The number of executions in Iran in 2025 has more than doubled compared to the amount which took place across the country in 2024.

Norwegian-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) group told the BBC it had verified at least 1,500 executions up until the start of December, adding that many more have taken place since.

Last year, IHR was able to verify 975 executions – although the exact number is never completely clear as Iranian authorities do not give official figures.

However, the analysis shows another significant annual rise, and the figures chime with those provided by other monitoring groups.

Iran’s government has previously defended its use of the death penalty, saying it is limited to only “the most severe crimes”.

Execution figures were already on the rise before mass demonstrations broke out across the country in 2022 following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini.

The 22-year-old Kurdish woman was detained by morality police in Tehran for allegedly wearing her hijab “improperly”.

That protest movement represented the biggest challenge to the legitimacy of Iran’s theocratic leadership for many years.

In response, authorities intensified the rate of executions from around 520 in 2022 to 832 the following year – according to the figures verified by IHR.

There have been some executions for protesters or alleged spies – but 99% of those executed have been for murder or drug offences – a ratio which has remained constant.

Activists have said that the rate of executions in Iran increases when the regime feels under threat and that the aim is to forestall internal opposition by instilling fear in the population.

It seems to be borne out by the fact that since the 12-day war with Israel in June, as well as major setbacks for Iran’s proxy forces across the region, there’s been another big surge.

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On Monday, Nasser Hospital – the largest in southern Gaza and one of the few still partially operating in the Strip – was hit twice by Israeli strikes.

At least 20 people were reportedly killed, including journalists and medical staff.

The attack has drawn international condemnation and the United Nations has said “there must be justice”.

On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a “tragic mishap”.

On Tuesday the Israeli military said the strike had targeted a “camera positioned by Hamas”, without providing evidence, but that further investigation was needed into how the strikes had been authorised.

BBC Verify analysed footage from the attack and its aftermath to piece together the timeline of events and what it reveals.

Reha Kansara has more.

Verification by Benedict Garman, Sebastian Vandermeersch, Shayan Sardarizadeh and Sherie Ryder. Graphics by Mesut Ersoz. Produced by Katerina Karelli.

Reuters

How the attack unfolded

Who were the victims?

AP

Reuters

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What does Israel say?

Wider reaction to the killings

There has been a significant increase in the number of UK cases of a mosquito-borne virus that can cause sudden fever and joint pain and is normally only found in Africa and southern Asia.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) says more than 70 cases of the chikungunya virus were reported in the first six months of this year, more than double than in the same period last year – all of them linked to travel.

Chikungunya, while rarely fatal, can leave people experiencing joint pain for years.

The UKHSA is warning travellers to take precautions against mosquito bites.

In most cases, people recover fully within a couple of weeks, but for some, pain can persist for months or even years.

In very rare cases it can be fatal.

While the 73 infections seen in the UK in the first six months of this year is not a huge number, it is more than double the 27 cases over the same period last year.

An outbreak of the virus is under way in the Indian Ocean region, and almost all of the infections were linked to travel in India, Sri Lanka and Mauritius.

Chikungunya is spread by two types of mosquito, neither of which are present in the UK, so there is no risk on onward infection.

But Dr Philip Veal, Consultant in Public Health at UKHSA, says it is a warning to travellers to make sure they take precautions against mosquito bites.

“Chikungunya can be a nasty disease and we’re seeing a worrying increase in cases among travellers returning to the UK.

“It is essential to take precautions against mosquito bites when travelling.

“Simple steps, such as using insect repellent, covering up your skin and sleeping under insecticide-treated bed nets can greatly reduce the risk.

“Before you travel, check the Travel Health Pro Website for the latest advice on your destination.

“A chikungunya vaccine may also be considered for those travelling to higher-risk regions.”

The same report also says the first ever UK cases of Oropouche virus, normally only found in Central and South America and the Caribbean, have also been detected in travellers returning from Brazil.

This virus is predominantly spread by midge bites rather than mosquitos, with the main type of midge involved in transmission not found in Europe or the UK.

Symptoms include high fever, chills, headache, joint pain and muscle aches.

The UKHSA warns of a rise in Oropouche virus infections globally since 2024, and says pregnant travellers should take particular care following some concerns about the impact the virus can cause during pregnancy.

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey: Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique has urged his team to round off the best season in the club’s history by winning the Club World Cup, but warned not to expect Sunday’s final against Chelsea to be a “simple formality.”

“This is absolutely not going to be a simple formality,” the Spanish coach insisted, refusing to accept that PSG are necessarily overwhelming favorites to lift the trophy at MetLife Stadium despite their fearsome form.

“I have analyzed Chelsea. They have a great squad. Enzo Maresca is doing a great job and I really like what he is doing,” Enrique said. “They are a very complete team.”

PSG can complete a remarkable clean sweep of trophies with victory, having won a French league and cup double before claiming the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history at the end of May.

“We want to finish this historic season in the best possible way,” said the former Barcelona coach.

“Now we must open the next chapter, win more major trophies. We want to make more history by winning on Sunday.”

PSG were spellbinding at times in their 4-0 victory against Real Madrid in the semifinals and also put four goals past Atletico Madrid and Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami during the

competition.

“But we have to win this game to round things off. However, in a final, there is always a winner and a loser, and that doesn’t mean the loser has necessarily done anything wrong,” Enrique added.

“We will lose again at some point, because that is what happens in top-level football, but I think the path is clear for everyone.”

This is the first edition of the 32-team Club World Cup, and whoever wins on Sunday will be world champions for four years, with the next tournament scheduled to take place in 2029.

“We are aware of the importance of this match, that it is a golden opportunity to be in a World Cup final,” said captain Marquinhos.

“This only happens every four years, and we don’t know where we will be in four years.”

Meanwhile, Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez said the scorching heat at the event in the US left him feeling dizzy and described the high temperatures as “dangerous” to play in.

Tuesday’s semifinal between Chelsea and Fluminense which took place at 3 p.m. local time in New Jersey saw temperatures soar past 35 degrees Celsius with over 54 percent humidity, prompting a National Weather Service warning.

Soaring temperatures in several cities hosting the contest have been a focal point in the tournament, which is seen as a dry run for next year’s men’s World Cup.

“Honestly, the heat is incredible. The other day, I had to lie down on the ground because I was really dizzy,” Fernandez told reporters on Friday.

“Playing in this temperature is very dangerous, it’s very dangerous. Moreover, for the spectacle, for the people who come to enjoy the stadium, for the people who watch it at home.

“The game, the speed of the game is not the same, everything becomes very slow.

“Let’s hope that next year they change the schedule, at least so that it remains a beautiful and attractive football spectacle, right?” the 2022 World Cup winner with Argentina added.

Chelsea’s manager has also previously complained about the heat, saying it was “impossible” to organize regular training sessions in the afternoons in Philadelphia.

“Some places have been really hot, the last round was hot and I was stuck watching it and I was thinking: ‘wow, this is so tough.’ I felt bad for them but they managed it really well,” Chelsea center back Levi 

Colwill said.

The UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, maintained that Israeli forces hit the school in Al Bureij, Middle Gaza, at around 6pm on Tuesday and again at 10.20pm.

“The school sustained severe damage and a fire broke out in the shelter, making it difficult to evacuate the casualties. Residents had to open a hole in the wall to evacuate the dead and wounded,” UNRWA told UN News.

Since the start of the war between Hamas and Israel on 7 October 2023, more than 400 schools have received a direct hit, according to satellite imagery analyzed by the UN.

Deadly aftermath

Footage from the scene provided by the UN agency showed walls and floors blown out in the main school building.

In the courtyard, hundreds of people can be seen standing amid crumpled metal sheeting on the morning after the attack, with rubble and wooden planks strewn around where their shelters had been standing just hours earlier.

“Our colleagues are reporting that surviving parents and children are trying to salvage their belongings among the blood and body parts of their relatives and neighbours,” UNRWA said.

The agency noted that fatalities included women and children, while search and rescue operations are ongoing for several people still missing.

Many of those living at the school when it was hit have been displaced “countless times” by the war, which began on 7 October 2023, following Hamas-led terror attacks on Israel, UNRWA stressed.

The attack also sparked a fire in an adjacent school where more tents and temporary shelters were burned and damaged.

Education destroyed

According to the UN Satellite Service, UNOSAT, 95.4 per cent of schools in Gaza have sustained damage since the start of the war.

Of the enclave’s 564 schools, 501 will either need full reconstruction or major rehabilitation work to be functional again.

“There is no humanity left in Gaza, and no humanity left as the world continues to watch day after day as families are bombed, burned alive and starved,” UNRWA said after the latest attack.

Failed strategy won’t work: Türk

In a related development, the UN human rights chief Volker Türk on Wednesday condemned Israel’s reported plans to forcibly transfer Gaza’s population to a small area in the south of the Strip.

The move fuels concern that Israel’s intention is to make life for Palestinians “increasingly incompatible with their continued existence in Gaza”, he said in a statement.

Surviving parents and children are trying to salvage their belongings among the blood and body parts of their relatives and neighbours – UNRWA

“There is no reason to believe that doubling down on military strategies, which, for a year and eight months, have not led to a durable resolution, including the release of all hostages, will now succeed,” insisted the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Expanding the offensive on Gaza “will almost certainly cause further mass displacement, more deaths and injuries of innocent civilians, and the destruction of Gaza’s little remaining infrastructure”, he continued.

Rights experts warn of irreversible consequences

Escalating atrocities in Gaza mark a critical moral turning point and demand urgent international action, UN-appointed independent human rights experts said in a statement.

“While States debate terminology – is it or is it not genocide? – Israel continues its relentless destruction of life in Gaza,” they warned, citing attacks by land, air and sea, and a soaring civilian death toll.

“No one is spared – not children, persons with disabilities, nursing mothers, journalists, health professionals, aid workers, or hostages,” they said, noting that on 18 March alone, 600 Palestinians were reportedly killed, 400 of them children. The independent experts are appointed by the Human Rights Council, are not UN staff members and receive no salary for their work.

Occupied West Bank update

In the occupied West Bank, meanwhile, UN aid teams warned of worsening conditions for Palestinian communities because of “violence by Israeli forces and settlers”.

The alert comes after Israeli forces on Monday demolished more than 30 structures in Khallet Athaba, a hamlet in Hebron governorate, displacing nearly a dozen families – or around 50 people.

“This constitutes most of the structures in the community and marks the third and largest demolition there since February,” said UN aid coordination office, OCHA. It noted that the area is designated by Israel as a military training zone.

In addition, Israeli forces also began demolishing six homes in Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarm on Monday, impacting 17 families. They are among more than 100 buildings slated for demolition, following an Israeli notice issued at the start of the month.

Forcible transfer fears

OCHA described how dozens of families in the camp were given little time on Monday to collect their belongings before their homes were demolished.

The agency highlighted the “strong push” to uproot Palestinians living in the area “once again raising concerns about the risks of forcible transfer of the population”.

Under international law, Israel as the occupying power, has the responsibility to protect Palestinians in the West Bank and ensure their safety and dignity, OCHA insisted.

Humanitarian partners are mobilizing assistance, but urgent international engagement is needed to stop these coercive measures and protect vulnerable communities, the UN aid office said.

“Hospitals remain close to capacity, with almost a fifth of beds filled due to seasonal viruses and delayed discharges to settings like social and community care,” Prof Redhead added.

NHS England said pressure on hospital capacity remained high last week with an average of 96% adult beds occupied and a total of 97,567 patients in hospital each day.

Laboratory reports only represent a small proportion of total norovirus cases, and it is estimated that for every case reported to national surveillance in the UK, about 288 in the community go unreported, an annual figure of around 3 million cases.

Norovirus levels are also higher than the same period 12 months ago, when 688 hospital beds were filled with people experiencing diarrhoea and vomiting symptoms, and also January 2023, when 395 beds were used by those with symptoms.

According to UKHSA, some of the higher numbers may be attributable to the use of PCR multiplex technology, which can detect multiple gastrointestinal pathogens in one test.

But it is likely that an unusual norovirus genotype emerging (GII. 17), along with changes in epidemiology following the coronavirus pandemic, are also contributing to the rise in cases.

At present, there is no indication that the genotype leads to more severe illness.

Following the surgery, Mr Coles, who was 66, was unable to swallow due to cranial nerve damage. He then spent several weeks in hospital where he eventually died, after contracting pneumonia from poor care he received on a general ward.

His sister, Julie Rhodes, says Mr Hardwidge has never explained to the family why Mr Coles was so ill after his operation. An inquest did not raise any concerns about the care Mr Coles received, a conclusion that left Ms Rhodes “dissatisfied” as it “didn’t answer any questions.”

However, a neurological expert who assessed the case for BBC News said Stephen Coles’ death had been avoidable, and criticised Mr Hardwidge’s post-operative care. He said Mr Coles should have been fitted with a tracheostomy to help him breathe.

“The responsibility for protecting the patient’s airway,” said the expert, “must lie with the operating surgeon.”

File on 4 Investigates is aware concerns have been raised about care Carl Hardwidge provided to at least three other patients while working at the trust.

A judge at an employment tribunal also said he was “somewhat concerned” Mr Hardwidge had, during his evidence, tried to minimise delays in the care of another patient who died in 2012.

When File on 4 Investigates contacted Mr Hardwidge, he refused to comment.