Gaza health ministry says five Palestinians died of hunger in past day, including two chil
Source: Haaretz latest headlines
Here are the latest updates on day 673 of the war:
■ The Hamas-run Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that five Palestinians, including two children, died from hunger and severe malnutrition in the past 24 hours. Since the war began, hunger-related deaths in Gaza have reached 217, with 100 of those being children.
■ The UN Security Council will hold an emergency session on Sunday to discuss Israel’s newly approved plan to capture and occupy Gaza City.
■ The U.S., Egypt, and Qatar report progress in cease-fire negotiations, with a comprehensive proposal including full Israeli withdrawal and the release of all hostages under discussion, though the outcome remains uncertain.
■ Families of hostages and fallen soldiers called for a nationwide strike on August 17 to protest the Gaza City operation and demand the safe release of hostages. Democratic Party leader Yair Golan announced his party will join the strike.
■ Pro-hostage deal activists blocked Tel Aviv’s main Ayalon highway, protesting the Gaza offensive and calling for a cease-fire to protect hostages.
■ Eyewitnesses in Jericho reported that a 25-year-old man from Nazareth was fatally shot by Israeli forces while visiting the city; investigations are ongoing.
■ Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich publicly declared he has lost faith in Netanyahu’s leadership, condemning current Gaza strategy as weak and calling for an uncompromising military approach.
■ National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said he pressured Netanyahu to approve the Gaza City conquest plan and opposes humanitarian aid to Gaza.
■ Knesset member and former diplomat Idan Roll announced his retirement from politics, citing recent challenges – multiple elections, the pandemic, and the ongoing war. He called for a broad Zionist coalition and the immediate return of all Israeli captives.
Democratic Party leader Yair Golan announced that his party will join the hostage families’ strike next Sunday. In a post on X, Golan urged all Israeli citizens who value life and mutual responsibility to join the strike, take to the streets, and protest.
He wrote, “We must not continue life as usual while abandoning our brothers and sisters in Gaza. We cannot remain silent in the face of this reality.”
Golan’s call to action emphasized unity and resistance: “Striking. Fighting. Saving.”
The community of Kibbutz Nahal Oz expressed deep concern over the government’s decision to expand military operations before securing the return of hostages. They said, “Omri Miran and other captives in Gaza face immediate life-threatening danger – the top priority must be to save and bring them home now, and to honorably bury those who have fallen.”
“This is a matter of life and death. The government must make the only moral decision: act urgently to bring all living hostages back and provide a proper burial for our fallen in Israel,” the statement added.
They called on the public to “join us and our comrades in demanding the safe return of every hostage. Only after their return can healing and recovery begin.”
Families of hostages and fallen soldiers have called for a nationwide strike on Sunday, August 17, demanding a halt to the war to save hostages and soldiers.
At a press conference in Tel Aviv, members of the October Council announced the strike in protest of the cabinet’s decision to conquer Gaza City, which they say endangers hostages and soldiers.
Anat Angrest, mother of hostage Matan, urged: “Dear citizens, please don’t remain silent. Silence kills. I ask business leaders – you have the power. Your silence kills our children.”
Reut Recht-Edri, mother of Ido, killed on October 7, said: “Eighteen mothers of living hostages refuse to pay the price I paid. Thirty mothers want a grave to mourn at. Now is the time for a strike to save our brothers, our soldiers.”
Lishay Miran-Lavi, wife of kidnapped Amri, called on companies, unions, and citizens to “stop the madness and prevent the next disaster. We love the soldiers and stand with them. Now is the time to stop everything.”
Vicky Cohen, mother of Nimrod, a hostage, condemned the cabinet’s shift away from hostage rescue: “The government has given up on Nimrod and all hostages. This is Israel’s fight. We must strike together next Sunday at 7 A.M. to bring back hostages and save soldiers.”
The Hamas-run Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza announced today that five more people have died in hospitals across the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours due to hunger and severe malnutrition. Among the deceased are two children.
The Ministry stated that since the outbreak of the war, the death toll from hunger and malnutrition in Gaza has risen to 217, including 100 children.
Knesset member and former diplomat Idan Roll has announced his decision to retire from political life. Roll stated he will not run in the upcoming elections and chose to step down now, at the start of the Knesset’s summer recess, signaling a personal and political turning point.
Roll cited the “challenging and complex” years he served – including five elections, a global pandemic, and the brutal war that erupted on October 7 – as a backdrop to his decision.
During his six years in public service, he was known for his work in the Foreign Ministry, strengthening Israel’s diplomatic ties through the Abraham Accords, and his role on the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, where he pushed for security accountability.
Roll also championed LGBTQ+ rights and promoted Israel’s “pragmatic liberalism,” balancing human rights with security.
He expressed hope for a broad Zionist coalition to unite the country and called for the immediate return of all Israeli captives held by Hamas, calling it “a supreme value.” He also urged support for Tzav Kosher, which aids reservists coping with trauma.
The UN Security Council is set to convene an emergency session this Sunday at 5 P.M. Israel time (10 A.M. New York time) to discuss Israel’s recently approved plan to capture and occupy Gaza City. The controversial strategy, greenlit by Israel’s security cabinet on Friday, has sparked sharp international criticism and heightened concerns over the escalating conflict in the Gaza Strip, now in its 22nd month.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the plan as a “dangerous escalation,” warning it risks exacerbating an already dire humanitarian crisis. The call for the urgent meeting was led by the European members of the Security Council – Denmark, France, Greece, the United Kingdom, and Slovenia – who urged immediate deliberations in New York.
According to the independent outlet Security Council Report, all members of the Council except the United States have expressed support for holding the session.
Germany, the UK, Italy, New Zealand, and Australia jointly condemned Israel’s Gaza takeover plan, cautioning it could deepen the humanitarian crisis, imperil the lives of hostages, and trigger massive civilian displacement, and reaffirmed that a two-state solution remains the only viable path toward lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has halted the export of military equipment to Israel that could be deployed in Gaza, underscoring rising international unease about the intensification of military operations in the region.
Eyewitnesses in Jericho report that a 25-year-old man from Nazareth was fatally shot by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) while visiting the city. According to multiple accounts, the young man was walking along Jericho’s main road when he was struck by gunfire from the military.
The victim was initially evacuated to a hospital in Jericho in critical condition. He was then transferred to Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital in Jerusalem, where he was later pronounced dead.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain unclear. No official statement has yet been issued by the IDF. Investigations into the incident are reportedly ongoing.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Sunday the government’s plan “to conquer Gaza City and evacuate more than a million residents” was approved “because of the pressure I put on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.” Speaking to Kan Reshet Bet, he said: “I hear a lot of briefings from the chief of staff that we need many soldiers. Not true, we don’t need them.”
Ben-Gvir said he supports “encouraging emigration and settlement” in the Strip and that “I’m in favor of going all the way.” He claimed hostages were returned “first and foremost due to military pressure,” and that “only because of my pressure” humanitarian aid was stopped. “I am the only one in the cabinet who votes against aid,” he said.
He argued the approved plan would not endanger troops and that if Hamas kills hostages, “terrorists must be executed.” He also blamed the attorney general for blocking his request to arrest “100 crime families.”
Referring to a grenade attack in Ashdod overnight, Ben-Gvir tied it to wider crime issues. He defended removing television, yard and academic privileges for security prisoners, and reiterated his call for the death penalty for those who “murdered babies and the elderly, raped and slit throats.”
Dozens of activists demanding the release of Israeli hostages split from the main protest march in Tel Aviv and blocked the central Ayalon highway in both directions at multiple points Saturday evening, burning tires during one blockade.
Earlier, tens of thousands gathered at Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square to protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to take over Gaza. The Israeli security cabinet approved an offensive in Gaza City, sparking fears the military operation could endanger the hostages held by Hamas.
Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan remains captive, directly confronted Netanyahu, saying: “If you conquer parts of the Gaza Strip and hostages are murdered, we will haunt you in the squares, in the elections, and at any time and place. Your hands will be soaked with the blood of the hostages.”
Captivity survivor Ilana Gritzewsky criticized the government’s approach, stating, “This government chose eternal war, not life. They treat the hostages as a ‘price that must be paid’ for political gain. But they are our brothers — the heart of us all.”
Yotam Cohen, whose brother Nimrod is also held in Gaza, accused Netanyahu of failing to pursue effective cease-fire or hostage release deals. “The time has come for a feasible initiative to end the war and bring back all the hostages,” Cohen said.
The protests underscore deep public anger and fear that the offensive will increase casualties and jeopardize hostage lives, as well as calls for international pressure to end the conflict and secure the hostages’ release.
Click here to read more on Saturday’s protests
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