UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will convene an emergency cabinet meeting later to discuss a peace plan and aid for Gaza, as pressure mounts on him to recognise Palestinian statehood.
Humanitarian groups warned this week is critical to prevent mass starvation in Gaza, saying Israel’s aid supplies fall short.
“In the coming days, thousands of Gaza's children will either be rescued or allowed to die,” the president of the International Rescue Committee said.
It comes after Donald Trump acknowledged “real starvation” in Gaza and pledged the US would set up food centres “with no fences”.
He dismissed Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim that there was no starvation in Gaza and urged him to ensure aid reaches Palestinians.
Local health officials confirmed at least 14 more Palestinians, including two children, had died from hunger and malnutrition, bring the toll from starvation and malnutrition to 147, including 88 children.
Israeli human rights groups B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel have labelled the war on Gaza, which has killed over 59,000 people so far, as “genocide”.
Israeli forces continued their deadly attacks across the territory on Monday, killing at least 78 people, according to local health officials.
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Key Points
- Trump calls out ‘real starvation’ in Gaza
- Trump: 'You can't fake the images of real starvation coming out of Gaza'
- Starmer hands Trump Middle East peace plan
- 14 die of starvation over past 24 hours, says Gaza health ministry
UK cabinet recalled from summer break for Gaza meeting
08:44
,
Steffie Banatvala
Keir Starmer is holding an emergency UK cabinet meeting today to discuss a European-led peace plan and aid efforts for Gaza.
He presented the plan to Trump in Scotland yesterday and details will be released after the meeting which is being held at 14:00 BST today.
The plan will also be shared with allies, including Arab states, over the next few days, a spokesperson for Starmer said.
In an article over the weekend, the prime minister compared the plans to the proposed "coalition of the willing" to support a potential deal to end the Ukraine war.
Two Israeli rights groups say their country is committing genocide in Gaza
08:30
,
Maroosha Muzaffar
Two prominent Israeli rights groups on Monday said their country is committing genocide in Gaza. This marks the first time that local Jewish-led organizations have made such accusations against Israel during nearly 22 months of war.
The claims by B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel add to an explosive debate over whether Israel’s military offensive in Gaza — launched in response to Hamas’ deadly October 7 2023, attack — amounts to genocide.
The Palestinians, their supporters and international human rights groups make that claim, and the International Court of Justice is currently hearing a genocide case filed by South Africa against Israel.
But in Israel itself, founded in the wake of the Holocaust, even the government’s strongest critics have largely refrained from making these accusations.
Read more here:
Trump gives Starmer green light to recognise Palestinian state
08:00
,
Maroosha Muzaffar
Donald Trump has removed a key obstacle to Sir Keir Starmer officially recognising a Palestinian state as the prime minister prepares to discuss the issue at a crucial cabinet meeting this week.
The president, seen as one of Israel’s strongest supporters, signalled the United States would not object to such a move – giving Sir Keir the green light as pressure mounts on him politically to follow Emmanuel Macron, who last week announced France would do so.
In an apparent shift in US backing for Israel, the president also expressed his concern at images and reports of children starving in Gaza, as a ground blockade means only very limited aid is getting through.
And he joined calls for Benjamin Netanyahu to soften his tactics in Gaza, saying the Israeli PM “may have to do it a different way”.
Read more here:
AIPAC drops support for GOP lawmaker after call to ‘starve away’ Gaza until hostages freed
07:30
,
Maroosha Muzaffar
AIPAC appears to have dropped its endorsement of Republican Congressman Randy Fine after he tweeted: “Release the hostages. Until then, starve away.”
“(This is all a lie anyway. It amazes me that the media continues to regurgitate Muslim terror propaganda.),” Fine added in the July 22 post.
AIPAC had backed Fine in his House race earlier this year, but by Monday evening, his name no longer appeared in the pro-Israel lobby’s list of endorsed candidates, according to The Times of Israel.
Fellow Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene tweeted: “A Jewish US Representative calling for the continued starvation of innocent people and children is disgraceful. It’s the most truthful and easiest thing to say that Oct 7th in Israel was horrific and all hostages must be returned, but so is the genocide, humanitarian crisis, and starvation happening in Gaza.”
Two-state solution further off than ever – UN chief
07:00
,
Jane Dalton
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict is "further than ever before".
Mr Guterres said actions "that would forever undermine the two-state solution" must stop, and he urged a two-day UN conference to be a "decisive turning point" rather than mere rhetoric.
French and Saudi foreign ministers on Monday opened the conference on a two-state solution to the decades-old Israel-Palestinian conflict.
Let’s be clear: The creeping annexation of the occupied West Bank is illegal.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) July 28, 2025
It must stop.
The wholesale destruction of Gaza is intolerable.
It must stop.
Unilateral actions that would forever undermine the two-state solution are unacceptable.
They must stop.
Palestinian activist fatally shot by an Israeli settler in West Bank
06:30
,
Maroosha Muzaffar
Palestinian activist and teacher Odeh Muhammad Hadalin, known for his work on the Oscar-winning film No Other Land, was shot and killed by an Israeli settler in the West Bank village of Umm al-Khair.
The alleged shooter, identified by residents as Yinon Levi, sanctioned by the EU and US, was arrested, though Israeli police also detained four Palestinians and two tourists, Al Jazeera reported.
Odeh just died. Murdered. https://t.co/rRWqSa48iN
— Yuval Abraham יובל אברהם (@yuval_abraham) July 28, 2025
Human rights group B’Tselem has accused Israel of genocide, citing a spike in settler attacks carried out with impunity.
Over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since October 2023.
Toll of Gazans killed by Israeli military 'rises to 78'
06:06
,
Jane Dalton
Monday’s death toll of Palestinians in Gaza from Israeli strikes or gunfire has risen to 78, according to local health officials.
The dead included a newborn who was delivered in complex surgery after his mother was killed in a strike, according to the Nasser Hospital.
The Israeli military had no immediate comment about the latest strikes, which occurred outside the time frame for the suspension of military operations that Israel declared would be between 10am and 8pm local time.
Starmer calls humanitarian situation in Gaza ‘absolutely intolerable’
05:30
,
Maroosha Muzaffar
Kier Starmer told the media on Monday that “people in Britain are revolted at seeing what they are seeing on their screens”, referring to the images of starving children in Gaza.
He called the humanitarian situation in Gaza “absolutely intolerable”.
“We need to galvanize other countries in support of getting that aid in, and, yes, that does involve putting pressure on Israel, because it absolutely is a humanitarian catastrophe,” he said.
Israeli opposition leader warns Israel could be ostracised
05:05
,
Jane Dalton
The head of the opposition in Israel's parliament has called on the government to immediately end the war in Gaza, calling it "not a complete victory, but a complete disaster".
"If we don't end the war now, the hostages will not return, the IDF will continue to lose its best fighters, the humanitarian disaster will worsen, the world will close itself off to Israelis," Yair Lapid said.
He called on a coalition of moderate Arab countries, led by Egypt, to run Gaza.
"The management of humanitarian aid in Gaza has collapsed. It simply doesn't work," he said, claiming that Israel was helping Hamas' campaign as the humanitarian situation continued to worsen.
Trump calls out ‘real starvation’ in Gaza
04:28
,
Maroosha Muzaffar
US president Donald Trump said on Monday that he is “not particularly convinced” by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim that there is no starvation in Gaza, adding: “Based on television, I would say not particularly, because those children look very hungry.”
Later, Trump asserted there was “real starvation” in the territory, saying: “You can’t fake that”, and pledged to set up “food centres” in Gaza amid growing global outrage over the humanitarian crisis.
Israel has denied widespread famine, calling the images of emaciated children misleading or isolated, but has begun daily 10-hour pauses in fighting to allow more aid to enter by land and air.
UN debates two-state solution
04:04
,
Jane Dalton
French and Saudi foreign ministers have opened a two-day UN meeting on a two-state solution to the decades-old Israel-Palestinian conflict, highlighting what they called "a growing international consensus" for a non-military solution.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot noted that the large attendance reflected global consensus to end the war in Gaza.
His Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan called it a "historic stage" to not only end the conflict but also to advance a two-state solution.
Recap: Trump says Gazans starving, contradicting Israeli leader
03:03
,
Jane Dalton
US president Donald Trump has said many people are starving in Gaza and suggested Israel could do more on humanitarian access.
As the death toll from two years of war in Gaza nears 60,000, a growing number of people are dying from starvation and malnutrition, Gaza health authorities say. Images of starving children have shocked the world and fuelled international criticism of Israel.
Mr Trump's assessment put him at odds with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who on Sunday denied there was starvation in Gaza and vowed to fight on against the Palestinian militant group Hamas - a statement he repeated on Monday.
Mr Trump, speaking during a visit to Scotland, said Israel had a lot of responsibility for aid flows, and that a lot of people could be saved.
There is no starvation in Gaza, no policy of starvation in Gaza, and I assure you that we have a commitment to achieve our war goals.
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) July 28, 2025
We will continue to fight till we achieve the release of our hostages and the destruction of Hamas' military and governing capabilities. They… pic.twitter.com/cND0ZoejgJ
Riot police scuffle with Greek protesters over Israeli cruise ship visit
02:02
,
Jane Dalton
Editorial: Finally, Trump breaks with Israeli leaders
01:00
,
Jane Dalton
When as loyal an ally as Mr Trump cannot bring himself to endorse Mr Netanyahu’s astonishing claim, there is not much the Israeli prime minister can hope for from international sympathy.
Netanyahu claims there is no starvation in Gaza
Monday 28 July 2025 23:58
,
Jane Dalton
In case you missed it:
Israeli access to research funding faces curbs
Monday 28 July 2025 22:48
,
Jane Dalton
The European Commission has recommended curbing Israeli access to its flagship research funding programme after calls from EU countries to increase pressure on Israel over the humanitarian crisis.
EU countries said last week that Israel was not living up to its commitments under an agreement with the European Union on increasing aid supplies to Gaza, and asked the commission to put concrete options on the table.
The proposal to partially suspend Israel's participation in the Horizon Europe programme needs approval from a qualified majority of EU countries to take effect - at least 15 of the EU's 27 members, representing at least 65% of its population.
"While Israel has announced a daily humanitarian pause in Gaza fighting and has met some of its commitments under the common understanding on humanitarian aid and access, the situation remains severe," the commission said.
Commission proposes partial suspension of Israel's association to Horizon Europe. pic.twitter.com/IrdP4EVlJc
— Peter Žerjavič (@PeterZerjavicEU) July 28, 2025
Germany plans airlift
Monday 28 July 2025 21:42
,
Jane Dalton
Germany will immediately launch an airlift to deliver humanitarian aid into Gaza as it considers stepping up pressure on Israel over the "catastrophic" situation in the enclave, chancellor Friedrich Merz has said.
Germany, together with the United States, has long remained one of Israel's staunchest allies and largest arms suppliers.
The German security cabinet convened for more than two hours on Monday to discuss the situation, Mr Merz said.
While it welcomed Israel's announcement of a halt in military operations for 10 hours a day in parts of Gaza as an "important first step", it agreed more must follow.
US will set up food centres, Trump vows
Monday 28 July 2025 20:46
,
Jane Dalton
President Trump has vowed the US will set up food centres to feed starving people in Gaza.
"We're going to set up food centres," he said on a visit to Scotland.
The centres would have no fences or boundaries, he pledged, and the US would also work with other countries to provide more humanitarian assistance, including food and sanitation.
Israel had a lot of responsibility for aid flows, the president insisted.
Starmer hands Trump Middle East peace plan
Monday 28 July 2025 20:00
,
Jane Dalton
Sir Keir Starmer has presented a UK-led peace plan for the Middle East to Donald Trump as he met the US president in Scotland.
The Prime Minister started work on a plan with France and Germany over the weekend after an emergency call with the two countries' leaders, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz.
His official spokesman had said earlier that he planned to share details with key allies, including Arab states, in the coming days.
Downing Street said the two reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire to pave the way for peace.
"The Prime Minister welcomed the president's efforts to secure this, and shared the plans he is working on with other European leaders to bring about a lasting peace," a No 10 spokesperson said.
Sir Keir described the situation in Gaza as an "absolute catastrophe" as he appeared alongside Mr Trump.
The British public is "revolted" at scenes of desperation in the Palestinian territory, he said.
Two-state solution farther away than ever, says UN chief
Monday 28 July 2025 19:35
,
Jane Dalton
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict is "farther than ever before".
He pointed to the starvation of Palestinians and the killing of tens of thousands of civilians in Gaza, as well as Israel's relentless expansion of settlements in the West Bank and last week's support in Israel's parliament for its annexation.
Mr Guterres said actions "that would forever undermine the two-state solution" must stop, and urged a two-day UN conference on the issue to be a "decisive turning point" rather than mere rhetoric.
Aid agencies sceptical about air drops
Monday 28 July 2025 19:02
,
Jane Dalton
Less than one lorry-worth of aid airdropped
Monday 28 July 2025 18:32
,
Jane Dalton
Two planes from the Jordanian and UAE Air Forces airdropped 17 tons of humanitarian aid in Gaza on Monday, Jordan's military said, in a second day of airdrops.
However, Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, warned that airdrops were "expensive, inefficient and can even kill starving civilians".
The 17 tons of airdropped aid amounts to less than one lorry-worth of food, based on the World Food Programme's calculation of nearly 19 tons per truck.
On Sunday, 180 trucks carrying aid entered Gaza, according to the Israeli military body in charge of overseeing aid.
Trump says ‘real starvation’ in Gaza in rebuke to Netanyahu: full report
Monday 28 July 2025 18:02
,
Jane Dalton
Starmer and Trump agree urgent action needed
Monday 28 July 2025 17:33
,
Jane Dalton
Keir Starmer and Donald Trump have agreed that urgent action is needed to end the suffering in Gaza, according to the prime minister’s office.
"The leaders began by discussing the appalling scenes in Gaza and agreed that urgent action was needed to bring an end to the suffering, which has reached new depths," a statement read after the pair met.
"Humanitarian aid had to be allowed in at scale and pace. They committed to work together to bring an end to the misery and starvation and continue to press for the immediate release of the remaining hostages.”
The leaders also reiterated their calls for an immediate ceasefire to pave the way for peace in the region.
Opinion: Even Trump doesn't buy Netanyahu’s preposterous claim
Monday 28 July 2025 17:05
,
Jane Dalton
Israel has an obligation to ensure that the civilian population gets food and medical supplies, writes Bel Trew:
Collecting aid dangerous and unfair, say Gazans
Monday 28 July 2025 16:39
,
Jane Dalton
Palestinians in Gaza say securing aid for their families living in tent encampments is a chaotic and often dangerous process.
"Currently aid comes for the strong who can race ahead, who can push others and grab a box or a sack of flour," said Emad, 58, who used to own a factory in Gaza City.
“That chaos must be stopped and protection for those trucks must be allowed.”
Wessal Nabil, from Beit Lahiya, said her husband was unable to collect aid because of an injured leg. She had tried herself several times but without success. "So who will feed us? Who will give us to drink?" she said.
The World Food Programme says it has 170,000 metric tons of food in the region, outside Gaza, which would be enough to feed the whole population for three months if it gets the clearance to take into the enclave.
Why have two Israeli rights groups decided to accuse their country of genocide?
Monday 28 July 2025 15:58
,
Alex Croft
Earlier we brought you the news that two major rights groups in Israel, B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, have accused their country of genocide for the first time.
The rights groups, while prominent and respected internationally, are considered in Israel to be on the political fringe, and their views are not representative of the vast majority of Israelis. But having the allegation of genocide come from Israeli voices shatters a taboo in a society that has been reticent to criticize Israel's conduct in Gaza.
Guy Shalev, director of Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, said the Jewish-Israeli public often dismisses accusations of genocide as antisemitic or biased against Israel.
"Perhaps human rights groups based in Israel, and coming to this conclusion, is a way to confront that accusation and get people to acknowledge the reality," he said.
Israel asserts that it is fighting an existential war and abides by international law. It has rejected genocide allegations as antisemitic.
It is challenging such allegations at the International Court of Justice, and it has rejected the International Criminal Court's allegations that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant committed war crimes in Gaza. Both face international arrest warrants.
News analysis | Palestinian state recognition is a one shot opportunity for Starmer – but what does he want to achieve?
Monday 28 July 2025 15:43
,
Alex Croft
Keir Starmer will go into his emergency cabinet meeting this week under immense political pressure to change government policy and recognise a Palestinian state.
The question which will be troubling the prime minister though will not be whether he wants to recognise Palestine as a country, but determining when formal recognition will have maximum effect.
The problem is that recognising a state is a one-time move. Unlike a Brexit agreement or a trade deal, there is no going back to rework some of the details further down the line – with this, there is no room for error.
Political editor David Maddox writes:
In pictures: Starmer and Trump meet at Turnberry
Monday 28 July 2025 15:24
,
Alex Croft
Egyption president calls on Trump to exert more pressure on Israel
Monday 28 July 2025 14:59
,
Alex Croft
Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has called on Donald Trump on Monday to exert all efforts to end the war in Gaza and allow entry of humanitarian aid into the shattered Palestinian enclave.
Mr Sisi and the US president have long enjoyed warm relations. Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been mediating in search of ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas since the war broke out on 7 October, 2023.
"I direct this special message to President Trump: Please, exert all efforts to end this war and allow the entry of aid," Mr Sisi said in a televised speech. He added that Trump was one who was "capable of stopping the war."
The latest round of indirect ceasefire talks in Doha between Israel and Hamas broke off last week with no deal in sight as mediators struggle to bridge the gaps between the two sides.
"We cannot deny aid to the enclave, but for aid to get in, coordination with the other side is needed," Mr Sisi said.
Trump: 'You can't fake the images of real starvation coming out of Gaza'
Monday 28 July 2025 14:54
,
Alex Croft
Donald Trump has made clear his belief that there is real starvation in Gaza, after Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested there was no hunger in the strip.
It is not possible to fake the images coming out of Gaza, the president said during a meeting with Sir Keir Starmer at Turnberry, Scotland.
As Netanyahu attended a Christian conference in Jerusalem on Sunday, he said: “There is no policy of starvation in Gaza and there is no starvation in Gaza.”
On Monday, Palestinian health officials said 14 more people died of malnutrition-related causes in Gaza, bringing the overall war total to 147, including 89 children.
Trump says he is discussing 'various plans' with Netanyahu
Monday 28 July 2025 14:43
,
Alex Croft
Donald Trump on Monday said the Hamas militant group had become difficult to deal with in recent days, but he was talking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about "various plans" to free hostages still held in the enclave.
Trump also said the U.S. would work with other countries to provide more humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, including food and sanitation.
"We're going to set up food centres," with no fences or boundaries to ease access, Trump told reporters after a meeting with British prime minister Keir Starmer at his golf resort in Turnberry, Scotland.
Two major Israeli rights groups say country is committing genocide
Monday 28 July 2025 14:26
,
Alex Croft
Two prominent Israeli rights groups have said their country is committing genocide in Gaza, the first time that local Jewish-led organizations have made such accusations against Israel during nearly 22 months of war.
The claims by B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel add to an explosive debate over whether Israel's military offensive in Gaza amounts to genocide.
The Palestinians, their supporters and international human rights groups make that claim, and the International Court of Justice is hearing a genocide case filed by South Africa against Israel.
But in Israel, founded in the wake of the Holocaust, even the government's strongest critics have largely refrained from making such accusations.
That's because of the deep sensitivities and strong memories of the Nazi genocide of Europe's Jews, and because many in Israel view the war in Gaza as a justified response to the deadliest attack in the country's history and not an attempt at extermination.
Trump declines to take position on Palestinian statehood
Monday 28 July 2025 14:11
,
Alex Croft
Donald Trump has declined to take a position on Palestinian statehood, after France’s declaration that it would do so generated outrage from Israel and its allies.
Speaking outside his hotel in Turnberry as he greeted Sir Keir Starmer, the US president said he would not comment on a push by French president Emmanuel Macron to back Palestinian statehood.
French president Emmanuel Macron had been hinting towards taking this step for a long time - but the announcement was delayed after the 12-day war between Israel and Iran broke out.
Speaking to parliament a few weeks ago, Mr Macron said "working together to recognise the state of Palestine and to initiate this political moment is the only path to peace". It is unclear whether the UK will follow suit in the immediate future - something Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party promised to do in their election-winning manifesto last July.
Trump: Feeding Gazans is the number one priority
Monday 28 July 2025 13:55
,
Alex Croft
Donald Trump said on Monday the number one priority in Gaza was getting people fed, because "you have a lot of starving people".
Trump, speaking alongside British prime minister Keir Starmer at his golf resort in Turnberry, Scotland, said the United States had provided $60 million for humanitarian aid, and other nations would have to step up.
He said he discussed the issue with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday, and she told him European countries would step up their assistance very substantially. He said he also planned to discuss the humanitarian situation with Sir Keir during his visit on Monday.
"We're giving a lot of money and a lot of food, and other nations are now stepping up," Mr Trump said. "It's a mess. They have to get food and safety right now."
Sir Keir agreed, saying: "It's a humanitarian crisis, right? It's an absolute catastrophe.... I think people in Britain are revolted at seeing what they're seeing on their screen."
Trump says he is 'very much involved' with Gaza
Monday 28 July 2025 13:36
,
Alex Croft
Donald Trump has said he is “very much involved” when asked about the war in Gaza.
Speaking over the sound of a bagpipe playing, the US president could be heard saying: “We’ve, as you know, given a lot of money to Gaza for food and everything else, a lot of that money is stolen by Hamas.”
Mr Trump added: “We’re very much involved…”
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer added: “Yes we’re going to be discussing it today.”
The US president did not provide evidence for the claim about money