Israeli air strikes kill 33 Palestinians in Gaza as Netanyahu prepares to fly to Washington
The fighting came as Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was preparing to fly to Washington for talks at the White House aimed at pushing forward ceasefire efforts.
US president Donald Trump has floated a plan for an initial 60-day ceasefire that would include a partial release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for an increase in humanitarian supplies allowed into Gaza. The proposed truce calls for talks on ending the 21-month war altogether.
Some 20 people were killed and 25 wounded after Israeli strikes hit two houses in Gaza City, according to Mohammed Abu Selmia, the director of Shifa Hospital that services the area.
In southern Gaza, 13 Palestinians were killed by strikes in Muwasi, an area on Gaza's Mediterranean where many displaced people live in tents, officials at Nasser Hospital in nearby Khan Younis told The Associated Press. Five of the dead belonged to the same family, according to the hospital.
Advertisement
Smoke from an Israeli bombardment rises over the Gaza Strip, seen from southern Israel today.
Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
The Israeli military made no immediate comment on the individual strikes, but said it had struck 130 targets across the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours.
It said the strikes targeted Hamas command and control structures, storage facilities, weapons and launchers, and that they had killed a number of militants in northern Gaza.
The ministry, which is under Gaza's Hamas government, does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. The UN and other international organisations see its figures as the most reliable statistics on war casualties.
The strikes occur as efforts to reach a ceasefire deal appeared to gain momentum. Netanyahu's office said his government would send a negotiating team to Qatar on Sunday to conduct indirect talks, adding that Hamas was seeking 'unacceptable' changes to the proposal.
The planned talks in Qatar come ahead of Netanyahu's scheduled visit to Washington on Monday to meet Trump to discuss the deal. It is unclear if an agreement will be reached ahead of the Israeli prime minister's White House meeting.
Hamas has sought guarantees that the initial truce would lead to a total end to the war and withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
Previous negotiations have stalled over Hamas demands of guarantees that further negotiations would lead to the war's end, while Netanyahu has insisted Israel would resume fighting to ensure the militant group's destruction.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
40 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Is THIS Trump's secret weapon to stop China invading Taiwan? Game-changer PRSM missile to wipe out Xi's armada is tested
A GAME-CHANGING new weapon has been successfully tested by the US as they continue to warn China against attacking Taiwan. Donald Trump has overseen the creation of the precision strike missiles (PrSMs) which are capable of wiping out Xi Jinping's whole armada should the despot launch an invasion . Advertisement 9 Australia successfully test-fired the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) for the first time Credit: Defence Industry Europe/CPL Cameron Pegg. 9 The PrSMs struck a target more than 190 miles away 9 China's Xi Jinping has vowed to take over Taiwan 'by force' if necessary despite the US threats Credit: Alamy 9 Washington and its allies have been trying to fend off a looming Chinese attack on their neighbours . Beijing has been In recent months the US has voiced serious concerns around what China is planning with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth warning an attack is "real and imminent". Hegseth said communist Beijing is "rehearsing for the real deal" and described the looming threat as a "wake-up call" for the world. Advertisement read more in China vs Taiwan Part of America's deterrence has seen them help to build a weapon capable of obliterating Chinese warships and aircraft carriers should a conflict ever spark in the region. The PrSMs have just been tested in Australia with the successful launch seeing it strike a target more than 190 miles away. It marks the first time the 13ft Lockheed Martin-manufactured weapon has been used by a US ally. The design means it can be fired by either US-made HIMARS launchers or British MLRS artillery systems. Advertisement Most read in The US Sun Latest Despite only reaching 190 miles during testing, designers say the missiles have a range of more than 300 miles. Ukraine currently uses the ATACMS missiles to fend off Vladimir Putin's Russia but these only have a maximum range of 190 miles. Taiwan troops use UNDERGROUND network to outsmart a Chinese invasion in unprecedented drills Another major milestone for the PrSMs is the speeds they reach. In Australia , the missile managed to soar past 4,000kmph- a remarkable 300kmph faster than the ATACMS. Advertisement Each missile launch pod will also be able to carry two of the precision missiles at any time, according to Alex Miller, the US Army's chief technology officer. Miller also proudly announced the PrSM is less susceptible to jamming meaning it has a far greater efficiency. It is expertly able to disguise itself through the air and go undetected until it is too late. Brad Bowman, a senior director at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, was full of praise for the new weapon. Advertisement He said: "It really creates a challenge for our adversaries, because where that system is now, it may not be there in 30 seconds or five minutes. "That's a real detection and targeting dilemma." 9 Experts have been full of praise for the effectiveness of the new weapon 9 Armoured amphibious units from China have been spotted practising naval formation in the latest threats to Taiwan Advertisement 9 Future upgrades to the missile are already in the works with developers hoping to exceed 300 miles and to integrate improved sensors and advanced warheads. China themselves have been working to assemble their own high-tech arsenal of weapons should a total war erupt. Vast improvements to their stealth bombers, missiles and drones have all taken place recently. Advertisement A new Chinese drone carrier that can launch deadly swarms against enemy targets has already been readied for takeoff . This unmanned With Xi even organising a set of "Terminator troops" to fight till the death. Beijing may be planning to genetically-modify its soldiers for an army of super troops, a defence think tank has warned. Advertisement Experts at Rusi say GM soldiers could be faster, stronger and cleverer than their battlefield opponents and even feel no pain. Their DNA could also be adapted to help them recover more quickly from injuries or give them superior hearing and night vision. China has sought to ramp up its military capabilities in recent years. Their military buildup has been watched warily around the world, as annexing Taiwan by force draws closer. Advertisement China has frequently Taiwan, known diplomatically as the Republic of China, has never been controlled by the Beijing-led People's Republic of China. But Chinese President Xi Jinping, who sees Taiwan as a breakaway province, has vowed to bring the island under Beijing's control soon. Any full invasion of Taiwan would likely be viewed as an attack on the US and prompt Trump's military to become directly involved in the region. Advertisement The US has been the island's strongest allies for decades as their main arms supplier - and Taiwan accounts for almost half of America's key microchips. 9 Donald Trump and Xi Jinping pictured in 2019 in Japan Credit: AFP 9
The Journal
3 hours ago
- The Journal
Israeli settler kills Palestinian teacher and activist linked to Oscar-Winning film in West Bank
ODEH HADALIN, A Palestinian teacher who was part of the crew on the Academy Award-winning documentary No Other Land, was shot dead by an Israeli settler on Monday, the film's co-directors have said. Hadalin was an activist from Masafer Yatta, a collection of hamlets located on the hills south of Hebron, which have been declared a military zone by Israel. Hadalin and other activists' efforts to prevent Israeli forces and settlers from destroying their homes was the subject of the 2024 documentary No Other Land, which won Best Documentary at the Oscars in March. He was a teaching staff member at al-Saray'a Secondary School in Masafer Yatta, and was a father of three children, the eldest of whom is 6 years old. The 31-year-old 'was shot dead by settlers… during their attack on the village of Umm al-Khair' near Hebron, the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Education wrote on social media late on Monday. No Other Land co-director Yuval Abraham confirmed the news in a post online, stating: 'An Israeli settler just shot Odeh Hadalin in the lungs.' Abraham described Hadalin as 'a remarkable activist who helped us film No Other Land'. Palestinian journalist and activist Mohammad Hesham Huraini said that Hadalin 'has now been made martyr by the hands of a violent settler.' The attacker was identified by Israeli and Palestinian journalists as Yinon Levi, an extremist settler formerly sanctioned by the US under the Biden administration, and still sanctioned by Canada, the UK, and the European Union. In video footage from the scene of the confrontation, Levi can be seen holding a handgun and firing into the air. A bulldozer is visible in the frame behind him. Advertisement An Israeli settler just shot Odeh Hadalin in the lungs, a remarkable activist who helped us film No Other Land in Masafer Yatta. Residents identified Yinon Levi, sanctioned by the EU and US, as the shooter. This is him in the video firing like crazy. — Yuval Abraham יובל אברהם (@yuval_abraham) July 28, 2025 Huraini said that shortly after the fatal shooting, another man tried to block the bulldozer before Levi 'ran him over' and injured him. He added that several Palestinians were then taken by Israeli police 'under false arrest charges'. In a statement, Israeli police said they were investigating the incident, and that an Israeli citizen involved in the shooting had been detained at the scene and later arrested. The police did not identify the detained Israeli, although Haaretz reported that it was Levi. Four Palestinians were also detained by the Israel Defense Forces, as well as two foreign tourists, police said. Israeli news site Ynet reported that Levi was in the area carrying out construction on a new neighborhood in Carmel, and in Levi's account of the incident, he alleged that dozens of rioters from nearby Umm al-Khair threw stones at him and several other Israelis. He claimed that he opened fire on the Palestinians because he felt his life was in danger, Ynet reported. These circumstances were disputed by locals, Palestinian news sources and Haaretz, which reported that Levi's bulldozer had encroached on privately owned land of Umm al-Khair. Need more information on what is happening in Israel and Palestine? Check out our FactCheck Knowledge Bank for essential reads and guides to navigating the news online. Visit Knowledge Bank Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
RTÉ News
6 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Gaza civil defence says Israeli strikes kill 30
Gaza's civil defence agency said that Israeli air strikes killed at least 30 people, including women and children, in the central Nuseirat district. Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said the strikes were carried out overnight and into the morning and "targeted a number of citizens' homes" in the Nuseirat refugee camp. The local Al-Awda hospital said it had received 30 bodies, including 14 women and 12 children. At the weekend, under pressure from international opinion to head off the territory's slide into famine, Israel declared a series of "tactical pauses" which began on Sunday to allow aid deliveries. According to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, the pause in military operations covers "key populated areas" between 10am and 8pm local time every day. Designated aid convoy routes will be secure from 6am to 11pm, Mr Netanyahu's office said. Overnight, however, strikes continue. COGAT, an Israeli defence ministry body in charge of civil affairs in the Palestinian territories, said that more than 200 truckloads of aid were distributed by the UN and aid agencies yesterday. Another 260 trucks were permitted to cross into Gaza to deposit aid at collection points, four UN tankers brought in fuel and 20 pallets of aid were airdropped from Jordanian and Emirati planes, COGAT said.
