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Here’s where things stand on Friday 11 July 2025:
- Israeli forces intensify air and ground attacks on Gaza, killing at least 82 Palestinians, including nine aid seekers, across the besieged territory in 24 hours, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry.
- UN expert Francesca Albanese tells Al Jazeera she considers the controversial Trump administration sanctions against her “obscene” and says she will not be bullied into halting her advocacy work.
- The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees slams Israeli plans for the mass displacement of Palestinians towards Rafah in southern Gaza.
- Doctors at Gaza’s largest hospitals say the lives of more than 100 premature babies and 350 dialysis patients are at risk because of fuel shortages caused by Israel’s ongoing siege.
- Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 57,762 people and wounded 137,656, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the October 7, 2023 attacks and more than 200 were taken captive.
Insurance costs for Red Sea shipping more than double amid attacks
The insurance cost of shipping goods through the Red Sea has more than doubled in recent days after suspected attacks by Yemen’s Houthis, industry sources say.
War risk premiums have risen to around 0.7 percent of the value of a ship, from around 0.3 percent last week before the latest attacks took place, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters news agency.
Rates for a typical seven-day voyage period, which are set by individual underwriters, have been quoted this week at up to 1 percent higher, matching the peak level in 2024 when there were daily attacks. This adds hundreds of thousands of dollars in further costs for every shipment.
“The recent attacks in the Red Sea have highlighted the need for caution when considering a transit,” said Neil Roberts, head of marine and aviation with the Lloyd’s Market Association.
The Houthis say they are targeting Israel-linked ships as part of a campaign to pressure the Israeli military to end its assault on Gaza, which rights groups have described as a genocide.
US State Department defends deadly GHF aid sites in Gaza
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce says the GHF aid distribution scheme “works” – despite weeks of deadly Israeli attacks on Palestinian aid seekers across Gaza.
“We also call on other aid agencies and the UN to participate in this system. It has been implemented and it works”, Bruce told reporters in Washington, DC.
Israeli forces and American contractors have opened fire on Palestinian aid seekers at GHF sites, killing at least 782 people and injuring 5,179 others since the group began operating in late May, according to the latest Gaza Health Ministry figures.
The UN and other humanitarian groups have denounced the US- and Israeli-backed GHF as “forcing two million people into overcrowded, militarized zones where they face daily gunfire and mass casualties”.
Amnesty International said last week that the GHF “was designed so as to placate international concerns while constituting another tool of Israel’s genocide”.
Father of Israeli captive accuses ADL leader of spreading false claims
Yehuda Cohen, father of the Israeli captive Nimrod Cohen, has accused Anti-Defamation League chief Jonathan Greenblatt of making “unequivocally false” statements about his son as part of an effort to promote support for Israel’s war in Gaza.
While the plight of those who remain captive in Gaza has become a central part of calls to support Israel’s war in the US, within Israel itself the family members of numerous captives have expressed anger at Netanyahu’s refusal to come to an agreement that would secure their return in exchange for an end to hostilities.
A statement from We Are All Hostages says that Greenblatt released a video falsely stating that Yehuda’s eldest son, Yotam, wants to rejoin the war effort.
“My family has consistently and publicly advocated for an immediate end to the war through a hostage deal that ensures the safe return of all captives,” Yehuda’s statement reads, adding that he confronted Greenblatt during a private event on July 9 but that the ADL chief “deflected responsibility” and did not apologise.
“Mr Greenblatt’s statements have broader implications, as they inadvertently support propaganda that falsely suggests widespread Israeli support for continuing the war”, the statement adds.
Netanyahu makes clear his goal remains to ‘eradicate’ Hamas
Netanyahu [said] in Washington that Israel is willing to enter into this 60-day temporary ceasefire and start negotiating for a permanent end to the war, but there are what he calls “minimal requirements” for Israel to end the fighting in Gaza.
The first is for Hamas to lay down its weapons. The second is for Hamas militarily and politically to be totally and completely depleted. The third is for Hamas not to be in the picture moving forward.
Netanyahu has made Israel’s positions quite clear: That he wants to eradicate Hamas, that he wants to totally defeat the Palestinian group.
And he says that if that’s not done as part of the deal, if it’s not going to be done diplomatically, Israel will do it with force.
Hamas slams Netanyahu as having ‘malicious intentions’
The Palestinian group has condemned the Israeli prime minister, who told the families of Israeli captives that a deal that would secure the release of all those still held in Gaza at once would be impossible, according to Israeli media reports.
Those comments “confirm the malicious intentions of the war criminal Netanyahu, who is obstructing any agreement leading to the release of prisoners and the cessation of aggression against our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip”, Hamas said in a statement.
“The movement previously offered to reach a comprehensive exchange deal, during which all prisoners would be released simultaneously, in exchange for a permanent cessation of aggression, a complete withdrawal of the occupation army, and the free flow of aid,” it said.
“However, Netanyahu rejected this offer at the time and continues to evade and create more obstacles.”
Palestinian journalist killed after Israeli drone strike targets his home
The Government Media office in the Gaza Strip has stated that Palestinian journalist Ahmed Salama Abu has been killed, bringing the number of journalists killed since the beginning of the war to 229. Israel’s campaign in Gaza, which has included the systematic targeting of reporters, is the deadliest conflict for journalists in modern history.
Palestinian news agency Shehab reported that the journalist was killed after an Israeli drone targeted the door of his home west of Nuseirat in central Gaza.
If you’re just joining us
Let’s bring you up to speed on the latest developments:
- UN special rapporteur Francesca Albanese has rejected “obscene” US sanctions against her for criticism of Israel, telling Al Jazeera that her “quest for [the] respect of justice and international law” will continue.
- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s spokesman said 75,000 litres of fuel entered Gaza yesterday, but that it “isn’t sufficient to cover even one day of energy requirement”.
- Amid the fuel shortage, Dr Mohammed Abu Selmia, the director of Al Shifa Hospital, said premature Palestinian babies are in “very critical condition”.
- UNICEF has condemned an “appalling” attack on Palestinians waiting for aid in central Gaza’s Deir el-Balah that killed at least 15 people, including nine children.
- Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israel will not hesitate to attack Iran again if it feels threatened.
Human Rights Watch says sanctions against Albanese about ‘silencing’ criticism of Israel
The international rights watchdog has said that the US sanctions represent an attack on international law and those who speak out about Israeli abuses in the occupied Palestinian territories.
“The US government’s decision to sanction Albanese for seeking justice through the International Criminal Court is actually all about silencing a UN expert for doing her job, speaking truth about Israeli violations against Palestinians and calling on governments and corporations not to be complicit,” Liz Evenson, international justice director at HRW, said in a statement.
“The United States is working to dismantle the norms and institutions on which survivors of grave abuses rely. UN and ICC member countries should strongly resist the US government’s shameless efforts to block justice for the world’s worst crimes and condemn the outrageous sanctions on Albanese.”
Netanyahu conditions permanent end to war on Hamas ‘laying down weapons’
The Israeli prime minister has said Israel is open to negotiating a permanent end to its war on Gaza but only if Hamas is demilitarised.
“At the beginning of this ceasefire, we will enter negotiations for a permanent end to the war,” he said, referring to a US-backed ceasefire proposal that would include a 60-day truce.
But Netanyahu said that Israel’s “fundamental conditions” were that “Hamas lays down its weapons” and no longer has “governing or military capabilities”.
“If this can be achieved through negotiations, great. If it cannot be achieved through negotiations within 60 days, we will achieve it through other means, by using force, the force of our heroic army,” he added.
Macron calls for France and UK to recognise Palestinian state
The French president called for an act of joint recognition alongside the UK, stating that such acts are “the only hope for peace” in the region and that he hopes to “initiate this political dynamic” regarding Palestinian statehood.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the recognition of Palestine the “longstanding policy” of the Labour Party and his government.
“I do not think it’s possible to have a lasting peace in the Middle East if we don’t have a two-state solution. But the focus now has to be unrelentingly on getting the ceasefire that will allow the space for the politics to take over from the fighting, and allow the space for the aid to get in and for the hostages to get out.”