US envoy Steve Witkoff visits Gaza assist web site
Peter Beaumont
Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff has visited Gaza and been proven one of many controversial assist websites round which a whole lot of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces.
Witkoff, the US president’s particular envoy for the Center East, had earlier met with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid mounting worldwide horror over situations of hunger in Gaza occurring amid months of Israeli-imposed assist restrictions.
The go to to the location in Rafah by Witkoff – a former actual property lawyer with no overseas coverage or humanitarian background, who has additionally met Vladimir Putin on Trump’s behalf – was reported by a quantity Israeli media organisations and comes as Human Rights Watch on Friday described the help websites run by the Israeli and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Basis – as “loss of life traps” that had develop into the scene of normal “bloodbaths”. The UN has stated virtually 9 hundred Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces trying to achieve the websites.
Key occasions
A workers member on the UN’s Workplace for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Gaza stated that the slight improve in assist is “not practically sufficient to even scratch the floor”.
Talking to Al Jazeera, Olga Cherevko from the OCHA stated that regardless of Israel permitting extra assist into the world, the impacts of malnutrition are virtually irreversible as a consequence of earlier restrictions.
“The slight improve in what’s coming in isn’t practically sufficient to even scratch the floor to fulfill the folks’s wants right here on the bottom,” Cherevko stated.
She stated {that a} main motive assist isn’t coming into Gaza is as a result of the UN has to coordinate the deliveries with Israel, who’re delaying approvals.
“There are such a lot of components on the bottom that time to the truth that, regardless of the slight rest of [Israel’s] numerous constraints [on aid entry], we’re nonetheless in the identical scenario,” Cherevko stated.
“Individuals are persevering with to starve, malnutrition charges proceed to go up, persons are risking their lives to get meals, and there’s no change considerably and operationally, actually.”
Finland’s president Alexander Stubb has stated he is able to approve a recognition of a Palestinian state if the federal government strikes ahead with such a proposal.
This comes after some international locations, with France and Canada amongst them, have pledged to recognise a Palestinian state alongside the eightieth UN normal meeting in September.
Now, Stubb has stated he’s ready to approve a proposal to recognise a Palestinian state. Writing on X, he stated: “The choices by France, the UK and Canada reinforce the pattern in direction of recognising Palestine as a part of efforts to breathe new life into the peace course of.
“If I obtain a proposal to recognise the Palestinian state, I’m ready to approve it.”
He stated he understood that Finns had “totally different opinions on the popularity of Palestine, and that there’s additionally concern,” calling for an “open” and “trustworthy” debate.
Nonetheless, Petteri Orpo, Finland’s prime minister, reiterated Helsinki’s help for a two-state resolution, though didn’t specify whether or not the federal government was able to recognise a Palestinian state.
France has began to airdrop 40 tonnes of humanitarian assist to Gaza, and is urging Israel to permit full entry to the world which it stated was slipping into famine.
Earlier right now French overseas minister Jean-Noel Barrot introduced that the European nation could be sending 4 flights carrying 10 tonnes of humanitarian assist to Gaza from Jordan.
Now, president Emmanuel Macron wrote on social media platform X: “Confronted with absolutely the urgency, we now have simply performed a meals airdrop operation in Gaza. Thanks to our Jordanian, Emirati, and German companions for his or her help, and to our army personnel for his or her dedication.
“Airdrops should not sufficient. Israel should open full humanitarian entry to handle the chance of famine.”
Face à l’urgence absolue, nous venons de conduire une opération de largage de vivres à Gaza.
Merci à nos partenaires jordaniens, émiriens et allemands pour leur appui, ainsi qu’à nos militaires pour leur engagement.
Les largages ne suffisent pas.… pic.twitter.com/dEzo3GXmi8
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 1, 2025
Abstract
Here’s a recap of occasions up to now right now.
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Donald Trump’s particular envoy, Steve Witkoff, has visited Gaza and was proven one of many controversial assist websites round which a whole lot of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces. Witkoff visited the location in Rafah and was accompanied by the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee.
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Huckabee praised the GHF as he visited the location in Rafah – one in every of 4 GHF websites the place a whole lot of Palestinians have been killed. In a social media submit, he wrote: “GHF delivers multiple million meals a day, an unbelievable feat!”
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The UN human rights workplace stated on Friday that 1,373 Palestinians have been killed whereas ready for assist within the Gaza Strip since late Could, most of them by the Israeli army, AFP reviews. “In complete, since 27 Could, a minimum of 1,373 Palestinians have been killed whereas searching for meals; 859 within the neighborhood of (US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Basis) websites and 514 alongside the routes of meals convoys,” the UN company’s workplace for the Palestinian territories stated in a press release. “Most of those killings had been dedicated by the Israeli army,” it added.
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Human Rights Watch on Friday accused Israeli forces working outdoors US-backed assist centres in war-torn Gaza of “routinely opening fireplace” on Palestinian civilians searching for meals, in addition to utilizing hunger as “a weapon of struggle”. “US-backed Israeli forces and personal contractors have put in place a flawed, militarised assist distribution system that has turned assist distributions into common bloodbaths,” stated Belkis Wille, affiliate disaster and battle director at Human Rights Watch.
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Gaza’s civil defence company stated 11 folks had been killed by Israeli gunfire and air strikes on Friday, together with two who had been ready close to an assist distribution web site contained in the Palestinian territory. Civil defence spokesperson Mahmud Bassal informed AFP that 5 folks had been killed in a strike close to the southern metropolis of Khan Younis, and 4 extra in a separate strike on a car in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah.
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A sequence of Israeli airstrikes killed 4 folks in southern Lebanon, Beirut’s Ministry of Well being stated on Friday, providing a toll for assaults that came about the day earlier than.
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Syria has pledged to analyze clashes within the southern province of Sweida, which killed a whole lot of individuals final month, Reuters reviews. French overseas minister Jean-Noel Barrot stated on Friday that France is sending 4 flights carrying 10 tonnes of humanitarian assist to Gaza from Jordan, Reuters reviews. “That is emergency assist however nonetheless not enough” within the face of this “revolting” scenario, Barrot informed broadcaster franceinfo.
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France will droop its programme to obtain Palestinians from conflict-torn Gaza pending the result of an investigation into how a scholar accused of sharing antisemitic posts was allowed into the nation, the French overseas minister stated on Friday.
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Iran on Friday rejected accusations by the US and greater than a dozen of its allies that Tehran had tried to kill or kidnap dissidents, journalists and officers in Western international locations. In a press release, Iranian overseas ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei described the claims as “baseless”, calling them “an try to divert public consideration from probably the most urgent concern of the day, the genocide in occupied Palestine”.
Listed here are some pictures which might be coming to us over the wires
US ambassador to Israel praises GHF as he visits assist web site the place a whole lot killed
US particular envoy Steve Witkoff appeared in a lot of images taken in Gaza and shared on social media by the US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, because the pair toured a GHF distribution level.
“This morning I joined … Steve Witkoff for a go to to Gaza to study the reality about (GHF) assist websites,” Huckabee wrote.
Witkoff arrived in Israel on Thursday as a part of a renewed US effort to mediate a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas after negotiations broke down final week, and to debate the scenario in Gaza, a US official informed AFP.
US envoy Steve Witkoff visits Gaza assist web site
Peter Beaumont
Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff has visited Gaza and been proven one of many controversial assist websites round which a whole lot of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces.
Witkoff, the US president’s particular envoy for the Center East, had earlier met with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid mounting worldwide horror over situations of hunger in Gaza occurring amid months of Israeli-imposed assist restrictions.
The go to to the location in Rafah by Witkoff – a former actual property lawyer with no overseas coverage or humanitarian background, who has additionally met Vladimir Putin on Trump’s behalf – was reported by a quantity Israeli media organisations and comes as Human Rights Watch on Friday described the help websites run by the Israeli and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Basis – as “loss of life traps” that had develop into the scene of normal “bloodbaths”. The UN has stated virtually 9 hundred Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces trying to achieve the websites.
Human Rights Watch denounces ‘loss of life entice’ US-backed assist centres in Gaza
Human Rights Watch on Friday accused Israeli forces working outdoors US-backed assist centres in war-torn Gaza of “routinely opening fireplace” on Palestinian civilians searching for meals, in addition to utilizing hunger as “a weapon of struggle”.
“US-backed Israeli forces and personal contractors have put in place a flawed, militarised assist distribution system that has turned assist distributions into common bloodbaths,” stated Belkis Wille, affiliate disaster and battle director at Human Rights Watch.
Israel and the USA have backed a personal assist operation run by the Gaza Humanitarian Basis (GHF) at 4 websites inside Gaza, protected by US army contractors and the Israeli military, AFP reviews.
GHF launched its operations in late Could, sidelining the longstanding UN-led humanitarian system simply as Israel was starting to ease a greater than two-month assist blockade that led to dire shortages of meals and different necessities.
Since then, witnesses, the civil defence company and AFP correspondents inside Gaza have reported frequent incidents during which Israeli troops have opened fireplace on crowds of determined Palestinian civilians approaching GHF centres searching for meals.
At the least 859 Palestinians had been killed whereas trying to acquire assist at GHF websites between 27 Could and 31 July – most by the Israeli army – in accordance with the UN Workplace of the Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
“Israeli forces should not solely intentionally ravenous Palestinian civilians, however they’re now gunning them down virtually each day as they desperately search meals for his or her households,” HRW’s Wille stated in a press release.
The Israeli army didn’t instantly reply to AFP’s request for touch upon the HRW report.
It has beforehand insisted that its forces don’t goal unarmed civilians and attempt to keep away from unintentional casualties.
France will droop its programme to obtain Palestinians from Gaza pending the result of an investigation into how a scholar accused of sharing antisemitic posts was allowed into the nation, the French overseas minister stated on Friday.
The transfer comes after officers stated the feminine scholar from Gaza should go away France after the Sciences Po college within the northern metropolis of Lille revoked her accreditation over the web posts, AFP reviews.
“No evacuation of any type will happen till we now have drawn conclusions from this investigation,” Jean-Noel Barrot informed Franceinfo radio.
Palestinians coming into France from Gaza will bear a second screening, he added.
France has helped greater than 500 folks go away Gaza for the reason that newest struggle between the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel began, together with wounded kids, journalists, college students and artists.
UN says 1,373 killed whereas ready for assist in Gaza since late Could
The UN human rights workplace stated on Friday that 1,373 Palestinians have been killed whereas ready for assist within the Gaza Strip since late Could, most of them by the Israeli army, AFP reviews.
“In complete, since 27 Could, a minimum of 1,373 Palestinians have been killed whereas searching for meals; 859 within the neighborhood of (US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Basis) websites and 514 alongside the routes of meals convoys,” the UN company’s workplace for the Palestinian territories stated in a press release.
“Most of those killings had been dedicated by the Israeli army,” it added.
Gaza civil defence says 11 killed by Israeli fireplace
Gaza’s civil defence company stated 11 folks had been killed by Israeli gunfire and air strikes on Friday, together with two who had been ready close to an assist distribution web site contained in the Palestinian territory.
Civil defence spokesperson Mahmud Bassal informed AFP that 5 folks had been killed in a strike close to the southern metropolis of Khan Younis, and 4 extra in a separate strike on a car in central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah.
The Israeli military informed AFP it couldn’t verify the strikes with out particular coordinates.
Two different folks had been killed and greater than 70 injured by Israeli fireplace whereas ready for assist close to a meals distribution centre run by the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Basis (GHF) between Khan Younis and the close by metropolis of Rafah, the civil defence stated.
The military didn’t instantly reply to the report.
Lebanon says 4 killed in Israeli strikes on Thursday
A sequence of Israeli air strikes killed 4 folks in southern Lebanon, Beirut’s ministry of well being stated Friday, providing a toll for assaults that came about the day earlier than, AFP reviews.
The Israeli army stated on Thursday that it had focused Hezbollah “infrastructure that was used for producing and storing strategic weapons”, together with what the nation’s defence minister described because the group’s “greatest precision missile manufacturing web site”.
By failing to sanction Israel, EU leaders are complicit in its crimes. They have to act now
Josep Borrell
In the event that they survive Donald Trump’s assaults, the worldwide courts is not going to ship their closing verdict for a number of years. However for all those that have ears to listen to and eyes to see, there could be little doubt that the Israeli authorities is committing genocide in Gaza, slaughtering and ravenous civilians after systematically destroying all of the infrastructure within the territory. Within the meantime, settlers and the Israeli military are each day responsible of significant, large and repeated violations of worldwide legislation and worldwide humanitarian legislation within the West Financial institution and East Jerusalem.
Those that don’t act to cease this genocide and these violations of worldwide legislation, though they’ve the ability to take action, are complicit in them. That is sadly the case with the leaders of the European Union and people of its member states, who refuse to sanction Israel though the EU has a legal obligation to take action.
You may learn the complete opinion piece right here:
Syria has pledged to analyze clashes within the southern province of Sweida which killed a whole lot of individuals final month, Reuters reviews.
In a decree dated 31 July, justice minister Mazhar al-Wais stated a committee of seven folks – together with judges, legal professionals and a army official – would look into the circumstances that led to the “occasions in Sweida” and report again inside three months.
The committee would examine reported assaults and abuses towards civilians and refer anybody confirmed to have participated in such assaults to the judiciary.
The violence in Sweida started on 13 July between tribal fighters and Druze factions. Authorities forces had been despatched to quell the combating however the bloodshed worsened, and Israel carried out strikes on Syrian troops within the identify of the Druze.
The Druze are a minority offshoot of Islam with followers in Syria, Lebanon and Israel. Sweida province is predominantly Druze however can be residence to Sunni tribes, and the communities have had longstanding tensions over land and different sources.
A US-brokered truce ended the combating, which had raged in Sweida metropolis and surrounding cities for practically per week.
Listed here are some pictures coming to us over the wires.
Iran on Friday rejected accusations by the US and greater than a dozen of its allies that Tehran had tried to kill or kidnap dissidents, journalists and officers in Western international locations, AFP reviews.
In a press release, Iranian overseas ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei described the claims as “baseless”, calling them “an try to divert public consideration from probably the most urgent concern of the day, the genocide in occupied Palestine”.
Western governments together with the USA, Britain, France and Germany condemned in a joint assertion on Thursday “the rising variety of state threats from Iranian intelligence providers in our respective territories”.
“We’re united in our opposition to the makes an attempt of Iranian intelligence providers to kill, kidnap, and harass folks in Europe and North America in clear violation of our sovereignty,” they stated.
“These providers are more and more collaborating with worldwide felony organisations to focus on journalists, dissidents, Jewish residents, and present and former officers in Europe and North America.”
Baqaei stated the accusations had been “blatant fabrications… designed as a part of a malicious Iranophobia marketing campaign geared toward exerting stress on the nice Iranian nation”.
Sirens sounded in Israeli communities close to the Gaza Strip on Friday, prompting the army to launch an interceptor missile in direction of a suspected menace, the Israeli army stated.
The army later confirmed that the launch was triggered by a false alarm, and no menace was detected, Reuters reviews.
France sending 40 tonnes of humanitarian assist to Gaza, overseas minister says
French overseas minister Jean-Noel Barrot stated on Friday that France is sending 4 flights carrying 10 tonnes of humanitarian assist to Gaza from Jordan, Reuters reviews.
“That is emergency assist however nonetheless not enough” within the face of this “revolting” scenario, Barrot informed broadcaster franceinfo.
A world starvation monitor stated on Tuesday {that a} famine situation was unfolding within the Gaza Strip, with malnutrition hovering, kids below 5 dying of hunger-related causes and humanitarian entry severely restricted.
US envoy to go to Gaza assist websites as quantity of Palestinians killed whereas determined for meals grows
Hiya and welcome to our reside protection of the disaster within the Center East.
US President Donald Trump’s particular envoy Steve Witkoff will go to meals distribution websites in Gaza run by the controversial US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Basis (GHF) the place a whole lot of Palestinians have died in latest weeks attempting to get meals.
In keeping with the UN human rights workplace, a minimum of 859 folks have been killed within the neighborhood of the GHF websites for the reason that GHF started working in late Could. The Workplace of the Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) stated: “Most of those killings had been dedicated by the Israeli army.”
Witkoff arrived in Israel on Thursday with Netanyahu’s authorities dealing with mounting worldwide stress.
He met with prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday to debate the humanitarian scenario and a attainable ceasefire, AP reviews.
Following the assembly, a senior Israeli official stated an understanding between Israel and the US was rising that there was a necessity to maneuver from a plan to launch a few of the hostages to a plan to launch all of the hostages, disarm Hamas militants, and demilitarise the Gaza Strip, in accordance with Reuters.
“The particular envoy and the ambassador will temporary the president instantly after their go to to approve a closing plan for meals and assist distribution into the area,” White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt had informed reporters.
Trump on Thursday known as the scenario in Gaza “a horrible factor,” when requested about feedback from his ally and Republican US Consultant Marjorie Taylor Greene, who termed Israel’s offensive in Gaza a “genocide”.
Earlier that day and shortly after Witkoff arrived in Israel, Trump had posted on social media: “The quickest solution to finish the Humanitarian Crises in Gaza is for Hamas to SURRENDER AND RELEASE THE HOSTAGES!!!”
