Region

Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least 18 Palestinians on Sunday, including seven people shot dead while waiting to collect food aid.Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that seven people were killed in an Israeli drone strike that hit a hospital courtyard in Gaza City, in the territory's north.Witnesses said the victims were members of a Hamas unit, which a source from the Palestinian group described as responsible for distributing aid and "fighting thieves".There was no comment from the Israeli military, which is preparing a broader offensive in Gaza City and has sent ground forces to the city's Zeitun neighbourhood in recent days.After more than 22 months of war, UN-backed experts have warned of widespread famine unfolding in Gaza, where Israel has drastically curtailed the amount of humanitarian aid it allows in and convoys have been repeatedly looted.Witnesses Sunday reported Israeli air strikes across the Gaza Strip overnight and into the morning.Bassal said four people were killed in a strike that hit a tent sheltering displaced Palestinians in the southern area of Khan Yunis.The civil defence spokesman said Israel continues its intense bombardment of Gaza City's Zeitun, where troops have carried out a ground operation for the past week.He said there were many casualties, but civil defence crews were facing "enormous difficulties reaching those trapped under the rubble" due to the ongoing violence and lack of equipment.Israel on Saturday hinted at an approaching call to push civilians from Gaza City ahead of the new offensive demanded by the security cabinet.On the ground Sunday, Bassal said six people were killed by Israeli gunfire near an aid distribution point in the south.Another person was killed near an aid site in central Gaza, Bassal added, with a nearby hospital saying the body had been taken there.Israel's offensive has killed nearly 62,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza which the UN considers reliable.

Tens of thousands of Israelis took to Tel Aviv's streets Sunday to call for an end to the war in Gaza."We're here to make it very clear to the Israeli government that this is probably the last minute we have to save the hostages that are being held in the Hamas tunnels for almost 700 days," Ofir Penso, a 50-year-old Arabic teacher, told AFP.Demonstrations have been held regularly through most of the 22 months of war, but yesterday's protests appeared to be one of the largest yet.The renewed energy of the movement came with the government deciding just over a week ago to seize Gaza City and nearby camps in a new offensive.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's vow to conquer the most populated swathes of the Gaza Strip has triggered an international backlash while aid agencies and UN experts have warned of unfolding famine in the territory.Snaking along downtown streets, shadowed by glass towers, the crowd converged on Tel Aviv's Hostage Square — the focal point of movement."The Israeli government has never offered a genuine initiative for a comprehensive agreement and an end to the war," Einav Tzangauker, whose son Matan is being held captive in Gaza, told the crowd."We demand a comprehensive and achievable agreement and an end to the war. We demand what is rightfully ours — our children." The war has also touched on other frustrations for many who took to the streets."The whole country is fighting with each other, our image around the world has completely changed, worse than it ever was, and enough is enough," Nick, a 31-year-old tech worker, told AFP, asking not to use his last name.Others worried about the fate of their own children enlisted in the Israeli military who had been sent to Gaza and feared that they might soon be recalled to fight."We are hoping and praying that our government will hear us and listen to us," said Ella Kaufman from Kadima Zoran, who has two sons serving as officers in the Israeli army. "I'm also a concerned mother."

Israeli colonists stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem on Sunday under the protection of Israeli police.The Palestinian news agency (WAFA) quoted eyewitnesses as saying that dozens of colonists stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque in groups, conducted provocative tours of its courtyards, and performed Talmudic rituals.Since the beginning of the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank in October 2023, more than 68,000 colonists have stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of occupation forces, amid tightened entry restrictions to the mosque and the Old City.

Governor of the Central Bank of Syria Dr. Abdul Qader Al Hasriya affirmed that the bank is continuing its efforts to enhance monetary stability, rebuild the institutional and regulatory structure of the banking sector, develop national payment systems, and attract investment and enhance confidence in the Syrian economy.In an interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), Dr. Al Hasriya praised Qatar's continued support for Syria, stressing that this support contributes significantly to the development of the Syrian banking sector, both through partner Qatari banks and their pioneering expertise in oversight and digital transformation.Dr. Al Hasriya explained that the areas of cooperation between the Central Bank of Syria and Qatar Central Bank are broad and promising. They represent an inspiring model for enhancing financial stability and national economic renaissance. It also enables the exchange of technical and professional expertise, which will positively impact comprehensive reconstruction efforts across various sectors.The Governor of the Central Bank of Syria said that Qatar has been and continues to be a key partner and an effective supporter of the Syrian people and the national economy. He pointed out that Qatari support extended from contributing to the banking sector through the establishment of the first Islamic bank in Syria and a conventional bank, which prompted the formulation of pioneering banking legislation and the provision of financial and technical support, which contributed to the stability of the monetary sector during the current phase.He explained that the State of Qatar, along with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, recently contributed approximately $15 million to the settlement of Syria's debts owed to the World Bank Group, describing this step as having symbolic and political significance that goes beyond its financial value.Qatar's experience in banking, whether in the areas of oversight, payment systems, or digital transformation, represents a model to be emulated in the region and the world, he explained, emphasizing the Central Bank of Syria's aspiration to benefit from this experience, particularly at this stage, which focuses on achieving monetary stability and building an integrated monetary policy framework.Dr. Al Hasriya explained that the bank's current policy is based on achieving monetary stability, building an institutional framework and tools for monetary policy, restructuring the banking sector, and licensing new banks to meet the needs of the Syrian economy.He explained that the Syrian pound's exchange rate has improved by approximately 35%. He emphasized that work is underway to develop national payment systems fully owned by the bank in preparation for opening up to the private sector and expanding the scope of innovative financial services.Dr. Al Hasriya stressed that the new economic policy avoids resorting to commercial loans or borrowing from global financial markets, preferring to focus on attracting foreign investment and providing financing from development funds to avoid debt crises that would cripple the national economy. He also affirmed that the Syrian pound will not be pegged to any foreign currency to maintain monetary independence.Regarding the correspondent banking network and the SWIFT system, he noted that the lifting of sanctions in May revived efforts to activate this network between Syrian banks and their global counterparts. He emphasized the importance of economic diplomacy and building trust through strengthening anti-money laundering systems and updating legislation, which will give foreign banks confidence in dealing with the Syrian sector.Dr. Al Hasriya stressed the importance of attracting investments, and that the bank plays a pivotal role in this by strengthening the banking sector, expanding the correspondent network, licensing new banks, addressing liquidity problems, and reforming the exchange rate system, thus providing investors with stability and the ability to repatriate their profits and capital.He explained that the real estate financing project returned today as part of an integrated plan in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance. The project is based on a modern, integrated real estate financing system that takes into account income levels and allows tenants to purchase homes and convert what they pay as rent into ownership installments. This will contribute to the return of displaced persons and the stability of families.Concluding his remarks to QNA, Governor of the Central Bank of Syria Dr. Abdul Qader Al Hasriya expressed confidence that the next phase will witness accelerated steps to enhance monetary stability, develop the banking infrastructure, and expand cooperation with international partners, primarily Qatar, which he described as an inspiring model of economic and financial development and a strategic partner in the process of rebuilding Syria.

Israeli occupation forces arrested 14 Palestinians in Hebron and Nablus governorates in the West Bank.The occupation forces detained ten Palestinians in Hebron, according to the Palestinian News Agency (WAFA).The occupation forces also arrested four Palestinians, including three brothers, in Nablus.Security sources told WAFA that the occupation forces raided the village of Duma, south of Nablus, and stormed several homes, searched them, and tampered with their contents.Occupation vehicles also entered the eastern area of Nablus city and raided homes in Askar and Balata refugee camps, searching them-though no arrests were reported in those raids.The Israeli aggression across the occupied West Bank has been escalating rapidly since the beginning of the genocide war in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023.

Three Palestinians were martyred and others were injured on Sunday after Israeli occupation forces opened fire on civilians waiting for humanitarian aid north of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian news agency (WAFA).Local sources reported that Israeli gunfire struck a gathering point where people had assembled to receive aid, leaving three dead and several wounded.Since dawn on Sunday, at least 11 Palestinians have been martyred in Israeli attacks across several areas of the Gaza Strip, including three aid workers north of Rafah, medical sources said.Since Oct. 2023, the Israeli occupation forces have waged a genocidal war against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 61,897 Palestinians, the majority of whom are children and women, and wounding 155,660 others, according to Palestinian health authorities. Officials noted that the toll is incomplete, as many victims remain trapped under rubble or in areas inaccessible to ambulances and rescue crews.

Seven Palestinians were martyred and several others were injured on Sunday morning when Israeli shelling struck the courtyard of the Baptist Hospital in Gaza City, according to the Palestinian news agency (WAFA).Witnesses reported that an Israeli drone targeted a group of people gathered inside the hospital grounds. Medical sources confirmed that at least seven people were martyred and a number of others wounded.Since October 2023, the genocidal war waged by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip has claimed the lives of at least 61,897 Palestinians -- the majority of them women and children -- and left 155,660 others wounded, according to Palestinian health authorities. Officials noted that the figures remain incomplete, as many victims are still trapped under rubble or in areas inaccessible to rescue crews.

The Israeli military is preparing to relocate residents to southern Gaza, military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said Saturday.He said the military will provide Gaza residents with tents and other equipment starting from Sunday.This comes days after Israel said it intended to launch a new offensive to seize control of northern Gaza City, the enclave's largest urban centre, in a plan that raised international alarm over the fate of the demolished Strip, home to about 2.2mn people.The equipment will be transferred via the Israeli crossing of Kerem Shalom by the UN and other international relief organisations, Adraee added in a post on X.Israel's COGAT, the military agency that co-ordinates aid, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether the preparations were part of the new plan.Taking over the city of about 1mn Palestinians complicates ceasefire efforts to end the nearly two-year war, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu follows through with his plan to take on Hamas' two remaining strongholds.Netanyahu said Israel wants Hamas to lay down its arms. Hamas said it would not disarm unless an independent Palestinian state was established.Israeli forces have already increased operations on the outskirts of Gaza City over the past week. Residents in the neighbourhoods of Zeitorun and Shejaia have reported heavy Israeli aerial and tank fire which has destroyed many houses.The Israeli military on Friday said that it had begun a new operation in Zeitun.Protests calling for a hostage release and an end to the war were expected throughout Israel Sunday, with many businesses and universities saying they will strike for the day.Negotiations to secure a US-backed 60-day ceasefire and hostage release ended in deadlock last month and mediators Egypt and Qatar have been trying to revive them.Israel already controls about 75% of Gaza.The war has also caused a hunger crisis, internally displaced Gaza's entire population and prompted accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice and of war crimes at the International Criminal Court.

Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli attacks killed at least 70 and wounded 385 during the past 24-hour reporting period. Among the killed, 13 were shot by troops as they were waiting to collect food aid near distribution sites in the north and in the south, the agency said. The agency added that intensifying strikes on a Gaza City neighbourhood were placing its remaining residents in mortal danger. The latest toll comes more than a week after Israel's security cabinet approved plans to capture the Palestinian territory's largest city, following 22 months of war that have created dire humanitarian conditions.Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said conditions in Gaza City's Zeitun neighbourhood were rapidly deteriorating with residents having little to no access to food and water amid heavy Israeli bombardment.He said that about 50,000 people were estimated to be in that area of Gaza City, "the majority of whom are without food or water" and lacking "the basic necessities of life".Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing swaths of the Palestinian territory mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency or the Israeli military.The Gaza Health Ministry Saturday said that the number of martyrs and wounded recorded since the Israeli breach of the ceasefire on March 18 has surged to 10,362 martyrs and 43,619 wounded. It added that the toll of victims among food-seekers has climbed to 26 martyrs and 175 wounded over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number to 1,924 martyrs and 14,288 wounded.In recent days, Gaza City residents have told AFP of more frequent air strikes targeting residential areas, including Zeitun, while earlier this week Hamas denounced "aggressive" Israeli ground incursions.Earlier this month, the Israeli government approved plans to seize Gaza City and neighbouring camps, some of the most densely populated parts of the territory.On Friday, the Israeli military said its troops were operating in Zeitun.Ghassan Kashko, 40, who shelters with his family at a school building in the neighbourhood, said: "We don't know the taste of sleep."He said air strikes and tank shelling were causing "explosions... that don't stop".Later Saturday, Hamas said in a statement that Israeli forces had been carrying out a "sustained offensive in the eastern and southern neighbourhoods of Gaza City, particularly in Zeitun".The group said the military was targeting the area with warplanes, artillery and drones.COGAT -- the Israeli defence ministry body responsible for civil affairs in the Palestinian territories -- said that, starting from Sunday, the military would supply more tents and shelter equipment ahead of the offensive."As part of the preparations to move the population from combat zones to the southern Gaza Strip for their protection, the supply of tents and shelter equipment to Gaza will resume," it said in a statement.The Israeli plan to expand the war has sparked an international outcry as well as domestic opposition.UN-backed experts have warned of widespread famine unfolding in the territory, where Israel has drastically curtailed the amount of humanitarian aid it allows in.

The death toll from the starvation policy imposed by Israeli occupation forces in Gaza Strip has risen to 251, including 108 children.Medical sources in the strip reported that Gaza hospitals recorded 11 deaths within the past 24 hours, among them a child, due to malnutrition.Since March 2, Israeli occupation army has closed all crossings into Gaza, blocking the entry of humanitarian aid. This plunged the Strip into a state of famine despite relief trucks piling up at its borders. Only limited quantities are allowed in, far below minimum needs of the starving Palestinian population.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty held a phone call Friday with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy to discuss ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians. During the call, the two ministers reviewed preparations for an early recovery and reconstruction conference in coordination with the Palestinian government and the United Nations, contingent on a ceasefire.They also discussed bilateral relations and ways to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.

Two Palestinians were wounded on Friday after being shot by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, according to local sources. The incident occurred in the town of al-Mazra'a al-Sharqiya, east of Ramallah, and in the nearby al-Burj area. Local sources said settlers opened fire on the two young men during an attack on both locations. The victims were transported to the Palestine Medical Complex for treatment. Separately, Israeli forces detained five Palestinians in the village of Duma, south of Nablus, following raids on their homes. Two others were arrested in the city of Jenin, and one young man was taken from the Jalazone refugee camp north of Ramallah. Israeli troops also arrested six Palestinians in the Qalqilya governorate and three more during a raid on the town of Yatta, south of Hebron. Meanwhile, Israeli special forces stormed the city of Jenin and surrounded a residential building near Ibn Sina Hospital. Residents were ordered to evacuate amid live gunfire and drone activity. No arrests were reported. The Israeli military campaign across the occupied West Bank has intensified sharply since the start of the war in Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023.

The foreign ministers of 31 Arab and Islamic countries, and the secretaries-general of the Arab League, the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation, and the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC), condemned in the strongest terms the statements made by Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel (the occupying power), and reported by the Hebrew media, regarding the so-called "Greater Israel Vision."They stressed that it represents a gross disregard and a blatant and dangerous violation of the rules of international law and the foundations of stable international relations, and constitutes a direct threat to Arab national security, the sovereignty of states, and regional and international security and peace.The foreign ministers of Qatar, Jordan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Gambia, and Indonesia, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Maldives, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, the State of Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Turkiye, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Yemen, the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, the Secretary-General of the OIC, and the Secretary-General of the GCC said in a joint statement that while the Arab and Islamic countries affirm their respect for international legitimacy and the Charter of the UN, particularly Article 2, paragraph 4, regarding the rejection of the use or threat of force, adding that they will adopt all policies and measures that frame and consolidate peace, achieving the interests of all countries and peoples in security, stability, and development, far from the illusion of control and the imposition of the power of force.They also condemned in the strongest terms the approval by extremist Israeli Minister Bezalel Smotrich of the settlement plan in the E1 area and his extremist racist statements rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state. They consider this a flagrant violation of international law and a blatant assault on the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent, sovereign state on the June 4, 1967, lines, with occupied Jerusalem as its capital. They emphasised that Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territories.They affirmed their absolute rejection and condemnation of this settlement plan and all illegal Israeli measures, which constitute a flagrant violation of international law and Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolution 2334, which condemns all Israeli settlement activities aimed at changing the demographic composition, character and legal status of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Palestine.They reaffirmed the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice, which emphasised the illegality of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory and the necessity of ending it immediately, eliminating its effects and providing compensation for its damages.They warned of the danger of Israeli intentions and policies aimed at annexing Palestinian territories, and the continued extremist Israeli government's expansionist settlement approach in the occupied West Bank, including attempts to harm Islamic and Christian holy sites, foremost among them the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, settler terrorism, daily raids on Palestinian cities, villages and camps, the systematic destruction of Palestinian refugee camps and the displacement of Palestinians from their homes, which directly contributes to fueling cycles of violence and conflict, and undermines the chances of achieving a just and comprehensive peace in the region. It also warns of the reliance on ideological and racist illusions, which threatens to fuel the conflict and make it difficult to control its path or predict its outcomes, threatening regional and international security and stability alike.In a related context, the foreign ministers of Arab and Islamic countries, the Arab League, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation reiterated their rejection and condemnation of the crimes of Israeli aggression, genocide, and ethnic cleansing.They also affirmed the need for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, while ensuring unconditional access to humanitarian aid to halt the systematic starvation policy used by Israel as a weapon of genocide.This requires an immediate end to the deadly Israeli blockade of the Strip, the opening of Israeli crossings with the Gaza Strip, and holding Israel, the occupying power, fully responsible for the consequences of its crimes in the Gaza Strip, including the collapse of the health and relief system, as the occupying power.They also reaffirmed their complete and absolute rejection of the displacement of the Palestinian people in any form and under any pretext, calling on the international community to pressure Israel to halt its aggression and fully withdraw from the Gaza Strip, paving the way for the appropriate conditions to be created for the implementation of the Arab-Islamic plan for early recovery and reconstruction efforts in the Gaza Strip.They emphasized that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory and the need for the State of Palestine to assume governance responsibilities in the Gaza Strip, as well as in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, with Arab and international support within the framework of the political program of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, and the policy of one system, one law, and one legitimate weapon.In this context, the Ministers and Secretaries-General, in their joint statement, called on the international community, especially the permanent members of the Security Council, particularly the United States of America, to assume their legal and moral responsibilities and take immediate action to compel Israel to halt its ongoing aggression against the Gaza Strip and its dangerous escalation in the occupied West Bank, and to stop the delusional, inflammatory statements issued by its officials and provide international protection to the Palestinian people and enable them to achieve their legitimate rights, foremost among which is their right to establish an independent, sovereign state on their national soil, and to hold accountable those who commit crimes and violations against them.

The UN human rights office said Friday an Israeli plan to build to build thousands of new homes between an Israeli settlement in the West Bank and near East Jerusalem was illegal under international law, and would put nearby Palestinians at risk of forced eviction, which it described as a war crime.Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Thursday vowed to press on a long-delayed settlement project, saying the move would "bury" the idea of a Palestinian state.The UN rights office spokesperson said the plan would break the West Bank into isolated enclaves and that it was "a war crime for an occupying power to transfer its own civilian population into the territory it occupies".About 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.7mn Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israel annexed East Jerusalem in 1980, a move not recognised by most countries, but has not formally extended sovereignty over the West Bank.Most world powers say settlement expansion erodes the viability of a two-state solution by breaking up territory the Palestinians seek as part of a future independent state.The two-state plan envisages a Palestinian state in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, existing side by side with Israel, which captured all three territories in the 1967 Middle East war.Germany on Friday called on the Israeli government to stop settlement construction in the West Bank.Germany "firmly rejects the Israeli government's announcements regarding the approval of thousands of new housing units in Israeli settlements in the West Bank," said a foreign ministry spokesperson in a statement.Plans for the "E1" settlement and the expansion of Maale Adumim would further restrict the mobility of the Palestinian population in the West Bank by splitting it in half and cutting the area off from East Jerusalem, said the spokesperson.Germany has repeatedly warned the Israeli government to stop settlement construction in the West Bank, which violates international law and UN Security Council resolutions.Such moves complicate steps towards a negotiated two-state solution and end to Israeli occupation of the West Bank, said the spokesperson.Turkiye condemns Israel's settlement plan aimed at dividing the West Bank and cutting it off from East Jerusalem, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Thursday, adding the decision was a total violation of international law."This step... totally disregards international law and UN resolutions; targets the State of Palestine's territorial integrity, the basis for a two-state solution, and hopes for peace," it said in a statement, reiterating that the establishment of an independent Palestinian state was the only way to achieve lasting peace.European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Thursday that an Israeli settlement plan is not in line with international law, and she called on Israeli authorities not to move ahead with it."The decision of Israeli authorities to advance the E1 settlement plan further undermines the two-state solution while being a breach of international law," Kallas said in a statement. "The EU reiterates its call on Israel to halt settlement construction," she added.

The UN human rights office said Friday that at least 1,760 Palestinians had been killed while seeking aid in Gaza since late May, a jump of several hundred since its last published figure at the beginning of August."Since 27 May, and as of 13 August, we have recorded that at least 1,760 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid; 994 in the vicinity of GHF (Gaza Humanitarian Foundation) sites and 766 along the routes of supply convoys. Most of these killings were committed by the Israeli military," the agency's office for the Palestinian territories said in a statement.That compares with a figure of 1,373 killed the office reported on Aug 1.The update came as Gaza's civil defence agency said at least 31 people were killed by Israeli fire Friday, including 12 who were waiting for humanitarian aid.The Israeli military said its troops were working to "dismantle Hamas military capabilities", adding its forces were taking precautions "to mitigate civilian harm".On Wednesday, the chief of staff of the Israeli military said plans had been approved for a new offensive in Gaza, aimed at defeating Hamas and freeing all the remaining hostages.The military intends to take control of Gaza City and nearby refugee camps, some of the most densely populated parts of the territory, which has been devastated by more than 22 months of war.In recent days, Gaza City residents have told AFP of more frequent air strikes targeting residential areas, while earlier this week Hamas denounced "aggressive" Israeli ground incursions in the area.The Israeli government's plans to expand the war have sparked an international outcry as well as domestic opposition.UN-backed experts have warned of widespread famine unfolding in the territory, where Israel has drastically curtailed the amount of humanitarian aid it allows in.Israel's offensive since October 2023 has killed at least 61,827 Palestinians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza which the UN considers reliable.

Several Palestinians were martyred and others injured on Friday morning as Israeli occupation forces continued shelling and firing on multiple areas across the Gaza Strip.According to the Palestinian news agency (Wafa), three Palestinians, including a child, were martyred when Israeli forces targeted a group of civilians west of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.In the central Gaza Strip, one person was martyred and three others were injured in Israeli shelling, while another individual was wounded by Israeli gunfire in Khan Yunis, in the south.The Israeli army also carried out five building demolitions in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City, and an Israeli warplane launched an airstrike west of Khan Yunis.Medical sources in Gaza reported that on Thursday, 32 Palestinians were martyred in various parts of the enclave as a result of Israeli fire and shelling.Since the start of the Israeli aggression in October 2023, the death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 61,776, with 154,906 others wounded, amid what humanitarian agencies describe as an unprecedented catastrophe.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) strongly condemned the Israeli occupation's approval of a plan to build 3,400 new settlement units in the West Bank, including in occupied Jerusalem.The organization affirmed that Israel's occupation and colonial settlement activities are illegal under international law, United Nations resolutions, and the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, and must be ended immediately.The OIC warned of the serious consequences of Israel's ongoing policies of aggression, settlement expansion, destruction, displacement, and blockade, describing them as systematic crimes that violate the rights of the Palestinian people, undermine prospects for a two-state solution, and reinforce annexation plans and attempts to impose Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territories.The organization called on the international community to assume its responsibilities by putting an end to these crimes committed by Israel, the occupying power, holding it accountable, and imposing sanctions in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions.

Amid ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza, people are struggling to manage the bare minimum requirements of their lives.For the past few months, people in Gaza have been suffering from constant attacks by Israeli forces and forced displacement on a massive level.Here, getting water has now become a battle in Gaza.Palestinians attempt to fill water tanks in the Mawasi area of Khan Yunis on August 14, 2025, as international organisations have been working to provide people with clean water amid the worsening crisis and the spread of diseases due to poor sanitation in the Gaza Strip.Gaza was already suffering a water crisis before nearly 22 months of war damaged more than 80 percent of the territory's water infrastructure.

The death toll from the ongoing war waged by the Israeli occupation on the Gaza Strip, which began on Oct. 7, 2023, has risen to 61,776 martyrs, in addition to 154,906 wounded. In a statement, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said that ambulance crews, civil defense personnel, and citizens had transported 54 martyrs to hospitals in the Strip over the past 24 hours, including four whose bodies were recovered from under the rubble, in addition to 831 injured. The statement noted that the death toll from the aggression, after the occupation violated the ceasefire agreement on March 18, had risen to 10,251 martyrs and 42,865 injured. The ministry also indicated that the death toll of aid victims who arrived at hospitals in the past 24 hours reached 22 martyrs, in addition to 269 injured, bringing the total number of martyrs who were killed in the struggle for a living to 1,881 martyrs, in addition to 13,863 injured. Meanwhile, hospitals in the Gaza Strip recorded four deaths due to famine and malnutrition in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of famine victims to 239, including 106 children. The ministry emphasized that large numbers of war victims remain under the rubble of destroyed buildings, and that civil defense and ambulance crews have been unable to retrieve them due to Israeli targeting and a lack of necessary equipment. The Israeli occupation continues its war of extermination against the people of Gaza, forcing them into forced displacement, ignoring international calls to halt its massacres and open the Strip's crossings to allow the entry of humanitarian aid.

A Palestinian youth was wounded today by Israeli occupation forces' bullets at the Qalandia military checkpoint, north of occupied Jerusalem.The Jerusalem Governorate reported that Israeli occupation forces opened fire at the young man at the Qalandia military checkpoint, with no information available regarding his health condition.