Gaza live: Israeli protesters demand ceasefire as war enters 10th month

Hezbollah said on Telegram that it "successfully hit" the Jal al-Allam military site in northern Israel with mortar shells.

There has been almost daily exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah since Israel started its war on Gaza on 7 October. 

Over a dozen British medical associations and organisations have called on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to take urgent action as the European Gaza Hospital is evacuated ahead of an anticipated Israeli assault.

In a letter sent on Tuesday, the groups said patients are being evacuated without a humanitarian corridor and on an unstable road to Nasser Hospital which is kilometres away. 

Among patients at the hospital are 48 children, who are registered with the UK-based NGO Children Not Numbers, but only children in the hospital’s intensive care unit are being moved, the letter says. 

“The fate of the remainder [of the children] is currently unknown,” the groups say.

Many British healthcare professions are currently working at the hospital in Khan Younis, one of the few left still operating in the Gaza Strip.

“Should we allow an attack on this critical lifeline, it would indeed be ‘imposing conditions of life calculated to bring about physical destruction in whole or in part’,” the letter says, citing a definition of genocide. 

“We urge you to consider the gravity of this time-critical situation and the potential implications of inaction.”

On a high street in the northeast of England, two men in their sixties, both called Alan, are talking about death, decline and Luke Akehurst. 

“He supports Israel, doesn’t he?” one of the Alans, a former local council worker, says of the Labour Party candidate for North Durham. “That’s him out for me.”

“The Labour man, he’s from bloody Essex,” says the other Alan, who used to work as a mechanic. “Someone told me he’ll stand anywhere if it means he gets in.”

In fact, Akehurst, aged 52, grew up in Kent, another county adjoining London. But in Stanley, a former coal mining town in County Durham, that hardly matters. 

Akehurst, who lives in Oxford and was a Labour councillor in Hackney, east London, is a southerner who had not set foot in the constituency of North Durham before becoming - as part of a process overseen by Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC), a body on which he sits - its prospective MP.

He is a staunch supporter of Keir Starmer, has been the director of the pro-Israel group We Believe in Israel since it was established in 2011. 

Read more: Looking for Luke Akehurst in North Durham's left-behind towns

The Israeli military posted on X that it is “determined to continue fighting” in Gaza and return Israeli captives, denying a report in New York Times which stated that top Israeli generals wanted a ceasefire.

The report, based on six interviews with security officials, said that Israel’s military leadership was pushing for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip even if it meant Hamas would remain in power.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has ended its ban on “shaheed”, an Arabic word commonly translated to “martyr”.

The ban previously removed all content in which “shaheed” was considered as referring to entities named in the Dangerous Organisations and Individuals policy, with no exceptions for reporting on, neutrally discussing or condemning the term.

This led to millions of posts being taken down, often disproportionately targeting Arabic-speaking and Muslim communities, according to a statement from the Oversight Board which recommended the policy change.

The statement said: “[Shaheed] has multiple meanings, many of which are not intended to glorify or convey approval of violence.”

The board also considered concerns that the blanket ban contributed to the censorship of discussions of conflict situations such as in Gaza and Sudan. It welcomed Facebook’s decision to adopt a “more balanced” approach to the term.

The UK has been accused of attempting to obstruct the prosecution of Israeli war crimes by delaying the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision on whether an arrest warrant can be issued against Benjamin Netanyahu.

In late May, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan filed an application for arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh and Mohammed Deif, for alleged war crimes. 

The UK argues that since Palestinian authorities do not have jurisdiction over Israeli nationals under the accords, they cannot transfer jurisdiction to the ICC. 

Chris Doyle, director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, told Middle East Eye: “The UK government should not be interfering in the decisions of the ICC that it has already ruled."

READ MORE: UK accused of obstructing ICC prosecution of Netanyahu

Israeli top generals are pushing for a ceasefire with Hamas in the Gaza Strip even if it means the Palestinian group remains in power, according to the New York Times. 

The revelation is based on interviews with six current and former security officials.

The military thinks it has "less munitions, less spare parts, less energy than they did before", according to Eyal Hulata, who served as Israel’s national security adviser until early last year. 

Top generals believe a ceasefire in Gaza would pave the way for calm in the north with Hezbollah, give the military time to recuperate and prepare for potenital wider war in Lebanon in the future. 

It would also lead to the release of all 120 remaining captives in Gaza.  

“They believe that they can always go back and engage Hamas militarily in the future,” Hulata said.

A British doctor who returned from Gaza said he wrote to his MP, Jeff Smith of the Labour Party, about an alleged war crime he experienced, but the lawmaker did not advocate for him in the UK parliament.

The doctor described himself as a “victim of war crime” because the Israeli military dropped a GPS-guided bomb on a house where his British medical charity team was staying.

He said medics had informed the Israeli military of their precise location, so this was “a deliberate attempt to assassinate a British medical team in order to dissuade any medical teams coming from abroad”.

Smith said in response: “What is the most useful thing you can do to help resolve the situation in Gaza? I thought and I still think that the right thing for me to do is to remain on the front bench.”

A British Doctor who came back from Gaza speaks to his MP who ignored his message about Israel’s war crimes he witnessed firsthand

“ it takes a personal integrity to vote against the whip. I’m afraid that’s someone u sadly lacking” 🔥

A 👑 pic.twitter.com/rPZKDJjlV9

— Abier (@abierkhatib) July 1, 2024

The non-profit organisation FairSquare asked the president of Confederation of African Football to call on Egyptian authorities to drop charges against pro-Palestine spectators and to refrain from mass arrest of peaceful protesters.

Egyptian security forces had detained 250 football fans, the majority of whom are children between the age of 13 to 15, for engaging in peaceful pro-Palestine protests at a Egyptian Premier League match in mid-June. They were released the following day.

FairSquare last week called the banning of Palestinian flags in football stadiums, which was imposed in Egypt among other countries, “a clear violation of the right to freedom of expression”.

Israel has killed at least 8,572 Palestinian students in Gaza and 100 in the occupied West Bank since 7 October, the Palestinian Education Ministry reports.

Additionally, at least 497 teachers and administrators were killed and 3,402 were wounded. Hundreds of educational institutions, including 65 run by the Unrwa, were also bombed and vandalised. 

Experts have called this "scholasticide".

Israeli air strikes on a market in the al-Zaytoun neighbourhood in Gaza City killed at least 17 Palestinians on Tuesday, local media reports.

مجزرة.. دماء الشهداء والجرحى بعد قصف الاحتلال للأهالي بمحيط مسجد الشمعة في حي الزيتون جنوب شرق مدينة غزة. pic.twitter.com/iSEt877DhN

— وكالة شهاب للأنباء (@ShehabAgency) July 2, 2024

Yesterday, I dreamed of eating bananas and apples. I woke up with a wide smile on my face - but that fleeting joy quickly turned to disappointment as I realised I was still here, in northern Gaza, with an empty stomach, amid a genocide.

This isn’t the first time we have faced famine in the enclave. Since 7 October, Israel’s military has prevented or strictly limited the entrance of essential, life-saving food into Gaza. They have bombed food stores and bakeries, aiming to starve us to death if they can’t kill us with their weapons.

We were forced to find alternatives to white flour, which became unavailable or exorbitantly priced. We used animal fodder, and when that ran out, we started eating leaves and grass to fill our empty stomachs.

Most of my family and other people I know in Gaza, especially children, are suffering from diseases such as jaundice and hepatitis due to malnutrition and dehydration.

At one point, Israel allowed a slight influx of humanitarian aid, which felt like a small reprieve for our weakened bodies - but it was short-lived, followed by even stronger measures to prevent food from entering Gaza.

Like many Palestinian families, in October, we stockpiled whatever vegetables, spices and canned food we could find - items that wouldn’t spoil without refrigeration, since we’ve had no power since the war began. But our supplies ran out within a few weeks. People then began searching for food in houses that were no longer occupied, or even in the rubble - but those supplies were quickly gone, too.

Some markets still have items of food for purchase, but people are broke after almost nine months of war. I spent all my savings and took on debt, as did my brother and sister. Many people have sold furniture or other belongings to buy food, flour or medicine.

Opinion: In Gaza dying of starvation is much worse than dying from bombs - by Ahmed Dremly

Two Israeli soldiers were killed Monday in combat with Palestinian fighters in the central Gaza Strip, the military said on Tuesday. 

Israeli and Palestinian media reported heavy clashes north of Nuseirat refugee camp on Monday night and near the so-called Netzarim Corridor, an Israeli military base and checkpoint that dissects the Gaza Strip into northern and southern parts. 

There was no immediate comment from Hamas or other Palestinian armed groups. 

At least 673 Israeli soldiers and officers have been killed and over 4,000 wounded by Palestinian fighters since 7 October, including nearly 320 killed after the invasion of Gaza. 

Israeli far-right minister Bezalel Smotrich slammed a reported plan to re-supply the Gaza Strip with electricity, which Israel has cut off from the Palestinian enclave for nearly nine months.

Footage posted on social media on Tuesday showed the electricity company in Gaza fixing electricity poles in Deir al-Balah. 

The effort comes in preparation to supply water desalination and sewage treatment facilities, according to Israeli media. 

Smotrich urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop "this foolishness," warning that supplying Gaza with electricity could help rebuild hospitals, which he called "terrorist centres". 

"ניתוק מלא": חברת חשמל בעזה החלה בתיקון תשתיות בתיאום עם ישראל לקראת חידוש אספקת החשמל בעזה בידי ישראל למתקן התפלה וביוב באזור דיר אל באלח והאזור ההומניטרי בשכונת המוואסי. התוכנית טרם אושרה על ידי הדרג המדיני, כך שהזרמת חשמל טרם החלה בפועל pic.twitter.com/Vqigwd6FqN

— איתי בלומנטל 🇮🇱 Itay Blumental (@ItayBlumental) July 2, 2024

Avigdor Lieberman, an opposition MP and former defence minister, also criticised the move and advocated for continued "complete disconnection" from Gaza. 

"No electricity, no water, no fuel and no goods," he said. 

As the occupying power in Gaza, Israel is obligated under International law to supply the population with their basic needs, including electricity.

Before the war, Gaza received most of its electricity from Israel. It also relied on fuel imports to operate power plants. 

However, Israeli authorities completely cut electricity supply to Gaza on 7 October. They've also severely limited the entry of fuel. 

Worsening living conditions for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails is one of Itamar Ben Gvir's highest goals, the far-right minister said on Tuesday, as he advocated again for executing them.  

In a statement on social media platform X, the national security minister boasted about "reforms" in dealing with Palestinian prisoners that he has enforced since 7 October. 

Those reforms include stopping financial deposits, cancelling access to canteens, removing electronic devices from cells, ending daily outdoor time, "dramatically" reducing shower time and switching the "indulgent" food menu to a minimal menu, among other measures, according to him. 

Palestinian prisoners recently released from Israeli jails have described unprecedentedly harsh conditions and abuse in recent months, especially during interrogations. 

This includes rape, physical and psychological torture, deprivation of food, medicine and sleep, humiliation and degradation. Around 60 Palestinian prisoners have died under these conditions in the past nine months. 

"The prisons of the State of Israel are no longer a sad joke," Ben Gvir said. 

In his statement, he also called for enacting the death of what he called "terrorists" as a solution to overcrowding in Israeli jails. 

הגיע הזמן לפרק את הספינים, ולענות למבול התדרוכים וההאשמות השקריות של השב"כ ודובריו בתקשורת.

מאז שנכנסתי לתפקידי כשר לביטחון לאומי, אחת המטרות העליונות שהצבתי לעצמי היא הרעת תנאי המחבלים בבתי הסוהר, וצמצום זכויותיהם למינימום המתחייב על פי חוק. כך התחייבתי לבוחריי ולעם ישראל עוד…

— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) July 2, 2024