Gaza live: Palestinian death toll passes 37,000 after brutal Israeli attack on Nuseirat

The far-right Israel Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, which is also a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet, said on Monday that Israel should set up a security zone that extends into southern Lebanon.

Writing on social media site X, Smotrich said that "the new strategy being spearheaded by the war cabinet is going up in flames for hours and blowing up in our faces. A year ago, the defense minister said that we will send Lebanon back to the Stone Age. Mr. Prime Minister, Mr. Defense Minister, Mr. Chief of Staff: That time has come".

The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that Ahmad al-Khdry, 30, who was shot in the chest during an Israeli attack in the occupied West Bank, has died from his injuries.

Over 15 fires continue to rage in northern Israel as a result of rocket and drone attacks from Lebanon today.

A number of homes are reported to be on fire with fire teams spread throughout the mostly evacuated city to control the flames.

In Kibbutz Kfar GIladi, north of the city, video shared on social media shows a local security team battling flames encroaching on the community.

Yemen's Houthis say they targeted a military site for the first time on Israel's Eilat with a ballistic missile, the Iranian-backed group's military spokesperson Yahya Saree said on Monday.

The Houthis have attacked ships off its coast for months, in solidarity with Palestinians fighting Israel in Gaza.

The group targeted the military site "with a ballistic missile 'Palestine' that is being revealed today for the first time, and the operation has successfully achieved its objective," Saree said in a televised address.

The Group of Seven (G7) nations have expressed their support for a Gaza ceasefire deal backed by US President Joe Biden and urged Israel and Hamas to accept it.

The G7, consisting of the United States, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, released a statement saying they "fully endorse" the plan.

This plan aims for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, a significant and sustained increase in humanitarian aid throughout Gaza, and a lasting resolution to the crisis, ensuring both Israel’s security and the safety of Palestinian civilians.

Hamas responded that it views the proposal "positively", while Israeli officials maintained that the conflict must continue until Hamas is "destroyed".

Chris Van Hollen has called for the Biden administration to sanction far-right Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich due to his policies against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Earlier this year, Biden signed an executive order to impose sanctions on individuals "undermining peace, security, and stability" in the West Bank. So far, only four private Israeli citizens have been sanctioned under this order.

“Smotrich should be sanctioned under this EO,” Van Hollen stated.

Smotrich, the finance minister, has withheld tax revenues from the Palestinian Authority and declared 800 hectares (1,977 acres) of land in the occupied West Bank as Israeli state land in March.

“This is someone whose goal is essentially for Israel to take over the entire West Bank,” Van Hollen told the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank.

As the humanitarian situation deteriorates inside Gaza, a non-profit in the US is facing a legal battle that could see it lose the ability to be a major source of donations to the UN agency for Palestinian Refugees (Unrwa).

A coalition of pro-Israel groups in the US and families of the captives being held in Gaza is suing Unrwa USA over accusations that the non-profit is "aiding and abetting terrorism" and giving money to Hamas through its financial support to Unrwa. They claim Unrwa USA helped to fund the 7 October attacks against Israel. 

Lawyers representing Unrwa USA filed a motion last week urging the court to dismiss the case on the grounds that the lawsuit does not provide any evidence to support its allegations.

"This case is about UNRWA USA, and the Complaint does not factually allege that a single cent of UNRWA USA’s contributions was allocated for any Hamas-related activities, much less to aid and abet the October 7 attacks," the motion said.

Read more: Lawsuit targeting Unrwa USA aims to 'drain' resources from Palestinians

Palestinian authorities have filed an application with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to join South Africa as a party in its Gaza genocide case against Israel, the court said on Monday.

In a statement, the ICJ, also known as the World Court, said the Palestinian authorities "filed ... an application for permission to intervene and a declaration of intervention in the (South Africa v. Israel) case".

On 31 May, the Palestinian authorities officially recognised the authority of the ICJ to resolve all disputes that may arise or have already arisen under Article IX, which paved the way for them to request to join South Africa's case against Israel as a party.

If granted by the court, the request could allow the Palestinian authorities to also add an ad hoc judge of their choosing to the ICJ panel which currently has 16 judges, 15 of the court's regular judges and one Israeli ad hoc judge.

The US State Department’s Matthew Miller said on Monday that Washington is “completely confident” the deal presented by US President Joe Biden last week was put forward by the Israeli government.

“Obviously, it was a proposal that they developed in consultation with the United States and Qatar and Egypt – three countries that have played the mediating role throughout this process,” Miller said.

“But this was ultimately an Israeli proposal in terms of where it stands. It was submitted to Hamas on Thursday night.”

Hamas has said it will deal “positively and constructively” with the proposal. Israeli officials have sought to scupper the deal.

Following the announcement of the deaths of four captives, the forum representing the families said "their murder in captivity is a disgrace" and a testament to the consequences of delaying hostage deals.

"The heartbreak with the painful news should shake every citizen in the State of Israel, and incite deep soul-searching for every leader. Chaim, Yoram, Amiram and Nadav were kidnapped alive – some of them were with other hostages who returned in the previous deal – and they should have returned alive".

According to the Israeli daily Haaretz, the Israeli army is checking whether or not they were killed by the group. All four captives were known to be alive when they entered Gaza. 

In December, Hamas published a video of the captives alive, and in March Hamas said that the three were killed by Israeli strikes.

The Israeli military has announced that it has verified the deaths of four Israeli hostages held by Hamas, based on newly acquired intelligence.

According to the Israeli daily Haaretz, the Israeli army is checking whether or not they were killed by the group. All four captives were known to be alive when they entered Gaza. 

Chaim Peri, 79, Amiram Cooper, 84, Yoram Metzger, 80, and Nadav Popplewell, 51, were all believed to have been together in the Khan Younis area and died together several months ago.

In December, Hamas published a video of Peri, Cooper and Metzger alive, and in March Hamas said that the three were killed by Israeli strikes.

The bodies of all four are being held by Hamas, the Israeli army said.

The total number of captives whose death has been confirmed now stands at 43.

According to the Saudi State News Agency (SPA), the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Egypt emphasised on Monday the importance of "dealing seriously and positively" with a ceasefire proposal from US President Joe Biden.

The ministers held a virtual meeting to discuss the proposal and the mediating efforts of the US, Qatar and Egypt, aimed at exchanging Israeli captives for Palestinian captives, establishing a permanent ceasefire, and ensuring adequate aid delivery to Gaza, SPA reported.

The Palestinian health ministry in the occupied West Bank said the Israeli military raid on the city of Nablus has killed two Palestinian men, aged 33 and 28.

The attacks also wounded at least six other people. 

Discussing the ceasefire deal, US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said, "We're awaiting an official response by them (Hamas).

This gives them what they've been looking for, which is a ceasefire, and over time and through the phases the potential withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. So they ought to take this deal, it's very forward leading, it's good for the people of Gaza, good for the Israeli people – and they just need to move forward on it."

Biden presented a plan on Friday for an “enduring ceasefire” that he said was approved by Israel, however, Israeli leaders have seemingly rejected the plan in public statements throwing the proposal into disarray. 

According to Kirby, President Biden wanted to make the proposal public "to try to energize the process and catalyze a different outcome."

He added: "This wasn't about jamming the prime minister or the war cabinet. This was about laying bare for the public to see how well and how faithfully and how assertively the Israelis came up with a new proposal, how it shows how much they really want to get this done.

"If anything, this was about putting some public pressure on Mr Sinwar. I've heard different statements coming out of Israel," Kirby said.

"The Israeli defence minister himself acknowledged that this was the Israeli proposal, and we're confident that it accurately reflects, a proposal that we worked with the Israelis on. I know of no gaps to speak of."