Articles in this Cluster
26-07-2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recalled Israel's negotiating team from Doha amid a hardening of Hamas' demands in ceasefire talks. Hamas is now demanding the release of 200 Palestinians serving life sentences for murdering Israelis and an additional 2,000 Palestinians detained in Gaza after October 7, exceeding the previous mediator-backed framework. The negotiations, part of a proposed US-backed deal involving a 60-day ceasefire in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages and expanded humanitarian aid to Gaza, have hit a setback. Hamas is also demanding that Israeli troops withdraw to previous positions, reopen the Rafah crossing, and return aid distribution to a UN-supervised mechanism. Israeli officials described Hamas' demands as "unacceptable," and a senior official stated that the gaps between the two sides are "significant and present across all core issues."
26-07-2025
French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France will recognize Palestine as a state, formalizing the decision at the UN General Assembly in September. The move comes amid global anger over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and follows Macron's growing frustration with Israel's war in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly condemned the decision, saying it "rewards terror" and risks creating another Iranian proxy. The US also rejected the plan, with Senator Marco Rubio stating it "sets back peace" and "serves Hamas propaganda". France is the largest European country to take this step, with over 140 countries already recognizing Palestine as a state.
26-07-2025
US envoy Steve Witkoff blamed Hamas for stalling Gaza ceasefire talks, stating they showed a "lack of desire to reach a ceasefire." The talks, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, have been ongoing to end the 21-month war between Israel and Hamas. Meanwhile, the UN reported that Palestinian children are starving to death in Gaza due to severe malnutrition and lack of aid, with over 100 deaths from malnutrition since the war started, and 80% of those being children. The UN and media organizations have called on Israel to allow adequate food supplies into Gaza, but Israel says it is allowing enough aid and blames UN agencies for failing to distribute it.
26-07-2025
The US and Israel have recalled negotiators from Gaza ceasefire talks, citing Hamas' lack of good faith, with US President Donald Trump saying it's time to "finish the job" and "get rid" of Hamas. The move comes as a starvation crisis deepens in Gaza, with at least 122 Palestinians, including children, dying of starvation since October 2023. Israel has denied creating famine, instead accusing Hamas of "engineering" food shortages. In response to international pressure, Israel has agreed to allow foreign nations to airdrop aid into Gaza, with the UK, Jordan, and the UAE set to lead the operation. Hamas has disputed the US assessment, saying a breakthrough was "close" before the US withdrew from talks, and Egypt and Qatar have pledged to continue mediating a ceasefire.
26-07-2025
French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France will recognize the "State of Palestine" at the United Nations General Assembly in September, citing the need for an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian aid to Gaza. Israeli officials strongly condemned the move, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying it "rewards terror" and risks creating another Iranian proxy. The Israeli government responded sharply, with Deputy Prime Minister Yariv Levin calling it "a black stain on France's history" and Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon stating that Macron's decision is a "disgraceful reward for terrorism".
26-07-2025
French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that France will recognize Palestine as a state at the UN General Assembly in September, making it the first G7 nation to do so. The move puts pressure on the UK to follow suit, with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stating that Palestinian statehood is the "inalienable right of the Palestinian people." Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the decision, warning it "rewards terror" and could lead to the annihilation of Israel. The recognition comes amid a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with Sir Keir calling for an emergency ceasefire and increased humanitarian aid.
26-07-2025
The Trump administration is hardening its tone towards Hamas amid growing alarm about mass starvation in Gaza, with President Donald Trump saying Hamas didn't want to make a deal and would probably be "hunted down." The administration has pulled out of ceasefire negotiations, blaming Hamas for the humanitarian crisis, and is seeking "alternative options" to end the conflict.
26-07-2025
Almost a third of people in Gaza are going without food for days, with the UN's World Food Programme warning of surging malnutrition and 90,000 women and children in urgent need of treatment. Nine more people died of malnutrition on Friday, bringing the total to 122 since the war began. Israel controls aid entry into Gaza and says there are no restrictions, blaming Hamas for malnutrition. The UK and other countries have called on Israel to lift restrictions on aid, with the UN describing airdropping aid as a "distraction to inaction" by the Israeli government. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire, with over 59,000 people killed since the war began and 90% of homes damaged or destroyed.
26-07-2025
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has been distributing food aid boxes in Gaza, where over 2 million Palestinians face a starvation crisis. The boxes contain dried food items like pasta, chickpeas, and lentils, as well as cooking oil and tahini, with a calorie count of 42,500 per box, intended to feed 5.5 people for 3.5 days. However, aid experts have raised concerns about the nutritional value of the boxes, stating they lack essential nutrients like calcium, iron, and vitamins, and are not suitable for young children. Experts describe the aid as a "first aid" basket that may stop acute hunger but can lead to "hidden hunger" and serious health problems over time. The GHF has not responded to concerns about the nutritional content of its aid boxes.
26-07-2025
Nearly 100,000 women and children in Gaza are suffering from severe acute malnutrition, according to the UN's World Food Programme. Dr. Sanjay Gupta details the life-threatening conditions, describing the medical reality of the hunger crisis in Gaza.
26-07-2025
A charity has warned that 25% of young children and pregnant women in Gaza are malnourished, with the situation described as a "humanitarian catastrophe". The charity, Doctors Without Borders, claims that Israel's "deliberate use of starvation as a weapon" has reached unprecedented levels. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to evacuate children who need critical medical assistance to the UK and has condemned the scenes in Gaza as "appalling" and "unrelenting". The Israeli military has denied claims of intentional harm to civilians, while the UK government is now exploring airdropping aid into Gaza.
