Israel prepares to move Palestinians to southern Gaza as Israelis urge mass protest over war
The Israeli military body in charge of humanitarian aid to Gaza, COGAT, said the supply of tents to the territory would resume on Sunday. The military said it had no comment on when the mass movement of Palestinians would begin, but Defense Minister Israel Katz said on social media that "we are now in the stage of discussions to finalize the plan to defeat Hamas in Gaza."
Meanwhile, anxious families of Israeli hostages called for a "nationwide day of stoppage" in Israel on Sunday to express growing frustration over 22 months of war.
Families of hostages fear the coming offensive further endangers the 50 hostages remaining in Gaza, just 20 of them thought to still be alive. They and other Israelis were horrified by the recent release of videos showing emaciated hostages speaking under duress and pleading for help and food.
The families and supporters have pressed the government for a deal to stop the war -- a call that some former Israeli army and intelligence chiefs have made as well in recent weeks.
A group representing the families has urged Israelis into the streets on Sunday. "Across the country, hundreds of citizen-led initiatives will pause daily life and join the most just and moral struggle: the struggle to bring all 50 hostages home," it said in a statement.
"I want to believe that there is hope, and it will not come from above, it will come only from us," said Dana Silberman Sitton, sister of Shiri Bibas and aunt of Kfir and Ariel Bibas, who were killed in captivity.
She spoke at a weekly rally in Tel Aviv, along with Pushpa Joshi, sister of kidnapped Nepalese hostage Bipin Joshi, a student seized from a kibbutz.
"I miss my best friend," Pushpa said.
Airstrike kills a baby girl and her parents
An Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed a baby girl and her parents on Saturday, Nasser hospital officials and witnesses said. Motasem al-Batta, his wife and the girl were killed in their tent in the crowded Muwasi area.
"Two and a half months, what has she done?" neighbor Fathi Shubeir asked, sweating as temperatures in the shattered territory soared above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius). "They are civilians in an area designated safe."
Israel's military said it couldn't comment on the strike without more details. It said it is dismantling Hamas' military capabilities and takes precautions not to harm civilians.
Muwasi is one of the heavily populated areas in Gaza where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel plans to widen the coming military offensive, along with Gaza City and "central camps" -- an apparent reference to the built-up Nuseirat and Bureij camps in central Gaza.
Israel may be using the threat to pressure Hamas into releasing more hostages taken in its Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war.
Elsewhere, an official at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City said it received the bodies of six people who were killed in the Zikim area of northern Gaza, as well as four people killed in shelling.
11 more deaths related to malnutrition
Another 11 malnutrition-related deaths occurred in Gaza over the past 24 hours, the territory's Health Ministry said Saturday, with one child among them. That brings malnutrition-related deaths during the war to 251.
The United Nations is warning that levels of starvation and malnutrition in Gaza are at their highest since the war began. Palestinians are drinking contaminated water as diseases spread, while some Israeli leaders continue to talk openly about the mass relocation of people from Gaza.
A 20-year old Palestinian woman described as being in a "state of severe physical deterioration" died Friday after being transferred from Gaza to Italy for treatment, the hospital said Saturday.
The U.N. and partners say getting food and other aid into the territory of over 2 million people, and then on to distribution points, remains highly challenging with Israeli restrictions and pressure from crowds of hungry Palestinians.
The U.N. human rights office says at least 1,760 people were killed while seeking aid between May 27 and Wednesday. It says 766 were killed along routes of supply convoys and 994 in the vicinity of "non-U.N. militarized sites," a reference to the Israeli-backed and U.S.-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which since May has been the primary distributor of aid in Gaza.
US stops visitor visas for people from Gaza
The U.S. State Department on Saturday said all visitor visas for people from Gaza are being stopped while a review is carried out of how "a small number of temporary medical-humanitarian visas" were issued in recent days.
The Hamas-led attack in 2023 killed around 1,200 people in Israel. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed 61,897 people in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry, which does not specify how many were fighters or civilians but says around half were women and children.
The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals. The U.N. and independent experts consider it the most reliable source on casualties. Israel disputes its figures but has not provided its own.
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The Mainichi
44 minutes ago
- The Mainichi
European leaders to join Ukraine's Zelenskyy for meeting with Trump
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And the 'coalition of the willing' -- including the European Union -- is ready to do its share." Macron said the substance of security guarantees will be more important than whether they are given an Article 5-type label. "A theoretical article isn't enough, the question is one of substance," he said. "We must start out by saying that the first of the security guarantees for Ukraine is a strong Ukrainian army." Along with Von der Leyen and Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and Finnish President Alexander Stubb also said they'll will take part in Monday's talks, as will secretary-general of the NATO military alliance, Mark Rutte. The European leaders' support could help ease concerns in Kyiv and in other European capitals that Ukraine risks being railroaded into a peace deal. Neil Melvin, director of international security at the London-based Royal United Services Institute, said European leaders are trying to "shape this fast-evolving agenda." After the Alaska summit, the idea of a ceasefire appears all-but-abandoned, with the narrative shifting toward Putin's agenda of ensuring Ukraine does not join NATO or even the EU. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday that a possible ceasefire is "not off the table" but that the best way to end the war would be through a "full peace deal." Putin has implied that he sees Europe as a hindrance to negotiations. He has also resisted meeting Zelenskyy in person, saying that such a meeting can only take place once the groundwork for a peace deal has been laid. Speaking to the press after his meeting with Trump, the Russian leader raised the idea that Kyiv and other European capitals could "create obstacles" to derail potential progress with "behind-the-scenes intrigue." 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But there are certain things that are in short supply and are only available in the United States," he said at the press conference Sunday alongside Von der Leyen. Zelenskyy also pushed back against Trump's assertion -- which aligned with Putin's preference -- that the two sides should negotiate a complete end to the war, rather than first securing a ceasefire. Zelenskyy said a ceasefire would provide breathing room to review Putin's demands. "It's impossible to do this under the pressure of weapons," he said. "Putin does not want to stop the killing, but he must do it."
The Mainichi
an hour ago
- The Mainichi
Putin agrees that US, Europe could offer NATO-style security guarantees to Ukraine, Trump envoy says
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It was expected to be a key topic Monday as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and major European leaders meet with Trump at the White House to discuss ending the 3 1/2-year conflict. "BIG PROGRESS ON RUSSIA," Trump said Sunday on social media. "STAY TUNED!" Hammering out a plan for security guarantees Article 5, the heart of the 32-member transatlantic military alliance, says an armed attack against a member nation is considered an attack against them all. What needed to be hammered out at this week's talks were the contours of any security guarantees, said Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also participated in the summit. Ukraine and European allies have pushed the U.S. to provide that backstop in any peace agreement to deter future attacks by Moscow. "How that's constructed, what we call it, how it's built, what guarantees are built into it that are enforceable, that's what we'll be talking about over the next few days with our partners," Rubio said on NBC's "Meet the Press." It was unclear, however, whether Trump had fully committed to such a guarantee. Rubio said it would be "a huge concession." The comments shed new light on what was discussed in Alaska. Before Sunday, U.S. officials had offered few details even as both Trump and Putin said their meeting was a success. Witkoff also said Russia had agreed to enact a law that it would not "go after any other European countries and violate their sovereignty." "The Russians agreed on enshrining legislatively language that would prevent them from -- or that they would attest to not attempting to take any more land from Ukraine after a peace deal, where they would attest to not violating any European borders," he said on "Fox News Sunday." Europe welcomes US openness to security guarantees European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, speaking in Brussels alongside Zelenskyy, applauded the news from the White House as a European coalition looks to set up a force to police any future peace in Ukraine. "We welcome President Trump's willingness to contribute to Article 5-like security guarantees for Ukraine and the 'coalition of the willing' -- including the European Union -- is ready to do its share," she said. Zelenskyy thanked the U.S. for signaling that it was willing to support such guarantees but said much remained unclear. "There are no details how it will work, and what America's role will be, Europe's role will be and what the EU can do -- and this is our main task: We need security to work in practice like Article 5 of NATO," he said. French President Emmanuel Macron said the substance of security guarantees to secure any peace arrangement will be more important than whether they are given an Article 5-type label. At the White House meeting, Macron said European leaders will ask the U.S. to back their plans to beef up Ukraine's armed forces with more training and equipment and deploy an allied force away from the front lines. "We'll show this to our American colleagues, and we'll tell them, 'Right, we're ready to do this and that, what are you prepared to do?'" Macron said. "That's the security guarantee." Defending Trump's shift from ceasefire to peace deal Witkoff and Rubio defended Trump's decision to abandon a push for a ceasefire, arguing that the Republican president had pivoted toward a full peace agreement because so much progress had been made at the summit. "We covered almost all the other issues necessary for a peace deal," Witkoff said, without elaborating. "We began to see some moderation in the way they're thinking about getting to a final peace deal." Rubio, appearing on several TV news shows Sunday, said it would have been impossible to reach any truce Friday because Ukraine was not there. "Now, ultimately, if there isn't a peace agreement, if there isn't an end of this war, the president's been clear, there are going to be consequences," Rubio said on ABC's "This Week." "But we're trying to avoid that." Rubio, who is also Trump's national security adviser, also voiced caution on the progress made. "We're still a long ways off," he said. "We're not at the precipice of a peace agreement. We're not at the edge of one. But I do think progress was made towards one." Land swaps are on the table Among the issues expected to dominate Monday's meeting: What concessions Zelenskyy might accept on territory. In talks with European allies after the summit, Trump said Putin reiterated that he wants the key Donetsk and Luhansk regions that make up the Donbas, European officials said. It was unclear among those briefed whether Trump sees that as acceptable. Witkoff said the Russians have made clear they want territory as determined by legal boundaries instead of the front lines where territory has been seized. "There is an important discussion to be had with regard to Donetsk and what would happen there. And that discussion is going to specifically be detailed on Monday," he said. Zelenskyy has rejected Putin's demands that Ukraine give up the Donbas region, which Russia has failed to take completely, as a condition for peace. In Brussels, the Ukrainian leader said any talks involving land must be based on current front lines, suggesting he will not abandon land that Russia has not taken. "The contact line is the best line for talking, and the Europeans support this," he said. "The constitution of Ukraine makes it impossible, impossible to give up territory or trade land."
Japan Today
3 hours ago
- Japan Today
Israelis stage nationwide protests to demand end to Gaza war and release of hostages
Demonstrators block Israel's main highway connecting Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, after families of hostages have called for a nationwide strike to demand the return of all hostages and an end to the war in Gaza, in Latrun Israel August 17,2025 REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun By Lili Bayer Thousands of Israelis took part in a nationwide strike on Sunday in support of families of hostages held in Gaza, calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach an agreement with Hamas to end the war and release the remaining captives. Demonstrators waved Israeli flags and carried photos of hostages as whistles, horns, and drums echoed at rallies across the country, while some protesters blocked streets and highways, including the main route between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. 'Today, everything stops to remember the highest value: the sanctity of life,' Anat Angrest, the mother of hostage Matan Angrest, told reporters at a public square in Tel Aviv. Among those who met with families of hostages in Tel Aviv was Israeli Hollywood actress Gal Gadot, known for her role as Wonder Woman and starring in the Fast & the Furious franchise. Ahead of Sunday, some businesses and institutions said they would allow staff to join the nationwide strike, which was called by the hostages' families. While some businesses closed, many also remained open across the country on what is a working day in Israel. Schools are on summer recess and were not affected. A major rally is scheduled to take place in Tel Aviv in the evening. Israeli police said that 38 demonstrators had been detained by 2 p.m. Some protesters blocking roads scuffled with police, and were carried away by officers. Demonstrations across the country were briefly halted around 4 p.m. local time when air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and elsewhere, warning of an incoming missile fired from Yemen. The missile was intercepted without incident. MILITARY CAMPAIGN On Sunday, Netanyahu told the cabinet: "Those who call today for an end to the war without defeating Hamas are not only hardening Hamas' position and delaying the release of our hostages. They are also ensuring that the horrors of October 7 will repeat themselves over and over again." The prime minister, who leads the country's most right-wing government in history, said his government was determined to implement a decision for the military to seize Gaza City, one of the last major areas of the enclave it does not already control. That decision is widely unpopular among Israelis and many of the hostages' families, who fear an expanded military campaign in Gaza could risk the lives of their loved ones still held captive. There are 50 hostages held by militants in Gaza, of which Israeli officials believe around 20 are still alive. "There is no time – not for the lives wasting away in hell, nor for the fallen who may vanish in the ruins of Gaza," said the Hostages Families Forum, which represents many families of captives held in Gaza, on Sunday. After nearly two years of war in Gaza, ignited by the Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023, most of the hostages who have been freed so far emerged as a result of diplomatic talks. Negotiations towards a ceasefire that could have seen more hostages released collapsed in July. The Palestinian militant group Hamas has said it would only free the remaining hostages if Israel agrees to end the war, while Netanyahu has vowed that Hamas cannot stay in power. The Israeli government has faced sharp criticism at home and abroad, including from some of its closest European allies, over the announcement that the military would soon seize Gaza City. On Sunday, Hamas called the plan criminal, saying it would force the displacement of hundreds of thousands from Gaza City. More than 61,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's military campaign in Gaza, according to local health officials there. They said on Sunday at least 29 had been killed in the past day. Around 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken into Gaza during Hamas' attack on Israel. Over 400 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since then. Opposition leader Yair Lapid, who attended a rally in Tel Aviv, expressed support for the protesters. "The only thing that strengthens the country is the wonderful spirit of the people who are going out from home today for Israeli solidarity," he wrote on X. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
