Monday, July 28th's news on conflicts in the Middle East, live

• 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 nearly 1,300 deaths (including about 800 civilians) and the kidnapping of over 200 people
• Yesterday the IDF activated humanitarian corridors

18:29 | July 28

Germany announces humanitarian airlift to Gaza

Germany will organize an airlift of humanitarian goods to Gaza with Jordan, Friedrich Merz announced Monday, to help the population of this territory, which, according to the United Nations, is facing alarming levels of malnutrition. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius will work closely with France and Great Britain, who are also ready to organize an airlift to deliver food and medical supplies, the Chancellor added during a press conference in Berlin."We know that this represents only minimal assistance for the people of Gaza, but it is nevertheless a contribution we are happy to make," said Merz, who will receive King Abdullah II of Jordan in Berlin tomorrow. Merz, one of Israel's staunchest supporters in the war against the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, called on Tel Aviv to immediately, comprehensively, and sustainably improve the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, believing that the measures implemented this weekend by Benjamin Netanyahu are only a first step. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is expected to travel to the region on Thursday to promote ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, he added, specifying that he plans to meet with the Israeli prime minister again.

5:52 PM | July 28

Putin interviews Netanyahu: regional conflicts discussed

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the situation in the Middle East by telephone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and expressed his support for a peaceful resolution of the region's conflicts. The Kremlin press office reported this after the telephone conversation. Various aspects of the tense situation in the Middle East were discussed, according to a statement. Russia reiterated its unwavering position in favor of an exclusively peaceful resolution of the region's problems and conflicts. Vladimir Putin, in particular, emphasized the importance of upholding the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic, the statement continues, strengthening its internal political stability through respect for the rights and legitimate interests of all ethnic and religious groups.

5:51 PM | July 28

Putin proposes Russian mediation on nuclear issue to Netanyahu

Vladimir Putin has proposed Moscow's mediation on the Iranian nuclear program. The Russian president's offer came during a conversation with Benjamin Netanyahu, which the Kremlin reported.

5:32 PM | July 28

Israeli NGOs: Genocide is being committed in Gaza

For the first time since the conflict began, two Israeli NGOs, B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights, have published two different reports

concluding that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza."Nothing prepares you for the realization that you are part of a society that is committing genocide. This is a deeply painful moment for us," said Yuli Novak, executive director of B'Tselem, at a press conference in Jerusalem.

5:19 PM | July 28

Guterres slams Israel: Nothing justifies the destruction in Gaza

In his speech at the Two Peoples, Two States Conference, currently underway at the UN Headquarters, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres attacked Israel. Nothing, he said, can justify the horrific terrorist attacks by Hamas on October 7th and the hostage-taking, acts I have repeatedly condemned. And nothing, he added, can justify the destruction of Gaza that has unfolded before the eyes of the world. The starvation of the population. The killing of tens of thousands of civilians. The further fragmentation of the Occupied Territories. The expansion of settlements. The increase in settler violence against Palestinians. And the support, Guterres continued, expressed in a Knesset (Israeli parliament) statement voted last week for the annexation of the occupied West Bank. Let it be clear, he emphasized, the creeping annexation of the occupied West Bank is illegal. The destruction of Gaza is intolerable.

4:54 PM | July 28

Barrot: There is no alternative to the two-state solution

There is no alternative to the two-state solution. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said this at the UN conference. Only a political, two-state solution will help meet the legitimate aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security, he stated. There is no alternative.

4:53 PM | July 28

Guterres on Gaza: We're at the breaking point.

The UN Secretary-General called for courageous leadership and truthfulness regarding the Gaza crisis. And the truth, said António Guterres in his remarks at the conference on the Middle East crisis, is that we are at a breaking point. The two-state solution is further away than ever.

4:53 PM | July 28

Starmer prepares to present plan for Palestinian statehood

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will present a peace plan for Gaza that will include, as its ultimate goal, the recognition of Palestine as a state. According to The Telegraph, Starmer will present the UK-led plan to international allies, including the United States and Arab countries, in the coming days. The plan will focus on the steps needed to transform a ceasefire into a lasting peace, including formal recognition of Palestinian statehood.

4:34 PM | July 28

Paris at the UN: No alternative to a two-state solution

There is no alternative to the two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians. This was reiterated by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot at the ongoing UN conference on Palestine.

4:06 PM | July 28

Media: Israeli negotiators in US to meet with Witkoff and Rubio

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's envoys, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, and National Security Council chairman Tzachi Hanegbi, departed for the United States overnight Sunday into Monday. Later this week, they will meet with White House Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, among others, for talks on the Gaza truce negotiations, the release of hostages, and the Iran dossier. Channel 12 reported, citing a senior Israeli official.

3:48 PM | July 28

Trump announces installation of fence-free food distribution centers

The United States will establish food distribution centers in the Gaza Strip that will be freely accessible, without fences or restrictions. President Donald Trump announced this today, July 28, speaking to reporters in Scotland, where he is meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer."We will set up food centers where people can enter freely, without restrictions. There will be no fences," Trump declared, emphasizing that, according to his aides, there are signs of a real famine in the Palestinian territory. The US president did not specify who will manage the facilities or when they will open, but he reiterated that Washington cannot allow starvation in Gaza, insisting on the need for greater humanitarian access.

3:38 PM | July 28

Trump has been in contact with Netanyahu about various plans for hostage release.

Speaking to the press after meeting with British Prime Minister Keir

Starmer in Scotland, US President Donald Trump said that the location of some hostages in Gaza is known to Israel and the United States.

We know where they are being held in some cases, he said, and we don't want to tread on that area because it would mean those hostages would be killed. Trump emphasized that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are in contact to develop various plans to free the hostages still held in Gaza. It has become very difficult to deal with Hamas in recent days because they don't want to give up these last 20, because they think that as long as they have them, they will have protection, he reiterated, but I don't think it will work that way, he added. The hostages, he assured, are in big trouble. The
Times of Israel
reports.

3:37 PM | July 28

Al-Sisi's appeal to Trump: Stop the war in Gaza and deliver aid.

Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi appeals to US President Donald Trump to intervene because the time has come to end the war in the Gaza Strip. In video statements, al-Sisi discusses the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave and asserts that the tycoon is the only one capable of stopping the war and delivering aid."I make a special appeal," the Egyptian leader states,"to President Trump to please do everything possible to stop the war and deliver aid."

3:19 PM | July 28

Trump: Israel bears great responsibility for aid to Gaza

Israel bears a huge responsibility for the flow of aid to Gaza, Donald Trump said at the end of his bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer."We can save many people, there's real hunger, you can't pretend," he added. And then:"Iran is sending very negative signals for a country that has just been crushed." The US president accused Tehran of interfering in negotiations in Gaza, sending signals to Hamas.

2:56 PM | July 28

Al-Sisi: Trump is the only one who can stop the war

In a televised address, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said that the American leader is the only one capable of stopping the war, providing aid, and ending this suffering."Please do everything you can to stop this war and provide aid," al-Sisi said, addressing Trump."I believe it is time to end this war." He then described the conditions inside Gaza as tragic and intolerable.

2:52 PM | July 28

IDF: 20 aid packages dropped from planes for Gaza

The Israeli military dropped 20 humanitarian aid packages into Gaza today, the IDF reported on Telegram. In accordance with the directives of the political leadership and within the framework of cooperation between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan, the IDF, led by COGAT, is continuing its series of actions to enhance the humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip. In the past few hours, 20 aid packages containing food items were dropped for residents of the southern and northern Gaza Strip.

2:50 PM | July 28

Starmer wants to talk to Trump: The hunger in Gaza is unspeakable.

The unspeakable suffering and hunger of the Palestinian population in Gaza are at the center of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's agenda during his meeting with US President Donald Trump, which began a few minutes ago at Turnberry, one of the luxury golf clubs owned by The Donald family in Scotland. A Downing Street spokesperson reported this, adding that the meeting was also focused on the implementation of the bilateral US-UK tariff reduction agreement reached in recent months by the two leaders.

2:47 PM | July 28

Tajani interviews Pizzaballa: He condemns the new attack on settlers.

I called Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa to express my solidarity following yet another violent attack by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, this time against the Christian village of Taybeh. The Israeli government has an obligation to act; Christians and Muslims in the West Bank deserve to live in peace and be protected. The settlers continue to exceed all limits despite knowing that Christians represent an element of stability. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani wrote this in X, adding:"We will evaluate, together with our European Union partners, the adoption of new sanctions against the violent settlers."

2:32 PM | July 28

Trump: A ceasefire in Gaza is possible

For Donald Trump, a ceasefire in Gaza is possible."We want it to start," he said in response to reporters' questions upon British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's arrival at the tycoon's golf club in Turnberry, Scotland.

2:26 PM | July 28

Trump: I'm not taking a position on the recognition of Palestine.

Donald Trump has made it clear that he will not take a position on recognizing the state of Palestine. The occasion was a meeting in Scotland with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

2:25 PM | July 28

58 former EU ambassadors: Action must be taken against Israel

We were shocked and outraged by the massacre of innocent Israelis and the hostage-taking of October 7, 2023. Today, however, we witness the horrific spectacle of Israel committing daily atrocity crimes against the Palestinian people—especially in Gaza, but also in the West Bank. This is according to a letter from 58 former EU ambassadors addressed to the EU's top leadership. In the letter, the diplomats urgently call on all EU leaders and governments, particularly those who prevented them from attending the EWC, to take action against Israel's grave humanitarian and human rights violations.

2:12 PM | July 28

Trump: There are hungry children in Gaza

"I've seen images of very hungry children in Gaza," US President Donald Trump said while speaking to reporters outside his Turnberry resort in Scotland, flanked by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He thus indirectly contradicted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's denial of starvation in the Strip.

1:51 PM | July 28

Israeli forces dismantled a 500-meter Hamas tunnel in Beit Hanoun.

Troops from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) 646th Brigade, in collaboration with the Yahalom unit, dismantled a 500-meter-long terror tunnel operated by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in the Beit Hanoun area. The IDF announced this in a statement on Telegram. Troops from the 646th Brigade, under the command of the 99th Division, have been operating for the past three months in the areas of the Netzarim corridor, Shuja'iyya, Daraj Tuffah, and Beit Hanoun in the Gaza Strip. During the operations, the soldiers located and dismantled hundreds of terrorist infrastructure sites, including military facilities, weapons depots, and enemy firing and observation posts. Furthermore, the statement continues, approximately 400 militants were eliminated thanks to cooperation between ground troops and the Israeli Air Force.

1:44 PM | July 28

Italian activist Flotilla repatriated to Italy

This morning, Italian activist Antonio Mazzeo will return to Fiumicino Airport, the non-governmental organization Un ponte per announced on Facebook, after being arrested in international waters by the Israeli army along with other activists headed to Gaza. Mazzeo, a member of the Freedom Flotilla crew, was kidnapped on the vessel Handala during a piracy operation in international waters by the Israeli army (IDF). He will be repatriated on a flight from Tel Aviv."Let's go together to welcome him and offer him our solidarity and support," the NGO's Facebook page read. Another 12 of the 21 activists arrested aboard the Flotilla, including Italian Antonio La Piccirella, are still being held, the human rights lawyers' association Hadalah announced in recent hours. Two have been released, three have been repatriated, and the fate of four is still unknown. The Freedom Flotilla's ship Handala set sail from Syracuse on July 13 with an international crew, according to its promoters, bringing life-saving humanitarian aid and a message of solidarity from people around the world who refuse to remain silent while Gaza is left to starve, bombed, and buried under rubble. The ship, according to a statement from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition released yesterday, was attacked in international waters by the Israeli army at 11:43 PM on July 26. Activists have called a hunger strike in protest.

1:36 PM | July 28

Jewish Brigade: Jewish family insulted at a rest stop in Milan. Video on social media: Murderers, go back to your homes.

A French Jewish family, father and son, were insulted at a rest stop near Milan. The incident, which also included a video posted on social media, was made public by Davide Romano, director of the Jewish Brigade Museum in Milan. The rest stop, he explained, is located on the Milano Laghi highway. In the video, filmed by the father, several people are seen addressing him, saying,"Free Palestine. This isn't Gaza, murderers, murderers. This is Milan, you murderers. Go home, murderers." The video posted on Instagram reads: "This isn't Nazi Germany in the 1930s. This is Italy in 2025. A French father and his son were attacked by an angry mob. While stopping at a gas station in Italy to fill up, they were violently attacked in a shocking attack. According to reports on social media, the father was pushed to the ground. The attack on a French family because they were Jewish at a service station on a Milanese highway, amid chants of"Free Palestine," once again highlights the growing anti-Semitism in our country," Romano commented."I demand that law enforcement and the judiciary proceed swiftly to identify and punish these anti-Semitic racists. Not only because all hate crimes must always be prosecuted, but also to protect the good name of Milan and its traditional hospitality, which has nothing to do with these troglodytes.

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12:53 PM | July 28

Israeli minister: There is no possibility of bringing the hostages home under a deal

There is no chance of bringing the hostages home through an agreement, Israeli Education Minister Yoav Kisch stated, pointing the finger at Hamas's intransigence. The possibility of bringing the hostages back through an agreement is zero, Kisch told Kan public broadcaster. We must focus on achieving our war objectives, knowing that Hamas will not release the hostages, he added.

12:48 PM | July 28

Netanyahu: There is no hunger in Gaza

There is no hunger in Gaza, there is no policy of hunger in Gaza, and I assure you that we are committed to achieving our war objectives. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote this in X. We will continue to fight until we secure the release of our hostages and the destruction of Hamas's military and governance capabilities.

12:34 PM | July 28

Hamas: 16 dead in an Israeli raid in Gaza

Sixteen Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza, including five in a nighttime bombing of a residential building in the Al-Mawasi district in the southern part of the Strip. This was reported by Mahmud Bassal, spokesman for the civil defense in the Hamas-run Palestinian enclave. Among the victims was a pregnant woman, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said, adding that its teams saved the fetus by performing a cesarean section at a field hospital. Five more people were killed in an airstrike in Khan Yunis, and six were killed in two separate attacks in Gaza City and central Gaza, the civil defense spokesman added. Al-Awda Hospital in central Gaza, in Nuseirat camp, reported that one person was killed and nine wounded when Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians waiting for aid in central Gaza.

12:26 PM | July 28

The Christian Forum in the Holy Land condemns the attack in Taybeh.

We condemn this terrorist attack and demand an international investigation, justice for those responsible, and concrete action against those inciting hatred. This is the position of the Forum of Holy Land Christians following the latest episode of violence that occurred at dawn this morning in the Palestinian Christian village of Taybeh, east of Ramallah in the West Bank. SIR reports. Around 2:30 a.m., masked Israeli settlers set fire to at least three cars parked along the village streets and daubed the walls with threatening graffiti in Hebrew:"Arabs out or death" and "Your house will regret it," read the slogans written in red spray paint. Images show the vehicles completely charred and the walls blackened by smoke.

12:20 PM | July 28

New settler attack in Taybeh: cars set on fire

We condemn this terrorist attack and call for an international investigation, justice for those responsible, and concrete action against those who incite hatred. This is the position of the Holy Land Christian Forum following a new episode of violence that occurred at dawn this morning in the Christian Palestinian village of Taybeh. Around 2:30 a.m., masked Israeli settlers set fire to at least three cars and daubed the walls with threatening graffiti in Hebrew:"Arabs out or death" and "Your house will regret it." SIR reports.

11:32 AM | July 28

Hamas reports 14 starvation deaths in Gaza yesterday, 147 since the war began.

In the last 24 hours, 14 people, including two children, have died in the Gaza Strip due to malnutrition, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, controlled by the terrorist group Hamas. The number of deaths due to food shortages has risen to 147, including 88 children, according to Hamas.

11:22 AM | July 28

Hamas, 14 deaths from starvation in 24 hours in Gaza, 14 in total

In the past 24 hours, 14 more Palestinians have died from starvation in Gaza, bringing the total to 147, including 88 children, the Hamas-run Health Ministry in the Strip reported.

11:20 AM | July 28

Iran defends executions: Limited to the most serious crimes

Iran defended the Islamic Republic's use of the death penalty, saying it applies only to the most serious crimes, after the United Nations urged Tehran to suspend executions. The death penalty is recognized under Iranian domestic law for a range of the most serious crimes, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said, adding that Tehran is striving to limit its use to only the most serious crimes.

11:19 AM | July 28

Starmer in Scotland to meet Trump, Gaza a central issue

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer left early for Scotland today, due to meet with Donald Trump at one of the two luxury golf resorts owned by the US president's family in the UK's northernmost nation. This meeting comes on the heels of The Donald's home meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, which resulted in a controversial US-EU trade agreement. According to UK media, the meeting with Starmer—who has already reached an initial trade agreement with Trump, on less unfavorable terms than those agreed in Brussels—will focus primarily on foreign policy, starting with the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian Gaza Strip, which is causing growing outrage in the UK. The Labour prime minister continues to resist pressure to unilaterally recognize the State of Palestine, following the announcement made by French President Emmanuel Macron, postponing it in keeping with London's traditional approach to a future peace process. And he's hesitant to irritate his major American ally. But he appears intent, at least, on urging Trump to push harder on Benjamin Netanyahu's Israeli government to impose a ceasefire and a full resumption of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip, amid reports of Israeli-induced starvation. The meeting, held informally at Trump's Turnberry property in Ayrshir County, is also expected to discuss other international political issues, primarily the war between Russia and Ukraine, as well as the unresolved points of the US-UK tariff agreement, particularly on steel and aluminum.

10:42 AM | July 28

The United States is absent from the UN conference on the two-state solution.

France and Saudi Arabia are co-chairing a UN General Assembly meeting in New York today to discuss the possibilities for concretely implementing a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, at a time of high international tension over the conflict in Gaza and the issue of Palestinian recognition in particular. The initiative, which seemed destined to remain marginal, gained new prominence after French President Emmanuel Macron announced his intention to officially recognize the State of Palestine in September. The announcement prompted other countries to consider an initiative and sparked a harsh reaction from the United States. According to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, the conference aims to relaunch"a global political dynamic" that includes recognition of the Palestinian state, normalization of relations with Israel, reform of the Palestinian Authority, and, above all, disarmament and the exclusion of Hamas. Over 100 delegations are expected at the meeting, which will continue until Wednesday, including Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa. Neither Israel nor the United States, which condemned France's announcement of recognition of Palestine, will participate. The American president declared that what Macron says"counts for nothing." Currently, 142 UN member states recognize the State of Palestine. France is aiming to convince even reluctant countries like the United Kingdom and Germany, although London speaks of recognition"as part of a broader plan" and Berlin rules out any short-term moves. Italy has called the move"premature" and sees recognition of Palestine as an act to be carried out in parallel with the Jewish state, and therefore as the goal of a negotiation process. (Continued) Orm 281032 Jul 25 Rome, July 28. (askanews) - Yesterday, a large group of retired Italian ambassadors, including prominent figures such as Pasquale Ferrara, Ferdinando Nelli Feroci, Stefano Stefanini, Pietro Benassi, and Rocco Cangelosi, addressed an open letter to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, urging the Italian government to formally recognize the State of Palestine. In the letter, the 34 initial signatories described it as an act"of the highest political significance," far from symbolic, and urge that"two peoples, two states" not be "just a meaningless and unreliable slogan," but a negotiating path that must be decisively reactivated.

10:24 AM | July 28

Israel: Over 120 trucks were collected and distributed yesterday by the United Nations

Over 120 trucks were collected and distributed yesterday by the United Nations and international organizations in the Gaza Strip, according to COGAT, the Israeli Defense Ministry agency that oversees civil affairs in the Palestinian Territories, in X. Yesterday, Israeli authorities announced a tactical pause in military operations in some areas of Gaza and promised to open safe routes for aid, urging humanitarian organizations to intensify food distribution.

10:19 AM | July 28

UN: Guterres on Gaza and Sudan: Never use hunger as a weapon of war

Hunger must never be used as a weapon of war, as in the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Sudan. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated this in a video message released at the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS+4), currently underway in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Conflicts continue to spread hunger in Gaza, Sudan, and elsewhere. Hunger fuels instability and undermines peace. We must never accept hunger as a weapon of war, Guterres said. Yesterday, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that malnutrition rates in the Gaza Strip are reaching alarming levels, with deaths peaking in July. Of the 74 malnutrition-related deaths recorded since the beginning of the year, 63 occurred this month, including 24 children under five, one child over five, and 38 adults, the UN agency said. Sudan, for its part, has been engulfed in a violent civil war since April 2023 between the army, which controls the center, north, and east of Africa's third-largest country, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary force that controls almost the entire western Darfur region. The conflict, which has caused tens of thousands of deaths and forced over 14 million people to flee their homes and residences, has created the world's worst humanitarian crisis, according to the United Nations.

10:00 AM | July 28

Hamas killed nearly 100 people yesterday while seeking aid in Gaza.

Nearly 100 people were killed yesterday while seeking aid in Gaza, the Health Ministry of the Hamas-controlled enclave said, according to Sky News. The ministry said 67 people were killed in northern Gaza and six more in Khan Younis in the south. The Israel Defense Forces said troops fired warning shots to remove an immediate threat after a gathering of thousands was identified in the northern Strip. The IDF is aware of the casualty reports and the details are still being examined.

9:55 AM | July 28

Israeli Rectors to Netanyahu, More Efforts to Fight Hunger in Gaza

The rectors of five Israeli universities have called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to instruct the Israeli military to intensify efforts to address the horrific problem of hunger in Gaza."Despite the grave responsibility of Hamas and other organizations for the humanitarian situation in Gaza, as a people victimized by the horrific Holocaust in Europe, we have a special duty to act using all available measures to prevent and avert cruel and indiscriminate harm to innocent men, women, and children," the rectors of the Hebrew University, the Technion, Tel Aviv University, the Open University, and the Weizmann Institute wrote in a letter. The signatories also condemned statements by members of the Knesset and ministers advocating the intentional destruction of Gaza and pushing civilians out of the Strip. These are profoundly immoral calls for actions that, according to senior jurists in Israel and around the world, constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. The same condemnation was also expressed regarding plans to create a"humanitarian city" on the ruins of Rafah, in southern Gaza: the rectors argue that it would lead to a loss of moderation and humanity, from which we will not be able to free ourselves. The letter was not signed by the rectors of Haifa University, Ben-Gurion University, Bar-Ilan University, Ariel University, and Reichmann University.

9:41 AM | July 28

Gaza: Qatari aid trucks destined for the Strip arrive in Egypt and Jordan.

As part of Qatar's humanitarian support for the Palestinian people, 49 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid have arrived in Egypt and Jordan, ready to be sent to the people of the Gaza Strip. Qatar's state-run news agency QNA reported that the relief items, which come from the Qatar Development Fund, in collaboration with Qatar Charity and the Qatar Red Crescent, will be handed over to the World Food Programme (WFP) for distribution to those in need in Gaza. According to the statement, the aid shipment will be distributed through the Rafah and Zikim crossings, the former located near the border between Egypt and the Palestinian enclave and the latter on the northern border between the Strip and Israel. According to the announcement, the assistance includes 4,704 food parcels for 4,704 families (for a total of over 28,224 beneficiaries), 200 tons of food for approximately 50,000 people, 174 tons of flour for 43,000 beneficiaries, and 5,000 packages of powdered milk for children in the most vulnerable groups.

9:22 AM | July 28

CNN: US has used a quarter of its interceptor missiles in 12 days of conflict

The United States used approximately a quarter of its stockpile of THAAD interceptor missiles, among the most advanced in its arsenal, during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran last June, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the operations, cited by US television network CNN. To counter Tehran's ballistic missile launches, US forces deployed to defend Israel reportedly fired between 100 and 150 THAAD missiles, using up a significant portion of the US stockpile of munitions for one of the world's most advanced missile interception systems, the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense. The United States has seven THAAD air defense complexes in total, and deployed two of them in last month's conflict to defend Israeli territory.

9:21 AM | July 28

Parolin: Recognizing Palestine, the Vatican has been doing it for a long time

Recognition of the State of Palestine proposed by Macron? We have already recognized it."For now," as you say. For us, that is the solution: the recognition of two states living side by side in autonomy and security. Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said this on the sidelines of an event for the Jubilee of Influencers. Regarding whether recognition of the Palestinian state might be premature, Parolin responded: Why premature? In our opinion, the solution lies in dialogue between the two sides, even if the situation in the West Bank makes everything more difficult. Finally, regarding the results of the investigation into the Israeli attack on the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza, Parolin said: I have no other elements to make a different assessment. We were unable to conduct an independent investigation. We take the Israeli army's findings as valid, urging them to be careful because the impression is that these mistakes are repeated many times. Particular attention must be paid to prevent places of worship and humanitarian institutions from being attacked.

8:39 AM | July 28

Two Americans among 35 arrested for espionage

Two American citizens are reportedly among the 35 Jews arrested in Iran on charges of spying for the Jewish state following the 12-Day War. Israeli broadcaster Kan reports that one of the two was released on bail in recent days, while the other remains in prison. The American citizen released on bail is an Iranian-born Jew from Los Angeles, while the other American left Iran for New York 30 years ago. Both were reportedly in the Islamic Republic to visit relatives.

8:26 AM | July 28

Hamas: No point in continuing negotiations amid genocide and famine

Continuing ceasefire negotiations in the Gaza Strip amid genocide and famine is futile, said Khalil al-Hayya, leader of the Palestinian Islamist movement in Gaza, quoted by Al-Qahera News. The immediate and dignified delivery of food and humanitarian aid to our people is the true expression of the feasibility of continuing negotiations, he added."We do not accept that our people, their suffering, and the blood of their children are victims of the occupation's negotiating tricks and the pursuit of its political goals," Al-Hayya emphasized, explaining that he responded to the mediators at every stage of what was presented to us."We achieved clear progress in the latest round of negotiations and largely agreed with what the mediators offered us." The Hamas leader expressed surprise at Israel's withdrawal from the negotiations.

8:22 AM | July 28

Netanyahu: There is no hunger in Gaza

There is no hunger policy in Gaza, and there is no hunger in Gaza: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this Saturday evening in Jerusalem, speaking at a Christian conference hosted by Trump adviser and evangelical pastor Paula White, the Times of Israel reports. Israel has allowed humanitarian aid throughout the war... Otherwise, there would be no Gazans, Netanyahu added, accusing Hamas of intercepting supplies and then accusing Israel of not providing them.

7:42 AM | July 28

Houthis: We will attack any vessel that cooperates with Israel

The Houthi rebels of the Yemeni Ansar Allah movement will attack ships of all companies working with Israeli ports within range of their weapons, the movement's military spokesman, Yahya Saree, stated. The Yemeni armed forces have decided to activate their military operations in support of the Palestinians and begin implementing Phase Four of their naval blockade, targeting all ships belonging to any company that has dealings with Israeli ports, regardless of nationality or destination, and wherever they can be reached by our missiles and drones, the spokesman stated in a message broadcast on the Houthi-controlled Al Masirah TV channel. Saree recommended all shipping companies to cease cooperation with Israeli ports. He called on all countries to pressure Israel to end its aggression in the Gaza Strip and lift the blockade of the besieged enclave.

0:54|July 28

Open letter to the President of the Council of Ministers, Hon. Giorgia Meloni

Here is the text of the letter written by 40 former ambassadors.

Madam Prime Minister,

There are moments in history when ambiguity and intermediate positions are no longer possible. This moment has come for Gaza. For many months now there have been no longer any possible justifications or convincing arguments for the conduct of Israeli military operations in Gaza.

The execrable attacks by Hamas on 7 October 2023 no longer have any relation, either quantitative or qualitative, with the horror perpetrated in the Strip by Israel against the overwhelming majority of defenceless civilians, which has nothing to do with Israel's right to self-defence and which it is not at all inappropriate to qualify in terms of ethnic cleansing, while the International Court of Justice examines the extremes of genocide.

The flagrant violations of human rights and the dignity of persons, which do not spare children, women, the elderly, the sick, the crimes against humanity, the war crimes, the constant disregard for international law and humanitarian law - for which the Israeli government, as is the case with all governments, will have to answer - undermine the very foundations of the international community. and erase ethical achievements matured over decades of international customs...

​

​Read the full text here

0:52|July 28

Humanitarian pauses begin: Gaza receives the first (few) aid by air.

by Andrea Nicastro, our correspondent in Jerusalem

​

God knew better. When He rained manna on the Jewish people fleeing in the desert, He sent enough to feed them all. Yesterday, 25 tons of aid were parachuted to the Palestinians trapped in Gaza. A spectacular operation, with Jordanian and United Arab Emirates planes opening their doors, turning to line up on the drop line, and dropping neatly assembled pallets supported by gray parachutes onto the few areas free of rubble or tents. Eleven people were still injured, but that's a detail compared to the bigger picture. Who knows, maybe a dozen tents could be made from the parachute fabric. As for food, if it were distributed equally, everyone would get a pound. More than manna, just a taste.

Republican Senator Graham: Israel will do in Gaza what we did in Tokyo and Berlin...

Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican close to Donald Trump, has outlined a new and worrying strategy for Israel in the war against Hamas, admitting that a diplomatic solution appears increasingly remote and leaving room for a definitive attack."I think," he said on NBC,"Israel has come to the conclusion that it cannot achieve a war-ending objective with Hamas that is satisfactory for Israel's security, and that it will do to Gaza what we did to Tokyo and Berlin." He was referring to the destructive war strategy adopted to end World War II."Seize control by force," he added,"then start over, presenting a better future for the Palestinians, hopefully by having the Arabs take control of the West Bank and Gaza." "There is no way," he declared,"to negotiate peace with Hamas. They are a terrorist organization created to destroy the State of Israel. They are religious Nazis."

0:48|July 27

UN welcomes Israel's decision to increase food aid for Gaza

The UN welcomes Israel's decision to support a week-long aid increase, including the easing of customs barriers on food, medicine, and fuel from Egypt. This is according to Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs. Some restrictions, he adds, appear to have been eased today, with initial reports indicating the deployment of one hundred truckloads of aid. This is a step forward, he emphasizes, but massive amounts of aid are needed to avert famine and a catastrophic health crisis. Sustained and urgent action is needed.