Gaza live: Fresh Israeli order forces over 170,000 Palestinians to leave their homes

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has accused Defence Minister Yoav Gallant of adopting an "anti-Israel narrative". 

In a Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee session in the Israeli parliament, Gallant explained why Israel had not yet initiated a war with Lebanon, stating that the current conditions were "unlike" those in October of last year.

"I hear all the heroes with the war drums, the ‘absolute victory’ and this nonsense," Gallant added, referring to the war slogan popularised by Netanyahu. 

In response, Netanyahu's office said: "When Gallant adopts the anti-Israeli narrative, he harms the chances of reaching a deal for the release of the hostages."

"He should have criticised [Hamas leader Yahya] Sinwar, who refuses to send a delegation for negotiations and remains the only obstacle to a hostage deal," the statement continued. 

"Israel has only one option: to achieve a decisive victory, which means eliminating Hamas' military and governmental capabilities and freeing our hostages – and this victory will be achieved."

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday called Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, according to a Turkish statement. 

Fidan told his counterpart that the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and the ongoing massacre of Palestinians showed once again that Israel was not willing to establish peace.

Stating that Hamas had previously displayed a constructive attitude towards a ceasefire, Fidan said that pressure should be put on Israel for a permanent truce.

He also said that the increasing tensions in the region were concerning and urged Israel to avoid provocative steps that would cause further escalation. 

Police in the UK have used powers under the Terrorism Act to detain six pro-Palestine activists involved in a direct action protest against an Israel-owned arms factory. 

Last week, members of Palestine Action were arrested after crashing a modified prison van into an Elbit Systems factory in the Filton area of Bristol. 

Video footage shared by the group showed activists spraying red paint and using sledgehammers to damage machinery inside the facility.

Under the Terrorism Act, police can detain individuals for up to seven days, with the possibility of extending this period by an additional 14 days without formal charges.

In response to the arrests, dozens of pro-Palestine activists staged a protest outside Hammersmith Police Station on Sunday, where some of the detainees were taken after their arrest. 

Read more: UK police detain Palestine Action activists under Terrorism Act

Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich fired back at EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell following Borrell's threat of sanctions against Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.

On Sunday night, Borrell accused Smotrich and Ben Gvir of making "sinister statements" that he deemed incitements to war crimes, declaring: "Sanctions must be on our EU agenda."

Smotrich took to X to respond on Monday, accusing Borrell of siding "with terror". 

"In order to appease Hamas supporters in Europe, Borrell has decided he’s even willing to sacrifice the people of Gaza just so he can attack Israel while it fights the war of the entire western civilisation against the barbaric genocidal Hamas as well as the Iranian axis of evil that threatens western society in its entirety," Smotrich said. 

"There will be a time in which Europe will be ashamed of Borrell and the double standard that he and many of his friends have applied to Israel while siding with actual terrorists," he added. 

"This war requires the choice between good and evil, and clearly, Borrell has chosen the wrong side of history."

Borrell, who doesn’t stop misleading the public by claiming that the IDF’s retaliatory bombing in Gaza is worse than that of Nazi Germany, and who had the audacity to call the IDF’s Operation Arnon aimed at rescuing the hostages a “massacre of the Palestinian people” has clearly… https://t.co/VWIiYd3EQT

— בצלאל סמוטריץ' (@bezalelsm) August 12, 2024

Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks on Tuesday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who is currently visiting Russia, according to Russian state news agency TASS.

Israeli forces detained 12 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank overnight and on Monday morning, including several former prisoners.

The Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS) said in a joint statement that the arrests took place in Jenin, Hebron, Ramallah, Qalqilya and Jericho.

More than 10,000 Palestinians have been detained in the occupied West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem since 7 October, according to the statement. 

The Israeli Air Force has suspended international travel for its personnel, an Israeli military spokesperson said on Monday.

This move comes amid growing speculation about a potential attack on Israel by Iran and its allies, following the killing of senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah.

The Israeli military's safety instructions for the general public remain unchanged, according to Reuters.

 Swiss International Air Lines has extended its suspension of flights to and from Tel Aviv and Beirut until 21 August, the airline said on Monday.

The airline added that it would avoid the airspace over Iran, Iraq and Israel until that date due to escalating tensions in the region. 

The number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in Gaza since 7 October has risen to 39,897, the Palestinian health ministry said on Monday. 

The ministry also reported that at least 92,152 have been wounded in the enclave since the war began.

Hamas’ armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility for a shooting near an illegal settlement in the Jordan Valley, occupied West Bank.

Israeli security forces said one settler was killed and another injured in the attack on a passing vehicle.

Israeli forces have conducted several raids across the West Bank since then. 

Air France and its low-cost subsidiary Transavia have extended their suspension of flights to Beirut until Wednesday, 14 August.

The flights have been suspended since 29 July due to escalating tensions in the region, with clashes between Hezbollah and Israel intensifying and the region bracing for potential responses from Iran and Hezbollah following Israel's recent assassinations.

Hamas has urged mediators to focus on implementing the ceasefire deal currently on the table rather than initiating new talks, which it says aims to provide Israel with “cover” to continue its war on Gaza. 

The call, made on Sunday, comes days after US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators invited Israel and Hamas to attend a summit on 15 August to finalise an agreement. 

While Hamas did not confirm whether it would participate or boycott the meeting, the Palestinian movement appeared to doubt participating. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been accused of blocking a ceasefire and perpetuating the war, said he would send a negotiations team to the summit. 

READ MORE: Hamas demands implementation of Biden truce outline instead of more talks

The UK, France and Germany issued a joint statement warning Iran not to attack Israel as the region braces for potential responses from Iran and Hezbollah following Israel's recent high-level assassinations.

"We are deeply concerned by the heightened tensions in the region and united in our commitment to de-escalation and regional stability," the statement reads.

"In this context, and in particular, we call on Iran and its allies to refrain from attacks that would further escalate regional tensions and jeopardise the opportunity to agree [to] a ceasefire and the release of hostages," it continued, referring to the ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

The countries warned Iran that should it attack, it would "bear responsibility for actions that jeopardise this opportunity for peace and stability".

Good morning Middle East Eye readers,

Here are the latest updates:

• Israel launched intense air raids on areas east of Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, which over 75,000 Palestinians were forced to flee. Al Jazeera reports that at least three people were killed, including a paramedic
• Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets into northern Israel, with the Israeli army saying over 30 rockets were fired without causing any damage
• The Israeli army announced the death of a another soldier in southern Gaza
• US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered the deployment of a guided missile submarine to the Middle East amid escalating tensions in the region, the Pentagon says
• The EU's foreign policy chief said the bloc should consider sanctioning Israeli ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich for "incitement to war crimes"

Our live coverage from Gaza will shortly be closing until tomorrow morning.

Here are some of the day's key developments:

• Hamas has claimed responsibility for the shooting attack in Jordan Valley earlier today that killed one Israeli and wounded another, saying it comes as a revenge of the killing of more than 100 people in Tabin school in Gaza
• EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell says far-right Israeli ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich should be sanctioned for making statements that are incitement to war crimes
• Hamas said it has asked mediators to offer a plan that is based on previous negotiations instead of starting a new round of talks on a Gaza ceasefire deal, and senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan says the group will not allow Israel to dictate how the process of the ceasefire deal advances.
• Hezbollah confirms the killing of three of its fighters in multiple Israeli attacks, and Israeli army says it has raided the village of Taybeh in the south of Lebanon.
• Turkish energy company, ,Zorlu Energy Group, says it is continuing on efforts to sell its 25% stake at the Israeli Dorad Natural Gas Power Plant, in which they have been a partner in Israel since 2003. 
• Official figures from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics reveal that approximately 24 percent of those killed in Gaza since Israel launched its war on the besieged enclave are aged between 18 and 29.