AFP assesses Gaza war crimes allegation, median wealth falls, Socceroos aim to make history

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Australian federal police have been handed a 61-page brief detailing alleged war crimes committed by an IDF battalion in Gaza across 2023 and 2024 – one of whose members was an Australian citizen.

It comes as a poll reveals Australians have an increasingly negative view of Israel.

We also report on how middle Australia is going backwards while the rich get richer, large parts of the US face a ferocious heatwave over the 4 July weekend, and the impossible dilemma of the Egyptian diaspora as the Socceroos try to make history.

‘Win-win’ | The nation’s 45,000 strong Egyptian-Australian diaspora faces an agonising predicament when the two teams meet in Dallas at 4am AEDT tomorrow morning, with both teams bidding to win their first World Cup knockout match. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jul/02/egypt-australia-socceroos-pharaohs-diaspora-who-to-support-world-cup">Caitlin Cassidy hears about conflicting emotions of a possible “win-win”, a musical mashup, and also about how football can transcend “a shit world”.

Wealth gap | Middle Australia’s wealth is going backwards while the richest claim an ever-greater share of the pile, https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jul/03/australia-median-wealth-falls-but-rich-getting-richer">according to new research that shows more than 25,000 people across the country became millionaires last year.

Gaza probe | Australian federal police investigators are https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jul/03/afp-investigating-alleged-war-crimes-committed-by-australian-citizen-serving-in-idf-in-gaza-ntwnfb">assessing a brief detailing alleged war crimes committed by an Australian citizen serving in the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza.

Meanwhile, the latest Guardian Essential poll has found that Australians have a more https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jul/03/australians-more-negative-view-of-israel-than-china-guardian-essential-poll-ntwnfb">negative view of Israel than of China.

Social media | Mainstream platforms are fighting to distribute and https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jul/02/antisemitism-royal-commission-social-media-julie-inman-grant-esafety-ntwnfb">monetise “gore” and “fringe” content, the eSafety watchdog has told the antisemitism royal commission, adding that she has to fight Elon Musk’s X to restrict footage on the platform, including of the Bondi terror attack.

Exclusive | A survivor of childhood abuse at the hands of the Christian Brothers has waited 60 years for justice.

But the abandonment of his trial thanks to legal moratorium obtained by the order is a https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jul/03/christian-brothers-alleged-abuse-moratorium-on-all-cases-ntwnfb">“gut-wrenching” blow for him and many others.