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Here’s where things stand on Friday 4 July 2025:
- The number of Palestinian aid seekers killed by Israeli forces in the besieged Gaza Strip keeps rising, as a report says US contractors ostensibly guarding controversial aid distribution sites have been using live ammunition and stun grenades.
- Hamas says consultations have begun on a latest proposal for a temporary 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, will submit its response to mediators.
- The Palestinian group is seeking guarantees that the ceasefire proposal would lead to the war’s end, according to a source close to Hamas.
- Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 57,130 people and wounded 134,592, 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.
Israeli demand to dismantle Hamas ‘nearly impossible’
Israel’s reported red line that Hamas must be dismantled for any ceasefire to take place in Gaza “is the most difficult part of the discussions” and would be “nearly impossible”, says Tamer Qarmout, an associate professor in public policy from the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies.
He told Al Jazeera that, while there could be an agreement for Hamas to surrender its weapons to another party, to “dismantle Hamas and end its political life in Palestinian society, I think that’s not achievable”.
“Hamas could transform itself to a different political party, [but] the ideology remains because the occupation remains,” Qarmout said.
“My point is, as long as there’s no bigger vision to end the conflict … then I think again, it’s going to be another wasted opportunity.”
Israel names soldier killed in northern Gaza
The Israeli army says one of its soldiers, Yair Eliyahou, has been killed while fighting in northern Gaza, without elaborating on the time or circumstances.
The 19-year-old was a combat engineer soldier with the Northern Brigade.
According to the military, more than 880 Israeli soldiers were killed during the war in Gaza, including more than 320 during the Hamas-led attack on October 7.
Israeli ‘red lines’ for ceasefire reportedly include dismantling of Hamas
Israel hasn’t officially given the go-ahead for this ceasefire proposal that’s being pushed by US President Donald Trump.
But there is a lot of anticipation, a lot of talk about what it could entail, including some Israeli “red lines” being discussed in the media, citing unnamed official sources.
These include Israel not moving out of the so-called Morag Corridor in southern Gaza – meaning that it does not want to clear the way for people to return to Rafah, a city that’s been obliterated.
Israel is also insisting it will only end the war if Hamas is dismantled, by handing over its weapons and its surviving leaders going into exile.
Hamas, for its part, is not commenting on these issues – although some reports say that it has not discussed the idea of handing over its weapons.
So, we’re still waiting to see whether Hamas will make a positive announcement – and if that happens, there still needs to be negotiations about implementation. The impression that this was going to be an immediate thing might not be entirely accurate, because what is on the table is a framework for a temporary ceasefire, not a detailed proposal.
Israeli army to ensure Israel maintains air superiority over Iran: Katz
As we reported earlier, Defence Minister Israel Katz said the military is preparing a plan to ensure that Iran “cannot return to threatening Israel”.
He also said the Israeli army must be prepared, both in intelligence and operations, to ensure Israel has air superiority and to prevent Tehran from re-establishing its previous capabilities.
His comments come nearly two weeks after Iran and Israel agreed to a ceasefire following a 12-day war.
The conflict started with a brazen attack carried out by Israel, which said it aimed to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
Tehran has long denied seeking a nuclear bomb. The UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, and US intelligence had also said there was no evidence to suggest Iran was about to build a nuclear weapon.
Gaza’s civil defence calls on mediators to secure ‘comprehensive’ truce
Mahmoud Basal, the spokesperson for Gaza’s civil defence, has called on “all mediators to establish an immediate and comprehensive humanitarian truce – until a final agreement is reached”.
“Civilians are not a party to this war, and they must not pay the price for delayed political understandings,” he said in a statement published in English on Telegram.
“I urge you to act now. There are lives beneath the rubble, wounded without medicine, and displaced people without shelter,” Basal added.
At least 15 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on Khan Younis
Over the past few hours in Khan Younis, the Israeli military killed at least 15 Palestinians following a series of deadly attacks targeting makeshift tents in the al-Mawasi coastal area, which was classified as a humanitarian zone by Israel.
Earlier this morning, Israeli fighter jets and helicopters hovered at low altitudes, unleashing sonic booms and firing rockets at residential areas in the city [of Khan Younis]. This escalation follows Israeli reports of a serious military incident there.
It’s believed that Palestinian armed factions managed to ambush an Israeli manoeuvring force operating in Khan Younis, which may explain the intense fire cover that we have seen since the early hours of this morning.
We woke up to the sound of explosions. Buildings were shaking due to the intensity of bombardment.
Footage shows devastating Israeli strike on refugee camp in northwestern Gaza
Footage circulating on social media shows the devastating impact of an Israeli air strike on a house in the Shati refugee camp in northwestern Gaza.
The footage, verified by Al Jazeera’s Sanad fact-checking agency, shows the rocket falling on the house, as a jet is heard overhead, resulting in a huge explosion.
Huge plumes of smoke are seen rising from the scene of the attack in the aftermath.
Israeli military plans action to prevent future threats from Iran: Katz
Defence Minister Israel Katz has told senior military officials that the Israeli army is preparing an enforcement plan to “ensure that Iran cannot return to threaten Israel”.
Israel launched a surprise air bombing campaign on June 13 while Iran was engaged in nuclear negotiations with the United States. Iran retaliated by firing missiles and drones at Israel, with the conflict coming to an end 12 days later after the two sides agreed to a ceasefire.
Iran said some 935 people were killed in Israeli attacks, including 38 children. Iran’s bombardment killed 28 people in Israel, the first time its air defences were penetrated by large numbers of Iranian missiles.
‘Instead of coming back carrying a bag of flour, they are being carried back as bodies’
Some 600 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces at the controversial Israeli and United States-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid sites while waiting for food since they began operating in late May.
One of them was Islam Alzanin’s son.
“My son was a provider, I depended totally on him. He was killed and I am left with nothing,” she told Al Jazeera. “I lost him and with it, I lost everything I had. He was the pillar and foundation of our life. After him, there is no life, nothing.”
Alzanin said the GHF centres are “death traps”, with most of those killed being young.
“We are forced to go there out of desperation for food; we go there out of hunger. We ran out of flour and everything else. Instead of coming back carrying a bag of flour, they, themselves, are being carried back as bodies.”
Israeli forces raid parts of West Bank’s Nablus city
Israeli forces have stormed several neighbourhoods in the city of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, according to our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic.
The Israeli forces entered the Rafidia and Al-Makhfiyya districts of the city and raided two residential buildings there, searching the apartments inside.
Gaza municipality warns of spread of disease as fuel shortages cripple basic services
The Gaza municipality says it has been forced to reduce basic services due to a lack of fuel and other resources inside the enclave.
Local authorities called on international organisations to provide what is needed to mitigate the disastrous humanitarian situation and to limit the spread of disease.
“The city is suffering a real, worsening, and dangerous disaster due to the displacement crisis and waste accumulation,” the municipality said.
With only a trickle of humanitarian aid allowed to enter Gaza and sweltering heat, Palestinians in Gaza are facing a disastrous public health crisis.
Malnourished families, already worn down by months of war, live in unsanitary conditions with no clean water and overflowing rubbish that facilitates the spread of disease.
Nine children evacuated from Gaza for reconstructive surgery: MSF
Nine children from Gaza have been evacuated with their families and taken to a reconstructive surgery hospital in Jordan for treatment for their severe injuries, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) says.
The charity said the evacuation mission was carried out in collaboration with the Jordanian Ministry of Health, with the children arriving at the hospital on Wednesday.
Cyril Cappai, MSF’s head of mission in Jordan, said that the children, who had been severely injured in Israeli air strikes, needed specialist treatment that was not available in Gaza’s devastated health system.
“These children will need long-term rehabilitation, including surgery, physiotherapy and mental health support. Their injuries include severe fractures, burns, and complex internal wounds, as well as deep psychological trauma,” he said.
“Many of them will need years to heal from what they have endured.”
Israeli settlers set up tents in Palestinian community of Masafer Yatta
Israeli settlers have reportedly set up tents for the third time in the occupied West Bank village of Susya in Masafer Yatta, southern Hebron, according to the Quds News Network.
Israeli settlers regularly carry out attacks targeting communities in Masafer Yatta – a collection of Palestinian hamlets – while residents there have also been subject to forcible transfer orders by Israeli authorities.
Israeli settler attacks drive 20 Bedouin families from their homes near West Bank’s Jericho
In the occupied West Bank, repeated attacks by Israeli forces and settlers have driven about 20 Palestinian families from their homes in the Bedouin community of al-Malihat, northwest of Jericho, according to the Wafa news agency.
Hassan Malihat, general supervisor of the Al-Baidar Organization for the Defense of Bedouin Rights, told Wafa that about 20 of the 85 families in the community had begun dismantling their tents, following sustained provocation and attacks by Israeli settlers and the Israeli army.
Footage posted on social media and verified by Al Jazeera’s Sanad agency showed trucks loaded with possessions driving away from the area at night.
Malihat’s group says the attacks threatened to erase the community, and “open the way for illegal colonial expansion”.
Clashes, bombing in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis
Our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic are reporting gunfire and clashes taking place in Gaza’s southern city of Khan Younis.
They also reported Israeli aircraft bombing northwest of the city.
We will bring you more information as we get it.
If you’re just joining us
Here are the latest developments:
- At least 18 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military in Gaza since dawn, with dozens more injured, according to medical sources speaking to our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic.
- Netanyahu has pledged to bring home all the captives still held in war-stricken Gaza.
- Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University graduate student the Trump administration is seeking to deport for his pro-Palestine activism, has told the Reuters news agency that he will use his new-found profile to raise public awareness.
- Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has concluded a short visit to Abu Dhabi, where he met with the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the country’s Foreign Minister, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Israeli forces kill 18 Palestinians in Gaza since dawn
At least 18 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military in Gaza since dawn, with dozens more injured, according to medical sources speaking to our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic.
The victims include at least 15 people killed when Israeli jets bombed tents housing displaced Palestinians in the al-Mawasi area near the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
Another person was killed by Israeli fire while seeking aid near the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distribution point near the so-called Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza.
Israeli opposition leader meets with UAE president, foreign minister
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has concluded a short visit to Abu Dhabi, where he met with the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan, and the country’s Foreign Minister, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Posting on X, the leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party said he discussed “regional developments and the utmost importance of returning all the hostages”.