Author: France 24

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is working on a complete military takeover of Gaza for the first time in two decades. Mediation between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas has collapsed despite intense international pressure for a ceasefire amid appalling conditions. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective on the harrowing plight of the more than two million civilians in war-torn Gaza, FRANCE 24’s Stuart Norval welcomes Arwa Damon, former CNN Senior International Correspondent and founder of the International Network for Aid, Relief, and Assistance (INARA).

The Eagles face a tough challenge against the Portuguese, who reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League last season, in the 3rd qualifying round of the competition. The first leg will take place at Nice’s Allianz Riviera, which will be sold out.

In the face of international pressure, Israel has allowed airdrops of food aid, but the amounts delivered are a drop in the ocean compared to the scale of the humanitarian emergency. Thousands of aid trucks continue to sit outside the enclave. Bahaa Zaqout, a Gaza resident from Deir al-Balah, joins us to explain further.

As it grinds on well into its twenty-second month, Israel’s war in Gaza has set friends and families against one another and sharpened existing political and cultural divides. Hostage families and peace activists want Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to secure a ceasefire with Hamas and free the remaining captives abducted during the October 2023 Hamas attacks. Right-wing members of Netanyahu’s cabinet, meanwhile, want to seize the moment to occupy and annex more Palestinian land, at the risk of sparking further international criticism. The debate has divided the country and strained private relationships, undermining national unity at Israel’s moment of…

The Gates Foundation has pledged $2.5 billion to women’s health by 2030, aiming to address decades of neglect of conditions like preeclampsia, endometriosis, and menopause. The investment, one of its largest recent commitments, will fund research, product development, and equitable access globally as part of founder Bill Gates’s broader plan to give away his fortune by 2045.

Club World Cup champion Chelsea has completed the signing of Netherlands defender Jorrel Hato from Ajax in a deal worth a reported 37 million pounds.

New images of emaciated Israeli hostages held in Gaza have horrified Israelis and added pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a ceasefire with Hamas, even as his government considers another expansion of the nearly 22-month war.

Pauline Ferrand-Prévot claimed another solo victory in Stage 9, securing the overall win in the 4th edition of the Women’s Tour de France. It was her first appearance in the race.

Renewed sectarian clashes erupted in southern Syria’s Druze-majority Sweida province on Sunday (August 3). For more on that topic, FRANCE 24 spoke to Amr Fahed, a Syrian artist and human rights activist.

This week on arts24, Eve Jackson is in the studio while our reporter Olivia Salazar-Winspear is on the ground at one of the world’s most iconic theatre gatherings – the Avignon Festival in southern France. Now in its 79th year, the event is turning heads with a bold and timely focus on Arabic-language works, shining a light on one of France’s most spoken – yet still underrepresented – languages on stage. Festival director Tiago Rodrigues continues his mission to open up theatre to new audiences with a more inclusive and international approach. This year’s programme features powerful performances from Morocco to…