Israeli forces kill dozens in Gaza as hunger crisis intensifies

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At least two people have been injured in Israeli strikes on a village in southern Lebanon, the country's health ministry has said.

Local media reported multiple attacks in the village of Deir Siryan on Wednesday evening.

Medics in Gaza tell Al Jazeera that Israeli forces have killed 41 Palestinians on Wednesday, including 18 who were seeking food.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday that Iran supports its ally Hezbollah in its decisions, after the group rejected a Lebanese government plan to disarm it.

"Any decision on this matter will ultimately rest with Hezbollah itself. We support it from afar, but we do not intervene in its decisions," Araghchi said in a television interview, adding that the group has "rebuilt itself" following setbacks during its war with Israel last year.

(AFP)

Israel's military will have to execute any government decisions on Gaza, the defence minister said Wednesday after reported disagreements over the prospect of a full occupation of the Palestinian territory.

As the war nears its 23rd month, signs of a rift over Israel's strategy have emerged between the defence establishment and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is reportedly preparing to expand the war on Gaza.

Armed forces chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir is among those opposed to deepening the occupation, which he said  would be like "walking into a trap" during a security meeting on Tuesday.

Defence Minister Israel Katz said in post on X that while "it is the right and duty of the chief of staff to express his position in the appropriate forums", the military is bound by any decisions made by the government.

"Once decisions are made by the political echelon, the IDF will execute them with determination and professionalism," Katz said.

Israeli forces have killed at least 38 Palestinians in Gaza since dawn on Wednesday, including 17 people seeking aid, medics tell Al Jazeera Arabic.

Sudan's air force has destroyed an Emirati aircraft carrying Colombian mercenaries as it landed at a paramilitary-controlled airport in Darfur, the army-aligned state TV and a military source said on Wednesday.

The source, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said the UAE plane "was bombed and completely destroyed" at Darfur's Nyala airport, which has recently come under repeated air strikes by the Sudanese army, at war with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023.

There was no immediate comment from the warring sides or from the United Arab Emirates.

It was unclear how many people were thought to be on the plane, and whether there were any survivors.

(AFP)

The United Arab Emirates has prohibited Sudanese planes from landing at its airports, the Sudanese Civil Aviation Authority said on Wednesday, according to Sudan's state news agency, in the latest sign of tension between the two countries. 

(Reuters)

The leader of the Israeli opposition Yair Lapid warned Netanyahu that attempting to occupy the whole of Gaza would be a "very bad idea" following a security briefing on Wednesday, according to The Times of Israel.

"You don’t send the State of Israel to war unless the majority of the people are behind you, and the people of Israel are not interested in this war," he said he told the prime minister.

Officials close to Netanyahu have been briefing the press for several days that the prime minister will launch a major expansion of its war on Gaza in an attempt to occupy the entire territory.

Israel currently controls 75 percent of Gaza and has encircled - but not invaded - Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Al-Mawasi.

Netanyahu and his far-right coalition partners are facing heavy opposition from the defence establishment, which is urging him to negotiate the release of the remaining captives and end the war.

A senior figure in one of Israel's most prominent ultra-Orthodox parties has called for a "global struggle" to oppose government plans to draft Haredi men into the military.

Dov Lando, the spiritual leader of Askenazi Haredi party Degel HaTorah, accused the government of "declaring war" on religious students and pledged to "embark on a global struggle like never before", according to Israeli media.

Lando is among the most prominent rabbis representing Lithuanian Jews in Israel.

Hamas has called on global communities to continue putting pressure on world governments over the ongoing situation in Gaza, urging rallies this weekend "in front of the Zionist and US embassies," the group said in a statement.

The Palestinian group called on people across the world to speak out and demand opening all entry points to deliver aid to Gaza.

Egypt's foreign minister, on a visit to Greece on Wednesday, described the international response to the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza as shameful and urged powerful Western nations to increase pressure on Israel.

"The international community should be ashamed of the tragic situation unfolding in Gaza and the devastating actions being carried out by Israel," Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told reporters in Athens.

"What is unfolding is a human tragedy, and the suffering witnessed is a stain on the conscience of the international community," he said.

The Egyptian minister described Israel’s military campaign in the territory as a "systematic genocide," but reiterated his government’s position that it "firmly rejects any displacement of the Palestinian people from their ancestral lands".

Slovenia on Wednesday announced a ban on imports of goods from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, in a "symbolic measure" designed to ratchet up diplomatic pressure over the war in Gaza.

Slovenia's government has frequently criticised Israel over the conflict, and last year moved to recognise a Palestinian state as part of efforts to end the fighting in Gaza as soon as possible.

"The actions of the Israeli government... constitute serious and repeated violations of international humanitarian law," the government said in a statement on Wednesday.

Slovenia "cannot and must not be part of a chain that enables or overlooks" such violations it said includes the "construction of illegal settlements, expropriations, the forced evictions of the Palestinian population".

The Slovenian government thus decided to "ban imports of goods originating from Israeli illegal settlements".

Its latest move represents a "clear reaction to the Israeli government's policy, which... undermines the possibilities for lasting peace and a two-state solution."

"While symbolic", the ban "is a necessary response to the ongoing humanitarian and security situation in Gaza," Slovenia's Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon said of the measure.

The government said it was also examining a ban on exports of goods from Slovenia "destined for (the) illegal settlements", saying that it would then "decide on further measures".

Lebanese troops killed on Wednesday three "prominent" drug traffickers in a car chase in the country's northeast, the army said.

A military statement said that troops were "pursuing a car carrying the wanted individuals" in Al-Sharawneh, in Baalbek district, describing the three suspects as "among the most prominent and dangerous drug dealers".

During the chase, "a clash broke out" resulting in the deaths of the wanted individuals, it said.

The three were "also wanted for the murder of soldiers, kidnappings, shooting at army posts and patrols, and armed robberies," the statement added.

Unrest and clashes between rival clans are common in Baalbek, where the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah holds sway.

An Israeli drone strike targeting the southern Lebanese town of Tulin has killed a child and injured his father, Al-Akhbar said on Wednesday..

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene his security cabinet Thursday night to discuss next steps for the military operation in Gaza, his office said on Wednesday.

During the meeting, the cabinet is reportedly expected to approve the complete occupation of Gaza, despite backlash from army officials and the chief of staff, who warn that the move is not worth the potential loss of captives still held in the enclave.

The head of Syria's investment authority, Talal al-Hilali, announced 12 projects worth $14 billion on Wednesday, including $4 bln for a new airport and $2 billion for a metro system for the capital, Damascus.

Lebanese armed group Hezbollah on Wednesday condemned the cabinet's decision to move towards a state monopoly on arms, saying it was a "grave sin" that only served Israel.

In a written statement, the group said the move was a result of US diktats and that its members would treat it as if it did not exist.

At least 135 Palestinians, including 87 aid seekers, have been killed and 771 injured in Israeli attacks across Gaza in the past 24 hours, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry on Wednesday.

Hunger-related deaths have also increased, with five confirmed cases in the past 24 hours. This brings the toll to 193, including 96 children.

The Israeli army said Wednesday that it killed a Hezbollah operative in the Bekaa region of east Lebanon who it said was directing militant cells in Syria.

"Yesterday evening (Tuesday), the (Israeli air force)... struck the terrorist Hossam Qasem Ghorab, a Hezbollah terrorist who operated from Lebanese territory to direct terrorist cells in Syria," the army said in a statement.

The Syria-based cells "planned to launch rocket attacks toward the Golan Heights," it added, referring the area annexed by Israel following the 1967 war with Syria.

Lebanon's cabinet on Tuesday tasked the army with developing a plan to disarm militant group Hezbollah by the end of the year, an unprecedented step since civil war factions gave up their weapons decades ago.

The decision followed heavy US pressure and came as part of implementing a November ceasefire that sought to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah including two months of all-out war.

The confrontation left the militant group badly weakened, though it retains part of its arsenal.

Israel has reportedly placed a six-month ban on Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territory, from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque, after he spoke out against starvation in Gaza.

The ban on Hussein follows the expiration of his eight-day ban, according to the Palestinian Wafa agency, citing his lawyer.

This most recent ban was imposed after his Friday sermon, where he condemned Israel’s starvation policy against Palestinians in Gaza.

Gaza’s Government Media Office says only 84 aid trucks entered the enclave on Tuesday, with the majority of being subjected to looting and robbery as a result of the :state of security chaos".

Its statement said Gaza needed at least 600 aid and fuel trucks daily to support Gaza’s residents amid the "near-total collapse of infrastructure and the ongoing war of genocide waged by the occupation".

"We strongly condemn the continued systematic starvation crime, the complete closure of crossings, and the denial of humanitarian aid. We hold the “Israeli” occupation and its allies fully responsible for the worsening humanitarian catastrophe," the statement read.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Thursday, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.

Jordan said Israeli settlers attacked a Gaza-bound aid convoy on Wednesday in the second such incident in days, accusing Israel of failing to act firmly to prevent repeated assaults.

The convoy, carrying 30 trucks of humanitarian aid, was delayed in its arrival in a violation of signed agreements, government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani told Reuters.

"This requires a serious Israeli intervention and no leniency in dealing with those who obstruct these convoys," Momani said. 

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir could "express his views", but that the military would ultimately have to "execute" any government decisions on Gaza.

Katz's statement on X came after reports in the Israeli media in recent days suggested that Zamir is opposed to a government plan to fully occupy the Gaza Strip.

"It is the right and duty of the Chief of Staff to express his position in the appropriate forums, and after decisions are made by the political echelon, the (army) will execute them with determination and professionalism... until the war's objectives are achieved," Katz wrote.

"As the defence minister responsible for the (army) on behalf of the government, I must ensure that these decisions are carried out -- and so it will be," he added.

Chief of Staff Zamir has made no public statements on the matter but reportedly expressed his opposition to a full military occupation of Gaza during a restricted meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and security chiefs on Tuesday.

According to public broadcaster Kan 11, Zamir warned such an occupation would be a "trap".

Israel carried out an attack on an UNRWA clinic in Gaza City overnight into Wednesday.

Aerial footage showed the clinic, located in the Maqousi area of the city, visibly devastated by the attack. The facility was set on fire i the aftermath, and smoke could be seen rising.

The Israeli army has not given a reason for blowing up the facility.

Footage documents the Israeli strike on an UNRWA clinic in the Maqousi area, west of Gaza City moments ago pic.twitter.com/CotLG2E6RQ

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) August 5, 2025

The Israeli army's Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, has issued an evacuation order to residents of several blocks in Gaza City's Zaytoun neighbourhood.

The spokesperson issued threats that the Israeli army will intensify its operations in the area.

Adraee said residents should "evacuate southward to Al-Mawasi".

Iran executed a man on Wednesday convicted of spying for Israel and passing on information about a nuclear scientist killed in Israel's June attacks on the Islamic Republic, the judiciary's news outlet Mizan reported.

The report said the man, named Rouzbeh Vadi, had worked in one of Iran's "important and sensitive organisations," without going into further detail.

Executions of Iranians convicted of spying for Israel has significantly increased this year, with at least eight death sentences carried out in recent months.

The report said Vadi had "committed a wide range of crimes against the country's internal and external security which have caused severe disruption to public order".

Israel launched 12 days of air strikes in June, targeting Iran's top generals and nuclear scientists. Iran retaliated with barrages of missiles and drones.

Israeli forces began demolishing a building in the Qabr Hilweh area, east of Bethlehem, on Wednesday, according to Palestinian media.

According to sources, the Israeli army stormed the area and began demolishing a five-story building, located between the town of Dar Salah and the village of Shawawra, east of Bethlehem.

The building, owned by Ziad Adawi, was built without a permit.

Also in the Bethlehem area, the Israeli army notified residents to vacate their land in the village of Beit Iskaria.

The army had stormed the village and delivered a verbal notice to vacate a 20-dunum plot of land planted with grape trees, owned by the head of the Beit Iskaria village council, Mohammad Ibrahim Atallah and his brothers.
The notice included a ten-day deadline to implement the decision.