Israeli strikes kill 70 in Gaza as desperately needed aid fails to reach Palestinians

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Amnesty International has called on world leaders to take “firm action” to stop what it describes as Israel’s genocide in Gaza. The rights group is demanding an immediate halt to all military assistance to Israel, including arms transfers.

Amnesty also urged states to pursue targeted sanctions against Israeli officials accused of international crimes and to support the enforcement of International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants.

The ICC has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, alleging they deliberately deprived Gaza’s civilian population of essentials such as food, water, medicine, fuel, and electricity.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Wednesday called shots fired by Israeli forces during a visit by diplomats, including four Canadians, to the occupied West Bank "totally unacceptable."

"We expect an immediate explanation of what happened. It's totally unacceptable," Carney told a news conference, adding that his foreign minister, Anita Anand, has summoned Israel's ambassador to Ottawa to demand answers.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has said that his country’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) was not raised during his meeting today with former US President Donald Trump at the White House.

“The ICJ issue did not arise during the lunch,” Ramaphosa told reporters.

His comments come a day after Republican Senator Ted Cruz claimed Trump would pressure South African officials to change their stance on Israel. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also voiced concerns, saying the US was “very concerned” about South Africa’s legal action against Israel.

An armed group briefly held the governor of Syria's Suwayda province hostage at the town hall on Wednesday, demanding and securing the release of an imprisoned associate, Syria's Information Ministry said in a statement.

The assailants stormed the government building at gunpoint, sealed its gates, and detained Governor Mustafa Al-Bakour, along with employees and security guards, the ministry stated.

Later on, the prisoner, who was previously convicted of stealing several vehicles, was released for the safety of the hostages.

Suwayda is a predominantly Druze area in southwestern Syria. The Druze are an Arabic-speaking religious minority with communities in Syria, Lebanon, Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, often connected by a web of kinship ties.

Spain has summoned the Israeli ambassador in response to Israeli forces opening fire on a delegation of European diplomats visiting Jenin.

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares called for “clarity and accountability” in a post on X.

France and Italy also announced similar actions earlier in the day. Jenin has been the target of repeated Israeli military operations involving airstrikes, drones, and ground assaults, leaving widespread destruction and displacing thousands from the area’s refugee camp.

Four Canadian personnel were part of the diplomatic delegation in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday that saw Israeli soldiers fire gunshots in their vicinity, Canada's foreign minister said on Wednesday.

"I have asked my officials to summon Israel's Ambassador to convey Canada's serious concerns. We expect a full investigation and accountability," Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand wrote on X.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced guarded optimism Wednesday for a solution "pretty quickly" to end the Gaza war.

"I have some level of optimism that we may have breakthrough achievements here pretty quickly, hopefully on an end to this and the release of all the hostages," Rubio told a congressional hearing.

Rubio acknowledged that he has made such predictions before and said he did not "want to get ahead of myself."

"I have felt that way now at least four separate times in the last couple of months, and for one reason or another at the last minute, it didn't happen," he said.

"I don't want to be disappointed on it again, but I want you to know there are efforts ongoing to both provide more humanitarian assistance and bring about the end of this conflict."

Save the Children UK has condemned the ongoing suffering of children in Gaza amid continuous Israeli bombardment and blockade.

In a statement on X, the organisation said: “These children have names, they have hopes and dreams for the future. They are someone’s everything, their entire universe.”

Portugal has summoned Israel’s ambassador following an incident in which Israeli forces fired warning shots at a group of diplomats in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin.

The Portuguese foreign ministry stated the move was prompted by an event “which calls international law into question.”

A Portuguese representative was among the diplomats targeted during the encounter.

At least 15 aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing en route to World Food Program warehouses in central Gaza, two merchants familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday.

International and domestic pressure has been mounting on the Israeli government to allow more aid to reach a population on the brink of famine after an 11-week blockade.

A member of the Irish rap band Kneecap was charged on Wednesday with a terrorism offence for displaying a flag in support of Iran-backed group Hezbollah, British police said on Wednesday.

Liam O'Hanna, whose stage name is Mo Chara, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 18.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday he was ready for a "temporary ceasefire" to secure the return of hostages held in Gaza, adding 20 of them were "certainly" alive.

"If there is an option for a temporary ceasefire to free hostages; we'll be ready," Netanyahu said a televised speech, adding that "there are 20 hostages that are certainly alive".

The United Nations has confirmed that no humanitarian aid has been delivered into the besieged Gaza Strip through the Karam Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing, citing insecurity and logistical barriers created by Israeli authorities.

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in a press briefing that despite Israel’s public claim to have opened the crossing, no supplies have yet left the loading zone. He attributed this to Israel only permitting access to a single, overcrowded area deemed unsafe by UN teams, who fear looting and violence due to the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza.

“This is because by yesterday evening, the Israeli authorities had only allowed our teams to go through one area that was highly congested, that we felt was insecure, and where we felt looting was highly likely to take place,” Dujarric told reporters.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that the entirety of the Gaza Strip will “ultimately be under Israeli security control,” reiterating his hardline stance as Israel’s assault on the territory enters its eighth month.

Speaking at a press conference, Netanyahu claimed that Israel had “probably” killed senior Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar, although no independent confirmation has been provided.

The Israeli leader said that while Israel would consider a temporary ceasefire as part of a potential hostage exchange deal, any future arrangement would still leave Gaza under Israeli authority.

Netanyahu also touted Israel’s past military strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and targets in Iran, reiterating Israel’s opposition to Iran’s nuclear programme. “The state of Israel reserves the right to defend itself from a regime that wants to eliminate it,” he said.

Israel's attorney general on Wednesday barred Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from appointing the next head of the domestic intelligence agency, after the supreme court ruled his decision to sack outgoing Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar was illegal.

"The court ruled that the prime minister acted in a situation of conflict of interest," Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara said, adding that "as a result, he must refrain from any action related to the appointment of a new head of the Shin Bet until legal guidelines are established to ensure the integrity of the process."

The Netherlands on Wednesday condemned Israeli shots fired during a visit by foreign diplomats to the occupied West Bank, including the Dutch representative in the Palestinian territories.

"We condemn the shooting, have requested clarification from the Israeli authorities and are considering further steps," Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp wrote on X.

An Israeli drone strike targeted a vehicle in the south Lebanon border village of Aitaroun, the third attack on Wednesday.

Israel says it has killed a number of Hezbollah members in recent days, despite a ceasefire with the Iran-backed group reached in November.

مسيّرة إسرائيلية تستهدف سيارة في بلدة عيترون جنوب لبنان pic.twitter.com/f4ffiKKyay

— Annahar النهار (@Annahar) May 21, 2025

No humanitarian aid has yet been distributed in the Gaza Strip, the United Nations said on Wednesday, two days after Israel lifted an 11-week siege and began allowing limited deliveries into the enclave through the Kerem Shalom crossing.

"So far ... none of the supplies have been able to leave the Kerem Shalom loading area," said U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, adding that it was because Israeli authorities had only allowed access within Gaza "that we felt was insecure" and where looting was likely due to the prolonged deprivation.

The fifth round of nuclear talks between Iran and the United States is set to take place on Friday in Rome, mediator Oman announced on Wednesday.

"The 5th round of Iran-US talks will take place in Rome this Friday 23rd May," Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said in a post on X.

The war on Gaza since 7 October 2023 has killed 53,655 people and wounded over 121,950 others, the territory's health ministry said Wednesday.

Since Israel resumed its attacks on Gaza after a two-month truce, 3,509 have been killed and over 9,900 have been wounded.

Many more are believed to be dead but buried beneath the rubble. Most casualties are civilians, the ministry said.

The armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Quds Brigade, said Wednesday it had fired missiles at the Israeli cities of Ashdod and Ashkelon in response to the massacres against the Palestinian people in Gaza.

The Israeli army said it intercepted a "projectile" launched from the enclave.

"Following the sirens that sounded in (south Israel's) Lakhish area, one projectile that was identified crossing into Israel from the northern Gaza Strip was intercepted" by the air force, the military said in a statement, adding no one was wounded by the projectile.

UPDATE: The IDF confirms one rocket launched from northern Gaza at the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon was intercepted. No reported injuries. https://t.co/coizJvNeaH pic.twitter.com/1FI9Mm52F3

— Ariel Oseran أريئل أوسيران (@ariel_oseran) May 21, 2025

Turkey's foreign ministry condemned "in the strongest terms" Israel's firing of gunshots on diplomats during a visit in the West Bank town of Jenin, adding Ankara was calling for an immediate investigation and accountability.

"This attack, which endangered the lives of diplomats, is yet another demonstration of Israel's systematic disregard for international law and human rights," the ministry said in a statement, adding a diplomat from its consulate in Jerusalem was part of the group.

"The targeting of diplomats constitutes a grave threat not only to individual safety but also to the mutual respect and trust that form the foundation of inter-state relations."

Berlin on Wednesday "strongly condemned" shots fired by Israeli troops during a visit by foreign diplomats, including one from Germany, to the occupied West Bank.

"The Israeli government must promptly investigate the circumstances," a foreign ministry spokeswoman said, adding that Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul would also raise the issue of the "unprovoked shooting" with his Israeli counterpart.

Ireland's deputy prime minister Simon Harris Wednesday condemned as "completely unacceptable" Israeli troops firing shots at a group of diplomats in the West Bank, which included two Irish envoys.

"I am shocked and appalled at reports that the IDF fired shots in the vicinity of a visit to Jenin today by a group of diplomats, including two Irish diplomats based in Ramallah," Harris said in a statement.

Egypt on Wednesday condemned "in the strongest terms" the Israeli army's firing at diplomats in the West Bank.

France's foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Wednesday that he would summon the Israeli ambassador after diplomats came under fire by Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank town of Jenin.

Barrot, writing in a post on social media platform X, called the incident "unacceptable" and said the ambassador would be required to explain.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' visit to Lebanon comes as the country enters "a new era" in which it is receiving "Arab and American support", said Ahmad Majdalani, a senior Palestine Liberation Organisation official accompanying Abbas.

"What matters to us in this new regional context is that we do not become part of Lebanon's internal conflicts," he said, "and that the Palestinian cause is not exploited to serve any party."

Ali Barakeh, a senior Hamas official in Lebanon, said he hoped Abbas' talks would take a broader approach than just weapons and security.

"We affirm our respect for Lebanon's sovereignty, security and stability, and at the same time we demand the provision of civil and human rights for our Palestinian people in Lebanon," he said.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is very concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and is in close contact with other European nations to convey his worries to the Israeli government, his spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said on Wednesday.

"It is always important for the German government to keep its lines of communication open with the Israeli government and to be able to make its points directly," he added at a regular government press conference.

Britain pledged on Tuesday 4 million pounds ($5.37 million) in humanitarian aid to Gaza, the government said, as Minister for Development Jenny Chapman visited Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called Wednesday on Israel to investigate the firing of warning shots at a delegation of diplomats in the West Bank and hold those responsible "accountable".

"Any threats on diplomats' lives are unacceptable," Kallas told journalists in Brussels.

Spain "strongly condemns" Israeli army fire on a diplomatic delegation that was visiting the flashpoint city of Jenin in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, foreign ministry sources told AFP.

"There was a Spaniard in the group of diplomats who is well. We are in contact with other affected countries to jointly coordinate a response to what happened, which we strongly condemn," the sources said.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Wednesday slammed the firing of shots on diplomats visiting the flashpoint West Bank city of Jenin and called on Israel to "immediately clarify".

"I have just spoken to Alessandro Tutino, the Deputy Consul General of Italy in Jerusalem, who is well and who was among the diplomats who were apparently shot at near the Jenin refugee camp," Tajani said on X.

"We call on the government of Israel to immediately clarify what happened. Threats against diplomats are unacceptable," he said.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and his Palestinian counterpart Mahmud Abbas said Wednesday that weapons should be under Lebanese state control, meeting in Beirut to discuss disarming Palestinian refugee camps in the country.

A joint statement released by the Lebanese presidency said the two leaders share the "belief that the era of weapons outside Lebanese state control has ended", adding that both had expressed commitment to the principle that arms should be exclusively "in the hands of the Lebanese state".

لقاء ثنائي بين الرئيس عون والرئيس الفلسطيني محمود عباس في قصر بعبدا pic.twitter.com/f4RpqZO5hD

— Lebanese Presidency (@LBpresidency) May 21, 2025

Iran’s top diplomat insisted Wednesday that Tehran will never stop enriching uranium, further underlining the Islamic Republic's red line in negotiations with the United States over its rapidly advancing nuclear programme.

"I have said it before, and I repeat it again: uranium enrichment in Iran will continue — with or without an agreement," Araghchi said, according to state television.

Araghchi added that Iran is "currently reviewing whether to participate in the next round and when to take part" in talks with the U.S.

The U.S. and Oman, which is mediating the negotiations, have yet to announce any fifth round of talks. Trump's trip to the Mideast last week delayed any new meeting. Negotiators previously met in Muscat, Oman, and Rome.

A second Israeli strike in south Lebanon on Wednesday killed one person and wounded another, the country's health ministry said.

An official from the village of Yater said the strike killed a man who was using a bulldozer to remove debris from his home which was damaged during last year's war between Israel and Hezbollah, the state-run National News Agency reported.

The strike in Yater comes hours after another drone strike killed one man in the village of Ain Baal, who the Israeli army said was a Hezbollah operative "responsible for establishing the necessary infrastructure for the production of precise surface-to-surface missiles in the area".

Israel said it killed two Hezbollah members over the previous two days.

Israeli forces opened fire on a diplomatic delegation that was visiting the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday.

The delegation included 30 European and Arab politicians, ambassadors and consulates.

Alaraby TV showed the delegates rushing to their vehicles after gunfire was heard.

جيش الاحتلال الإسرائيلي يطلق النار على وفد دبلوماسي يضم 30 سفيرا وقنصلا أوروبيا وعربيا خلال زيارتهم #جنين pic.twitter.com/CkQ3oYdKSi

— التلفزيون العربي (@AlarabyTV) May 21, 2025

A hijack signal sent from a Panama-flagged petroleum products tanker off Iran was a false alarm, British maritime security firm Ambrey said on Wednesday.

Ambrey first reported the incident south of the busy Strait of Hormuz shipping lane on Tuesday without naming the "UAE-linked" vessel. It said it took place some 51 nautical miles northwest of the Iranian port of Bandar-e Jask.

It dubbed the incident a "false hijack distress call" on Wednesday, adding that it "understands that the vessel had previously conducted similar actions".

Ambrey said it believed the vessel was part of a "shadow fleet" of tankers used by Iran, noting a sister ship was on a sanctions list issued by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

The United States will appoint President Donald Trump's long-time friend and current U.S. ambassador to Turkey, Thomas Barrack, as a special envoy for Syria, a person with direct knowledge of the matter and a diplomat in Turkey said.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Beirut on Wednesday for a three-day visit where his talks with officials are expected to focus on fully disarming Palestinian refugees camps in the country.

The Lebanese state is seeking to monopolise all arms in the country including Hezbollah's and Palestinian militant groups which operate in many of the country's 12 official camps, in line with the ceasefire deal that ended the war with Israel last year.

Abbas will discuss with Lebanese officials including President Joseph Aoun on how to manage the camps' security.

Following the fall of the Assad regime in Syria in December, Palestinian militant bases which were run by Assad-backed groups outside the refugee camps were taken over by the Lebanese army.

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday hailed international rejection of Israel's "blockade" and "starvation" of Gaza, after the European Union ordered a review of its cooperation deal with Israel.

"We reiterate our welcome for the joint statement issued by the leaders of Britain, France, and Canada, as well as for the positions of the European Union countries, the joint statement of the donor countries and the statement of the Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee on this matter," Abbas said in a statement. "They all rejected the policies of blockade, starvation, displacement and land seizure".

Two of northern Gaza’s last functioning hospitals have been encircled by Israeli troops, preventing anyone from leaving or entering the facilities, hospital staff and aid groups said this week, as Israel pursued its renewed offensive into the devastated Palestinian territory.

The Indonesian hospital and al-Awda hospital are among the region's only surviving medical centers.

Pope Leo XIV called Wednesday for sufficient humanitarian aid to be allowed into war-ravaged Gaza, where humanitarian agencies say a total blockade has sparked critical food and medicine shortages.

"The situation in the Gaza Strip is worrying and painful. I renew my heartfelt appeal to allow the entry of sufficient humanitarian aid and to put an end to the hostilities, the heartbreaking price of which is paid by children, the elderly, the sick," the pope said during his first weekly general audience.

Lebanon still has "more" to do in disarming Hezbollah following the war between the Iran-backed group and Israel, Deputy US Envoy for the Middle East Morgan Ortagus said Tuesday.

Lebanese authorities "have done more in the last six months than they probably have in the last 15 years," Ortagus said at the Qatar Economic Forum referring to efforts to disarm Hezbollah.

"However, there's a lot more to go," she added.

"We in the United States have called for the full disarmament of Hezbollah. And so that doesn't mean just south of the Litani. That means in the whole country," Ortagus said at the Qatar conference calling on Lebanese politicians "to make a decision".

Lebanon's health ministry said an Israeli strike killed a man in the south on Wednesday, the latest attack despite a November ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

The drone struck a car in the village of Ain Baal in the coastal district of Tyre. Some reports said a Hezbollah member was killed.

It was the third consecutive day of Israeli attacks on south Lebanon. Israel said it killed two Hezbollah members over the past two days.

#لبنان | مركز عمليات طوارئ الصحة العامة: غارة العدو الإسرائيلي بمسيرة استهدفت سيارة في بلدة عين بعال في قضاء #صور أدت إلى سقوط شهيد pic.twitter.com/LOouXKMJUx

— إرتكاز نيوز (@Ertikaznews) May 21, 2025

The amount of aid Israel has started to allow into war-ravaged Gaza Strip is not nearly enough and is "a smokescreen to pretend the siege is over," the MSF aid group said on Wednesday.

"The Israeli authorities' decision to allow a ridiculously inadequate amount of aid into Gaza after months of an air-tight siege signals their intention to avoid the accusation of starving people in Gaza, while in fact keeping them barely surviving," said Pascale Coissard, Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) emergency coordinator in Gaza's Khan Younis.