Senior administration official confirms the first known pause of weapons shipments to Israel:

'We have been engaging in a dialogue with Israel in our Strategic Consultative Group format on how they will meet the humanitarian needs of civilians in Rafah…

Multiple reports of Israeli ground forces around the Rafah border crossing between Gaza & Egypt

Reports of heavy Israeli airstrikes in eastern Rafah tonight… some suggesting online that ground troops are also operating there - not clear if that’s correct

The Biden administration has consistently said it opposes an assault on Rafah, but what will actually do to stop it?

Means even figures in the War Cabinet like Benny Gantz - who the US (and many Israelis) seems to prefer to Netanyahu - favour an assault on Rafah over the kind of ceasefire / hostage release deal that’s on the cards

The state of things right now, both from Haaretz.com:

Israeli sources: the deal isn't what we agreed to at all, it's a ploy

Foreign diplomatic sources: the deal is basically the same one Israel agreed to, the ball is in Netanyahu's court

Israeli officials said Israel received Hamas’ response from the Egyptian and Qatari mediators after Hamas announced it has accepted the hostage deal proposal. The Israeli negotiations team is studying Hamas’ response, the officials said

Meanwhile, images broadcast on Al-Jazeera of small but jubilant celebrations in Rafah and northern Gaza at news of possible ceasefire

This as the Israeli army begins ordering Palestinians in Rafah to flee their homes ahead of an assault on the city

More than 1 million Gazans are in Rafah, most having fled there from elsewhere

Broad consensus that a ground offensive there would be catastrophic for civilians

Confusion as Hamas announces it has accepted a ceasefire proposal by mediators

But it is not clear what that proposal entails - and Israel still appears adamant it won’t agree to any deal that brings an end to its war (which has consistently been Hamas’ key demand)

Our investigation finds multiple potential breaches of international law by the Israeli military. Film on BBC player now The Other War Isobel Yeung Sara Obeidat

bbc.com/news/articles/…

New investigation from BBC EYE implicates Iran’s security forces for sexually assaulting & killing Nika Shakarami during the #WomenLifeFreedom protests that swept the country.

cc Aida Miller Bertram Hill Marc Perkins + Mike Simkin

youtu.be/mryxqWL69gQ?si…

Secunder Kermani Zahra Warsame Good news. Rafiq has made it out of Gaza & is being treated in a hospital in Cairo. His sister Rafif will follow soon, we’re told

Breaking: Sad to report that baby Sabreen al Sakani has died. We reported on the extraordinary story of her birth in the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike that killed her parents and three year old sister. She died yesterday in Emirati Hospital, Rafah.

A grim insight into the awful scenes unfolding in Gaza from this Israeli soldier… what he saw whilst serving turned him against the war

Clip from our latest report with Millicent james betteridge

My latest for Financial Times
Israel and Iran are misreading each other, but also misreading their Arab neighbors.

⚡️ #BREAKING Huge blast at military base used by Iraqi popular mobilization forces south of baghdad, two security sources say — Reuters

'There were several quadrocopters... taken out, which was reported on... All is well, thank God,' says the reporter next to Esfahan's historic Khajoo Bridge.

Then she commented on how water was being let back into the Zayanderud River, which is usually dry, and the weather.

Iranian state media playing down impact of an Israeli strike near Isfahan - reporting a handful of small drones were shot down

No comment from Israel yet but seems for now this was a very limited move by them

Reporting from the Occupied West Bank after several days of settler attacks - killing 4 Palestinians and torching homes & cars

Followed the disappearance of a 14 year old Israeli boy - acc to the Israeli army, killed by Palestinians

Millicent james betteridge