Live: 54 Palestinians killed, 831 wounded in 24 hours

Pen America has faced criticism after it said the targeted killing of five Al Jazeera staff members, including much-loved reporter Anas al-Sharif, "could" constitute a war crime.

The Israeli military killed all five in a drone strike while they were stationed in a media tent beside al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City late on Sunday.

The literary non-profit, which says it stands at the "intersection of literature and human rights", has been largely silent about atrocities committed by Israel in Gaza, and is currently on the boycott list of Writers Against the War on Gaza.

The World Health Organisation on Tuesday asked Israel to allow it to restock medical supplies before it seizes control of Gaza City, in order to enable it to deal with the "catastrophic" health situation in Gaza, AFP reported.

"We want to as quickly stock up hospitals... following the news... about an incursion in Gaza," Rik Peeperkorn, WHO's representative in the Palestinian territories, said after Israel announced it would "take control" of Gaza City.

Peeperkorn said more than half of all medicines were out of stock.

"We all hear about 'more humanitarian supplies are allowed in'. Well, it's not happening yet, or it's happening at a way too low a pace," he added.

Peeperkorn said WHO was bringing in fewer supplies than it wanted "due to the cumbersome procedures" and products "still denied" entry - a topic of constant negotiation with the Israeli authorities.

Peeperkorn said only 50 percent of hospitals and 38 percent of primary health care centres in Gaza were functioning, and even when functioning, they are only partially functioning.

Consequently, bed occupancy has reached 240 percent capacity in the al-Shifa hospital and 300 percent al-Ahli hospital in northern Gaza.

"The overall health situation remains catastrophic," he said. "Hunger and malnutrition continue to ravage Gaza.

Over 200 people have died from the effects of malnutrition this year.

Nearly 12,000 children under five were identified to be suffering from acute malnutrition in July - the highest monthly figure recorded to date in Gaza, Peeperkorn said. This figure includes 2,562 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition, of whom 40 were hospitalised at stabilisation centres.

Israel has severely restricted the entry of food, water, medicine, and fuel, with the UN warning that famine was imminent. 

A freeze by France on evacuations of Palestinians from Gaza follows a claimed incident of antisemitism by a Palestinian evacuee, according to media reports.

On 1 August, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot announced the suspension of evacuations from Gaza following the discovery of alleged antisemitic posts by a Palestinian student who had been evacuated by French authorities.

The student, who was due to pursue studies at Sciences Po Lille next year, was deported to Qatar.

No details have yet been provided about what constituted the alleged antisemitism or how it was brought to the attention of French authorities but French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has shared a post on X saying, "Hamas propagandists have no place in our country".

Left wing politicians and human rights groups condemned the move.

Read more: France freeze on Gaza evacuations 'predates alleged antisemitic incident'

Egypt has been training Palestinian forces for months to take over the security administration of the Gaza Strip, as part of its plan for post-war reconstruction and governance of Gaza, security and diplomatic sources told Middle East Eye.

An agreement to train Palestinian forces in Egypt and Jordan has been in place since the first Palestinian Police Donors Conference in Oslo in December 1993. 

In April, Egyptian and Palestinian media reported that 300 Palestinian Authority security personnel were sent to Cairo: 100 police officers, 100 national security officers, 50 preventive security officers and 50 intelligence officers, as part of the Egyptian reconstruction plan. 

Read more: Egypt training Palestinian forces to govern post-war Gaza

Spain announced on Tuesday that it has evacuated 44 sick or injured children from Gaza, along with around 100 of their family members, over the past several months.

The Spain's migration ministry has conducted four evacuation missions in coordination with international organisations and allied nations, it said in a statement.

The children and their families are receiving medical treatment across Spain.

The government also said those brought to Spain will be eligible to apply for asylum.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's socialist government has been one of the most vocal critics of Israel's war on Gaza.

The Hind Rajab Foundation and Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) have said they will file a joint complaint to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in response to the killing of five Al Jazeera journalists in an Israeli air strike on Sunday. They also call for the ICC to include all journalist killings in Gaza in its Palestine investigation.

“The evidence is there,” the Hind Rajab Foundation wrote. “The legal foundation is unshakable. The jurisdiction is established beyond question. What remains is for the International Criminal Court to move past statements of ‘grave concern’ and take the decisive step that justice demands: act.”

The investigation identified senior Israeli military officials within the chain of command, and the PCHR gave details of other Al Jazeera journalists killed by Israel after being targeted by public smear campaigns. The complaint accuses the named individuals of war crimes and genocide.

A senior Hamas delegation is scheduled to arrive in Cairo to meet with Egyptian officials to discuss a ceasefire deal in Gaza, two Palestinian sources have told AFP. 

The meeting, to be held on Wednesday, would be attended by the delegation’s chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, AFP reported.

Another source familiar with the negotiations told AFP the deal could include "a 60-day truce followed by negotiations for a long-term ceasefire, and a deal for the exchange of all Israeli captives - both living and deceased - in one batch".

A third source, a Hamas official requesting anonymity, said that his group "has not received any new proposal" from Israel via mediators, but that Hamas is "ready to reach an agreement if the occupation decides to do so".

Britain and 26 others - including Australia, Canada and the European Union - have released a joint statement describing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as having reached "unimaginable levels", adding that "famine is unfolding before our eyes. Urgent action is needed now to halt and reverse starvation".

The statement from the foreign ministers continues: "We call on the government of Israel to provide authorisation for all international NGO aid shipments and to unblock essential humanitarian actors from operating".

France has condemned "the heavy toll paid by local journalists" in Gaza and called on the Israeli authorities to guarantee "safe and unhindered access" for international media.

Reporting by AFP

Speaking to CNN, Ian Williams, president of the Foreign Press Association, condemned Israel for the deliberate killing of journalists in Gaza and expressed scepticism about the credibility of any statements made by the Israeli government pic.twitter.com/Mt0pjTEc1Y

— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) August 12, 2025

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has reprimanded the country’s military chief, Eyal Zamir, over military appointments made “without prior coordination or agreement”. Katz added he “does not intend to discuss any of the appointments or names that were published” on account of their being “in violation of accepted procedure”.

Zamir responded in an army statement published shortly afterwards, saying that he was “the sole authority authorised to appoint officers from the rank of colonel upwards”.

The statement continues: “The chief of staff makes the appointment decisions - after which the appointment is brought to the minister for approval”.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen has announced that Denmark will send a Hercules military plane to airdrop aid to Gaza.

Madonna has called on Pope Leo to go to Gaza and “bring your light to the children”. 

“Most Holy Father, Please go to Gaza and bring your light to the children before it’s too late,” the American singer wrote in an Instagram post on Monday evening. 

She added that as a mother, she could not bear to watch their suffering. 

“The children of the world belong to everyone,” the pop superstar said.

“You are the only one of us who cannot be denied entry.”

Read more: Madonna to Pope Leo: ‘Please say you will go to Gaza’

Israeli attacks killed at least 89 Palestinians, including 31 aid seekers, and injured 513 across Gaza in 24 hours, the Palestinian health ministry in Gaza said in a statement on Telegram.

Eleven bodies were also recovered from the rubble of previous Israeli attacks, the ministry said.

Israel’s war on Gaza has killed a total of 61,599 Palestinians and injured 154,088 since 7 October, 2023, the ministry added.

A total of 1,838 Palestinians have been killed seeking aid, and more than 13,409 injured, since Israel introduced a controversial aid distribution mechanism through the US-based Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the statement said.

During a footballing career spanning decades, Palestinian footballer Suleiman al-Obeid played 24 times for the Palestinian national team and earned the accolade the “Palestinian Pele” for a style that resembled the Brazilian legend.

For all his achievements on the pitch, his life ended on Friday, like hundreds of fellow Palestinians in Gaza, when he was killed by the Israeli army while collecting aid for his family from a US and Israel-backed aid distribution point in Rafah, southern Gaza.

Obeid had joined crowds of aid seekers after months of siege and Israeli-imposed starvation, and saw no other way of feeding his family.

According to witnesses, an Israeli quadcopter dropped a munition on him at the site, killing him instantly.

Israeli soldiers and foreign security contractors have killed close to 1,400 Palestinians at aid distribution points run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a controversial food distribution operation that replaced aid distribution networks run by humanitarian groups.

Read more: 'He was ashamed to go there': Wife mourns killing of 'Palestinian Pele' at Gaza aid site