Once Human

Aid workers in Gaza are beginning the enormous task of clearing 61 million tonnes of rubble from the territory's ruined neighbourhoods. Recovery teams warn that the debris may conceal the bodies of up to 10,000 people killed in the war, making the clearance operation slow and delicate, as families continue searching for missing relatives beneath the ruins.

The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza war has risen above 74,000 since the conflict began, according to figures reported by the Associated Press and carried by numerous US news outlets. The milestone comes as part of a roundup of other Middle East developments, and the scale of the reported losses continues to draw international attention and concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

UN human rights experts have warned that the Trump administration's practice of deporting migrants to third countries rather than their nations of origin violates international human rights law. The warning, reported by The Guardian, adds to growing international criticism of US deportation policies, which have seen people sent to countries where they have no ties and may face persecution or harm.

Palestinian health authorities report that the death toll in Gaza has risen above 74,000 since the war began, marking another grim milestone in the conflict. The figure covers those killed since fighting started in October 2023 and comes as international attention remains fixed on ceasefire efforts, humanitarian conditions, and ongoing casualties across the territory.

The Pentagon has released the identities of all six American service members killed in Kuwait as the conflict with Iran continues. The announcement confirms the deaths and honors the fallen troops, though further details about the circumstances or the identities have not been provided in the initial reports.

Narges Mohammadi, the imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate, told the Associated Press that Iranian civilians are bearing the cost of war. She said ordinary people in Iran are the ones suffering the consequences of the conflict, drawing attention to the human toll on the country's population.

Russian strikes across Ukraine have killed at least eight people, coming after Moscow said it intends to keep fighting despite international pressure for a ceasefire. The attacks underline the gap between diplomatic efforts to end the war and the reality on the ground, with Russian officials publicly rejecting any imminent pause. Observers say the escalating casualties highlight the human cost as peace negotiations stall.

Aid workers in Gaza have begun one of the largest rubble-clearance operations in modern history, removing 61 million tonnes of debris from the war-torn territory. The work is delicate: an estimated 10,000 bodies remain buried beneath the ruins, alongside unexploded bombs. Workers say the debris holds lives and memories as well as wreckage, and each site must be handled carefully. Reporting from Gaza City highlights the scale and human cost of the task ahead.

A New York Times report profiles Russian families whose sons have been killed fighting in Ukraine, yet who continue to express support for Russia's invasion. The reporting highlights the endurance of pro-war sentiment among grieving parents, shaped by state propaganda, patriotic messaging, and fear of questioning the Kremlin. It underscores how little the mounting death toll has shifted public opinion at home.

Reports and video footage published by Ukrainian media claim Russian soldiers forced civilians through a gas pipeline to serve as human shields during the war in Ukraine. The incident is being circulated online as another alleged Russian war crime, drawing condemnation and calls for accountability from observers tracking abuses against civilians.

The United States has moved to revoke federal limits on climate pollution from power plants, removing emissions restrictions on one of the country's largest sources of greenhouse gases. Human Rights Watch reports the decision, which critics say will worsen climate change and its health effects, while supporters frame it as relief from costly regulations on the energy sector.

Displaced Palestinians in northern Gaza City are continuing their daily routines and preparing for the winter season amid shortages of basic necessities and very limited shelter options. Large areas of the city remain visibly destroyed, and residents face difficult living conditions as cold weather approaches. The situation is being shared widely as a human rights concern, drawing attention to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the territory.

Reports are circulating that Russian forces are suffering around 2,000 casualties a day in the war against Ukraine, with claims of a fatality rate near 60 percent among those wounded or lost. The figures, highlighted in detailed battle analysis, are drawing attention to the mounting human cost of Moscow's invasion and the sustainability of its frontline strategy.

Reporting from Gaza is compiling testimonies from residents describing severe violence and hardship amid the ongoing war. Witnesses recount attacks, destruction and loss in their neighbourhoods, adding to a growing body of first-hand accounts from the territory. The testimonies are drawing renewed international attention to the human toll of the conflict.

Russian strikes on Ukraine have killed eight people, according to an AFP report. The attacks are the latest in Russia's ongoing aerial campaign against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. The strikes are drawing renewed attention to the human cost of the war and the continued difficulty of securing a ceasefire.

Gaza's Health Ministry says the Palestinian death toll in the Gaza war has surpassed 74,000, according to a report by The Hindu. The ministry's figures, compiled from hospitals and morgues across the territory, remain the most widely cited tally of casualties in the conflict, which has drawn sustained international attention and calls for a ceasefire.

A new projection reported by the Guardian warns that the current El Niño could cause around 450,000 additional deaths over the next six months. The forecast links the climate pattern to increased mortality through heat, hunger and disease impacts, prompting discussion about preparedness and the growing human cost of climate variability.

Health authorities in Gaza report that more than 74,000 people have been killed by Israeli strikes over the past three years, according to figures carried by news outlets. The toll covers the full span of the war that began with Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. The figure is being circulated as the conflict's human cost continues to draw international attention, with disputes over casualty counts and calls for ceasefire persisting.

Amnesty International has published a new report presenting what it calls damning evidence of war crimes committed in Mali by state armed forces and personnel from the Russian Wagner Group. The findings add to mounting documentation of abuses against civilians in the country's conflict, and are drawing attention to the human rights record of Mali's military government and its Russian partners.

United Nations experts say mass deportations carried out by the United States are causing a 'cascade' of human rights abuses, according to a report covered by Courthouse News. The warning highlights concerns over the treatment of people removed from the US and conditions they face. The story is drawing attention as debates over US immigration and deportation policy continue to intensify.

The United States and Russia watered down key safeguards in landmark United Nations negotiations aimed at regulating lethal autonomous weapons, according to The Washington Post. The talks earlier this month marked the furthest progress yet toward a potential global treaty, but both powers successfully pushed to strip requirements for human oversight of the weapons. Critics warn the weakened pact leaves dangerous latitude for machines to make lethal decisions without human control.

Internal documents obtained by 404 Media show that human contractors review Microsoft Copilot users' prompts and uploaded images as part of their work. The workers, who see sensitive user material, are reportedly disturbed by the content, including frequent requests for sexual AI images. The report has sparked concern about privacy expectations and the hidden human labor behind AI moderation.

The humanitarian situation in Oleshky, a town in Ukraine's Kherson region under Russian occupation, remains dire as aid access stays limited for residents, many of them elderly, cut off after the Kakhovka dam destruction. Europe's human rights commissioner has demanded an 'immediate local ceasefire' to allow evacuation and delivery of essential supplies. The appeal has drawn attention to the plight of civilians in occupied territories.

Reuters reports the case of a vulnerable woman in Spain who was evicted from her home and left with nowhere to go but her car, using her story to illustrate the severity of the country's housing crisis. The report highlights how rising rents and limited social housing are pushing even the most vulnerable into homelessness, drawing widespread attention and debate.

United Nations human rights experts have called on the Trump administration to stop deporting migrants to third countries, a policy that sends people expelled from the United States to nations other than their own. According to Reuters, the experts argue the practice puts migrants at risk and breaches international obligations. The appeal adds to growing international scrutiny of Washington's hardline immigration measures.

Gaza's civil defense agency says it has recovered the remains of 28 Palestinians from a house destroyed in an Israeli strike in 2023. Recovery teams continue working through rubble across the territory, where thousands of bodies are believed to remain under destroyed buildings, and the announcement is drawing renewed attention to the war's continuing human toll.

The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan says the human rights situation in the country continues to deteriorate. The warning points to ongoing concerns over conditions under Taliban rule, including restrictions on women and girls, and comes as international scrutiny of the Taliban administration remains high.