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The Israeli military announced Sunday it had killed Abu Obeida, the longtime spokesperson for Hamas’ armed wing, as the country’s security cabinet convened to discuss the widening offensive in some of Gaza’s most populated areas. Officials said there were no plans to address ceasefire negotiations at the meeting. Defense Minister Israel Katz identified the slain spokesperson as Abu Obeida, the nom de guerre for the representative of Hamas’ Qassam Brigades, saying he was killed over the weekend. Hamas has not commented on the claim. The Israeli military further identified him as Hudahaifa Kahlout, alleging he was behind videos of hostages and footage of the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack. Abu Obeida’s last statement came Friday as Israel declared Gaza City a combat zone. He said militants would try to safeguard living hostages but warned they were in battle areas, adding that the remains of dead hostages would “disappear forever.” Israel has targeted many Hamas leaders since Oct. 7, 2023, when militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 in southern Israel. Fewer than 50 hostages remain in Gaza, about 20 of them believed to be alive. Families of hostages protested outside the cabinet meeting, demanding a ceasefire. “It is our side that is unwilling to sign a comprehensive deal and is unwilling to end the war and is deciding to sacrifice my child while he is still alive,” said Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker. Local hospitals reported at least 43 Palestinians killed since Saturday, most in Gaza City. Shifa Hospital said 29 bodies were brought to its morgue, including 10 people killed while seeking aid. “Where are the resistance fighters that (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu claims he is bombing? Does he consider stones resistance fighters?” asked a grieving relative at Shifa. Al-Awda Hospital reported seven civilians killed while trying to reach aid. Witnesses said Israeli troops opened fire in the Netzarim Corridor. “We were trying to get food, but we were met with the occupation’s bullets,” said Ragheb Abu Lebda. “It’s a death trap.” Civilians have also been killed near U.N. convoys and Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites. The GHF denied any incident Sunday. Israel’s military did not comment on the casualties. Israel has stepped up airstrikes on Gaza City’s coastal areas, including Rimal. The military has urged civilians to flee south, but many say they are too exhausted after repeated displacements, with over 90% of Gaza’s population uprooted at least once. Palestinians say Israel’s reduction of aid to Gaza City and new projects in the south amount to forced displacement. Meanwhile, Gaza’s Health Ministry said seven more adults died of malnutrition-related causes in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 215 since June, along with 124 children since the war began. The ministry said at least 63,371 Palestinians have been killed during the conflict, about half of them women and children. In a new attempt to break the Israeli blockade, a flotilla carrying humanitarian aid and activists departed Sunday from Barcelona, though similar efforts have failed in the past.  

Israel will soon halt or scale back humanitarian aid deliveries to northern Gaza as its military offensive against Hamas expands, an official said Saturday, a day after Gaza City was declared a combat zone. The move is expected to draw further international condemnation as Palestinians face worsening humanitarian conditions and families of remaining hostages express growing alarm after nearly 23 months of war. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official told The Associated Press that Israel will stop airdrops over Gaza City in the coming days and reduce the number of aid trucks as preparations are underway to evacuate hundreds of thousands of people south. On Friday, Israel ended daytime pauses in fighting that had allowed limited aid access, calling Gaza City a Hamas stronghold and citing the continued presence of tunnel networks. The UN and aid groups said the measures were far short of the 600 trucks needed daily to meet Gaza’s needs. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed the remains of hostage Idan Shtivi, kidnapped during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack at the Nova music festival, were recovered in Gaza. Families of other captives renewed calls for a ceasefire deal, warning the ongoing offensive puts their loved ones in greater danger. Aid agencies also warned of “massive population movement” if Israel presses ahead with further evacuations. Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said the destruction of infrastructure and extreme shortages of food, water and medicine make it impossible to evacuate Gaza City’s population in a safe and dignified way. Heavy Israeli airstrikes continued overnight. A strike on a Gaza City bakery killed 12 people, including six women and three children, while another strike on Rimal neighborhood killed seven, health officials said. Hamas called the attack on a residential building a “brutal escalation.” Separately, four Palestinians were shot dead while trying to collect aid in central Gaza, according to Al-Awda Hospital officials. Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that 10 more people, including three children, died from starvation and malnutrition in the past 24 hours, bringing the war’s total to 332 such deaths. Since the conflict began, at least 63,371 Palestinians have been killed, including nearly half women and children, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. While Israel disputes the figures, the UN and independent experts consider the ministry’s data the most reliable source on casualties. END/UN B/FH/0830 hrs

Yemen’s Houthi rebels said Saturday that an Israeli airstrike in Sanaa killed the prime minister of their rebel-run government, marking the highest-ranking Houthi figure slain in the Israeli-U.S. campaign against the Iran-backed group. According to a statement from the Houthis, Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi was killed in Thursday’s strike in the capital along with several ministers. Others, including senior officials, were wounded, though no details were provided. The Houthis said the strike targeted al-Rahawi and members of his government during a “routine workshop” to review its activities over the past year. The attack took place as the rebels’ Al-Masirah television channel was airing a recorded speech by Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the reclusive leader of the group, who vowed retaliation against Israel while updating supporters on the Gaza conflict. Senior Houthi leaders often gathered to watch his addresses. On Thursday, the Israeli military said it had “precisely struck a Houthi terrorist regime military target” in Sanaa but offered no immediate comment on the reported death of the prime minister. Al-Rahawi, originally from the southern province of Abyan, was once an ally of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. He joined the Houthis after they seized Sanaa and much of northern Yemen in 2014, triggering the country’s protracted civil war. He was appointed prime minister in August 2024. His killing makes him the most senior Houthi official eliminated since the U.S. and Israel launched joint air and naval operations in response to the group’s missile and drone attacks on Israel and on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. The Houthis have repeatedly claimed their attacks on shipping are meant to pressure Israel and show solidarity with Palestinians amid the war in Gaza. Their operations have disrupted global trade along the Red Sea, a vital route for nearly $1 trillion in goods annually. In May, the Trump administration announced an agreement with the Houthis to halt airstrikes in exchange for an end to attacks on commercial shipping. The rebels, however, later clarified that the deal did not prevent them from striking targets they view as aligned with Israel.

Israeli and Palestinian activists in Nazareth staged a rally Friday, wearing stickers resembling the “Press” insignia to emphasize that journalism should not be treated as a crime. The demonstration called for peace in Gaza and an end to the killing of journalists. Hundreds gathered in the northern Israeli town, donning blue-and-white “Press” stickers typically used to identify reporters in conflict zones. Protesters carried portraits of Palestinian journalists slain during the war and held a banner reading: “Don’t assassinate the truth.” Some banged on empty pots to highlight both hunger in Gaza and the silencing of the press. Among the victims remembered was 33-year-old Mariam Dagga, a freelance contributor for The Associated Press. Dagga was killed earlier this week alongside four other reporters and 17 others when Israeli forces struck Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, where many journalists had taken shelter. The hospital strike, according to the Israeli military, was aimed at what it claimed was a Hamas surveillance camera. Officials said journalists were not targeted, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the incident as a “mishap.” Mariam, who had been documenting the struggles of displaced Palestinians and the efforts of doctors caring for the wounded and malnourished children, became one of nearly 200 journalists killed since the conflict began on October 7, 2023. The war erupted after a Hamas attack inside Israel left 1,200 people dead and 251 taken hostage. In response, Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 63,000 people in Gaza, according to the territory’s health ministry. Her family, still grappling with the loss, shared painful memories. Mariam’s father, Riyad, broke down recalling the moment he learned of her death. “When I heard the news, I couldn’t walk. I collapsed,” he said, holding onto her last photographs. Her sister, Nada, was with her during the attack. She recounted their final exchange: “Mariam was on the stairs filming. She looked at me and smiled. That was our last look.” Mariam’s brother, Mohamed, was the one who carried her body from the stairwell to the hospital’s operations room after the strike. Her final photographs captured the damaged stairwell at Nasser Hospital, moments before she was killed.

A senior United Nations official has warned that if Israel pushes ahead with its planned assault on Gaza City, hopes for ending the war will disappear. Israel has described the evacuation of Gaza’s most densely populated city as “inevitable,” heightening global concern for hundreds of thousands of civilians trapped there, with famine already documented and threatening to worsen after nearly two years of conflict. Sam Rose, acting director of Gaza operations for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), told The Associated Press that many residents of Gaza City are unable to flee. “Some are too old, too young, too sick or incapacitated,” he said, noting that Israeli tanks and armored units have surrounded the city. “You’ve got a population living in abject fear, cruelty and humiliation, with no control whatsoever over their daily lives,” Rose said. “Just think about what that means for parents, for children who’ve grown up knowing nothing but this.” Instead of a military assault, Rose urged that all efforts should go into delivering services and assistance to keep people alive. He recalled that before the war — which erupted after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel — UNRWA was providing food daily to 1.2 million people. He noted that about 6,000 trucks carrying food, medicine, fuel and water have been stuck for months outside Gaza due to Israeli restrictions. “That’s enough food to feed everyone, enough soap to give everyone, enough nappies, diapers,” he said. European Union humanitarian commissioner Hadja Lahbib also condemned the planned offensive, describing “mountains” of aid piled up at Gaza’s borders. She said the EU’s agreement with Israel to boost relief deliveries has failed, and pleaded: “Let us save lives.” Israel’s government, which shut down all aid deliveries for two and a half months earlier this year, insists it has allowed sufficient supplies to enter during the war. But the U.N. says the amount remains far below the pre-war average of around 600 trucks a day. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected famine warnings, calling the declaration by international food security experts “an outright lie.” Earlier this month, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification reported that nearly half a million people — about one-fourth of Gaza’s population — are facing catastrophic hunger, with many at risk of death from malnutrition-related causes.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday officially launched Turkey’s new integrated air defense system, called the “Steel Dome,” calling it a turning point for the nation and its defense industry. “These systems show Turkey’s strength,” Erdogan said during a ceremony at the Ankara headquarters of defense company Aselsan. “With this, we are entering a new era in air defense for our beloved Turkey.” The government first announced the Steel Dome project in August last year. The system combines sea- and land-based defense platforms and radar sensors into one network to secure Turkish airspace. Erdogan said the latest phase included 47 vehicles worth $460 million, designed to “build trust among our friends and spread fear among our enemies.” However, he did not give a clear timeline for when the full system will be operational. “No country can feel secure about its future without developing its own radar and air defense systems, especially in our region,” he said. Turkey had previously bought Russian-made S-400 missile systems in 2019 to strengthen its defenses, but that decision led to its removal from the U.S.-led F-35 fighter jet program — a major setback for Ankara. Ongoing wars in Syria and Ukraine, as well as Israel’s recent strikes on Iran, have further highlighted Turkey’s need for advanced air defense. At the same event, Erdogan also inaugurated new production facilities at Aselsan, scheduled to open in 2026. “In the next 50 years, Turkey will not only meet its own needs but also lead the world with its technology,” he said. Turkey has steadily expanded its defense sector since facing a U.S. arms embargo following its 1974 invasion of Cyprus.

Drone strikes by Israel on a southern suburb of Damascus killed eight Syrian soldiers and injured others, Syrian officials and a war monitor reported Wednesday. Syria’s Foreign Ministry said the attacks on Tuesday in the southern Damascus suburb of Kiswah resulted in the deaths of eight soldiers. The ministry condemned the strikes as “a serious violation of international law” and “a blatant breach of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” The statement added that the attack is part of Israel’s ongoing aggressive policies aimed at destabilizing the region. The Israeli military has not yet commented on the incident. Since the fall of Bashar Assad in December, Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes across Syria, targeting military positions and seizing a U.N.-monitored buffer zone in the south. The new authorities in Damascus have expressed no desire for conflict with Israel, but Israel remains wary of the government led by former Islamist insurgents. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz wrote on X on Tuesday that Israeli forces would remain in “the security zone necessary to protect the Golan and Galilee settlements from threats emanating from Syria,” citing lessons learned from the Hamas attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the strikes targeted a strategic route connecting Damascus to the southern province of Sweida, where clashes last month between pro-government fighters and Syria’s Druze minority resulted in fatalities. Israel intervened during those clashes in support of the Druze, who also form a significant community in Israel and are considered a loyal minority often serving in the Israeli military. Katz stated that Israel would continue to protect the Druze in Syria. The Observatory said the area struck on Tuesday had previously hosted Assad’s military posts and noted that multiple strikes occurred, including one after paramedics arrived. In addition to the eight soldiers killed, three others were wounded. Earlier on Tuesday, a drone strike near the southern town of Quneitra killed one person, according to Al-Ikhbariah and the Observatory. Syria’s Foreign Ministry condemned this attack as well, saying it violates international law and threatens regional peace and stability.

The death toll from Israel’s latest airstrikes on Yemen’s rebel-held capital Sanaa has climbed to 10, health officials said Monday. Multiple strikes shook the city on Sunday, days after the Iran-backed Houthis fired a missile at Israel that its military said was the first cluster bomb attack from the group since 2023. According to the Houthis and Israel’s military, the airstrikes hit a facility of Yemen’s main oil company, which is controlled by the rebels, along with a power plant and a military site near the presidential palace. Witnesses reported a massive fireball and thick smoke rising over the capital. Anees al-Asbahi, spokesperson of the Houthi-run Health Ministry, confirmed that 10 people were killed at the oil facility and power plant. He said 102 others were wounded, including seven children and three women, with 21 in critical condition. The attacks followed last week’s Houthi missile launch toward Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, which caused no casualties or damage after breaking apart mid-air despite interception attempts. Since the Gaza war began, the Houthis have repeatedly fired missiles and drones at Israel and targeted ships in the Red Sea, declaring their actions as support for Palestinians. In retaliation, Israel and a US-led coalition have carried out strikes on rebel-held areas in Yemen, including Sanaa and the port city of Hodeida. Israeli bombardments disabled Sanaa airport in May. Earlier this year, the Trump administration announced a deal with the Houthis to halt airstrikes in exchange for stopping attacks on shipping. The rebels, however, said the agreement did not cover operations against what they view as Israeli-linked targets.

Israel hit the main hospital in southern Gaza with a missile and then fired a second strike as journalists and rescue workers rushed to the scene, killing at least 20 people, local health officials said Monday. The first strike targeted the top floor of Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. Minutes later, as journalists and rescuers climbed an external staircase, a second missile struck the same location, said Dr. Ahmed al-Farra, head of Nasser’s pediatrics department. Among the dead was 33-year-old Mariam Dagga, a visual journalist who worked for the Associated Press. Al Jazeera and Reuters confirmed that their journalists were also among the five killed. Israel confirmed it had struck targets near the hospital, saying it would investigate and “regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals” while insisting journalists were not targeted. Israel has repeatedly claimed Hamas uses hospitals for military purposes without providing evidence. The first strike at around 10:10 a.m. hit the hospital’s fourth floor, where operating rooms and doctors’ residences are located. The second strike killed 17 more people, including medical teams, rescuers, and journalists. Israeli Airstrike on Southern Gaza hospital Kills 19, including journalists A British doctor at the hospital described “chaos, disbelief, and fear” and said wounded people were leaving trails of blood. Nasser Hospital has faced repeated attacks during the 22-month conflict, with shortages of supplies and staff. In other incidents, six Palestinians seeking aid at Al-Awda Hospital were killed by Israeli gunfire, and three others, including a child, were killed in a strike on a Gaza City neighborhood, the health ministry said. The war has been one of the deadliest for journalists, with 192 killed, and over 1,500 health workers also dead, according to the U.N. The Gaza Health Ministry said at least 62,686 Palestinians have died since the conflict began, about half of them women and children. The fighting started after Hamas militants abducted 251 people and killed around 1,200 civilians in the October 7, 2023 attack. Most hostages have been released, but about 50 remain in Gaza, with families concerned that a new Israeli offensive could endanger them further.  

Iran launched its first military exercise since the end of its 12-day war with Israel, state media reported Thursday, with navy vessels firing missiles at sea targets in the Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean. Dubbed “Sustainable Power 1404,” the drill comes as Tehran seeks to project strength after the war, during which Israel destroyed air defense systems and bombed nuclear and other strategic sites. State TV said naval forces would launch cruise missiles and deploy drones, though no footage of the exercise was immediately shown. Belarus and Iran, allies of Russia, sign deals to strengthen defense cooperation Iran’s navy, with roughly 18,000 personnel, largely avoided direct combat during the June conflict. Based in Bandar Abbas, it patrols the Gulf of Oman, the Indian Ocean, and the Caspian Sea, while the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf are primarily monitored by the Revolutionary Guard’s naval forces, known for intercepting Western ships and shadowing U.S. vessels. Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Aziz Nasirzadeh said new missiles have been deployed to counter potential threats. Meanwhile, Iran has halted cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency amid uranium enrichment tensions, prompting European powers to warn that unresolved disputes by August 31 could trigger a reimposition of UN sanctions. Analysts caution that renewed sanctions could further strain Iran’s struggling economy.   Source: Agency