A controversial aid operation for Gaza backed by Israel and the US says two of its workers have been injured in an attack while giving out relief.

Two militants threw grenades at the aid centre in Khan Younis, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) said. It blamed Hamas for Saturday's incident.

The injured US workers are in a stable condition and are receiving medical treatment. No other aid workers or civilians were harmed, the group added.

The GHF began its operations in May, distributing aid from several sites in southern and central Gaza. The system has been widely criticised for forcing vast numbers of people to walk through combat zones.

• Gaza aid contractor tells BBC he saw colleagues fire on hungry Palestinians

Since the GHF was launched, Israeli forces have killed more than 400 Palestinians trying to collect food aid, the UN and local doctors say. Israel says the new distribution system stops aid going to Hamas.

The attack comes as Hamas has indicated it is ready for talks on a ceasefire with Israel.

The GHF said the incident "occurred at the conclusion of an otherwise successful distribution in which thousands of Gazans safely received food".

The organisation added it had "repeatedly warned of credible threats from Hamas", including plans to target American personnel, Palestinian aid workers and civilians.

Hamas has not commented on the incident.

Meanwhile, Gaza's civil defence agency said 32 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli military operations on Saturday.

On Friday, Hamas said it was ready for more talks on a ceasefire agreement put forward by the US.

The plan is believed to include the staggered release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

The BBC understands that Hamas wants amendments to the draft, including a US guarantee that hostilities will resume when the ceasefire ends.

Hamas also wants the GHF to be scrapped and aid to be distributed by the UN and its partners only. Israel has previously rejected such demands.

Fifty hostages are still being held in Gaza, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive.

According to Gaza's health ministry, at least 70 people have been killed in the territory by Israeli troops in the last 24 hours.

The ministry said the total death toll in Gaza has risen to 57,338 during Israel's war against Hamas.

The Israeli military launched its campaign in response to the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

When the gunfire started outside her home in the Damascus suburb of Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, Lama al-Hassanieh grabbed her phone and locked herself in her bathroom.

For hours, she cowered in fear as fighters dressed in military-style uniforms and desert camouflage roamed the streets of the neighbourhood. A heavy machine gun was mounted on a military vehicle just beneath her balcony window.

"Jihad against Druze" and "we are going to kill you, Druze," the men were shouting.

She did not know who the men were - extremists, government security forces, or someone else entirely - but the message was clear: as a Druze, she was not safe.

The Druze - a community with its own unique practices and beliefs, whose faith began as an off-shoot of Shia Islam - have historically occupied a precarious position in Syria's political order.

Under former President Bashar al-Assad, many Druze maintained a quiet loyalty to the state, hoping that alignment with it would protect them from the sectarian bloodshed that consumed other parts of Syria during the 13-year-long civil war.

Many Druze took to the streets during the uprising, especially in the latter years. But, seeking to portray himself as defending Syria's minorities against Islamist extremism, Assad avoided using the kind of iron first against Druze protesters which he did in other cities that revolted against his rule.

They operated their own militia which defended their areas against attacks by Sunni Muslim extremist groups who considered Druze heretics, while they were left alone by pro-Assad forces.

But with Assad toppled by Sunni Islamist-led rebels who have formed the interim government, that unspoken pact has frayed, and Druze are now worried about being isolated and targeted in post-war Syria.

Recent attacks on Druze communities by Islamist militias loosely affiliated with the government in Damascus have fuelled growing distrust towards the state.

It started in late April with a leaked audio recording that allegedly featured a Druze religious leader insulting the Prophet Muhammad. Although the leader denied it was his voice, and Syria's interior ministry later confirmed the recording was fake, the damage had been done.

A video of a student at the University of Homs, in central Syria, went viral, with him calling on Muslims to take revenge immediately against Druze, sparking sectarian violence in communities across the country.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said at least 137 people - 17 civilians, 89 Druze fighters and 32 members of the security forces - were killed in several days of fighting in Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, the southern Damascus suburb of Jaramana, and in an ambush on the Suweida-Damascus highway.

The Syrian government said the security forces' operation in Ashrafiyat Sahnaya was carried out to restore security and stability, and that it was in response to attacks on its own personnel where 16 of them were killed.

Lama Zahereddine, a pharmacy student at Damascus University, was just weeks away from completing her degree when the violence reached her village. What began as distant shelling turned into a direct assault - gunfire, mortars, and chaos tearing through her neighbourhood.

Her uncle arrived in a small bus, urging the women and children to flee under fire while the men stayed behind with nothing more than light arms. "The attackers had heavy machine guns and mortars," Lama recalled. "Our men had nothing to match that."

The violence did not stop at her village. At Lama's university, dorm rooms were stormed and students were beaten with chains.

In one case, a student was stabbed after simply being asked if he was Druze.

"They [the instigators] told us we left our universities by choice," she said. "But how could I stay? I was five classes and one graduation project away from my degree. Why would I abandon that if it wasn't serious?"

Like many Druze, Lama's fear is not just of physical attacks – it is of what she sees as a state that has failed to offer protection.

"The government says these were unaffiliated outlaws. Fine. But when are they going to be held accountable?" she asked.

Her trust was further shaken by classmates who mocked her plight, including one who replied with a laughing emoji to her post about fleeing her village.

"You never know how people really see you," she said quietly. "I don't know who to trust anymore."

While no-one is sure who the attackers pledged their allegiance to, one thing is clear: many Druze are worried that Syria is drifting toward an intolerant Sunni-dominated order with little space for religious minorities like themselves.

"We don't feel safe with these people," Hadi Abou Hassoun told the BBC.

He was one of the Druze men from Suweida called in to protect Ashrafiyat Sahnaya on the day Lama was hiding in her bathroom.

His convoy was ambushed by armed groups using mortars and drones. Hadi was shot in the back, piercing his lung and breaking several ribs.

It's a far cry from the inclusive Syria he had in mind under new leadership.

"Their ideology is religious, not based on law or the state. And when someone acts out of religious or sectarian hate, they don't represent us," Hadi said.

"What represents us is the law and the state. The law is what protects everyone…I want protection from the law."

The Syrian government has repeatedly stressed the sovereignty and unity of all Syrian territories and denominations of Syrian society, including the Druze.

Though clashes and attacks have since subsided, faith in the government's ability to protect minorities has diminished.

During the days of the fighting, Israel carried out air strikes around the Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, claiming it was targeting "operatives" attacking Druze to protect the minority group.

It also struck an area near the Syrian presidential palace, saying that it would "not allow the deployment of forces south of Damascus or any threat to the Druze community". Israel itself has a large number of Druze citizens in the country and living in the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

Back in Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, Lama al-Hassanieh said the atmosphere had shifted - it was "calmer, but cautious".

She sees neighbours again, but wariness lingers.

"Trust has been broken. There are people in the town now who don't belong, who came during the war. It's hard to know who's who anymore."

Trust in the government remains thin.

"They say they're working toward protecting all Syrians. But where are the real steps? Where is the justice?" Lama asked.

"I don't want to be called a minority. We are Syrians. All we ask for is the same rights - and for those who attacked us to be held accountable."

Additional reporting by Samantha Granville

Moments before the explosion, artists, students and athletes were among those gathered at a bustling seaside cafe in Gaza City.

Huddled around tables, customers at al-Baqa Cafeteria were scrolling on their phones, sipping hot drinks, and catching up with friends. At one point, the familiar melody of "Happy Birthday" rang out as a young child celebrated with family.

In a quiet corner of the cafe overlooking the sea, a Hamas operative, dressed in civilian clothing, arrived at his table, sources told the BBC.

It was then, without warning, that a bomb was dropped by Israeli forces and tore through the building, they said.

At the sound of the explosion, people nearby flooded onto the streets and into al-Baqa in a desperate search for survivors.

"The scene was horrific - bodies, blood, screaming everywhere," one man told the BBC later that day.

"It was total destruction," said another. "A real massacre happened at al-Baqa Cafeteria. A real massacre that breaks hearts."

The BBC has reviewed 29 names of people reported killed in the strike on the cafe on Monday. Twenty-six of the deaths were confirmed by multiple sources, including through interviews with family, friends and eyewitness accounts.

At least nine of those killed were women, and several were children or teenagers. They included artists, students, social activists, a female boxer, a footballer and cafe staff.

The conduct of the strike and the scale of civilian casualties have amplified questions over the proportionality of Israel's military operations in Gaza, which the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) say are aimed at defeating Hamas and rescuing the hostages still being held by the group.

Family members in Gaza and abroad spoke to the BBC of their shock and devastation at the killings.

"We were talking with each other two days ago. We were sending reels to each other. I can't believe it," said a young Palestinian man living in the US whose 21-year-old "bestie" Muna Juda and another close friend, Raghad Alaa Abu Sultan, were both killed in the strike.

The numbers of deaths analysed by the BBC were broadly consistent with figures given by the Hamas-run Civil Defence Agency, a senior local medic and the Palestinian Red Crescent in the days after the strike.

Staff at Shifa Hospital, which received the bodies, said its toll as of Thursday had reached 40 deaths, including people who had succumbed to their injuries, and unidentified bodies.

An official at the hospital said some of the bodies had been "blown to pieces", and that 72 injured patients were brought there - many having sustained severe burns and significant injuries that required surgery. He said many were students.

In a statement after the strike, the IDF said it had been targeting "terrorists" and that steps were taken to "mitigate the risk of harming civilians using aerial surveillance".

"The IDF will continue to operate against the Hamas terrorist organization in order to remove any threat posed to Israeli civilians," it added, before saying the "incident" was "under review".

The IDF did not directly respond to multiple BBC questions about the target of the strike, or whether it considered the number of civilian casualties to be proportionate.

Al-Baqa Cafeteria was well-known across the Gaza Strip, considered by many to be among the territory's most scenic and vibrant meeting spots.

Split over two floors and divided into men's and mixed family sections, it had views out to the Mediterranean Sea and television screens where people could watch football matches. It was a place to gather for coffee, tea and shisha with friends, and was a particular favourite with journalists.

Al-Baqa had remained popular even during the war, especially because of its unusually stable internet connection. The cafe, which had until now survived largely unscathed, also served up a reminder of the life that existed before the bombardments.

A cafe manager told the BBC that there was a strict entry policy. "It was known to our customers that if any person looked like a target, then they were not let inside the cafeteria - this was for our safety and the safety of the people there," he said.

On the day of the strike, the port area of Gaza City where the cafe is located was not under Israeli evacuation orders, and families of those killed on Monday say they had felt as safe as is possible when heading there.

Staff told the BBC that the strike in the early afternoon - between the Muslim prayers of Zuhr and Asr - was outside of the cafe's busiest hours.

The strike hit a section of the men's area where staff said few people were at the time.

BBC Verify showed several experts photos of the crater left in the wake of the explosion and the remaining munition fragments. Most said that they believed it was caused by a bomb, rather than a missile, with a range of size estimates given, at a maximum of 500lb (230kg).

The IDF told the BBC it would not comment on the type of munition used.

A journalist who was in the area at the time of the strike and spoke to eyewitnesses immediately afterwards told the BBC the munition that hit the cafe "was launched from a warplane - not from a drone that would usually target one or two people… It looked like they were very keen on getting their target". His account was consistent with others we spoke to.

Twenty-seven-year-old Hisham Ayman Mansour, whose deceased father had been a leading figure in Hamas' military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, was among those in the men's section by the sea.

His brother was previously killed by Israeli forces, and one social media post mourning his death suggested the brother had taken part in the 7 October 2023 attacks.

A local Hamas source said Hisham was the target of the strike, and described him as a field commander with the group, a "mid-ranking role".

Tributes posted on social media also referred to him as a "fighter" and "member of the resistance". His cousin also described him to the BBC as a "fighter" with the proscribed group, but said he thought he was "low-level" and not currently active.

It is unclear what he was doing in the cafe that day, with two sources telling the BBC he was believed to be there for a "money drop", while another suggested he was there for "coffee and a short respite" and that he had not been involved in "militant activities" during the war.

A photo shared on social media purported to show Hisham at the same spot in the men's area of the cafe the day before the strike, wearing a cap and sports t-shirt. Photos of his body after the strike in the same outfit were shared by family and friends.

Two members of his family - one of them a child - were also killed.

The IDF would not confirm whether Hisham was the primary target, or one of a number of targets of the strike.

One former senior IDF official told the BBC he understood that "multiple Hamas operatives" were hit at the cafe, but that a so-called battle damage assessment was still ongoing. A source with Israeli intelligence connections pointed towards a social media post naming Hisham as the target.

Sources in Gaza gave the BBC the name of a more senior Hamas commander who was rumoured to have been seated on a nearby table, but posts on social media said he died the following day and did not mention the cafe.

The Hamas source said Hisham was the only person within the group killed at al-Baqa, while the IDF did not respond to questions about the commander.

An anti-Hamas activist told the BBC that "many Hamas people" were injured in the strike, including one who worked with the group but not as a fighter, who lost his leg in the explosion.

Medics could not confirm this account, but said that they dealt with many people with severe injuries, including those arriving with missing limbs or requiring amputations.

Israel does not allow international journalists access to Gaza to report on the war making it difficult to verify information, and Hamas has historically ruled the territory with an iron grip, making speaking out or any dissent dangerous.

The remainder of this article contains details some readers may find distressing.

Among the bodies and the debris in al-Baqa were traces of the civilian lives lost - a giant pink and white teddy bear, its stuffing partially exposed, a child's tiny shoe, and playing cards soaked in blood.

A displaced man who was in the area seeing family at the time of the strike was among those who went running into the cafe to try to find survivors.

"Shrapnel was everywhere… there were many injuries," he told the BBC.

He said when he entered part of the men's section that he found the bodies of waiters and other workers, and saw as one "took his last breath".

"It was crazy," said Saeed Ahel, a regular at the cafe and friend of its managers.

"The waiters were gathered around the bar since it was shady and breezy there. Around [six] of them were killed," he added, before listing their names. More were injured.

The mother of two young men who worked at the cafe screamed as she followed their bodies while they were carried on a sheet out of the wreckage on Monday.

A distraught man pointed at a dry patch of blood on the floor, where he said bits of brain and skull had been splattered. He had put them in a bag and carried them out.

Meanwhile, the grandmother of 17-year-old Sama Mohammad Abu Namous wept.

The teenager had gone to the cafe that afternoon with her brother, hoping to use the internet connection to study. Relatives said the siblings were walking into the beachside cafe when the bomb hit. Sama was killed, while her brother was rushed to hospital.

"She went to study and they killed her," she said. "Why did she have to return to her grandmother killed?"

The coach of young female boxer Malak Musleh said he was in shock at the loss of his friend of more than 10 years, having first learned the news of her killing through social media.

"She believed that boxing was not just for boys but that girls should have the right too," Osama Ayoub said. "Malak was ambitious. She didn't skip any training day."

He said he last saw Malak about 10 days before the strike, when he dropped off some aid to her and her father.

"We sat together for nearly an hour. She told me that she was continuing her training with her sister and wished I could train them. I told her unfortunately because my house got demolished I live now in Khan Younis [in southern Gaza], but as soon as I hear that there is a ceasefire I will try to go back to training," he said.

"She said to make sure to keep a space for them… She had passion in her eyes and her words."

When Osama saw the Facebook post by Malak's father announcing her death, he "didn't believe it".

"I called him and he confirmed it but I still don't believe it," he said over the phone from a displacement camp.

Artist Amina Omar Al-Salmi, better known as Frans, was also at the cafe with a well-known photographer friend.

Since the 35-year-old's death, one of her pieces depicting a dead woman with her eyes closed and covered in blood, has been shared widely online alongside an image of her after her death, with people noting the striking similarities.

Her sister, now living in Sweden, told the BBC that the last time they spoke, Frans had said that she was sure "something good was going to happen".

"She was happy and said: 'We'll meet soon. You'll see me at your place.'"

Additional reporting by Riam El Delati and Muath al-Khatib

Verification by Emma Pengelly and Richie Irvine-Brown

Footballers Diogo Jota and André Silva have been honoured by their family, friends and teammates at a joint funeral in Portugal.

Jota, 28, was laid to rest alongside his brother, Silva, 25, after they died in a car crash on Thursday.

Hundreds of locals and supporters gathered at the Igreja Matriz in Gondomar, where the brothers are from, on Saturday.

The funeral also brought together huge names from across football, including Jota's teammates Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson, who were seen carrying floral tributes into the church ahead of the ceremony.

The service was held in Gondomar, a small Portuguese city near Porto, that has been left reeling after the brothers died.

Jota and Silva died at about 00:30 local time in the Spanish province of Zamora.

It is understood they were on the way to take a ferry and return to Liverpool for Jota's pre-season training when the accident happened.

The Portugal forward had undergone minor surgery and doctors had advised him against flying.

The accident came just 11 days after Jota married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso, with whom he had three children.

Players from Liverpool FC, who only three months ago were celebrating their Premier League win, arrived at the funeral together.

Watching them walk in line with each other, almost as they do when walking onto the pitch, was an emotional experience.

There was a strong feeling of community, but also a shared sombreness.

Many were visibly upset, with supporters on the other side of the barrier applauding the players. One woman in the crowd shouted towards them as they walked in: "Força!" - strength.

Family and close friends walked into the church in complete silence, many of them with their heads bowed down as the church bell rung.

One person in the procession held up a sign with Silva's photograph, which read: "Para sempre um de nós." (Forever one of us.)

So much was the brothers' impact on football and their local community that some of the guests had to watch the ceremony from outside of the church, often hugging and comforting one another.

Locals and football fans in the crowd watched silently for most of the service, which went on for about an hour.

Many wore football shirts and carried merchandise from the different teams across Portugal and abroad where Jota and Silva, who played for local club Penafiel, spent some time in.

One of these fans was Antônio Moreira, who set off early in the morning to be one of the first outside the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar where the funeral took place.

"I know I won't be able to go inside, but I wanted to pay my respects," he told me from the barrier outside the church.

Antônio later showed me his phone case - a little old, he said - with the emblem of FC Porto.

Antônio recalled fond memories of Jota on the field, as he spent a year playing for the local club, but added that the brothers were so much more than football stars.

"They were good people, from a humble family, people like us."

This has hit him especially hard, he said, as 40 years ago his family went through a similar tragedy. His aunt, uncle and young cousin died in a car accident three days before Christmas, leaving his other cousin behind.

Jota and Silva may not have been his direct family, he said, but their deaths felt personal.

"This is what I think: losing your parents is hard, really hard. But losing your children is unimaginable," he added.

Jota's journey as a player inspired many people here in Gondomar, football fan Fábio Silva told me.

He has kept up with the brothers since they started in the local clubs - and said he had to be here for their final journey.

"Despite the impact they had on football, and even financially, they never let it show," he told me, adding the family are well-loved in the town.

"The community is sad, devastated," he said.

Having spent some time with them over the years, Fábio said there was only one reason he was here: "Respect for the brothers, the family."

Avid football fans Fábio and Rafaela travelled from the nearby town Lordelo to honour Jota and Silva.

Wearing Jota's shirt, Fábio said it was important to him to be here "for Jota's final day". Both said it meant a lot to the community that so many people showed up to pay their respects.

They watched the ceremony from outside the church, like hundreds of other fans - which Fábio said was hard. Nodding, Rafaela agreed, but said it was also beautiful.

"This is an example that you need to live life to the max," Rafaela said, "because you never know when will be your last day."

"Say everything you want to say, and need to say - tomorrow could be too late," Fábio added.

Reform MP James McMurdock has lost the whip over allegations against him related to business propriety, the party says.

Chief whip Lee Anderson said McMurdock, MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock, "removed the party whip from himself" pending an investigation into allegations since published by the Sunday Times.

"At Reform UK we take these matters very seriously and James has agreed to cooperate in full with any investigation," Anderson said.

The party will not be commenting further, he added.

The BBC has approached McMurdock for comment.

Anderson said the allegations relate to business propriety during the pandemic, before McMurdock became an MP last year.

He won the seat by 98 votes, beating Labour into second place, and taking the seat from the Conservatives.

Aggie Beever-Jones (England)

Carrie Jones (Wales)

Salma Paralluelo (Spain)

Wieke Kaptein (Netherlands)

Franziska Kett (Germany)

Sydney Schertenleib (Switzerland)

Alice Sombath (France)

Footballers Diogo Jota and André Silva have been honoured by their family, friends and teammates at a joint funeral in Portugal.

Jota, 28, was laid to rest alongside his brother, Silva, 25, after they died in a car crash on Thursday.

Hundreds of locals and supporters gathered at the Igreja Matriz in Gondomar, where the brothers are from, on Saturday.

The funeral also brought together huge names from across football, including Jota's teammates Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson, who were seen carrying floral tributes into the church ahead of the ceremony.

The service was held in Gondomar, a small Portuguese city near Porto, that has been left reeling after the brothers died.

Jota and Silva died at about 00:30 local time in the Spanish province of Zamora.

It is understood they were on the way to take a ferry and return to Liverpool for Jota's pre-season training when the accident happened.

The Portugal forward had undergone minor surgery and doctors had advised him against flying.

The accident came just 11 days after Jota married his long-term partner Rute Cardoso, with whom he had three children.

Players from Liverpool FC, who only three months ago were celebrating their Premier League win, arrived at the funeral together.

Watching them walk in line with each other, almost as they do when walking onto the pitch, was an emotional experience.

There was a strong feeling of community, but also a shared sombreness.

Many were visibly upset, with supporters on the other side of the barrier applauding the players. One woman in the crowd shouted towards them as they walked in: "Força!" - strength.

Family and close friends walked into the church in complete silence, many of them with their heads bowed down as the church bell rung.

One person in the procession held up a sign with Silva's photograph, which read: "Para sempre um de nós." (Forever one of us.)

So much was the brothers' impact on football and their local community that some of the guests had to watch the ceremony from outside of the church, often hugging and comforting one another.

Locals and football fans in the crowd watched silently for most of the service, which went on for about an hour.

Many wore football shirts and carried merchandise from the different teams across Portugal and abroad where Jota and Silva, who played for local club Penafiel, spent some time in.

One of these fans was Antônio Moreira, who set off early in the morning to be one of the first outside the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar where the funeral took place.

"I know I won't be able to go inside, but I wanted to pay my respects," he told me from the barrier outside the church.

Antônio later showed me his phone case - a little old, he said - with the emblem of FC Porto.

Antônio recalled fond memories of Jota on the field, as he spent a year playing for the local club, but added that the brothers were so much more than football stars.

"They were good people, from a humble family, people like us."

This has hit him especially hard, he said, as 40 years ago his family went through a similar tragedy. His aunt, uncle and young cousin died in a car accident three days before Christmas, leaving his other cousin behind.

Jota and Silva may not have been his direct family, he said, but their deaths felt personal.

"This is what I think: losing your parents is hard, really hard. But losing your children is unimaginable," he added.

Jota's journey as a player inspired many people here in Gondomar, football fan Fábio Silva told me.

He has kept up with the brothers since they started in the local clubs - and said he had to be here for their final journey.

"Despite the impact they had on football, and even financially, they never let it show," he told me, adding the family are well-loved in the town.

"The community is sad, devastated," he said.

Having spent some time with them over the years, Fábio said there was only one reason he was here: "Respect for the brothers, the family."

Avid football fans Fábio and Rafaela travelled from the nearby town Lordelo to honour Jota and Silva.

Wearing Jota's shirt, Fábio said it was important to him to be here "for Jota's final day". Both said it meant a lot to the community that so many people showed up to pay their respects.

They watched the ceremony from outside the church, like hundreds of other fans - which Fábio said was hard. Nodding, Rafaela agreed, but said it was also beautiful.

"This is an example that you need to live life to the max," Rafaela said, "because you never know when will be your last day."

"Say everything you want to say, and need to say - tomorrow could be too late," Fábio added.