Five Israeli soldiers killed amid ongoing ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lamented a "difficult morning" as he visited Washington for talks with US President Donald Trump, who is pressing for a ceasefire in the more than 21-month-long war.
"All of Israel bows its head and mourns the fall of our heroic soldiers, who risked their lives in the battle to defeat Hamas and free all our hostages," Mr Netanyahu posted on X.
The Israeli military said the five soldiers, aged between 20 and 28, "fell during combat in the northern Gaza Strip".
Two others were severely wounded and "evacuated to a hospital to receive medical treatment", it said, adding their families had been notified.
Israeli military correspondents reported the deaths occurred when improvised explosive devices detonated in the area of Beit Hanun in the north of the territory.
During attempts to evacuate the wounded, soldiers reportedly came under fire.
Abu Obeida, the spokesman for Hamas's armed wing, said "the complex Beit Hanun operation is yet another blow delivered by our valiant fighters".
"The war of attrition our fighters are waging against the enemy — from the north of the Strip to its south — will inflict additional losses on it every day," the spokesman of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades said in a statement.
In a post on X, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said "the unbearable news of the fall of five heroic sons in Gaza — most of them fighters of the ultra-Orthodox 'Netzach Yehuda' battalion — pierces the heart".
Opposition leader Yair Lapid meanwhile wrote: "For the sake of the fighters, for the sake of their families, for the sake of the hostages, for the sake of the State of Israel: this war must be ended."
Qatar said on Tuesday more time was needed for negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, after the US president voiced optimism about a possible breakthrough.
Mr Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff was set to join the talks in Doha this week.
Israel and Hamas began the latest round of negotiations on Sunday, with representatives seated in separate rooms within the same building.
Qatar, a mediator along with the United States and Egypt, said the meetings in Doha were focused on a framework for the talks, while a Palestinian official close to the negotiations said no breakthrough had been achieved so far.
"We have to have a ceasefire in Gaza in coming weeks, if intolerable situation continues then the UK government will go further in taking measures against Israel," UK Foreign Minister David Lammy said.
The war has created dire humanitarian conditions for the more than two million people in the Gaza Strip.
AFP/ Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Dozens killed in Gaza as Israel weighs military action
At least 38 Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip while seeking aid from United Nations convoys and sites run by an Israeli-backed American contractor, according to local health officials. The Israeli military said it had fired warning shots when crowds approached its forces. Another 25 people, including several women and children, were killed in Israeli air strikes, according to local hospitals in Gaza. The military said it only targets Hamas militants. The latest deaths came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to announce further military action — and possibly plans for Israel to fully reoccupy Gaza. Experts say Israel's ongoing military offensive and blockade are already pushing the territory of some two million Palestinians into famine. A new UN report said only 1.5 per cent of Gaza's cropland is accessible and undamaged. Another escalation of the nearly 22-month war could put the lives of countless Palestinians and around 20 living Israeli hostages at risk, and would draw fierce opposition both internationally and within Israel. Netanyahu's far-right coalition allies have long called for the war to be expanded, and for Israel to eventually take over Gaza, relocate much of its population and rebuild Jewish settlements there. US President Donald Trump, asked by a reporter on Tuesday whether he supported the reoccupation of Gaza, said he wasn't aware of the "suggestion" but that "it's going to be pretty much up to Israel". Of the 38 Palestinians killed while seeking aid, at least 28 died in the Morag Corridor, an Israeli military zone in southern Gaza where UN convoys have been repeatedly overwhelmed by looters and desperate crowds in recent days, and where witnesses say Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire. The Israeli military said troops fired warning shots as Palestinians advanced toward them, and that it was not aware of any casualties. Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies, said another four people were killed in the Teina area, on a route leading to a site in southern Gaza run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an American contractor. The Al-Awda Hospital said it received the bodies of six people killed near a GHF site in central Gaza. GHF said there were no violent incidents at or near its sites. Two of the Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza City, in the north of the territory, killing 13 people there, including six children and five women, according to the Al-Ahli Hospital, which received the bodies. The Israeli military says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas because its militants are entrenched in heavily populated areas. UN experts say Israeli-backed aid group should be dismantled. Israel facilitated the establishment of four GHF sites in May after blocking the entry of all food, medicine and other goods for 2.5 months. Israeli and US officials said a new system was needed to prevent Hamas from siphoning off humanitarian aid. The United Nations, which has delivered aid to hundreds of distribution points across Gaza throughout the war when conditions allow, has rejected the new system, saying it forces Palestinians to travel long distances and risk their lives for food, and that it allows Israel to control who gets aid, potentially using it to advance plans for further mass displacement. The UN human rights office said last week that some 1400 Palestinians have been killed seeking aid since May, mostly near GHF sites but also along UN convoy routes where trucks have been overwhelmed by crowds. It says nearly all were killed by Israeli fire. This week, a group of UN special rapporteurs and independent human rights experts called for the GHF to be disbanded, saying it is "an utterly disturbing example of how humanitarian relief can be exploited for covert military and geopolitical agendas in serious breach of international law". At least 38 Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip while seeking aid from United Nations convoys and sites run by an Israeli-backed American contractor, according to local health officials. The Israeli military said it had fired warning shots when crowds approached its forces. Another 25 people, including several women and children, were killed in Israeli air strikes, according to local hospitals in Gaza. The military said it only targets Hamas militants. The latest deaths came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to announce further military action — and possibly plans for Israel to fully reoccupy Gaza. Experts say Israel's ongoing military offensive and blockade are already pushing the territory of some two million Palestinians into famine. A new UN report said only 1.5 per cent of Gaza's cropland is accessible and undamaged. Another escalation of the nearly 22-month war could put the lives of countless Palestinians and around 20 living Israeli hostages at risk, and would draw fierce opposition both internationally and within Israel. Netanyahu's far-right coalition allies have long called for the war to be expanded, and for Israel to eventually take over Gaza, relocate much of its population and rebuild Jewish settlements there. US President Donald Trump, asked by a reporter on Tuesday whether he supported the reoccupation of Gaza, said he wasn't aware of the "suggestion" but that "it's going to be pretty much up to Israel". Of the 38 Palestinians killed while seeking aid, at least 28 died in the Morag Corridor, an Israeli military zone in southern Gaza where UN convoys have been repeatedly overwhelmed by looters and desperate crowds in recent days, and where witnesses say Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire. The Israeli military said troops fired warning shots as Palestinians advanced toward them, and that it was not aware of any casualties. Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies, said another four people were killed in the Teina area, on a route leading to a site in southern Gaza run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an American contractor. The Al-Awda Hospital said it received the bodies of six people killed near a GHF site in central Gaza. GHF said there were no violent incidents at or near its sites. Two of the Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza City, in the north of the territory, killing 13 people there, including six children and five women, according to the Al-Ahli Hospital, which received the bodies. The Israeli military says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas because its militants are entrenched in heavily populated areas. UN experts say Israeli-backed aid group should be dismantled. Israel facilitated the establishment of four GHF sites in May after blocking the entry of all food, medicine and other goods for 2.5 months. Israeli and US officials said a new system was needed to prevent Hamas from siphoning off humanitarian aid. The United Nations, which has delivered aid to hundreds of distribution points across Gaza throughout the war when conditions allow, has rejected the new system, saying it forces Palestinians to travel long distances and risk their lives for food, and that it allows Israel to control who gets aid, potentially using it to advance plans for further mass displacement. The UN human rights office said last week that some 1400 Palestinians have been killed seeking aid since May, mostly near GHF sites but also along UN convoy routes where trucks have been overwhelmed by crowds. It says nearly all were killed by Israeli fire. This week, a group of UN special rapporteurs and independent human rights experts called for the GHF to be disbanded, saying it is "an utterly disturbing example of how humanitarian relief can be exploited for covert military and geopolitical agendas in serious breach of international law". At least 38 Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip while seeking aid from United Nations convoys and sites run by an Israeli-backed American contractor, according to local health officials. The Israeli military said it had fired warning shots when crowds approached its forces. Another 25 people, including several women and children, were killed in Israeli air strikes, according to local hospitals in Gaza. The military said it only targets Hamas militants. The latest deaths came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to announce further military action — and possibly plans for Israel to fully reoccupy Gaza. Experts say Israel's ongoing military offensive and blockade are already pushing the territory of some two million Palestinians into famine. A new UN report said only 1.5 per cent of Gaza's cropland is accessible and undamaged. Another escalation of the nearly 22-month war could put the lives of countless Palestinians and around 20 living Israeli hostages at risk, and would draw fierce opposition both internationally and within Israel. Netanyahu's far-right coalition allies have long called for the war to be expanded, and for Israel to eventually take over Gaza, relocate much of its population and rebuild Jewish settlements there. US President Donald Trump, asked by a reporter on Tuesday whether he supported the reoccupation of Gaza, said he wasn't aware of the "suggestion" but that "it's going to be pretty much up to Israel". Of the 38 Palestinians killed while seeking aid, at least 28 died in the Morag Corridor, an Israeli military zone in southern Gaza where UN convoys have been repeatedly overwhelmed by looters and desperate crowds in recent days, and where witnesses say Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire. The Israeli military said troops fired warning shots as Palestinians advanced toward them, and that it was not aware of any casualties. Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies, said another four people were killed in the Teina area, on a route leading to a site in southern Gaza run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an American contractor. The Al-Awda Hospital said it received the bodies of six people killed near a GHF site in central Gaza. GHF said there were no violent incidents at or near its sites. Two of the Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza City, in the north of the territory, killing 13 people there, including six children and five women, according to the Al-Ahli Hospital, which received the bodies. The Israeli military says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas because its militants are entrenched in heavily populated areas. UN experts say Israeli-backed aid group should be dismantled. Israel facilitated the establishment of four GHF sites in May after blocking the entry of all food, medicine and other goods for 2.5 months. Israeli and US officials said a new system was needed to prevent Hamas from siphoning off humanitarian aid. The United Nations, which has delivered aid to hundreds of distribution points across Gaza throughout the war when conditions allow, has rejected the new system, saying it forces Palestinians to travel long distances and risk their lives for food, and that it allows Israel to control who gets aid, potentially using it to advance plans for further mass displacement. The UN human rights office said last week that some 1400 Palestinians have been killed seeking aid since May, mostly near GHF sites but also along UN convoy routes where trucks have been overwhelmed by crowds. It says nearly all were killed by Israeli fire. This week, a group of UN special rapporteurs and independent human rights experts called for the GHF to be disbanded, saying it is "an utterly disturbing example of how humanitarian relief can be exploited for covert military and geopolitical agendas in serious breach of international law". At least 38 Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip while seeking aid from United Nations convoys and sites run by an Israeli-backed American contractor, according to local health officials. The Israeli military said it had fired warning shots when crowds approached its forces. Another 25 people, including several women and children, were killed in Israeli air strikes, according to local hospitals in Gaza. The military said it only targets Hamas militants. The latest deaths came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to announce further military action — and possibly plans for Israel to fully reoccupy Gaza. Experts say Israel's ongoing military offensive and blockade are already pushing the territory of some two million Palestinians into famine. A new UN report said only 1.5 per cent of Gaza's cropland is accessible and undamaged. Another escalation of the nearly 22-month war could put the lives of countless Palestinians and around 20 living Israeli hostages at risk, and would draw fierce opposition both internationally and within Israel. Netanyahu's far-right coalition allies have long called for the war to be expanded, and for Israel to eventually take over Gaza, relocate much of its population and rebuild Jewish settlements there. US President Donald Trump, asked by a reporter on Tuesday whether he supported the reoccupation of Gaza, said he wasn't aware of the "suggestion" but that "it's going to be pretty much up to Israel". Of the 38 Palestinians killed while seeking aid, at least 28 died in the Morag Corridor, an Israeli military zone in southern Gaza where UN convoys have been repeatedly overwhelmed by looters and desperate crowds in recent days, and where witnesses say Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire. The Israeli military said troops fired warning shots as Palestinians advanced toward them, and that it was not aware of any casualties. Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies, said another four people were killed in the Teina area, on a route leading to a site in southern Gaza run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an American contractor. The Al-Awda Hospital said it received the bodies of six people killed near a GHF site in central Gaza. GHF said there were no violent incidents at or near its sites. Two of the Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza City, in the north of the territory, killing 13 people there, including six children and five women, according to the Al-Ahli Hospital, which received the bodies. The Israeli military says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas because its militants are entrenched in heavily populated areas. UN experts say Israeli-backed aid group should be dismantled. Israel facilitated the establishment of four GHF sites in May after blocking the entry of all food, medicine and other goods for 2.5 months. Israeli and US officials said a new system was needed to prevent Hamas from siphoning off humanitarian aid. The United Nations, which has delivered aid to hundreds of distribution points across Gaza throughout the war when conditions allow, has rejected the new system, saying it forces Palestinians to travel long distances and risk their lives for food, and that it allows Israel to control who gets aid, potentially using it to advance plans for further mass displacement. The UN human rights office said last week that some 1400 Palestinians have been killed seeking aid since May, mostly near GHF sites but also along UN convoy routes where trucks have been overwhelmed by crowds. It says nearly all were killed by Israeli fire. This week, a group of UN special rapporteurs and independent human rights experts called for the GHF to be disbanded, saying it is "an utterly disturbing example of how humanitarian relief can be exploited for covert military and geopolitical agendas in serious breach of international law".
News.com.au
5 hours ago
- News.com.au
Israel orders army to execute govt decisions on Gaza
Israel's military will have to execute any government decisions on Gaza, the defence minister said Wednesday after reported disagreements over the prospect of a full occupation of the Palestinian territory. As the war nears its 23rd month, signs of a rift over Israel's strategy have emerged with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu preparing to announce a new plan. He has said Israel must "complete" the defeat of Palestinian militant group Hamas in order to secure the release of hostages still held in Gaza since the October 2023 attack that triggered the war. The Israeli press, citing officials speaking on condition of anonymity, has predicted an escalation of operations, including in densely populated areas where hostages are believed to be held, such as Gaza City and refugee camps. On Wednesday, the military issued a fresh evacuation call for parts of Gaza City, in the north, and Khan Yunis in the south, where a spokesman said ground troops were preparing to "expand the scope of combat operations". Media reports in Israel have said Netanyahu and his cabinet may order a full military occupation of Gaza, allegedly sparking dissension from armed forces chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir. On Tuesday, Netanyahu held a three-hour meeting with security chiefs including Zamir to discuss options for the continuation of the war, the premier's office said in a statement. At the meeting, Zamir warned that a full occupation would be like "walking into a trap", public broadcaster Kan reported. Channel 12 television said the armed forces chief suggested alternatives to a full occupation, such as encircling specific areas where Hamas militants are believed to be hunkering down. Defence Minister Israel Katz said in post on X that while "it is the right and duty of the chief of staff to express his position in the appropriate forums", the military is bound by any decisions made by the government. "Once decisions are made by the political echelon, the IDF will execute them with determination and professionalism," Katz said, using an acronym for the Israeli military. - Trump says 'up to Israel' - Netanyahu is expected to convene his security cabinet on Thursday to finalise a decision on the expansion of the offensive, Israeli media reported. Opposition leader Yair Lapid said he told Netanyahu in a Wednesday meeting that "occupying Gaza is a very bad idea... operationally, morally and economically". US President Donald Trump told reporters on Tuesday he was not aware of plans to occupy the entire Gaza Strip, but said that such a decision would be "up to Israel". The Israeli government is under growing pressure to bring the war to an end, with mounting concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and increasing alarm among Israelis about the fate of the remaining hostages. Out of 251 hostages seized during Hamas's 2023 attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. The UN Security Council held a special session on Tuesday to discuss the plight of the Israeli hostages, as the country seeks to keep the issue at the top of the global agenda. On Tuesday, Trump described a recent video released by Hamas of emaciated Israeli hostage Evyatar David purportedly digging his own grave as "horrible." In parallel, international criticism has surged over the suffering of the more than two million Palestinian inhabitants of Gaza after the United Nations warned that famine is unfolding in the territory. - 'Dangerous roads' - On the ground, Gaza's civil defence agency said on Wednesday that at least 22 people were killed overnight when an aid truck overturned onto a crowd of people hoping to collect food rations. "The truck overturned while hundreds of civilians were waiting for food aid" in central Gaza, civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP. He said that "the truck had been forced by the Israeli army to take dangerous roads" that had been damaged in bomardments. The Hamas-run government accused Israel of "deliberately obstructing the safe passage and distribution of the aid". Asked by AFP, a military official said the army was not involved in the incident. At the end of May, Israel eased the aid blockade it had imposed in early March. But the United Nations says the quantities of aid being allowed into Gaza are still insufficient. The October 2023 attack that sparked the war resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, the majority of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. The Israeli offensive has killed at least 61,158 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Gaza health ministry which are considered reliable by the United Nations.
The Australian
8 hours ago
- The Australian
How Trump's love for TV is shaping US diplomacy
Donald Trump's sudden concern about starving Palestinians was a major shift for the US president, who had previously ignored the endless cries for help from aid groups. So what changed? In his words, it was images of emaciated children in Gaza that Trump saw on television -- his main window into the world that has long shaped his political and diplomatic decision-making. Trump made clear his affection for the small screen in late July when asked if he agreed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a major US ally, that there was no famine in Gaza. "Based on television, I would say not particularly, because those children look very hungry," said Trump, a former reality TV star. "That's real starvation stuff. I see it, and you can't fake that." Since then, the 79-year-old has repeated that aid must be brought to people living in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory, though he has stopped of any major diplomatic moves. "Trump has a reputation for not reading anything, including the briefing papers that his aides prepare for him, and for always believing that he knows better than his staff or anyone else does," said Dan Kennedy, a journalist professor at Northeastern University. "So it's not surprising that he would be affected by images on television, especially since he is known to spend a lot of time watching TV." - 'I watch the shows' - Trump has attended 22 intelligence briefings since taking office in January, according to an AFP tally, despite several reports having revealed that he lacks interest in written reports. However, his love for television is well-documented -- even when it comes to major decisions. In 2015, before he first entered the White House, the billionaire told a journalist asking how he educates himself on military strategy: "Well, I watch the shows." And a New York Times report recounted how Trump spent several hours a day in his first term glued to the television, mainly watching Fox News -- his favorite channel -- but also CNN, NBC and ABC news channels. His second term has been little changed, despite Trump leading an election campaign that deployed social media and podcasts. "Trump is a product of his generation," Kennedy said. "He's not sitting around looking at TikTok." - 'Great television' - The Republican, who hosted 14 seasons of "The Apprentice" television series, knows better than most how images can be weaponized for political point-scoring. He was gleeful after his shocking clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House in February, which saw the pair rowing in front of the world's press. "This is going to be great television," Trump said. And in May he gave a similar public dressing down to South African leader Cyril Ramaphosa when he sat in the Oval Office for what turned into a diplomatic ambush. Trump hijacked the meeting by playing a video montage -- one littered with inaccuracies -- that purported to prove claims of a "genocide" against white farmers in South Africa. aue/bjt/sla NewsWire An 84-year-old man has died three days after he and his wife, 82, were allegedly assaulted by a man known to them at their home near Wagga Wagga. Breaking News Pro-Trump nationalist becomes Poland's new president
