Israeli strikes kill 30 in Gaza, health officials say
The 21-month war triggered by Hamas' Oct. 7 attack is raging on after two days of talks between President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ended last week with no sign of a breakthrough in negotiations over a ceasefire and hostage release.
Twelve people were killed by strikes in southern Gaza, including three who were waiting at an aid distribution point, according to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, which received the bodies. Shifa Hospital in Gaza City also received 12 bodies, including three children and two women, after a series of strikes in the north, according to the hospital's director, Dr. Mohammed Abu Selmia.
Al Awda Hospital in central Gaza reported six killed and eight wounded in strikes in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp.
The Israeli military says it only targets militants and tries to avoid harming civilians. It blames civilian deaths on Hamas because the militants operate in densely populated areas.
The military said a June 19 strike killed Muhammad Nasr Ali Quneita, who it said had taken part in the Oct. 7 attack and held hostage Emily Damari, a dual Israeli-British citizen, in his home at the start of the war. There was no comment from Hamas nor independent confirmation.
Thousands of Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel that day, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251 people, most of whom have since been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. The militants are still holding 50 hostages, less than half of them believed to be alive.
Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed over 58,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which has said women and children make up more than half of the dead. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its tally.
The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and is led by medical professionals. The United Nations and other experts consider its figures to be the most reliable count of war casualties.
Israel's air and ground war has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and driven some 90% of the population from their homes. Aid groups say they have struggled to bring in food and other assistance because of Israeli military restrictions and the breakdown of law and order, and experts have warned of famine.
Shurafa, Khaled and Aljoud write for the Associated Press. Khaled reported from Cairo and AlJoud from Beirut.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Buzz Feed
31 minutes ago
- Buzz Feed
Key Issue Turning Americans Against Trump, CNN Data Shows
CNN's chief data analyst Harry Enten on Monday used just one word to sum up Americans' souring views on Donald Trump's handling of immigration. 'Oof!' said Enten in a segment with CNN's Kate Bolduan. Enten pointed to five separate polls from mid to late June showing the president's net approval rating (percent approval minus percent disapproval) on immigration ranging from -7 (Fox) to -27 (Gallup). He described the range of Trump's net approval ratings as 'bad to just downright terrible.' 'The American people have turned against President Donald Trump on what was his best issue,' Enten said. The segment comes just over a month after Enten spotted how Trump's net approval rating on immigration had shot 'up like a rocket' when comparing polling from early June to data from June 2017. The president's aggressive immigration policies have intensified over the course of his second term, with massive raids of legal cannabis farms in California last week — one of which saw a worker fall from a roof, later dying from his injuries, as hundreds of others were arrested. Enten, when asked if there are signs that the polling trend is affecting Trump's overall net approval rating, turned to how the president's net approval rating with Hispanics dropped by double digits over the past few months. In February, Trump was doing 'pretty gosh darn good for a Republican' as his net approval rating with Hispanics sat at -2, per polling from CBS News/YouGov. By June, less than a year after his 'historic performance' with Hispanic voters in the fall, that figure fell to -26, per Enten. 'Now he's basically back where he was during his first term, which is quite a low approval rating, one which has brought his overall approval rating down amongst the entire electorate,' Enten explained. The data analyst went on to point to how Immigration and Customs Enforcement's net approval rating went from averaging 0 during Trump's first term to reaching -17 last month. He added that the immigration crackdowns haven't just brought Trump down, but they've brought ICE 'down with him.'
Los Angeles Times
36 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Judge says Trump administration can't use travel ban to keep 80 refugees out of the U.S.
A federal judge barred the Trump administration from using its ban on travelers from some countries to keep 80 already-vetted refugees from entering the United States. In a decision late Monday, U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead in Seattle said President Trump's June order banning the entry of people from 12 countries 'expressly states' that it does not limit the ability of people to seek refugee status. 'In other words, by its plain terms, the Proclamation excludes refugees from its scope,' the judge wrote. Barring refugees from entering the U.S. would limit their ability to seek refugee status and therefore run counter to the Republican president's order, the judge said. He ordered the administration to immediately resume processing 80 'presumptively protected refugees' that were rejected based on the travel ban. The State Department did not immediately have comment Tuesday. Whitehead also set out a framework for the government to vet refugees from the countries covered by the travel ban and other countries who were denied entry when the president suspended the nation's refugee admissions program within hours of taking office on Jan. 20. The decision left thousands of refugees who had already gone through a sometimes years-long vetting process to start new lives in America stranded at various locations around the world, including relatives of active-duty U.S. military personnel and more than 1,600 Afghans who assisted America's war efforts. Some individual refugees sued, along with refugee aid organizations who said the administration froze their funding. They later asked the judge to make the case a class-action lawsuit so that the rulings could apply to other refugees facing similar circumstances. In May, Whitehead said the suspension likely amounted to a nullification of congressional will, since Congress created and funded the refugee admissions program. He issued a preliminary injunction in February barring the federal government from suspending refugee processing and refugee aid funding. But the 9th U.S. Circuit put most of that decision on hold in March, finding the administration was likely to win the case because the president has broad authority to determine who is allowed to enter the country. Boone and Thanawala write for the Associated Press.
The Hill
36 minutes ago
- The Hill
Watch live: State Department official testifies before Senate on 2026 budget request
Deputy Secretary of State Michael Rigas will testify before the House Foreign Affairs Committee Tuesday afternoon on the State Department's fiscal 2026 budget request. The hearing comes just days after the Trump administration began its plan to layoff 1,300 employees amid its reorganization efforts. The decision has drawn criticism from Democrats and former diplomats alike that say the move risks national security. 'For the State Department to become an effective instrument of American Foreign policy, we must reform and streamline our institution,' Rigas, who handles management and resources, said in his prepared testimony. The hearing also follows the dismantling of the U.S. Agency of International Development (USAID) earlier this month. The actions come as part of the Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) efforts — with the support of President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio — to cut down on ' waste, fraud and abuse ' within the federal workforce. The event is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. EDT.
