Israel has been imposing a total blockade on aid entering the Gaza Strip since March 2, raising fears of a return to violence, and of a rapid further deterioration in the dire humanitarian situation in the devastated enclave. The move is intended to pressure Hamas to accept a temporary extension of the first phase of the three-stage ceasefire deal that went into effect on Jan. 19, while giving the Palestinian group little in return. The second phase of the deal was supposed to see Israel and Hamas hammer out a plan for Gaza's post-war governance. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instead repeatedly expressed support for US President Trump's widely condemned proposal to expel the 2.1 million Palestinian residents of Gaza and take control of the territory. Arab leaders meeting in Cairo on March 4 endorsed a $53 billion reconstruction and post-war governance plan as a counter-proposal to Trump's vision, but it was immediately rejected by the US and Israel. Even before assistance was cut off, Palestinians in Gaza said the dramatic increase in aid entering the enclave during the first phase of the deal brought less relief than they had hoped.

After detaining them in squalid short-term holding facilities for more than a decade, Thailand deported 40 Uyghur asylum seekers to China on Feb. 27. Human rights groups had been urging the Thai government for over a month to halt any plans to deport the group—though senior officials denied there were any such plans. The removals were carried out in a pre-dawn operation using trucks with blacked-out windows, flanked by police. The Chinese embassy in Bangkok described the men as "illegal immigrants" and said they would "return to normal life." But rights groups, as well as relatives of the asylum seekers living abroad, worry that the group will remain detained in China—or be sentenced to death. China has previously labelled anyone seeking asylum abroad as a "terrorist." The UN's refugee agency, UNHCR, said the deportations were "a clear violation of the principle of non-refoulement" and international law.

The Malian Armed Forces command has refuted accusations that soldiers were responsible for an attack that took place on Feb. 17, in which 24 civilians including women and children were killed. The armed forces denied any involvement in the massacre, which is said to have occurred in Tilemsi commune, Gao region. Press reports indicate a caravan of vehicles carrying migrants across the desert was targeted in the attack, which was carried out jointly with Russian mercenaries.

The Taliban announced on Feb. 20 that Afghanistan will no longer recognize the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC), stating that the country's 2003 accession to the Rome Statute is declared to be legally void after ICC prosecutor Karim Khan sought arrest warrants for Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and the Chief Justice of Afghanistan Abdul Hakim Haqqani last month.

UN General Assembly members approved a resolution supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity on Feb. 24, the day marking the third anniversary of Russia's massive invasion of the country. The resolution won 93 votes in favor, with 18 votes against, with 65 abstentions. Washington sided with Russia, as well as Belarus, North Korea and Sudan, to vote against the measure. Hungary, Israel, Eritrea, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and Nicaragua also voted against. China and Iran were among the abstentions. The US had declined to co-sponsor the resolution, instead pushing its own language that failed to blame Russia for the war or mention Ukraine's borders.

The Sudanese army appears close to retaking the capital city Khartoum from the paramilitary-turned-rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as momentum continues to swing in its favor following nearly two years of conflict. Reports suggest the army has been advancing on multiple fronts, having broken a bruising siege on its Khartoum headquarters last month. It has also won back significant territory in other parts of central Sudan, including Gezira state. Military control, however, has come at a significant cost, with the UN reporting that soldiers and allied militia have been carrying out summary executions of civilians they accuse of being RSF collaborators. Workers in self-organized "mutual aid" groups—the backbone of the humanitarian response in Sudan—have also been targeted in the reprisals.

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order Feb. 6 sanctioning the International Criminal Court (ICC) for issuing warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant. The order imposes significant sanctions on ICC officials and their immediate families, including the blocking of property and assets and suspension of entry into the United States. The order asserts that the ICC has improperly claimed jurisdiction over the US and Israel, and that the ICC's actions endanger US personnel and threaten US sovereignty and national security.

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reported Feb. 2 that captured Ukrainian soldiers are being executed by Russian forces at an alarming rate. The mission has recorded 79 executions in 24 separate incidents since August 2024. For all incidents, the mission obtained video and photo material showing executions or dead bodies. The spike in executions is part of a pattern of abuse against Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs). The mission recorded at least three phone calls in 2024 in which Russian officials called for executions. The head of the mission, Danielle Bell, stated: "Combined with broad amnesty laws, such statements have the potential to incite or encourage unlawful behavior."