Israel says will take control of all of Gaza ahead of 'unprecedented attack' in south

TNA’s live coverage of the latest from the war on Gaza concludes for today. Join us again at 0800 GMT for updates from the besieged Palestinian enclave.
 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday hit back at condemnation of his country's military offensive in Gaza by the leaders of France, Canada and Britain saying they had given a "huge prize" to Hamas.

"By asking Israel to end a defensive war for our survival before Hamas terrorists on our border are destroyed and by demanding a Palestinian state, the leaders in London, Ottawa and Paris are offering a huge prize for the genocidal attack on Israel on October 7 while inviting more such atrocities," Netanyahu said in a statement, referring to the October 2023 attack.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s speech at the Build developer conference was interrupted by pro-Palestine demonstrators protesting the company’s alleged involvement in supplying AI technology to the Israeli military.

A group of Microsoft employees critical of the company’s ties to Israel shared footage of the protest online, captioned: "BREAKING! No Azure for Apartheid disrupts Satya’s keynote during Microsoft Build! SHUT DOWN MICROSOFT BUILD FOR PALESTINE!"

In the video, a protester can be seen standing up and shouting: "How about you show how Microsoft is killing Palestinians? How about you show how Israeli war crimes are powered by Azure?"

As security escorted him out, the demonstrator identified himself as a Microsoft employee, declaring: "I refuse to be complicit in this genocide."

The Israeli military has reportedly employed AI-driven systems to assist in identifying targets with minimal human intervention. The precise level of involvement by international tech firms, including Microsoft, has not been clearly established.

A pro-Palestine Microsoft worker protested the leadership of the company for supporting genocide in #Gaza. pic.twitter.com/ybUcd20tcl

— Palestine Info Center (@palinfoen) May 19, 2025

The number of Palestinian journalists killed since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza on 7 October 2023 has risen to 219, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) stated last week that Palestine is now the most dangerous place in the world for journalists, with dozens believed to have been deliberately targeted and killed by Israeli forces because of their profession.

A Gaza civil defence official said that 91 people were killed in strikes and attacks throughout Monday as Israel steps up an offensive in the Palestinian territory.

The deaths had been recorded since since the early hours of Monday, according to Mohammed al-Mughayyir, an official in the civil defence agency of the territory. The department had earlier given a toll of 52 dead.

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis announced on Monday what they called a "maritime blockade" on Israel's Haifa port in response to Israel's ongoing escalation in Gaza. 

An East Jerusalem hospital chief told news agency AFP on Monday that Gaza was in a "catastrophic" state after weeks of a complete blockade of humanitarian aid and called on countries to act to end the suffering of civilians.

Fadi Atrash, chief executive of the Augusta Victoria-Hospital in East Jerusalem -- which helps Palestinians from the occupied territories and Gaza -- said he could no longer "find the words" to describe the crisis faced by people in war-torn Gaza.

"We are facing a very, very critical and catastrophic situation," he said, with all components of the healthcare system destroyed, and health care workers "running out of energy".

Augusta Victoria, which had a hospital in Gaza that has been destroyed in Israeli bombings now provides healthcare in Gaza with the limited resources available, Atrash said.

Atrash visited Finland -- which has not recognised Palestine as a state -- on Monday as part of a tour of the Nordic countries.

"My main message for the Nordic countries is to put pressure to stop the war, to stop the killing".

Finland's President Alexander Stubb joined other European leaders on Monday to call on Israel to guarantee the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Three members of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) have been killed in Gaza, the United Nations announced during a press briefing on Monday.

According to the UN, the total number of UNRWA staff killed since the conflict began has now exceeded 300.

"The vast majority of staff were killed by the Israeli Army with their children and loved ones: whole families wiped out," said UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini in a statement.

He added that several staff members were killed while carrying out their duties in service to their communities.

"Nothing justifies these killings," Lazzarini stated.

"Impunity will lead to more killing. Those responsible must be held accountable."

Israeli authorities have reportedly issued suspended prison sentences to three soldiers who refused to participate in the latest military operation in Gaza, citing exhaustion, according to Yedioth Ahronoth.

The Israeli daily reported that 11 soldiers from the 50th Battalion of the Nahal Brigade declined to return to Gaza after completing 15 months of combat in the Strip, followed by an additional three months of deployment in the occupied West Bank.

While eight of the soldiers later reversed their decision, three maintained their refusal and were subsequently given suspended sentences.

US congresswoman Rashida Tlaib has condemned Israel’s intensified military campaign in Gaza, describing it as an attempt to ethnically cleanse the territory- insisting it must be met with firm international consequences.

"Israeli forces have begun a full-scale invasion to ethnically cleanse all Palestinians from Gaza. War Criminal Netanyahu announced plans to forcibly expel the entire population and permanently occupy the land," Tlaib wrote in a social media post.

"This is the final stage of their genocide. World leaders must impose sanctions and a full arms embargo."

The New Arab's Arabic-language news service al-Araby al-Jadeed reported on Monday that three Palestinians were killed following an Israeli drone strike targeting the al-Mawasi area of southern Gaza's Khan Younis.

More updates to follow.

The leaders of Britain, France and Canada warned on Monday that their countries would take action if Israel does not stop a renewed military offensive in Gaza and lift aid restrictions.

"The Israeli Government’s denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable and risks breaching International Humanitarian Law," a joint statement released by the British government said. 

"We oppose any attempt to expand settlements in the West Bank ... We will not hesitate to take further action, including targeted sanctions." 

The leaders of Britain, France and Canada on Monday condemned Israel's "egregious actions" in Gaza, opposed its expanded offensive, and slammed Israeli ministers for threatening the mass displacement of civilians.

"We will not stand by" while the government of Benjamin Netanyahu pursues those actions, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a joint statement.

"We are committed to recognising a Palestinian state as a contribution to achieving a two-state solution and are prepared to work with others to this end," they said.

The statement coincided with a joint demand by 22 countries -- including Britain, France and Canada -- for Israel to immediately "allow a full resumption of aid into Gaza", noting that the territory's population "faces starvation".

The statement by Britain, France and Canada said that Israel's "denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable and risks breaching international humanitarian law".

It also slammed "abhorrent language used recently by members of the Israeli government, threatening that, in their despair at the destruction of Gaza, civilians will start to relocate".

One man was killed in an Israeli drone strike on the south Lebanon border village of Houla Monday evening.

Israel carries out near-daily attacks on southern Lebanon and sometimes elsewhere, vowing to stop the Hezbollah militant group from rebuilding itself after the recent war.

Nine aid trucks were authorised to enter Gaza on Monday, the United Nations said, describing the first humanitarian deliveries since Israel partially lifted its blockade as "a drop in the ocean" of what is needed.

"Today, nine of our trucks were cleared to enter, via the Kerem Shalom crossing," UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher said in a statement. "But it is a drop in the ocean of what is urgently needed."

The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces said on Monday that one of its fighters was killed in an attack by the Islamic State group in Syria's eastern Deir Ezzour region.

The Israeli military said Monday that five trucks carrying aid have entered Gaza, the first to enter the battered territory in months due to an Israeli siege.

US Vice President J.D. Vance has cancelled a planned visit to Israel on Tuesday after Israel expanded its military operation in Gaza, a senior US official confirmed, according to an Axios report on Monday.

US President Donald Trump continues to engage with talks on both sides of the Gaza conflict, the White House said on Monday.

Tens of thousands of protesters, many dressed in red, marched through The Hague demanding stronger action from the Dutch government to stop Israel's assault on Gaza.

Organisers described it as the largest demonstration in the Netherlands in 20 years, with crowds on Sunday calling for the government to hold Israel accountable for what they described as genocide in Gaza.

Qatar’s foreign ministry has strongly condemned Israel’s bombing of Hamad Hospital for Rehabilitation and Prosthetics in Gaza City - a facility funded by Qatar that serves amputees and others in need of specialised care.

In a statement, the ministry described the attack as part of a wider campaign of violence against civilians and essential infrastructure in the Strip.

"The continued brutal aggression by the occupation on the Gaza Strip, including repeated strikes on civilians, hospitals, displacement centres, and vital facilities, forms part of a genocidal war against our brotherly Palestinian people," the statement said.

Qatar also urged the international community to "fulfil its moral and legal responsibilities" and act to bring the war to an immediate end.

#Statement | Qatar Strongly Condemns Israeli Occupation's Bombing of Hamad Hospital for Rehabilitation and Prosthetics in Gaza#MOFAQatar pic.twitter.com/MUbT9wTCVW

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) May 19, 2025

Israel said it would begin letting trucks of baby food into the Gaza Strip today, the first aid to be admitted since it announced the lifting of a total blockade imposed on 2 March.

"Today, Israel is facilitating the entry of trucks with baby food into Gaza," foreign ministry director general Eden Bar Tal told reporters. "In the coming days, Israel will facilitate the entry of dozens of aid trucks."

Amnesty International has called for an urgent and independent investigation into a deadly US air strike that hit a migrant detention centre in Yemen's Sa'ada province on 28 April, killing and injuring dozens of African migrants.

In a statement on Monday, the rights group said the attack may constitute a violation of international humanitarian law and potentially a war crime, given that the facility was a known civilian site regularly visited by humanitarian agencies.

"The US attacked a well-known detention facility where the Houthis have been detaining migrants who had no means to take shelter," said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty's secretary general.

"The major loss of civilian life in this attack raises serious concerns about whether the US complied with its obligations under international law, including the rules on distinction and precautions," Callamard added.

Read the full story here.

Israel's ruling Likud Party has submitted a bill to the Knesset that would label Qatar a "state sponsor of terrorism", in a move widely seen as an attempt to cripple ongoing mediation efforts over Gaza, in which Doha plays a central role.

The proposed law was introduced by Likud lawmaker Moshe Saada, who last month openly called to "completely starve Gaza and expel its population to other countries".

The bill would prohibit states designated as "terror sponsors" from donating funds to Israel or engaging in trade with it.

It specifically targets Qatar's role as a mediator between Israel and Hamas, accusing it of backing armed groups and seeking to delegitimise its involvement in sensitive negotiations.

Read the full story here.

Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli attacks today have killed at least 52 people, as the military pressed a newly intensified campaign in the war-ravaged territory.

"The Israeli bombardment on Gaza has continued since midnight and throughout the early morning hours, resulting in 52 martyrs," civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP, adding that the bombing was ongoing in the afternoon and that Israeli forces had "expanded their ground operation".

Sweden's foreign minister has condemned Israel's plans to "take control" of the Gaza Strip, saying the move would violate international law.

"If this means annexation, it is against international law. Sweden stands firm in its belief that Gaza's territory must not be changed or reduced," said Maria Malmer Stenergard, whose country has recognised the Palestinian state since 2014.

She also urged Israel to allow a resumption of humanitarian aid to Gaza, as the World Health Organisation warned that two million people were starving in the territory.

"In our talks, we have repeatedly urged Israel's government to allow unhindered humanitarian access and distribution in line with humanitarian principles," she said.

"A ceasefire and an end to hostilities are needed, and hostages must be released - not more statements or plans from the Israeli government that exacerbate the situation for civilians in Gaza."

The UN humanitarian agency says it is in discussions with Israeli authorities following Israel's announcement that it would permit a limited quantity of food and other supplies into the besieged territory.

"We've been approached by Israeli authorities to resume limited aid deliveries, and we're currently in talks about how this could be carried out given the situation on the ground," OCHA said in a statement.

Gaza's health ministry said Monday that 53,475 people have been killed in the war since 7 October 2023, and more than 121,000 others have been wounded.

The ministry said 136 have been killed in the past 24 hours alone and another 364 wounded.

The Eurovision song contest should exclude Israel, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Monday, expressing solidarity with "the people of Palestine who are experiencing the injustice of war and bombardment".

Russia did not participate in last weekend's Eurovision after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, "therefore Israel shouldn't either, because what we cannot allow is double standards in culture", said Sanchez.

(AFP)

Twenty trucks of aid carrying mostly food are expected to enter Gaza on Monday, an UN official has told The Associated Press.

The Israeli government said yesterday that it would begin to allow limited supplies into Gaza following international pressure, easing an 11-week blockade that has pushed millions of Palestinians to the brink of starvation and crippled emergency services.

(The Associated Press and TNA staff)

The head of the World Health Organization said Monday that two million people were starving in the Gaza Strip while tonnes of food was being blocked at the border.

"Two million people are starving" while "tonnes of food is blocked at the border, just minutes away," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told opening of the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva.

"The risk of famine in Gaza is increasing with the deliberate withholding of humanitarian aid," he added.

LIVE: Opening of the 78th World Health Assembly with @DrTedros. #WHA78 https://t.co/NYNgFQwdsM

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) May 19, 2025

The Israeli army told Gazans in the main southern city of Khan Younis and the nearby areas of Bani Suheila and Abasan to "evacuate immediately" on Monday ahead of an attack.

"The Israeli Defense Forces (military) will launch an unprecedented attack to destroy the capabilities of terrorist organisations in this area," Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee said on Telegram.

"You must evacuate immediately to the west to the Mawasi area. From this moment, Khan Younis will be considered a dangerous combat zone."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged on Monday that his decision to resume aid to Gaza came from pressure from allies.

In a video statement posted to social media, Netanyahu said that Israel’s allies had voiced concern about "images of hunger" and said they told the country that "with that, we will not be able to support you."

Netanyahu said the aid that would be let in would be "minimal," without specifying precisely when it would resume.

Israel on Sunday said it would resume aid deliveries into the war-battered territory after a complete halt on imports since early March.

Israeli forces will "take control of all" of the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday, as his military pressed a newly expanded offensive in the territory.

"The fighting is intense and we are making progress. We will take control of all the territory of the Strip," he said in a video posted to his Telegram channel. "We will not give up. But in order to succeed, we must act in a way that cannot be stopped."

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun arrived in Cairo on Monday for an official visit.

"President Aoun arrived in Cairo, at the start of an official visit to the Arab Republic of Egypt, at the invitation of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. He will head to Al-Ittihadiya Palace to begin talks with President el-Sisi," the Lebanese Presidency said on X.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, called on Israel to end its blockade of Gaza, saying the territory faced "unimaginable devastation."

"Families in Gaza face unimaginable devastation. According to the Protection Cluster, 92% of homes have been damaged or destroyed, countless people have been displaced multiple times, and shelter is scarce. UNRWA remains on the ground, providing critical aid. The siege must be lifted."

Families in #Gaza face unimaginable devastation. According to the Protection Cluster, 92% of homes have been damaged or destroyed, countless people have been displaced multiple times, and shelter is scarce.

UNRWA remains on the ground, providing critical aid.

The siege must be… pic.twitter.com/eSiNAOESyY

— UNRWA (@UNRWA) May 19, 2025

Nuclear talks between Iran and the United States "will lead nowhere" if Washington insists that Tehran drop its uranium enrichment activity to zero, Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takhtravanchi was quoted by state media on Monday as saying.

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff reiterated Washington's stance on Sunday that any new deal between the U.S. and Iran must include an agreement not to enrich uranium, a possible pathway to developing nuclear bombs. Tehran says its nuclear energy programme has entirely peaceful purposes.

"Our position on enrichment is clear and we have repeatedly stated that it is a national achievement from which we will not back down," Takhtravanchi said.

Three police officers were killed and two other people wounded when a car bomb exploded near a police station in eastern Syria on Sunday, state news agency SANA reported.

"Three police officers were martyred and two others were injured in an explosion that occurred today near the police station in the city of Al-Mayadeen in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor," SANA reported.

"Initial investigations and an inspection of the site revealed that it was caused by a car bomb, resulting in the deaths of three members of the General Security and a number of injuries," Khalil Abdulmoneim al-Ayoub, director of Al-Mayadeen city, said in the report.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said five people had been killed in the blast, including four police officers.

جهاز الأمن العام يفرض حظر تجول على مدينة الميادين بعد المفخخة التي ضربت المخفر بريف دير الزور.https://t.co/HVl7cupE0y pic.twitter.com/yFPdVDrkOx

— أخبار سوريا الوطن Syrian (@SyriawatanNews) May 18, 2025