Pauses in fighting not enough to alleviate suffering in Gaza: UK foreign minister

While the United Kingdom’s Foreign Minister David Lammy welcomed today’s announcements from the Israeli military, he said that they were “long overdue”.

“Access to aid must therefore be urgently accelerated over the coming hours and days,” Lammy said.

“This announcement alone cannot alleviate the needs of those desperately suffering in Gaza,” he added. “We need a ceasefire that can end the war, for hostages to be released and aid to enter Gaza by land unhindered.”

“Whilst airdrops will help to alleviate the worst of the suffering, land routes serve as the only viable and sustainable means of providing aid into Gaza,” Lammy continued. “These measures must be fully implemented and further barriers on aid removed. The world is watching.”

Germany’s Merz calls on Netanyahu to increase aid to Gaza during phone call

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke to Netanyahu in a phone call to urge the Israeli leader to quickly provide aid to Palestinians in Gaza.

According to a German government statement, Merz “expressed his deep concern about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza”.

“[Merz] called on Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu to do everything in his power to achieve an immediate ceasefire. He urged him to provide the starving civilian population in Gaza with urgently needed humanitarian aid now,” the statement said.

“This aid must reach the civilian population quickly, safely, and in the required quantities,” it added.

Netanyahu promises to advance fighting, continue negotiations on Gaza

During an ongoing “tactical pause” in Gaza to allow aid deliveries, Netanyahu says Israeli forces are continuing to fight in Gaza.

“Let it be clear that we will achieve our goal and destroy Hamas,” Netanyahu said.

“In order to achieve the goal of defeating Hamas and returning our kidnapped soldiers, we are advancing the fighting and conducting negotiations. Whatever path we choose, we will be forced to allow the entry of essential humanitarian aid,” he added.

Netanyahu’s comments came days after he withdrew his negotiating team from Doha, where ceasefire negotiations were taking place.

US ambassador says pressure to let in aid has ’emboldened Hamas’

US diplomat to Israel Mike Huckabee has said that bodies and organisations such as the UN, The New York Times, and Hamas have used “lies and propaganda” to discredit the GHF and sow chaos in Gaza. Experts and international organisations overwhelmingly attribute growing famine and the breakdown of civil society in Gaza to Israel’s blockage of nearly all food entering the enclave.

“Is the UN, NY Times, and Hamas all happy now?” Huckabee, a longtime Israel supporter and evangelical minister, said in response to a video of hungry people in Gaza climbing onto a truck bringing aid into the Gaza Strip.

“I’m sure Hamas is. Their lies and propaganda destroyed the cease-fire deal, tried to discredit safe and functioning GHF effort, emboldened Hamas and will result in this complete balagan [chaos]! Most sad for hostage families-grief prolonged.”

More than 300 Israeli academics call for end to ‘atrocities’ in Gaza

The senior academics – numbering 341 in total – said they could not “stand idly by while actions leading to a global-scale disaster are carried out in our name”.

Their message, as reported by the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, was addressed to the Israeli government, the Israeli army, and the general public.

“Stop the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. Medical aid, food, and water must be allowed in immediately, and the firing on unarmed civilians must cease,” they said.

Israelis feel international community ‘has lost patience’

Meron Rapoport, journalist and editor at Local Call and +972, says Israeli society feels mounting pressure over the Israeli government’s blockage of humanitarian aid to the Strip.

“People are feeling that the international community has lost patience with Israel,” Rapoport told Al Jazeera, adding that they see reports on international media regarding the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Strip and see the growing number of incidents involving confrontations of Israeli tourists around the world.

“There are also people in Israel who say this [what is happening in Gaza] will harm Israel for decades,” Rapoport said, noting that there is a growing number of demonstrators taking to the streets to end the war.

Israeli NGO says aid concessions far from an ‘adequate response’

Gisha, an Israeli organisation that advocates for freedom of movement for Palestinians in Gaza, says Israeli concessions to allow more aid into the Strip are steps to bring about a “minimal” increase in humanitarian assistance.

“The ‘humanitarian pauses’ in certain areas recently announced by Israel, as well as the resumption of airdropping a minimal amount of aid – are far from providing an adequate response to the humanitarian catastrophe Israel has created in the Gaza Strip,” the group said in a social media post. “This disaster could and should have been prevented.”

Mothers suffer from ‘severe malnutrition’ amid blockade

Children are not the only ones suffering from the ongoing hunger crisis. Last week, the World Health Organization reported that more than 20 percent of pregnant and breastfeeding women in Gaza are suffering from malnutrition.

Falestine Ahmed, a mother in Gaza, told Al Jazeera she went to al-Awda Hospital due to weight loss. “I used to weigh 57kg [126 pounds], now I weigh 42kg [93 pounds], and both my son and I have been diagnosed with severe malnutrition,” she said. “We barely have any food at home, and even when it’s available, it’s far too expensive for us to afford.”

Israeli attacks kill four in Gaza City, Khan Younis

At least four people were killed and others injured after Israeli forces targeted civilians in Gaza City and Khan Younis, Wafa reported, citing medical sources.

According to a source at al-Ahli Hospital, a woman was killed in an Israeli air strike near Salah al-Din Mosque in the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City.

Moreover, a source at the Nasser Medical Complex said one person was killed after an air strike northwest of Khan Younis, southern Gaza.

Two others were killed in an attack on the Ramida area of Bani Suheila.

Freedom Flotilla says Handala crew detained for 8 hours

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) says the Handala crew has been “illegally detained by Israel for over 8 hours following their kidnapping in international waters”.

“According to our information, the crew was detained and taken by force to an Israeli port,” the FFC said in a post on social media.

As we reported earlier, the FFC said it lost all communications with the Handala after Israeli forces cut the cameras on board the ship at 11:43pm local time (20:43 GMT) on Saturday.

Handala vessel brought to Ashdod port: Report

The Freedom Flotilla’s Handala vessel has been brought to the port of Ashdod by Israeli forces, a day after they seized the boat in international waters and detained the crew.

The Israeli legal rights centre Adalah told the AFP news agency that its lawyers were in Ashdod, trying to speak with the detained 21-member crew, which includes two French parliamentarians and two Al Jazeera journalists.

“After 12 hours at sea, following the unlawful interception of the Handala, Israeli authorities confirmed the vessel’s arrival at Ashdod port,” Adalah said.

“Despite repeated demands, Israeli authorities have refused to allow Adalah’s lawyers access to the detained activists to provide legal consultation,” it continued.

“Adalah reiterates that the activists aboard the Handala were part of a peaceful civilian mission to break through Israel’s illegal blockade on Gaza. The vessel was intercepted in international waters and their detention constitutes a clear violation of international law.”

Israel’s Latest Freedom Flotilla Ambush Has Backfired Already!

There's nothing quite like trying to paint a ship carrying nappies & baby milk as an existential threat to make you look stupid is there Israel... Right, so Israel would have you believe that powdered milk and nappies pose an existential threat to its security.

That is, if you accept the logic that a British-flagged trawler stuffed with baby formula is somehow some kind of urgent target, but it’s hardly the first time is it? This is however apparently the logic of the Gaza blockade, where feeding starving infants is treated as subversion, and unarmed humanitarian workers are kidnapped at gunpoint in international waters.

The Handala—a former Norwegian trawler turned lifeline for Gaza’s children—wasn’t sailing under cover of darkness to smuggle weapons; it livestreamed its entire voyage to prove exactly what it was carrying. But when your war strategy depends on starving 100,000 babies into submission, even milk powder becomes contraband. And while Israel dispatched drones and commandos to silence the ship, Britain—whose flag it carried and whose citizen, Chloé Ludden, now sits in detention—did precisely nothing again.

Starving babies is not fighting Hamas. But it is a war crime—and those who stand by, from Tel Aviv to Downing Street, are not bystanders. They are collaborators. The recent interception of the Handala ship raises serious questions about Israel's actions and the international community's response. The ship, carrying aid for Gaza children, was treated as a security threat, highlighting the ongoing Gaza blockade. This situation underscores the dire middle east humanitarian crisis and the need for accountability. The lack of intervention raises concerns about complicity in potential war crimes.

It's been clear for a long time that the UK is complicit. Starmer and Lammy to the ICC.

Starvation Grips Gaza

Join us for a critical webinar where we will expose the impact of famine and deliberate starvation on our colleagues, their patients, and every living being in Gaza.

‘With Famine, No Electricity, Fuel, Water, No Family, How Are You Going To Survive?’ in Gaza

After over 21 months of Israel’s brutal assault on Gaza, the humanitarian crisis in the Strip has reached its worst point yet. 94% of Gaza’s hospitals have been destroyed or damaged. Dozens of children have died from malnutrition. And Israeli troops continue to kill scores of Palestinians as they try to receive food from the so-called “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.”

In this second part of Zeteo’s live ‘Unshocked,’ Dr. Yasser Khan – a Canadian ophthalmologist and plastic surgeon who has traveled twice to Gaza since October 7, 2023 – describes to Mehdi and Naomi how Israel’s humanitarian assault on Gaza has turned injuries and disabilities in Gaza into, “a death sentence.”

Dr. Yasser Khan: “It was horrific, the most horrific things that I've ever seen.” In the interview, Dr. Khan shares the stories of his many patients, the vast majority of whom he says were women and children. Dr. Khan also discusses how upon returning from Gaza, many of his colleagues in the medical field refused to believe such stories, with some even going out of their way to tell him that, “‘he’s done nothing to be a hero.’”  Dr. Khan explains how he came to the conclusion that what he was seeing in Gaza was indeed a genocide and why he takes so much inspiration from the people in Gaza.

Mehdi, Naomi, and Dr. Khan also take questions from a live audience.

Children in Gaza unable to digest food after starvation, even as Israel allows aid, expert says

Israel said on Sunday it would halt military operations each day for 10 hours in parts of Gaza and will allow new aid corridors in the shattered enclave, where images of hungry Palestinians have alarmed the world.

Paris-based aid group Medecins Sans Frontières' Amande Bazerolle said, reaching the most vulnerable people during a pause in Israel’s military operations would be a big challenge and treating malnourished patients would take time. She said it was about time that Israel announced a pause, but “it’s not enough,” urging a ceasefire to ensure the flow of aid supplies in Gaza. Hundreds of Palestinians were seen in Beit Lahiya, carrying bags of flour and aid that entered Gaza through Israel on Sunday.

Bob Geldof claims Israel 'lying' about Gaza aid

Bob Geldof's accused the Israeli government of lying - after a spokesperson claimed food shortages in Gaza were 'engineered by Hamas'. David Mencer insisted aid was flowing into the Gaza strip through the Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. But groups including the UN and Doctors Without Borders say there's mass starvation, and around a quarter of young children and pregnant women are malnourished.

In a statement to Sky News, an Israeli security official said that "despite the false claims that are being spread, the State of Israel does not limit the number of humanitarian aid trucks entering the Gaza Strip".

You know you're doing the right thing when Israel summons your ambassador. 

Israel summons French diplomat over plans to recognise Palestinian state

The Israeli news outlet Ynet has reported that the head of the French embassy was reprimanded by Israeli Foreign Ministry Director General Eden Bar Tal, after French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France will recognise a Palestinian state in the coming months.

“The Director General said in the meeting that France chose to harm Israel at its most difficult time,” the Foreign Ministry said.

“In doing so, France directly harmed the negotiations for the return of the kidnapped and a ceasefire, as well as any political negotiations that will take place in the future.”

Hamas says it offered ‘every possible flexibility’ in ceasefire talks

The leader of Hamas in Gaza, Khalil al-Hayya, has said that Israel’s decision to withdraw from recent ceasefire talks was aimed at “wasting time” while the genocide in Gaza continues.

“We achieved clear progress in the last round of negotiations and largely agreed with what the mediators offered us, especially on the issue of withdrawal, prisoners and the entry of aid,” said al-Hayya, adding that the group had offered “every possible flexibility”.

“The occupation’s withdrawal from the last round of negotiations and the US envoy’s acquiescence are a blatant move aimed at wasting time and committing further genocide against our people,” he said.

Last week, Israel announced it was recalling its negotiators from Doha or “further consultations”, after Hamas issued what it said was a positive response to the latest proposal presented to it.

Israeli lawmaker: ‘No aid, only migration’ for Palestinians in Gaza

Tzvika Fogel, the chairman of the Israeli parliament’s National Security Committee, tells a local radio station that Palestinians in Gaza “should not be given anything”, as Israel began today to deliver marginally more aid to the starving population.

“The only humanitarian thing I would give them is voluntary migration”, he continued. “The moment we do that, we get closer to victory.”

Reports indicate that Israel is making contacts with nations around the world, trying to find one that will accept a mass population transfer from Gaza.

Netanyahu: Israel ‘forced’ to allow aid entry

In a video statement posted on X, the Israeli prime minister has said that Israel will achieve its goal of “destroying Hamas”. “In order to achieve the goal of defeating Hamas and returning our kidnapped soldiers, we are advancing the fighting and conducting negotiations,” he said.

“Whatever path we choose, we will be forced to allow the entry of essential humanitarian aid.”

The statement comes as Israel eases restrictions on the entry of food into the enclave in the face of global outcry over its forced starvation policy, under which dozens of people have already died of hunger.

Always playing the victim.

UNRWA renews call for long-term ceasefire

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has said that it is ready to distribute aid throughout Gaza, where starvation deaths continue to rise.

“Our teams are ready: UNRWA has over 10,000 staff in Gaza. When aid gets in, they will give it directly and with dignity and safety to the communities we serve. We have the reach, network, know-how and the trust of those communities,” UNRWA said in a social media post.

“Meanwhile, we call once again for a long-term ceasefire as part of an agreement that would bring respite to starving people, an uninterrupted flow of basic supplies as well as the release of all hostages.”

Gaza authorities say famine ‘expanding’, becoming more ‘brutal’

In a statement, Gaza’s Government Media Office says that only 73 aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip today, far short of the 600 trucks that major international humanitarian organisations say are needed, at minimum, to stem the mass starvation already taking place.

The media office also said that the meagre aid airdropped by Israel into Gaza landed in dangerous combat zones, and was watched over by Israeli forces.

“We witnessed three airdrops, which combined did not equal the load of two truckloads of aid,” the statement says.

“What is happening is a farce in which the international community is complicit through false promises or misleading information.”

Group of US senators express ‘grave concern’ over GHF operations in Gaza

A group of 20 US senators have penned a letter to State Secretary Marco Rubio expressing “grave concern” over US support for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in the Strip, where Israeli forces and contractors have been systematically attacking Palestinians waiting for aid.

“Blurring the lines between delivery of aid and security operations shatters well-established norms that have governed distribution of humanitarian aid since the ratification of the Geneva Conventions in 1949,” the letter states.

“We urge you to immediately cease all US funding for GHF and resume support for existing UN-led aid coordination mechanisms and enhanced oversight to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches civilians in need.”