Israel has mandatory military services for citizens over the age of eighteen that meet certain requirements, and refusing to serve, which has always been controversial is even more contentious now that the country is fighting in Gaza and Lebanon. We meet one young person choosing to go to jail rather than serve in the military.

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On a ship that saves lives at sea, Ruth Sherlock speaks with Syrian migrants about the risks they took escaping their country and their hopes for a new life in Europe.

Tensions are rising in the Middle East as Iran-backed militias from Yemen to Iraq to Syria to Lebanon exchange fire with U.S. and Israeli forces.

With the Israel-Hamas war, militias in Iraq have increased attacks on US troops and put the Iraqi government in a precarious spot.

After the war with Hamas began, Israel warned Palestinians in north Gaza to flee to south. Families fled homes in north Gaza for the south — only to find their lives are still in danger.

After weeks apart, a mother in Gaza is reunited with her infant twins and they are evacuated for care in Egypt.

Satellite imagery shows a steady increase in the number of buildings destroyed in middle and southern Gaza. Most damage appeared after Oct. 13, when Israel's military urged evacuation from the north.

The Israeli military said in a posting on social media that it was launching "a precise and targeted operation against Hamas in a specified area" of the Gaza Strip's largest medical facility.

Israel's military confirmed a deadly strike near Gaza's largest hospital. The country's leader said Israel's offensive would not relent until Hamas is defeated and the hostages are returned.

With each day Israeli troops fight Hamas in Gaza, there's increasing concern that Lebanon's Hezbollah militants could enter the war. There's already been sporadic fighting on Israel's northern border.

The last time Israel had boots on the ground in Gaza was nine years ago. As the country prepares for another possible ground invasion of Gaza, veterans share reflections from the previous war.

A convoy of 20 trucks of aid entered Gaza from Egypt on Saturday. But there is still confusion about who can leave via the border crossing and when.

Many more truckloads of aid are waiting in Egypt. Hundreds of trapped Americans had come to the border, hoping the aid delivery could be chance to escape the violence. But none were allowed out.

Volunteers have stepped in to help the families of kidnapping victims, filling what they see as a leadership gap between the government and the survivors of the Oct. 7 attack.

In his visit to Israel, President Biden made a deal on limited humanitarian aid delivery to Gaza. Twelve days ago, Hamas killed 1,400 people in Israel. More than 3,400 people have been killed in Gaza.

Videos and photos provide some clues, but much remains unknown about the horrific explosion at the site.

It was a massive explosion at Baptist Al Ahli hospital — a Christian hospital and one of the oldest in Gaza. Doctors there tell NPR they are still uncovering bodies

Italy is pressuring ships operating by NGOs in the Mediterranean to halt rescues of migrant boats at sea.

The staff of Doctors Without Borders is aboard a ship in the Mediterranean rescuing migrants, who are attempting to reach Europe in unsafe vessels.

Record numbers of migrants who try to cross the Mediterranean Sea for Europe are dying in the attempt. We go aboard a search and rescue ship that is trying to help migrants in distress.