Main events on July 12th

• Israeli forces killed at least 110 Palestinians, including 34 aid seekers.
• Israel aggressively bombarded Beit Hanoon in northern Gaza, with about 40 air strikes reported in the early evening.
• Israeli strikes hit residential buildings in Jabalia, killing at least 15 people.
• An Israeli strike in Khiam in southern Lebanon killed at least one person; Israel said it targeted a Hezbollah member.
• The Reuters news agency is reporting that ceasefire talks in Qatar are stalling over the extent of Israeli forces’ withdrawal from the Strip.
• Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad have claimed several attacks against Israeli forces in Gaza City and Khan Younis.

Gaza aid effort turns deadly under Israeli fire

Desperation turns deadly in Gaza. Palestinians seeking aid were killed near a so-called safe zone in Rafah, as Israel pushes a ceasefire shaped more by bulldozers than diplomacy.

It's not an aid effort... It's using aid as bait.

41 people arrested at protest supporting Palestine Action

41 people have been arrested at a protest in London supporting the banned group Palestine Action.

PIJ official says discussions on Israeli withdrawal from Gaza ‘currently stalled’

We’ve been speaking to an official at the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), an armed group that fights alongside Hamas in Gaza, about the ongoing ceasefire talks in Qatar.

Muhammad al-Hindi, the group’s deputy secretary-general, said the current talks are aimed at reaching a framework agreement that addresses three main issues: the end of Israel’s war, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip, and mechanisms for the safe distribution of aid.

He said Israel wants to move on to discussing the details of the release of Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners before reaching an agreement on the main issues.

“What we are currently discussing is a framework agreement,” al-Hindi said.

“The framework agreement revolves around three basic points. The first issue is the cessation of aggression. This requires guarantees. We do not trust any guarantees because of past experience. The United States provided guarantees, but after Israel took its prisoners, it did not comply,” he said.

“The second issue is the withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. This is currently stalled. The Americans say we will postpone discussions on this point and begin talking about the prisoners’ issue. But the prisoners’ issue is not part of the framework. In the framework, we must agree on the withdrawal, which is a fundamental issue. Because if Israel wants to take Rafah and put up tents on the ruins of Rafah to cram in, starve, and oppress people, this is not a framework agreement,” he continued.

“The third issue is the mechanism for distributing aid. Are we going to legislate the death traps that everyone sees in the agreement? Are we going to say we agree to the death traps remaining? Today, so many people were killed while trying to get aid. No one can agree to this,” al-Hindi said. “We want to protect our people, not to offer these victims as easy prey for Israeli planes that bomb and kill them all the time.”

The official added that the Palestinian resistance will not sign any agreement that leads to surrender and the annexation of large areas of the Gaza Strip.

Israeli media report stalled ceasefire negotiations

There was a suggestion from the US envoy Steve Witkoff for the Israeli and Palestinian sides to put aside the outstanding issues, the stumbling blocks, and talk about details. But that’s not going to work because talking about implementing a ceasefire without agreeing on the framework of that ceasefire, which is where the ceasefire talks are at, really defeats the purpose.

For now, the Israeli side seems to be stuck on the idea that Israel needs to maintain absolute control over Rafah and the Morag Corridor.

This is something that Palestinian groups, especially Hamas, have said that they cannot accept because not only would it legitimise and normalise the occupation but also the taking-over of Rafah and about 40 percent of Gaza. It would also open the way for that mass expulsion plan that Israel has been talking about.

Israeli opposition leader takes aim at Rafah ‘humanitarian city’ plan

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz is reporting that opposition leader Yair Lapid has commented on the proposal to make Rafah a so-called humanitarian city for Gaza’s entire population, saying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “is letting [Finance Minister Bezalel] Smotrich and [National Security Minister Itamar] Ben-Gvir run wild with extremist delusions just to preserve his coalition”.

“With the 15 billion [shekels ($4.5bn)] that Smotrich’s humanitarian city in Rafah will cost, it would be possible to reduce the size of our children’s classrooms, lower the prices of fuel and public transportation, subsidise daycare centres and kindergartens,” Lapid was quoted as saying.

“Instead of stealing the middle class’s money, end the war and return the hostages,” he concluded.

On Monday, Defence Minister Israel Katz unveiled plans to establish the “humanitarian city” to house Gaza’s 2.1 million Palestinians on the ruins of Rafah. Rights groups, international organisations and several nations have slammed the plan, saying it lays the ground for “ethnic cleansing”.

Germany’s Merz decries Israel’s plan for forced relocation of Gaza’s population

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has criticised Israel’s plan to relocate 600,000 Palestinians to an internment camp built on the ruins of Rafah in southern Gaza.

“The way things are currently happening in the Gaza Strip is unacceptable,” Merz said during an interview with public broadcaster ARD, reiterating his call for increased humanitarian aid and a ceasefire.

“I have not liked what the Israeli government has been doing in the Gaza Strip for many weeks now. I have also expressed that,” the conservative leader said.

“I hope that we Europeans, together with the Americans, can bring about a solution that ultimately leads to a two-state solution. The Palestinians have a right to have a place where they can live,” Merz said.

Germany has offered unflinching military and diplomatic support for Israel for the majority of its war on Gaza, which multiple international bodies have described as a genocide.

You were fine with what they were doing before??? Glad building concentration camps is finally waking you up... But probably just more empty words while continuing to send weapons to Israel and block and action in the EU parliament.

Netanyahu accuses Hamas, says war goals remain unchanged

Benjamin Netanyahu claims that he accepted US envoy Steve Witkoff’s proposal for a truce and exchange agreement, but Hamas rejected it.

The Israeli prime minister said in a video posted online that his recent visit to Washington was “very successful”, hailing what he called a “major victory over Iran” during Israel’s 12-day war last month.

He rejected accusations that he has been obstructing the agreement, saying: “There are always those who repeat Hamas propaganda that I reject the deal, but they are always wrong. We accepted the deal proposed by Witkoff, and then the version proposed by the mediators, we accepted it, Hamas rejected it.”

Netanyahu added that Hamas seeks to remain in Gaza in order to rearm itself and attack Israel again, asserting: “I will not accept that. I will do everything to bring our kidnapped citizens home and eliminate Hamas.”

Netanyahu dismissed Israeli polls that show a majority of Israelis want a deal, and emphasised that the goals of the war in Gaza will not change.

Families of Israeli captives urge Netanyahu to accept ceasefire deal

Families of Israeli captives held in Gaza have accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of once again trying to create a “false impression” that reaching a comprehensive ceasefire agreement is impossible.

They say the government has “failed time and time again” in securing the return of captives due to “narrow political interests”.

“Over 80 percent of the people want an agreement that will bring an end to the fighting and the return of all the hostages,” they said in a statement. “Whoever sabotages such an agreement is acting maliciously against the will of the people of Israel for the sake of political survival.”

The remarks come shortly after Netanyahu placed blame on Hamas, claiming the group rejected the US proposal for a ceasefire.

Israeli attacks kill Palestinians at water distribution point

Gaza’s Civil Defence agency says Israeli air strikes have killed at least 27 Palestinians today, including 10 near a water distribution point.

Civil Defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told the AFP news agency that houses and shelters for displaced people were among the targets hit overnight.

_{Palestinians sit in the rubble of a house after an overnight Israeli strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on July 13}

Palestinians in Gaza seek GHF aid because it is the only option

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation [GHF] is running this monopoly of humanitarian aid distribution and has pushed aside all the other efficient, more organised and more trusted organisations.

Nearly 800 people have been killed while waiting for food parcels.

A person can pick up a food parcel for their family, but that is not nearly enough to feed hungry children and hungry family members, and that’s the tragedy.

People are forced to make these dangerous trips from northern Gaza, from Gaza City, all the way to Rafah city. They walk for 12 to 15km [7.5 to 9 miles], and it takes them a whole day. Some do that at night, sleeping inside bombed-out buildings, to get there as early as possible.

Despite all of these efforts to get there as early as possible, they are met with live ammunition and deliberate shooting by Israeli forces.

Market in Gaza City hit in deadly Israeli attack

Our colleagues on the ground are reporting that drones have targeted a group of Palestinians at a public market in Gaza, killing at least a dozen people and wounding many more.

Dr Ahmad Qandeel, a general surgery consultant working at al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City, was killed in the attack.

_{Palestinians receive medical treatment at al-Awda Hospital after an attack on a water refill point belonging to displaced Palestinians in the ‘New Camp’ area northwest of the Nuseirat camp, killing 10 people, including six children}

Israeli blockade, attacks affect water supply in Gaza

As we’ve been reporting, an Israeli attack has hit a water distribution centre in Gaza. At least 10 people have been killed in the attack. A crowd of people was at the site in Nuseirat when a drone fired a missile with at least six children among those killed.

People have been directly targeted several times in the past few months while trying to get water. Just 10 days ago, there was a small desalination plant serving as a place for the displaced which was bombed as well.

Much of the water infrastructure in Gaza has been destroyed by Israel, which also leads to many diseases and hygiene problems. Dozens of water sources, including wells and reservoirs, have been systematically ruined by the Israeli army, leaving many areas uninhabitable.

Water supplies have been cut to most of Gaza City. The municipality says dangerous conditions mean it can’t get to water mains or wells. Tens of thousands of people are without access to any water.

“We wait at the water plant for at least four hours because production is so slow. Whatever we get, we hand out at displacement camps. As you know, they’re overwhelmed,” Ahmed Abed said. “People line up for hours from dawn, but many leave empty-handed.”

Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim al-Khalili, reporting from Gaza City, said: “Soon, even this may not be possible. Israel has blocked almost all fuel deliveries from entering Gaza since March 2. The shortage is threatening to halt operations at desalination plants, sewage treatment facilities and water delivery trucks.”

UN warns Gaza fuel shortage pushing aid response to brink of collapse

In a joint statement, eight UN agencies have warned that Gaza’s worsening fuel shortage is threatening to shut down critical humanitarian operations.

UNICEF, WHO, WFP, UNRWA, UNFPA, UNDP, OCHA, and UNOPS said without immediate fuel deliveries, essential services – including hospitals, water desalination, food distribution, and sanitation – could come to a halt.

“Without fuel, these lifelines will vanish for 2.1 million people,” the statement read, adding that hospitals are “already going dark”.

“Fuel must be allowed into Gaza in sufficient quantities and consistently to sustain life-saving operations.”

Death toll in Gaza market attack rises

Gaza Civil Defence says many injured near Khan Younis

Mahmoud Basal, the spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defence, says its teams have been dealing with multiple injuries as a result of two Israeli attacks. One attack targeted a displacement camp, and another a group of people in al-Mawasi near southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, he said.

Gaza media office says more than 800 aid seekers killed

Gaza’s Government Media office says the Israeli army and private US security contractors managing aid distribution sites are “systematically killing starving civilians”.

In a strongly worded statement, the office said that “genocide engineering is taking place under US sponsorship and with the participation of complicit states”, calling the aid sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) “death traps”.

According to an updated toll provided by the office:

What is happening in the occupied West Bank?

There have been several raids and attacks by Israeli forces and Israeli settlers across the occupied West Bank overnight and this morning:

Freedom Flotilla sends third ship to break Israel’s siege of Gaza

The coalition of pro-Palestine activists has launched the ship Handala from Italy on a journey towards Gaza.

Maria Elena, a member of the crew, said the group “will not stop until the siege is broken and Palestine is liberated”.

After the live broadcast on social media from the coastal city of Syracuse on Sicily, the ship, loaded with humanitarian aid, sailed towards the besieged enclave.

In May, the Freedom Flotilla dispatched Conscience, which was hit by Israeli-linked drones in international waters off Malta. There were no casualties, but the ship had to stop its mission.

In early June, Israeli soldiers stopped the Madleen, the next ship sent by the coalition, in international waters, boarded it and arrested those on board before taking them to Israel and then forcing them to leave. Those on board included Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and Rima Hassan, a member of the European Parliament from France.

We are setting sail again. On July 13, 2025 our boat #Handala will depart from Siracusa, Italy to break Israel’s illegal blockade. This mission is for the children of Gaza.

Just weeks ago, Israeli forces illegally seized our boat #Madleen and abducted 12 unarmed civilians aboard… pic.twitter.com/G4LjtpQg7Q

— Freedom Flotilla Coalition (@GazaFFlotilla) July 6, 2025

Iran confirms President Pezeshkian injured in air strike during war with Israel

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was injured in the leg during an Israeli air strike on June 16 that targeted a meeting of the Supreme National Security Council in western Tehran, the IRGC-linked Fars News Agency has revealed.

The strike, which marked a rare direct hit on Iran’s top leadership, reportedly involved six missiles aimed at blocking exits and cutting off ventilation in the underground site. Pezeshkian and other senior officials, including Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei, were forced to evacuate through an emergency hatch.

The report is the first official confirmation of injuries sustained by Iran’s leadership during the 12-day war with Israel. It also follows Pezeshkian’s recent interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson, where he said: “They did try [to assassinate me], yes… but they failed,” without previously confirming he was hurt.

Authorities say investigations are ongoing into possible insider collaboration with Israel. More than 700 people have been arrested, and a new espionage bill proposing the death penalty is being pushed through parliament.

Israel’s planned concentration camp in Rafah may be prohibitively expensive: Report

The Israeli Broadcasting Authority reports that the estimated cost of establishing Israel’s so-called “humanitarian city” in the Gaza Strip, which the United Nations has said would actually be a concentration camp, amounts to approximately 20 billion shekels (just over $6bn) for the first year alone, according to preliminary estimates prepared by the security system and submitted to the Ministry of Finance.

The report explained that this amount includes the operation and maintenance of the city, which is supposed to accommodate about 600,000 Palestinians from the sector, and to provide education, social services, and waste collection, among other services.

According to the news outlet, the ministries of finance and defence were asked to prepare “less costly” alternatives, including reducing services or merely levelling the ground without establishing complete infrastructure, leaving residents to manage their affairs themselves, in an attempt to reduce spending.

The report indicated that the plan will be discussed tonight with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, amid proposals to establish the city in an area between the Morag axis and Rafah. However, the report warned that the project could be cancelled entirely if Israel agrees to withdraw from Morag as part of any potential prisoner exchange deal.

American tax payers will pay for it...

Lapid: ‘Humanitarian city’ is a bad idea

Israeli opposition politician Yair Lapid has come out against Israel’s plans to concentrate a significant percentage of the population of Gaza in Rafah.

“A bad idea from every possible perspective – security, political, economic, logistical, the [Israeli army] of course opposes it loudly; there is nothing good in it except an attempt to create a process that will ultimately leave Israel in Gaza out of no choice”, he said, according to Israeli Army Radio.