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Diplomatic crisis erupts between Poland and Israel after aid worker killing

A new diplomatic crisis between Poland and Israel has erupted following the death of a Polish aid worker in Gaza, with the Polish president on Thursday denouncing a comment by the Israeli ambassador as "outrageous" and the Foreign Ministry in Warsaw saying it was summoning him for a meeting.

A 35-year-old Polish man was among seven people who were killed while delivering food to besieged Palestinians with the charity World Central Kitchen. Israel has called the incident a "mistake" that followed a misidentification. The charity said its vehicles were clearly marked.

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UN human rights body calls for halt to weapons shipments to Israel

The U.N.'s top human rights body called on countries to stop selling or shipping weapons to Israel in a resolution passed Friday that aims to help prevent rights violations against Palestinians amid Israel's blistering military campaign in Gaza.

The 47-member-country Human Rights Council voted 28-6 in favor of the resolution, with 13 abstentions.

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Blinken says Israeli offers to increase aid to Gaza welcome but not sufficient

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that the measures the Israeli government has announced to expand the flow of aid into Gaza are welcome but may not be enough to meet the Biden administration's demands for dramatic improvements in humanitarian conditions in the territory.

Blinken said that opening more border crossings, if fully implemented, has the potential to surge assistance to Palestinians caught in the fighting between Israel and Hamas. However, the U.S. also wants to see tangible steps to bolster the protection of civilians and aid workers, he said.

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After six months of war, Israel's isolation grows with no end in sight

When Israel declared war against Hamas last October, it stood unified at home and enjoyed broad backing from around the world following an unprecedented attack by the Islamic militant group.

Six months later, Israel finds itself in a far different place: bogged down in Gaza, divided domestically, isolated internationally and increasingly at odds with its closest ally. The risk of a broader regional war remains real.

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Kuwait, under new emir, votes yet again

Kuwait held national elections on Thursday for the fourth time in as many years as the oil-rich country seeks to break out of its longstanding political gridlock.

The Persian Gulf country's elected assembly has more power than most in the Arab world, but has long been at loggerheads with the government, which is appointed by the royal family.

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Israel announces 'temporary' opening of aid routes into Gaza

Israel announced on Friday that it would allow "temporary" aid deliveries into famine-threatened northern Gaza, hours after the United States warned of a sharp shift in its policy over Israel's war against Hamas militants.

In a tense, 30-minute phone call on Thursday, U.S. President Joe Biden told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that United States policy on Israel was dependent on the protection of civilians and aid workers in Gaza, the first hint of possible conditions to Washington's military support.

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Israel says uncovered Palestinian plot to assassinate far-right minister

Israel’s police and internal security agency have said that they have uncovered a plot by Palestinians to assassinate an Israeli government minister.

They said Thursday that 14 Palestinians were arrested in connection with the alleged plot to assassinate National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. They said the suspects also planned to attack Israel’s main airport, a sports stadium, army bases and government buildings.

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US army says it shot down missile and 2 drones launched by Yemen's Houthis

The United States’ military on Thursday said its forces shot down an anti-ship ballistic missile and two aerial drones launched by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

U.S. Central Command said that the target of the attack was the USS Gravely destroyer, which is patrolling the Red Sea. The military said it destroyed a mobile surface-to-air missile system in Houthi-held territory in response to the attack early Wednesday.

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Questions swirl over Israel's war conduct after attack on aid convoy

The bodies of six foreign aid workers killed in Israeli airstrikes began the journey back to their home countries Wednesday as more questions swirled over Israel's explanation that a "misidentification" led to the attack on their convoy.

The deadly strikes renewed criticism of Israel's conduct in the nearly 6-month-old war with Hamas and highlighted the risks that the military's bombardment poses to aid workers as they try to deliver food to the besieged enclave. The U.N. says nearly a third of the Gaza population is on the brink of starvation.

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Palestinians eye UN membership vote in April as US pushes back

The Palestinians want the Security Council to vote later this month on their revived request for full membership in the United Nations, despite the United States reiterating Wednesday that Israel and the Palestinians must first negotiate a peace agreement.

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian U.N. ambassador, said 140 countries recognize the state of Palestine, and "we believe it is high time now for our state to become a full member at the United Nations."

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