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

Russia's security council secretary, Sergei Shoigu, arrived in Tehran on Monday for talks with the Iranian leadership including President Masoud Pezeshkian, Russia's Interfax news agency reported.

The visit is taking place at a time of acute tension in the Middle East amid fears of a wider regional war after Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, was assassinated in Tehran last week.

Iran has blamed Israel and said it will "punish" it; Israeli officials have not claimed responsibility.

Shoigu, who was Russia's defence minister before being moved to the security council in May, will also meet Iran's national security chief and the head of the general staff, Interfax said.

Reporting by Reuters

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Monday called for an urgent de-escalation in the Middle East over fears that the Gaza war could spread.

"I am deeply worried about the rising risk of a wider conflict in the Middle East and plead with all parties, along with those states with influence, to act urgently to de-escalate what has become a very precarious situation," said Turk in a statement.

Iran on Monday said it had the "legal right to punish" Israel over last week's killing of Palestinian armed group Hamas' political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

Reporting by AFP.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said it delivered 32 tons of Trauma and Emergency Surgical Kits and medications to Lebanon as part of their "emergency prepositioning" of medical supplies "in case of any escalation on the ground".

WHO delivered 32 tons of Trauma and Emergency Surgical Kits and medications to #Lebanon as part of the emergency prepositioning of medical supplies to referral hospitals through the @mophleb in case of any escalation on the ground. pic.twitter.com/H3tvaM2DLu

— WHO Lebanon (@WHOLebanon) August 5, 2024

The Israeli army has returned the bodies of 84 Palestinians to Gaza through the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing.

According to Al Jazeera, the bodies were handed over with the participation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Palestinian Civil Defence in Gaza.

They were delivered to the Nasser hospital before being buried in Khan Younis, where Al Jazeera says mass graves were being dug to bury them.

The Times of Israel says the army had taken the bodies for identification, to check whether there were Israeli captives among them.

تجهيز وحفر القبر الجماعي في المقبرة التركية بخانيونس لدفن 80 جثة قام الاحتلال بتسليمها بعد وقت دام على احتجازها pic.twitter.com/ezebmP2c5f

— Alhadath Newspaper|صحيفة الحدث الفلسطيني (@Alhadath_news1) August 5, 2024

Gaza's health ministry said that 39,623 Palestinians in the enclave have been killed by Israel since 7 October, 40 of them in the last 24 hours.

Additionally, 91,469 have been wounded since the start of the war.

Nearly half of Hamas' military battalions in northern and central Gaza have rebuilt some of their fighting capabilities at least once, a CNN investigation has found.

The research, covering the Palestinian group's activity until July, finds that while Israel inflicted heavy damage on Hamas, "its units have managed to reconstitute and shift to guerrilla tactics in areas of Gaza declared 'cleared' by the Israeli military", CNN journalist Allegra Goodwin posted on X.

Hamas is likely to continue regrouping and reorganising, as Israel lacks a long-term military plan and a ceasefire does not appear to be in sight, Goodwin said.

Our research, which covers Hamas’ activities up until July, shows that while Israel has dealt a heavy blow to the militant group, its units have managed to reconstitute and shift to guerrilla tactics in areas of Gaza declared “cleared” by the Israeli military pic.twitter.com/4VmcEaB4nZ

— Allegra Goodwin (@goodwinallegra) August 5, 2024

Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich complained about Israel's obligation to allow humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, saying the international communtiy would not let them leave millions of Palestinians to die of hunger.

"We are bringing in aid because there is no choice," he said at a conference hosted by the Israel Hayom outlet. "We can’t, in the current global reality, manage a war. Nobody will let us cause 2 million civilians to die of hunger even though it might be justified and moral until our hostages are returned. Humanitarian in exchange for humanitarian is morally justified, but what can we do? We live today in a certain reality, we need international legitimacy for this war."

The Israeli army says that 15 rockets were launched from the southern Gaza Strip into Israeli kibbutzim near the border.

One truck driver was lightly injured by a rocket impact near Kibbutz Re’im, medics said.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson, Nasser Kanaani, said that while his country is not looking to escalate regional tensions, "punishing Israel is necessary".

The statement comes as the region awaits Iran's response to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

The head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Hossein Salami, said Israel will realise it made a "mistake in its calculations" once it receives Iran's "decisive response".

"They will see when, where and how they will receive a response," he added.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on X that Israel has expanded the construction of settlements "to remove the threat" of Palestinian statehood.

The far-right minister stated that "this agenda" would be blocked through "strengthening settlements in construction, development, establishment and regulation of settlements and infrastructure".

"Stopping the Arab takeover of the open areas, fighting the terrorist financing of the Palestinian Authority and its leaders and complete Israeli control of the territory [the occupied West Bank]. This is the only way," Smotrich added.

Western countries, including the US, have repeatedly expressed support for the creation of a Palestinian state within the framework of a two-state solution.

מדינה פלסטינית זה להפקיר חלילה את מרכז הארץ לנאצים ולטבח הבא. אנחנו פועלים בשטח להסיר את האיום הזה מסדר היום כדי להבטיח ביטחון גם עבור תושבי קו התפר, גוש דן ובכל מקום במדינה. אנחנו עושים זאת דרך חיזוק התיישבות בבניה, פיתוח, הקמה והסדרה של ישובים ותשתיות, עצירת ההשתלטות הערבית על… pic.twitter.com/E5BOVvoeX2

— בצלאל סמוטריץ' (@bezalelsm) August 5, 2024

Japan becomes the latest country to urge citizens to leave Lebanon, as fears of an all-out war have peaked in recent days.

The statement from the Japanese foreign ministry comes as the region anticipates Hezbollah and Iran's response to Israel's double assassinations last week.

Wafaa Nayef Jarrar, a 50-year-old woman, has succumbed to her wounds following her arrest by Israeli forces from her home in the occupied West Bank two months ago.

Shortly after arresting her in Jenin on 21 May, Israeli forces said Jarrar was injured and taken to the Emek Medical Centre in Afula, northern Israel.

Her injuries were severe, leading to the amputation of her legs above the knee and a series of injuries to her body.

Good morning Middle East Eye readers,

Here are the latest updates:

• As the region braces for Iran and Hezbollah's response to Israel's major assassinations, Axios says US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told G7 counterparts that the retaliation could take place as early as Monday
• Israel continued its bombing of northern and central Gaza, hitting Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and the Nuseirat refugee camp
• US President Joe Biden is expected to speak with Jordan's King Abdullah and convene his national security team to discuss the escalating tensions in the Middle East
• An Israeli army officer and a soldier were moderately wounded in a Hezbollah rocket attack near Ayelet HaShahar in northern Israel, the Israeli military says