One killed and four wounded in stabbing attack in Israel’s Haifa

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A man in his 60s was killed and four were wounded in a bus station stabbing in the city of Haifa, Israel’s ambulance service said, with the police treating it as a suspected terrorist attack.

The assailant was shot and killed by a security guard and a civilian, police said, after the attack in a central transit hub in the northern city.

Police said the assailant was an Arab citizen of Israel who had returned from abroad in May, police added. The attack is still being investigated.

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Hamas praised the attack but have not claimed responsibility for it.

Regional tensions are running high with fear among Palestinians that a ceasefire in the 15-month war in Gaza could collapse altogether after Israel imposed a total blockade on the shattered enclave.

The war began when Hamas-led fighters attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and capturing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Fifty-nine hostages are believed to remain in Gaza.

Israel's retaliatory war inside Gaza has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, and displaced most of the population.

A first phase of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that began in January ended over the weekend with no agreement on what will happen next.

Hamas says an agreed second phase must now begin, leading to a permanent Israeli withdrawal and an end to the war. Israel has instead offered a temporary extension into April, with Hamas to release more hostages in return for Palestinian detainees, without immediate talks on Gaza's future.

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Two Israeli government officials said mediators had asked Israel for a few more days to resolve the standoff.

Israel raised the stakes on Sunday by imposing a total blockade on all supplies, including food and fuel, to sustain the 2.3 million Gazans living among the ruins after the 15-month conflict.

Israel’s government has warned of "further consequences" if Hamas does not accept a new proposal from US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to extend the first phase ceasefire through Ramadan and Passover.

Several Arab nations have described Israel’s blockade on aid as a violation of the ceasefire. Egypt accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon, while Saudi Arabia described the move as “blackmail” and “collective punishment” against Palestinians.

In a statement on Sunday, Qatar’s foreign ministry said it “strongly condemns” the Israeli decision, describing it as “a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement” and “international humanitarian law”.