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The Israeli army is intensifying its military operations in Gaza City, threatening Palestinians to evacuate southwards as attacks accelerate.

According to an army post on X, more than 250,000 people have reportedly fled the city. The military is urging remaining residents to travel via al-Rashid Street towards al-Mawasi or camps in central Gaza.

However, Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud said, “Despite intense bombardment in Gaza City, many residents have stayed put – or returned after seeking shelter elsewhere – because many of Israel’s designated evacuation zones are desperately overcrowded and under-resourced, including lacking proper water access.”

The United Nations estimates from late August indicated approximately one million Palestinians were living in and around Gaza’s largest urban centre, where famine conditions are taking hold after months of deteriorating circumstances.

The UN and international community have called on Israel to abandon its plans to capture the city, warning that such an assault could worsen the humanitarian crisis.

Israeli army’s Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee claimed on Saturday on X: “More than a quarter of a million residents of Gaza City have moved out of the city for their own safety.” Gaza’s Civil Defence agency contradicted this figure, reporting fewer than 70,000 people had managed to leave.

The Israeli military dropped leaflets Saturday, warning western district residents to evacuate amid continuous air raids. “The Israeli army is operating with very intense force in your area and is determined to dismantle and defeat Hamas,” the leaflets stated. “You have been warned.”

Mohammad Abu Salmiya, head of the al-Shifa Hospital, told the AFP news agency that while displacement continues within Gaza City, “only a small number of people have been able to reach the south”. He added that those who do flee south often find nowhere to stay, as “the al-Mawasi area is completely full and Deir el-Balah is also overcrowded”, causing many to return to Gaza City.

Civil Defence spokesman Mahmoud Basal told AFP, “The actual number of displaced people from Gaza to the south is approximately 68,000 only. Many residents are still holding their ground, and many others cannot find space in the south.”

Bakri Diab, a 35-year-old father of four who fled western Gaza City, reported that air raids were continuing in the south as well. “Bombing happens here too – the south isn’t safe either,” he said. “All the occupation has done is force people to crowd into places with no basic services and no safety.”

KATHMANDU, Nepal — Nepal’s new prime minister took office Sunday and “urged calm and cooperation to rebuild” the Himalayan nation after days of violent protests last week left at least 72 people dead and destroyed government buildings and politicians’ homes.

Sushila Karki, the country’s first woman prime minister, told top officials gathered at her temporary office that each family of slain protesters will receive monetary compensation of 1 million rupees (about $ 11,330) and assured that those injured would be taken care of, state TV reported.

“We all need to get together to rebuild the country,” Karki said, pledging to work to get the South Asian nation back on track.

The massive demonstrations — called the protest of Gen Z — began on Sept. 8 over a short-lived social media ban. Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets, particularly young people, angry about widespread corruption and poverty, while the children of political leaders, known as “nepo kids,” seemed to enjoy luxurious lifestyles.

The protests soon turned violent, with protesters attacking the parliament building and police opening fire, and led to the resignation of Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli, who fled his official residence.

The actual office of the prime minister — an old white-colored palace converted to an office — was burnt down along with the offices of the president, the supreme court, key government ministries and several police stations on Sept. 9, a day after police shot at protesters. The businesses and houses of key families were also attacked, including several stores of a popular supermarket chain in Nepal.

Calm was restored after the army took control of the streets that night, and negotiations between protesters, the army and the president began over an interim government.

Karki, 73, was named the new prime minister on Sept. 12. She was a popular figure while serving as the court’s only female chief justice in 2016 and 2017, and was known for her stance against corruption in the government.

Fresh parliamentary elections have been set for March 5.

The killing of Charlie Kirk is forcing political figures and the people who protect them to make agonizing choices, balancing whether the public’s access to them is worth the risk in this dangerous national moment.

Since Kirk’s assassination, several campaigns or political groups have already called off events out of an abundance of caution. And as the midterm elections approach, candidates will increasingly be forced to weigh their need to connect with constituents and potential voters against the reality of practicing politics at a time of accelerating threats, attempts and slayings.

“The arena they just stepped into, those threats — everything — is on the table,” said Rob Savage, a former special agent in charge of the US Secret Service’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Because it’s just become that politically charged.”

Kirk’s shooting on Wednesday by a gunman perched from an elevated position at an outdoor event at Utah Valley University — similar to the assassination attempt on Donald Trump last year at an outdoor campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania — will likely prompt organizers to move their events indoors as an immediate reaction. But security experts told CNN that threats can manifest anywhere, and solutions aren’t as easy as simply moving inside, stationing personnel on rooftops or deploying drones.

Caleb Gilbert, the owner of an executive protection company whose clients have included tech moguls, A-listers and ultra-high-net-worth families, said Kirk’s death served as a “a deeply penetrating illustration of the frailty of at-risk individuals when a dedicated adversary wants to do harm.”

“At the end of the day, we can have guards, guns, gates, intelligence — we can have everything across the board stacked just right, and we can get it right 20 locations a week for years on end — and the bad actors only have to get it right once,” he said.

Recent assassinations or attempts have taken place at political rallies, but also at golf courses, homes, baseball practices and grocery stores. And threats aren’t just confined to major national political figures or candidates — they have also been extended toward people who have fewer resources, including state and local officials, school board members, judges, political influencers and all their families.

Princeton University’s Bridging Divides Initiative, which tracks political violence in the United States, has recorded more than 300 instances of threats and harassment against local officials this year, an increase of 9% over last year. Similar trends are emerging for state and federal officials as well as judges.

Matt Gorman, a former communications director for House Republicans’ campaign arm, said the threat of political violence is a “persistent and scary reality” for lawmakers, and House members had already gotten an increase in security funding following a deadly June attack on Minnesota state lawmakers. The fear among current or potential elected officials is “totally justified,” said Amanda Litman, the president of Run for Something, which urges young Democrats to seek public office.

For those making threats, she said, “that fear is the point.”

In the days following Kirk’s killing, several state officials have reported receiving bomb threats, as have historically Black colleges and other universities across the country, as well as the Democratic National Committee office in Washington.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, and Sen. Ruben Gallego, an Arizona Democrat, both canceled events this weekend out of an abundance of caution, their campaigns said. Ben Shapiro, a conservative commentator, postponed a book signing scheduled to take place at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California hours after the shooting. Young America’s Foundation, which works with young conservatives, also canceled a Thursday event in Santa Barbara with Shapiro.

Some of the most important work for security teams that protect contentious public figures happens before their clients appear at events — analyzing threats they have received, triaging their degree of severity and investigating whether the person who made those threats has the capacity to carry them out, or lives near the event location.

Political assassins almost always reveal signs of their intentions to friends, families or in online communities before they carry them out. They “tend to leak their intentions to those around them,” but people listening “invariably think, ‘Oh, he’s just mouthing off,’ when in fact, they’re actually being very serious about wanting to target their adversaries,” said Joshua Sinai, a professor of practice, intelligence and global security studies at Capitol Technology University.

That’s why initiatives like “See something, say something” are so critical, even though they may seem cliché. The suspect in Kirk’s killing, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was caught after a manhunt that stretched more than a day after his father recognized him in pictures released by the FBI. The father contacted a family friend, who then contacted authorities.

Using drones and spotters to find snipers

Kirk’s killing is likely to draw some of the same scrutiny about elevated positions lying outside of secured perimeters as the near-successful attempt on Trump in Butler. Gilbert said his company is likely to deploy discreet counter-sniper spotters at his client’s outdoor events. These teams are trained to scan rooftops for threats, even if they don’t have the ability to lethally respond.

“You have the tactical advantage if you’re able to identify anybody that is out of line for that environment,” Gilbert said. “All we have to identify is someone who is an anomaly for that crowd, then we can send our uniformed assets over to follow up, shake their hand and see what’s going on.”

Gilbert said he has been using other tools, like drones, for years to identify threats at outdoor events. But they are not a foolproof solution and should be viewed as part of a larger plan.

“Every outdoor event is unique and requires a professional protective advance to identify and mitigate threats,” said Kevin Dye, a retired Secret Service supervisor and executive protection professional. “While drones have received significant attention lately, they require integration into a complete security plan. Even if there were drones, it would require a comprehensive communications plan to ensure timely notifications of any threat.”

Security teams must confront a constantly evolving array of threats that their clients face. Protection professionals have also had to contend for bombings, arsons, car rammings, cyberattacks and any number of ways their clients can be harmed up close. Long-range attacks, like the ones against Kirk and Trump, are the resurgence of a phenomenon that had been rarely seen since a series of sniper attacks that killed American political figures in the 1960s. Several experts said they see parallels between that era and this one.

“The only saving grace is that it’s harder to get your hands on explosives now,” said Scott Stewart, the vice president of protective intelligence at TorchStone Global and former special agent with the US State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service. “But obviously the guns are still out there, and we’re just going to continue to, I fear, see this polarization and these sorts of politically motivated attacks, until we do have something that causes us to pull together again as a country.”

As investigators pore through online messages, notes and engraved shell casings in their search for a motive in the killing of one of the country’s most prominent conservative activists at a Utah Valley University campus event, authorities are also looking into whether suspect Tyler Robinson’s romantic relationship with a transitioning roommate was a factor in the shooting, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox told CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday.

Meanwhile, mourners across the country are attending vigils to pay tribute to Charlie Kirk, a 31-year-old ally of President Donald Trump and cofounder of the youth organization Turning Point USA.

The 63,400-seat State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, is preparing to host a massive memorial the morning of September 21 that is expected to be a testament to Kirk’s influence. His widow, Erika Kirk, pledged Friday to continue his work, including his campus tours and podcast.

Here’s what we know about the investigation into the killing and how Kirk is being mourned.

Robinson is set to appear in court Tuesday, accused of killing Kirk. He is being held without bail at Utah County Jail on charges including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm and obstruction of justice, according to officials. Utah Attorney General Derek Brown would not say Friday whether authorities would pursue the death penalty, but said, “everything is on the table.”

The 22-year-old is being held in a special housing unit at the Utah County Jail so staff can “keep a close eye on him,” the Utah County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

Robinson is under enhanced supervision and will remain on special watch pending a mental health evaluation, a process that may take several days, according to Sgt. Ray Ormond.

Once Robinson’s mental health is assessed, Ormond says officials will determine which housing area is most appropriate for him.

The precautionary measures are standard for cases involving serious charges or potential behavioral concerns, Ormond said, noting that he has not been made aware of any specific suicidal comments by Robinson.

“He will continue to be monitored by mental, medical, and custody staff throughout the duration of his stay,” Ormond added.

Authorities are working to understand what may have led Robinson to the rooftop where he allegedly gunned down Kirk this week.

Authorities are investigating whether Robinson’s romantic relationship with his roommate, who is transgender, could be connected to the shooting, Cox told CNN’s Dana Bash.

“This partner has been incredibly cooperative, had no idea that this was happening and is working with investigators right now,” Cox said.

The Utah LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce condemned the shooting in a statement Sunday.

“We are all grieving in this difficult moment,” said CEO and President Liz Pitts. “And it will take all of us to change the narrative. By rejecting hate and choosing compassion, we can begin to build the bridges that will carry us forward.”

Investigators are also looking into the contents of a note Robinson left, Cox appeared to confirm to Bash on “State of the Union,” but he indicated it was still under review.

“Those are things that are still being processed for accuracy and verification and will be included in charging documents,” Cox said.

Jud Hoffman, a vice president of the messaging platform Discord, said in a statement Friday there were “communications between the suspect’s roommate and a friend after the shooting where the roommate was recounting the contents of a note the suspect had left elsewhere.”

Robinson, a third-year student in an electrical apprenticeship program who grew up in the small suburban community of Washington, Utah, was arrested following a 33-hour manhunt that drew national attention and fueled a wave of misinformation online.

While police investigate the killing, authorities have pointed to what they described as anti-fascist messages engraved on bullet casings in a rifle found near the shooting as potential evidence of a political motive.

One bullet was inscribed with “Hey fascist! Catch!” – a message Cox said Friday “speaks for itself.”

Cox on Friday said Robinson was radicalized “in a fairly short amount of time.”

A family member of Robinson’s told investigators the suspected shooter “had become more political in recent years,” and had criticized Kirk at a recent family dinner, Cox said.

The messages on the bullet casings also included a mix of memes and allusions to video games. They featured a series of arrows representing the controls used to carry out an attack in the video game Helldivers 2 and lyrics of a popular Italian song linked to anti-fascists. Other engravings hinted more at connections to online trolling, including one that said, “If you read this, you are gay LMAO.”

Robinson was ultimately arrested after his father recognized him in images released to the public and persuaded his son to confide in a youth pastor, a law enforcement source told CNN. A family friend then contacted the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, officials said.

Messages Robinson is believed to have sent on Discord were also among the clues that helped investigators zero in on him as a suspect, officials said.

The messages stated a need to retrieve a rifle from a pickup point, leaving the rifle in a bush, watching the area where a rifle was left and having wrapped the rifle in a towel, according to the affidavit. Investigators have said they discovered a bolt-action rifle wrapped in a towel near the scene of the shooting.

The Discord messages, which Robinson’s roommate showed investigators, also refer to engraving bullets and mention a scope and rifle being unique, officials said.

And in a Discord group chat following the shooting, Robinson joked his “doppelganger” had carried out the crime, The New York Times reported.

After the FBI released surveillance images of a man in a stairwell at the Utah Valley University campus, an acquaintance in a group chat tagged Robinson’s username and asked, “wya,” meaning “where you at,” the Times reported.

Robinson replied within a minute, writing his “doppelganger” was trying to “get me in trouble,” the Times report said, noting the exchange took place around 1 p.m. Thursday, hours before Robinson’s arrest.

CNN has not independently confirmed messages in the Discord chat.

Following his arrest, Robinson initially spoke with some law enforcement but quickly went silent Friday morning after hiring a lawyer, sources familiar with the matter previously told CNN.

What will happen to Kirk’s podcast and tour?

“If you thought that my husband’s mission was powerful before, you have no idea,” Erika Kirk said in her first public address following her husband’s killing. “You have no idea what you just have unleashed across this entire country.”

In an emotional tribute to her husband, Erika Kirk shared a series of photos and videos on social media of her holding and kissing her husband’s hands in his open casket. In one photo, she is seen sitting in a chair and leaning over the casket.

“You have no idea the fire that you have ignited within this wife,” she said in her address Friday. “The cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry.”

Charlie Kirk’s scheduled tour of university campuses, “The American Comeback Tour,” will continue as planned, Erika Kirk said.

“There will be even more tours in the years to come,” she said, noting Americafest, Turning Point USA’s annual conference, will still be held in Phoenix in December.

“It will be greater than ever,” she said. “The radio and podcast show that he was so proud of will go on.”

Erika Kirk said she has had to explain her husband’s absence to her two young children.

Thursday night, their 3-year-old daughter asked: “Where’s Daddy?”

“Baby, Daddy loves you so much,” she responded. “Don’t you worry. He’s on a work trip with Jesus, so he can afford your blueberry budget.”

Friends, colleagues and fans also memorialized Kirk, saying he leaves behind a legacy of faith and love.

Andrew Kolvet, the executive producer of “The Charlie Kirk Show,” said his friend and colleague died doing what he loved.

“Charlie was never afraid of intellectual combat. He was willing to go into any arena, debate with anybody and discuss anything – and he loved it,” Kolvet told CNN’s Michael Smerconish on Saturday. “It energized him, he knew that those interactions were what people were hungry for.”

Kolvet said Kirk was “riveting” to watch and described the conservative political activist as spending “all of his waking moments learning and studying and trying to hone his skills.”

Kolvet and others hosted a memorial edition of Kirk’s radio show and podcast Friday. Kirk’s promotion of challenging other people’s ideas through discussion and debate was at the heart of the podcast episode.

Kirk’s chair remained at the table, poignantly empty.

But seeing Kirk’s personal items, like his ties and toys left by his children, drove home the loss for Jack Posobiec, a conservative commentator who worked closely with Kirk.

“It was looking at that when it really hit me that he’s not coming back for those,” he said.

In the days since his death, Kirk’s accounts across the internet have gained millions of followers, according to data compiled by CNN. Videos of Kirk’s political arguments promoting Trump and conservative priorities have also seen a surge in viewership, with many clips being traded back and forth by fans.

The words “I AM CHARLIE KIRK” have become a rallying cry among Kirk fans on social media platforms since his death.

Kirk’s supporters paid tribute to the activist at vigils in states including New York, Wisconsin, Virginia, North Dakota and Utah. Vigils and prayer circles honoring Kirk are also set to take place this weekend in several other states, including Florida and Colorado.

“We are Charlie,” said one mourner’s sign at a vigil Friday in Provo, Utah. “And we won’t be quiet.”

“Good men must die,” another sign read. “But death can’t kill their names.”

Many of those at the vigils were young college students, a testament to his massive fanbase on college campuses. Turning Point USA, where Kirk was the executive director, has about 800 college chapters, according to the organization’s website.

One mourner, 22-year-old student Alexis Breuer, said Kirk “came around at a point in time when a lot of us were afraid to voice our beliefs, were afraid of the backlash from our peers.”

“He was … someone else that was in our age range that understood the generation that we were in,” she told Reuters at the Utah vigil. “He was an example to us that we don’t have to be afraid. We can stand up for our beliefs eloquently and peacefully, without fear.”

Another vigil attendee, 24-year-old student Dallin Webecke, said the killing was “very scary” but said supporters are clinging to one another for comfort.

“We are not alone and we are able to still keep fighting together,” he told Reuters.

At Utah Valley University, where 3,000 people had gathered to watch Kirk speak Wednesday when he was killed, many are still grappling with the shooting. Video of the incident shows students screaming and fleeing, and 911 calls reveal spectators’ panic seeing Kirk be struck by the bullet.

Former Utah State Rep. Phil Lyman said Kirk continues to be a major global influence even after his death and witnessing the shooting would “change the trajectory of” the students who were gathered at the campus for Kirk’s event.

“If Charlie’s wishes are fulfilled, then it will change it in a very positive way,” he told CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield.

Utah Valley University announced classes would resume Wednesday – exactly one week after the attack. Mental health counseling will also be available for students, the university said.

It’s unclear whether Trump will attend the memorial celebrating Kirk’s “remarkable life and enduring legacy” at the home stadium of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals. Thursday, Trump said he has “an obligation” to attend Kirk’s funeral.