Monday, August 4th's live news on Middle East conflicts. Herzog: The hostages are in imminent danger of dying. The Israeli government fires the attorney general, but the High Court blocks the decision.

• 668 days have passed since the conflict in the Middle East began
• This new conflict between Israel and Hamas began after October 7, 2023, in response, by Israel, to the attack of the Hamas terrorist group, which caused almost 1,300 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 60,000 Palestinians in Gaza
• 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

19:52|August 4

Netanyahu slams the Chief of Staff:"We'll occupy Gaza completely. If he doesn't like it, he should resign."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the decision to completely occupy the Gaza Strip, including the areas where hostages are being held, and conveyed a message to the Chief of Staff: if he doesn't like it, he should resign. Israeli media reported.

7:22 PM | August 4

Media: Trump OKs Netanyahu for Operation Against Hamas

US President Donald Trump has given Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the green light to launch a military operation against Hamas. Israel and Washington agree that Hamas does not want a deal, Ynet reports.

7:09 PM | August 4

Netanyahu's office: Decision made, we're occupying Gaza.

We will occupy the Gaza Strip. The decision has been made, a senior official from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office told Channel 12. Hamas will not release any more hostages without a full surrender, and we will not surrender. If we don't act now, the hostages will starve to death and Gaza will remain under Hamas control, he said.

7:08 PM | August 4

Macron: Let's not forget the Beirut explosion, we stand with Lebanon.

Five years ago, the explosion at the port of Beirut tore through the heart of Lebanon and shocked the world. This tragedy remains etched in our memory. We will never forget the victims or the suffering of a friendly people. I will always remember our exchanges on August 6, 2020. In times of trial and in times of hope, France is and will always remain at Lebanon's side, faithful to its commitment to reconstruction, security, and full sovereignty, French President Emmanuel Macron wrote in a message published on X.

6:58 PM | August 4

Al Jazeera: 67 Palestinians killed in Gaza since this morning

At least 67 Palestinians have died under Israeli fire in the Gaza Strip since this morning. Medical sources told Al Jazeera that 30 of the victims were killed while queuing for humanitarian aid.

6:58 PM | August 4

Israel's High Court blocks removal of attorney general

Israel's High Court has issued an interim order freezing the dismissal of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, which was recently unanimously approved by the cabinet. Israeli media reported. The order reiterates that the government does not have the authority to remove the prosecutor. Baharav-Miara served as prosecutor in the corruption trial against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

6:47 PM | August 4

US: No emergency funding for states and cities that boycott Israel

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding for natural disaster preparedness will be denied to US cities and states that boycott Israeli companies. This is according to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security, US media reports. Local governments will instead have to certify that they will not specifically sever business relationships with Israeli companies to receive the funds, the statement reads. The requirement applies to at least $1.9 billion that states rely on to pay for search and rescue equipment, emergency response workers' salaries, backup power systems, and other expenses.

6:19 PM | August 4

Herzog to the Red Cross: The hostages are in imminent danger of their lives.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog spoke with Mirjana Spoljaric, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, explaining the imminent danger facing the hostages and the need for urgent action to help them. The hostages' medical conditions are dire, and according to available documentation, their lives are in real danger. The terrifying images of Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski, who appeared to have bones protruding from extreme hunger, reveal the intensity of their suffering and torture, Herzog said. The president emphasized the urgency of the Red Cross's intervention, particularly to provide immediate medical care to the prisoners.

6:05 PM | August 4

Israel's government fires Attorney General Baharav-Miara.

The Israeli cabinet has unanimously voted to dismiss Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, Justice Minister Yariv Levin said in a statement. The government has been at odds with Baharav-Miara since she took office, accusing her of systematically blocking decisions, appointments, and legislation for political, rather than professional, reasons.

However, the High Court of Justice has ruled that the attorney general's dismissal will not take effect until the judges rule on the legality of the impeachment process, which has been called illegitimate by both government watchdog groups and the attorney general herself.

4:59 PM | August 4

At least 94 dead in Gaza in 24 hours, 29 were waiting for aid

At least 94 Palestinians have been killed in the last 24 hours in the Gaza Strip, including 29 people waiting for humanitarian aid. The Palestinian enclave's Health Ministry reported today, adding that 439 people were injured in hospitals, including 300 who were injured while waiting for aid. The overall death toll among those injured while seeking aid is 1,516 and over 10,067, according to the ministry.

4:46 PM | August 4

Al Jazeera: Nurse killed by airdrops in Gaza

A man has died in the Gaza Strip after being hit by a parachuted aid package. This is according to the satellite TV channel al-Jazeera, which cites medical sources as saying the victim is Uday al-Quraan, a nurse at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah.

4:44 PM | August 4

Tajani: Hamas must free the hostages and the Palestinian people.

The videos of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza confirm the group's terrorist nature: all hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally. But Hamas must free all the Palestinian people, whom it has held captive for months. It must accept an agreement with Israel, release the hostages, and ensure the free distribution of humanitarian aid in the Strip. This is Minister Tajani's statement. Israel must stop its indiscriminate attacks, but Hamas must end the constant blackmail with which it holds Israelis and two million Palestinian citizens imprisoned. It's time for peace in Gaza.

4:34 PM | August 4

Peskov: Putin Offers Netanyahu Mediation with Iran

President Putin had a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, as reported by spokesman Dmitry Peskov, cited by the Russian news agency RIA Novosti. The last conversation between the two leaders took place on July 28. On that occasion, they discussed the situation in the Middle East. The Russian leader reiterated that Moscow consistently supports a peaceful resolution of conflicts in the region. He also expressed his willingness to facilitate negotiations on Iran's nuclear program.

4:33 PM | August 4

IDF raids against aid workers, 5 civilians killed

According to medical sources, at least five civilians were killed and seven others injured on Monday in an Israeli drone strike targeting aid workers at the Al-Tawam roundabout in the northern Gaza Strip. The Wafa news agency reported this. Some of the injured are in critical condition. In a separate strike, another person was killed in the central Gaza Strip. This information cannot be independently verified; Israel is preventing international and Israeli journalists from entering the Strip.

3:34 PM | August 4

Netanyahu: Cabinet meeting soon on IDF orders for Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared today, during a cabinet meeting, that he will convene the cabinet within the week to give orders to the Israel Defense Forces on how to achieve the three objectives of the war in the Gaza Strip, Haaretz reports.

Netanyahu stated that the three objectives are to defeat the enemy, free the hostages, and ensure that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel.

2:25 PM | August 4

Israel: Government votes to fire attorney general, protests erupt

Hundreds of people are protesting in Jerusalem, outside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, against the government's attempt to dismiss Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara.

The protest, the Times of Israel reports, is taking place just as Netanyahu's cabinet is about to vote on a motion to fire Baharav-Miara. The protesters are denouncing the ruling coalition's desire to fire the official, whose views have often put her at odds with Netanyahu and his political allies. The government is illegally dismissing the attorney general in the prime minister's trial, Baharav-Miara said. The Justice Minister, she added, is seeking an adviser to cover up violations of the law, such as preventing the enrollment of yeshiva students or political interference in police investigations.

2:19 PM | August 4

7/10 Victims Sue Meta Over Attack Videos

The victims of October 7 and their families have filed a motion with the Tel Aviv District Court to certify a class action lawsuit against Meta, the parent company of those social networks, for its role in the Hamas attack in October 2023, according to the Israeli newspaper Ynet. The cause of action is the live broadcast of atrocity videos on social media on October 7, when some of the plaintiffs discovered that their relatives had been killed and kidnapped directly through Facebook and Instagram.

1:39 PM | August 4

At least 10 people killed by IDF near distribution centers

At least eight people were killed today, and several others were injured, by Israeli army fire while waiting to receive aid near a humanitarian distribution center in the central Gaza Strip, the Israeli news agency Wafa reported.

Two people were killed, and about 20 others were injured, by Israeli gunfire near a humanitarian center on the outskirts of Rafah, in the southern Palestinian territory, according to Wafa and medical sources cited by the Qatari channel Al-Jazeera.

At least 1,373 Palestinians were killed while searching for food, including 859 near Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) sites and 514 along food convoy routes, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories.

1:25 PM | August 4

High tension among political and military leaders over the Gaza campaign

Tensions between political and military leaders in Israel are escalating daily. Meanwhile, videos of two hostages in dire straits released by Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas have sparked outrage and protests across the country. Following the restricted executive meetings held in recent days (which included IDF leaders), the remaining issue concerns the ground operation in the center of the Strip, which, if intensified, would put the hostages at grave risk. Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has warned the government of the danger, but the ongoing conflict also concerns the insistence of far-right ministers who want to expand operations in the Strip. One of the proposals tabled by Zamir is for the army to remain stationary on the axes already captured and take small-scale action against the Hamas insurgency. The IDF recommends continuing to monitor the areas where it is already stationed and continuing targeted strikes on Gaza City and the central areas, densely populated areas still under Hamas control and where Israel believes the hostages are being held. The intention, according to the army, is to use heavy fire to signal to Hamas that the IDF is ready to enter even previously unreached areas, but without sending excessive forces into the area. The government has reportedly not yet made a decision, despite the operation that began in March with the breaking of the truce failing to achieve the war objective of freeing the hostages.

12:57 PM | August 4

Israel Does Not Return Body of No Other Land Activist

The family of Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen, who contributed to the Oscar-winning documentary"No Other Land" and was killed last week by an Israeli settler in the West Bank, has not yet had her body returned and is being denied a funeral. Hathaleen, a 31-year-old activist who was fighting to prevent Israel's expulsion of the villagers of Masafer Yatta from their homes, was shot dead by settler Yinon Levi, who was released from house arrest yesterday on the condition that he stay away from those involved in the case. Police charged him with manslaughter and unlawful use of a firearm, but the court rejected a request to extend his detention. According to the organization Peace Now, the shooting occurred while Hathaleen and other activists were trying to prevent Levi from destroying the main water pipe for the Palestinian village. Levi has long been on the list of settlers sanctioned by Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. So far, Israeli authorities have refused to return the activist's body for burial and are demanding the family accept certain conditions for the return of the body, including limiting the funeral to 15 people. Fathi Nimer, co-director of the Palestinian Policy Network Al-Shabaka, says that hiding Hathaleen's body is a strategy to break the spirit of the activist's family and community.
These settlers don't appear out of nowhere. They are supported by the state, they have electricity, energy, military support, and it's not just individuals—so sanctions against individuals won't be the solution, nor, sadly, are marches, Nimer said in an interview with Al Jazeera. International action is needed to sanction Israel and stop this kind of behavior, he added. Yinon Levi, who has now returned to the village to expand the nearby illegal settlement, a week after cold-bloodedly murdering Hathaleen, denounced No Other Land director Yuval Abraham today on Instagram, posting a video of Levi. Meanwhile, Awdah's family is still in prison, and the police are refusing to return her body, Abraham is keen to point out.

12:25 PM | August 4

Six hundred former security officials and former Mossad and IDF chiefs write to Trump: Persuade Netanyahu to stop the war in Gaza.

Former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo, former Shin Bet chief Ami Ayalon, and former IDF deputy chief Matan Vilnai have sent a letter to US President Donald Trump urging him to convince Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war. The news was first reported by the Jerusalem Post. These senior officials, along with senior former police and Foreign Ministry officials, lead the Commanders for Israel Security (CIS) group, which now includes over 600 former senior security officials and which issued the appeal to Trump.

The Jerusalem Post explains that this is not the first time the group has pressured the government to shift gears and focus more on the return of Israeli hostages and a post-war plan for Gaza, but now it has underscored how desperate Israel's situation is globally in terms of legitimacy. Stop the war in Gaza! On behalf of the CIS, Israel's largest group of former IDF generals and equivalents from the Mossad, Shin Bet, police, and diplomatic corps, we urge you to end the war in Gaza. You did it in Lebanon. It's time to do it in Gaza, too, the CIS wrote in the letter. The IDF has long since achieved the two objectives that could be achieved by force: dismantling the Hamas military formations and the Hamas government. The third, and most important, can only be achieved through agreement: bringing all the hostages home, the CIS stated, later emphasizing that, in the group's view, Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel. Our experience tells us that Israel has everything it needs to confront its remaining terrorist capabilities, remotely or otherwise. The hunt for the remaining prominent Hamas members can be done later. Our hostages cannot wait, the group added. Your credibility with the vast majority of Israelis, the CIS said in an address to Trump, enhances your ability to guide Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government in the right direction: to end the war,
bring the hostages home, stop the suffering
and forge a regional-international coalition that will help the Palestinian Authority (once reformed) offer Gazans and all Palestinians an alternative to Hamas and its vicious ideology.

10:53 AM | August 4

Israeli activists slash truck tires for Gaza aid

Israeli activists, including friends of hostage Roma Braslavski (who appeared in a video released by Islamic Jihad over the weekend), blocked aid from entering the Gaza Strip and slashed the tires of trucks arriving from Jordan. Israeli media reported.

Rom was supposed to be back with me in the car after the party; he is starving in captivity while the food aid is being transferred. Full assistance is being provided to those in need. We will not allow this to happen; we are fighting against it, said one of the activists, who, like Braslavski, served as security at the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023. Over the past 20 months, hundreds of sabotages have occurred on aid convoys heading to Gaza.

10:02 AM | August 4

Gaza: 5 people die of starvation or malnutrition in 24 hours

Gaza's Hamas-led Ministry of Health announced that five people, all adults, have died of starvation or malnutrition in the past 24 hours. According to the ministry, this brings the total number of deaths from starvation or malnutrition in the Strip to 180, including 93 children.

9:56 AM | August 4

Israeli prosecutor sues government: My dismissal was illegal

Israel's Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, issued an urgent appeal to cabinet members this morning before the vote on her dismissal during the cabinet meeting. The government is illegally dismissing the attorney general in the Prime Minister's trial, she stated. According to Baharav-Miara, the Justice Minister is seeking an advisor to cover up violations of the law, such as preventing the enrollment of yeshiva students or political interference in police investigations. In her statement, Baharav-Miara warned that the entire process is flawed and poses a threat to the independence of legal advice. She added that the cabinet's June 8 decision is already being appealed to the Supreme Court, which will have to determine the legality of the move. The Supreme Court has clarified that it will intervene only after the cabinet vote and has already announced that, even if the dismissal is approved, it will not take effect immediately to allow for a judicial review. The plaintiffs argue that the government defined the objective and then drew the target, creating an ad hoc committee to remove Baharav-Miara instead of proceeding according to the established mechanism for replacing legal advisers. The Court could also issue a conditional order requiring the government to justify the action, which would signal that the legal objections are considered well-founded. A possible compromise, as occurred with the head of the Shin Bet, appears unlikely. Baharav-Miara has not expressed any intention to resign, and there is no serious underlying event, such as the October 7 attack, that would justify such a departure. The possibility of the Supreme Court rejecting the appeals at the preliminary hearing is considered remote, given the sensitive context and the fact that no government legal adviser has ever been dismissed. There is also the possibility that the Court will uphold the appeals and overturn the dismissal. Among the appellants is Baharav-Miara herself, who challenges the authority of the Committee of Ministers and claims that the proceedings are a farce, not in accordance with legal rules.

9:50 AM | August 4

Media reports: Three victims in Gaza in IDF raids in southern and central Gaza

Wafa news agency reports that three people were killed and about twenty wounded this morning in IDF raids north of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, and in the center. The reports cannot be independently verified; Israel does not allow foreign or Israeli journalists to enter the enclave.

9:45 AM | August 4

Di Segni: It's right to slow down on Palestine. Reciprocity is needed.

The Meloni government is right to hold back; I greatly appreciate this position. We need reciprocity. When the Palestinians are ready to recognize Israel, then we'll update. So said Noemi Di Segni, president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, in Jerusalem these hours, in an interview with Corriere della Sera. What does a Palestinian state mean? Does it mean the state of Hamas? They—Di Segni continues—have no intention of coexisting peacefully with Israel. We can even recognize it, but what will happen the next day? Look at the Arab countries, much more pragmatic than the Europeans: none of them are concerned with this. Some have spoken of a second Holocaust, and in my opinion, it is, after 667 days of torture spent in those tunnels that are a lifeline only for Hamas, certainly not for the Gazan population, and are camps, spaces of extermination for Israeli hostages, adds Di Segni, responding to a question about the shocking Hamas video showing the young Israeli hostage, Evyatar David, gaunt and malnourished, digging his own grave."It's Hamas propaganda," continues the president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities."Evyatar speaks words dictated by them, so everything gets tangled up and it becomes increasingly difficult to achieve the return of the hostages, the security of Israel, the dismantling of the threat, and the construction of a sustainable post-Holocaust post-Holocaust for everyone, including the Palestinians. If the West continues to legitimize Hamas as it is doing in Di Segni's case, among politicians and academia, then everything gets complicated. According to the president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, Israel has committed grave errors. The UCEI immediately issued a statement condemning the incident, but how can anyone think it was done on purpose? Unfortunately, in a war situation, these horrible things also happen.

9:43 AM | August 4

Hamas: 250 aid trucks a day as a precondition for resuming negotiations

At least 250 truckloads of humanitarian aid per day in the Gaza Strip as a precondition for returning to the negotiating table: this is Hamas's demand—a source told the Jerusalem Post—for resuming negotiations with Israel, which was passed on to mediators in recent days. The Islamist group's new policy rejects any dialogue with Tel Aviv unless there is a significant improvement in the humanitarian situation. There is a growing recognition that Hamas is not interested in a deal, an Israeli official commented."We are in talks with the Americans." Consequently, the prime minister is pushing for the release of the hostages, while also pursuing a military solution, along with the provision of humanitarian aid to areas outside the combat zones and, to the extent possible, to regions not under Hamas control.

9:29 AM | August 4

Wafa: Settlers Attack Palestinian Farm in Ramallah

According to security sources, Israeli settlers attacked a Palestinian farm in the town of Turmusaya, north of Ramallah. The PA's Wafa news agency reported this. A group of settlers set fire to parts of the property, cut down trees, and fenced the land with barbed wire. The settlers also spray-painted racist slogans on the farm's walls, including calls to kill Arabs and messages of revenge.

9:28 AM | August 4

Former security chief to Trump: Hamas no longer a strategic threat

More than 600 retired Israeli security officials, including former intelligence agency heads, have urged US President Donald Trump to pressure his government to end the war in Gaza."It is our professional judgment that Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel," the former officials wrote in an open letter shared with the media, calling on Trump to guide Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decisions.

9:22 AM | August 4

Former IDF and Mossad officials call for an end to the war in a video.

Some twenty former senior Israeli security officials have released a joint video calling for an end to the war in Gaza, arguing that Israel has accumulated more losses than victories and that the fighting has been protracted for political reasons rather than strategic military decisions. Among the 19 retired IDF chiefs of staff, intelligence chiefs, directors of the Shin Bet and Mossad, and police commissioners are former Chief of Staff and Prime Minister Ehud Barak, former Chiefs of Staff Moshe Ya'alon and Dan Halutz, and former Shin Bet director Yoram Cohen. In the video, they argue that the fighting in Gaza could have ended long ago and call on Israel to end the war with a permanent ceasefire and a comprehensive hostage settlement."We have a duty to stand up and say what we must say," says former Shin Bet director Ami Ayalon."This war began as a just war." It was a defensive war. But once all its military objectives were achieved, once a brilliant military victory was achieved against all our enemies, this war ceased to be a just war. It is leading the State of Israel to the loss of its security and identity. There are moments that represent a black flag when we must stand firm and say: this far and no further, declares former head of state May Noshe Ya'alon. Right now, we have a government that messianic fanatics have dragged in a certain irrational direction. Former Shin Bet director Yoram Cohen adds: They are a minority, but the problem is that the minority controls politics.

8:53 AM | August 4

Hamas says it will allow aid to hostages if Israel stops airstrikes and opens permanent humanitarian corridors

Hamas said Sunday that it is ready to coordinate with the Red Cross to deliver aid to hostages held in Gaza, if Israel meets certain conditions, after a video released showing an emaciated prisoner drew sharp criticism from Western powers. Hamas said any coordination with the Red Cross is conditional on Israel permanently opening humanitarian corridors and halting airstrikes during aid distribution.

8:46 AM | August 4

Netanyahu considers military solution to free hostages

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering a military solution to free the Israeli hostages remaining in the Gaza Strip, ABC reported today, citing an Israeli official. Unable to find a diplomatic solution, Netanyahu is aiming to expand operations in the Gaza Strip, given a stalemate in negotiations with the Palestinian movement Hamas, ABC said. Therefore, Prime Minister Netanyahu is pushing to expand military operations to free the hostages through a military solution, the Israeli official said. Currently, approximately 20 hostages are still alive in Hamas's custody, according to the broadcaster.

8:33 AM | August 4

Tajani: A massacre is underway in Gaza

There's carnage in Gaza, while genocide means the determined decision to eliminate all Palestinians. What's happening is certainly unacceptable and inhumane, but I don't believe the plan is to eliminate Palestinians, but rather to force them out of Palestine. This is something we absolutely disagree with. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said this on"Radio anch'io" on Radio 1 Rai. As Italy, we recognize ourselves in the reconstruction project, he added.

8:04 AM | August 4

Media: Israeli attacks in Gaza, 3 dead

Sources at Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Hospital say three people were killed in an Israeli bombing of a house in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Al Jazeera reports.

7:38 AM | August 4

Australia allocates another $13 million for Gaza

The Australian government has pledged additional humanitarian aid for women and children in Gaza. Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced an additional A$20 million (US$13 million) in humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, bringing Australia's total commitment to"over $130 million to help civilians in Gaza and Lebanon" since the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, that triggered the Gaza war.

Wong said the decision follows Israel's announcement of new humanitarian corridors, amid the dire humanitarian situation in the territory. The decision came a day after thousands of people crowded the Sydney Harbour Bridge in pouring rain and wind to protest Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip and draw attention to the humanitarian crisis.

7:37 AM | August 4

Evyatar David's cousin, a Hamas hostage: I don't recognize him in the video. I'm afraid he'll die; his body is at its limit.

(By Greta Privitera)Matan Eshet recognizes Evyatar David only by an expression. For the rest of the video, he doesn't seem like himself. Not the look in his eyes, not the sound of his voice, not the words he chose. Not to mention his face, his body now a skeleton. In these 667 days of captivity, he says, Hamas has broken my cousin.

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​Continue reading the full interview.

7:35 AM | August 4

Ben-Gvir at the Temple Mount. The UN: Only 10% of food goes to civilians.

(By Andrea Nicastro, correspondent in Hebron)September marks the 25th anniversary of Ariel Sharon's famous walk across the Temple Mount. Sharon was a general, expelled from the Israeli army for massacring his enemies, investigated for war crimes by the International Criminal Court, and recalled to service when Israel was afraid. With a thousand armed men, he entered the Temple Mount and claimed for the Israelis sovereignty over that part of Jerusalem denied him by international agreements. That walk sparked the second Intifada and Palestinian terrorism.

​

​Continue reading here for the full article.

6:48 AM | August 4

M.O.: Netanyahu sends hostages home with military victory

Time for negotiations has run out because Hamas is not interested, and therefore Israel will bring the hostages home thanks to a military victory in Gaza. This is the line Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would like to pursue, according to a diplomatic source cited by several Israeli media. Netanyahu is pushing for the hostages' release through a decisive military victory, coinciding with the entry of humanitarian aid into areas outside the combat zone and, to the extent possible, beyond Hamas' control, the source explained. A consensus is forming that Hamas is not interested in an agreement, he emphasized. The source added that Israel is in contact with the Americans.

4:48 AM | August 4

M.O.: Trump, I have seen no evidence of genocide in Gaza

The United States found no evidence of genocide during envoy Steve Witkoff's mission to Gaza, President Donald Trump said in a statement to reporters. Asked if he had seen evidence that Israel was committing genocide, Trump replied:"I don't think so, and look, there's a war there. Horrible things happened on October 7th." It was a terrible thing, one of the worst I've ever seen, he added.

3:55 AM | August 4

Trump dodges question about genocide in Gaza

Donald Trump dodged reporters' questions about whether he'd seen evidence of genocide in Gaza."Horrible things are happening... some of the worst I've ever seen. I've seen a lot of bad things," he added, citing the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia that we just stopped and the Hamas attack on October 7.

3:54 AM | August 4

Trump: We don't want people in Gaza to go hungry.

We don't want people in Gaza to go hungry: Donald Trump reiterated this as he left his resort in Bedminster for the White House.

3:54 AM | August 4

M.O.: Israel requests Security Council meeting on hostages

Israel has requested an extraordinary meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss the 50 hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza, the Times of Israel reports. The discussion was called by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, his office said, following the release of videos of hostages Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski. The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday morning.

3:53 AM | August 4

Hamas: Ready to respond to Red Cross requests if Israel opens humanitarian corridors

The Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's military wing, says it is ready to actively engage and respond to any request from the Red Cross to deliver food and medicine to the hostages still held in Gaza, if Israel opens corridors for humanitarian aid to enter the Strip. Spokesman Hudhaifa Kahlout, known by his nom de guerre Abu Obeida, clarified that the group demands the regular and permanent opening of humanitarian corridors for the passage of food and medicine to our entire population in all areas of the Gaza Strip and the cessation of all enemy air activity during the delivery of packages to the prisoners. The Times of Israel reported this.

3:52 AM | August 4

Media: At least 92 killed today in Israeli attacks on Gaza

Yesterday alone, Israeli army attacks in Gaza killed at least 92 people, medical sources told Al Jazeera. Of those, 56 were seeking aid, nine in Rafah and seven in Netzarim, in northern Gaza.

3:51 AM | August 3

Hostage families block highway in Tel Aviv: Netanyahu's only illusions

A group of protesters from the Israeli Hostage Families Forum blocked the Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv, demanding an immediate agreement to release Israeli prisoners held by Hamas. The Times of Israel reported this. The Hostage Families Forum harshly criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after he said:"Hamas does not want an agreement and Israel must act to eliminate the terrorist group." These statements appeared extremely dangerous for the survival of the hostages still held captive, and amid ongoing (though stalled) ceasefire negotiations. For 22 months, the public has been sold the illusion that military pressure and intense fighting will bring the hostages back, the group, which represents the majority of the families of the 50 hostages still held, said in a statement. Even before the draft for a comprehensive agreement was written, they tell us that an agreement is not feasible, the statement adds. The truth must be told: extending the war puts the lives of the hostages at risk, who face imminent death. We have seen the horrifying images of the hostages in the tunnels; they will not survive another long day of horror.