DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United States and Iran reached an initial agreement early Monday that would extend their shaky ceasefire and lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, but challenges immediately loomed, including Israel insisting it would hold onto land seized in Lebanon as it battles Hezbollah.
Details of the deal, which would potentially allow desperately needed oil and natural gas to reach the global market through the critical waterway, were not immediately released. Iran signaled implementation would not start until the signing, which key mediator Pakistan said would take place Friday in Switzerland.
But the memorandum of understanding over the war already faced hurdles. Israel’s continued hostilities with the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah in Lebanon, where Israel bombed Beirut’s southern suburbs Sunday, nearly derailed the negotiations. Israel joined the U.S. in launching the war on Feb. 28.
Israel says it won’t withdraw from Lebanon
In the first official Israeli comments after the announcement of the deal, Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel won’t withdraw from land seized in Lebanon as the interim deal is pending. Katz said Israel plans to stay “indefinitely” in lands it holds in Lebanon, as well as Syria and the Gaza Strip. Iran has tied the interim deal over the war to halting Israel’s attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Katz also threatened that if Iran attacks Israel over Israeli strikes in Lebanon, Israel will strike Iran with “great force.”
Over the past 2 1/2 years, Israel has taken control of areas in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria amounting to 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) of territory — an area that is slightly smaller than New York City.
Meanwhile, the deal between the U.S. and Iran gives just 60 days to resolve what to do about Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium and its atomic program. That took years to resolve in Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from that accord in his first term, setting the stage for the tensions that culminated in the war.
“Congratulations to all!” Trump wrote on social media as he celebrated his 80th birthday Sunday with a UFC cage match fight at the White House.
He added, “I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade,” which was imposed in retaliation for Iran’s grip on the crucial waterway.
He soon hedged, however, saying the strait wouldn’t open until Friday’s signing.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, confirmed the agreement on state television but said Iran would not start implementing it until it was signed Friday. He said the deal followed talks with Qatar, another mediator.
World leaders applaud the agreement
Leaders from China to Europe welcomed the announcement. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has roiled international markets and sent prices of fuel and other essential goods, including food, spiraling.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that China “hopes the U.S. and Iran will sign the initial memorandum of understanding as scheduled.” Beijing hopes that safe and free passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be restored as soon as possible, he added.
France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot welcomed the agreement “that should bring an end to hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon.” He said that “all parties to the conflict must respect this agreement.”
Barrot said “for far too long” the war in Iran has driven prices of fuel and fertilizer painfully high. With the ceasefire, he said dozens of nations like France and the United Kingdom could send ships to protect freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
The European Union’s top diplomat pledged support for further negotiations over outstanding issues like Iran’s nuclear program.
“Fingers crossed that they will be also initialized on Friday, because everybody needs the Strait of Hormuz to be open and actually this war to stop,” Kaja Kallas, foreign policy chief of the 27-nation EU, said ahead of a gathering of foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Monday.
But some of the ministers, like Luxembourg’s Xavier Bettel, expressed skepticism. “It’s a long time till Friday,” he said.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer also welcomed the breakthrough and said it was vital that all parties in the region seize the opportunity to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
“We will now work closely with our partners to support this agreement and to ensure that it turns into a durable, lasting peace,’’ he said.
Pakistan, a key mediator, announced the deal
Pakistan first announced the deal, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif saying “both sides have declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.” He added that mediators this week will facilitate meetings to “lay the foundation for the technical talks.”
Broader negotiations on outstanding issues like Iran’s nuclear program would continue over the next 60 days, two senior Pakistani officials said earlier Sunday, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. If the sides fail to reach a resolution within that time, the timeline could be extended.
Iranian state television cited the secretariat of the Supreme National Security Council as saying the war on all fronts “will end immediately and permanently beginning tonight” — and that the U.S. blockade “will be terminated immediately and in full.”
Qatari mediators later left Tehran following 17 hours of negotiations, said an official briefed on the developments who spoke on condition of anonymity due to sensitivity of the talks. Separate preparatory meetings with each side will take place in Doha this week, the official said.
It was not clear who from Iran would sign the deal on Friday. U.S. Vice President JD Vance told Fox News the White House was still figuring out who would attend: “I certainly plan to be there, but it’s possible the president himself could be there.”
But concern among Republicans in the U.S. already could be seen. They included U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who described Vance as “the architect of the deal.”
“I am somewhat concerned that Iran’s view of the agreement seems different than what the American negotiating team is claiming,” Graham wrote online.
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Becatoros reported from Athens, Greece. Associated Press writers Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sam McNeil and Sylvain Plazy in Brussels, Danica Kirka in London, Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel, Simina Mistreanu in Taipei, Taiwan, Cathy Bussewitz in New York and Cara Anna in Lowville, New York, contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump was seen smiling briefly cage-side after UFC fighter Josh Hokit made a false and offensive remark about former first lady Michelle Obama during his post-fight speech.
Hokit praised Trump for putting on the White House event, before adding, “And lastly, Michelle Obama is a man. Am I right, America?”
In a brief moment captured on camera, Trump, seated first row at the “Octagon,” appeared to show a half-smile seconds after the false remark, which has previously circulated online. A mixture of cheers and boos rippled through the crowd.
CNN has reached out to the White House and Michelle Obama’s office for comment.
Earlier this year, Trump refused to apologize after posting and then deleting a racist video depicting former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama as apes in a jungle, insisting he hadn’t seen the final frames containing the offensive content and blaming a staffer for the mistake.
Trump talks with David Ellison at UFC fight
0:09 • Source: CNN
Trump talks with David Ellison at UFC fight
0:09
David Ellison, the Paramount Skydance chief executive, spoke with President Donald Trump at the UFC Freedom 250 event on Sunday, days after the Trump administration approved a merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery.
Friday’s sign-off by the Department of Justice, while expected, was a key step in Paramount’s quest to acquire CNN, HBO, the Warner Bros. movie studio and other Warner Bros. Discovery assets.
The bid for WBD has been a source of controversy, partly due to Paramount’s close ties to Trump and the company’s perceived efforts to win favor with his administration.
Paramount says the deal is “fundamentally pro-competitive.” As for the prospect of taking control of CNN, which has raised alarms among press freedom groups, the company says it is committing to “invest in the future of journalism, not diminish it.”
Ellison was first seen kneeling beside the president as the two spoke for roughly a minute and a half while Trump remained seated.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was also seen with the president.
Trump greets Mark Zuckerberg at White House UFC event
0:23 • Source: CNN
Trump greets Mark Zuckerberg at White House UFC event
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Both men were seen in video footage at different points approaching Trump, who was seated cage-side during a break between fights, to briefly greet him.
Zuckerberg approached Trump, shook his hand, and also greeted first lady Melania Trump.
Following the interactions, Trump stood and joined a group photo with Zuckerberg, Ellison, and others. Dana White appeared centered in the frame as the group gathered for the picture.
CNN’s Brian Stelter contributed reporting.
President Donald Trump’s entire immediate family turned out cage-side for the historic “UFC Freedom 250” event held Sunday on the White House South Lawn, which coincided with his 80th birthday celebration.
First lady Melania Trump was seated next to the president throughout the fights as the mega event unfolded.
Donald Trump Jr. and his new wife Bettina Trump, Eric Trump and Lara Trump, Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, and Tiffany Trump with her husband Michael Boulos were all spotted ringside, at times approaching the US president, to take photos during breaks in the fights. Barron Trump, the president’s youngest son, sat behind his parents.
Several of the president’s grandchildren also attended the mixed martial arts event. Kai Trump, his eldest granddaughter, who has often appeared with him at sporting events, posted on social media earlier Sunday, a playful staged pre-fight face-off with UFC CEO Dana White inside the White House octagon.
Other grandchildren, including Donald J. Trump III and Spencer Trump, have also previously attended as part of Trump’s entourage at major public sporting events.
Sean Strickland, the current UFC middleweight champion, was not on the fight card. Instead, after he showed up anyway to the UFC Fan Fest at the Ellipse, the fighter was escorted out and brought back to his hotel earlier this evening, US Park Police told CNN.
“The unplanned presence of Sean Strickland drew significant attention from attendees, resulting in disorder,” the law enforcement agency told CNN, adding that Strikland left “without incident.”
“Due to concerns for Strickland’s safety and the safety of event patrons, personnel from the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Park Police, and other assisting agencies evacuated him safely from the area,” the US Park Police public information office said.
The agency said Strickland was neither cited nor arrested in connection with the incident and he “was advised not to return to the venue for his own and public safety.”
Strickland is a former supporter of President Donald Trump. He has frequently taken to social media to criticize the president over his support of Israel, the war in Iran and how the release of the Department of Justice’s Epstein files has unfolded, sometimes using inflammatory remarks.
Trump watches fights alongside UFC CEO Dana White
0:16 • Source: CNN
Trump watches fights alongside UFC CEO Dana White
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President Donald Trump watched the UFC matches from a cage-side seat on the White House South Lawn, sitting between first lady Melania Trump and UFC President and CEO Dana White.
Throughout the event, Trump could be seen leaning over to speak with both the first lady and White as fighters faced off inside the “Octagon.” At one point, he pointed toward the action while closely watching.
The president maintained a serious expression during one match, but broke into applause and smiles after it concluded, once again leaning in to speak with White, who nodded in response.
During a break in the action, the Village People’s “YMCA” — a Trump mainstay — blasted across the huge structure called the “Claw,” as the president stood to greet attendees.
At one point during a break in the action, two of Trump’s children, Ivanka Trump and Eric Trump, and his daughter-in-law Lara Trump approached the president with several of his grandchildren, gathering near the Octagon for photos.
Large security presence at White House UFC event
0:46 • Source: CNN
Large security presence at White House UFC event
0:46
CNN observed heavy security around the entrance to the UFC event at the Ellipse Sunday evening, as the proceedings got underway.
Metropolitan DC Police were working alongside National Guardsmen, US Park Police, Secret Service Police, and Homeland Security Investigations agents.
An armored bearcat vehicle operated by the Secret Service Police cruised down the center of Constitution Avenue shortly before the event, and a Park Police helicopter flew overhead. About 200 yards from the entrance to the Ellipse, a line of mounted Park Police officers stood at the ready.
In addition, the perimeter of the Ellipse is ringed with anti-scale fencing and bike-rack barricades.
A Secret Service official previously told CNN there would be a “very tight security presence” at the UFC event. The Secret Service is handling all security on the White House grounds itself, the official said, with Park Police being the “point” on the Ellipse and DC Metropolitan Police handling everything outside the Ellipse, including multiple street closures.
The Secret Service is handling the screening of all guests on the Ellipse, the official said — utilizing magnetometers, wanding, radiation detection and other measures. In addition, the official said, there is an “unseen” layer of security, including plainclothes officers, sniper teams and counter-assault teams.
Event organizers, in court papers associated with a lawsuit, said they expected more than 100,000 people inside the Ellipse to watch the UFC fights on big screens, with an additional 4,000-plus people on the South Lawn itself.
Trump arrives at UFC fights
0:21 • Source: CNN
Trump arrives at UFC fights
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President Donald Trump and Ultimate Fighting Championship President and CEO Dana White have arrived at the White House balcony to kick off tonight’s events.
The pair walked out of the Oval Office, through the Colonnade and up to the balcony of the Blue Room.
Shortly after they arrived at about 8:28 p.m., the Zac Brown Band played the National Anthem and kicked off the evening’s events. While they played, a 12-jet flyover streaked overhead.
In an ironic choice considering the threatening weather, “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC blasted immediately after the anthem.
Trump is cage-side, on the western side of the octagon. Dana White and family members including Donald Trump Jr are with him.
Kid Rock arrives at UFC fight
0:09 • Source: CNN
Kid Rock arrives at UFC fight
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Noteworthy guests who scored VIP tickets to the UFC fight on the South Lawn have begun arriving at the event near the White House.
CNN spotted NFL Hall of Famer Michael Irvin, who played for the Dallas Cowboys; Raiders NFL player Maxx Crosby; Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian; and the owners of the New York Jets and the Washington Commanders. Guests encountered some confusion on which VIP area to enter. The CEO of Kalshi, Tarek Mansour, was walking around trying to find the correct entrance for his ticket.
Comedian Shane Gillis walked past the VIP gate. When asked by CNN how he scored a ticket, he said, “I swear, I don’t know.”
Musician Kid Rock showed up, too, wearing a white ball cap while he signed autographs.
Shane Gillis arrives at UFC fight
0:06 • Source: CNN
Shane Gillis arrives at UFC fight
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Sharon Simmons, the Arkansas woman who delivered DoorDash to the Oval Office for Trump in April, stood near the VIP information tent.
Several members of Congress were seen walking on the streets and beyond the gates, including Sen. David McCormick, Rep. Jim Jordan, Rep. Brandon Gill, Rep. Ronny Jackson and Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar.
Some were dropped off in SUVs and walked out toward the gates, including Paula White-Cain, senior adviser for the White House faith office.
People took pictures with influencer Nick Shirley outside the VIP information tent. The administration credits him with uncovering fraud in Minnesota.
David Warrington, White House counsel, went up to UFC VIP staff at an entrance where attendees were required to have wristbands for a pre-fight party.
“I’m the White House counsel; I’d presume I’d get in through VIP,” he said, but was directed elsewhere.
Fox News anchors Martha MacCallum and Harris Faulkner were also spotted.
Later, as the fights were underway, a New York Times reporter posted photos of Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, a fan of mixed martial arts fighting, sitting in the front row beneath the Claw. Nearby, stood David Ellison, chief executive of Paramount Skydance, whose $111 billion purchase of Warner Brothers Discovery, parent company of CNN, was recently approved by the Justice Department.
This post has been updated with additional information.
As President Donald Trump prepares to host tonight’s UFC fights at the White House, his family is promoting a venture aimed at profiting off the spectacle by selling gold coins priced as high as $12,000.
The “Freedom 250”-themed silver and gold medallions feature Trump’s face and are being marketed as a collaboration between the UFC and the Trump Organization, which is run by the president’s sons, Eric and Donald Trump Jr.
The coins, which were being sold in advance of the fights, have been dubbed “Trump Coins” on a website that also boasts they were “designed by President Trump.” There are four coins for sale, ranging from a silver one that costs nearly $250 to a $11,999.99 gold medallion whose holder comes with a portrait of Trump and UFC chief Dana White.
The Trump Organization appears only to be licensing the president’s brand for the coins and is not manufacturing or selling them.
But the collaboration marks the Trump family’s latest involvement in efforts to cash in on his return to the White House — and yet another example of the president’s eagerness to put his name on an array of products, events and initiatives related to his administration.
CNN’s Anderson Cooper takes a closer look into other products Trump and his family have promoted:
Video Ad Feedback
Trump family cashing in on UFC fight
CNN’s Anderson Cooper looks at how President Donald Trump and his family are promoting gold and silver coins commemorating the UFC fight set to take place at the White House.
2:41 • Source: CNN
Trump family cashing in on UFC fight
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Spectators file into fan zone ahead of UFC fights
4:45 • Source: CNN
Spectators file into fan zone ahead of UFC fights
4:45
As the UFC fights on the White House lawn approach, spectators are filing into the fan zone on the Ellipse.
“You can see the crowds. They’ve really starting to fill in. There are tens of thousands of people here,” CNN anchor Sara Sidner said.
While only about 4,000 fans will be able to watch the fight from the arena on the White House lawn, roughly 125,000 guests are expected to take in the fight from the viewing area on the Ellipse, according to court documents.
Joining Sidner from inside a replica “Octagon,” CNN correspondent Donnie O’Sullivan added, “For UFC fans, this is the place to be. It’s a very apolitical crowd. Nobody wants to talk about politics.”
President Donald Trump joked in a post to social media that “maybe we’ll never, ever” take the “Claw” lighting structure down from the White House South Lawn. But officials have put a detailed plan in place to break everything down starting Monday.
“The Claw will be disassembled immediately after the Event concludes. Plans are in place for demobilization to begin at 10:00am on June 15, 2026,” said a sworn declaration from White House management and administration director Joshua Fisher.
Per a detailed tick-tock of the event, all attendees will clear the area by 1 a.m. ET Monday, and the load-out begins immediately. Pedestrian barriers, anti-scale fencing and merchandise trailers will be removed overnight. Cameras, food and beverage, and staging load-out will begin early in the morning. The process will take more than a week, culminating on June 23.
Also part of the process: “turf remediation,” which will begin on June 23, according to the schedule.
UFC chief Dana White told Sports Business Journal that the organization plans to pay $700,000 just to re-sod the grass of the South Lawn, where the “Claw,” audience stands and the “Octagon” — the cage where fights take place — is sitting.
“Because we’re going to f**k up the South Lawn, $700,000 just to replace the grass,” he said.

The following is the transcript of the interview with Sen. Mark Kelly, Democrat of Arizona, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on June 14, 2026.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We turn now to Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly, who joins us from Phoenix. Welcome back to Face the Nation. Senator, I just want to read something that the president posted on his social media account moments ago in regard to the events today in Beirut. He said the attack, the Israeli attack on Beirut, should not have happened, particularly on a special day when we are so close to a peace deal with Iran. Israel has a right to defend itself, but the attack it was responding to was very small and meaningless, and all sides should stand down. That’s a different response than what the Secretary of Defense shared with us. It seems like the president is worried this could disrupt the negotiation and the possibility of a deal being signed. Do you support the memorandum of understanding?
SENATOR MARK KELLY: Well, I haven’t seen the details yet, Margaret, and you know, I don’t know if this is a special day, and if we’re very close to a deal. I do agree with what the president said about standing down. It’s obvious that we’re negotiating with the Iranians at this point. I think it’s always important for folks to remember, how did- how did we get here? We’re here because in 2018, Donald Trump tore up the JCPOA and got us into an unauthorized war with the Iranians, and all this has done for the American people is driven up costs, the costs of energy, so, specifically gasoline, the cost of food. And this is at a time when the American people are having a historic time just affording their lives.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, you questioned Secretary Hegseth last month about what this war did to American military preparedness, specifically restocking munitions that are depleted by the Iran war. As I questioned him about that, he said it was a media narrative, that I was making it up, but also said his testimony before your committee was speculation. What’s the reality check there? Do we have a munitions problem?
SEN. KELLY: Well, as Secretary Hegseth said in front of the Armed Services Committee, of which I’m a member, this will take years to rebuild the stockpiles of munitions, so of course we have a munitions issue. I mean, it just came from him, and I think it’s widely understood that when you attack over 10,000 targets from the air with cruise missiles and ballistic missiles and bombs from airplanes, you are using a lot of munitions, and we do not have an endless supply of these things. So, now we’re in a posture where we’ve got to be incredibly careful, and this is also at a time when Ukraine continues to need some help. President now sells munitions to the Europeans, because I think, as everybody understands, this is always about the bottom line for him. But Ukraine is an ally, they’ve been illegally- illegally attacked by the Russians, and they still need our assistance.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, President Zelenskyy was on this program and told us he’s waiting on President Trump to say yes to a US-Ukraine drone deal. Do you know what the holdup is?
SEN. KELLY: I do not at this point, and I don’t think there should be a holdup. I also agree that we should consider some co-manufacturing. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, you know, clearly indicated that he didn’t- he didn’t seem very interested in this, but if Ukraine is going to win, and I got to say, right now it seems like the momentum is on their side, they need additional help from us. So co-production of some interceptors could be a possibility, but also help with their drone manufacturing, and this could also help us in the future. Ukrainians are really good at this, and we have a lot we could learn from them.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to come back to something we were discussing with Senator Warner, and that is the security risk that is resulting from having this warrantless surveillance program, Section 702, suspended right now. You, earlier this month, voted against a bipartisan bill extending surveillance authority. You said any short or long-term extension you would not be in favor of until you solve the Bill Pulte problem. Hasn’t that problem been solved now that Jay Clayton is the nominee?
SEN. KELLY: Not completely, because when Tulsi Gabbard leaves, we’re not so sure if the president is going to put Bill Pulte in as the acting DNI, but this is very easy to solve. The president could today make it very clear to the American people that Bill Pulte is going to have no role in the office of the Director of National Intelligence. When I hear that, then we have a very straightforward path to getting FISA renewed.
MARGARET BRENNAN: That’s the price of your vote, is that statement from the president himself?
SEN. KELLY: I mean, you know, I’m constantly reevaluating the situation. I value FISA, especially 702B, that allows surveillance of foreign nationals in other countries. It is incredibly important to our national security, and when it lapses, there is some risk. But I also think there is as much, if not more risk of putting somebody, Bill Pulte specifically, who is- who is unqualified for this job, Margaret. If you made a list of the one million most qualified Americans for this position, I am very confident that Bill Pulte would not be on that list. There’s risk in putting him in this position, and it’s pretty straightforward right now how we solve this.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, the hearing for Jay Clayton, who would be the Senate-confirmed head of National Intelligence, if he gets all these votes, is this Wednesday. Are you pretty much a definite yes? I mean, given your opposition to Pulte, you need a solution. It sounds like this is not a question.
SEN. KELLY: Hey, I don’t know Clayton. I mean, I’m reviewing his background. He’s got a process to go through. We need to vet him. The statute for this job says somebody will have extensive national security or intelligence experience. Does he have that? I think it’s pretty clear he does not. Is he better than Bill Pulte? Yes, I think a lot better. Does he meet some kind of, maybe a minimum, barely minimum standard? Perhaps. So, I’m looking forward to Wednesday. He’s got to answer some tough, tough questions from the committee, and I’ll evaluate his background and whether or not I think he’s prepared to do this job.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Wow. Meanwhile, there are so many issues of- of serious concern on the national security front. One of them, artificial intelligence. The White House on Friday came out and seemed to really ramp up the dispute with Anthropic. The White House told them to suspend access to any foreign nationals, which led the company to suspend all customers from accessing its most advanced AI systems. Do you know if there is an emergency, and is it, as reported by Semafor, because there was suspicion that a China link group had accessed it?
SEN. KELLY: Well, I haven’t officially heard that, but Mythos and some of their other models from AI companies are incredibly capable, and some of the capabilities that these models have to access systems, not only federal government systems, but financial systems, is very concerning to us. So we’ve got to take some time with these tools and do extensive evaluations as to what is the risk to the American people when we release these. So I agree with the administration on this. We’ve got to be incredibly careful, and the AI companies, and you know, I think Anthropic is a good example, seems to be willing to work with the federal government on this to make sure that we do not make a mistake and release something that we will later regret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator Mark Kelly, thank you for your time today. We’ll be back in a moment.

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Palestinian death toll from the Israel-Hamas war has surpassed 73,000, Gaza’s Health Ministry said Sunday, as Israeli military operations continued despite a stalled and fragile ceasefire in place since October.
Israel says it is targeting Hamas and other militants who pose a threat, and in response to ceasefire violations, including occasional attacks.
Nearly 1,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the ceasefire, according to the health ministry. Five Israeli soldiers have been killed since the truce.
The number of deaths since the beginning of the war is now 73,001, according to the health ministry’s tally. Over 173,200 people have been wounded since the start of the war on Oct. 7, 2023, following the Hamas-led attack into Israel. That attack killed some 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage.
The health ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, is staffed by medical professionals and maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by United Nations agencies and independent experts. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants but says women and children make up around half of all fatalities.
Israel says it tries to avoid harming civilians and blames their deaths on Hamas because the militants operate in densely populated areas.
Stalled ceasefire
The U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal reached in October ended full-scale military operations and led to the return of all the remaining hostages. But other elements of the deal have stalled as Hamas has refused to disarm and Israeli troops have advanced in Gaza, rather than withdrawn. Both sides accuse the other of violating the agreement but say it is still in effect.
Progress on all other issues — including reconstruction, Israeli troop withdrawals and the establishment of a new Palestinian government — is being held up by the deadlock over disarming Hamas, the top diplomat overseeing the U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov, has said.
The war displaced most of the Palestinian population of over 2 million, left large parts of the territory in rubble and created widespread shortages of food, medicine and other basic supplies as the border crossings with Gaza — all but one controlled by Israel — slammed shut.
At least eight more Palestinians killed in the weekend
An Israeli strike on Sunday afternoon in northern Gaza’s Jabaliya refugee camp killed at least four people and wounded others, according to health officials at the Shifa hospital, where the casualties were taken. An Israeli military official, who spoke anonymously in line with military guidelines, said the military “struck terrorists” in the area, without elaborating.
A 13-year-old boy was among five Palestinians killed in Gaza on Saturday night and into the early hours of Sunday, according to Palestinian health officials. In response to the Saturday night strike that killed two of the five, the Israeli military claimed that it was striking Hamas militants.
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Magdy reported from Cairo.

HOUSTON — As the Republican Party of Texas Convention began last week, signs of unity appeared everywhere. But by the end of the three-day biennial gathering, it was not clear how strong that harmony would remain.
Thousands of delegates saw it on the walls of the George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston, where digital posters for the governor professed that “unity drives victory.” They heard the same message in speech after speech, when every speaker encouraged them to put aside differences after a brutal primary season and band together to defeat “radical” Democrats in the fall’s midterm elections.
“Sometimes in primaries, the differences feel massive,” U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, who will be the state’s senior senator, told delegates. “Until you look to November and see the differences with the other side, there are very real differences on the ballot.”
Speaking at the conference for the first time since 2018, Gov. Greg Abbott vowed to demolish Democrats — but urged those gathered to stick together to accomplish the task. His once-foe former state Sen. Don Huffines, the GOP nominee for comptroller of public accounts, said he endorsed all Republicans on the ticket and told the same crowd that they had to “crush the atheists and the leftists.”
However, the unity showed signs of fracturing throughout the week.
Delegates ousted their party chair, shaking up the top of the Texas GOP months before a crucial election. They booed the first sitting Texas House leader to address the convention, even after he oversaw Republicans claim a wish list of socially conservative victories in the Legislature. Some lamented what they described as poor attendance at the convention, despite a slate of top elected officials on the schedule. Meanwhile, it became apparent that some age-old fights, like disagreements over tort reform, remain far from settled.
At risk is the unity that, according to party leaders and elected officials, will be imperative to ensuring Texas remains ruby red as the party braces for a bruising midterm cycle in which Democrats hope to claim a statewide victory for the first time since 1994. But some of the same GOP leaders professing unity did not always practice it during the convention.
In his Friday speech, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick suggested that U.S. Sen. John Cornyn was a “sore loser” after being defeated in his primary runoff by Attorney General Ken Paxton. He chastised Cornyn for making “bad comments” after the May 26 race and not backing Paxton.
“Patrick is worried about losing in November,” Cornyn said Saturday. “He should be.”
To be sure, Patrick also called for GOP solidarity, which he has been advocating for. Before the primary between Cornyn and Paxton, he warned that the Republicans will have a difficult time maintaining control of the Texas House. He trained his fire during his speech more pointedly at Rep. James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate who will face Paxton.
Still, despite such warnings about the threat Democrats present as they tap into anti-Trump sentiment, the Texas GOP proceeded with pursuing a hard right agenda that will seek to further crack down on various immigrant populations in the state, secure its control over elections and erase the ever-thinning line between church and state.
No issue received more attention in party committees, panel discussions over lunch and platform deliberations than anti-Islam sentiment, a threat identified by Republicans who have vowed to halt the “Islamification” of Texas.
”This is a crisis, this is an emergency,” one woman told a group tasked with drafting the party’s legislative priorities, pleading they stop Sharia law. “I need your help.”
Lack of unity
Republican Party of Texas Chair Abraham George started the convention with an assortment of endorsements for his reelection, including one from Paxton, whose grassroots support helped propel him to become the GOP nominee for Senate.
Neither the public backing nor the party’s legislative accomplishments last year could save George from being canned by delegates.
George continued to preside over general sessions after conceding defeat to his former running mate, D’Rinda Randall, whose campaign knocked George’s leadership even though she served as his vice chair for the last two years.
The one-term chair had faced criticism for the party’s finances and struggles to engage members.
Nevertheless, George tried to ease any differences with his concession statement, writing that “our mission continues” and calling for unity as his shocked supporters pledged to keep their new leader accountable.
One of the more contentious displays of friction occurred at a booth for the new “Sharia-Free Texas Caucus,” around the corner from a pair of giant cowboy boots where attendees stopped to pose for photos.
Delegates Amjad Muhtaseb, Samar Halabi and Tarek Hussein got into a heated exchange with Rep. Brent Money of Greenville, who founded the caucus, over religion. The party tried to remove Muhtaseb and Hussein as delegates for their ties to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights group that has been declared a terrorist organization by the governor. The convention could not remove them under party rules.
Hussein is the founder and former president of the group’s Houston chapter, while Muhtaseb attended a CAIR press conference in solidarity with the organization after the governor’s designation.
George encouraged them to depart the GOP.
“You know where the entire body stands,” he said from the lectern in the main ballroom at one point. “I would strongly advise you to leave our caucus. There is a Democrat convention happening in a couple of weeks. Join them.”
On Friday, House Speaker Dustin Burrows made history by taking the stage to address delegates, which no sitting speaker had previously done. Immediately, jeers emerged from some areas. When he said he would keep his speech short, someone shouted “thank you!”
In a conference room up a set of stairs, a few dozen people gathered for a presentation by a group that opposes Texans for Lawsuit Reform, the biggest donor in Texas politics that advocates for tort reform measures. The new organization, called Republicans Against TLR, focused on the contributions Texans for Lawsuit Reform had made to Democrats over the years and critiqued legislation boosted by the group.
During the question portion of the presentation, a man noted that the lieutenant governor’s son, Ryan Patrick, who had received his own share of boos during a speech earlier in the day, was the new chief executive of Texans for Lawsuit Reform.
“Do you think he sold out?” the man asked. “Is he a reformer or what?”
Behind the man in the back of the room, Ryan Patrick stood watching.
Hard right
The week began with members of the public raising their biggest worries, which extended from stopping Sharia law in its tracks to stopping data centers from invading quieter parts of Texas.
Party delegates, it appeared, listened.
Rep. Cody Vasut of Angleton said at a data centers panel discussion that he intends to work on legislation that would expand local counties’ authority to regulate the development of data centers. Such proposals have long caused disagreement between lawmakers who want to curtail local government’s power and members of the Legislature who want to be attuned to residents’ worries and concerns.
But the conflict is reaching a boiling point in the current interim as residents across Texas learn about plans for massive data centers near their homes, sometimes through open information requests not from developers. Furious and worried, many have taken to testifying at county commissioners’ hearings to beg their local officials to stop the plans, but most have been unsuccessful.
Taking on data centers might also place the state in the rare position of being at odds with President Trump, who is championing data centers and has said he does not want state-level regulations.
“It matters that Texas is able to maintain its ability to pass legislation that you want us to pass,” state Sen. Angela Paxton of McKinney said during another panel discussion on the hot topic. “I understand the idea of regulatory consistency in the United States.”
But, she added, “we don’t want what is done at the federal level to be weaker than what we are doing in Texas.”
After years of lurching ever to the right, it appeared the party that has controlled state government for a generation will continue that trajectory.
Delegates edited the party platform its statement of beliefs, to support the expansion of school vouchers, challenging court precedent that grants undocumented students the right to free public education and a variety of proposed solutions to Republican concerns about Islam.
The platform now states that: public schools should teach that Sharia law is incompatible with the U.S. Constitution; schools and businesses should be stopped from being required to provide time for prayer multiple times a day; and no laws should be passed requiring schools to serve halal food or other cuisines that are in accordance with other religious dietary standards.
At the same time, the platform was amended to reaffirm conservative Christian values that have defined some of the Texas GOP’s biggest victories in recent years, like displaying the Ten Commandments in public schools and allowing for prayer time for Christian students.
For instance, the party principles now state that the party recognizes the “historic and continuing influence of Christianity in securing our rights and liberties as endowed by our Creator.”
In his speech, Dan Patrick — a champion of Christian conservative values — embraced the Christian nationalist label he said Democrats want to stick on him.
“To me, that means I love God and I love America,” he said to a roar of approval. “If that’s what a Christian nationalist is, here I am. That means that they’re anti-Christian, anti-country.”