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At least 25 Palestinians were killed overnight by Israeli airstrikes and gunfire in Gaza, including several people shot while waiting for humanitarian aid near the Zikim crossing, health officials and ambulance services reported Saturday. Medical staff at Shifa Hospital said most of the victims were hit by gunfire while gathering for aid trucks near the Israeli border. Four others died in an Israeli airstrike targeting an apartment building in Gaza City. The Israeli military has not commented on the latest shootings. The incident follows a similar tragedy days earlier at the Zikim crossing, where at least 79 Palestinians were killed as they attempted to access humanitarian supplies. At the time, the Israeli army said its soldiers fired at crowds deemed threatening. The violence comes amid a breakdown in ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas. Talks have stalled since the United States and Israel recalled their negotiating teams on Thursday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday said his government was exploring "alternative options." Meanwhile, a Hamas official claimed discussions could resume next week, suggesting the pause may be a tactic to apply pressure. Over 100 aid organizations warn of worsening starvation in Gaza amid ongoing Israeli strikes Mediators Egypt and Qatar, along with the U.S., have said the suspension is temporary but have not provided a timeline for resumption. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to worsen, with the United Nations warning of imminent famine. Despite Israeli claims of unrestricted aid entry, the UN says operations are severely constrained by military restrictions and widespread looting. In a rare move, Israel has agreed to allow food and milk formula airdrops requested by Jordan. The UK also said it is working urgently to send aid via Jordan. The World Central Kitchen resumed limited operations in Deir al-Balah, aiming to provide 60,000 meals daily—less than half its previous capacity due to severe food shortages.

The United Nations on Tuesday reported a sharp rise in child malnutrition in the Gaza Strip, while health officials said ongoing Israeli airstrikes killed at least 93 people in 24 hours, including dozens of women and children. UNRWA, the main U.N. agency operating in Gaza, said it screened nearly 16,000 children under age 5 in June and found 10.2% to be acutely malnourished—up from 5.5% in March. UNICEF also reported 5,870 cases of malnutrition among children in June, more than double February's figure. The rise in hunger follows Israel's tightened blockade since March, when it restricted the entry of food and aid after breaking a ceasefire. Although some aid was allowed in May, the U.N. says the 69 trucks entering daily fall far short of the hundreds needed. Gaza's Health Ministry said 93 people were killed and 278 injured in Israeli strikes over the past 24 hours. One strike in Shati refugee camp killed Hamas legislator Mohammed Faraj al-Ghoul and a family of eight. Another in Gaza City’s Tel al-Hawa district killed 19 members of a single family, including eight women and six children. 59 Palestinians killed in Gaza by Israeli fire and airstrikes Israel’s military did not comment on the attacks but maintains it targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas’ use of dense urban areas. Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee called for accountability after a 20-year-old Palestinian-American was reportedly beaten to death by settlers in the West Bank. In Lebanon, Israeli strikes on Hezbollah targets in the Bekaa Valley killed 12 people, including seven Syrians in a refugee camp. The death toll in Gaza since October 7 has surpassed 58,400, with over half believed to be women and children.

The European Union is seeking updates from Israel regarding the implementation of a new humanitarian aid agreement for Gaza, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Tuesday. Foreign ministers from the EU’s 27 member states met in Brussels following a deal largely brokered by Kallas and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. Saar met with EU leaders on Monday after agreeing last week to allow critically needed food and fuel into the war-torn enclave of 2.3 million people. “We have reached a common understanding with Israel to really improve the situation on the ground, but it’s not about the paper, but actually implementation of the paper," Kallas said ahead of the Foreign Affairs Council meeting. “As long as it hasn’t really improved, then we haven’t all done enough,” she added, while urging a ceasefire. EU delays retaliatory tariffs on US goods, aims for deal by August 1 Though full details of the agreement remain undisclosed, EU officials rejected cooperation with the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund, citing ethical and safety concerns. Instead, they emphasized the need to open more border crossings and allow greater aid flow. Plans are underway to potentially establish a monitoring station at the Kerem Shalom crossing. The ministers also discussed Iran’s nuclear program, developments in Georgia and Moldova, and the EU’s upcoming 18th sanctions package on Russia. Tensions remain over oil price caps meant to reduce Moscow’s energy revenue. Amid rising public pressure over Israel’s actions in Gaza, several member states, including Ireland, the Netherlands, and Spain, have urged a reassessment of EU-Israel relations. A European Commission report cited “indications” of Israeli human rights violations. “The humanitarian deal announced last week shows that the Association Agreement review and use of EU leverage has worked," said one European diplomat.

Five Israeli soldiers were killed in an attack in the northern Gaza Strip, Israel's military said Tuesday, while health officials in the Palestinian territory said 51 people were killed in Israeli strikes. The bloodshed came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was visiting the White House for talks with US President Donald Trump about a ceasefire plan to pause the Gaza fighting. While there was no announcement of a breakthrough, there were signs of progress toward a deal. According to AP, the soldiers' deaths could add to pressure on Netanyahu to strike a deal, as polls in Israel have shown widespread support for ending the 21-month war. A senior Israeli official said 80-90% of the details had been ironed out and a final agreement could be days away. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorised to discuss the sensitive negotiations with the media. Soldiers attacked with explosive devices The soldiers were killed roughly two weeks after Israel reported one of its deadliest days in months in Gaza, when seven soldiers were killed after a Palestinian attached a bomb to their armoured vehicle. An Israeli security official said explosive devices were detonated against the five soldiers during an operation in the Beit Hanoun area in northern Gaza, an area where Israel has repeatedly fought regrouping militants. Houthi rebels attack Red Sea ship after claiming to sink another The military said 14 soldiers were wounded in the attack, two of them seriously. It brings the toll of soldiers killed to 888 since Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack. Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for Hamas’ armed wing, said on social media that the attack was an “additional blow” against what he described as a “weak” army. In a statement, Netanyahu sent condolences, saying the soldiers fell “in a campaign to defeat Hamas and to free all of our hostages.” On the other hand, health officials at Nasser Hospital, where victims of the Israeli strikes were taken, said one strike targeted tents sheltering displaced people in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, killing four people. A separate strike in Khan Younis killed four people, including a mother, father and their two children, officials said. Nasser Hospital records showed a total of 41 people killed on Tuesday. In central Gaza, Israeli strikes killed another 10 people and wounded 72, according to Awda Hospital in Nuseirat. Israel's military had no immediate comment on the strikes, but it blames Hamas for any harm to civilians because the militants operate in populated areas.

The director of Gaza’s Indonesian Hospital was killed along with several family members in an Israeli air strike on his home in the city of Gaza, the Hamas-run health ministry said. The ministry represented, Dr Marwan Sultan, as a symbol of medical commitment and condemned his killing as a “heinous crime.” Lubna al-Sultan, the daughter of Dr Marwan Sultan, said that an Israeli missile directly aimed his room. All the rooms remained intake except his. She further added that her father has no connections with any political party and his main focus was only on treating patients. Meanwhile, at least five people were killed and others injured, including children, in a strike on the al-Mawasi "safe zone",one of several other attacks reported by news agencies. Besides, at least 139 people were killed by Israeli military operations across Gaza in the 24 hours before midday on Wednesday, the health ministry said. Trump says deal for ceasefire in Gaza is closer after Israel agrees on terms The Israeli military, however, claimed that it had struck a “key terrorist” in Gaza city but was evaluating the claims of civilian fatality. It put blame on Hamas for using residential areas as shields while the IDF stated it regrets any harm to uninvolved civilians. The Indonesian Hospital, which was once a major facility in northern Gaza providing crucial support to the victims and injured people, has been out of service following frequent Israeli air strikes. Additionally, the UN also said that there are no running hospitals left in northern Gaza. According to the health ministry, Israel's military offensive in Gaza has killed more than 57,000 people, including more than 15,000 children.

While reports of a ceasefire between Iran and Israel have begun to circulate widely, the situation in Gaza remains dire, with no sign of relief from ongoing violence. “But here in Gaza, not only are we seeing very overcrowded hospitals, but this morning felt heavier,” a report from inside Gaza reads. “The silence is much heavier than before. Not because it is peaceful, but because nothing has changed, and the bombs have not stopped falling, and the killing continues”, as reported by Aljazeera. At the emergency ward of al-Shifa Hospital, the toll of continued Israeli air strikes is becoming increasingly apparent. The facility, which was already overwhelmed, is now reaching the point of collapse. “This place was already overwhelmed and now, it is on the verge of collapse,” the report continues. “Israeli air strikes hit multiple areas across Gaza City, and the result is dozens of injured – most of them are children.” Iran Strikes U.S. Air Base in Qatar: What we know so far Health workers and reporters on the ground describe dire conditions inside the hospital. “As we walked between the corridors of the emergency wards, we couldn’t help but notice that this place does not have enough space. And what is going on right now is that there is no medical equipment or medical supplies and everything seems to be collapsing.” Despite the news of a broader regional ceasefire, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza shows no signs of abating, with hospitals pushed to the brink and civilians, particularly children, continuing to bear the brunt of the conflict.

Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway on Tuesday said that they have imposed sanctions on two far-right Israeli government ministers for allegedly “inciting extremist violence” against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich face asset freezes and travel bans. They are champions of expanding Israeli settlements in the West Bank, according to AP. Settler violence there has spiked since the start of the war in Gaza, where the ministers have been the most vocal in support of hardline policies. Iran executes 9 Islamic State militants linked to 2018 attack The five countries’ foreign ministers said that Ben-Gvir and Smotrich “have incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights." Meanwhile, Israel said it has been informed that the United Kingdom will sanction two of its Cabinet ministers. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar did not provide their names in public remarks. It appears the sanctions will target Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, two far-right champions of Israeli settlements in Palestinian areas. Ben-Gvir and Smotrich both acknowledged the sanctions on social media, and Smotrich confirmed he was a target.

Israel has launched an “extensive” ground operation across the Gaza Strip, as hospitals and medics report at least 140 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes since dawn on Sunday. Among the dead are dozens of children. The strikes have forced the closure of northern Gaza’s main hospital amid intensifying violence. At least 69 people were killed in Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip, according to health officials. One of the deadliest attacks occurred in al-Mawasi, in southern Gaza, where an Israeli strike hit a camp for displaced people, killing dozens—including children—while they were asleep in their tents, hospital sources said. Russia launches biggest drone attack on Ukraine since start of war This marks Israel’s largest offensive since it shattered a ceasefire in March. The operation began on Saturday, reportedly aimed at seizing territory and displacing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. The Israeli military has also called up tens of thousands of reservists in preparation for broader operations across both the north and south of Gaza. It remains unclear whether any zones have been designated as safe for civilians. Israel is pressuring Hamas to agree to a temporary ceasefire, one that would free hostages from Gaza but wouldn’t necessarily end the war. Hamas, however, says it wants a full withdrawal of Israeli forces and a path to ending the war as part of any deal. With inputs from AP, Al Jazeera

In his first reaction to Trump’s regional visit, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Trump wasn't truthful when he made claims about creating peace through power. “Trump said that he wanted to use power for peace, he lied. He and the US administration used power for massacre in Gaza, for waging wars in any place they could,” Khamenei said Saturday during a meeting with teachers broadcast on state television, reports AP. The US has provided Israel with 10-ton bombs to “drop on Gaza children, hospitals, houses of people in Lebanon and anywhere else when they can," Khamenei said. Khamenei, who has the final say on all Iranian state matters, reiterated his traditional stance against Israel. Israeli strikes kill 93 people in Gaza as Trump wraps up Middle East visit “Definitely, the Zionist regime is the spot of corruption, war, rifts. The Zionist regime that is lethal, dangerous, cancerous tumor should be certainly eradicated, and it will be," he said, adding that the US has imposed a pattern on Arab nations under which they cannot endeavour without US support. “Surely this model has failed. With efforts of the regional nations, the US should leave the region, and it will leave," Khamenei said. Meanwhile, regional leaders were to meet in Baghdad on Saturday at the annual summit of the Arab League, with the war in Gaza expected to once again loom large.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says there is “no way” Israel will halt its war in Gaza, even if a deal is reached to release more hostages. His comments are likely to complicate talks on a new ceasefire that had seemed to gain momentum after Hamas released the last living American hostage on Monday in a gesture to US President Donald Trump, who is visiting the region but skipping Israel, reports AP. They pointed to a potentially widening rift between Netanyahu and Trump, who had expressed hope that Monday’s release of Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander would be a step toward ending the 19-month war. In comments released by his office Tuesday from a visit to wounded soldiers the previous day, Netanyahu said Israeli forces were just days away from a promised escalation of force and would enter Gaza “with great strength to complete the mission. ... It means destroying Hamas.” Any ceasefire deal reached would be temporary, the prime minister said. If Hamas were to say they would release more hostages, “we’ll take them, and then we’ll go in. But there will be no way we will stop the war,” Netanyahu said. “We can make a ceasefire for a certain period of time, but we’re going to the end.” UN chief urges nations to pay peacekeeping dues Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in return for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The dispute over whether to end the conflict has been the main obstacle in negotiations going back more than a year. Israel says 58 hostages remain in captivity, with as many as 23 of them said to be alive, although authorities have expressed concern about the condition of three of them. Many of the 250 hostages taken by Hamas-led militants in the October 7, 2023 attack that started the war were freed in ceasefire deals.