Israel-Gaza latest updates: Trump envoy praises ‘incredible’ aid effort despite spate of Palestinians killed seeking food

US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has called for an end to American funding of Israel’s military operations, saying she spoke with a Christian pastor from Gaza who described children starving and Christians among the dead and wounded.

In a lengthy statement posted on X, Ms Greene questioned whether “innocent Israeli lives [are] more valuable than innocent Palestinian and Christian lives”, and accused Israel’s government of “systematically cleansing them from the land”.

The Georgia MAGA firebrand said most Americans are “fed up” with the US “fixing the world’s problems” while citizens at home struggle with debt, low social security payments and high costs.

She insisted her stance was “not antisemitic” but a rejection of what she described as decades of “America LAST policies”.

“My full focus is on fixing America’s problems,” Ms Greene wrote, adding she will continue to oppose funding “foreign wars” and prioritise American jobs and families instead.

In a statement released Thursday, Egypt’s government called on other countries that have not yet “recognised the State of Palestine to expedite this step, standing on the right side of history.”

Canada’s prime minister Mark Carney announced on Wednesday that his country will recognise a Palestinian state in September, joining the UK, France and other Western countries in a symbolic statement that is part of a broader global shift against Israel’s policies in Gaza.

Indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas in Doha ended in deadlock last week with the sides trading blame for the impasse.

After Hamas provided amendments to a US proposal that would see a 60-day ceasefire and the release of some hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, Israel sent its response on Wednesday, a source familiar with the details said.

It is unclear what Israel’s stance on the Hamas amendments currently is – and Hamas have yet to comment on its response.

A comparison of before and after satellite images has shown the large number of crowds of people who surrounded an aid convoy in Khan Younis in Gaza.

The pictures provided by Planet Labs PBC were taken on 26 July.

Germany has warned it will respond to any unilateral Israeli actions on Palestinian territories, in what marks its strongest signal yet of a potential policy shift amid growing international pressure over the crisis in Gaza.

Foreign minister Johann Wadephul made the remarks ahead of a visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories, describing the trip as a “fact-finding mission” amid escalating concerns over starvation and humanitarian conditions in Gaza.

“In light of open annexation threats from parts of the Israeli government, a growing number of countries – including many in Europe – are now prepared to recognise a Palestinian state even without a prior negotiation process. The region and the Middle East peace process are therefore at a crossroads,” Mr Wadephul said.

“That process must begin now. Should unilateral steps be taken, Germany too will be compelled to respond.”

Mr Wadephul reaffirmed Germany’s position that a lasting resolution to the Gaza war must come through negotiations leading to a two-state solution, where an independent Palestinian state coexists peacefully alongside Israel.

Marco Rubio has lashed out at Sir Keir Starmer, describing the prime minister as “clumsy” over his plan to recognise a Palestinian state in September.

In the strongest condemnation yet from the Trump administration, the US secretary of state said the prime minister was “clumsy” for vowing to recognise Palestine before Hamas releases the remaining hostages taken during the October 7 attacks.

Speaking to Fox News Radio, Mr Rubio said: “The UK is like, well, ‘if Israel doesn’t agree to a ceasefire by September, we’re going to recognise a Palestinian state’.

“So if I’m Hamas, I say, ‘you know what, let’s not allow there to be a ceasefire.’ If Hamas refuses to agree to a ceasefire, it guarantees a Palestinian state will be recognised by all these countries in September.”

Political correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:

Medics in Gaza said on Monday they were working to step up screening of young children for severe malnutrition amid fears that hunger is spreading as people flee to new areas.

Aid group International Medical Corps (IMC) and partners are planning to reach more than 200,000 children under five-years-old as part of a “Find and Treat” campaign over coming months, one of its doctors, Munawwar Said, told Reuters by phone.

“With the displacement, communities are settling in new locations that do not have access to clean water, or there is not adequate access to food,” he said. “We fear there are more cases being missed.”

Over the weekend, families were already coming into an IMC clinic in the central city of Deir al-Balah, opened after the agency said it had to shut down two centres in the southern city of Rafah due to insecurity.

France on Friday started to air-drop 40 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Gaza as it urged Israel to allow full access to the area which it said was slipping into famine.

“Faced with the absolute urgency, we have just conducted a food airdrop operation in Gaza. Thank you to our Jordanian, Emirati, and German partners for their support, and to our military personnel for their commitment,” president Emmanuel Macron wrote on social media platform X.

“Airdrops are not enough. Israel must open full humanitarian access to address the risk of famine,” he added.

Foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot earlier in the day had told broadcaster franceinfo that France was sending four flights carrying 10 tonnes of humanitarian aid each to Gaza from Jordan.

Germany’s Bundeswehr armed forces have started dropping aid supplies over Gaza, starting with two Luftwaffe flights carrying almost 14 tonnes of supplies, the defence ministry said on Friday.

“The flights can only make a very small contribution to providing those affected on the ground with the bare essentials,” defence minister Boris Pistorius said, adding that he expected Israel to “ensure comprehensive humanitarian supplies” for people in the enclave.

Germany has also pledged to give an additional 5 million euros ($5.70 million) in support to the World Food Programme in Gaza, the foreign office said.

The US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has shared photos of his visit to Gaza with envoy Steve Witkoff, where the pair visited aid distribution sites run by the controversial US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

“This morning I joined @SEPeaceMissions Steve Witkoff for a visit to Gaza to learn the truth about @GHFUpdates aid sites,” he said.

“We received briefings from @IDF and spoke to folks on the ground. GHF delivers more than one million meals a day, an incredible feat!”

According to figures from the UN’s humanitarian organisation UNHCR, more than 850 Palestinians have been killed while trying to reach aid at GHF sites since May, mostly by Israeli fire. A total of 1,373 have been killed while accessing food across all sites since May.