Palestinians reported some of the heaviest bombardments in weeks in areas east of Gaza City as Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the military to speed up its plans for the new offensive.
Witnesses said that Israeli tanks and planes struck Sabra, Zeitoun and Shejaia, suburbs of eastern Gaza City on Monday, pushing families westwards from their homes, according to Reuters.
Netanyahu said on Sunday: “I want to end the war as quickly as possible, and that is why I have instructed the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) to shorten the schedule for seizing control of Gaza City.”
He added the new offensive would focus on Gaza City, which he described as Hamas’ “capital of terrorism”, before indicating that the coastal area of central Gaza could be next.
It comes as fuenrals were held for six journalists killed while sheltering in a tent near Al Shifa hospital, including Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif.
Israeli military had accused Al-Sharif of being a “Hamas Terrorist”, which Al Jazeera has denied.
Al Jazeera Media Network said: “The order to assassinate Anas Al Sharif, one of Gaza's bravest journalists, and his colleagues, is a desperate attempt to silence the voices exposing the impending seizure and occupation of Gaza.”
Key Points
- Israeli strike kills five Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza
- Rights group says 'no credible evidence' slain journalist was linked with Hamas
- UN rights office says Israel breached international humanitarian law
- Defiant Netanyahu vows to ‘finish the job’ in planned takeover of Gaza
- Al Jazeera journalist's final message: 'Israel has succeeded in killing me'
Defiant Netanyahu vows to ‘finish the job’ in planned takeover of Gaza
05:00
,
Holly Evans
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that Israel “has no choice but to finish the job and complete the defeat of Hamas”, as he addressed foreign media in Jerusalem.
Defending a planned military offensive, Mr Netanyahu asserted that “our goal is not to occupy Gaza, our goal is to free Gaza”. He also pushed back against what he called a “global campaign of lies” amid growing condemnation of the plan both inside and outside Israel.
Mr Netanyahu remarked that chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany, one of Israel’s strongest backers, had “buckled under” by announcing that Germany won’t authorise exports of military equipment to Israel that could be used in Gaza until further notice.
Read the full article here:
Madonna urges Pope Leo to visit Gaza 'before it's too late'
04:28
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Shweta Sharma
Madonna has appealed to Pope Leo to travel to Gaza on a humanitarian mission to help starving Palestinian children, warning that “there is no more time.”
In an Instagram post on Monday, the American singer – who was raised a Roman Catholic – urged the pontiff to bring “light to the children before it’s too late.”
“Most Holy Father. Please go to Gaza and bring your light to the children before it’s too late. As a mother, I cannot bear to watch their suffering. The children of the world belong to everyone. You are the only one of us who cannot be denied entry.”
Madonna said she was appealing to Pope Leo because “politics cannot effect change” but “consciousness can.”
The post, shared on her son Rocco’s birthday, described her plea as the best gift she could give him – asking “everyone to do what they can to help save the innocent children caught in the crossfire in Gaza.”
Since beginning his papacy in May, Pope Leo has been outspoken in his criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza, repeatedly voicing concern for Palestinian civilians under Israeli bombardment. It is unclear whether prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government would allow him entry to the enclave.
Australian PM says Netanyahu in denial about humanitarian situation in Gaza
04:15
,
Shweta Sharma
Speaking about his phone call with the Israeli leader, Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese said Benjamin Netanyahu was "in denial" about the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
His comments came a day after Australia joined a number of countries in plans to recognise a Palestinian state for the first time.
Mr Albanese said on Tuesday that the Netanyahu government's reluctance to listen to its allies contributed to Australia's decision to recognise a Palestinian state.
"He again reiterated to me what he has said publicly as well, which is to be in denial about the consequences that are occurring for innocent people," Mr Albanese said in an interview with state broadcaster ABC, recounting a Thursday phone call with Mr Netanyahu discussing the issue.
‘Give us the flour – or we will kill you’: Gaza’s starving face impossible choices
04:00
,
Holly Evans
To get a bag of flour for his starving three children, Nedal AbuSharbi arms himself with a knife to protect against thieves and prepares to be shot by the Israeli military.
There is so little food in Gaza – in the grip of famine due to a punishing Israeli blockade and the war – that lawlessness has taken over around the land crossings where the few aid trucks are able to get in.
Now, the desperation is more acute with news that, rather than returning to the negotiating table, Israel is to widen its already devastating offensive and take full military control of the besieged Strip, starting with the remains of Gaza City, where Nedal is sheltering with his family.
Read the full article here:
Israel plans to widen coming offensive beyond Gaza City into last areas not under its control
03:00
,
Holly Evans
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel plans to widen its coming offensive beyond Gaza City to the last areas not yet under Israeli control, and where most of Gaza's 2 million residents have sought shelter as the territory slides toward famine.
The mobilization of forces is expected to take weeks, and Israel may be using the threat of a wider offensive to try to pressure Hamas into releasing more hostages or surrendering after 22 months of war sparked by its Oct. 7, 2023, attack into Israel.
Any expansion of Israeli operations is likely to bring even more death and destruction to the war-ravaged territory, around 75% of which is already largely destroyed and controlled by Israel. A wider offensive would also force more people to flee and further disrupt the delivery of humanitarian aid during a severe hunger crisis.
Read the full article here:
Watch: ‘ Every airstrike could cost him his life’
02:00
,
Holly Evans
International leaders accuse Israel of losing 'humanity and reason'
01:00
,
Holly Evans
Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese on Monday added his country to a list moving toward recognition of a state of Palestine, along with France, Britain and Canada.
He said his government's decision aimed to build momentum toward a two-state solution, which he called the best path to ending violence and bringing leadership other than Hamas to Gaza.
"The situation in Gaza has gone beyond the world's worst fears," he said. "The Israeli government continues to defy international law and deny sufficient aid, food and water to desperate people, including children."
Also on Monday Italy's Premier Giorgia Meloni announced new aid to Gaza in a phone conversation with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
She stressed the need to bring hostilities with Israel to an immediate halt and "shared her deep concern about recent Israeli decisions that appear to be leading to further military escalation," her office said in a statement.
Meloni reiterated that "the humanitarian situation in Gaza is unjustifiable and unacceptable."
Italy's Defense Minister Guido Crosetto also told the Italian daily La Stampa that Israel's government has "lost reason and humanity" over Gaza and raised the possibility of imposing sanctions.
Egypt renew efforts for peace talks
Tuesday 12 August 2025 00:00
,
Holly Evans
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty confirmed Monday that Egypt is pushing for negotiations to reach a deal that would end the war in Gaza, release Israeli hostages, guarantee aid entry and ultimately agree on a political road map that would lead to establishing a Palestinian state.
Deploying international forces to support establishing a Palestinian state was previously proposed throughout the war, but Israel has opposed the idea.
Abdelatty's comments in a news conference in Cairo came as mediators from Egypt and Qatar were working on a new framework that would include the release of all hostages — dead and alive — in one go, in return for an end of the war in Gaza and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the strip, according to two Arab officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the issue.
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met with the Qatari prime minister in Spain on Saturday to discuss new efforts.
Killing of Gaza journalists 'silencing some of few journalistic voices left'
Monday 11 August 2025 23:15
,
Holly Evans
Israel's killing of journalists in Gaza was "silencing of some of the few journalistic voices left" in the region, Ireland's deputy premier has said.
The National Union of Journalists held protests at the Spire in Dublin and in Writer's Square in Belfast on Monday evening to condemn the killing of reporters and camera operators in Gaza by Israel.
Ireland's deputy premier and foreign affairs minister Simon Harris said he is to engage with his EU counterparts in relation to Gaza on Monday.
"Can I say firstly, just to extend the sympathy and solidarity of the people of Ireland with Al Jazeera and the journalists - the five staff members of Al Jazeera and the one other reporter - who have been killed in a horrifying attack in Gaza," he said speaking outside Government Buildings on Monday.
"In many ways, it is the silencing of some of the few journalistic voices left in Gaza.
"Of course, any attack on any civilian - including, of course, any attack on any journalist - should always be absolutely condemned for what it is.
"At a time when the people of Gaza desperately need to see a ceasefire, an end to the violence, a surge in humanitarian aid, and of course, the release of the hostages, all of the indications from (Israeli President Benjamin) Netanyahu is of an Israeli government intended to go in the complete opposite direction to that.”
Bullets and dead bodies witnessed in central Gaza as Israeli bombardment continues
Monday 11 August 2025 22:45
,
Holly Evans
The Palestine Red Crescent Society said its Saraya Field Hospital received about 30 injured from the Zikim area after Israeli bombardment saw at least 34 people killed on Monday.
Al-Shifa hospital received five bodies and over 70 wounded, said Mohamed Abu Selmiya, the hospital's director.
Relatives said casualties included children and an infant. Witnesses to gunfire near the Morag corridor said they saw barrages of bullets and later dead bodies, describing the grim scene as a near-daily occurrence.
The AP spoke to five witnesses who were among the crowds in central Gaza, the Teina area and the Morag corridor. All said that Israeli forces had fired toward the crowds.
"The occupation (forces) targeted us, as they do every day," said Hussain Matter, a displaced father of two who was in the Morag corridor. "Out of nowhere, you find bullets from everywhere."
Ahmed Atta said he helped carry a wounded man from the Teina area who had been shot in his shoulder and was bleeding. "It's a pattern," Atta said of the Israeli gunfire toward aid seekers.
Aid seekers were killed from 3 kilometers (nearly 2 miles) to just hundreds of meters (yards) from sites operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, according to Nasser and Awda hospitals.
Recap watch: Gaza from above: Chilling footage shows devastation of enclave
Monday 11 August 2025 21:00
,
Bryony Gooch
Recap: ‘Give us the flour – or we will kill you’: Gaza’s starving face impossible choices
Monday 11 August 2025 21:00
,
Bryony Gooch
‘A desperate attempt to silence voices’: Israel accused over the ever-growing death toll of journalists in Gaza
Monday 11 August 2025 20:00
,
Bryony Gooch
Watch: Fury grows in Israel over Netanyahu’s defiant bid to ‘finish the job’ in Gaza
Monday 11 August 2025 19:00
,
Bryony Gooch
Comment: The killing of Al Jazeera’s Anas al-Sharif in Gaza is an attack on truth itself
Monday 11 August 2025 18:00
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Bryony Gooch
Anas al-Sharif grew up in the same war-scarred streets of Gaza as I did – and his frontline reporting while under Israeli bombardment helped connect me to my people in their darkest hour, says exiled writer Ahmed Najar. Now, his silencing feels like a crime against history.
Read more here:
Israel offensive could take weeks to start, leaving door open for ceasefire says officials
Monday 11 August 2025 17:00
,
Bryony Gooch
Israel's new offensive in Gaza City could take weeks to start, leaving the door open for a ceasefire, officials say.
This comes as Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the occupation plan would get underway “fairly quickly and end the war with Hamas’ defeat.
Two officials who were at a security cabinet meeting on Thursday to approve the plan told Reuters that the evacuation of civilians from affected areas may only be completed by the start of October, giving time for a deal to be pursued.
The plan raised international alarm over the harm it could bring to the shattered enclave, where a hunger crisis has worsened.
On Sunday, Netanyahu summoned foreign journalists to explain the blueprint, which includes what he described as a surge of humanitarian aid.
Netanyahu said that Israel will first allow civilians to leave the battle zones before forces move in on Gaza City, which he described as one of Hamas' last two remaining strongholds, whose defeat will bring an end to the war.
Watch: Australia to recognise Palestinian state at United Nations in September
Monday 11 August 2025 16:30
,
Bryony Gooch
In pictures: Aftermath of Al-Shifa hospital bombing where six journalists died
Monday 11 August 2025 16:00
,
Bryony Gooch
Israel says 280 aid trucks entered Gaza on Saturday
Monday 11 August 2025 15:30
,
Bryony Gooch
Israeli military body Cogat, which co-ordinates the entry of aid into Gaza, has shared its latest figures of aid entering the war-torn strip.
This includes:
- Over 280 trucks entered Gaza through the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings.
- 300 trucks were collected and distributed by the UN and international organizations.
- Tankers of @UN fuel entered for the operation of essential humanitarian systems.
- 131 pallets of aid were airdropped in cooperation with the UAE, Jordan, Germany, Belguim, Italy, The Netherlands and France.
Humanitarian summary Aug. 10:
— COGAT (@cogatonline) August 11, 2025
Aid entry: Over 280 trucks entered Gaza through the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings.
Aid collection: 300 trucks were collected and distributed by the UN and international organizations.
⛽️Fuel: Tankers of @UN fuel entered for the… pic.twitter.com/EnKEB6SwGO
Watch: Moment Netanyahu claims government's plan to take over Gaza City is 'best way' to end war
Monday 11 August 2025 15:00
,
Bryony Gooch
Five people have died of malnutrition in past 24 hours, says Gaza health ministry
Monday 11 August 2025 14:45
,
Bryony Gooch
On Monday, Gaza’s health ministry said five more people had died of malnutrition and starvation in Gaza in the past 24 hours. That raised the number of deaths from such causes to 222, including 101 children, since the war began, the ministry said.
Israel says it has scaled up the entry of aid and commercial goods into Gaza in past weeks. Palestinian and U.N. officials say the aid is a fraction of what Gaza needs.
Pictured: The six journalists killed in an airstrike near Al-Shifa hospital
Monday 11 August 2025 14:30
,
Bryony Gooch
Netanyahu instructs military to speed up latest offensive plans
Monday 11 August 2025 14:15
,
Bryony Gooch
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said he had instructed the Israeli military to speed up its plans for the new offensive.
"I want to end the war as quickly as possible, and that is why I have instructed the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) to shorten the schedule for seizing control of Gaza City," he said.
Netanyahu said the new offensive would focus on Gaza City, which he described as Hamas' "capital of terrorism". He also indicated that the coastal area of central Gaza may be next, saying Hamas militants have been pushed there too.
‘A desperate attempt to silence voices’: Israel accused over the ever-growing death toll of journalists in Gaza
Monday 11 August 2025 14:00
,
Bryony Gooch
Hundreds of journalists have reportedly been killed in Gaza since the war began on October 7, 2023, making it one of the most deadly conflicts everfor the profession.
The latest figures from the UN say that at least 242 Palestinian journalists have died in the nearly two-year conflict. The death toll has continued to mount in recent months as Israel’s attacks in the war-torn enclave have escalated. On Sunday six journalists, including prominent Al Jazeera correspondent Anas Al Sharif, were killed in an airstrike sparking widespread international condemnation.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) says Gaza has the highest number of journalist deaths since the organisation started gathering data in 1992 and in April, Brown University’s Watson Institute declared the war was “quite simply, the worst ever conflict for reporters”.
Read more here:
‘Give us the flour - or we will kill you’: Gaza’s starving face impossible choices
Monday 11 August 2025 13:45
,
Bryony Gooch
As Palestinians in the north of the enclave face forced evacuation under the military escalation planned by Benjamin Netanyahu, locals tell Nedal Hamdouna in Gaza and Bel Trew of the brutal reality.
Read more here:
Israel's killing of six journalists 'a grave breach of international humanitarian law' says UN
Monday 11 August 2025 13:30
,
Bryony Gooch
The UN Human Rights Office has condemned the killing of six journalists by the Israeli military.
They said in a statement on social media: “We condemn the killing by Israeli military of 6 Palestinian journalists by targeting their tent, in grave breach of international humanitarian law.
“#Israel must respect & protect all civilians, including journalists. At least 242 Palestinian journalists were killed in Gaza since 7 Oct 2023. We call for immediate, safe & unhindered access to Gaza for all journalists.”
The Committee to Project Journalists has reported over 186 journalists have died in Gaza since the war began.
#Gaza: We condemn the killing by Israeli military of 6 Palestinian journalists by targeting their tent, in grave breach of international humanitarian law. #Israel must respect & protect all civilians, including journalists. At least 242 Palestinian journalists were killed in Gaza… pic.twitter.com/Y6nTHcHQ2B
— UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) August 11, 2025
Macron says Israeli occupation in Gaza 'a disaster waiting to happen'
Monday 11 August 2025 13:15
,
Bryony Gooch
French president Emmanuel Macron is the latest world leader to condemn Israel’s plans in Gaza, calling it “a disaster waiting to happen.”
He added that Israeli hostages and the people of Gaza would be the first victims of this strategy, before proposing an international coalition under UN mandate to fight terrorism and stabilise Gaza.
Starmer: 'We are gravely concerned by the repeated targeting of journalists in Gaza'
Monday 11 August 2025 13:11
,
Bryony Gooch
British prime minister Keir Starmer is "gravely concerned" about the repeated targeting of journalists in Gaza, his spokesperson said on Monday, after five reporters were killed in an Israeli airstrike.
Israel's military said it targeted and killed prominent Al Jazeera journalist Anas Al Sharif, alleging he had headed a Hamas militant cell and was involved in rocket attacks on Israel.
Al Jazeera, which is funded by the Qatari government, rejected the assertion, and before his death, Al Sharif had also rejected such claims by Israel.
"We are gravely concerned by the repeated targeting of journalists in Gaza," Starmer's spokesperson told reporters.
"Reporters covering conflicts are afforded protection under international humanitarian law, and journalists must be able to report independently, without fear, and Israel must ensure journalists can carry out their work safely."
Asked about the claim that one of the journalists was linked to Hamas, Starmer's spokesperson said: "That should be investigated thoroughly and independently, but we are gravely concerned by the repeated targeting of journalists".
Qatar PM condemns Israel for targeting Palestinian journalists in Gaza
Monday 11 August 2025 12:58
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Five Al Jazeera journalists and a freelance reporter were killed in an Israeli attack on Sunday night.
Israel's military said it targeted and killed Anas Al-Sharif, alleging he had headed a Hamas militant cell and was involved in rocket attacks on Israel.
Al Jazeera, which is funded by the Qatari government, rejected the assertion and before his death, Al-Sharif had also rejected such claims by Israel.
"The deliberate targeting of journalists by Israel in the Gaza Strip reveals how these crimes are beyond imagination, amid the inability of the int'l community & its laws to stop this tragedy," wrote Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Than on X.
"May God have mercy on journalists Anas Al-Sharif, Mohammed Qraiqea, & their colleagues."
In pics: Mourners sit around the grave of Al Jazeera correspondent Anas Al-Sharif
Monday 11 August 2025 12:30
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Sixth journalist killed in Israeli strikes
Monday 11 August 2025 12:12
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
A sixth journalist, Mohammad Al-Khaldi, a local freelance reporter, was also killed in the airstrike, medics at Al Shifa Hospital said today.
It was earlier reported that Israeli airstrikes killed five other Al Jazeera journalists last night.
Anas Al-Sharif, 28, one of the TV news channel’s most prominent voices in Gaza, was killed along with reporter Mohammed Qreiqeh, and cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal and Moamen Aliwa.
The Israeli strike targeted a tent where the journalists were sheltering at the Al Shifa medical complex in Gaza City, hospital director Dr Muhammad Abu Salmiya told The Independent.
Israel's military said it targeted and killed Al-Sharif, alleging he had headed a Hamas militant cell and was involved in rocket attacks on Israel.
Mapped: Which countries recognise Palestine as a state?
Monday 11 August 2025 12:00
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Australia will recognise a Palestinian state at next month’s United Nations General Assembly, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced.
It comes after the UK, France and Canada recently announced their plans to recognise Palestine, with Britain saying it would only refrain from doing so if Israel takes urgent steps to end the war.
Israel and the US have been critical of the decisions, similarly saying they are a “reward for Hamas”.
More here.
UN rights office says Israel breached international humanitarian law
Monday 11 August 2025 11:45
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The UN human rights office has condemned Israel's killing of six Palestinian journalists.
"We condemn the killing by the Israeli military of 6 Palestinian journalists by targeting their tent, in grave breach of international humanitarian law," it said on X.
"Israel must respect & protect all civilians, including journalists. At least 242 Palestinian journalists were killed in Gaza since 7 Oct 2023."
"We call for immediate, safe & unhindered access to Gaza for all journalists."
Funeral held for slain Al Jazeera journalists in Gaza
Monday 11 August 2025 11:30
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Rights group says 'no credible evidence' slain journalist was linked with Hamas
Monday 11 August 2025 11:06
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Jodie Ginsberg, the chief executive of the Committee to Protect Journalists, said that the rights group was yet to see "any credible evidence" to back the Israeli allegations against Anas Al-Sharif.
Al-Sharif was killed in an Israeli airstrike along with reporter Mohammed Qreiqeh, and cameramen Ibrahim Zaher, Mohammed Noufal and Moamen Aliwa on Sunday.
Israel defended the killings, alleging that Al-Sharif was a “Hamas terrorist” who posed as a journalist."
They've been making this claim for many, many months, most recently in the last couple of weeks following a report that Anas did on starvation in Gaza, in which he cried on air," Ms Ginsberg told Sky News.
"We've asked for evidence repeatedly from Israel."
The Committee to Protect Journalists last month said it was alarmed by the "repeated threats" made by an Israeli army spokesperson against Al-Sharif and called on the international community to protect him.
How many weapons does the UK export to Israel?
Monday 11 August 2025 11:00
,
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
The British government faces fresh criticism over allowing weapons to be exported from the UK to Israel as the country’s security cabinet approves plans to ramp up its offensive on Gaza.
Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) will take “full control” of Gaza City “while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones”.
The plan marks a new escalation in the nearly two-year offensive that has seen tens of thousands of Palestinians killed or displaced, as those who remain are pushed further into a worsening famine.
The latest export licensing figures released in May show that the UK approved £127m of military equipment to Israel in single issue licences between October and December 2024.
Albert Toth reports.
‘Give us the flour - or we will kill you’: Gaza’s starving face impossible choices
