US envoy Steve Witkoff expected in Israel | LIVE

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The Civil Defense announces the death of 30 Palestinians in Israeli shelling in Gaza, reports AFP.

The Civil Defense announces the death of 30 Palestinians in Israeli shelling in Gaza, reports AFP.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff discussed by telephone the intensifying pressure to reach a cease-fire agreement in Gaza, Reuters reports.

Steve Witkoff is due to travel to Israel on Thursday to address the situation in the Gaza Strip, as mediators, including Cairo, Doha and Washington, strive to restart negotiations.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem stated Wednesday night in his speech that the weapons of the pro-Iranian party "are intended to resist Israel, not for use inside the country," and that any demand for his party-militia to surrender its weapons amounts to "serving the Israeli project," while the issue of disarmament remains at the center of political debate, both in Beirut and internationally.

"We will not allow Lebanon to become an appendage of Israel," Qassem declared. "You will neither defeat us nor take Lebanon hostage. The weapons we possess are intended to resist Israel, not for domestic use."

Read the key points from his speech here.

Southern Lebanon: Hezbollah is reportedly preparing for various 'scenarios of future [Israeli] escalation,' a source within the party denies this

Hezbollah has reportedly intensified its contacts with the mayors of several Shiite villages in southern Lebanon in recent days, discussing various “scenarios for future [Israeli] escalation,” according to anonymous sources cited by the Saudi channel Al-Hadath, which is known to be hostile to Hezbollah.

According to these sources, the party has asked certain municipalities to open mosques and municipal halls to residents in the event of war, with the aim of setting up shelters and providing emergency services.

When contacted by our editorial team, a source within Hezbollah formally denied these reports, describing them as “absolutely false.”

⚡Israeli and Syrian ministers to meet in Baku on Thursday

Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani is set to meet Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer in Baku on Thursday, a diplomat who requested anonymity told AFP on Wednesday, one week after a similar meeting in Paris.

The meeting is expected to focus on the “security situation, particularly in southern Syria,” which was the scene of violence in mid-July. The Syrian minister is expected to visit Moscow beforehand, for the first time since an Islamist coalition took power in December, the source said.

Spain will bring 13 children from Gaza to treat them in its hospitals

Spain will bring 13 sick children from Gaza and their families on board a military medical plane from Jordan so that they can receive treatment in Spanish hospitals, announced Defense Minister Margarita Robles, quoted by AFP.

“We are in the process of completing the medicalization of an A-400 aircraft that will fly to Amman to bring back 13 sick children and their families from Gaza ... so that they can be treated in various hospitals in Spain,” Robles told reporters.

The plane was scheduled to leave for Amman on Wednesday. This is not the first time that Spain, one of the European countries most critical of the Israeli war in Gaza, has taken in sick children from Gaza since the start of the war.

UK: Palestine Action Group allowed to challenge its ban in court

The pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action has been allowed by the British courts to challenge its ban, which was imposed in early July by Keir Starmer's Labour government, reports AFP.

The ban on Palestine Action was decided following an act of vandalism by several of its activists at an air force base in England in June. Two planes were sprayed with red paint, causing damage estimated at £7 million, or approximately €8 million.

Following a vote in Parliament, the group was added in early July to the list of organizations considered terrorists in the United Kingdom, alongside Hamas and al-Qaeda.

Anyone belonging to or supporting the movement can be sentenced to 14 years in prison.

Gaza: Belgium refers war crimes allegations against two Israelis to the ICC

Belgian authorities will refer to the International Criminal Court (ICC) an investigation opened ten days ago into two Israelis accused by an NGO of committing war crimes in Gaza, the federal prosecutor's office announced, as reported by AFP.

The two men, described as Israeli soldiers by the pro-Palestinian Belgian NGO Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), were located on July 18 at the Belgian electronic music festival Tomorrowland, near Antwerp.

Two complaints from the organization led to their arrest and questioning by Belgian police. They were then released without conditions, according to the federal prosecutor's office.

On Wednesday, the prosecutor's office said that after analyzing the two complaints, they had been forwarded to the ICC in The Hague, given that this court “is already conducting an investigation into potential serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in the Palestinian territories.”

France to drop 40 tons of aid on Gaza starting Friday

France will drop 40 tons of aid on the Gaza Strip starting Friday, where humanitarian airdrops resumed on Sunday to help the starving population, the French foreign minister announced on Tuesday, according to AFP.

“Starting Friday, we will organize, in close cooperation with the Jordanian authorities, four flights carrying 10 tons of food each to the Gaza Strip,” Jean-Noël Barrot said on BFMTV.

“The utmost care will be taken to ensure the safety of the population during these operations,” a diplomatic source told AFP earlier in the day, referring to the prospect of these airdrops.

“The air route is useful, but it is not sufficient,” the minister added, calling for the reopening of land access to the Palestinian territory under blockade by the Israeli army.

UAE announces construction of desalinated water pipeline to Gaza

The United Arab Emirates has announced the upcoming launch of construction on a pipeline designed to transport desalinated water from Egypt to the southern Gaza Strip.

The official Emirati news agency WAM, quoted by AFP, reported that the Emirates have already begun transferring the equipment needed to carry out the project.

The pipeline, approximately seven kilometers long, aims to alleviate the severe water crisis affecting the Palestinian territory.

According to United Nations agencies, Gaza is now on the brink of famine due to the Israeli blockade hindering the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Jordan's King Abdullah II said Wednesday that the "humanitarian catastrophe" unfolding in the Gaza Strip was the worst in modern history.

"Gaza is witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe that exceeds anything we have witnessed in modern history," the longtime Western ally said, adding that Jordan was in contact with international partners "to pressure for an end to the war," now in its 22nd month.

At least 103 Palestinians, including 60 people who had come to seek help, were killed and 399 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza over the past 24 hours, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, as reported by Al-Jazeera.

Witkoff heading to Israel today, with possible Gaza visit

U.S. special envoy and chief negotiator Steve Witkoff is expected to travel to Israel today to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Axios reports, citing two American officials with direct knowledge.

This would be Witkoff's first trip to Israel in almost three months and comes amid a stalemate in Gaza cease-fire negotiations in Doha, from which the U.S. and Israel recalled their delegations last week.

Witkoff might also travel to Gaza, Axios adds, and visit the Israeli-backed, U.S.-funded and highly controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid centers, a U.S. official said. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed by live fire while trying to collect food from these sites.

"The president wants to know more about what the humanitarian situation in Gaza is in order to know how to get more assistance to civilians in Gaza," one U.S. official told Axios.

Fadlallah meets Hamas delegation in Lebanon

Shiite Ulema Ali Fadlallah met today with a Hamas delegation headed by its representative in Lebanon, Ahmad Abdel Hadi, local media reported.

The ulema praised "the steadfastness, tenacity and unshakeable will of the Palestinian people in the face of the massacres, the war of extermination, the policy of starvation, displacement and blockade practiced against Gaza." He also stressed "the need to strengthen internal Palestinian unity."

For his part, Hadi noted that "there is a plan to liquidate the Palestinian cause through the policy of blockade, famine and extermination practiced against Gaza."

Belgium to join Gaza aid air drop plan

Belgium will take part in a multi-country operation coordinated by Jordan to air drop aid to Gaza, the government announced today, as U.N. agencies warn the Palestinian territory is slipping into famine and the number of deaths from starvation continues to rise daily, with children making up the majority of victims.

A Belgian plane carrying medical supplies and food worth some 600,000 euros ($690,000) will fly "soon" to Jordan, the defense and foreign ministries said in a statement, as cited by AFP. The plane will remain on standby to conduct air drops in coordination with Amman.

Israel kills nearly 1,000 in Gaza in the last 10 days, nearly 300 while seeking aid

According to Gaza Health Ministry tallies collected by Drop Site News, the Israeli army has killed 990 people in Gaza in the last 10 days alone, including 288 people who were killed while trying to collect aid.

Various recent studies, including from the Lancet and the University of London, have estimated that, despite the health ministry's reputation for accurate reporting, the death toll in Gaza is likely significantly higher than the ministry has been able to record.

Far-right US congresswoman calls Gaza war 'genocide'

Far-right American congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a staunch Trump ally, denounced the catastrophic situation in Gaza as "genocide" in a post on X.

"It is completely true to say that the events of Oct. 7 in Israel were horrific and that all hostages must be freed," she wrote on X, "but the same goes for the genocide, humanitarian crisis, and famine ravaging Gaza."

Her statements make her the first Republican member of Congress to use the term "genocide" to describe Israel's onslaught against Palestinians in the besieged enclave.

Read the full report here. 👈

Syrian FM to visit Moscow

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani will travel to Russia tomorrow, a source told Reuters, the most senior Syrian official to visit Moscow since Russia's ally Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December and replaced by a new government.

Russia and Syria's new government have been in talks over Moscow's hopes to continue operating its naval and air bases in northwest Syria.

Ultra-Orthodox Israeli parties say will support hostage deal

Two Israeli ultra-Orthodox parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, said that despite having quite Netanyahu's coalition over the Haredi conscription crisis, they would give their support in the Knesset to any proposal for a hostage deal with Hamas, Haaretz reports.

"We are fully committed to our brothers and sisters, the hostages in the tunnels in Gaza, both living and dead," the factions wrote in a joint statement. "Therefore, the factions will support any proposal for a hostage deal that will be brought to the cabinet and the Knesset."

Seven die of starvation in Gaza in 24 hours, Health Ministry says

Seven people have died from hunger and malnutrition in Gaza over the past 24 hours, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, reported by Haaretz.

The deaths were recorded in hospitals across the enclave, highlighting the worsening humanitarian crisis.

Release of two Australian nationals detained on humanitarian ship Handala

Tan Safi and Robert Martin, two Australian nationals detained by the Israeli army aboard the humanitarian vessel Handala bound for Gaza, have been released, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, as reported by Al Jazeera.

The Handala, carrying food and medicine along with 21 unarmed civilians, was intercepted by the Israeli military off the coast of Gaza on Saturday night.

According to the same source, Safi and Martin were released from Givon Prison in the city of Ramla and have since been transferred to the Australian Embassy in Jordan.

Far-right ministers and MPs request visit to Gaza to 'explore settlement possibilities.'

Israeli far-right ministers and members of the ruling coalition have asked Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for permission to visit the northern Gaza Strip to "explore the possibilities for settlement", according to Haaretz.

They argue that the area is fully under Israeli military control, is empty of Palestinians, and poses no significant security restrictions.

Signatories include Likud ministers Miki Zohar, May Golan, and Shlomo Karhi, as well as Itamar Ben-Gvir, Amichay Eliyahu, and Yitzhak Wasserlauf from the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, the left-leaning Israeli daily reports.

At least 12 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza since dawn

At least 12 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since dawn, according to local medical sources cited by Al Jazeera Arabic.

The toll includes six individuals who were seeking humanitarian aid, reportedly killed by Israeli army fire near aid distribution centers north of Rafah, according to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.

Syria denies claims that Sweida is under government siege

Syrian Interior Ministry spokesperson Noureddine el-Baba stated that allegations claiming the southern province of Sweida is under siege by the Syrian government are "completely false and misleading," according to the official Syrian news agency SANA.

He added:

“The Syrian government has opened humanitarian corridors to deliver aid to our civilian compatriots in the province, in cooperation with local and international humanitarian organizations, and to allow the temporary departure of those wishing to leave areas controlled by outlawed groups.”

Israeli drone drops bomb near cemetery in Aita al-Shaab, South Lebanon

An Israeli drone dropped a bomb near the cemetery of Aita al-Shaab in southern Lebanon, according to our regional correspondent.

No casualties were reported.

UK rejects criticism that recognizing Palestinian state rewards Hamas

The United Kingdom has rejected criticism suggesting that its move toward recognizing a Palestinian state amounts to rewarding Hamas.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has issued an ultimatum to Israel, giving it until September to take steps to improve the situation in Gaza and advance peace efforts.

This prompted a sharp response from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who claimed it was tantamount to "rewarding Hamas and punishing the victims of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack."

Asked about this criticism, UK Transport Minister Heidi Alexander, speaking on behalf of the government during a round of media interviews, said:

“This is not a reward for Hamas. Hamas is a vile terrorist organization that has committed horrific atrocities. This is about the Palestinian people. It’s about the children we see starving in Gaza.”

“We need to increase pressure on the Israeli government to lift restrictions and allow the return of humanitarian aid to Gaza,” she told LBC radio.

France and 14 countries, including Canada and Australia, are calling on the international community to express their willingness to recognize a Palestinian state, according to the French Foreign Minister.

"In New York, along with 14 other countries, France is issuing a joint appeal: we express our intention to recognize the State of Palestine and invite those who have not yet done so to join us," wrote Jean-Noel Barrot on X, following the “New York Appeal” made after a ministerial conference at the UN aimed at advancing a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Israel reportedly considering 'alternatives' to Gideon’s Chariots Operation in Gaza

Israeli radio has reported that Israeli security organizations are exploring several "alternatives" to the military's “Operation Gideon’s Chariots” in Gaza, which they consider to have failed, particularly regarding the release of hostages still held in the enclave.

These alternatives include an “extreme option” involving territorial annexation, a total blockade of populated areas in Gaza, and a ban on all food aid. However, these plans remain "theoretical," according to a source cited by the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, pending progress in negotiations with Hamas.

'Getting clean water is a daily challenge' in Gaza, says UNRWA

The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) stated on X that in Gaza, "getting clean water is a daily challenge."

"Children stand in long lines under the sun; the crisis is worsening, and the world watches in silence," the agency added.

To understand the causes of this Israel-induced water crisis, see the analysis by Renee Davis.

Israeli drone currently flying over Beirut

An Israeli drone is currently flying over Beirut and its suburbs, particularly the Mansourieh area and southern Beirut, according to L’Orient Today and other local media outlets.

South Lebanon: Machine gun fire on Kfar Shuba

Israeli machine gun fire has reportedly targeted the outskirts of Kfar Shuba, in the Hasbaya district, as Israeli drones continue to fly over the entire South.

Naim Qassem to speak at 6:30 p.m. in tribute to Fouad Shukur

In the context of these ongoing Israeli violations and attacks, and debates over Hezbollah disarmament, Hezbollah’s deputy secretary-general Naim Qassem is scheduled to give a speech at 6:30 p.m. today to commemorate the first anniversary of the assassination of Fouad Shukur, a former military official of the group, killed on July 30 last year in an Israeli airstrike on southern Beirut.

French-led diplomatic appeal for recognition of Palestine

France and 14 other countries — including Canada and Australia — are calling on the international community to express their support for recognizing a Palestinian state, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has announced.

“In New York, with 14 other countries, France is issuing a collective appeal: we express our will to recognize the State of Palestine and invite those who haven’t done so to join us,” Barrot posted on X.

This “New York Appeal” was made following a ministerial conference at the U.N. focused on advancing a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Welcome to our live coverage of developments in the Middle East — in Gaza, where the Israeli army continues its strikes across the enclave and has opened deadly fire on aid seekers, in Lebanon, where Israel is carrying out ongoing strikes and targeted killings, and also in Iran and Syria.