Middle East Conflict Intensifies, Global Condemnation Rises

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee condemned nearly 30 Western countries for calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza, saying they were siding with Hamas, a US- and EU-designated terror group. Hamas welcomed the statement issued by the UK and 25 other countries, which criticized Israel's actions in Gaza. Israel and the US have been working to prevent Hamas from stealing aid being distributed in Gaza, and have launched a new model for food aid distribution. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has delivered 85 million meals since May. Huckabee wrote on X, "when Hamas thinks you do good work, you are doing evil" and "if Hamas embraces you – you are in the wrong place." Israel's Foreign Minister Gidon Saar and Israeli opposition leader Benny Gantz also criticized the countries for siding with Hamas.

Two years after Hamas planned its attack on Israel, the conflict in Gaza has reached another inflection point. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced criticism for his handling of the war, and his allies are increasingly concerned about evidence of war crimes committed by Israel, including starvation of civilians, failure to protect them, and destruction of entire towns. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defence minister, which they deny. Western allies, including the US and UK, have lost patience with Israel's conduct, with many condemning its actions in Gaza. A ceasefire is seen as a possible next step, but the conflict is unlikely to end even if one is reached.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has condemned Israeli attacks on its facilities in central Gaza, saying its efforts to continue working have been compromised. The WHO's staff residence in Deir al-Balah was attacked three times, and staff and their families were exposed to grave danger. One WHO staff member is still being held by Israeli troops after being detained during a raid on the residence. The WHO's main warehouse was also attacked and destroyed. The Israeli military said it detained "several individuals suspected of involvement in terrorism" in the area. The conflict has displaced tens of thousands of civilians, and there are warnings of a severe hunger crisis, with 33 people, including 12 children, reported to have died from malnutrition in the past 48 hours. The UN has warned that the last lifelines keeping people alive are collapsing.

US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff is expected to travel to Europe to push for a ceasefire and peace deal in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas are ongoing, with Qatar hosting talks earlier this month, and Israel having proposed a new map for potential IDF withdrawal within Gaza. The US is cautiously optimistic about a potential 60-day ceasefire and hostage release, but a sticking point remains over Israeli troop deployment during the truce. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with the Trump administration in early July to discuss the deal, and the Knesset's summer recess next week may give him more flexibility in negotiations.

Twenty-five nations, including the U.K., Canada, and Japan, issued a joint statement condemning Israel's actions in Gaza, citing the "inhumane killing of civilians" and "drip feeding of aid." The statement followed a deadly day in Gaza where over 80 people were killed trying to access food supplies. The nations called for an immediate end to the war and criticized Israel's aid distribution method, saying it "fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity." Israel rejected the statement, saying it was "disconnected from reality." The war in Gaza has resulted in over 59,000 deaths, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, a figure considered credible by the U.N. Israel expanded its ground war in Gaza, forcing thousands to flee, despite international outcry and demands for a ceasefire.

Dozens of international humanitarian organizations, including Médecins Sans Frontières and Amnesty International, have warned that Israel's blockade of aid into Gaza is endangering the lives of doctors, aid workers, and journalists, who are now risking starvation alongside the people they are trying to help. The coalition stated that supplies in the enclave are "totally depleted" and that humanitarian groups are "witnessing their own colleagues and partners waste away before their eyes." The UN has reported that doctors, nurses, and journalists are fainting from hunger and exhaustion while performing their duties. Meanwhile, 15 people, including four children, have died of starvation in the last 24 hours, and over 1,000 people have been killed while trying to get food in Gaza. The international community, including Western nations and the EU, has condemned Israel's "drip feeding" of aid into Gaza, with the EU's top diplomat stating that the killing of civilians seeking aid is "indefensible." The news agency Agence France-Presse has announced plans to evacuate its remaining freelance staff from Gaza due to the dire conditions.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US- and Israel-backed organization, has criticized the UN's handling of aid distribution, claiming that the problem lies not with security concerns or lack of permissions, but rather with its capacity and operational failures. The GHF asserts that despite a significant volume of aid in the area, most remains warehoused, undelivered, or looted, leaving millions without consistent food aid. The organization's executive chairman, Rev. Johnnie Moore, has reached out to the UN's under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, Tom Fletcher, to address the issue. The GHF has distributed around 85 million meals in under two months, with zero instances of diversion, and attributes its effectiveness to its secure delivery system. The UN has previously expressed concerns over the organization's operations, but the GHF maintains that it has experienced only minor violence at its distribution sites.

Over 100 aid groups, including Doctors Without Borders and Oxfam, warn of "mass starvation" spreading across Gaza due to extreme food shortages, with their own staff severely impacted. The groups call for an immediate ceasefire, opening of land crossings, and free flow of aid. Despite Israel easing a two-month aid blockade, Gaza's population remains in dire need, with residents frequently killed while trying to collect aid. The UN reports that over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed trying to get food aid since late May. The aid groups condemn "piecemeal arrangements and symbolic gestures" by governments, urging decisive action to address the crisis.

Over 100 people, including 80 children, have died of hunger in Gaza since the conflict began in October 2023, according to Palestinian officials. Israel controls all supplies entering Gaza and has denied responsibility for the food shortages, blaming the UN for failing to protect aid from being diverted to militant groups. The UN Secretary-General has described the situation as a "horror show", with malnourishment soaring and "starvation knocking on every door". Aid organisations, including the Norwegian Refugee Council, have reported depleted stocks and staff struggling with hunger, with some aid workers fainting on duty due to exhaustion and hunger. The situation has been condemned by several countries, with the UK and others criticising the current aid delivery model, which has resulted in Israeli troops firing on Palestinian civilians seeking food.

The Syrian government has been accused of carrying out a massacre at a hospital in Suweida city, Syria, during recent sectarian clashes. Staff at the National Hospital claim that patients were killed in their beds by government troops targeting the Druze religious community. The BBC visited the hospital and saw dozens of decomposing corpses in the car park, and staff described the scene as a "massacre". Witnesses said that the victims were shot in their beds, and that an eight-year-old disabled boy was killed. The Syrian defence ministry said it was aware of reports of "shocking violations" and that allegations would be investigated. The city is under siege, and access is restricted, making it difficult to gather evidence. The number of people killed is estimated to be over 300, but this cannot be verified.

A US citizen, Hosam Saraya, a 35-year-old Syrian-American from Oklahoma, was among eight men, all family members, executed in an attack in Syria's Druze-majority Suwayda province amid sectarian violence between Syrian Druze groups and Bedouin tribes. CNN geolocated video showing the men being marched to their death.

A 35-year-old Syrian American from Oklahoma, Hosam Saraya, was killed in Syria alongside his family members by suspected jihadists due to his membership in the Druze community. The State Department confirmed Saraya's death and is providing consular assistance to his family. Senators James Lankford and Markwayne Mullin, both from Oklahoma, expressed condolences and condemned the attack. The Druze community has faced violent attacks from jihadi forces in Syria, prompting Israel to launch military strikes against the jihadi forces. The clashes between Sunni Bedouin tribes and Druze fighters have resulted in over 1,000 deaths, and a fragile ceasefire has been implemented with Washington's help.

Fighting in the Syrian city of Sweida has resulted in over 90 decomposing bodies being left unburied in the city's main hospital yard due to the intensity of the violence. Most of the dead are unidentified and will be buried in a mass grave near the hospital. The hospital is in a dire state, with scarce medical supplies, poor hygiene, and traumatized patients. The conflict has resulted in nearly 130,000 people fleeing their homes and a death toll estimated to be over 1,000. The crisis began with tit-for-tat kidnappings and revenge attacks between Druze and Arab Bedouin tribes, which escalated into an international crisis involving government forces, Israeli airstrikes, and Druze militia demanding autonomy. A fragile ceasefire is in place, but there is a significant trust deficit and the situation remains complex and volatile.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed in an exclusive Fox News interview that the country will not give up its nuclear enrichment program, citing it as a national pride and an achievement of its scientists. Araghchi stated that Iran's enrichment capabilities are "so dear to us" and that they cannot be abandoned. The US had hoped to block Iran's enrichment capabilities to prevent the development of nuclear weapons, but Araghchi indicated this is unlikely to happen. Iran's nuclear facilities were seriously damaged in US strikes last month, but the extent of the damage is still being evaluated. Iran maintains it is not seeking a nuclear weapon, but security experts had warned that Tehran was close to being able to produce one.

Iran is seeking help from Russia and China to avoid UN sanctions ahead of a deadline for a nuclear agreement, with talks scheduled between the three countries on Tuesday. The move comes as the European countries France, Germany, and the UK have threatened to enforce snapback sanctions on Tehran if it fails to enter into a new nuclear agreement by the end of August. The snapback mechanism, part of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), allows UN sanctions to be re-imposed if Iran is deemed to have violated the deal, and experts warn that the consequences could be severe if sanctions are enforced.

Iranian officials suspect sabotage behind a wave of mysterious fires and blasts that have occurred over the past two weeks, killing and injuring many, and damaging strategic infrastructure. While officials have attributed the incidents to various factors such as aging infrastructure and gas leaks, some believe Israel is behind the attacks due to its history of such actions, including a vow by a senior Israeli intelligence officer to continue operating in the country. Iranian authorities are cautious about publicly accusing Israel to prevent being forced to respond, given the country's damaged air defense systems and military bases after a June war. The unexplained blasts have fueled public fear, with many suspecting coordinated Israeli operations.