Daily Peace and Crisis Report

Compiled March 04, 2026, 08:03 AEDT

1. US-Israel War on Iran: Day Four of Escalating Conflict

The United States and Israel launched a joint military campaign against Iran on 28 February 2026, targeting key leadership, nuclear facilities, and military infrastructure. On day four (3 March 2026), the conflict has widened dramatically, with Iranian retaliatory strikes hitting targets across the Gulf region, Lebanon, and beyond.

The death toll in Iran has surpassed 787 people, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to the Iranian Red Crescent as cited by Al Jazeera. Among the most disturbing incidents, a US-Israeli strike hit a girls' primary school in Minab in southern Iran, killing at least 165 people. UN human rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani described the scene as "absolutely horrific," stating: "Children, little girls…at the beginning of the school day being killed in this manner, backpacks with bloodstains on them — this is absolutely horrific" (UN News).

Key sites damaged in Tehran include the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) complex and the historic Golestan Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Iran has responded by declaring the Strait of Hormuz closed, threatening to target any vessel attempting to pass. This closure has triggered significant global energy market disruptions, with Brent crude futures jumping 6% to $82 a barrel and US gasoline prices recording their largest single-day increase since Hurricane Katrina in 2005 (CNN).

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the "hardest hits" are "yet to come," while President Trump stated that attacks will persist until all US objectives are met. Six US service members have been killed and 18 injured. The US State Department has urged citizens to immediately depart Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE via commercial means.

The UN Security Council held an emergency session on 28 February 2026. Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the strikes, stating they "squandered a chance for diplomacy," and called for an immediate ceasefire and return to negotiations (UN Press). UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk called for "a prompt, impartial and thorough investigation" into the Minab school attack and warned that attacks on civilians may amount to war crimes (OHCHR).

Turkey's Foreign Minister stated the country is making "intense" efforts to end the conflict through "peace-oriented diplomacy" (Institut Kurde). Iran has rejected talks as the death toll continues to rise.

2. Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territory

The escalating Middle East conflict has severely compounded the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. Israel closed all border crossings into Gaza on 1 March 2026, including the Rafah crossing with Egypt, and suspended all humanitarian movements, medical evacuations, and staff rotations (Al Jazeera). UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric described the situation as a "full blockade," warning that "a steady flow of humanitarian commercial goods" is essential for Gaza's survival (UN News).

UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini described the situation as "a new chokehold on Gaza." Fuel shortages are forcing partners to ration supplies, with bakeries, hospitals, and desalination plants all affected. Solid waste collection has been suspended. The Kerem Shalom crossing did reopen on 3 March, but WFP warned that wheat flour supplies are sufficient for only 10 days and food parcels will last just two and a half weeks (UN News).

Since the ceasefire agreement in October 2025, 611 Palestinians have been killed and 1,630 injured, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health as reported by UNRWA Situation Report #210 (covering 18–24 February 2026). The cumulative death toll since 7 October 2023 stands at 72,063 Palestinians killed and 171,726 injured in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military has itself acknowledged that more than 70,000 Gazans have been killed (BMJ).

In the occupied West Bank, between 7 October 2023 and 16 February 2026, 1,055 Palestinians — at least 230 of them children — were killed, according to OCHA. All West Bank checkpoints have been closed by Israeli forces, preventing Palestinian access to livelihoods and humanitarian operations. OHCHR has raised alarm over possible ethnic cleansing, citing intensified violence, destruction, and forcible transfers (UNRWA).

UN experts have condemned Israel's proposed "Board of Peace" reconstruction plan, calling instead for a reparative, rights-based approach to reconstruction in Gaza (OHCHR). Amnesty International issued an urgent call to protect civilians and respect international law amid the escalating regional conflict (Amnesty International).

3. Lebanon: Renewed Displacement and Hezbollah Escalation

Lebanon has been drawn into the widening regional conflict as Israel launched simultaneous strikes on Tehran and Beirut on 3 March 2026. The Israeli military issued "urgent" evacuation orders for more than 53 Lebanese villages, primarily in the south, warning residents to remain at least 1,000 metres from their villages due to "Hezbollah activities." Israeli ground troops have entered southern Lebanon following Hezbollah's missile attacks on northern Israel (UN News).

UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch reported that as of Monday, approximately 30,000 people were registered at collective shelters, with "many more sleeping in their cars on the side of roads or still stuck in traffic jams." Hezbollah defended its attacks on Israel as a legitimate response to 15 months of "Israeli aggression" and a violation of the 2024 ceasefire agreement. UNHCR warned that many affected countries "already host millions of refugees and internally displaced people," and that further violence risks overwhelming host communities' capacities (UN News).

4. Ukraine-Russia War: Day 1,465

The war in Ukraine entered its 1,465th day with no ceasefire in sight, though diplomatic activity is intensifying. Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported that Ukrainian forces captured more territory in February 2026 than Russian forces were able to occupy during the same period (Kyiv Independent).

President Zelensky warned that Russia will shift its long-range missile and drone strikes to target Ukrainian logistics and supply infrastructure. Russia struck port infrastructure in Ukraine's southern Odesa region overnight, igniting fires and damaging equipment, warehouses, and food containers (Al Jazeera). The Moscow Times described the conflict as being in "unstable equilibrium" rather than a stalemate, noting that Russia lost over 416,000 troops in 2025 while gaining less than 1% of Ukrainian territory (The Moscow Times).

Zelensky suggested the next round of peace talks could take place in Europe or Turkey, possibly as early as 5 March 2026 (Ukrinform). However, Russia is reportedly weighing a halt to peace talks unless Ukraine cedes territory (Bloomberg). European leaders are considering deploying troops to monitor a potential ceasefire, though debate continues over whether to seek Russian approval first (Atlantic Council).

Russian Perspective: The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) assessed on 2 March 2026 that Ukrainian forces continue their strike campaign against Russian military assets in Russia's immediate rear, while Russia is preparing to shift targeting to Ukrainian logistics (ISW).

5. Sudan: Intensifying Civil War

Sudan's civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues to intensify, with a surge in fighting in Kordofan and Blue Nile States. Drone attacks have escalated in El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan, with a medical facility struck on 1 March 2026, injuring 12 people including five medical staff. In Blue Nile State, intensive drone attacks on the town of Kurmuk have destroyed a school and damaged an electricity station (UN News).

According to the 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) released on 26 February 2026, Sudan remains the country with the most people in need globally: 33.7 million people, 60% of them children (ReliefWeb/OCHA). OCHA warned that "conditions are dire and people urgently need aid," citing hospitals under pressure, funding shortfalls, uncontrolled fires, and measles outbreaks in refugee camps. The UK Parliament held a dedicated debate on Sudan's humanitarian situation on 3 March 2026, with MPs highlighting an alarming rise in gender-based violence and sexual abuse against women and girls (UK Parliament Hansard).

6. Democratic Republic of Congo: M23 Conflict and Mass Graves

The conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) escalated further this week, with the United States imposing sanctions on the Rwandan army and top officials for supporting the M23 rebel group. The US sanctions followed reports that thousands of Rwandan troops are deployed across eastern DRC "where they actively engage in combat operations and facilitate M23's control of territory" (BBC). Kinshasa welcomed the sanctions while Kigali called them "unjust" (Al Jazeera).

Mass graves containing 171 bodies were discovered in eastern DRC, according to a report from 27 February 2026 (Al Jazeera). M23 conducted a drone attack on the Congolese army's airbase in Kisangani in central DRC. The conflict has created one of the world's most significant humanitarian crises, with more than 7 million people displaced according to the UN. A ceasefire terms of reference was signed in Doha on 2 February 2026, but fighting continues (Security Council Report).

7. Myanmar: Military Airstrikes on Civilians

Myanmar's military junta continued its campaign of airstrikes against civilian populations this week. Airstrikes on a trading junction in the central Magway region killed more than 24 people and wounded 20 others, according to AP/WTOP (WTOP). A separate air strike in Rakhine State killed at least 17 people and injured 14 others (Al Jazeera). UNICEF expressed alarm over the deadly airstrikes on civilians, stating it is "deeply concerned" about the pattern of attacks on civilian infrastructure (Reuters/UNICEF).

In a contrasting development, Myanmar's military government granted amnesty to more than 10,000 prisoners to mark a national holiday, though human rights groups noted that political prisoners remain detained (Asahi Shimbun).

8. Haiti: Deepening Gang Crisis

Haiti's humanitarian crisis continues to deepen as armed gangs control much of the capital Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas. According to UN reports, gang violence left nearly 6,000 people dead in 2025 and over 1.4 million displaced (DW Documentary). Sexual violence against children has increased by an estimated 1,000%, and more than 1 million people remain internally displaced — a figure approaching the scale of displacement caused by the devastating 2010 earthquake (Responsible Statecraft).

Analysis from Justice Info notes that transitional justice mechanisms may be critical to breaking the cycle of impunity, as foreign troops struggle to curb violence and the country faces a "crunch time" for political transition (Justice Info).

9. South Sudan: Risk of Return to Full-Scale War

The United Nations warned on 27 February 2026 that South Sudan is at risk of a "return to full-scale war," with nearly 10 million people requiring life-saving humanitarian assistance. Humanitarian operations have been severely crippled by attacks and looting of aid convoys and facilities. The UN report noted that the fragile peace process faces significant threats from political tensions and renewed armed violence (Al Jazeera).

10. Afghanistan: Earthquake Survivors Still Without Shelter

Survivors of the magnitude-6 earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan on 31 August 2025, killing approximately 2,200 people in Kunar, Nangarhar, and Laghman provinces, continue to face desperate conditions. OCHA reported that around nine in ten families affected by the quake still live in temporary and inadequate shelters. Children lack access to formal learning spaces, and access to clean water, healthcare, and livelihoods remains critically limited. OCHA's Said Alam Khan called for continued international solidarity and sustained funding as winter continues (UN News).

Key Statistics Table

Note: All casualty figures are as reported by the cited sources and may be subject to revision. "—" indicates data not available or not reported by source. Numbers use comma separators as per standard formatting.

This report was compiled using primary sources including UN News, Al Jazeera, UNRWA, OCHA, OHCHR, CNN, BBC, Reuters, ISW, Kyiv Independent, The Moscow Times, DW, and other credible outlets. All citations link directly to the original source articles. Compiled March 04, 2026, 08:03 AEDT.