Live: 54 Palestinians killed, 831 wounded in 24 hours

Time and again, western political elites and opinion leaders have blamed Israel's "far-right" government for atrocities committed in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. 

Given that Israel is often given a free pass in the West, it is notable that some criticism is finally being directed at Israeli policy. But much of this critique has focused narrowly on the right-wing coalition currently in power - particularly Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich - while ignoring the broader political apparatus and societal consensus that enables and supports ongoing crimes against Palestinians. 

There are countless examples. Throughout much of the current war on Gaza, former US President Joe Biden publicly criticised the Israeli government, targeting Netanyahu, Ben Gvir and Smotrich by name. 

The European Council and various European heads of state have also singled out the Israeli far right, and the UK has imposed sanctions on Ben Gvir and Smotrich. The US and EU have additionally sanctioned certain "extremist" Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. 

A growing number of American politicians, including Bernie Sanders and Chuck Schumer, have condemned Netanyahu's coalition. 

Read more: Blaming the Israeli 'far right' lets a genocidal society off the hook

Amjad Shawa, head of the NGO Network in Gaza, has told Al Jazeera Arabic that over 200,000 children in the territory are suffering from severe malnutrition.

He said the ongoing shortage of baby formula and nutritional supplements has led to the deaths of many children, while pregnant women are also enduring dire conditions due to the lack of food and medical care.

“Pregnant women live in extremely harsh conditions due to malnutrition,” he said.

A two-year-old girl has died from malnutrition in the Al Mawasi area of Khan Younis, according to Nasser Medical Complex, Al Jazeera Arabic reported. 

Doctors said the child suffered from extreme hunger and lacked access to the medical treatment that could have saved her life.

Al Mawasi, labelled a “safe zone” by Israeli forces, has become a dumping ground for displaced families forced to flee repeated attacks , with little to no aid reaching the area.

Health officials and aid agencies continue to warn that Israel’s siege has pushed Gaza to the brink of famine, with children bearing the brunt of hunger and disease.

A clause in the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (Fema) guidelines threatening US states and territories that boycott Israel with the denial of federal funds for natural disaster preparation was discreetly removed from its terms and conditions directives on Monday after backlash.

The change in status came after media reports on Monday explained how funding was conditional on states following Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conditions laid out in April.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) announced on Friday it was making nearly $1bn available to states to protect themselves from natural disasters, such as floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, and fires, as well as terrorist attacks and cyber disruptions. 

However, before being removed, the clause said: “Discriminatory prohibited boycott means refusing to deal, cutting commercial relations, or otherwise limiting commercial relations specifically with Israeli companies or with companies doing business in or with Israel or authorized by, licensed by, or organized under the laws of Israel to do business,” according to 11 agency grant notices reviewed by Reuters.

DHS, which oversees Fema, reportedly removed this clause from section 17 on anti-discrimination under its terms and conditions.

Read more: Trump administration reverses new guidelines tying Fema funds to Israeli boycotts

At least nine Palestinians have been killed while waiting for humanitarian aid across the Gaza Strip, according to a source at Al-Shifa Hospital, speaking to Al Jazeera Arabic.

Four bodies were also recovered near the Netzarim axis, south of Gaza City, an area heavily targeted by Israeli forces in recent weeks.

The killings come as Palestinians continue to risk their lives queuing for food and basic supplies amid Israel’s ongoing blockade and attacks on aid distribution points.

Rights groups have condemned repeated strikes on crowds waiting for humanitarian assistance, accusing Israel of systematically denying aid and using starvation as a weapon of war.

A former head of Israeli military intelligence has spoken out against a full occupation of Gaza, warning it would be catastrophic for both Israel and the captives still held in the enclave.

“We’re talking about two million people and military rule; desperate people with destroyed homes, no hospitals or schools,” Amos Yadlin told Israel’s Maariv newspaper.

Yadlin, who led military intelligence between 2011 and 2012, said taking control of Gaza would saddle Israel with enormous responsibility and endanger the lives of the remaining captives.

“If I were in the cabinet today, I would lay out the implications of occupying Gaza,” he said. “In my view, it would doom the hostages. After 22 months, the [Israeli military] knows how to conquer above-ground Gaza, but it doesn’t know how to conquer underground Gaza or rescue the hostages.”

The vast majority of Israelis say they are not troubled by reports of famine and suffering in Gaza, a new poll released by the Israel Democracy Institute shows. 

The survey shows that 79 percent of Jews in Israel were not troubled, or troubled at all, whereas 86 percent of “Arab” respondents were somewhat or very troubled by the reports about the war on Gaza.

“Arab” respondents in the survey refer to Palestinian citizens of Israel. 

When the question was broken down by political affiliation, it shows that there is far greater concern among the left for the suffering and hunger, with 70 percent showing concern, whereas only 32 percent and six percent among the centre and right, respectively, are personally troubled by the reports. 

The survey was conducted between 27-31 July.

At least six Palestinians have been killed after an Israeli drone targeted a tent sheltering displaced people in the Al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Younis, according to Nasser Medical Complex speaking to Al Jazeera Arabic.

The attack struck an area designated as a “safe zone” by Israeli forces, where thousands had sought refuge after being forced from their homes.

Rights groups have repeatedly condemned Israel for targeting civilians and striking areas meant to be protected under international law.

An EU official has warned that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza remains extremely dire, despite limited progress on aid access.

Speaking to Reuters, the official said there had been some improvements in fuel shipments, road access, and the daily flow of aid trucks, along with the repair of essential infrastructure. These developments follow a deal struck with Israel last month aimed at easing humanitarian conditions.

However, the official made clear that "significant obstructive factors continue to undermine humanitarian operations and aid delivery to Gaza, notably the lack of a safe operating environment to allow the distribution of aid at scale."

Aid groups and UN agencies have repeatedly accused Israel of creating impossible conditions for effective relief, as ongoing military attacks and restrictions on movement make large-scale aid distribution nearly unworkable.

At least five people have died from hunger in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Health Ministry said on Thursday.

The ministry said the deaths were directly linked to severe food shortages, which have worsened as Israel’s blockade and military assault continue to cut off vital supplies.

At least 17 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip since Thursday morning, medical sources have confirmed to Al Jazeera Arabic.

The deaths mark yet another deadly day in Israel’s months-long assault on the besieged enclave, where air and ground attacks have devastated entire neighbourhoods and displaced hundreds of thousands.

Hospitals, already on the brink of collapse, continue to struggle under the weight of mounting casualties and dwindling supplies.

Good morning Middle East Eye readers,

Here are the latest updates on Israel's war on Gaza:

• Gaza killings mount: Palestinian health officials report that at least 135 killed and 771 wounded in Israeli attacks over the past day, marking one of the deadliest 24-hour periods in recent weeks.

• US grants Israel more military leeway in Gaza: A source familiar with Trump administration discussions told the Israeli daily Haaretz that Washington will allow Israel operational freedom in Gaza while pushing for improved humanitarian aid delivery.

• Smotrich links aid to Hamas defeat: Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated "Hamas can't be defeated with tanks alone" while discussing Israel's Gaza aid budget, suggesting humanitarian assistance could be used strategically to further drive the Palestinian population towards famine.

• UN condemns Israeli data demand: The United Nations and NGOs protested Israel's order requiring international aid groups to submit personal information about Palestinian staff in occupied territories.

• Jerusalem Mufti suspended from Al-Aqsa: Police barred Sheikh Muhammad Hussein from the mosque for six months, according to his lawyer Khaldoun Najm, who confirmed plans to challenge the decision in Israel's High Court.

• US to soften human rights criticism: The Washington Post reports the Trump administration will reduce condemnation of Israel, El Salvador and Russia in its upcoming human rights report.

Our live blog will shortly be closing until tomorrow morning.

Here are the day's key developments:

- Gaza health officials said Israel killed 41 people since dawn on Wednesday. Most were killed in air strikes, but 18 of them were shot dead while waiting for food aid. 

- Far-right Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich said that the war on Gaza has now cost Israel 300 billion shekels, the equivalent of $87.5bn.

- The United Nations World Food Programme chief Cindy McCain said the world cannot just continue to carry out food airdrops into Gaza given the scale of hunger, citing half a million Palestinians being starved.

- Thirty-five independent UN human rights experts have called for the “immediate dismantling” of the US-founded Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GFH) and holding it and its executives accountable.

- A new poll released by the Israel Democracy Institute shows 79 percent of Jews in Israel are not troubled by the war on Gaza, whereas 86 percent of “Arab” respondents are somewhat or very troubled. 

- Hezbollah said it would treat Beirut's decision a day earlier to disarm it "as if it did not exist".

Gaza health officials said Israel killed 41 people since dawn on Wednesday.

Most were killed in air strikes, but 18 of them were shot dead while waiting for food aid. 

The United Nations World Food Programme chief Cindy McCain on Wednesday said the world cannot just continue to carry out food airdrops into Gaza given the scale of hunger because of Israel's siege.

"We can’t airdrop our way out of an unfolding famine. Not in Gaza," she wrote on X.

"500,000 people are starving TODAY. The only way to get food to them, at scale, is by land," she added.

"We’re grateful for the support, but we can’t afford to wait—Gaza is out of food and out of time".