Palestinians families displaced as Israel ramps up Gaza City offensive

A Palestinian man has succumbed to his wounds sustained when Israeli forces attacked people waiting for aid in Khan Younis.

 U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said on Tuesday that President Donald Trump will chair "a large meeting" on Gaza at the White House on Wednesday.

Asked if there is a day after plan for Gaza, Witkoff told Fox News' Bret Baier: "Yes, we've got a large meeting in the White House tomorrow, chaired by the president, and it's a very comprehensive plan we're putting together on the next day."

Three Syrian soldiers were killed in an Israeli drone strike near the capital Damascus on Tuesday, a Syrian defence ministry official told AFP.

"An Israeli drone targeted one of the military buildings of the 44th division of the Syrian army in Kiswah, west of Damascus, killing three members of the division," the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Former Israeli Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot confirmed on Tuesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is avoiding concluding an agreement with Hamas, despite the majority supporting a deal on the Gaza Strip. Eisenkot told the official Israeli Broadcasting Corporation that "the security cabinet is meeting today to make a fateful decision: to release the abducted (Israelis held in Gaza) or to abandon them".

President Emmanuel Macron strongly rejected Benjamin Netanyahu's recent criticism over rising antisemitism in France and warned the issue should not be "weaponised", in a letter to the Israeli leader published Tuesday.

Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside a Jerusalem restaurant hosting an event organised by the Binyamin Regional Council, which oversees multiple Israeli settlements in the West Bank, many considered illegal.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to attend the event following a security cabinet meeting.

Protesters were heard chanting, “They are starving, you are celebrating,” according to Haaretz.

Meanwhile, hundreds more set out on a march from Tel Aviv’s central railway station to Hostage Square.

An Israeli attack on a busy market east of Gaza City has left five people dead and injured several others, Al Jazeera English reported, citing local medical sources.

The deaths come amid multiple other lethal strikes in and around Gaza City, an area Israel has said it plans to capture.

Earlier, an assault in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City reportedly killed at least three people, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

The Israeli military said on Tuesday an initial inquiry into its strike on a Gaza hospital that killed five journalists determined that troops had identified a camera "positioned by Hamas" in the area to observe its forces.

Israeli forces struck Nasser hospital in the south of the Gaza Strip on Monday, killing at least 20 people including journalists who worked for Reuters, the Associated Press, Al Jazeera and others outlets.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said later on Monday that Israel deeply regretted what he called a "tragic mishap".

Former Israeli army chief Gadi Eisenkot said his son, Gal, who was killed in Gaza, along with other soldiers, lost their lives due to political and ideological considerations by the government.

In an interview with Israel's Kan radio, Eisenkot criticised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration, saying, "government is a government that is running away from its responsibility and is not worthy of Gal... not worthy of many combat soldiers and, unfortunately, also the hostages - who lost their lives because of cowardice and political hesitation and because of political and ideological considerations of those who want to return to the settlement of the Gaza Strip and see big dreams and a miracle manifest in complete opposition to the goals of the war."

Eisenkot also criticised former political ally Benny Gantz for joining Netanyahu’s government to advance a ceasefire and hostage deal, calling it "a bitter mistake."

He argued that Netanyahu should be politically pressured to make decisive moves and that a coalition of "all the good forces in the state of Israel" is needed to replace what he called a "bad government". 

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Israel and the Occupied Territories has condemned the Israel Defense Forces’ attack on Gaza’s Nasser Medical Complex on Monday.

Describing Nasser Medical Complex as one of the few remaining major hospitals in Gaza, the ICRC said the damage, which resulted in the deaths and injuries of medical staff, journalists, patients, and first responders, “is unacceptable.”

“Such strikes cause death and destruction, and jeopardize vital lifelines for patients who have few sanctuaries left,” the statement added.

📍Gaza | It is unacceptable for a health facility like Nasser Medical Complex to be damaged in a strike and for medical personnel, journalists, patients & first responders to be killed and injured.

Medical facilities, civilians, journalists & first responders must be protected. pic.twitter.com/lW7V2tVuWG

— ICRC in Israel & OT (@ICRC_ilot) August 26, 2025

The Israeli army announced it had detained five Palestinians during a raid on a currency exchange shop in Ramallah, where it also seized hundreds of thousands of shekels.

The military claimed the business was channelling funds to Hamas but provided no evidence to substantiate the allegation.

Although the army described the operation as part of efforts to block financial transfers to the group, such raids frequently target civilian enterprises and are often seen as a pretext for mass arrests and intimidation.

The raid, which left 58 Palestinians wounded, comes amid an escalation of near-daily Israeli incursions across the West Bank that regularly result in violent clashes, arrests, home demolitions, and the forced displacement of residents.

The number of Palestinians injured in the Israeli raid on Ramallah has risen to 58, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), as reported by the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Eight people were wounded by live ammunition, 14 by rubber-coated steel bullets, and five by shrapnel. Another 31 individuals suffered from tear gas inhalation, the PRCS said.

Local sources reported that Israeli forces detained at least three people after storming a currency exchange shop and seizing its contents. Wafa also said a journalists’ vehicle was hit by rubber bullets during the raid.

The Israeli military claimed it targeted foreign currency exchange offices, accusing them of using funds to finance armed groups. However, no evidence was provided to substantiate these allegations.

Al Jazeera English reported that Israeli forces also carried out a similar raid in Hebron.

This is the governor of Ramallah, West Bank, Dr. Laila Ghannam, today after Israeli soldiers raided the city to terrorize the Palestinian people. pic.twitter.com/a5Mixo5dPa

— Mosab Abu Toha (@MosabAbuToha) August 26, 2025

Catholic and Greek Orthodox priests and nuns will remain in Gaza City despite Israel's plan for a military takeover, the religious communities said in a joint statement on Tuesday.

"At the time of this statement, evacuation orders were already in place for several neighbourhoods in Gaza City. Reports of heavy bombardment continue to be received," the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem said.

"We do not know exactly what will happen on the ground, not only for our community, but for the entire population", they said.

Hundreds of displaced people have sheltered since the outbreak of the war in the Greek Orthodox compound of Saint Porphyrius and the Catholic Holy Family compound, including children and those with special needs.

Stray Israeli fire hit the Holy Family church in July, killing three and wounding 10 others, including the parish priest.

"Among those who have sought shelter within the walls of the compounds, many are weakened and malnourished due to the hardships of the last months," the statement said.

"Leaving Gaza City and trying to flee to the south would be nothing less than a death sentence.

"For this reason, the clergy and nuns have decided to remain and continue to care for all those who will be in the compounds".

There are some 645 Catholic and Orthodox Christians left in the Gaza Strip, including five priests and five nuns, the Latin Patriarchate told AFP on Tuesday.

Britain's interior ministry has agreed to adapt immigration arrangements to help several dozen students from Gaza take up fully funded UK university places next month, the government confirmed Tuesday.

It is understood the students will be permitted to undergo biometric checks in a third country before travelling on to the UK to take up their places.

However, the Israeli government would still need to agree to each student leaving Gaza, as diplomatic relations worsen with London.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced last month that the UK will recognise a Palestinian state if Israel does not take a series of steps, including agreeing to a truce in its war on Gaza.

Of the approximately 40 students set to be eligible for support heading to the UK, nine are due to pursue scholarships under the Chevening scheme, according to the BBC.

A predominantly UK government-funded initiative, it enables "outstanding emerging leaders from all over the world" to pursue a one-year master's degree in the UK, according to the foreign ministry.

Interior minister Yvette Cooper has also approved plans to help around 30 others who have won fully funded scholarships through other private schemes to reach the UK, the BBC reported.

An interior ministry source told British media the arrangements are "complex and challenging" but Cooper "wants no stone unturned" so the prospective Gaza students can take up their places in the coming weeks.

A team of U.N. investigators tasked with researching cases of violence by Israeli settlers and the transfer of arms to Israel for use in the Gaza war cannot complete their work due to financial constraints, Reuters reported, citing a document which details the latest information.

The situation highlights how severe funding shortages in the U.N. system, caused by donor fatigue and belt-tightening, are affecting global accountability efforts for human rights abuses.

A Congo probe was also stalled earlier this year for similar reasons.

The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory – established in May 2021 by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council – can provide evidence of international crimes used in pre-trial investigations by tribunals like the International Criminal Court.

Last year, the council approved a request from Pakistan to research additional evidence on arms transfers to Israel in the context of the Gaza war and Israeli settler violence.

However, Navi Pillay, who heads the inquiry, told the council’s president in an August 6 letter that a lack of funds prevented the commission from hiring staff.

“The Commission has started informing the sponsors of the two resolutions that it will be unable to produce these mandated reports and present them to the Council in March 2026,” Pillay said. Pillay is a former U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights and has served as a judge at the ICC.

Israel has regularly criticised the commission, which has condemned actions by the Israeli military since it launched its Gaza offensive following the deadly Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023.

A backlog of mandatory U.N. fees, including approximately $1.5 billion owed by top donor the United States, has worsened a long-running liquidity crisis. In response, the U.N. plans to cut its budget by 20%.

Currently, 12 of the 47 voting members on the council – which will meet in September to discuss crises in Sudan and Afghanistan – have outstanding fees, according to the International Service for Human Rights.

Nada Al Nashif, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, said investigations were operating at roughly 50% staffing levels. “Without the timely availability of funds, implementation has become and will continue to be increasingly constrained and, in some cases, it will simply not be possible,” she said.

US envoy Morgan Ortagus said on Tuesday that Lebanese authorities must execute their decision to disarm Hezbollah, adding that Israel would respond in kind to any government steps.

Beirut has ordered the Lebanese army to draw up a plan to disarm the Iran-backed group which was severely weakened by a war with Israel last year, but has opposed laying down its arms.

"We're all greatly encouraged by the historic decision of the government a few weeks ago, but now it's not about words, now it's about action," Ortagus told journalists at Lebanon's presidential palace in Baabda.

Her comments came after talks between a US delegation and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.

Ortagus said that Israel was "willing to go step by step, it might be small steps... but they're willing to go step by step with this government".

US envoy Tom Barrack, who was also part of the visiting delegation, said that when the Israelis see action from Lebanon, "they will give their counterproposal" on troop withdrawal and security arrangements.

Barrack noted that Israeli officials had made it clear they "don't want to occupy Lebanon".

Denmark is not ruling out the possibility of recognising Palestinian statehood as long as it is democratic, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Tuesday.

"We're not saying no to recognising Palestine as a state," she told reporters.

"We're in favour of it. We have been for a long time. It's what we want. But of course we have to be sure that it will be a democratic state," she added.

On Sunday, more than 10,000 people marched in a protest in central Copenhagen calling for an end to the war in Gaza and urging Denmark to recognise Palestinian statehood.

In an interview with the Danish daily Jyllands-Posten on August 16, Frederiksen said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was "now a problem in himself", and that his Israeli government was going "too far".

"Netanyahu's continued and very violent actions in Gaza are unacceptable," she wrote on Facebook the same day, adding that she has, since Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack, supported Israel's right to eliminate the "threat posed by Hamas".

Recognition of a Palestinian state must serve "the right goal", she stressed on Tuesday.

"It must come at a time when it genuinely benefits a two-state solution. And where a lasting and democratic Palestinian state can be guaranteed," she said.

"And it must of course be done with (Hamas's) mutual recognition of Israel."

At least 24 Palestinians were injured by Israeli gunfire during a raid on Ramallah and al-Bireh in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported.

According to the PRCS, Israeli forces repeatedly blocked medical crews from reaching the wounded, even firing "warning shots" at ambulances.

Al Jazeera English, citing sources, said Israeli troops stormed the governorate for several hours before withdrawing, raiding a money exchange office in central Ramallah and al-Bireh, seizing its contents and detaining several employees.

CCTV footage shared by Gaza’s Government Communication Center showed Israeli soldiers throwing a smoke grenade into a hair salon in Ramallah, where civilians were sheltering.

AJE sources added that Israeli forces deployed rooftop snipers and called in reinforcements during the operation.

Separate reports said the army also entered Hebron, sealing off the area around the health roundabout in the city centre.

CCTV footage during the Israeli occupation army’s raid on the city of Ramallah, showing its forces firing at random in crowded markets, terrorizing citizens and endangering lives.

At least 19 Palestinians were injured. pic.twitter.com/tXWx8t6SOE

— Government Communication Center (@pal_gcc_en) August 26, 2025

At least 13 Palestinians were injured during an ongoing Israeli raid in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian news agency Wafa reported. The injuries resulted from live bullets, rubber bullets, and tear gas.

Among the wounded are a 71-year-old man hit by rubber bullets and a 12-year-old child shot in the back near the local market.

An Al Jazeera English journalist described the raid as a show of force rather than a targeted military operation.

"Israel is sending a clear message that Oslo is dead, that the Palestinian Authority is dead, and that there is no power on the ground but the Israeli forces and the settlers that now act as a shadow government for the vision of the Israeli army," Faten Elwan told AJE.

"Definitely when they [Israeli forces] go into Ramallah, the political capital of the Palestinians, a few blocks away from the presidential office, it’s a clear message that ‘I can come in in broad daylight and show who has the power on the ground,'" she added.

Scenes from the center of Ramallah in the heart of the West Bank show the occupation army arresting two elderly men. pic.twitter.com/JkpQ6iAbgQ

— Eye on Palestine (@EyeonPalestine) August 26, 2025

Gaza mediator Qatar said Tuesday that it was "still waiting" for Israel's response to a proposal for a truce and hostage release deal in the Palestinian territory after Hamas agreed to the framework more than a week ago.

"We are still waiting for an answer," foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari told a regular news conference, adding "the statements that we are hearing right now do not fill us with confidence".

US envoy Morgan Ortagus said Tuesday that Lebanese authorities must put into "action" their decision to disarm Hezbollah, adding that Israel would respond in kind to any government steps.

"We're all greatly encouraged by the historic decision of the government a few weeks ago, but now it's not about words, now it's about action," she told journalists at Lebanon's presidential palace in Baabda.

Her comments came after talks between a US delegation and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.

On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered "a phased" pullout of the remaining Israeli troops in Lebanon if Beirut implements its decision to disarm Hezbollah.

Ortagus said that Israel was "willing to go step by step, it might be small steps... but they're willing to go step by step with this government".

"So every step that the Lebanese government takes, we will encourage the Israeli government to make the same step," she added.

US envoy Tom Barrack, who was also part of the delegation, noted that the Lebanese army and government are expected to present a concrete plan to disarm Hezbollah at the end of the month.

"When (the Israelis) see that, they will give their counterproposal of what they will do in withdrawals and security guarantees on their borders, their boundaries," Barrack said.

"What Israel has now said, which is historic, is we don't want to occupy Lebanon," he added, saying that Israeli officials are waiting to "see what is the plan to actually disarm Hezbollah".

Lebanon's judiciary agreed Tuesday to the release on bail of more than $20 million of former central bank governor Riad Salameh, detained for nearly a year over embezzlement allegations, a judicial official told news agency AFP.

The judiciary "agreed to release Salameh on bail of $20 million in addition to five billion Lebanese pounds (around $56,000) and banned him from travel for a year starting from the date of this decision's implementation", the official said, requesting anonymity as they were not authorised to brief the media.

An Israeli strike killed a man in southern Syria, state media reported Tuesday, a day after a new Israeli incursion in the area drew condemnation from Damascus.

Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria since longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad was toppled in December.

It has also opened talks with the interim authorities in Damascus.

"A young man was killed in an Israeli strike on a home in the village of Taranja", on the formerly Syria-controlled side of the armistice line on the Golan Heights, the official SANA news agency reported.

On Monday, the Syrian foreign ministry condemned what it called an "Israeli military incursion" in nearby Beit Jinn.

The ministry said that Israel deployed "a force of 11 military vehicles and approximately 60 soldiers", who seized control of a strategic hill at the foot of Mount Hermon.

It condemned the Israeli incursion as a "blatant violation" of Syrian sovereignty.

The Israeli military said on Sunday that it had carried out "several activities last week in southern Syria to locate weapons and apprehend suspects".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene his security cabinet at 4 pm today to discuss the situation in Gaza and efforts to secure a ceasefire and hostage deal, his office told The Times of Israel on Tuesday.

According to the publication, The Prime Minister’s Office did not confirm whether Netanyahu will address the ceasefire and phased hostage-release proposal that Hamas claimed to accept last week, though local reports suggest it is not on the agenda.

The World Food Programme warned Tuesday that the aid Israel is allowing to enter Gaza remains a "drop in the ocean", days after famine was formally declared in the war-torn Palestinian territory.

The United Nations declared a famine in Gaza on Friday, blaming the "systematic obstruction" of aid by Israel during its nearly two-year war on the devastated Palestinian territory.

Carl Skau, WFP's chief operating officer, said that over the past two weeks, there has been a "slight uptick" in aid entering, averaging around 100 trucks per day.

"That's still a drop in the ocean when we're talking about assisting some 2.1 million people," Skau told AFP during a visit to New Delhi.

"We need a completely different level of assistance to be able to turn this trajectory of famine around."

The Rome-based Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Initiative (IPC) said famine was affecting 500,000 people in Gaza.

The UN insisted Tuesday that Israel must not only investigate alleged unlawful killings in Gaza like the hospital strike that killed 20 people including five journalists, but must also ensure those probes yield results.

"The Israeli authorities have in the past announced investigations in such killings... but these investigations need to yield results," United Nations rights office spokesman Thameen Al-Kheetan told reporters in Geneva, insisting: "There needs to be justice. We haven't seen results or accountability measures yet."

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Tuesday that Germany would not join an initiative by Western allies to recognise the Palestinian state at next month’s United Nations General Assembly.

Merz was speaking at a joint news conference with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who said last month that Canada planned to recognise the state of Palestine at the General Assembly, following similar announcements by France and Britain.

“The position of the federal government is clear, as far as the possible recognition of the state of Palestine is concerned,” Merz said.

“Canada knows this. We will not join this initiative. We don’t see the requirements met.”

Canada condemned an Israeli strike on a Gaza hospital on Monday that killed at least 20
people, including five journalists, and said Israel had an obligation to protect civilians in the combat zone

"Canada is horrified by the Israeli military strike at the Nasser Hospital in Gaza, which killed five journalists and many civilians, including rescuers and health officials. Such attacks are unacceptable," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Israeli protesters have launched nationwide rallies calling for an end to the war on Gaza and the return of the remaining hostages held by Hamas.

According to Israeli media, campaigners blocked Tel Aviv's Ayalon Highway, with activists placing a sign on the road reading: "The war of deception kills hostages and soldiers."

Haaretz reported that demonstrators also protested outside the homes of Israeli ministers, including Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, who leads Israel's hostage negotiations team.

Meanwhile, Israeli media noted that Benjamin Netanyahu's rival, Benny Gantz, also made an appearance at the protest.

"Israel stands together. The people of Israel stand for the hostages. More than 80 percent want an end to the war and a hostage deal."

Earlier this morning, at Hostages Square, the families of the hostages held a statement to the media, launching a massive national day of… pic.twitter.com/jWh8T4ac0D

— Bring Them Home Now (@bringhomenow) August 26, 2025

China said on Tuesday it was "shocked" by an Israeli strike on a Gaza hospital in which five journalists were among at least 20 people killed.

"We are shocked and condemn the fact that medical personnel and journalists have once again unfortunately lost their lives in the conflict," foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said when asked about the strikes.

"We express our condolences to the victims and our sympathies to their families."

The ongoing war in Gaza has been one of the deadliest for journalists, with around 200 media workers killed over the course of the nearly two-year Israeli assault, according to media watchdogs.

"China is highly concerned about the current situation in the Gaza Strip," Guo said, adding China condemns "all actions that harm civilians... including acts of violence against journalists".

"Israel should immediately stop its military operations in Gaza, achieve a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire as soon as possible, fully restore the entry of humanitarian supplies, prevent a larger-scale humanitarian crisis, and work to ease tensions as quickly as possible."

The Israeli security cabinet will meet Tuesday evening in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesman said, with local media reporting it would discuss renewed negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release deal.

Spokesman Omer Mantzour did not provide any details Monday on the meeting's agenda.

The security cabinet approved in early August a plan for the military to take over Gaza City, but according to Israeli media, Tuesday's meeting is expected to focus on resuming negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of hostages still being held in the Palestinian territory.

Netanyahu on Thursday had ordered immediate talks on the release of all remaining captives in Gaza.

That came days after Hamas said it had accepted a new ceasefire proposal put forward by mediators that would see the staggered release of hostages over an initial 60-day period in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the main campaign group advocating for the captives in Gaza, called for a day of national action on Tuesday.