Live: Six more Palestinians die of famine as Israel blocks Gaza aid

Several Gaza-bound boats carrying humanitarian aid set sail on Sunday, aiming to break Israel’s ongoing siege that has pushed the Palestinian enclave into a deadly, man-made famine.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, named after the Arabic word for “perseverance”, is the largest civilian aid convoy since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October 2023.

More than 300 pro-Palestinian activists from 44 countries have joined the mission, including Portuguese left-wing politician Mariana Mortagua and Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.

Around 20 boats departed from several Spanish ports, loaded with food, medicine and essential supplies for Gaza’s population.

The International Committee for Breaking the Siege of Gaza, a UK-based campaign group, called for global support.

Read more: Largest Gaza aid flotilla sets sail as famine deepens

Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has signalled plans to target Hamas members based outside of Gaza, following the army's announcement on Sunday that it had killed Abu Obeida, the military spokesperson for the Palestinian movement. 

"In the Gaza Strip, we attacked one of the senior Hamas figures yesterday. The hand is still outstretched. Most of the Hamas government is based abroad; we will reach them as well," he said in a statement. 

"This move joins a series of significant attacks by the [Israeli army] in Yemen, Lebanon, Syria and other arenas. We surprise, take the initiative and reach every target to ensure the security of Israeli citizens," Zamir added, referring to several attacks that have taken place over the past few days targeting a number of armed groups across the region. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not plan to bring up ceasefire negotiations on Gaza in Sunday's cabinet meeting, two senior Israeli officials told CNN.

This represents how low the truce deal has become in the premier’s list of priorities. 

The officials note that Netanyahu's government is likely discussing its response to the recognition of Palestine as a state during September's UN General Assembly. 

The prime minister is reviewing steps such as the complete annexation of the occupied West Bank to sanctioning the Palestinian Authority, the Israeli officials reported.

The sources also note that the Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir's main concern is the fate of the captives in the besieged enclave, with expectations of him calling on the cabinet to further discuss the latest proposal before any escalation occurs. 

Israeli forces raided a rally in Hebron on Sunday, demanding the release of Palestinian bodies held by Israel.

Israel has withheld the bodies of at least 726 Palestinians, including 67 children, 85 prisoners and 10 women. 

Armed troops fired tear gas at demonstrators, causing cases of suffocation among the crowd, according to local reports and footage circulating online.

Israel announced on Sunday that it had assassinated Abu Obeida, the military spokesperson for Hamas.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a post on X that Abu Obeida, a nom de guerre, was killed in an air strike on a house in Gaza City on Saturday.

There has been no immediate comment from Hamas.

Read more: Israel says it killed Hamas military spokesman Abu Obeida in Gaza strike

Local media have reported that more than 30 Palestinians, including 16 people seeking aid, have been killed in Israeli assaults across the Gaza Strip since the early hours of Sunday.

A severe wave of influenza is spreading among children in the besieged enclave, the Palestinian health ministry has confirmed.

It said hospitals have seen a sharp rise in admissions, with the shortage of medical supplies worsening overcrowding in already overwhelmed wards.

The Palestinian health ministry has reported 88 Palestinians killed and 421 wounded across the blockaded Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours. 

The death toll since Israel began its war in October 2023 has risen to 63,459, with more than 160,256 people injured.

Gaza's government media office said in a statement that Israel has set off more than 80 booby-trapped robots in residential neighbourhoods over the past three weeks. 

The office described the escalation of ground operations as part of Israel's "scorched-earth policy" against civilians, referring to the military strategy of deliberately destroying resources and property. 

It warned that the military's "criminal behaviour" is causing widespread destruction of homes and property, exposing civilians to "grave danger".

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip has recorded seven new deaths as a result of the famine caused by Israel's months-long blockade of essential aid. 

This brings the total number of deaths from malnutrition to 339, including 124 children.

Organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla are preparing for their departure from Barcelona to Gaza, with over 20 boats and more than 300 people on board. The mission has been described as "the largest civilian flotilla in years".

Good morning Middle East Eye readers,

Here are the latest updates on Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza and developments in the occupied West Bank:

• A child has died from malnutrition in Gaza amid the ongoing Israeli blockade on the territory, bringing the total number of famine-related deaths to 333. Nearly half of the victims have been children. 

• More than 80 people, including over 45 in Gaza City, were killed by Israeli attacks on Saturday, according to local reports. 

• Israeli settlers destroyed agricultural land northeast of the occupied West Bank overnight. 

• Organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla are preparing for their departure from Barcelona for Gaza with over 20 boats and over 300 people. The mission has been described as "the largest civilian flotilla in years".

• Thousands of Israelis protested in Tel Aviv on Saturday night against government plans to occupy Gaza City, calling for an immediate ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.

Our live blog will shortly be closing until tomorrow morning.

Here are the day's key developments:

• The death toll from Israel's genocide in Gaza has climbed to 63,371 since 7 October 2023, with an additional 159,835 Palestinians wounded. 

• Hospitals in Gaza report that at least 77 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes across the enclave since dawn.

• Gaza has become the "most dangerous place in the world for children", Unicef spokesperson Tess Ingram told Al Jazeera, warning that the territory has transformed into a place where their lives are being destroyed. 

• Ingram noted that a Palestinian child is killed or wounded every 10 minutes, stressing that the only way to end the "killing and maiming of children is a ceasefire".

• Israel’s decision to halt humanitarian pauses in Gaza City is making it “even harder” to deliver desperately needed aid, Chris McIntosh, Oxfam’s humanitarian response adviser, told Al Jazeera.

• The European Union (EU) has called on the US to reconsider its decision to deny visas to Palestinian officials ahead of the United Nations General Assembly next month. 

• Yemen's Houthis announced on Saturday that Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi and several senior officials from the movement were killed in an Israeli air strike targeting a meeting in the capital Sanaa.

• The Israeli army claimed a reservist was killed in a friendly fire incident in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday, bringing the number of confirmed military deaths since the start of the war to 900.

Hospitals in Gaza report that at least 77 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes across the enclave since dawn.

Medical staff say 47 of the dead were in Gaza City, while 19 others were killed as they attempted to collect aid in central and southern Gaza.

The Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, has released previously recorded footage of its late commander Mohammed Deif, portraying him as a central figure of Palestinian resistance. Deif was killed in an Israeli air strike in June 2024.

The video also includes Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh, senior leaders who were assassinated by Israel.

The footage was shared as Israel claimed to have killed Abu Obeida, the masked Qassam spokesperson and one of the most recognisable voices of Palestinian defiance. Hamas has not yet responded to the claim.