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Here’s where things stand on Monday 21 July 2025:
- At least five Palestinians killed and several wounded by Israeli attack on water desalination plant in Gaza City.
- Israeli army says it has attacked Yemen’s Hodeidah port, claiming to have targeted Houthi infrastructure.
- At least 27 people killed as Israeli forces continue to pound Gaza a day after killing at least 115 Palestinians, including 79 aid seekers at the Zikim crossing and 13 others at GHF-run sites.
- Protesters across the Muslim world, including in Tunisia, Iraq, Turkiye, Morocco, Lebanon and the occupied West Bank’s Ramallah, have taken to the streets of their cities to denounce Israel’s siege of Gaza.
- Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 59,029 people and wounded 142,135. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the October 7, 2023, attacks, and more than 200 were taken captive.
Palestinian PM urges global action to halt Gaza starvation and war
The Palestinian Authority PM Mohammad Mustafa has called on the international community to take urgent and concrete action to end what he described as “654 days of aggression” against Palestinians in Gaza.
Speaking at a news conference in Ramallah, Mustafa was cited as saying by the Wafa news agency that he condemned Israel’s continued withholding of Palestinian clearance revenues and accused it of using “starvation as a weapon of war”.
“More than 995 Palestinians have been killed while waiting for aid at what have become death traps,” he said, referring to attacks on aid distribution sites.
Israel says drone launched from Yemen intercepted
Israeli Army Radio has reported that Israeli air defences intercepted a drone launched from Yemen. It added that the warning system was not activated.
This comes after Israel targeted the Yemeni port of Hodeidah this morning, claiming to have targeted Houthi infrastructure.
Health Ministry condemns Israeli arrest of hospital director
The Palestinian Health Ministry has strongly condemned the arrest of the director of Abu Yousef al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah by an Israeli special forces unit.
In a statement, the ministry said it “condemns in the strongest terms” the detention of Dr Marwan al-Hams.
Describing the move as setting a “dangerous precedent”, the ministry said it “represents a direct targeting of the voices of the sick, the hungry, and the suffering in the Gaza Strip”.
“This cowardly act targeted one of the most prominent humanitarian and medical voices who conveyed to the world the pain of children dying of hunger, the suffering of the wounded who are deprived of medicine, and the cries of mothers at hospital gates,” the statement added.
The ministry called the arrest a “serious violation of freedom of expression and humanitarian action”. It demanded his “immediate and unconditional release”.
British Palestine Project says government must prevent atrocities in Gaza
The British Palestine Project (BPP) has questioned the government’s failure to abide by the Geneva Convention to “prevent genocide from occurring in Gaza”.
“As the world watches the people of Gaza being starved to death, and being shot for seeking minimal sustenance, while at the same time members of the Israeli government express clear intent to go further,” a statement by the BPP read.
“The British Government needs to act resolutely to try to prevent further atrocities and create a space for a peaceful solution,” it added.
The BPP called on the government to end all military cooperation and arms trade with Israel, to announce that the UK agrees with the ICJ’s findings that a risk of genocide was taking place in Gaza and to “redouble” efforts to achieve a full “unconditional ceasefire in Gaza” among other calls.
Israeli attack hits water desalination plant, killing 5 people
At least five people have been killed and several wounded when Israeli fighter jets hit a water desalination plant in the Remal neighbourhood of Gaza City.
According to medical sources quoted by the Wafa news agency, bodies and the wounded were transported to nearby hospitals under intense Israeli shelling.
Photos: Israel hits residential building in Gaza City
Erdogan says Syrian leader takes strong stance against Israel
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has praised interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa for what he calls a firm and uncompromising stance in the conflict with Israel.
Speaking to Turkish media on his return from Northern Cyprus, Erdogan welcomed the Syrian government’s “very positive” step after it established control over the Druze-majority city of Suwayda and the broader south of the country, saying it had done so with about 2,500 soldiers.
He noted that all but one Druze faction had agreed to observe the ceasefire during US-backed talks in Jordan.
Erdogan added that the US now realised it had to “own” the issue more directly. He also warned that Israel may use the unrest as a pretext to seize more Syrian territory.
Gaza war death toll hits 59,000
The Palestinian Health Ministry is reporting that Israeli attacks across Gaza since the start of the war in October 2023 have killed at least 59,029 people and wounded 142,135.
Over the latest 24-hour reporting period, 134 bodies, including four recovered bodies, and 1,155 wounded people have been brought to hospitals.
Since dawn, Israeli attacks across Gaza have killed at least 34 people, including 20 in northern Gaza and Gaza City, medical sources told Al Jazeera. Among the dead were four people killed while trying to get aid.
At least 1,021 people have been killed at GHF sites and more than 6,511 wounded, the Health Ministry added.
Will Israel ever get blowback for bombing its neighbours?
In the last two years, as well as its war on Gaza and increasingly violent occupation of the West Bank, Israel has launched attacks on Iran, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.
The most recent attacks on Syria were launched this week, going so far as to hit the country’s Ministry of Defence.
Of course, the Israelis point to their justifications for the attacks on Syria – principally, in Israel’s telling, to defend the Syrian Druze minority. In Lebanon, Israel claimed it wanted to stop the threat posed by Hezbollah.
The attacks on Iran, it said, were to end that country’s attempt to build a nuclear bomb. And in Yemen, Israel’s bombing was a response to attacks from the country’s Houthi rebels.
Explanations aside, the question becomes whether the Israelis can continue to act in a manner that has many around the world, and particularly in the Middle East, seeing them as the aggressor.
Read the full story here.
Palestinian officials announce closure of water pumps after settler attacks
The Jerusalem Governorate Water Utility has announced a halt in the operation of water pumping stations and wells in the Ein Samiya area, east of Kafr Malik, in the occupied West Bank, due to escalating attacks by Israeli settlers on infrastructure, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reports.
In a statement, the Palestinian governorate said it had lost all technical and administrative control over the water system after direct assaults on pumping equipment, communication systems, electrical networks and surveillance cameras.
It added that continuing disruptions to internet and telecommunications services in the area are severely affecting technical access, system restoration efforts and field crew safety.
The Ein Samiya wells directly serve 19 Palestinian communities and jointly help supply water to 14 other areas via the Ramallah Station.
The water system in Ein Samiya serves an estimated 110,000 people, either fully or partially.
Gaza ‘safe zones’ vanishing as Israeli army pushes forced displacement
The Israeli army has continued to shrink the so-called safe zones in Gaza to an unprecedented extent through repeated forced displacement.
A map compiled by Al Jazeera revealed that as much as 82 percent of Gaza has been marked as dangerous zones, leaving just 18 percent as shelter for about two million displaced Palestinians.
This coincides with a worsening humanitarian disaster as Gaza receives insufficient aid supplies, which fail to reach displaced people in northern and southern Gaza due to inadequate distribution mechanisms and an Israeli blockade.
Recap of latest developments
- At least 27 people have been killed as Israel continues its bombardment of Gaza, a day after killing at least 115 Palestinians, including 92 aid seekers.
- In northern Gaza, five people have been killed in Jabalia al-Balad, while in the south, five members of the Abu Taima family have been killed in an air strike on a tent sheltering displaced people in al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis.
- In the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces have assaulted three Palestinians, including two elderly men, during a raid on the Thinnabeh suburb of Tulkarem.
- Famine conditions in Gaza are deepening with UNRWA reporting “desperate messages of starvation” from its own staff.
- The World Food Programme’s Palestine director tells Al Jazeera the UN agency has warned “for weeks” about rising hunger.
- Israel says it has carried out air strikes on Houthi infrastructure at Yemen’s port of Hodeidah.
US envoy says Washington ‘cannot compel Israel to do anything’
US special envoy Thomas Barrack says the US cannot force Israel to change course in its attacks on Lebanon.
“The US has no business in trying to compel Israel to do anything. … America could only influence,” Barrack told reporters during a news conference in Beirut.
He made the comments as Israel maintains its presence along the southern Lebanese border and continues to carry out regular strikes despite repeated calls for de-escalation and a ceasefire arrangement.
Barrack also ruled out deeper US military involvement in the region, stating: “We are not going to have more boots on the ground in an adversarial nature anywhere.”
Schoolchildren injured in Israeli attack in central Gaza
Amid ongoing attacks across Gaza, Israeli forces have targeted a food kitchen next to the Al-Janane al-Haditha kindergarten in central Gaza, according to Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor.
In a separate video posted on X, parents are seen frantically taking their scared and crying children out of the school building. One child is seen covered in dust and blood following the attack.
At least 42 people die in 24 hours at Nasser Medical Complex
The Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis has announced at least 42 deaths as Gaza’s health system continues to reel under relentless strain.
According to hospital data over a 24-hour period on Sunday, more than 2,000 people sought care at the facility in southern Gaza.
They included 424 patients at the central emergency room, 494 children at the paediatric emergency ward and nearly 600 visitors to the outpatient clinic.
The hospital, already under severe pressure, continues to operate with limited supplies, exhausted staff and fuel shortages.
Gaza malnutrition reaching levels ‘never seen’ before: WFP
The World Food Programme’s Palestine representative, Antoine Renard, tells Al Jazeera that the WFP has warned for “weeks” that Gaza is facing starvation.
“You have a level of despair that people are ready to risk their lives just to reach any of the assistance actually coming into Gaza. Just to give you an idea, [the price of] 1kg of flour is currently $100,” Renard said from occupied East Jerusalem.
He explained that many people in Gaza are not able to eat daily, eating instead every three days, which leads to people fainting. Only a “very limited” number of charity kitchens are still running in the enclave, Renard added.
“[There’s a] soaring number of people facing malnutrition, and we can really see that the situation is really getting to levels that we’ve never seen ever before.”
Conditions at Ramla Prison clinic in Israel ‘worsening’
The Palestinian Prisoners and Freed Prisoners Affairs Commission says the conditions of injured and sick detainees at Ramla Prison clinic in Israel are “deteriorating”.
In a statement on Telegram, the advocacy group said the worsening conditions in the facility were due to an “absence” of medical follow-ups for those who have severe health conditions.
“The prisoners complain about the prison administration’s procrastination in transferring sick and injured prisoners to civilian hospitals for medical examinations and follow-ups, in addition to transferring prisoners from civilian hospitals back to the clinic before completing treatment stages,” the statement explained.
According to the group, whose lawyers spoke to prisoners at Ramla Prison Clinic, those detained highlighted restrictions on bringing in clothes, as well as supply shortages and poor quality and quantity of food.
“The commission pointed out that the suffering of sick prisoners increases with the daily searches conducted by the prison administration in their rooms, without any consideration for their health conditions,” the statement added.
Gaza’s death toll rises
At least 27 people have been killed in Israeli attacks across the enclave, medical sources told Al Jazeera.
Among the dead were four aid seekers.
Since the US- and Israel-backed GHF aid distribution sites were established at the end of May, aid seekers have been routinely targeted, with more than 900 people killed.
Palestinian Journalists Syndicate says Hamas assaulted journalists at Gaza hospital
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate has released a statement condemning Hamas security forces for assaulting journalists at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.
The group called for an “urgent and transparent investigation”.
“This blatant attack represents a flagrant violation of press freedom and threatens the safety of journalists who were covering the critical humanitarian and health conditions of displaced persons, the injured, and the martyrs amid the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip,” the statement said.
The statement also emphasised “the need to facilitate the sacred mission journalists perform in conveying the truth and defending the causes of their people, especially in light of their repeated targeting by the Israeli occupation”.
Palestine Action cofounder asks UK court to challenge ban
A cofounder of Palestine Action is set to ask the UK High Court for permission to challenge the government’s decision to ban the group under anti-terror laws.
Huda Ammori is seeking to overturn Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s move to proscribe the direct action network, after it claimed responsibility for covering two RAF planes with red paint at Brize Norton airbase on June 20.
The group said the planes were linked to UK military support for Israel’s war on Gaza, accusing Britain of enabling the transport of weapons used in the bombardment of the enclave.
Cooper announced the ban on June 23, calling the action “terrorist-related”. The proscription came into force on July 5, after Ammori failed in an urgent legal attempt to block it.
Under the Terrorism Act 2000, membership or public support for Palestine Action is now a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
Monday’s hearing begins at 10:30am (09:30 GMT) in London.
At least 5 people killed in North Gaza in Israeli bombardment
Five people have been killed in Jabalia al-Balad after an Israeli bombardment of the area.
Earlier, the Palestine Red Crescent Society also reported that its teams had recovered the body of one person and evacuated three wounded after an Israeli artillery strike on the nearby Jabalia al-Nazla area.
Appeals and negotiations won’t make Israel stop starving Gaza
Amid the global outrage, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem was able to negotiate for church officials to visit the Christian community, deliver limited food and medicine to both Christian and Muslim families, and evacuate some of the injured for treatment outside Gaza.
These humanitarian actions, while welcomed by those in dire need in Gaza, are yet another sign of international failure.
Why must the delivery of food, water and medicine be “earned” through negotiation? Why are basic rights enshrined in international law subject to political bargaining?
Palestinians deeply appreciate the church leaders’ efforts. Their actions reflect compassion and moral clarity.
But such steps should not be necessary. Under international humanitarian law, occupying powers have binding obligations to the people under their control. Securing access to food, water, medicine and critical services cannot be charitable favours – they are legal duties.
Read more here.
Israel says it attacks Houthi infrastructure
The Israeli army says it has carried out attacks on Houthi infrastructure in Yemen.
The targets included “engineering vehicles, fuel containers and naval vessels”, it said in a post on X.
Israeli forces assault 3 Palestinians in West Bank raid
Three Palestinians, including two elderly men, have been wounded after being assaulted by Israeli forces during their raid on the Thinnabeh suburb, east of Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), cited by Wafa, said its emergency teams treated all three, who suffered injuries from beatings by Israeli soldiers at dawn on Monday.
They were transferred to Martyr Thabet Thabet Governmental Hospital for further treatment.
During the raid, Israeli troops also stormed and ransacked several homes.
The operation is part of a months-long Israeli army campaign targeting Tulkarem and its refugee camps, causing widespread damage to infrastructure, homes and civilian property.
Israeli attacks target Yemen’s Hodeidah port
Israeli media report attacks by the Israeli army on Yemen’s Hodeidah port.
We will bring you more on this as soon as we can.
Desperate messages of starvation from Gaza: UNRWA
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees says it is receiving “desperate messages of starvation” from inside Gaza, including from its staff, as humanitarian conditions continue to deteriorate.
In a post on X, the agency said: “Food prices have increased 40 fold. Meanwhile, just outside Gaza, stockpiled in warehouses UNRWA has enough food for the entire population for over three months.”
UNRWA stressed that the suffering is not inevitable, calling the crisis “manmade” and urging immediate action.
“The suffering in Gaza is manmade and must be stopped. Lift the siege and let aid in safely and at scale.”
The agency’s warning comes as Gaza teeters on the brink of famine, with severe restrictions on aid and limited access through border crossings continuing to fuel the crisis.
Gaza death toll rises
Since dawn, at least 17 people have been killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza, medical sources told Al Jazeera.
Among the dead, three people were killed by Israeli shelling in Deir el-Balah and the Bureij camp in central Gaza.
Israeli army chief draws up new plan to capture more territory in Gaza
Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has drafted a plan to intensify ground operations across Gaza, according to a report by Israel’s Channel 12.
Sources cited by the outlet described the proposal as “the plan for taking over Gaza”.
The reported blueprint is seen as an alternative to Netanyahu’s controversial concentration camp plan in Rafah, which Zamir reportedly opposes.
The plan would be implemented if a deal to end the war is not reached after a proposed 60-day ceasefire, and envisions Israeli forces gradually capturing more territory than they currently control.
According to another Israeli media outlet, Netanyahu has blocked Zamir from presenting the plan to Israel’s security cabinet and prevented further discussion by ministers already briefed.
Three killed in Israeli shelling in Deir el-Balah, Bureij
At least three people have been killed by Israeli shelling in Deir el-Balah and Bureij camp in central Gaza, sources at Al-Aqsa and Al-Awda hospitals told our colleagues.
Al-Shifa Hospital reported that several Palestinians were wounded in a bombardment of an apartment in al-Nasr neighbourhood, west of Gaza City.
Nine Palestinians killed by Israeli attacks
At least nine Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks across Gaza today.
Wafa is reporting that five members of the Abu Taima family were killed in an air attack on a tent sheltering the displaced in al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis.
Two Palestinians were killed by a drone attack near Jabalia in northern Gaza.
The report added that two civilians were killed in southern Deir el-Balah.
Israeli forces arrest 12 Palestinians in West Bank raids
Israeli forces have arrested nine Palestinians from the Bethlehem governorate of the occupied West Bank this morning, Wafa is reporting.
They also arrested Zarifa Yousef Daoud al-Deek after raiding her home in Kafr ad-Dik, and two brothers from Nablus, in other early morning raids.
Residents flee as Israeli ground forces attack Deir el-Balah
The situation remains extremely dangerous and precarious.
There has been further mobilisation of Israeli ground forces in the eastern parts of Deir el-Balah. We can see that the entire city is under Israeli attack.
We literally did not manage to sleep at night. There has been an ongoing Israeli bombardment. Israeli jets, tanks, and naval gunboats continue to strike multiple residential areas. Three more squares were destroyed in the city, and then residential houses were flattened.
At the moment, I can hear the sound of gunfire from Israeli tanks.
We are very close to where there are many residents who are using donkey carts and other modes to flee.
More than 650,000 children in Gaza out of school: UNICEF
Hundreds of thousands of school-age children in Gaza have been denied access to education since Israel’s war began, according to UNICEF.
It comes after education was suspended in October 2023, when schools were turned into overcrowded shelters as hundreds of thousands fled Israeli bombardment.
The closures have stripped children of a vital lifeline as they endure war, hunger and displacement.
Older students have lost access to graduation exams and college applications, with nearly 40,000 unable to sit university entry exams for the first time in decades.
Many children in shelters and camps now spend their days searching for food, water and firewood, while the Israeli army has killed tens of thousands and displaced 90 percent of the population.
WFP says Israeli gunfire at its convoy killed countless people in Zikim
As we’ve been reporting, at least 92 Palestinians were killed at aid sites in Gaza yesterday.
The World Food Programme said on Sunday that shortly after crossing through the northern Zikim crossing into Gaza, its 25-truck convoy encountered large crowds of civilians waiting for food supplies.
“As the convoy approached, the surrounding crowd came under fire from Israeli tanks, snipers and other gunfire,” it said on X, adding that the incident resulted in the loss of “countless lives” with many more suffering critical injuries.
“These people were simply trying to access food to feed themselves and their families on the brink of starvation. This terrible incident underscores the increasingly dangerous conditions under which humanitarian operations are forced to be conducted in Gaza.”
At least 79 Palestinians were reported killed in that incident.