Between the lines: While Pakistan has been the official mediator between the U.S. and Iran since the beginning of the war, the Qataris have been working behind the scenes. The White House views them as especially effective in negotiations with Iran, U.S. officials say.
October: Palestinian fighters carry out an attack on communities across southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and taking 251 Israeli and foreign captives, according to Israeli figures. In the following weeks, Hamas releases two Israeli-American captives and two elderly captives, and Israeli forces recover an Israeli soldier taken captive during the attack.
December 6, 2025 Late-night exchanges of artillery renewed tensions along the frontier, highlighting unresolved disputes after recent talks failed to advance a fragile ceasefire process between the two neighbours amid ongoing strain now. Pakistan and Afghanistan exchanged heavy fire along their border late on Friday, officials from both sides said. The flare-up comes days after peace talks ended without a breakthrough. No casualties have been immediately confirmed.
Israel on Tuesday struck Qatar's capital Doha in missile attacks that it said were targeted at senior leaders of Hamas, including negotiators from the Palestinian group who have been engaged in talks aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza. Qatar condemned the attack as a violation of international law and of its sovereignty, with multiple countries and blocs also lashing out at Israel over the missile strikes.
Residents of the city of one million Palestinians have been expecting an onslaught for weeks, since the Israeli government devised a plan to deal Hamas a fatal blow in what it says are the militant group's last remaining strongholds. "I say to the residents of Gaza, take this opportunity and listen to me carefully: you have been warned - get out of there!" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
An Israeli airstrike hit Palestinians near a medical centre in Gaza on Thursday, killing 10 children and six adults, according to local health authorities. Verified video footage from the strike in Deir al-Balah showed the bodies of women and children lying in pools of blood. Clips showed several motionless children lying on a donkey cart.
A midday airstrike in eastern Gaza City killed 11 people, whose bodies were taken to Al-Ahli Hospital. Another strike near the entrance of the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza left two dead, according to Al-Awda Hospital.
