The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of lives and the displacement of millions. Its origins trace back to a colonial decision made over a hundred years ago.
Following an unprecedented assault by the Palestinian armed group Hamas on Saturday, Israel has declared war on the Gaza Strip, drawing intense global attention to what may unfold next.
Hamas fighters have killed over 800 Israelis in coordinated attacks across several towns in southern Israel. In retaliation, Israel has launched an airstrike campaign on the Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of more than 500 Palestinians. Israeli forces have also gathered near the Gaza border, indicating potential plans for a ground offensive. On Monday, Israel declared a “total blockade” of Gaza, cutting off food, fuel, and other vital supplies to the already isolated territory—an action that, under international law, is considered a war crime.
However, what happens in the days and weeks ahead is deeply rooted in historical events.
For years, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been labeled by Western media, scholars, military analysts, and global leaders as complex, unresolved, and seemingly impossible to solve.
Here's a straightforward guide to help explain one of the world’s most enduring conflicts:
Over a century ago, on November 2, 1917, Arthur Balfour, the British foreign secretary at the time, penned a letter to Lionel Walter Rothschild, a prominent leader of the British Jewish community.
Though only 67 words long, the letter had a profound and lasting impact on Palestine—an impact that continues to resonate to this day.
The letter pledged the British government’s support for “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people” and for aiding “the achievement of this object.” This historic document became known as the Balfour Declaration.
In essence, a European power gave its assurance to the Zionist movement to create a homeland in a region where over 90 percent of the population were Palestinian Arab natives.
A British Mandate was established in 1923 and continued until 1948. During this time, the British government oversaw a large influx of Jewish immigrants, many of whom were escaping Nazi persecution in Europe. This period also saw widespread protests and strikes. Palestinians grew increasingly concerned about the shifting demographics of their country and the British appropriation of their lands to be given to Jewish settlers.
Rising tensions ultimately sparked the Arab Revolt, which took place from 1936 to 1939.
In April 1936, the newly established Arab National Committee urged Palestinians to initiate a general strike, refuse to pay taxes, and boycott Jewish goods in protest against British colonial rule and the increasing Jewish immigration.
The six-month strike was harshly suppressed by the British, who initiated widespread arrests and carried out punitive home demolitions, a tactic that Israel still uses against Palestinians today.
The second phase of the revolt started in late 1937, led by the Palestinian peasant resistance movement, which focused its efforts on British forces and colonial rule.
By mid-1939, Britain had deployed 30,000 troops in Palestine. Villages were bombed from the air, curfews were enforced, homes were demolished, and administrative detentions and extrajudicial killings became widespread.
At the same time, the British worked alongside the Jewish settler community to create armed groups, including a British-led "counterinsurgency force" composed of Jewish fighters known as the Special Night Squads.
Within the Yishuv, the pre-state Jewish settler community, arms were covertly smuggled in, and weapons factories were set up to strengthen the Haganah, the Jewish paramilitary group that would later form the foundation of the Israeli army.
During the three years of the revolt, 5,000 Palestinians were killed, 15,000 to 20,000 were injured, and 5,600 were imprisoned.
By 1947, the Jewish population had grown to 33 percent of Palestine, yet they controlled only 6 percent of the land.
The United Nations passed Resolution 181, which proposed the division of Palestine into separate Arab and Jewish states.
The Palestinians rejected the plan because it allocated roughly 55 percent of Palestine to the Jewish state, including much of the fertile coastal area.
At that time, the Palestinians owned 94 percent of historic Palestine and made up 67 percent of its population.
Even before the British Mandate ended on May 14, 1948, Zionist paramilitary groups had already launched a military campaign to demolish Palestinian towns and villages in order to expand the borders of the emerging Zionist state.
In April 1948, over 100 Palestinian men, women, and children were killed in the village of Deir Yassin, located on the outskirts of Jerusalem.
This event set the tone for the remainder of the operation, and between 1947 and 1949, more than 500 Palestinian villages, towns, and cities were destroyed in what Palestinians call the Nakba, meaning "catastrophe" in Arabic.
Approximately 15,000 Palestinians were killed, including in numerous massacres.
The Zionist movement seized 78 percent of historic Palestine, while the remaining 22 percent was split into what are now the occupied West Bank and the blockaded Gaza Strip.
Around 750,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes.
Today, their descendants reside as six million refugees in 58 overcrowded camps across Palestine and in neighboring countries such as Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt.
On May 15, 1948, Israel proclaimed its founding.
The next day, the first Arab-Israeli war erupted, and the fighting ceased in January 1949 following an armistice between Israel and Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria.
In December 1948, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 194, which affirms the right of return for Palestinian refugees.
At least 150,000 Palestinians stayed in the newly established state of Israel, living under strict military control for nearly 20 years before eventually being granted Israeli citizenship.
Egypt assumed control of the Gaza Strip, while in 1950, Jordan began administering the West Bank.
In 1964, the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) was created, followed by the establishment of the Fatah political party a year later.
The Naksa, also known as the Six-Day War, and the settlement expansion
On June 5, 1967, during the Six-Day War, Israel captured the remaining parts of historic Palestine, including the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Syrian Golan Heights, and the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula, defeating a coalition of Arab armies.
For many Palestinians, this resulted in a second wave of forced displacement, known as the Naksa, which means "setback" in Arabic.
In December 1967, the Marxist-Leninist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine was established. Over the following decade, a series of attacks and plane hijackings carried out by leftist groups brought global attention to the Palestinian cause.
Settlement construction began in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, establishing a two-tier system. Jewish settlers enjoyed all the rights and privileges of Israeli citizens, while Palestinians were subjected to military occupation that discriminated against them and prohibited any political or civic expression.
The first Palestinian Intifada broke out in the Gaza Strip in December 1987, following the deaths of four Palestinians when an Israeli truck crashed into two vans carrying Palestinian workers.
Protests quickly spread to the West Bank, where young Palestinians threw stones at Israeli army tanks and soldiers.
It also resulted in the formation of the Hamas movement, a faction of the Muslim Brotherhood, which engaged in armed resistance against the Israeli occupation.
The Israeli army's brutal response was embodied in the "Break their Bones" policy, proposed by then-Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin. This included extrajudicial killings, university closures, deportations of activists, and the demolition of homes.
The Intifada was mainly led by young Palestinians and coordinated by the Unified National Leadership of the Uprising, a coalition of Palestinian political groups focused on ending the Israeli occupation and achieving Palestinian independence.
In 1988, the Arab League officially recognized the PLO as the exclusive representative of the Palestinian people.
Popular mobilisations, mass protests, civil disobedience, well-organised strikes and communal cooperatives characterised the Intifada.
According to the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, Israeli forces killed 1,070 Palestinians during the Intifada, including 237 children. Over 175,000 Palestinians were also arrested.
The Intifada also pushed the international community to seek a resolution to the conflict.
The Intifada concluded with the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993, leading to the establishment of the Palestinian Authority (PA), an interim government granted limited self-rule in parts of the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The PLO acknowledged Israel based on a two-state solution and effectively signed agreements that granted Israel control over 60 percent of the West Bank, along with much of the region's land and water resources.
The PA was supposed to make way for the first elected Palestinian government running an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with its capital in East Jerusalem, but that has never happened.
Critics of the PA see it as a corrupt entity that acts as a subcontractor to the Israeli occupation, working closely with the Israeli military to suppress dissent and political activism against Israel.
In 1995, Israel constructed an electronic fence and concrete wall around the Gaza Strip, severing interactions between the divided Palestinian territories.
The second Intifada erupted on September 28, 2000, after Ariel Sharon, leader of the Likud opposition, made a controversial visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, accompanied by thousands of security forces stationed throughout the Old City of Jerusalem.
Violent clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli forces resulted in the deaths of five Palestinians and left 200 others injured over the course of two days.
The incident ignited a large-scale armed uprising. Throughout the Intifada, Israel inflicted extensive destruction on the Palestinian economy and infrastructure.
Israel reasserted control over territories administered by the Palestinian Authority and initiated the construction of a separation barrier. Alongside widespread settlement expansion, this severely disrupted Palestinian communities and devastated their means of livelihood.
Although settlements are considered illegal under international law, hundreds of thousands of Jewish settlers have moved into communities constructed on confiscated Palestinian land. Palestinian space continues to diminish as settler-exclusive roads and infrastructure carve through the occupied West Bank, confining Palestinian towns and cities into fragmented enclaves reminiscent of the bantustans created during South Africa's apartheid era.
When the Oslo Accords were signed, a little over 110,000 Jewish settlers resided in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Today, that number has grown to over 700,000, occupying more than 100,000 hectares (390 square miles) of land taken from the Palestinians.
PLO leader Yasser Arafat passed away in 2004. The following year marked the end of the second Intifada, the dismantling of Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip, and the withdrawal of Israeli troops along with 9,000 settlers from the territory.
One year later, Palestinians participated in their first general election.
Hamas secured a majority in the election. However, a violent conflict erupted between Hamas and Fatah, lasting several months and leading to the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians.
Hamas removed Fatah from power in the Gaza Strip, while Fatah — the leading faction within the Palestinian Authority — reestablished control over parts of the West Bank.
In June 2007, Israel enforced a land, air, and sea blockade on the Gaza Strip, citing Hamas’s involvement in terrorist activities as the reason.
Israel has carried out four extended military operations in Gaza: in 2008, 2012, 2014, and 2021. Thousands of Palestinians, including numerous children, have lost their lives, and tens of thousands of homes, schools, and office buildings have been obliterated.
Rebuilding has been nearly impossible due to the blockade, which restricts the entry of essential construction materials like steel and cement into Gaza.
The 2008 attack included the use of internationally prohibited weapons, such as phosphorus gas.
In 2014, over 50 days, Israel killed more than 2,100 Palestinians, including 1,462 civilians and nearly 500 children.
During the assault, named Operation Protective Edge by Israel, approximately 11,000 Palestinians were injured, 20,000 homes were demolished, and around half a million people were displaced.
The original creators of the 28 Years Later horror saga, writer Alex Garland and director Danny Boyle, have exited the franchise without offering any explanation. Back in 2002, the pair introduced 28 Days Later, featuring performances by Cillian Murphy, Megan Burns, Brendan Gleeson, and Naomie Harris. After writing the screenplay for the original film, Garland stepped away from the franchise and did not come back for the 2007 sequel, 28 Weeks Later. Now, years down the line, the iconic writer-director team has come together once more for the upcoming sequel, scheduled to hit theaters on June 20, 2025. Danny has at last revealed why he and the 54-year-old screenwriter chose to step away, opting not to develop the next installment of their chilling horror-thriller series. While speaking with The Playlist, he explained, “The thing is, 28 Days Later came from a place of raw sincerity. It carried a punk energy. To create a true sequel, you had to approach it with that same unfiltered mindset — cynicism just wouldn’t work.” “There were several reasons it just wouldn’t have come together back then. Plus, enough time had gone by for us,” said the Slumdog Millionaire filmmaker. “But then a central idea emerged — one that matched the tone of what we created over two decades ago.” Scheduled for release in both the UK and US on June 20, 2025, the film will be distributed by the previously mentioned studio and Sony Pictures Releasing. Interestingly, it was filmed back-to-back with its follow-up, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, directed by Nia DaCosta and also penned by Garland. With a return to the franchise's dark, raw origins and an exciting new cast, 28 Years Later is set to enthrall a fresh audience while rekindling the passion of devoted fans. As the Rage virus resurfaces, the countdown begins for one of the most eagerly awaited horror films of 2025. Danny Boyle and Alex Garland Return to the Rage Virus The much-anticipated trailer for 28 Years Later has officially been unveiled, heralding the long-awaited reunion of visionary filmmaker Danny Boyle and acclaimed screenwriter Alex Garland. Together, they return to expand the harrowing cinematic universe first introduced in 28 Days Later and continued in 28 Weeks Later. This latest installment promises a deeply immersive and emotionally intense journey into a desolate, post-apocalyptic world still haunted by the catastrophic effects of the rage virus. Audiences can expect a haunting narrative filled with psychological tension, visceral horror, and thought-provoking themes. 28 Years Later is slated for a theatrical release on June 20, 2025. Watch the chilling trailer below. What Is the Future of Humanity? The eerie tagline, “What will humanity become?” lays the foundation for a chilling dive into themes of survival, transformation, and the darker sides of human nature. Backed by haunting music and disjointed visuals, the trailer immerses viewers in a grim world decades beyond the initial outbreak. Ominous lines like “there’s no discharge in the war” and disturbing flashes of imagery hint at the terror that lies ahead. The new sequel to the 2002 film is set to hit theaters, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes, and more.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of lives and the displacement of millions. Its origins trace back to a colonial decision made over a hundred years ago. Following an unprecedented assault by the Palestinian armed group Hamas on Saturday, Israel has declared war on the Gaza Strip, drawing intense global attention to what may unfold next. Hamas fighters have killed over 800 Israelis in coordinated attacks across several towns in southern Israel. In retaliation, Israel has launched an airstrike campaign on the Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of more than 500 Palestinians. Israeli forces have also gathered near the Gaza border, indicating potential plans for a ground offensive. On Monday, Israel declared a “total blockade” of Gaza, cutting off food, fuel, and other vital supplies to the already isolated territory—an action that, under international law, is considered a war crime. However, what happens in the days and weeks ahead is deeply rooted in historical events. For years, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been labeled by Western media, scholars, military analysts, and global leaders as complex, unresolved, and seemingly impossible to solve. Here's a straightforward guide to help explain one of the world’s most enduring conflicts: What is the Balfour Declaration? Over a century ago, on November 2, 1917, Arthur Balfour, the British foreign secretary at the time, penned a letter to Lionel Walter Rothschild, a prominent leader of the British Jewish community. Though only 67 words long, the letter had a profound and lasting impact on Palestine—an impact that continues to resonate to this day. The letter pledged the British government’s support for “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people” and for aiding “the achievement of this object.” This historic document became known as the Balfour Declaration. In essence, a European power gave its assurance to the Zionist movement to create a homeland in a region where over 90 percent of the population were Palestinian Arab natives. A British Mandate was established in 1923 and continued until 1948. During this time, the British government oversaw a large influx of Jewish immigrants, many of whom were escaping Nazi persecution in Europe. This period also saw widespread protests and strikes. Palestinians grew increasingly concerned about the shifting demographics of their country and the British appropriation of their lands to be given to Jewish settlers. What transpired during the 1930s? Rising tensions ultimately sparked the Arab Revolt, which took place from 1936 to 1939. In April 1936, the newly established Arab National Committee urged Palestinians to initiate a general strike, refuse to pay taxes, and boycott Jewish goods in protest against British colonial rule and the increasing Jewish immigration. The six-month strike was harshly suppressed by the British, who initiated widespread arrests and carried out punitive home demolitions, a tactic that Israel still uses against Palestinians today. The second phase of the revolt started in late 1937, led by the Palestinian peasant resistance movement, which focused its efforts on British forces and colonial rule. By mid-1939, Britain had deployed 30,000 troops in Palestine. Villages were bombed from the air, curfews were enforced, homes were demolished, and administrative detentions and extrajudicial killings became widespread. At the same time, the British worked alongside the Jewish settler community to create armed groups, including a British-led "counterinsurgency force" composed of Jewish fighters known as the Special Night Squads. Within the Yishuv, the pre-state Jewish settler community, arms were covertly smuggled in, and weapons factories were set up to strengthen the Haganah, the Jewish paramilitary group that would later form the foundation of the Israeli army. During the three years of the revolt, 5,000 Palestinians were killed, 15,000 to 20,000 were injured, and 5,600 were imprisoned. What did the UN partition plan entail? By 1947, the Jewish population had grown to 33 percent of Palestine, yet they controlled only 6 percent of the land. The United Nations passed Resolution 181, which proposed the division of Palestine into separate Arab and Jewish states. The Palestinians rejected the plan because it allocated roughly 55 percent of Palestine to the Jewish state, including much of the fertile coastal area. At that time, the Palestinians owned 94 percent of historic Palestine and made up 67 percent of its population. The 1948 Nakba, or the forced displacement of Palestinians. Even before the British Mandate ended on May 14, 1948, Zionist paramilitary groups had already launched a military campaign to demolish Palestinian towns and villages in order to expand the borders of the emerging Zionist state. In April 1948, over 100 Palestinian men, women, and children were killed in the village of Deir Yassin, located on the outskirts of Jerusalem. This event set the tone for the remainder of the operation, and between 1947 and 1949, more than 500 Palestinian villages, towns, and cities were destroyed in what Palestinians call the Nakba, meaning "catastrophe" in Arabic. Approximately 15,000 Palestinians were killed, including in numerous massacres. The Zionist movement seized 78 percent of historic Palestine, while the remaining 22 percent was split into what are now the occupied West Bank and the blockaded Gaza Strip. Around 750,000 Palestinians were expelled from their homes. Today, their descendants reside as six million refugees in 58 overcrowded camps across Palestine and in neighboring countries such as Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt. On May 15, 1948, Israel proclaimed its founding. The next day, the first Arab-Israeli war erupted, and the fighting ceased in January 1949 following an armistice between Israel and Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria. In December 1948, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 194, which affirms the right of return for Palestinian refugees. The years following the Nakba At least 150,000 Palestinians stayed in the newly established state of Israel, living under strict military control for nearly 20 years before eventually being granted Israeli citizenship. Egypt assumed control of the Gaza Strip, while in 1950, Jordan began administering the West Bank. In 1964, the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) was created, followed by the establishment of the Fatah political party a year later. The Naksa, also known as the Six-Day War, and the settlement expansion On June 5, 1967, during the Six-Day War, Israel captured the remaining parts of historic Palestine, including the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Syrian Golan Heights, and the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula, defeating a coalition of Arab armies. For many Palestinians, this resulted in a second wave of forced displacement, known as the Naksa, which means "setback" in Arabic. In December 1967, the Marxist-Leninist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine was established. Over the following decade, a series of attacks and plane hijackings carried out by leftist groups brought global attention to the Palestinian cause. Settlement construction began in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, establishing a two-tier system. Jewish settlers enjoyed all the rights and privileges of Israeli citizens, while Palestinians were subjected to military occupation that discriminated against them and prohibited any political or civic expression. The First Intifada (1987-1993) The first Palestinian Intifada broke out in the Gaza Strip in December 1987, following the deaths of four Palestinians when an Israeli truck crashed into two vans carrying Palestinian workers. Protests quickly spread to the West Bank, where young Palestinians threw stones at Israeli army tanks and soldiers. It also resulted in the formation of the Hamas movement, a faction of the Muslim Brotherhood, which engaged in armed resistance against the Israeli occupation. The Israeli army's brutal response was embodied in the "Break their Bones" policy, proposed by then-Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin. This included extrajudicial killings, university closures, deportations of activists, and the demolition of homes. The Intifada was mainly led by young Palestinians and coordinated by the Unified National Leadership of the Uprising, a coalition of Palestinian political groups focused on ending the Israeli occupation and achieving Palestinian independence. In 1988, the Arab League officially recognized the PLO as the exclusive representative of the Palestinian people. Popular mobilisations, mass protests, civil disobedience, well-organised strikes and communal cooperatives characterised the Intifada. According to the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, Israeli forces killed 1,070 Palestinians during the Intifada, including 237 children. Over 175,000 Palestinians were also arrested. The Intifada also pushed the international community to seek a resolution to the conflict. The Oslo Era and the Palestinian Authority The Intifada concluded with the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993, leading to the establishment of the Palestinian Authority (PA), an interim government granted limited self-rule in parts of the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. The PLO acknowledged Israel based on a two-state solution and effectively signed agreements that granted Israel control over 60 percent of the West Bank, along with much of the region's land and water resources. The PA was supposed to make way for the first elected Palestinian government running an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with its capital in East Jerusalem, but that has never happened. Critics of the PA see it as a corrupt entity that acts as a subcontractor to the Israeli occupation, working closely with the Israeli military to suppress dissent and political activism against Israel. In 1995, Israel constructed an electronic fence and concrete wall around the Gaza Strip, severing interactions between the divided Palestinian territories. The second Palestinian uprising The second Intifada erupted on September 28, 2000, after Ariel Sharon, leader of the Likud opposition, made a controversial visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, accompanied by thousands of security forces stationed throughout the Old City of Jerusalem. Violent clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli forces resulted in the deaths of five Palestinians and left 200 others injured over the course of two days. The incident ignited a large-scale armed uprising. Throughout the Intifada, Israel inflicted extensive destruction on the Palestinian economy and infrastructure. Israel reasserted control over territories administered by the Palestinian Authority and initiated the construction of a separation barrier. Alongside widespread settlement expansion, this severely disrupted Palestinian communities and devastated their means of livelihood. Although settlements are considered illegal under international law, hundreds of thousands of Jewish settlers have moved into communities constructed on confiscated Palestinian land. Palestinian space continues to diminish as settler-exclusive roads and infrastructure carve through the occupied West Bank, confining Palestinian towns and cities into fragmented enclaves reminiscent of the bantustans created during South Africa's apartheid era. When the Oslo Accords were signed, a little over 110,000 Jewish settlers resided in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Today, that number has grown to over 700,000, occupying more than 100,000 hectares (390 square miles) of land taken from the Palestinians. The Palestinian split and the Gaza siege PLO leader Yasser Arafat passed away in 2004. The following year marked the end of the second Intifada, the dismantling of Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip, and the withdrawal of Israeli troops along with 9,000 settlers from the territory. One year later, Palestinians participated in their first general election. Hamas secured a majority in the election. However, a violent conflict erupted between Hamas and Fatah, lasting several months and leading to the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians. Hamas removed Fatah from power in the Gaza Strip, while Fatah — the leading faction within the Palestinian Authority — reestablished control over parts of the West Bank. In June 2007, Israel enforced a land, air, and sea blockade on the Gaza Strip, citing Hamas’s involvement in terrorist activities as the reason. The conflicts in the Gaza Strip Israel has carried out four extended military operations in Gaza: in 2008, 2012, 2014, and 2021. Thousands of Palestinians, including numerous children, have lost their lives, and tens of thousands of homes, schools, and office buildings have been obliterated. Rebuilding has been nearly impossible due to the blockade, which restricts the entry of essential construction materials like steel and cement into Gaza. The 2008 attack included the use of internationally prohibited weapons, such as phosphorus gas. In 2014, over 50 days, Israel killed more than 2,100 Palestinians, including 1,462 civilians and nearly 500 children. During the assault, named Operation Protective Edge by Israel, approximately 11,000 Palestinians were injured, 20,000 homes were demolished, and around half a million people were displaced.
"According to the United Nations, Israeli forces have killed at least 71 civilians in Lebanon since a ceasefire was established late last year." Thameen Al-Kheetan, spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), stated on Tuesday that the fatalities included 14 women and nine children. He urged thorough investigations into "every single military operation resulting in civilian deaths." The OHCHR expressed concern over recent Israeli military actions targeting civilian infrastructure, including an April 3 strike that demolished a newly opened medical center operated by the Islamic Health Society in the southern city of Naqoura. It also highlighted that, according to the Israeli army, at least five rockets, two mortars, and a drone have been fired from Lebanon into northern Israel, while tens of thousands of Israelis remain displaced from the region. “The ceasefire must be maintained, as any escalation threatens stability not only in Lebanon and Israel but across the entire region,” Al-Kheetan stated. Later on Tuesday, Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health announced that an Israeli drone strike targeting a car in the southern town of Aitaroun resulted in one death and left three others injured, including a child. The Israeli military stated in a press release that the airstrike eliminated “a squad commander from Hezbollah’s special operations unit.” Israeli Attacks Israel has continued its military operations in Lebanon, including strikes on the capital, Beirut, despite a ceasefire that began on November 27. The truce had largely paused over a year of conflict between Israel and the armed group Hezbollah, including two months of intense warfare.. Under the ceasefire agreement, Hezbollah was to remove its fighters from south of Lebanon’s Litani River and dismantle any remaining military infrastructure, while Israel was required to withdraw all its forces from southern Lebanon. Lebanon’s army has been stationed in the south near the Israeli border as Israeli forces have pulled back, although Israel still maintains five fortified positions in Lebanon, which it considers “strategic.” Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told Al Jazeera on Monday that the army was “dismantling tunnels and warehouses and seizing weapons caches” south of the Litani River “without any interference from Hezbollah.” On Thursday, a senior Hezbollah official told Reuters that the group is willing to engage in discussions with the Lebanese president regarding its weapons, provided Israel withdraws from southern Lebanon and halts its airstrikes.
A 5.2-magnitude earthquake shook San Diego, California, and nearby regions on Monday afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The earthquake occurred at 10:08 a.m. local time (18:00 GMT), with its epicenter located in Julian, California. The resort town, situated in the Cuyamaca Mountains, lies approximately an hour northeast of San Diego. About two hours after the earthquake, Perette Godwin, a spokesperson for the City of San Diego, told the BBC that there were no reports of structural damage or injuries. The San Diego Sheriff's Office stated that it had not yet "received any reports of injuries or significant damage caused by the earthquake," but noted that it remained a "developing situation." California Governor Gavin Newsom's office shared on X shortly after the earthquake that he had been updated on the situation. The USGS reported several smaller aftershocks in the region within the hour following the earthquake. Meanwhile, the National Weather Service stated that a tsunami was not anticipated. In the moments before the earthquake hit, emergency alerts issued by the USGS instructed residents to seek shelter, with some advised to do so as far away as Los Angeles. "Drop, cover, and hold on. Safeguard yourself," the alert stated. Kevin Manaugh was having breakfast when he received an alert and swiftly took cover under a doorframe. "Sure enough, the shaking began," Mr. Manaugh said. "I've lived in San Diego for most of my life; I was born here, and this is likely the strongest quake I've ever experienced." "It was quite surprising," he added. "Everything shook intensely, it shook a lot. It rattled for about three seconds, and then it was over." Although his house sustained no damage, Mr. Manaugh mentioned that he would likely make preparations in case another earthquake occurred. "Considering this and the wildfires in Los Angeles, it made me realize that it's probably wise to have an evacuation bag ready," he said. Earthquakes are notoriously hard to predict, but the alert's lead time—around 15 seconds for Mr. Manaugh—was sufficient for him to take action. "The fact that they were able to predict it gave me enough time to reach a safe spot," he said. The USGS relies on seismographs and other sensors installed underground across California to provide "lightning-fast" detection when the earth begins to shake, explained Robert de Groot, a team leader for the agency's ShakeAlert system. The sensors send data to a processing center, assisting scientists in assessing the strength and potential magnitude of the earthquake. "We use approximately one second's worth of data to assess what's happening," Mr. de Groot said. USGS data is then rapidly shared with Google and various earthquake apps to help alert residents. For larger earthquakes, like the one that hit Southern California on Monday morning, officials issue a notification through the wireless emergency alert system to ensure it reaches anyone who may be at risk. On Monday, that also included Mr. de Groot, who experienced the earthquake in Pasadena, located 130 miles north of the epicenter. He saw the alert and swiftly took shelter under a table until the shaking subsided. "Nobody enjoys the ground shaking," he said, "even though earthquakes are part of my job."
HBO’s critically acclaimed post-apocalyptic drama The Last of Us returns for its highly anticipated second season on Sunday, April 13 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. New episodes will be available to stream weekly on Max, leading up to the season finale on May 25. Season 2 will feature seven episodes and will continue to bring the beloved 2014 video game series to life. Set five years after the events of Season 1, the new season delves into the strained relationship between Joel and Ellie as they face an increasingly dangerous world. Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey return as Joel and Ellie, joined by a fresh ensemble cast featuring Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, along with Gabriel Luna, Rutina Wesley, Isabela Merced, and Jeffrey Wright. Season 1 of The Last of Us earned widespread critical acclaim, winning eight Emmy Awards and receiving a nomination for Outstanding Drama Series. Co-created by Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, the series has been celebrated for its emotional depth, powerful performances, and its faithful adaptation of the video game’s narrative. Kaitlyn Dever’s portrayal of Abby—a key character from the game’s sequel—marks a significant turning point in the series’ storyline. As anticipation builds, fans can expect deeper themes, gripping drama, and emotionally charged choices that reflect the darker tone of the video game. HBO has officially renewed The Last of Us for a third season, though it remains uncertain whether it will conclude the series. The co-creators have suggested the story could expand into a fourth season, depending on how the narrative unfolds.7
A tragic helicopter accident occurred over the Hudson River in New York on Thursday, claiming the lives of all six people onboard. Among the victims were the pilot and a Spanish tourist family, including three children. The sightseeing chopper disintegrated mid-flight and plummeted upside down into the river between Manhattan and the New Jersey shoreline shortly after 3 p.m. Eastern Time, prompting a swift and massive emergency response. Footage shared across social media captured the overturned helicopter nearly submerged in the river, while first responders crowded the nearby streets, scrambling to reach and rescue those inside. At the crash site, emergency boats patrolled the waters as a crane, stationed on a floating barge, appeared to be preparing to lift the wreckage from the riverbed. On land, police and fire crews cordoned off access to a long concrete pier extending from Lower Manhattan, preventing onlookers and media from approaching. Dive teams were seen surfacing from the river as recovery operations continued New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed that six individuals, including three adults and three children, lost their lives in the helicopter crash. During a press briefing on Thursday evening, Adams expressed his condolences to the families affected by the tragedy and stated that an investigation into the incident was currently underway. According to Adams, the Bell 206 helicopter had departed from the downtown Skyport with a total of six people onboard. The victims included the pilot and a family thought to be visiting from Spain Jessica Tisch, Commissioner of the NYPD, stated that most of the helicopter passengers were already deceased when rescuers pulled them from the Hudson River. Two individuals who were still alive at the time were rushed to a nearby hospital but unfortunately passed away shortly after arrival. Eyewitness Bruce Wall shared with the Associated Press that he saw the helicopter disintegrate in midair, with its tail and rotor detaching. He noted that the rotor continued to spin independently as the aircraft descended. Lesly Camacho, a hostess at a riverside restaurant in Hoboken, New Jersey, recounted witnessing the helicopter spiraling wildly before it violently struck the water. Emergency crews conducted their search and recovery efforts near a location by the Manhattan shoreline, close to a long service pier that supports one of the Holland Tunnel’s ventilation towers. The tunnel is a major traffic link beneath the river, connecting New York and New Jersey. Air traffic over Manhattan has long been dense, with a mix of recreational, commercial, and sightseeing flights frequently crisscrossing the skies. The area has seen several air-related accidents over the years. Among the most notable was a 2009 crash in which a private plane collided with a tour helicopter above the Hudson, resulting in nine fatalities. Another tragic incident occurred in 2018 when an “open-door” sightseeing chopper plunged into the East River, killing five passengers. That crash led to a ban on open-door helicopter tours in New York City. The location of Thursday’s crash lies just under three miles (4.8 kilometers) south of the site of the famed “Miracle on the Hudson,” where US Airways pilot Captain Chesley Sullenberger safely landed a passenger jet on the river after a bird strike disabled both engines following takeoff from LaGuardia. Remarkably, all aboard survived that emergency water landing. Jessica Tisch, Commissioner of the NYPD, stated that most of the helicopter passengers were already deceased when rescuers pulled them from the Hudson River. Two individuals who were still alive at the time were rushed to a nearby hospital but unfortunately passed away shortly after arrival. Eyewitness Bruce Wall shared with the Associated Press that he saw the helicopter disintegrate in midair, with its tail and rotor detaching. He noted that the rotor continued to spin independently as the aircraft descended. Lesly Camacho, a hostess at a riverside restaurant in Hoboken, New Jersey, recounted witnessing the helicopter spiraling wildly before it violently struck the water. Emergency crews conducted their search and recovery efforts near a location by the Manhattan shoreline, close to a long service pier that supports one of the Holland Tunnel’s ventilation towers. The tunnel is a major traffic link beneath the river, connecting New York and New Jersey. Air traffic over Manhattan has long been dense, with a mix of recreational, commercial, and sightseeing flights frequently crisscrossing the skies. The area has seen several air-related accidents over the years. Among the most notable was a 2009 crash in which a private plane collided with a tour helicopter above the Hudson, resulting in nine fatalities. Another tragic incident occurred in 2018 when an “open-door” sightseeing chopper plunged into the East River, killing five passengers. That crash led to a ban on open-door helicopter tours in New York City. The location of Thursday’s crash lies just under three miles (4.8 kilometers) south of the site of the famed “Miracle on the Hudson,” where US Airways pilot Captain Chesley Sullenberger safely landed a passenger jet on the river after a bird strike disabled both engines following takeoff from LaGuardia. Remarkably, all aboard survived that emergency water landing.
