UN ‘gravely concerned by rising violence’ in West Bank; Gaza ceasefire in doubt as first phase nears end – Middle East crisis live

<p>Israeli tanks in West Bank for first time in more than two decades amid tensions over ceasefire agreement with Hamas</p><p><strong>Friedrich Merz</strong>, the Conservative leader who looks set to be the next German chancellor <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/24/monday-briefing-merz-will-be-germanys-chancellor-but-extremists-are-waiting-in-the-wings">after his CDU/CSU came first in the German elections yesterday</a>, has had a “warm” phone conversation with Israel’s prime minister, according to Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.</p><p>Netanyahu’s office said:</p><p><em>Chancellor-designate Merz thanked the prime minister for the conversation and said that he would invite him to make an official visit to Germany, in overt defiance of the scandalous International Criminal Court decision to label the prime minister a war criminal.</em></p><p><em>In Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, where the suffering has been unbearable, I repeat my call for an independent investigation into grave violations of international law, committed by Israel in the course of its attacks across Gaza, and by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups.</em></p><p><em>Any sustainable solution must be based on accountability, justice, the right to self-determination, and the human rights and dignity of both Israelis and Palestinians.</em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/feb/24/israel-gaza-hamas-palestine-west-bank-benjamin-netanyahu-latest-news-updates-live">Continue reading...</a>