Gaza live: Dozens killed and wounded in Israeli strikes on Gaza and Yemen

Dear Middle East Eye,

This blog page has ended.

To keep following live updates, please go here.

Good morning Middle East Eye readers,

Here are the latest updates:

• The Israeli army ordered the evacuation of eastern neighbourhoods in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, in preparation for a new offensive on the previously-designated humanitarian zone
• Israeli public health professors said a ceasefire is the only way to stop the spread of poliovirus in Gaza, as the Israeli army said it was vaccinating its soldiers against the disease
• Quoting US officials, the Times of Israel report that Kamala Harris is not expected to take a harsher stance on Israel should she be elected president
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced protests at Ben Gurion airport as he heads to the US for a long-planned visit

Gaza’s Civil Defence reports that its crews have recovered the bodies of three people and rescued several others wounded after the Israeli army targeted a residential apartment in the al-Tuffah neighbourhood of eastern Gaza City.

Our live coverage from Gaza will shortly be closing until tomorrow morning.

Here are some of the day's key developments:

• The Palestinian health ministry reported that the death toll since October 7 has risen to 38,983, with 89,727 wounded in Gaza

• Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, stated on X that under the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) new ruling, which deems Israel’s presence in Palestinian territory unlawful, UN member states may now need to disclose a list of their nationals who have settled there

• The Israeli army will begin drafting members of the ultra-Orthodox community, or Haredim, on Sunday, ending a 76-year exemption from military service

• The Times of Israel reports that Israel’s finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, described potential US plans to sanction him as politically motivated

• Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said it was following events in Yemen with “great concern” after Israel struck the Houthi-controlled city of Hodeidah on Saturday

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu filed a draft statement rejecting the ICJ's advisory opinion without consulting Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, according to Haaretz

• The Houthis will continue attacking Israel without adhering to any rules of engagement, the group’s spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam told Al Jazeera

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that a delegation will be sent on Thursday to negotiate a deal for the release of captives held in Gaza

• US President Joe Biden announced the end of his re-election campaign, stating, "It is in the best interest of my party and the country"

• The Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, who faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for possible war crimes committed in Gaza, thanked the US President Joe Biden for his “unwavering support of Israel over the years”

On 9 July, Francois Burgat, a prominent French expert on political Islam and pro-Palestine activist, spent eight hours in police custody at the Aix-en-Provence station in the south of France.

Burgat, whose expertise is widely sought after, was detained concerning a complaint filed for “apology for terrorism”, a charge which involves defending or positively portraying terrorist acts.

The complaint was filed by the European Jewish Organisation (Organisation Juive Europeen), a French NGO made up of around 60 volunteer lawyers that fight against antisemitism and anti-Zionism.

Burgat is accused of reposting a statement by the Palestinian group Hamas on X last January, which refuted allegations of sexual violence against Israelis during the 7 October attack, as reported by The New York Times.

Following backlash over his retweet, Burgat, a former research director at the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), posted that he had “infinitely more respect and consideration for the leaders of Hamas than for those of the state of Israel”.

Read more: France's 'apology for terrorism' law used to 'criminalise' Palestine solidarity

The Associated Press reports that the two leaders will meet as scheduled when the Israeli prime minister visits Washington.

Earlier on Sunday President Joe Biden announced that he will not seek re-election this November, casting doubt on the meeting.

The Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, who faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for possible war crimes committed in Gaza, thanked the US President Joe Biden for his “unwavering support of Israel over the years.”

“Your steadfast backing, especially during the war, has been invaluable,” he adds. “We are grateful for your leadership and friendship.”

President Isaac Herzog thanked Biden for his “friendship and steadfast support” for Israel throughout his long political career.

“As the first US President to visit Israel in wartime, as a recipient of the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor, and as a true ally of the Jewish people, he is a symbol of the unbreakable bond between our two peoples,” Herzog writes on X.

“I send him, Jill Biden, and all his family, my warmest wishes from Jerusalem,” he adds.

Since 7 October, Israeli forces have killed hundreds of Palestinian healthcare workers and imprisoned others under inhumane conditions. The ongoing attacks on physicians, nurses, paramedics and aid providers, coupled with the destruction of Gaza’s health infrastructure, are central to the ongoing genocide.

Throughout this period, we have witnessed the bravery and steadfastness of medical teams in Gaza, who have shown remarkable resourcefulness in addressing the needs of their patients, even as Israel strikes have destroyed the region's hospitals.  

The commitment and fortitude displayed by healthcare workers have been aptly characterised as a form of resistance. Their tireless service amid severely challenging conditions, including shortages of essential food and medicine, is to be commended.

Many have received distressing reports of family members killed or wounded in Israeli air strikes, but this has not deterred them from fulfilling their professional and moral obligations. 

Read more: Palestinian healthcare workers are the true heroes

Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, stated on X that under the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) new ruling, which deems Israel’s presence in Palestinian territory unlawful, UN member states may now need to disclose a list of their nationals who have settled there.

This is particularly important "as they commit crimes against the illegally occupied population," Albanese added.

The ICJ judges highlighted several policies, such as the building and expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the use of the area’s natural resources, the annexation and imposition of permanent control over lands, and discriminatory policies against Palestinians all of which they said violate international law.