision that fuelled anger among the young.

Officials say the shutdown was for those social media platforms which had failed to register with the government, amid a crackdown on fake IDs, misinformation and hate speech.

Nepal's main opposition party had criticised the decision.