Tuesday, August 5th, news on Middle East conflicts, live. The brother of hostage Evyatar David will speak at the UN tonight.

• 669 days have passed since the conflict in the Middle East began.
• This new conflict began after October 7, 2023, in response, by Israel, to the attack of the terrorist group Hamas, which caused almost 1,200 deaths (including about 800 civilians) and the kidnapping of over 200 people
• Since then, the Israeli army, which decimated the leaders and structures of Hamas in the Strip, has killed over 61,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly civilians, almost half of whom were minors and children
• According to UNICEF, between attacks and blockades of humanitarian aid, removed from the management of the UN, an average of 28 children are killed every day

19:41|August 5

Gaza, Netanyahu and Lapid will have a security summit tomorrow

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Yair Lapid will meet tomorrow for a security summit, according to broadcaster N12. The meeting will focus on Netanyahu's plan to occupy the Gaza Strip, which Lapid opposes and for which the opposition leader will propose alternatives. The direction the government and cabinet are moving will lead to all hostages dying of starvation, beatings, and torture, or being killed during IDF operations, Lapid stated.

7:03 PM | August 5

Israel's Chief of Staff opposes the occupation of Gaza but refuses to resign and gives the IDF support to the government's decisions.

Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has expressed his opposition to a possible occupation of Gaza, but emphasized that the IDF will implement whatever decision the Security Cabinet makes. Sources familiar with the brief three-hour discussion chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Ynet. During the discussion, General Zamir clarified that he had not threatened to resign if the operation were to proceed.

6:16 PM | August 5

Media, Gaza occupation to be submitted to government on Thursday

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will likely submit the decision to occupy the Gaza Strip for cabinet approval on Thursday, well-informed sources told Channel 12 news, according to which the meeting was held this afternoon, which also included ministers Israel Katz and Ron Dermer.

6:02 PM | August 5

Prime Minister's Office, restricted meeting with IDF chief on Gaza: Military ready to implement whatever government decides

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office announced that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a restricted security meeting today that lasted approximately three hours, during which Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir presented options for the continuation of the campaign in the Gaza Strip. The IDF stands ready to implement any decision made by the Political-Military Security Cabinet, the statement added.

5:44 PM | August 5

Former negotiator Shalit: Occupying all of Gaza is madness

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to occupy the Gaza Strip is madness. Netanyahu and his plan are madness. Because it will increase the tragedy of the 2.2 million Palestinians living in the Palestinian enclave, it will completely isolate Israel from the international community, turning it into a pariah state, and it will lead to the killing of all hostages and the target of every Israeli soldier in Gaza. This is what Israeli activist Gershon Baskin, the mediator who in 2011 convinced Netanyahu to reach an agreement with Hamas for the release of Corporal Gilat Shalit, captured in the Gaza Strip in 2006, told Adnkronos. Netanyahu's is not a strategic war, it's just a political war. For his political survival in the government, he claims. But continuing the war and deciding to occupy the rest of the Gaza Strip will only worsen the tragedy, will only lead to further deaths and destruction; there is no strategic benefit. The hostages will not be freed, only killed. And the Palestinians, who are already suffering from hunger and have suffered collective trauma, will increasingly see the Israelis as occupiers and enemies. So even those who don't attack Israel today will begin to do so. And Israel will be isolated in the world; it won't take long for countries to impose sanctions against Israel and take action against Israeli citizens. It is already accused by many of having committed war crimes and genocide in the Gaza Strip. In short, he adds, Israel cannot continue to violate international law and enjoy impunity for long.

5:31 PM | August 5

Media reports: Netanyahu holds a restricted meeting on Gaza plans

According to Channel 12 news, a small meeting called by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss military plans for Gaza has just begun. Present are Defense Minister Israel Katz, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, and Strategic Affairs Minister and top adviser to the prime minister, Ron Dermer. The meeting follows yesterday's cabinet meeting, during which Netanyahu told ministers that he intends to seek cabinet approval for a full reoccupation of the Gaza Strip, despite opposition from some military personnel. The larger cabinet meeting scheduled for today has reportedly been postponed due to too many disagreements.

5:28 PM | August 5

41 arrested in New York at anti-Gaza war protest

New York City police announced they arrested 41 people last night during a protest led by Jewish community members against the war in Gaza. Several hundred protesters, the Times of Israel reports, had gathered at Columbus Circle in Manhattan, in front of the Trump International Hotel, demanding the US administration pressure Israel to stop the war and increase humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Groups supporting the protest included T'ruah, Jews for Economic and Racial Justice, IfNotNow, and Israelis for Peace. Speakers included New York City Auditor Brad Lander, the city's highest-ranking Jewish elected official.

4:49 PM | August 5

Israel: State attorney says attorney general's dismissal is highly irregular

Amit Aisman, Israel's attorney general, has called the government's dismissal of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara highly irregular and stated that the decision calls into question the principles of the rule of law in Israel. In a letter to employees of Baharav-Miara's office, Aisman stated that the dismissal violated the law and that the agency he heads will continue to cooperate fully with the Attorney General, in accordance with yesterday's High Court of Justice ruling freezing her dismissal until it can hear appeals against the decision. The government's decision to terminate Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara's mandate is highly irregular and the first of its kind, calling into question the fundamental principles of the independence of the Prosecutor's Office and the Attorney General's Office, as well as the rule of law in the State of Israel, Aisman writes. The Times of Israel reports.

3:53 PM | August 5

Gaza: UN experts call for immediate dismantling of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which manages aid.

United Nations experts have expressed deep concern over the operations of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), saying that Palestinians are paying the highest price for the legal, political, and moral failure of the international community. In a statement from the United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR), the experts recalled that, under international humanitarian law, Israel, as the occupying power, has binding obligations towards the population under its control. Under the Fourth Geneva Convention and the Hague Regulations, civilians in the occupied territories must be protected and provided with essential services. The GHF, a non-governmental organization established by Israel in February 2025, with US support, to supposedly distribute aid to Gaza, is a deeply disturbing example of how humanitarian relief can be exploited for covert military and geopolitical ends, in grave violation of international law, the experts said. We are leaving a state accused of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity to provide for the genocide-affected population, without any oversight and with total impunity. This blatant hypocrisy is disturbing, they added. Ensuring access to food, water, medicine, and essential services is not a matter of charity; it is a legal duty , even more so in the illegally occupied Palestinian territories. Nearly 1,400 people have been killed and more than 4,000 injured while searching for food. At least 859 people have died near GHF sites since its operations began at the end of May 2025. The sites are particularly difficult to reach for vulnerable people, such as women, children, people with disabilities, and the elderly. Calling them"humanitarian" contributes to Israel's strategy of humanitarian camouflage and is an insult to the humanitarian system and its standards, experts said. This tragic development comes against a backdrop of forced displacement of more than 90 percent of the population and a death toll that has now exceeded 60,000 in Gaza. In recent weeks alone, Gaza's Ministry of Health has reported 180 deaths from malnutrition, including 93 children. Seeing children dying of hunger in their parents' arms should shake us from our slumber, experts said.

3:01 PM | August 5

Media: Israeli cabinet meeting postponed due to rising tensions over Netanyahu's occupation plan

The Israeli prime minister was planning an offensive to completely occupy Gaza, but there were reportedly disagreements within the government and with the army's top brass, the Guardian and Haaretz revealed. An Israeli security cabinet meeting, which was scheduled to discuss Benjamin Netanyahu's call for the full occupation of Gaza, was scheduled for today but was postponed due to growing tensions over the plan's feasibility. Senior Israeli military officers and former high-ranking commanders also warned that the plan would endanger the lives of the remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas, and that the operation would risk further isolating Israel internationally and forcing Israeli soldiers to manage a population still populated by Hamas fighters. Also opposed is the head of the Israeli army (IDF), Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir. Several sources report that Zamir opposes Netanyahu's plan and could resign or be forced to do so if it were to pass.

1:58 PM | August 5

Al Sisi: Gaza war no longer a hostage situation, but a genocide

The war in Gaza has changed direction and is now aimed at exterminating the Palestinians. The brutal attack on Israel came from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The war in Gaza is no longer about achieving political goals or freeing hostages, but rather a war of hunger, genocide, and the liquidation of the Palestinian cause, he declared, according to Al Qahera News.

1:56 PM | August 5

Netanyahu: Defeating the enemy in Gaza is essential.

It is necessary to complete the defeat of the enemy in Gaza, free all our hostages, and ensure that the Strip no longer poses a threat to Israel. We will not give up any of these objectives. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated this during a visit to the Tel HaShomer recruitment and selection base, meeting with new soldiers. This is the sixth round of recruitment since the beginning of the conflict, and the number of enlisted personnel continues to grow. This is a powerful sign of the fighting spirit that motivates us and also of the unity of our people, he added.

1:36 PM | August 5

Hostage Evyatar David's brother will speak to the UN this evening.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar's office reports that Ilay David, the older brother of hostage Evyatar, will speak live this evening, remotely, at the urgent special meeting of the United Nations Security Council in New York to report on the situation of the Gaza hostages. The minister requested an urgent meeting of the Council after Evyatar and hostage Rom Braslavski appeared severely malnourished in videos released by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and he will address the meeting. On Saturday, after Hamas released his brother's video, Ilay accused the terrorist group of using the hostages as starvation experiments and called on the Israeli government and world leaders to secure the hostages' release by any means necessary. The Security Council session will be held at 3:00 PM New York time (9:00 PM GMT). Shortly before the debate, at 2:45 p.m., Sa'ar will hold a press conference outside the UN Security Council. Since yesterday, at the initiative of the Israeli Consulate General in New York, the video of Evyatar in captivity has been projected on a giant screen in Times Square.

12:43 PM | August 5

EU: Gaza situation unsustainable, urgent need for aid

The situation on the ground remains unsustainable, which is why it is urgent to ensure humanitarian aid flows to Gaza, that access is facilitated, and that there is a sustainable ceasefire. This is what the EU is doing, drawing on the full efforts of the High Representative, as well as Commissioner Lahbib. And this is why it is very positive that the EU and Israel have reached an agreement to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza, European Commission Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Anitta Hipper said during the daily press briefing. There have been some positive developments in relation to several key parameters, she added, but of course, the situation clearly shows that much remains to be done.

12:42 PM | August 5

Israeli forces hit over 30 targets in the south in the last 24 hours.

The Israel Defense Forces have struck more than 30 targets in the southern Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, including buildings and apartments used by Hamas to launch attacks against troops in the area, the IDF reported in a statement on X, noting that it had shelled dozens of targets attributed to Islamist groups in Gaza over the past day. Also in southern Gaza, the IDF reportedly destroyed a building after identifying the entrance to a tunnel and killed several militants who had approached Israeli forces. Furthermore, in the northern Gaza Strip, the IDF killed several suspected militants and struck other buildings attributed to Islamist groups, the statement said. Other tunnels were demolished during operations in Beit Hanoun, in the northern Palestinian enclave, the IDF added.

12:32 PM | August 5

At least 8 people have died from hunger in Gaza in the last 24 hours.

Gaza's Ministry of Health says hospitals have recorded eight new deaths due to famine and malnutrition in the past 24 hours, including a child. This brings the total number of famine and malnutrition victims in the Gaza Strip since the start of the Israeli operation to 188, including 94 children. Gaza's Ministry of Health is under the control of the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, but the figures are consistent with UN data.

12:27 PM | August 5

Israeli Defense Minister: Armed Forces Must Be Stationed Along Security Perimeter

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has stated that it is necessary to ensure a permanent IDF presence in a perimeter security zone in the Gaza Strip, which will prevent harm to communities and the smuggling of weapons. This was reported by the news website Inn, according to which Katz made the remarks during a visit to Gaza today with Southern Command Commander General Yaniv Asor and other IDF commanders. In his address to operational forces on the ground, the Defense Minister outlined his position on the current situation in the Strip, which he will convey to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to Katz, the defeat of Hamas (the Islamist movement in power in Gaza) and the return of hostages (to Israel) are the objectives of the war. Furthermore, the minister emphasized that after the political leadership has made the necessary decisions, the military leadership will implement the determined policy.

12:11 PM | August 5

MP removed from Parliament after quoting Grossman on genocide in Gaza

Left-wing Israeli MK Ofer Cassif was forcibly removed from the Knesset, Israel's unicameral parliament, after quoting writer David Grossman, who in an interview with La Repubblica claimed that a genocide is underway in Gaza. In his speech to the Knesset yesterday, MK Cassif quoted these words."That's not a quote, it's made up," responded Nissim Vaturi, a member of the Likud (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's party), who was chairing the session at the time, demanding that Cassif be removed. Another Likud MK, Tali Gottlieb, shouted,"You don't say 'genocide' here!" In a message on X, Cassif himself commented on the incident, noting that he was violently removed from the Knesset in the middle of my speech simply because I quoted Israeli writer David Grossman's words against the genocide in Gaza. Even critical writers can no longer be quoted in the parliament of the Middle East's only democracy. To paraphrase (the German poet, Heinrich) Heine: where it is forbidden to quote writers, eventually opponents of the regime will also be banned.

12:09 PM | August 5

Former Israeli Prime Minister Bennett: Netanyahu has turned Israel into a leper state. The country's situation has never been more critical in the US.

Israel's situation in the United States has never been more critical, warned former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government of turning it into a leper state. In a lengthy tweet published after a tour of the United States, Bennett argued that Israel has lost the support of Democrats and that even the Republican Party, whose support for Israel could once be counted on, is losing ground. Although some members of the Trump administration remain sympathetic to Israel, largely thanks to President Trump himself, many on the US right, including the MAGA movement, are distancing themselves from Israel, Bennett wrote, insisting that even Israel's friends are having a hard time defending it. The 'starvation' campaign in Gaza has taken on enormous proportions and, in fact, for most of the American public and various influencers, it is almost a given: Israel is seen more as a burden and a burden on the United States and Americans, he continued, adding that growing anti-Semitism has led many, both on the radical left and the right, to blame Jews for America's problems.

11:36 AM | August 5

IDF chief clashes with far-right minister Ben Gvir on social media

Israeli government ministers have been exchanging blows on social media over the position of IDF Chief Eyal Zamir, who warned the government in recent days about the risks and difficulties of intensifying the campaign in Gaza. Far-right minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who aims to fully conquer the Strip, wrote on X that the military leader must obey the orders of the political leadership even if he disagrees:"The Chief of Staff is required to clearly state that he will fully comply with the directives of the political level, even if the decision is made to proceed with the conquest and decisive action." Shortly thereafter, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar responded on his account, stating:"The Chief of Staff is required to express his professional opinion clearly and unequivocally to the political class. I am convinced that he will do so. He is not required to clarify the subordination of the military leadership to the government's decisions." The exchange took place ahead of the security cabinet (which includes both Ben Gvir and Sa'ar), which is expected to decide this week on the next phase of the Gaza operation. Both Zamir and Sa'ar are reportedly seeking an agreement to free the hostages rather than expand the military operation. Zamir is expected to present updated military options during a limited security meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this evening.

11:25 AM | August 5

Madrid: Yes to airdrops even if they save just one child, no to any suggestion of illegal annexation of Gaza

Spain rejects out of hand any suggestion of Israel's illegal annexation of Gaza or the West Bank, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said in an interview with Onda Cero radio."We will never recognize such an annexation," he added, while also maintaining that de facto such a situation is already occurring, as the Israeli army already has absolute control of Gaza and is carrying out shameful forced displacement of the civilian population. The minister reiterated the Spanish government's condemnation of the grave crimes Israel is committing in the Strip, insisting on the immediate termination of the Association Agreement between the country and the European Union. These military operations have no objective other than to turn Gaza into a vast cemetery, he argued. Spain will continue to participate in any effort to send food to Gaza, including by air, even though this is just a drop in the ocean and therefore not the real solution, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said in an interview with Onda Cero radio. If we manage to save even one Palestinian child's life, we will make every effort and airdrop all the food we can until we can ensure it enters by land, as it should, he stated. The only reason there are children in the Strip at risk of dying of hunger is Israel's land blockade, he added.

10:11 AM | August 5

Al Jazeera: At least 25 dead since dawn in Israeli attacks

At least 25 Palestinians were killed this morning in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, Qatari-based pan-Arab broadcaster Al Jazeera reported, citing hospital sources in the Palestinian enclave administered by the Islamist group Hamas. Among them, 14 were reportedly killed while waiting for humanitarian aid.

9:42 AM | August 5

Media; Israeli forces kill 9 Palestinians in Gaza attacks

Israeli forces killed at least nine Palestinians in early-morning attacks in the Gaza Strip, medical sources told Al Jazeera. According to Nasser Hospital, Israeli forces shelled a tent in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, killing at least five people. Al-Awda Hospital reported that two Palestinians were killed by Israeli artillery shelling north of the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. Two Palestinians were killed and others were injured when Israeli forces shelled an apartment northwest of Gaza City, al-Shifa Hospital staff reported.

9:40 AM | August 5

Parents of Hostages Speak Out Against the Occupation of Gaza: Murderous Action

The parents of Israeli hostages held by Hamas oppose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's announced occupation of the Gaza Strip. For them, this move, proposed in the name of the hostages' safety and security, actually represents a mortal danger to their loved ones."A move to occupy Gaza would endanger my son Nimrod," Yehuda Cohen, father of hostage Nimrod Cohen, told Ynet. He believes occupying Gaza is a terrible and murderous act."We've been seeing all these stories of an"alleged" threat to Hamas for two years," Cohen denounced, adding that he and his family feel helpless."My wife Vicki was in the Knesset yesterday. MK Amit Levy told her that if we move toward a comprehensive agreement, they will be killed." These are people who would kill their own mothers to stay in Netanyahu's circle; they are Likud people.

Yael Adar, mother of the fallen soldier Tamir Adar, said in an interview with Ynet that she hopes the claims about the occupation of Gaza are just talk."If we were to actually occupy Gaza, I would feel really bad; I would think it was a sacrifice of the hostages. In her opinion, if they don't intend to bring them back soon, they must come to their families and tell us very clearly that, despite Gal Hirsch's messages, we are in the dark." Adar added that as a resident of Gaza's border communities, my personal safety will only exist when Tamir is here.

9:05 AM | August 5

Twelve Palestinians killed since dawn today

At least 12 Palestinians have been killed since dawn today in various areas of the Gaza Strip, Qatari broadcaster Al-Jazeera reported, citing medical sources. Three of the victims were near an aid distribution site in the Rafah area of southern Gaza. Five people died in an Israeli raid in Khan Younis, in the southern Strip, two north of the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, and two more northwest of Gaza City. Yesterday, 74 people died in Israeli fire across the Strip, including 36 who were waiting to receive aid, according to information from local medical sources controlled by Hamas, which cannot be independently verified.

9:03 AM | August 5

Three Palestinians killed by the IDF while waiting for aid

Al Jazeera TV reports that three Palestinians were killed today by Israeli forces (IDF) while waiting for food aid north of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Several others were injured, it adds.

8:00 AM | August 5

Israel partially reopens private trade with Gaza

Israel will partially reopen private trade with Gaza to reduce its dependence on humanitarian aid, the Defense Ministry's body that coordinates government activities in the Palestinian territories (COGAT) said today. As part of the process, a limited number of local merchants have been approved by the defense establishment, based on several criteria and rigorous security checks, COGAT said.

7:52 AM | August 5

Netanyahu and IDF chief clash over Gaza occupation escalates

IDF Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, opposes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's push to occupy Gaza. The news, which headlined all Israeli newspapers, was widely discussed by the political class, fueling heated debate and controversy. This began with Yair Netanyahu, the prime minister's son, who stated that Defense Minister Israel Katz insisted on General Zamir's appointment as head of the defense forces. Opposition leader Yair Lapid, however, stated that disputes between the prime minister and the IDF Chief of Staff must remain behind closed doors."I have also had discussions with the IDF Chief of Staff, both as Foreign Minister and as Prime Minister. Some of them have not been easy." Only one thing is clear to us: they must remain behind closed doors, Lapid wrote in X. IDF soldiers must not think that a divided and conflicted leadership is guiding them, that the political class does not respect their commander, that it is selling them out for a title, he continued. Lapid also claims that there is an operational price for leaking information about the discussions, accusing the IDF Chief of Staff of refraining from saying everything he thinks if he knows it will reach the press. Also contributing to the controversy was Yossi Yehoshua, military correspondent for Yedioth Aharonoth, who wrote that if Netanyahu is truly interested in making the truly dramatic and divisive decision for the Israeli public—the occupation of Gaza City and the central refugee camps—he must come forward to the people, clarify the expected price for the lives of the hostages and soldiers who will fall, and declare that he takes full responsibility, despite the opposition of the Israel Defense Forces. Yair Netanyahu's response was swift, harshly countering the journalist:"If the person who dictated that tweet to you is who we think, it's a rebellion and an attempted military coup worthy of a banana republic in Central America during the 1970s." This is completely criminal, apparently claiming that Zamir himself dictated the journalist's posts. The prime minister, previously accused of promoting conspiracy theories, reportedly told ministers this week that he will seek government support for a plan to completely occupy the Gaza Strip, while Zamir opposes the initiative. Nearly all of the defense ministers and military chiefs who previously served under Netanyahu fell out with the prime minister after their tenure. The Israeli prime minister labeled them leftists, and they later became fierce critics of his leadership.

1:46|

The Israeli army lifts the state of emergency and reduces the number of soldiers on duty.

The IDF has announced the lifting of the state of war emergency in effect since October 7, which included the mandatory extension of reserve service for regular conscripts by another four months. These reductions in military personnel will lead to a reduction in the regular army in the coming weeks. Ynet reports, explaining that the army released the announcement just minutes after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's entourage issued a harsh stance against Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir: if he doesn't like the occupation of all of Gaza, he should resign. A post on the IDF's X account published Zamir's decision, which involves a reduction of approximately one company for each regular battalion, while dozens of soldiers will be transferred, as in the past, to reserve battalions. The IDF has promised these reservists a lightening of their operational load in the coming months, after more than a year spent in uniform since the start of the conflict. Another decision taken by Zamir in the last 24 hours concerns special units and elite units, where the requirement imposed on fighters to extend their career service beyond what was agreed upon before enlistment will be cancelled. The decisions were made by the Chief of Staff out of concern for the quality of service of the fighters and the strengthening of their rights, in light of their contribution to the IDF and the State of Israel, the army writes in X. The implementation of these decisions will help preserve the operational capacity of the army's special units, the operational and professional experience of the fighters, maintain the quality of its activities and give respite to the reserve fighters. The decision came after growing criticism in recent months regarding the extreme workload that the soldiers endure, and against the backdrop of a wave of suicides among the regular service military personnel and reservists.

August 5, 1:41 AM - Updated August 5, 7:42 PM