Live: Hamas agrees to release 10 Israeli captives

Describing it as a “sticking point” in negotiations, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has warned that Israel’s plan to build a concentration camp-style facility in Gaza could derail efforts to reach a ceasefire.

Reports in the Israeli media revealed that Defence Minister Israel Katz intends to construct a camp on the ruins of Rafah in southern Gaza, referring to it as a “humanitarian city”.

Critics say the facility would function more like a detention camp, with up to 600,000 displaced Palestinians forced to undergo “security screening” before entry and banned from leaving.

Speaking at a Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Tuesday, Lammy said: “The statements that you’ve just described from defence minister [Israel Katz] relate very much to where the IDF are located. If what you describe is true then I think that would be a big sticking point for getting that ceasefire.”

He said Israel’s actions risk undermining recent diplomatic progress and cast doubt on the motives behind Katz’s remarks: “I’m surprised at the statements that I’ve seen from Mr Katz over the last 24 hours. They run contra to the proximity to a ceasefire that I thought we were heading towards, so I wonder if there’s some politicking going on for those within the government that for some reason stand opposed to this.”

Lammy also criticised the US- and Israeli-backed so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which has faced international backlash: “We’ve been very clear that we don’t support the aid foundation that has been set up, it’s not doing a good job, too many people are close to starvation, too many people have lost their lives.”

He added that talks between Israel and UN aid agencies had appeared to improve recently, making Katz’s proposal even more troubling. “What you’ve described, I don’t recognise as a serious context in which the people of Gaza can get the aid and support that they need at this time.”

Pressed directly on whether the UK would oppose any such Israeli plan for Gaza, Lammy responded: “Yes.”

Rescue crews have retrieved the bodies of two Palestinians killed in an Israeli air raid on Jabalia al-Balad, in northern Gaza, according to emergency workers speaking to Al Jazeera Arabic.

An ambulance team at the scene confirmed the recovery of the victims’ remains following the strike, which left widespread damage in the area.

Following a UN report accusing Google of profiting from “the genocide carried out by Israel” in Gaza, Google co-founder Sergey Brin responded on an internal employee forum, calling the UN “transparently antisemitic”, The Washington Post has reported.

“Throwing around the term genocide in relation to Gaza is deeply offensive to many Jewish people who have suffered actual genocides,” Brin reportedly wrote in a message shared within Google DeepMind, the tech giant’s AI arm.

He continued: “I would also be careful citing transparently antisemitic organisations like the UN in relation to these issues."

The Washington Post said it had reviewed screenshots of the comments and confirmed their authenticity with a current forum member.

Dozens of Israeli settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque complex on Wednesday, accompanied by heavily armed Israeli forces, reported the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Local sources said the settlers roamed the courtyards in provocative tours and performed rituals, while Israeli forces guarded the incursion.

Tensions remain high at the Islamic holy site, which continues to face repeated settler raids under military escort.

The bulk carrier Eternity C, sailing under the Liberian flag and operated by a Greek company, has gone down in the Red Sea following a Houthi strike, four maritime security sources told Reuters.

Rescue operations are currently under way. At least five crew members have been pulled from the water so far, with others spotted wearing life jackets, two sources confirmed.

Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, has demanded answers from Italy, France, and Greece over their decision to grant airspace and safe passage to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—despite an active arrest warrant request from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

In a post on X, Albanese wrote: “Italian, French and Greek citizens deserve to know that every political action violating the international legal order, weakens and endangers all of them.”

All three countries are signatories to the Rome Statute and, she argued, have a legal obligation to arrest Netanyahu rather than host him.

The United States, where Netanyahu is currently visiting, is not a party to the ICC and therefore not bound by its obligations.

The post comes amid ongoing tensions between the court and Washington. Under the Trump administration, the US imposed sanctions on four ICC judges, accusing them of pursuing “illegitimate and baseless actions” targeting the US and its allies, including Israel.

Soldiers from Israel’s Netzach Yehuda Battalion have reportedly posted graphic calls for revenge on social media following the killing of five members in Gaza on Monday by Palestinian resistance.

In one Instagram story, a wounded soldier shared images of two artillery shells inscribed with the names of his fallen comrades. The caption read: “WE WILL AVENGE, WE WILL BURN, WE WILL RAPE.”

Another post showed blood stains—said to be from the dead soldiers—smeared on trousers and inside a vehicle. “Your blood has not been spilled for nothing. WE WILL AVENGE!!!” the caption said. In a separate post, another soldier wrote: “Let me with one blow get revenge on Palestine – may their name be erased – for my two eyes.”

One clip showed battalion troops singing and dancing to a controversial revenge anthem titled Remember Me, often associated with far-right Israeli groups.

Photos circulating online also show graffiti, reportedly in Gaza, reading: “We’ve come to take revenge!!! For the memory of Meir, Moshe, Noam, Binyamin. We shall rise, fight and win,” in reference to the five soliders killed.

Another image shows shells marked with the names of the five killed soldiers and the word “REVENGE!” along with a hand gesture emoji meaning “you just wait...”.

The Netzach Yehuda unit, already under international scrutiny for its conduct, has been accused of several abuses during Israel’s assault on Gaza. Middle East Eye could not independently verify the posts, however the account reporting the claims is known to regularly document Israeli war crimes in Gaza. 

At least five people have been killed and several others injured after Israeli warplanes targeted the Jouda family home in the Al-Balakhiya area of Beach Camp, west of Gaza City, in a pre-dawn strike.

Gaza Governorate Civil Defense teams confirmed they recovered the bodies and evacuated the wounded from the rubble.

The densely populated refugee camp has been repeatedly hit during Israel’s ongoing assault.

At least 16 Palestinians have been killed in a wave of Israeli strikes across Gaza since the early hours of Wednesday.

Among the dead are eight people targeted in an air raid on the crowded Shati refugee camp. Two more were killed when a house was bombed in Deir el-Balah, while another two died in a drone strike that hit tents in Khan Younis.

Save the Children International has ended its long-running collaboration with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), calling the US consultancy’s role in Gaza-related projects “utterly unacceptable”.

In a staff-wide email dated 8 July, CEO Inger Ashing referenced Financial Times reporting that BCG helped launch the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and supported the US security firm providing armed personnel for GHF-run aid sites in Gaza.

GHF, a militarised aid programme serving Israeli war objectives, has faced widespread condemnation from humanitarian agencies. The organisation is backed by both the US and Israel.

The FT also revealed that BCG developed cost estimates for forcibly relocating large numbers of Palestinians out of Gaza—work Save the Children slammed as unethical and dehumanising.

“The modelling of a plan to forcibly relocate Palestinians from Gaza, and the calculation of a per person cost for displacement, devoid of any humanity, disregards fundamental rights and dignity, and raises serious ethical and legal questions,” Ashing wrote.

The US is building new infrastructure for Israeli aircraft and helicopters, along with other military buildings, according to public records.

The current projects total more than $250m, with future ones expected to exceed $1bn, according to a call for interested contractors originally scheduled for June but postponed due to the Israel-Iran conflict. The Israeli news site Haaretz reported on the public documents on Monday.

The US Army Corps of Engineers is using contractors to build ammunition depots and facilities for refuelling aircraft and helicopters, along with concrete structures for Israeli military bases. The documents also show that the US is looking for contractors to perform building maintenance repairs, including on air fields.

One project for hangers, maintenance rooms and storage facilities for new Boeing KC-46 tankers that Israel is expected to receive in the coming years is projected to cost over $100m. 

Another project to house CH-53K helicopters is projected to cost up to $250m.

Read more: US building air bases and ammunition warehouses in Israel

A US-backed so-called aid group operating in Gaza faced serious internal criticism from USAID officials just days before the State Department announced $30 million in funding, according to a confidential assessment obtained by CNN.

The 14-page document reveals that officials raised “critical concerns” about the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s (GHF) ability to protect civilians and deliver aid effectively, questioning its capacity to operate in the wake of Israel’s months-long blockade.

Israeli forces have killed more than 750 Palestinians near aid distribution points, including at sites run by the GHF.

Reviewers slammed the group’s funding request as vague and poorly thought out, noting that its overall plan lacked “even basic details” and included a proposal to hand out powdered baby formula in areas without safe water.

“I do not concur with moving forward with GHF given operational and reputational risks and lack of oversight,” one USAID official wrote.

A source with direct knowledge of the submission echoed that view, telling CNN, “The application was abysmal… it was sorely lacking real content.”

Good morning Middle East Eye readers, 

Here are some of the latest updates from the Israeli war on Gaza, now in its 641st day: 

• Gaza hospitals confirmed at least 16 Palestinians died in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip since Wednesday dawn.

• Qatar's Foreign Ministry stated while "positive feelings" exist about a Gaza deal, they cannot provide a specific timeline. A spokesperson said: "The process takes time, and it is not possible to set a clear timetable for achieving results."

• Sky News reported that US President Donald Trump assured Hamas fighting wouldn't resume after a 60-day ceasefire. Palestinian mediator Bishara Bahbah reportedly conveyed Trump's message.

• A Qatari delegation held talks at the White House on Tuesday about a potential Gaza hostage and ceasefire agreement, according to Axios. The meetings occurred hours before Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu arrived to meet Trump.

• Syria's Al-Jumhuriya reported Israel's National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi met Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

Our live blog will shortly be closing until tomorrow morning.

Here are the day's key developments:

- Medical personnel in Gaza have told local media that 100 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli air strikes since dawn on Tuesday. 

- Israel appears to have intensified its air strikes on parts of Gaza overnight Tuesday into Wednesday with bombs targeting the al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza as well as al-Mawasi in the south. 

- Health officials in the Strip have warned of an "alarming" rise in meningitis cases, and the inability to treat them.

- US President Donald Trump's special envoy for peace missions said that he is hopeful for an agreement to a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza by the end of the week. Trump met Netanyahu for a second time in less than 24 hours on Tuesday, but that meeting was closed to the press.

- The number of Palestinians held in Israeli custody has soared to around 10,800 - the highest recorded number of detainees since the Second Intifada in 2000-05, Palestinian prisoners' advocacy groups have said.

- Israeli media reported that an Israeli attack near Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli killed Hamas's planning department chief, Mahran Mustafa Baajour.

Israel appears to have intensified its air strikes on parts of Gaza overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, local media reports said, with bombs targeting the al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza as well as al-Mawasi in the south. 

Health officials have yet to confirm the casualty count, but videos shared by local journalists show several wounded children.