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

"We are progressing to the end of the phase of eliminating Hamas's military," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday. Military operations against resistance to the Israeli occupation, however, would continue, said Netanyahu.

Speaking to trainees of the National Security College, Netanyahu noted that he visited Israel's Gaza Division and he believes that "we will achieve all our goals."

Displays of pro-Palestinian support were widespread at this year's Glastonbury festival, where several performers dedicated their songs to Palestinians whilst others drew attention to the scale of devastation in Gaza amid Israel's ongoing assault on the besieged Strip.

Throughout the five-day festival, which ended on Sunday, the red-green-blacks of Palestinian flags and posters brought in by attendees could be seen peppered across the 1,500 acres of farmland in Somerset, England, and were often featured in BBC broadcasts of performances. 

In fact, during her set on 28 June, pop superstar and festival headliner Dua Lipa danced over to one Palestinian flag, forcing the flag into the view of the camera, much to the delight of many viewers.

Several other performers used their metaphorical and literal platforms to voice their support for Palestinians at one of the world's largest music festivals, which is attended by around 200,000 people.

Read more: Palestine solidarity takes centre stage at the festival

The Israeli army instructed Palestinian residents and forcibly displaced people in eastern Khan Younis to move to a so-called "humanitarian zone" on the western side of the city. In the past, Israel has regularly attacked "humanitarian zones" to which it had told Palestinians to flee.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken siad on Monday that Hamas reacted to President Joe Biden's cease-fire proposal by "attempting to impose new conditions, shifting their stance, reneging on previously agreed positions, and seeking more concessions".

"When this conflict concludes, it must not end with a vacuum," Blinken emphasised. "If we are not prepared, and if the region is not prepared, a vacuum will emerge, and such vacuums are often filled by negative forces before positive ones."

"Three outcomes are unacceptable for Gaza's future: an Israeli occupation, Hamas continuing its rule, or a state of chaos and lawlessness," Blinken added.

Regarding Lebanon, Blinken noted that "None of the main parties desire a war... However, there are forces and momentum that may be pushing in that direction."

He added that ending the conflict in Gaza is "crucial" for achieving a diplomatic agreement between Israel and Lebanon, stating that "Hezbollah has linked its actions to the situation in Gaza and indicated it will cease firing at Israel if a cease-fire is established."

The Lebanese group reported an attack on a building utilised by troops in the Ramot Naftali settlement, using what they described as "appropriate weapons", asserting a "direct hit".

Since Israel's offensive on Gaza, there have been nearly daily exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah.

The far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotritz said on Monday he believes the country's war on Gaza is "going well", according to a report from the Israeli daily Haaretz. 

Smotritz was asked about the decision to release dozens of Palestinian prisoners held arbitarily by Israel without releasing Israeli captives, the minister said, "It is a mistake to release them. I strongly condemn the fact that we have not yet taken civil responsibility in the Gaza Strip. My main disagreement with the IDF and the defense minister is whether we [should] establish a military government that will break Hamas and speed up the return of the hostages".

The Labour Party is on the cusp of taking power and its leader Keir Starmer is set to become prime minister.

One of the defining features of his leadership has been his insistence that Labour is cracking down on antisemitism.

“We’ve been ruthless in the past four years over rooting out antisemitism and changing the Labour Party,” he said in May, “but it will never be ‘job done’. 

“We will be as ruthless in government as we have been in opposition, because we will never take our foot off the pedal on antisemitism.”

But current and former Jewish members of Labour who are pro-Palestinian told Middle East Eye they feel targeted, harassed and discriminated against in the party. 

Read more: Labour's non-Zionist Jews complain of 'disdain'

Israel is planning to create Hamas-free "bubbles" that allow humanitarian aid as an experiment for how it would run post-war Gaza, the Financial Times reports based on six inside sources.

The scheme, which will soon be launched in the Atatra, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia neighbourhoods of northern Gaza, has been met with "incredulity".

Israel is planning to create Hamas-free "bubbles" that allow humanitarian aid as an experiment for how it would run post-war Gaza, the Financial Times reports based on six inside sources.

The scheme, which will soon be launched in the Atatra, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia neighbourhoods of northern Gaza, has been met with "incredulity".

Diplomats from Belgium, Canada, Denmark, the EU, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden and the UK issued a joint statement condemning Israel's mass demolition following their visit to the village of Um al-Kheir in Hebron, occupied West Bank.

The statement noted that this was the largest demolition since 7 October, and it impacted residential structures, a community centre and an electricity generator. The delegation called on Israel to respect its obligations under the fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits forcible transfer.

See joint statement 👉 https://t.co/thKvn80JBC pic.twitter.com/WFx1n7lNIK

— UK in Jerusalem🇬🇧 (@UKinJerusalem) July 1, 2024

The armed wing of Fatah, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, released a statement that its ambushes "injured a large number of Israeli soldiers" in the Nur Shams refugee camp, occupied West Bank.

Israeli forces killed a Palestinian man and wounded others in bombing that targeted the Musabbeh area of Rafah in southern Gaza, according to Al Jazeera.

This adds to the Palestinian health ministry’s death toll of 23 in the past 24 hours.

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said the Israeli army needs 10,000 new soldiers immediately, 4,800 of which can be recruited from the ultra-Orthodox community, according to Israeli Channel 12.

This follows the Israeli High Court's decision last week that ultra-Orthodox men can be drafted for military service, which sparked protests against conscription.

Hamas's armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said its fighters struck Israeli soldiers gathered inside a house in Gaza City's Shujaiya neigbourhood.

The building was targeted with a "TBG thermobaric rocket" according to the group's statement on Telegram.

The armed wing also says its fighters "managed to snipe" a soldier in another building in the neighbourhood.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews clashed with Israeli police in Jerusalem on Sunday evening as thousands took to the streets in opposition to plans to conscript members of the community into the army.

Demonstrators rallied in an ultra-Orthodox neighbourhood of Jerusalem in protest against the ruling by the high court saying they should be drafted.

The crowd then later moved into the centre of the city and reportedly pelted the car of an ultra-Orthodox cabinet minister.

Demonstrators set fires and built barricades, while mounted police drove into the crowd.

READ MORE: Ultra-Orthodox Jews clash with police in Jerusalem over conscription