Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip have killed at least 59 Palestinians, including women and children, according to hospital officials, as Israel gears up for a broader ground offensive in the enclave. The intensified attacks come just days after the Israeli government approved a controversial plan to expand its military operations, including seizing territory and maintaining control over parts of Gaza.

Among the dead were 27 people, including nine women and three children, who were killed Tuesday night when Israeli airstrikes hit a school sheltering displaced families in central Gaza’s Bureij refugee camp, according to Al-Aqsa Hospital. The strike marked the fifth time the facility has been hit since the war began.

A separate early morning strike on another school-turned-shelter in Gaza City killed 16 more people, while additional strikes across the enclave left at least 16 others dead, according to Al-Ahli Hospital. Images from the scene showed plumes of smoke and flames engulfing the buildings as rescue workers scrambled to pull survivors from the rubble.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have not commented on the latest strikes, but Israel has consistently blamed Hamas for civilian casualties, accusing the group of using schools and hospitals to shield its operations.

The recent escalation follows the Israeli government’s endorsement of a military strategy that includes the seizure of more territory in Gaza, displacement of residents to the south, and the delegation of aid distribution to private security contractors. Tens of thousands of reservists are being called up to support the effort, which Israeli officials say will be implemented gradually after U.S. President Donald Trump concludes his visit to the region later this month.

The conflict, now in its 20th month, has already resulted in widespread devastation. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reports over 52,400 Palestinian deaths, primarily women and children, since the war began following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, assault on southern Israel, which killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 hostages taken. Israel believes 24 of the 59 hostages still in Gaza remain alive.

President Trump caused shock in Israel this week by suggesting only 21 hostages are still living—a statement that contradicts official Israeli estimates. Families of the hostages demanded immediate clarification and called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt military operations until the hostages are safely returned.

Meanwhile, humanitarian conditions in Gaza continue to deteriorate. Since the end of a ceasefire in March, Israel has restricted aid shipments, triggering what aid agencies describe as the worst humanitarian crisis of the conflict.

Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has filed a legal complaint against the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), following its formal classification as a “right-wing extremist” organization last week.

The decision, announced by the BfV on Friday, followed a three-year investigation into the party’s ideology and public statements. The agency concluded that the AfD promotes views that violate Germany’s constitutional principles, particularly targeting individuals with migrant backgrounds and promoting an “ethnic-ancestry-based understanding” of German identity.

According to the BfV, the party’s platform excludes certain groups from equal participation in society and aims to subject them to “unconstitutional unequal treatment,” effectively assigning them a “legally devalued status.”

In response, the AfD launched legal action, submitting a complaint to the administrative court in Cologne. Daniel Tapp, spokesperson for co-leader Alice Weidel, confirmed that the necessary documents had been sent and called the BfV’s classification a “serious blow to German democracy.” The party maintains that the decision infringes on its constitutional rights and vows to pursue all legal avenues in its defense.

The AfD’s co-leaders, Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, insist the move is politically motivated. “We will exhaust all legal means to defend the free democratic basic order,” they said in a joint statement.

The ruling has reignited debate across Germany’s political spectrum over how to address the rise of the AfD, which holds 152 seats in the Bundestag and is currently the second-largest party in parliament. Some opponents have previously called for a full ban, though prominent leaders, including outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz, have urged caution, warning against rushed decisions.

The BfV had already classified several parts of the AfD as extremist, including its youth wing and some regional factions. The extension of that label to the entire party now allows for enhanced surveillance, including the monitoring of communications and use of informants.

Jens Spahn, deputy leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), said the BfV’s findings must be taken “very seriously.” He added that the CDU, alongside the Social Democrats (SPD), would coordinate closely on how to approach the AfD in future parliamentary proceedings.

The classification marks a significant escalation in Germany’s institutional efforts to counter far-right extremism amid growing concerns about anti-democratic rhetoric and social polarization.

More than 10,000 train passengers across Spain faced hours-long delays and severe travel disruption on Sunday, as the theft of railway cables in Toledo province and a technical fault on a high-speed train brought services to a near standstill during the busy bank holiday weekend.

The disruption affected over 30 trains, particularly those on the high-speed routes between Madrid and Seville, as well as Madrid and Toledo. Many passengers were returning home after the long weekend when the chaos unfolded.

The problems began around 5:45 p.m. when cable thefts were reported near the municipalities of Mora, Orgaz, and Urda. The Ministry of Transport later confirmed that the damage was concentrated in the area between Los Yébenes and Manzaneque, severely impacting the signalling systems. The incidents, described by officials as acts of “sabotage,” caused major delays across long-distance, AVE, and AVANT trains.

Transport Minister Óscar Puente called the incident “a serious act of sabotage” and appealed for public assistance in identifying those responsible. The Guardia Civil has launched an investigation, confirming that four separate incidents occurred within a 10-kilometre radius.

Further compounding the disruption was a technical fault with an Iryo-operated high-speed train, which snagged overhead lines and intensified the delays. Álvaro Fernández de Heredia, president of Spain’s state-owned rail operator Renfe, said the train malfunction was responsible for the majority of the hold-ups.

Though services gradually resumed from 9:48 a.m. on Monday, passengers were still experiencing timetable changes and delays of up to an hour. Renfe stated it aimed to fully restore services throughout the day.

Many affected travellers expressed frustration, with some reporting being stranded for hours without clear communication, food, or water. Critics also questioned why alternative arrangements had not been made once the issues were identified.

Madrid regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso linked the delays to broader infrastructure issues, referring to them as part of a “daily calamity” following a major power outage last week.

Despite the widespread impact, Fernández de Heredia defended Renfe’s handling of the situation on social media, insisting that the cable theft alone only caused minor delays and placing greater blame on the technical malfunction.

The Ministry of Transport has pledged to work closely with authorities to strengthen rail security and prevent future incidents of sabotage.