Trump says Russia to pause bombing Kyiv during extreme winter conditions
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy welcomed possible one-week pause after Russian attacks left homes with no heat in plummeting temperatures. Published On 30 Jan 202630 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has welcomed United States President Donald Trump’s announcement that Russia will not attack Kyiv and “various” Ukrainian towns for seven days as civilians struggle with a lack of heating amid freezing winter temperatures. In a post on social media on Thursday, Zelenskyy said that Trump’s comments earlier in the day were an “important statement” about “the possibility of providing security for Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities during this extreme winter period”. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Zelenskyy said that the pause in bombing had been discussed by negotiators during recent ceasefire talks in the United Arab Emirates, and that they “expect the agreements to be implemented”. “De-escalation steps contribute to real progress toward ending the war,” the Ukrainian leader added. Trump said earlier on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to his request not to fire on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv for a week due to severely low temperatures. “I personally asked President Putin not to fire into Kyiv and various towns for a week, and he agreed to do that,” Trump said at a cabinet meeting, citing the “extraordinary cold” in the region. The announcements came as Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on the Telegram messaging app on Thursday that 454 residential buildings remain without heating in the city, as the Ukrainian capital struggles to restore power to homes following repeated Russian bombings targeting power and heating infrastructure in recent weeks. Temperatures are forecast to drop to -23 degrees Celsius (-9.4 degrees Fahrenheit) overnight in the Ukrainian capital this week. Russia’s capital Moscow has experienced its heaviest snowfall in 200 years during the month of January, the meteorological observatory of Lomonosov Moscow State University said on Thursday, according to Russia’s state TASS news agency. Advertisement Russia and Ukraine also exchanged the bodies of soldiers killed in the war on Thursday, officials from both countries confirmed. Similar exchanges have been agreed to during previous rounds of ceasefire talks. However, a breakthrough on ending Russia’s nearly four-year war on Ukraine has remained elusive. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov continued to pour cold water on ceasefire prospects on Thursday, saying that Moscow had yet to see a 20-point ceasefire plan that he said had been “reworked” by Ukraine and its allies. Russia’s top diplomat also claimed that Ukraine had used brief pauses in fighting to “push” people to the front lines, according to TASS. Adblock test (Why?)
ASEAN does not recognise Myanmar’s elections ‘as of now’: Philippine FM
Philippine Foreign Secretary Lazaro says ASEAN member states have ‘not endorsed’ the election in military-run Myanmar. Published On 30 Jan 202630 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share The 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) does not recognise the recently held elections in military-ruled Myanmar, which a military-backed party claimed to have won earlier this week. Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro said on Thursday that ASEAN “has not endorsed the three phases of the elections that were held” in Myanmar, which concluded last weekend. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Lazaro was speaking after hosting ASEAN’s first major ministerial meetings this year in the central Philippines city of Cebu, where the Myanmar crisis was high on the agenda. Asked in a news conference if the bloc did not recognise the elections, Lazaro said “yes, as of now”. Lazaro did not elaborate on how the regional bloc’s stance towards the election and its outcome could change. Local online news organisation Rappler reports that Lazaro said that ASEAN had not yet “reached a consensus on the elections in Myanmar”. “Lazaro also points out that while the three rounds of voting have concluded, the entire process has yet to be over,” Rappler said. ASEAN’s nonrecognition of the elections will be a major blow to normalisation efforts by Myanmar’s military rulers, who seized power in 2021 and hoped to gain international recognition and a degree of legitimacy by holding the election. On Monday, the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) claimed victory in the vote. A senior USDP official was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying, “We won a majority already”, based on preliminary results. Advertisement “We are in the position to form a new government,” the official said. “As we won in the election, we will move forward.” Official results had been expected this week, while the military previously announced that parliament would be convened in March, and the new government would take up its duties in April. Critics say the elections, which excluded major opposition parties and were slated by rights groups and activists, were neither free nor fair, and amounted to an attempt to legitimise military rule. The ASEAN regional bloc, whose 11 members include Myanmar, has refused to recognise the military-ruled government’s coup in 2021 that removed the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi and has since plunged the country into a grinding civil war. “Meaningful political progress in Myanmar requires a cessation of hostilities, inclusive dialogue and participation by all stakeholders,” Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said, according to The Associated Press news agency. “These preconditions are necessary for a government with legitimacy and a measure of popular support to emerge,” the minister said. The Philippines currently holds ASEAN’s annual rotating chair of the bloc, taking what would have been Myanmar’s turn after the country was suspended from chairing the meeting owing to the military’s seizure of power. Adblock test (Why?)
Al Jazeera denounces YouTube’s compliance with Israel’s ban on network
Livestreams of Al Jazeera Arabic, Al Jazeera English and Al Jazeera Mubasher blocked in Israel. Published On 29 Jan 202629 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Al Jazeera has condemned YouTube’s compliance with an Israeli law banning the network’s livestreams in the country, warning that the move signals how major tech companies can be “co-opted as instruments of regimes hostile to freedom”. YouTube’s submission to Israel’s ban became apparent on Wednesday, days after Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karahi ordered a 90-day extension of an existing ban on the network’s operations in Israel, blocking broadcasting and internet companies from carrying the network’s content. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list On Thursday, with livestreams of Al Jazeera Arabic, Al Jazeera English and Al Jazeera Mubasher blocked in Israel, the network denounced YouTube for failing to uphold the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. “Such principles mandate that global tech companies ensure freedom of expression and resist government pressures that lead to the withholding of the truth and the silencing of independent journalism,” it said in a statement. “The Network stresses that this escalation is part of a broader and systematic pattern of Israeli violations, including the killing and detention of its journalists and the closure of its offices in the occupied territories, aimed at suppressing the truth.” Israel has killed more than 270 journalists and media workers since it launched its genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023. Some have been from Al Jazeera, including correspondent Anas al-Sharif, 28, who was killed with three of his colleagues in an Israeli strike on a media tent in Gaza City in August. In May 2024, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet voted to shut down Al Jazeera’s operations in Israel, weeks after the Israeli parliament passed a law allowing the temporary closure of foreign broadcasters considered to be a “threat to national security”. Advertisement In September that year, Israeli forces stormed Al Jazeera’s offices in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, confiscating equipment and documents and closing the network’s office. In December last year, the Israeli parliament approved an extension of the 2024 law, called the “Al Jazeera law”, for two more years. In Thursday’s statement, Al Jazeera called on YouTube and other digital companies to immediately lift the ban on its channels, urging media freedom and human rights organisations join it in condemning Israel’s targeting of the media. Adblock test (Why?)
Hakan Fidan on Iran and Turkiye’s role in global security
Turkish foreign minister warns against escalation with Iran, explaining how Ankara sees the future of regional security. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan warns that attacking Iran would be wrong and says Tehran is ready to return to negotiations. He urges a step-by-step diplomatic approach and cautions against escalation. Fidan also discusses Turkiye’s position on the future of regional and global security cooperation and the role it can play as the post-World War II order fractures and trust between states erodes. Published On 29 Jan 202629 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
Inside Gaza after Israel’s last captive is found
With the final Israeli captive returned, Palestinians are waiting to see if Israel will now implement a true ceasefire. The remains of the final Israeli captive have been returned from Gaza. For months, the Israeli government has cited the remaining bodies of captives as a reason for limiting crossings, delaying aid deliveries and slowing the implementation of the agreed ceasefire. With this justification now gone, what will change for Palestinians in Gaza? In this episode: Episode credits: This episode was produced by Sarí el-Khalili and Melanie Marich, with Tamara Khandaker, Tuleen Barakat, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Alexandra Locke. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhemm. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube Published On 29 Jan 202629 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
Quebec mosque attack anniversary renews call to end anti-Muslim hate
Montreal, Quebec, Canada – Canadian Muslim leaders are calling for an end to Islamophobic rhetoric and fearmongering, as the country prepares to mark the nine-year anniversary of a deadly attack on a mosque in the province of Quebec. Stephen Brown, CEO of the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), said Thursday’s anniversary is a reminder that Islamophobia in Canada “is not benign”. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “It’s something that unfortunately kills people,” Brown told Al Jazeera. “[The anniversary] forces us to remember that there’s real consequences to hatred.” Six Muslim men were killed when a gunman opened fire at the Quebec Islamic Cultural Centre in Quebec City on January 29, 2017, marking the deadliest attack on a house of worship in Canadian history. The assault left Quebec City’s tight-knit Muslim community deeply shaken, spurred vigils and condemnation across Canada, and shone a spotlight on a global rise in anti-Muslim hate and radicalisation. The Canadian government denounced the shooting as a “terrorist attack” against Muslims and pledged to tackle the underlying issues. In 2021, it announced it was designating January 29 as the National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action against Islamophobia. But Brown said he was not sure whether the lessons learned after what happened in Quebec City were being fully remembered today, nearly a decade later. “Right after the Quebec City mosque massacre, there really was a desire in society to try to mend some of the wounds and build some bridges,” he said. Advertisement “Unfortunately, what a lot of people are seeing [now] – and especially for Muslims that live in Quebec – … is a massive return to using Islamophobia and spreading fear of Muslims for political gain.” [Al Jazeera] Laws and rhetoric Brown pointed to a series of measures put forward by Quebec’s right-wing Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) government that human rights groups say target Muslim Quebecers. In power since 2018, the CAQ passed a law in 2019 to bar some public servants from wearing religious symbols on the job, including headscarves worn by Muslim women, Sikh turbans and Jewish yarmulkes. The government justified the law, known as Bill 21, as being part of its push to protect secularism in the province, which in the 1960s underwent a so-called “Quiet Revolution” to break the Catholic Church’s influence over state institutions. But rights advocates said Bill 21 discriminated against religious minorities and would have a disproportionately harmful effect on Muslim women, in particular. As the CAQ’s popularity has plummeted in recent months, it has passed and put forward more legislation to strengthen its so-called “state secularism” model in advance of a looming provincial election later this year. Most recently, in late November, the CAQ introduced a bill that would extend the religious symbols prohibition to daycares and private schools, among other places. Bill 9 also bars schools from offering meals based exclusively on religious dietary requirements – such as kosher or halal lunches – and outlaws “collective religious practices, notably prayer” in public. The attack on Quebec City’s largest mosque lasted less than two minutes [File: Jillian Kestler-D’Amours/Al Jazeera] “Quebec has adopted its own model of state secularism,” said the provincial minister responsible for secularism, Jean-Francois Roberge. Roberge has rejected the idea that the bill was targeting Muslim or Jewish Quebecers, telling reporters during a news conference on November 27 that the “same rules apply to everybody”. But the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) – which is involved in a lawsuit against Bill 21 that will be heard by the Supreme Court of Canada later this year – said Bill 9 “masks discrimination as secularism”. “These harmful bans disproportionately target and marginalize religious and racialized minorities, especially Muslim women,” Harini Sivalingam, director of the CCLA’s equality programme, said in a statement. According to Brown at NCCM, the Quebec government’s moves have sent “the message to society that there’s something inherently dangerous or wrong with being a visible, practising Muslim”. Advertisement He warned that, when people in positions of authority use anti-Muslim rhetoric to try to score political points, “it gives licence to those who already hold a lot of these Islamophobic views or hateful views to actually take it out on people”. ‘Hate continues to threaten’ At the federal level, Amira Elghawaby, Canada’s special representative on combating Islamophobia, said the Canadian government has shown a continued commitment to tackling the problem. That includes through an Action Plan on Combatting Hate, launched in 2024, which has devoted millions of dollars to community groups, antifascism programmes and other initiatives. But Elghawaby told Al Jazeera that Islamophobia has nevertheless been rising in Canada, “whether it’s through police-reported hate crimes [or] whether it’s Canadians sharing that they’re experiencing discrimination at work [and] at school”. Three black stone plinths stand in a memorial to the victims of the attack, outside the Quebec City mosque, in 2022 [File: Jillian Kestler-D’Amours/Al Jazeera] According to Statistics Canada, 211 anti-Muslim hate crimes were reported to police in 2023 – a 102-percent jump compared with the previous year. There was a slight increase in 2024 – the most recent year for which the data is available – with 229 incidents reported. Elghawaby, whose office was established after another anti-Muslim attack killed four members of a single family in London, Ontario, in 2021, said the figures underscore “that hate continues to threaten Canadians”. “Canada, despite a global reputation of being a country that welcomes people from around the world, does struggle with division, with polarisation, with the rise of extremist narratives,” she said, adding that remembering the Quebec City mosque attack remains critical. “[The families of the men killed] don’t want the loss of their loved ones to be in vain. They want Canadians to continue to stand with them, to continue to stand against Islamophobia, and to do their part in their own circles to help promote understanding,” Elghawaby said. “History can sadly repeat itself if we don’t learn from the lessons of the past.” Adblock test
Mourinho’s Benfica drag Real Madrid with them to Champions League playoffs
Benfica beat Real 4-2 which sends both teams into Champions League playoffs, as Madrid miss out on top eight. Published On 28 Jan 202628 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored an astonishing 98th-minute header as Benfica beat Real Madrid 4-2 to keep themselves in the Champions League and deny their illustrious opponents an automatic spot in the last 16. In an extraordinary finale on Wednesday, the Portuguese side were heading out despite leading 3-2 with seconds of stoppage time remaining before Trubin came forward for a free kick to score the goal needed to sneak into the playoff round on goal difference. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list That sparked wild celebrations from Benfica players, fans and their charismatic coach Jose Mourinho – a former manager of Real Madrid – at the Stadium of Light in Lisbon. The Spaniards had hoped to finish in the top eight and go straight into the last 16, but their 15 points from eight games were not enough, and they finished the match with nine men as Raul Asencio and Rodrygo were sent off. Andreas Schjelderup scored two goals for Benfica and Vangelis Pavlidis netted from the penalty spot, while Kylian Mbappe netted twice for Real in a hugely entertaining, end-to-end contest. Benfica advance at the expense of Marseille, who lost 3-0 at Club Brugge. The giant screen in the stadium in Belgium congratulated both teams for advancing to the next stage, but that proved premature as Trubin turned the tables. Both Benfica and Real needed a goal for different reasons going into the final minutes, and it is a vindication of the competition’s format that a single goal could have such a dramatic effect on the table. Goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin of Benfica scores his team’s fourth goal with a header [Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images] Benfica were denied two strong early penalty shots, and Real took the lead on 30 minutes against the run of play when Asencio’s cross to the back post was headed in by Mbappe. Advertisement The home side drew level six minutes later when Asencio’s slip in the wet conditions allowed Pavlidis to provide a perfect cross for Schjelderup to head into the net. Benfica were awarded a penalty in first-half added time when Aurelien Tchouameni was adjudged to have hauled Nicolas Otamendi to the floor, and Pavlidis buried his spot-kick. Schjelderup scored his second of the game from Pavlidis’s perfect pass to make it 3-1, before Mbappe swept home his second, too – his 36th goal of the season in all competitions. Benfica were still outside the top 24 when they were awarded a free kick with virtually the final play, and Fredrik Aursnes’s delivery was headed in by Trubin to complete a night of high drama in Lisbon. Adblock test (Why?)
Barcelona claim Champions League last-16 spot, but its the playoffs for PSG
Barcelona leap into Champions League automatic qualifying positions with win in Copenhagen, but PSG face playoffs. Barcelona stormed back in the second half to claim a 4-1 victory over Copenhagen at the Camp Nou, sealing a top-eight finish and direct qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League. Goals from Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Marcus Rashford on Wednesday ensured the Catalans finished fifth in the standings on 16 points, level with Manchester City, Chelsea and Sporting but ahead on goal difference. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Copenhagen shocked the hosts early when 17-year-old Viktor Dadason slotted the opener past Joan Garcia in the fourth minute, but the second half began with a Barcelona fightback. Yamal set up Lewandowski to equalise in the 48th minute, before scoring himself in the 60th with a deflected effort that left Copenhagen keeper Dominik Kotarski helpless. Raphinha made it 3-1 from the penalty spot after Lewandowski was fouled, and Rashford added a fourth with a free kick in the 85th minute. “We all came here tonight thinking about getting into the top eight. We’re very happy with the win,” 18-year-old Yamal told Movistar Plus. “When you concede a goal in the Champions League, it’s very difficult to come back, but the team was very resilient and managed to turn it around. With the number of matches we play in a season, having two fewer matches leaves you feeling much better.” Despite the comfortable final result, Barcelona endured a frustrating first half, during which Copenhagen took a shock lead. Dadason stunned the home crowd after Mohamed Elyounoussi delivered a defence-splitting pass, allowing Dadason to outrun Barca’s high defensive line before rifling a low shot past keeper Garcia. Advertisement Clearly unsettled, Barcelona were wasteful in attack during the opening 45 minutes. Raphinha and Lewandowski spurned opportunities to equalise, while Eric Garcia came closest to levelling when his driven effort struck the crossbar in the 33rd minute. The second half, however, saw a completely transformed Barcelona. Barely three minutes after the restart, Yamal burst forward on a counterattack, darting past Copenhagen defenders before unselfishly squaring the ball for Lewandowski to slot into an empty net. The hosts seized control and upped the tempo, pinning Copenhagen deep inside their own half, and Barca took the lead on the hour mark through Yamal, whose deflected shot from inside the box looped over a stranded Kotarski and nestled into the far corner. Raphinha made it 3-1 from the penalty spot in the 69th minute after Lewandowski was brought down inside the area while attempting to shoot, and substitute Rashford wrapped up the scoring. Although Barcelona delivered a clinical attacking display, questions remain about their defensive organisation. They completed the league phase without a clean sheet and finished with the worst defence among the top 13 teams. Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele has his penalty saved by Newcastle United’s Nick Pope [Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters] Dembele’s penalty miss costs PSG in 1-1 draw with Newcastle Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele had a night to forget, missing an early penalty and a golden chance from close range as defending champion Paris Saint-Germain drew 1-1 with Newcastle in the Champions League. The draw meant both sides finished out of the top eight places in the league table and failed to qualify automatically for the last 16. They will enter the playoffs instead. PSG was awarded an early penalty when Bradley Barcola got behind the defence down the left wing with less than one minute played. The ball hit Barcola’s arm following a tackle from a defender coming across, and then flew onto the arm of Lewis Miley right behind him. Miley seemed unsighted, and the handball appeared accidental, but referee Slavko Vincic awarded the spot kick following a short video review. Dembele aimed for the bottom right corner, but goalkeeper Nick Pope made a brilliant save. Pope was beaten in the eighth minute when Vitinha curled a shot into the same corner after being set up by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia on the edge of the penalty area. Dembele, who scored 35 goals overall last season, scooped the ball well over the crossbar from 10 metres out in the 40th minute when meeting a cross from the left. Advertisement Joe Willock equalised for the visitors in first-half stoppage time, and substitute Harvey Barnes missed a chance to win it for the visitors with moments left. Adblock test (Why?)
At least three people killed in Russian attacks on Ukraine
Russia used an Iskander-M ballistic missile and 146 drones in its attacks, according to Ukraine’s air force. By News Agencies Published On 28 Jan 202628 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share A Russian air attack has killed two people in Kyiv region’s Bilohorodska community, and a drone attack killed another person in central Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, according to local authorities. The deadly attacks came overnight on Wednesday, just hours after a deadly drone attack on a commuter train in northeastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv – an incident denounced as “terrorism” by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Also on Wednesday, three people were injured in a Russian drone attack on port infrastructure in the southern region of Odesa, according to Governor Oleh Kiper. In the capital, Kyiv, a 17-storey residential building was hit, causing minor damage to the roof and damaging windows on the upper floors, emergency services said. Several residential buildings in Kyiv remain without power due to earlier Russian attacks on the country’s energy grid. Russia attacked Ukraine overnight with an Iskander-M ballistic missile and 146 drones – 103 of them neutralised by air defences, Ukraine’s air force said. On Tuesday night, five people were confirmed dead and several others injured after a Russian drone hit a passenger train near Kharkiv city, Al Jazeera’s Audrey Macalpine said, reporting from Kyiv. “This attack has struck fears among Ukrainians,” Macalpine said, noting that the train was carrying about 100 passengers. “With the country’s airspace closed, people rely heavily on trains as a means of moving around the country,” she said. “And this is a culmination of weeks of threats on the security of the train system.” Advertisement In a statement, Zelenskyy said the attack in Kharkiv undermined peace efforts and urged allies to step up pressure on Moscow to end the war. “In any country, a drone strike on a civilian train would be viewed the same way – exclusively as terrorism,” Zelenskyy said on his Telegram channel. “The Russians have significantly increased their ability to kill, their ability to terrorise,” he said, while rallying the international community to put more “pressure” on Moscow to halt its deadly offensive amid ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire. “Russia must be held responsible for what it is doing,” Zelenskyy said. The attacks that have left many Ukrainians without power in freezing winter temperatures come after Russian and Ukrainian negotiators met in the United Arab Emirates last week for United States-brokered talks aimed at ending the conflict. The next round is expected to take place on February 1, according to Zelenskyy. Ukraine is asking partners, particularly the US, for strong security guarantees in the event of a peace deal that would prevent Russia from attacking again. A source familiar with internal discussions told the Reuters news agency on Tuesday that Washington has told Ukraine it must sign a peace deal with Russia to get US security guarantees. Adblock test (Why?)
Israel’s attacks on Gaza fertility clinics shatter dreams of parenthood
Israel’s war has devastated the enclave’s reproductive health system; advocates call it a genocidal measure. Gaza City – Maysera al-Kafarna, a Palestinian woman in Gaza, sorts through blue baby overalls brought for the child she was supposed to have. But her dreams of motherhood have been dashed by Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, which ravaged the enclave’s healthcare system that saves lives, as well as the fertility centres that plan them. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list After years of trying, al-Kafarna and her husband turned to in-vitro fertilisation (IVF). Their embryos were frozen in a fertility centre, waiting for the war to end, but the clinic was attacked by Israel. “We had four viable embryos stored there in the first months of the war. We were shocked to learn they had been destroyed when the clinic was attacked,” al-Kafarna told Al Jazeera. “It was deeply painful. We felt like we had lost a part of ourselves. We were waiting for a chance to have our baby.” Medical officials in Gaza say Israel has destroyed nine out of 10 fertility clinics in the territory. In addition, embryos that remain are still in danger, despite the ceasefire, due to fuel shortages and a lack of liquid nitrogen to keep them at the required temperature. Rights advocates say Israel’s attacks on reproductive health in Gaza are a textbook implementation of genocidal policies, as defined by the United Nations. Last year, UN investigators concluded that Israeli attacks on fertility clinics and maternity wards were part of Israel’s push to destroy the Palestinian people. The 1948 UN Convention lists “imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group” as one of five acts it classified as genocidal. Advertisement In September 2024, a UN Commission of Inquiry found that Israel had engaged in four of the five acts during its war on Gaza, including efforts to prevent births. “Attacks on healthcare facilities, including those offering sexual and reproductive healthcare and services, have affected about 545,000 women and girls who are of reproductive age in Gaza,” the UN investigators wrote in their report. They specifically reviewed an Israeli attack on Al-Basma IVF clinic in Gaza City in December 2023 that destroyed thousands of embryos, sperm samples and other reproductive material. “The commission found that the Israeli authorities knew that the medical centre was a fertility clinic and that they intended to destroy it,” the UN inquiry said. “Therefore, the Commission concluded that the destruction of the Al-Basma IVF clinic was a measure intended to prevent births among Palestinians in Gaza.” The Gaza Ministry of Health reported a 41 percent decrease in births in Gaza in the first half of 2025 compared with the previous three years. Beyond the direct attacks on reproductive healthcare facilities, Israel’s blockade on medical supplies and food has further harmed newborns and birth rates. “Inability to access medical care and proper nutrition harmed reproductive capacity by causing infertility, miscarriage, complications, and maternal death for women, as well as poor health outcomes for newborns,” a study by Physicians for Human Rights said. Despite the dire conditions that persist, fertility doctor Abdel Nasser al-Kalhout said he hopes to resume his work as soon as conditions allow it. “We hope that after the war ends, we can start again, restoring hope for people who lost their embryos and for the couples whose treatment began but couldn’t continue because of the war,” al-Kalhout told Al Jazeera. Adblock test (Why?)