Articles in this Cluster
03-08-2025
Hamas has stated that it will not disarm until a sovereign Palestinian state is established, contradicting claims by US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff that Hamas had expressed willingness to lay down its weapons. Israel considers Hamas's disarmament a key condition for a ceasefire deal in Gaza. The statement comes amid stalled indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, and as Arab governments have urged Hamas to disarm and Western countries have announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state.
03-08-2025
At least 91 Palestinians were killed and over 600 wounded while attempting to receive aid in Gaza over the last 24 hours. US President Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, arrived in Israel and is set to visit Gaza to inspect aid operations and meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the humanitarian situation and a possible ceasefire. Israel has faced international criticism for the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, with some Israeli rights groups accusing Israel of committing genocide. The Israeli government has denied the charge. The international community has pressed Israel to allow more aid into Gaza, but aid workers say the current amount is insufficient, with 270 trucks entering Gaza on Wednesday, far short of the 500-600 needed daily.
03-08-2025
Britain and France's recent moves to recognize a Palestinian state are unlikely to advance peace between Israel and Palestine, and may even hinder it, as the decision does not address the underlying issues driving the conflict, and may be perceived as taking sides, amidst an ongoing war in Gaza that has caused widespread suffering.
03-08-2025
The US State Department has issued a report to Congress calling for the dismantling of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) due to its alleged ties to Hamas and involvement in the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel. The report states that UNRWA is "irredeemably compromised" and beyond reform, citing evidence of Hamas infiltration and employee involvement in the attack. The US had previously frozen funding to UNRWA in January 2024 and is now working to cease US participation in all UNRWA bodies at the United Nations. The report's findings are supported by Israel, which has also called for UNRWA's closure, and have sparked criticism of the agency's alleged glorification of Palestinian terrorism and antisemitism.
03-08-2025
The Palestine Red Crescent Society reported that an Israeli strike on its headquarters in Khan Younis, Gaza, killed at least one staff member and wounded three others. The attack occurred two days after a US envoy visited a US-backed aid station in Gaza to assess food distribution efforts. The incident comes nearly two years after the war began, with UN agencies warning that Gaza is on the brink of a full-scale famine. Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed at least 60,332 people, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry.
03-08-2025
Palestinian officials claim that only 36 aid trucks entered Gaza on Saturday, far short of the 600 needed daily, with many supplies being looted and stolen due to security chaos caused by the Israeli occupation. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refuted the claims, accusing Hamas of spreading "slanderous propaganda" and deliberately starving residents and hostages. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is worsening, with officials calling for the immediate opening of crossings and entry of aid, while indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel for a ceasefire have stalled.
03-08-2025
US special envoy Steve Witkoff and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee visited a Gaza aid distribution site run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US and Israeli-backed organization, amid a worsening humanitarian crisis. The site has been a flashpoint for desperation and violence, with hundreds killed by Israeli gunfire in the past five months. Witkoff and Huckabee met with aid workers and assessed the situation, with Witkoff stating that their goal was to "level set the facts on the ground" and help craft a plan to deliver food and medical aid. Gaza is on the brink of famine, with international organizations warning of a "worst-case scenario" due to Israel's blockade and a flawed aid distribution system that has led to violent clashes.
03-08-2025
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff met with families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, who are protesting in Tel Aviv, as fears for the captives' survival grow 22 months into the war. Witkoff pledged to work with President Trump to return the remaining hostages and hold Hamas responsible. Around 20 of the 251 hostages abducted by Hamas are believed to be alive, with some videos released by Hamas showing emaciated hostages, sparking outrage. Witkoff had previously quit ceasefire talks, blaming Hamas' intransigence, and visited a Gaza aid site with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, where crowds have been known to gather and come under fire from Israeli forces, resulting in numerous deaths.
03-08-2025
US special envoy Steve Witkoff and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee are visiting Gaza to survey food and aid distribution sites amid a dire humanitarian crisis. The visit follows President Trump's announcement that the US and Israel will partner to run new food centers in the region. Witkoff and Huckabee have met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has denied reports of starvation in Gaza, despite evidence of emaciated children and warnings from food security experts. Trump contradicted Netanyahu, saying there is "real starvation" in Gaza. The US has committed $30 million in aid to Gaza, with some funds going to the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which has faced criticism for its food delivery methods.
03-08-2025
Hamas has released two videos of Israeli hostage Evyatar David, showing him emaciated and skeletal after being held captive in Gaza since October 2023. The 24-year-old appears to be surviving on scarce food, saying he hasn't eaten for three days and is barely getting drinking water. The videos show him in underground tunnels, digging a hole he claims is his grave. David's family has condemned Hamas for "deliberately and cynically starving" him and called for his immediate release and proper nutrition. The UN has reported a "worst-case scenario of famine" in Gaza due to Israel's blockade, with over 20,000 children treated for acute malnutrition since April.
03-08-2025
The family of Evyatar David, a 24-year-old Israeli hostage held by Hamas in Gaza, has condemned the group's release of a video showing him emaciated and starving, accusing Hamas of deliberately starving him as part of a "propaganda campaign". The video, released on Friday, shows David saying he hasn't eaten for days and is seen digging what he claims will be his own grave. David's family has urged the Israeli government and the international community to do everything possible to save him. Israel says David is one of 49 hostages still being held in Gaza, 27 of whom are believed to be dead.
