Gaza death toll nears 39,800 as Israel kills 40 more Palestinians
GAZA STRIP
The Israeli army has killed 40 more Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, taking the overall death toll to 39,790 since last Oct. 7, the Health Ministry in the enclave said on Saturday.
A ministry statement added that some 91,702 other people have been injured in the assault.
“Israeli forces killed 40 people and injured 140 others in three ‘massacres’ against families in the last 24 hours,” the ministry said.
“Many people are still trapped under rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added.
Israel, flouting a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.
More than 10 months into the Israeli onslaught, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.
Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.
Türkiye says Israel committed ‘crime against humanity’
Israel committed a “new crime against humanity” by killing over 100 civilians who had taken refuge in a school in the Al-Daraj neighborhood of Gaza City, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.
“This attack demonstrated once again that the Netanyahu government intends to sabotage the negotiations for a permanent ceasefire,” a ministry statement said.
“International actors who do not take steps to stop Israel are complicit in Israel's crimes,” it added.
Earlier, the Israeli army targeted with missiles the Al-Taba'een School in the Al-Daraj neighborhood housing displaced people, killing at least 100 Palestinians, according to the Government Media Office in Gaza.
“The Israeli strikes targeted the displaced people while performing Fajr (dawn) prayers, (which) led to a rapid rise in the number of casualties,” the media office said.
Despite appeals on Thursday from mediators, including Egypt, the U.S., and Qatar, to stop hostilities, reach a cease-fire, and a hostage exchange agreement, Israel persists with its deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip.
U.N. special rapporteur on Palestine accuses Israel of ‘genocide’
The U.N.’s special rapporteur on Palestine accused Israel of carrying out a “genocide” in Gaza on Saturday.
Describing Gaza as "the largest and most shameful concentration camp of the 21st century," Francesca Albanese wrote on X: "Israel is genociding the Palestinians one neighborhood at the time, one hospital at the time, one school at the time, one refugee camp at the time, one 'safe zone' at the time.”
Albanese’s comments came after the early Saturday attack when the Israeli military bombed the Al-Taba'een school in the Al-Daraj neighborhood in eastern Gaza City, which Palestinian officials say killed at least 100 Palestinians.
She pointed to the use of U.S. and European weapons in Israeli attacks, expressing dismay at what she termed the "indifference of all 'civilized nations'" to the situation in Gaza.
“May the Palestinians forgive us for our collective inability to protect them, honoring the most basic meaning of (international) law,” Albanese said.
Israeli families accuse Netanyahu of gambling with lives of hostages
Families of Israeli captives held in the Gaza Strip accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday of gambling with the lives of the detainees and demanded a hostage swap deal that would secure their release, according to media reports.
The families urged the Israeli negotiating team, during a news conference, to not give in to Netanyahu amid reports that he is creating obstacles to reaching an agreement, said Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.
“Netanyahu continues to gamble with the lives of the detainees to preserve his own rule,” it said.
The relatives demanded a halt to the military operation in Gaza "to preserve the lives of the detainees."
“No deal will be made as long as the military operation in Gaza continues,” they said.
Egyptian, Qatari and U.S. mediators urged Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas on Thursday to conclude a cease-fire and hostage release deal with no further delays or excuses.
A trilateral joint statement published by the Qatari miri Diwan, or the emir's office, said: “There is no further time to waste nor excuses from any party for further delay.”
The mediators expressed a readiness “to present a final bridging proposal that resolves the remaining implementation issues in a manner that meets the expectations of all parties.”
They also urged Israel and Hamas “to resume urgent discussions on Aug. 15 in Doha or Cairo to close all remaining gaps and commence implementation of the deal without further delay.”