Live: 54 Palestinians killed, 831 wounded in 24 hours
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Israel is seeking the Trump administration’s help in forcefully displacing Palestinians out of Gaza, Axios reported on Friday.
The head of Israel's intelligence agency, David Barnea, is visiting the White House this week in order to solicit help in securing the consent of third countries to take hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza, two sources with knowledge of the issue told Axios.
Barnea reportedly told Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff that Israel has been speaking to Ethiopia, Indonesia and Libya about taking in Palestinians.
Both Trump and Netanyahu have previously discussed transferring Palestinians out of the Strip to create a "Riviera of the Middle East," sparking international condemnation of ethnic cleansing and forced displacement.
Gaza's civil defence agency said that the Israeli military killed 10 aid seekers on Friday, as a hospital director in the south warned of an influx of patients with acute malnutrition, AFP reported on Friday.
Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said that Israeli fire killed nine people "near the US aid centre in the Al-Shakoush area, northwest of Rafah city in southern Gaza" on Friday.
Bassal also said one person had been killed and eight injured as a result of Israeli gunfire at civilians gathered near an aid distribution point close to the Netzarim corridor, south of Gaza City, on Friday.
The US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began operations in late May after Israel imposed an 11-week blockade on humanitarian aid entering Gaza. It has been beset by controversy as starving Palestinians with no other access to food are killed daily while seeking aid.
The United Nations said on 13 July that 875 people had been killed seeking aid. The number now exceeds 900.
Sohaib al-Hums, a medical doctor and director of the Kuwaiti Field Hospital in the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Yunis in the south, on Friday warned the medical facility was "witnessing an unprecedented influx of displaced persons".
"We are receiving cases suffering from extreme exhaustion and complete fatigue, in addition to severe emaciation and acute malnutrition due to prolonged lack of food," he said in a statement.
"We warn that hundreds whose bodies have completely wasted away are now facing imminent death, as their physical endurance has been surpassed," he added.
The medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned last week that its teams in Gaza were seeing surging levels of acute malnutrition and that levels had reached an "all-time high" at two of its facilities in the territory.
A new dossier released by a coalition of media workers has accused The New York Times of systemic pro-Israel and anti-Palestinian bias, and alleged that nearly two dozen of its top journalists, editors and executives have extensive ties to pro-Israel lobbying groups.
"The New York Times is an accomplice to the genocide in Gaza, serving as a mouthpiece for American imperialism and shaping elite consensus around foreign policy," a statement from the group Writers Against the War on Gaza (Wawog) reads.
Like several mainstream news outlets, the NYT has come under intense scrutiny over its reporting of the war on Gaza, with several human rights activists and analysts accusing the publication of providing cover for Israeli war crimes.
The dossier, released on Wednesday, argues that the NYT's coverage could be explained by the extensive material, financial and ideological connections between several current and former employees at the paper and the Israeli state or the army.
You can read more here.
Hamas's armed wing spokesperson has said the group will not agree to a temporary truce if a permanent ceasefire agreement is not reached during ongoing negotiations.
Hamas had repeatedly offered to release all the Israeli captives held in Gaza and conclude a ceasefire agreement, Abu Ubaida said in a televised speech on Friday. He also accused Israel of intransigence.
At dawn on Friday, groups of Israeli settlers slaughtered dozens of sheep and beat and stole several others in al-Miteh in the Jordan Valley, in the occupied West Bank.
The attack forced two Palestinian families to evacuate their homes and relocate to al-Auja, near the city of Jericho.
This incident is part of a growing pattern of settler violence targeting Bedouin communities, aimed at driving them from lands coveted by Israeli settlers. The settlers frequently attack livestock as a way to destroy the livelihood of Palestinian families and facilitate the seizure of their lands.
Mahmoud Kaabneh, one of the residents forced to flee, told Middle East Eye that on Thursday evening, settlers attacked the home of his brother Salem and attempted to steal donkeys. When the family intervened to stop them, more settlers arrived and began assaulting the homes of Salem and his cousin Suleiman, along with their families.
The settlers then opened the sheep pen and stole around 350 sheep. Residents quickly gathered to try to recover the livestock.
Read more: Israeli settlers slaughter dozens of sheep in attack on Palestinian Bedouins
A lawyer representing Palestinian Dr Hussam Abu Safiya has raised concerns over his deteriorating health and routine torture in Israeli detention, where inmates are given only two spoonfuls of rice a day.
In an interview with Arab48, published Thursday, lawyer Gheed Kassem said that the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, located north of the Gaza Strip, had faced severe physical assault that resulted in bruising to his head, neck, rib cage, and back.
When Dr Abu Safiya requested medical assistance for complications stemming from the beatings, including an irregular heartbeat, his request was denied.
Medical neglect and abuse in Israeli-run prisons have been well-documented, with such practices reportedly intensifying since the events of 7 October 2023.
In early May, the Palestinian Prisoners' Affairs Commission said that sick Palestinian detainees faced "deliberate and systematic medical neglect", alongside hunger and torture negatively affecting their health conditions.
Read more: Gaza doctor Abu Safiya given 'two spoonfuls of rice a day' in Israeli jail
Pope Leo is facing growing criticism over his response to an Israeli air strike on the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, which killed two women and wounded several others, including a pastor.
The Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem confirmed that Father Gabriel Romanelli was among the wounded and said the strike caused significant structural damage to the Holy Family Church, where displaced Palestinian civilians had been sheltering.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the strike and said “the attacks against the civilian population that Israel has been carrying out for months are unacceptable".
In a statement, Pope Leo expressed sorrow and called for peace, but stopped short of naming Israel as the attacker, prompting disappointment from Palestinian Christians and observers around the world.
He wrote: “I am deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury caused by the military attack on the Holy Family Catholic Church in #Gaza. I assure the parish community of my spiritual closeness. I commend the souls of the deceased to the loving mercy of Almighty God, and pray for their families and the injured. I renew my call for an immediate ceasefire. Only dialogue and reconciliation can ensure enduring peace!”
Read more: Pope Leo under fire for 'vague' statement on Israel's bombing of Gaza Catholic church
The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) has written to a local police authority and the UK Home Secretary, demanding a formal investigation as to why a woman was threatened with arrest on terror charges for holding up anti-genocide signs, after rejecting that she supported proscribed organisations when asked.
ICJP said armed police threatened peaceful protester Laura Murton, 42, for holding a Palestinian flag and having signs saying “Free Gaza” and “Israel is committing genocide”.
She was threatened with arrest under terrorism laws, despite not saying anything or holding any signs that denoted support for any proscribed groups. When explicitly asked if she supported any proscribed organisations, she replied “I do not.”
ICJP said on Friday that it had brought a formal complaint to Kent Police, asking for clarity regarding the conduct of officers who attempted to make unfounded allegations against Murton for her protest.
It also asked the Home Secretary for clarity on what guidance the Home Office has issued to police officers regarding protests that do not relate to Palestine Action, a group that was recently proscribed by the UK government.
"This incident represents the sought chilling effect on speech and assembly of those who wish to speak out against Israel’s violations of international law, that arises from misuse and misinterpretation of terror laws since the proscription of Palestine Action," ICJP said.
It accused UK authorities of misusing the ban "to police the support for Palestine more generally, and any opposition to Israel’s genocide in Gaza".
The Israeli public is being “fed lies” about the progress made against Hamas, a senior military commander has said, warning the Palestinian movement will not be defeated for years.
In an interview with Ynet published on Friday, the unnamed officer stressed that dismantling Hamas is a “tedious” task that could take up to five years, with the military needing to return to Gaza to “mow the grass" constantly.
“In today’s populist era, the public is being fed lies and spins, just like they were before 7 October and after every round of fighting with Hamas,” the commander said.
Hamas, he explained, still maintains “massive infrastructure” in Gaza. The fight against the group is far from over, he said.
“This is work that will need to continue for a year, for five years, to maintain the achievements. It doesn’t matter if the enemy is called Hamas, Islamic Jihad, or any other name,” he added.
Read more: Israeli public ‘fed lies’ about defeating Hamas, commander says
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke on the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday and expressed hopes for a ceasefire in Gaza while calling for safe access to humanitarian aid there, a German government spokesperson said.
"The chancellor emphasised that the urgently needed humanitarian aid must now reach the people in the Gaza Strip in a safe and humane manner," the spokesperson said in a statement.
"The chancellor emphasised that there must be no steps towards annexation of the West Bank."
The resignation of the United Nation’s commission of inquiry on Palestine is unrelated to fears of sanctions by the US government or any other external pressures, panel members have told Middle East Eye.
The commissioners' accounts stand in stark contrast to reports this week that linked sanctions brought by the administration of US President Donald Trump against UN expert Francesca Albanese with their back-to-back resignations.
They also come as Israel, which has regularly criticised the commission's findings, called on Friday for the body to be scrapped entirely, accusing it of bias.
But commissioners have told MEE that their decisions were made internally, before the sanctions were put on Albanese.
“The resignations are not linked in any way to anything outside whatsoever," Chris Sidoti, an Australian international law expert and commission member who resigned, told MEE.
he three-member commission was established in May 2021 by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council (HRC) with a permanent mandate to investigate international humanitarian and human rights law violations in occupied Palestine and Israel since April 2021.
Earlier this month, the three commissioners submitted their resignations, set to take effect in November, with the completion of the commission’s programme for 2025. It was the first time since the establishment of the HRC in 2006 that all members of a UN commission have jointly resigned.
Read more: Resignation of UN commission on Israel-Palestine not linked to fear of sanctions, say members
Israel's air force chief has landed in Britain for a conference hosted by the Royal Air Force.
Major General Tomer Bar has been in position throughout Israel's war on Gaza, and from April this year has reportedly personally approved air strikes carried out by the Israeli air force.
He landed on Thursday afternoon and is reportedly in the UK to attend the Royal International Air Tattoo event, which is held at a Royal Air Force base in Gloucestershire.
The major event at RAF Fairford, which features air shows and aircraft displays, began on Friday morning and will last until Sunday.
According to Israeli public broadcaster Kan, Bar will have a series of meetings with air force commanders from around the world.
Read more: Israeli air force chief who oversees Gaza strikes visits UK
A one-and-a-half-year-old girl died on Friday in the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah from severe malnutrition as a result of Israel's blockade, Wafa news agency reported.
According to health officials, around 17,000 children are currently suffering from acute malnutrition in Gaza.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (Unrwa) recently warned that child malnutrition has worsened, especially among children under five. Between March and June 2025, Unrwa's clinics conducted nearly 74,000 screenings, identifying around 5,500 cases of moderate acute malnutrition and over 800 cases of severe acute malnutrition.
The UN agency attributed the rise in malnutrition to the ongoing Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip, which has severely restricted the entry of food, medicine and humanitarian aid.
British band Massive Attack have announced an alliance of musicians to take on "intimidation" by pro-Israel groups within the music industry.
Acts including Kneecap, Brian Eno, and Garbage have signed up for the group, which was announced on the back of a documentary by campaign group Led By Donkeys about the work of a pro-Israel group that is silencing activism on the situation in Palestine.
According to Led By Donkeys: "UK Lawyers for Israel Ltd [UKLFI] has tried to silence various voices supporting Palestine. Their charitable wing has made public statements rejecting international law."
In a statement put out on Instagram on Thursday evening, Massive Attack said intimidation of pro-Palestine artists within the music industry had been organised by UKLFI.
"The scenes in Gaza have moved beyond description. We write as artists who’ve chosen to use our public platforms to speak out against the genocide occurring there [and] the role of the UK Government in facilitating it," Massive Attack wrote.
Read more: Massive Attack, Kneecap and others form musician alliance against 'silencing' by pro-Israel groups
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the highest-ranking Catholic official in Jerusalem, entered Gaza on Friday to bring humanitarian aid and solidarity after Israel's strike on the sole Catholic church of the enclave.
Three Palestinians were killed and several others wounded in the Israeli strike on the Holy Family Church in Gaza City a day earlier.
Photos released by the church showed its roof had been hit close to the main cross, scorching the stone facade, and that windows had been broken.
The church has offered shelter to hundreds of Palestinians since the start of Israel's war on Gaza in October 2023.
In an interview with Italy's Corriere della Sera daily, Pizzaballa said a Catholic presence would remain in Gaza "whatever happens," and expressed doubts about Israel's comments that the strike was a mistake.
"We are not a target. They say it was an error. Even if everybody here believes it wasn't," the cardinal said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday blamed "stray ammunition" and said his country was "investigating the incident and remains committed to protecting civilians and holy sites."
It is extremely rare for foreign officials to be allowed entry into Gaza, as Israel has sealed off all borders. Pizzaballa was accompanied by Theophilos III, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem.
The two religious leaders brought "hundreds of tons of food supplies as well as first aid kits and urgently needed medical equipment," Pizzaballa's Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said in a statement.
The aid is meant not only for Gaza's small Christian community but for "as many families as possible", the Patriarchate said, adding it also ensured the evacuation of those injured in the church strike.
Pope Leo, who on Thursday said he was "deeply saddened" by the attack but declined to blame Israel for it, called the cardinal and Theophilos on Friday to convey his support for their mission, Pizzaballa told Vatican media.
The Pope expressed his love and affection for the Gaza parish community "and reiterated his intention to do everything possible to stop the needless slaughter of innocents," the Vatican said.
Reporting by Reuters
