Middle East conflict

Israel's chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, warned both civilians and soldiers that the conflict with Iran is ongoing. In a video address, he stressed the need for readiness for a long campaign, eight days after Israel began striking Iranian targets. Despite noting major successes, Zamir highlighted that challenging times are ahead as Israel aims to stop Tehran's suspected nuclear weapons plans.

Since Friday, Israeli air and missile strikes have targeted dozens of sites across Iran, including senior military installations, missile-production facilities and several locations linked to its nuclear program. Among the most high-profile blows was the reported killing of over a dozen top nuclear scientists and significant damage to the Natanz enrichment site. Yet, military commanders and nuclear proliferation experts now agree these attacks have not decisively set back Tehran’s atomic ambitions.

On the third consecutive day of open conflict, Israel and Iran expanded their military operations against each other, resulting in hundreds of casualties on both sides. President Donald Trump has publicly called for an end to hostilities, warning Iran not to target U.S. assets in the region. As G7 leaders prepare to convene in Canada, Washington’s ability to restrain its closest ally appears increasingly limited, even as attempts at high-level mediation continue.

The Australian dollar tumbled sharply on Friday morning as news of Israel’s air strikes on Iran sent ripples through global financial markets. In a matter of hours, the currency depreciated by approximately 1.0 percent against the U.S. dollar, reflecting a classic “risk-off” response to geopolitical turmoil. Simultaneously, oil prices spiked and U.S. Treasury bonds rallied, underscoring investors’ flight to safety amid growing concerns over Middle East escalation.

Patients were evacuated from Al-Ahli Arab Hospital, also known as the Baptist Hospital, in Gaza City after an Israeli airstrike hit the facility on Sunday. The civil defence agency in Gaza said the strike came just minutes after the Israeli army issued a warning to evacuate the building. The blast reportedly destroyed the surgery unit and an oxygen generation station for the intensive care units. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

A group of eight Israeli lawmakers from both governing and opposition parties in the Knesset have called on Australian MPs to reject the country's longstanding two-state solution on Israel and Palestine. The letter, distributed at an event hosted at Parliament House in February, was handed to Queensland LNP backbencher Andrew Wallace by unidentified individuals.

Three empty buses exploded in Bat Yam, a city on the southern edge of Tel Aviv, in what Israeli police are calling a "suspected terror attack." The explosions, which occurred on Thursday night, resulted in no casualties, but authorities say two additional explosive devices failed to detonate.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to make Hamas "pay the full price" after the militant group failed to return the body of Shiri Bibas during a highly anticipated hostage handover on Thursday. The latest development in the already fragile ceasefire negotiations has sparked outrage in Israel and further deepened tensions in the region.