Thursday, July 24, live news on Middle East conflicts. Netanyahu's office:"Having received Hamas's proposal, we are examining it."

• This new conflict between Israel and Hamas began after October 7, 2023, in response, by Israel, to the attack by the Hamas terrorist group, which caused nearly 1,300 deaths (including about 800 civilians) and the kidnapping of over 200 people
• Reporters Without Borders: the Israeli army has killed nearly 200 journalists, including at least 44 in the exercise of their duties
• At least 166 trucks of humanitarian aid entered Gaza between last night and dawn today with flour, food and medical supplies

20:15 | July 24

Starmer: Emergency call with France and Germany on Gaza tomorrow

The suffering and hunger among Palestinians in Gaza is indefensible, said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer as he announced an emergency consultation tomorrow with the leaders of France and Germany following the failure of the Doha negotiations between Israel and Hamas. During the consultation, the three European countries will discuss what measures can be urgently taken to stop the massacres and provide the population with the food they desperately need, Starmer added, reiterating the need for a ceasefire that will put us on the path to recognition of a Palestinian state.

7:50 PM | July 24

Israel launched an attack in southern Lebanon

The Israeli military just announced it had targeted southern Lebanon with airstrikes, claiming to have struck several Hezbollah-linked sites. In a post on X, the Israeli military said that fighter jets attacked military sites, including weapons depots and a rocket launcher. The military claimed responsibility for another attack this morning. We previously reported that one person had been killed in an Israeli drone strike on a car in the southern Lebanese town of Aita al-Shaab. Israel has launched near-daily attacks on Lebanon, despite agreeing to a US-backed ceasefire in November.

7:27 PM | July 24

Netanyahu: If Hamas thinks we're weak, they're very wrong.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this evening that Hamas must not interpret Israel's intention to reach a truce in Gaza as weakness."We are seeking a new agreement to free our hostages. But if Hamas views our intention as weakness, as an opportunity to impose surrender conditions on us that would endanger the State of Israel, they are gravely mistaken," Netanyahu said at a ceremony in Jerusalem.

7:22 PM | July 24

Witkoff interrupts talks: Hamas not acting in good faith

White House Special Envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, announced the suspension of ceasefire talks in Qatar in Gaza because Hamas is not acting in good faith. Witkoff said Hamas's latest response shows a lack of will to reach a ceasefire. Donald Trump's envoy also stated that the United States will consider alternative options for bringing the Israeli hostages home.

6:58 PM | July 24

Media reports: Hamas proposes to release 10 hostages for 2,000 Palestinians

In the proposal presented to Israel, Hamas demanded that Israel release 200 Palestinians serving life sentences for killing Israelis and 2,000 other Palestinians held in Gaza after October 7 in exchange for the release of 10 live hostages. A senior Israeli official and a source familiar with the details told Axios journalist Barack Ravid. The original proposal, which Israel accepted, called for the release of 125 Palestinians serving life sentences and 1,200 other Palestinians held by the Israeli army (IDF) in Gaza after October 7. Among the new demands put forward by Hamas that Israel is not convinced of are the removal of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and the opening of the Rafah crossing in the southern Strip. Ynet reports.

6:50 PM | July 24

Tehran's unwavering right to uranium enrichment

Iran reaffirms its unwavering right to uranium enrichment ahead of tomorrow's meeting with France, Britain, and Germany, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a video released by state media. Araghchi said the talks will serve to convey to Europeans that Iran's position has not changed in light of last month's Israeli and U.S. military campaigns against its nuclear program.

6:38 PM | July 24

Houthis, Arab countries must unite to save Gazans

The head of the Houthi Supreme Political Council in Yemen, Mahdi Al-Mashat, called on Islamic and Arab nations and governments to adopt a strong and united stance to confront the widespread threat of the Israeli regime and save the lives of the residents of the Gaza Strip. In an interview with the official Yemeni news agency (Saba), Mahdi Al-Mashat stated: Today more than ever, the Islamic nation needs a strong and united stance to repel the threat of the Zionist regime before this danger overwhelms everyone. He emphasized that those who do not take a stand on the Gaza Strip and Palestine today will not be able to avert this danger in the future, and those who are not troubled by the painful scenes of those dying of starvation in the Gaza Strip have no understanding of religion, dignity, Islam, or humanity. The head of Yemen's Supreme Political Council continued to address the leaders of Arab and Islamic countries, stating:"If you cannot act, let the nations do so on this issue, and if the nations do not intervene, the punishment for this silence will fall on the entire Islamic nation." Al-Mashat added: "Everyone should know that the root of the problem is the Zionist regime and that pursuing the illusion of peace and reconciliation with it is wrong."

6:35 PM | July 24

IDF: Hamas member implicated in arms trafficking killed in raid

A senior Hamas official involved in smuggling weapons into the Gaza Strip was killed today in an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, the IDF said. According to the army, Muhammad al-Amour was in charge of the cargo terminal at the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza. As part of his role, he oversaw the smuggling of hundreds of weapons and military equipment into the Gaza Strip, directly contributing to Hamas's military buildup, the IDF said. Over the years, according to the army, al-Amour played a key role in the smuggling network of Hamas's military wing, coordinating and leading efforts to smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip and to Hamas with the help of collaborators. The Rafah crossing, which Israel seized in May 2024 and subsequently razed, served as a gateway for the smuggling of weapons and military equipment into the Gaza Strip, the IDF added.

6:14 PM | July 24

Media: Hamas has proposed a clause to prevent the resumption of war.

A senior Hamas source told Reuters that there was still a chance of reaching a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, but that it would take several days due to what he called Israeli procrastination. The agency reported this on its website. According to the source, Hamas's response included a request for a clause barring Israel from resuming the war if an agreement was not reached within the 60-day truce period. Two sources familiar with the negotiations in Qatar said, however, that Israel's decision to recall its delegation did not necessarily indicate a crisis in the talks.

5:39 PM | July 24

UNRWA Chief: Grant Access to 6,000 Aid Trucks, Walking Corpses in Gaza

We at URNWA have 6,000 trucks loaded with food and medical supplies in Jordan and Egypt. Let our humanitarian partners provide continued, unrestricted assistance to Gaza. This is what Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, wrote in a post on X. He stated that today one of his colleagues on the ground told him that the people in Gaza are neither alive nor dead; they are walking corpses. One in five children in Gaza City is malnourished, with cases continuing to rise, he wrote, explaining that the majority of children our workers see are emaciated, weak, and at high risk of dying without the care they urgently need. Over 100 people, mostly children, have died of hunger, Lazzarini added, explaining that parents are too hungry to care for their children, families are breaking apart, unable to survive, their very existence is threatened. Finally, Lazzarini emphasizes how UNRWA workers are also suffering from the widespread famine: They survive on one meal a day, often just lentils, and more and more people are fainting from hunger while working. When humanitarian workers can't get enough food, he concludes, the entire humanitarian system is collapsing.

5:27 PM | July 24

Israeli media reports conflict over status of Gaza talks

The return of the Israeli negotiating team from Qatar is an indication that the talks are stalled, according to the Times of Israel, citing an official from Prime Minister Netanyahu's office. However, the public broadcaster in Kabul quoted an anonymous official involved in the negotiations who painted a more positive picture of the situation:"The talks have not failed. This is a coordinated move among all parties. There are crucial decisions to be made, and so the delegation has returned to continue the consultations. The momentum is still positive."

5:25 PM | July 24

Houthi leaders call on countries to open crossings to allow fighters to enter Gaza.

The Houthi leader reiterated that Yemen will spare no effort in supporting the Palestinian cause, announcing that new escalation options are being studied and that work continues to strengthen military capabilities to more effectively strike the Israeli enemy. Yemeni forces reportedly conducted 11 operations with hypersonic missiles and drones against targets in Israel last week. Al Houthi added that the naval blockade against Israel continues and that the port of Eilat is once again completely closed. The leader spoke of heavy losses for the Jewish state and a complete defeat.

5:07 PM | July 24

Qatari Prime Minister Al Thani is not in Olbia

(by Maurizio Caprara) Contrary to what some have claimed, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani is not in Olbia to participate in the meeting on Gaza between representatives of the United States and Israel.

Middle Eastern sources report that the prime minister was in Doha this morning, aware that there will be other opportunities for discussion. Contacts with the parties, the sources add, are constant.

In addition to leading the government, the Emir's close relative and trusted man, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, is the one who controls Qatar's secret services. For years, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has played a prominent role, among other things, in his country's relations with Iran and Libya.

With Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, arriving in Sardinia today and, barring unforeseen circumstances, having or scheduled talks with Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, acquaintance with Mohammed bin Abdulrahman is not recent. Witkoff had business contacts with Qatar even when he was a real estate entrepreneur, and perhaps even he did not imagine he was destined to take on a role as a negotiator in international crises.

4:57 PM | July 24

Media, recall of negotiators from Qatar indicates stalemate in talks

Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to recall negotiators from Qatar to Israel for consultations indicates a stalemate in the talks, a source in the prime minister's office told the Times of Israel. However, other sources gave the public broadcaster Kan a more positive assessment of the development:"The talks have not failed; this is a coordinated move by all parties," they said."There are crucial decisions to be made, and so the delegation has returned for consultations. The momentum remains positive."

4:50 PM | July 24

Gaza Hospitals: 45 Starvation Deaths in the Strip in 4 Days

More than a third of the 113 starvation deaths recorded so far in Gaza occurred in a four-day period this week, according to the Guardian, citing data from hospitals in the Strip. Forty-five people reportedly died from starvation in four days this week, including two today. By comparison, a total of 68 starvation-related deaths had been recorded since October 7, 2023, according to statistics from the Gaza Ministry of Health.

3:50 PM | July 24

Prime Minister says delegation for ceasefire talks will return to Israel

The Prime Minister's Office said Thursday that the Israeli delegation negotiating a ceasefire in Gaza would return to Israel, in light of Hamas's response this morning.

We appreciate the efforts of Qatari and Egyptian mediators and the efforts of [US Middle East] Envoy Witkoff to achieve a breakthrough in the talks, the statement read.

On Thursday morning, the office announced that it was examining Hamas's response. An Israeli source told Haaretz this morning that Hamas's current response is more feasible than the organization's position, which was rejected by the mediators on Tuesday.

On Wednesday evening, a Palestinian source familiar with the details said that Hamas's response was positive, but noted that Hamas has reservations about maintaining Israeli control over parts of Gaza and the deployment of IDF forces there.

3:35 PM | July 24

Famine in Gaza: Netanyahu meets in Jerusalem today

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold an urgent meeting in Jerusalem to discuss the famine in Gaza, an Israeli official reported, citing the Times of Israel. Representatives from the Foreign Ministry, COGAT (Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories), and the National Security Council will be present. The issue of sending aid to civilians in Gaza is at the center of today's discussions in the Prime Minister's office, the Israeli official said.

3:34 PM | July 24

Axios: Hamas calls for release of 2,200 Palestinians

Hamas has demanded that Israel release 200 Palestinians serving life sentences for killing other Israelis and 2,000 other Palestinians arrested in Gaza after October 7 in exchange for the release of 10 live hostages as part of a ceasefire agreement. Axios journalist Barak Ravid revealed the news, citing a senior Israeli official and a source familiar with the details. The issue was raised in the militant group's response to the latest truce proposal on the table and reopened one of the agreement's central concerns: the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released for each Israeli kidnapped. The original proposal accepted by Israel called for the release of 125 Palestinians serving life sentences and another 1,200 Palestinians arrested by the IDF in Gaza after October 7. Senior Israeli officials told US envoy Steve Witkoff that the request was unacceptable, but according to one source, this was Hamas's opening position, intended to conduct negotiations, and not a definitive one.

3:33 PM | July 24

Israeli Minister: We will wipe out Gaza, it will be all Jewish

All of Gaza will be Jewish... the government is pushing for Gaza to be obliterated. Thank God, we are eradicating this evil. We are pushing the population, educated on Mein Kampf, to do so. This was stated by the far-right, ultranationalist Israeli minister Amihai Ben-Eliyahu, quoted in X by Axios journalist Barak Ravid.

1:48 PM | July 24

Medical sources: 17 dead since dawn in Gaza attacks

Medical sources told Al Jazeera that at least 17 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli army attacks in Gaza since dawn. Among them are three people seeking aid, two who were killed in al-Mawasi, in southern Gaza, and eight others killed in the central Strip. At least five Palestinians were killed in central Gaza late yesterday evening, according to the Aqsa Hospital morgue, which received the bodies today in the city of Deir al-Balah. Two people, a man and a woman, were killed in an Israeli tank bombardment east of the city. Another person was killed by Israeli troops in a shootout in the Bureij refugee camp, while two others were hit by an Israeli attack in Zawaida.

1:45 PM | July 24

Israeli forces detected rocket launched from Khan Yunis near Jerusalem aid distribution center.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) detected a rocket fired last night from the Khan Yunis area in the southern Gaza Strip, toward the area where aid distribution points in Rafah are located. The IDF announced this in a statement on Telegram. The rocket fell approximately 250 meters from the distribution center located near the Morag corridor in the Rafah area. Despite this, the distribution center in the Morag area opened as normal today, and tens of thousands of food parcels were distributed to families each week, the IDF explained. The launch represents yet another example of the terrorist organization's systematic and brutal attempts to sabotage the aid distribution program, run by an American company and international organizations, the statement continues. These terrorist groups are actively working to hinder the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza, the IDF concluded.

1:34 PM | July 24

Witkoff met with the ministers of Israel and Qatar aboard a megayacht in Costa Smeralda.

The meeting between White House envoy Steve Witkoff, Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, and Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani to discuss the truce in Gaza is expected to take place aboard a megayacht moored near Porto Cervo, on the Costa Smeralda.

1:25 PM | July 24

EU: All options are on the table if Israel fails to deliver on commitments to improve aid to Gaza

Israel has made some efforts to improve the delivery of humanitarian aid to the population of Gaza, but the situation remains dire, a European Commission spokesperson said Thursday. He added that the EU is currently assessing the situation and that all options remain on the table if Israel does not honor an agreement reached with the EU earlier this month to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza. This agreement includes substantially increasing the number of daily trucks transporting food and non-food items to Gaza, opening several additional border crossings in both the northern and southern Gaza Strip, and reopening the Jordanian and Egyptian humanitarian routes.

1:21 PM | July 24

Oxfam: Gaza is on the brink of a health catastrophe

Gaza is on the brink of a health catastrophe, while millions of dollars' worth of life-saving aid is sitting in warehouses due to the Israeli blockade, which is preventing its entry and distribution. This is the alarm raised today by Oxfam, faced with a humanitarian situation that is deteriorating day by day. The data speak for themselves: in the last three months, the spread of easily preventable diseases caused by the use of dirty and contaminated water has increased by an average of almost 150%. Specifically, health data provided by various agencies show that cases of dysentery have risen by 302%, watery diarrhea by 150%, and jaundice by 101%. These figures, however, are underestimated, given that the majority of the 2 million Palestinians trapped in Gaza have virtually no access to the few remaining health facilities. These diseases could easily spread in the coming weeks, with dramatic effects among a population already severely weakened by 21 months of deprivation, including food and water shortages, displacement, and appalling sanitary conditions. Since March 2, Israel has imposed a near-total blockade on Gaza, essentially halting the entry of most aid. As a result, supplies of essential goods inside Gaza have been exhausted, while 420,000 pallets of aid remain piled up in warehouses across the region, awaiting distribution to the population. Tents, food, nutritional supplements to combat malnutrition, life-saving medicines, and hygiene items cover an area of 75 hectares, equivalent to 101 soccer fields. The aid sent by Oxfam has faced the same fate: 110,000 packages of jerry cans, water purifiers, materials for installing toilets, diapers, soap, and food. If we want to prevent further deaths in Gaza from the spread of epidemics, we must act before it's too late."It's getting hotter in Gaza," explains Bushra Khalidi, Oxfam's policy director in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Gaza."There's no clean water or food, and people are living in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions. This is a breeding ground for diseases that, while preventable, can be lethal. An immediate, large-scale humanitarian response is needed to prevent the worst. A total and permanent ceasefire is needed, and all border crossings must be reopened now to allow aid to enter."

1:17 PM | July 24

Spain: 50 Jewish students removed from Vueling flight, airline accused of anti-Semitism

A group of approximately 50 Jewish students from France were forcibly removed from a plane at Valencia Airport, Spain, yesterday evening, apparently after singing loudly in Hebrew on board the plane. According to the Times of Israel newspaper, the young people, 50 members of a Jewish summer camp, were singing on the plane and were asked to stop by flight attendants, who warned that the police would be called if they continued. A woman claiming to be the mother of one of the students told i24 News that the group stopped singing, but that the police still boarded the plane and ordered the camp director and the students off the plane. Vueling, the Spanish low-cost airline whose plane was involved in the incident, denied the anti-Semitic allegations, saying the youths exhibited highly disruptive behavior and a highly confrontational attitude, putting the safety of the flight at risk.According to the airline, the group improperly handled emergency equipment and actively disrupted the mandatory safety demonstration, ignoring repeated warnings, which prompted the crew to call the police. However, some witnesses say staff severely attacked the group, including one crew member who allegedly called Israel a terrorist state. A video from the scene shows police handcuffing a woman, pinned to the ground by security officers. Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli shared a video on

X of a woman, believed to be the director of the Kinneret summer camp, being violently arrested. The Vueling airline crew declared Israel a terrorist state and forced the children off the plane. They are now in Valencia, waiting to return to France, Chikli wrote. In line with the campaign of lies by Hamas (the Islamist group in power in the Gaza Strip), reported by Al Jazeera, Haaretz, and others, we have recently witnessed numerous serious anti-Semitic incidents. This is one of the most serious, the Israeli minister emphasized.

1:16 PM | July 24

EU: No more suffering in Gaza; Israel must uphold its commitments.

The situation is clear. Civilians in Gaza have been suffering for too long and too much. The time has come to break the cycle of suffering and violence. This must end now, and Israel must deliver concrete results. This was stated by EU Foreign Policy Spokesperson Anouar El Anouni at the daily press briefing. Yesterday, EU ambassadors received the first update on the implementation of Israel's humanitarian commitments. Israel has made some efforts within the parameters of the agreement, the number of trucks entering Gaza has increased, additional crossings and routes have been opened, and fuel supplies have increased, but the situation remains dire. Clearly, there is still much, much more to do, he added. The limitations of the operation are also quite clear, as we are operating in wartime and in a war zone, which complicates the situation and also implementation on the ground. Security and safety are the primary concern in Gaza, and the operational environment is extremely difficult for humanitarian workers to effectively distribute aid. This must be clearly understood by each of us, as the High Representative stressed: all options remain on the table if Israel fails to implement the agreement, she concluded.

1:14 PM | July 24

166 trucks of humanitarian aid entered the Strip from Egypt

At least 166 trucks carrying humanitarian aid entered Gaza between last night and dawn today through the Zikim crossing in the northern Gaza Strip and the Karm Abu Salem crossing in the southern Gaza Strip, according to the Al Qahera News news agency. The aid includes shipments of flour, food, and medical supplies. The aid shipments are the largest since Israel imposed a total blockade on the Strip on March 1, which, according to many groups, has pushed most of the 2.3 million Palestinians into famine. According to the agency, another 180 trucks carrying various aid items will enter the Gaza Strip today, including 137 trucks loaded with flour and the rest with food supplies. Al Qahera News added that Egypt is intensifying its efforts with all international parties to deliver more aid to the Gaza Strip during the current period.

1:03 PM | July 24

Gaza Ministry of Health: 113 starvation deaths

Hospitals in the Gaza Strip have recorded two more deaths due to malnutrition in the past 24 hours, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, controlled by the terrorist group Hamas. This brings the number of people who have died from starvation in Gaza to 113, according to ministry data.

1:00 PM | July 24

AFP, AP, Reuters and BBC News call on Israel for free access to Gaza

AP and Reuters, along with the BBC, launched a joint appeal on Thursday for Israel to allow journalists to enter and leave Gaza after 21 months of war. Journalists face many hardships and hardships in a war zone. We are deeply concerned that hunger is now threatening their survival, Agence France-Presse, the American Associated Press, the Canadian-British Reuters, and the British BBC News said in a joint statement. We once again urge the Israeli authorities to allow journalists to enter and leave Gaza. It is essential that sufficient food reaches the population, they insisted in the statement. These international news organizations said they are deeply concerned about the plight of their journalists in Gaza, who are increasingly struggling to provide for their families and themselves. These independent journalists have been the world's eyes and ears on the ground in Gaza. They now face the same dire conditions as the populations they cover, they emphasized. The United Nations and NGOs have raised the alarm about the risk of famine in Gaza. The Israeli government has defended itself by claiming it is not responsible for the shortages. Reports from journalists experiencing severe hardship in Gaza have multiplied in recent days. They speak of extreme hunger, lack of drinking water, and increasing physical and mental fatigue, which at times forces them to reduce their coverage of the war, triggered on October 7, 2023, by an unprecedented Hamas attack in Israel. For months, we have watched helplessly as the living conditions of several AFP employees dramatically deteriorate, and their situation is now unbearable, a press release from the news agency stated on Monday, while its Society of Journalists warned of the risk of seeing them die. Israel accuses the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas of exploiting the suffering of the more than two million residents of Gaza, including by diverting aid and selling it at high prices or by shooting those waiting for it. In October 2023, Israel imposed a total blockade on the territory in early March, only partially eased in late May, causing severe shortages of food, medicine, and fuel. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an independent American organization, also called on Israel on Wednesday to stop starving journalists and civilians in Gaza. The world must now act: protect (these professionals), feed them, and allow them to recover while other journalists arrive to support them, urged Sara Qudah, CPJ's regional director, in a statement. Since late 2023, the only journalists allowed to travel to the Gaza Strip from outside have been on board Israeli army vehicles, whose reporting has been subject to military censorship. For France, the risk of famine in Gaza is the result of the Israeli blockade. This shortage is caused by Hamas, said Israeli spokesman David Mencer, accusing the Palestinian movement of impeding the distribution and looting aid. Hamas has consistently denied these accusations. The October 7 attack killed 1,219 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP count based on official data. Of the 251 people kidnapped that day, 49 remain hostages in Gaza, 27 of whom were declared dead by the army. The Israeli retaliatory offensive claimed the lives of 59,219 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to data from the Hamas Ministry of Health, which is considered reliable by the United Nations. For its part, the NGO Reporters Without Borders stated on May 7 that the Israeli army killed nearly 200 journalists, at least 44 of them while carrying out their duties in the Gaza Strip.

12:24 PM | July 24

Pezeshkian: We will continue with uranium enrichment.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reaffirmed Tehran's commitment to continuing its nuclear program for peaceful purposes. In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, one of the first since the end of the 12-day conflict with Israel last month, Pezeshkian stated that Iran will continue its uranium enrichment program despite international opposition, asserting that the development of its nuclear capabilities will be carried out within the framework of international law. US President Donald Trump asserts that Iran should not possess a nuclear weapon, and we accept this because we reject nuclear weapons and this is our political, religious, humanitarian, and strategic position, he stated. We believe in diplomacy, so any future negotiations must follow a win-win logic, and we will not accept threats and impositions, he added. The Iranian president emphasized that Trump's claim that our nuclear program is over is merely an illusion. Our nuclear capabilities are in the minds of our scientists, not in our facilities, he concluded.

12:11 PM | July 24

Satellite photos show Khan Younis almost totally destroyed

Satellite photographs taken in recent days show that the Israeli army has almost completely destroyed Khan Younis, the Gaza Strip's second city, and nearby towns, an area of 90 square kilometers and thousands of homes. Haaretz reported today, publishing images from Planet Labs PBC. Adi Ben-Nun, a geographic data expert at Hebrew University, estimates that since last May, approximately 2,200 buildings have been destroyed in the center of Khan Younis alone, equivalent to about 7.6 percent of the total in the area. Before then, 67 percent of all buildings in the same area had been destroyed or significantly damaged. So far, the total has reached 74 percent. (Continued) Sim 241207 Jul 25 Rome, July 24. (askanews) -"It's not just fighting, it's total destruction," one person forced to evacuate the area told Haaretz."There's nothing left. No one would have imagined such cruelty. Everything has simply disappeared, destroyed." Throughout the Gaza Strip, Haaretz emphasized, an estimated 70% of buildings have been completely destroyed or damaged to the point of being uninhabitable, in addition to the vast majority of public buildings, roads, and infrastructure.

11:33 AM | July 24

UN: A Catastrophe of Mothers and Newborns Dead in Gaza

New York, July 23 - The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said that severe food shortages, a destroyed health system, and immense psychological stress are leading to catastrophic outcomes for pregnant women and newborns in the Gaza Strip. From January to June this year, a UN spokesperson said, births dropped dramatically and 220 mothers died, more than twenty times the total number of maternal deaths recorded in 2022. At least twenty newborns, it added, died within 24 hours of birth, and a third of babies were born prematurely, with low birth weight, or required admission to neonatal intensive care units, where such facilities were available.

11:17 AM | July 24

Axios: Witkoff to meet with Israeli and Qatari ministers in Sardinia

White House envoy Steve Witkoff, Israeli Foreign Minister Ron Dermer, and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani will meet today in Sardinia to try to expedite an agreement between Israel and Hamas regarding the Gaza truce and hostage situation. Axios journalist Barak Ravid reports this in X. The American website previously reported that the talks would take place in Rome. The White House has so far confirmed Witkoff's trip to Europe.

10:24 AM | July 24

Witkoff in Sardinia, Gaza negotiations possibly on a mega yacht

White House envoy Steve Witkoff, Israeli Foreign Minister Ron Dermer, and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani may meet on a megayacht moored off the Costa Smeralda to reach a potential agreement between Israel and Hamas on the Gaza truce and the release of hostages. According to the very few leaks filtering out, Witkoff is arriving this morning at Olbia Airport on the Costa Smeralda and will be transferred aboard a large vessel off the coast of Gallura.

10:08 AM | July 24

Car crashes at bus station in Israel, injuring 8

Eight people were injured when a car crashed into a bus station in Kfar Yona, central Israel. The vehicle used in the attack was later located by Israeli police. Haaretz reports, adding that security forces continue to search for the suspect, who fled. Roadblocks have been set up in the area and security teams from nearby towns have been mobilized. The army's central command has blocked border crossings with the West Bank.

Ten dead in central and southern Gaza, Israeli soldier wounded

At least ten Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks and raids in the central and southern Gaza Strip since dawn, in addition to an unknown number of civilians wounded. Reports of the victims and injuries came from medical sources at Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Hospital and Al-Awda Hospital in the central Gaza Strip, and from Nasser Hospital in the city of Khan Younis. More detailed information is currently available only about two Palestinians killed in the al-Mawasi area in southern Gaza, where an Israeli attack hit a tent for displaced persons in the Khan Younis governorate. Also in the southern Gaza Strip, Israeli media reported that a soldier from the 71st Battalion, Barak Brigade (188), armored corps, was seriously wounded last night in a firefight in Khan Younis. He was hit by fragments of a mortar shell fired at soldiers, the IDF spokesperson announced.

8:06 AM | July 24

Netanyahu's office: Hamas proposal submitted, under review

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed that the delegation in Doha received Hamas's response from the mediators. The mediators have delivered Hamas's response to the Israeli negotiating team and are currently reviewing it, according to the statement, which was reported by Israeli newspapers.

7:46 AM | July 24

Flights suspended at Ben Gurion Airport due to fears of missiles from Yemen.

Flights at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport have been temporarily suspended due to fears of a missile launch from Yemen. Israeli website Ynet News reported this, specifying that the measure affects both takeoffs and landings. Among other things, two flights to Israel from the Greek island of Crete were delayed.

Israel claims 70 trucks entered Gaza yesterday

In Israel, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) says that 70 trucks of humanitarian aid, mostly containing food, were transferred to the Gaza Strip yesterday. Some trucks were transferred to southern Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing and others to the northern part of the Strip through the Zikim crossing. The aid was delivered after thorough security inspections, COGAT says. COGAT told the Times of Israel that, contrary to criticism from the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations, there has been no interruption in the distribution of aid to the Strip in recent days, which has continued, albeit in limited quantities. Humanitarian organizations have expressed growing concern in recent days about food shortages in Gaza, complaining about the inability to pick up aid trucks at the border. Cogat says it has already coordinated the collection of over 150 trucks on the Gaza side of the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings, but that over 800 trucks are still waiting to be picked up at the crossings.

2:49 AM | July 24

At the black market in Gaza: a kilo of flour costs 25 euros, a diaper five.

by Greta Privitera

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In the pantry box, there's a can of lentils, a bag of Nescafé, and rice good for two meals. Yesterday, Salma, her husband Ayan, and their three children only ate lunch. The youngest child, Muhammad, cried all afternoon because he was hungry. He cried so much that he finally fell asleep in a corner of the tent that has been their home for three months. Sometimes we manage to have an evening snack, but these days it's very hard, says the woman who, with the one hundred shekels in her pocket, will try to go this morning among the stalls on the seafront of Al-Mawasi, the gigantic Gaza refugee camp.

One hundred shekels is almost 25 euros. On the black market, with 25 euros you can get a kilo of flour, which is already something.

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​Read the full article here

2:21 AM | July 24

Witkoff holds talks with Israel and Qatar in Sardinia today.

The meeting between Witkoff, Dermer, and the Qatari prime minister is scheduled for tomorrow (today - ed.) in Sardinia, Italy, according to Axios journalist Barak Ravid. The American website had reported that the talks would take place in Rome. The White House confirmed the trip to Europe without disclosing the exact location of the meetings.

2:20 AM | July 23

Hamas presented mediators with its response to Israel's proposal for a truce

Hamas has confirmed it has submitted its response to Israel's proposal for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, with negotiators from both sides holding indirect talks with mediators in Qatar. Hamas has just submitted its response and that of the Palestinian factions to the ceasefire proposal to the mediators, the Islamist movement said in a statement posted on Telegram. The response includes proposed amendments to the clauses on humanitarian aid entry, maps of the areas from which the Israeli army should withdraw, and guarantees on a definitive end to the war, according to a Palestinian source familiar with the ongoing talks in Doha. Negotiators are trying to reach an agreement on a truce that would allow the release of 10 Israeli hostages in exchange for an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners. But the talks have dragged on for over two weeks without a breakthrough, with each side accusing the other of refusing to budge on key demands. For Israel, dismantling Hamas's military and governance capabilities is non-negotiable, while the movement demands solid guarantees for a lasting truce, a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops, and the free flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Yesterday, Israeli government spokesman David Mencer accused Hamas of obstructing the talks. Israel has accepted Qatar's proposal and the updated proposal from US special envoy Steve Witkoff; Hamas rejects it, he told reporters, adding that Israeli negotiators were still in Doha and discussions were continuing.