{"id":123337,"date":"2025-08-06T10:21:11","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T10:21:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/123337\/"},"modified":"2025-08-06T10:21:11","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T10:21:11","slug":"middle-east-crisis-live-20-killed-as-aid-truck-overturns-in-gaza-civil-defence-agency-says-israel-gaza-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/123337\/","title":{"rendered":"Middle East crisis live: 20 killed as aid truck overturns in Gaza, civil defence agency says | Israel-Gaza war"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Gaza civil defence agency says 20 killed by overturned aid truck<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\"><strong>Gaza\u2019s civil defence agency<\/strong> said on Wednesday that 20 people were killed when an aid truck overturned near the <strong>Nuseirat refugee camp<\/strong> in the central <strong>Gaza Strip<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\u201cTwenty people were killed and dozens injured around midnight last night in a truck carrying aid [that] overturned \u2026 while hundreds of civilians were waiting for aid,\u201d the agency\u2019s spokesperson <strong>Mahmud Bassal<\/strong> told Agence France-Presse (AFP).<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\"><strong>Hamas<\/strong> accused <strong>Israel<\/strong> of forcing truck drivers to take unsafe routes to reach aid distribution centres. \u201cThis often results in desperate crowds swarming the trucks,\u201d its media office said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Many people climbing on to the back of an aid truck\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/6240.jpg\" width=\"465\" height=\"310\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"\/>Palestinians struggle to get food and humanitarian aid from the back of a truck as it moves along the Morag corridor, near Rafah, on Monday. Photograph: Mariam Dagga\/AP<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Seperately, it was reported yesterday that truck drivers trying to deliver aid inside <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/gaza\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Gaza<\/a> said their work had become increasingly dangerous in recent months as people have grown desperately hungry and violent gangs have filled a power vacuum left by the territory\u2019s Hamas rulers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Crowds of hungry people have routinely ripped aid off the backs of moving trucks, the local drivers said. According to reports, some trucks have been hijacked by armed men working for gangs who sell the aid in Gaza\u2019s markets for exorbitant prices.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">In other developments:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\n<li class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\"><strong>An Israeli security cabinet meeting, which had been expected to discuss Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s call for the \u201cfull occupation\u201d of Gaza, has been postponed amid mounting tensions over whether the plan is feasible. <\/strong>Amid a stalling of ceasefire negotiations with Hamas, Israeli officials had briefed local and international media that the prime minister was considering an expansive offensive, aimed at taking full control of the Palestinian territory after 22 months of war against the militant group Hamas.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\"><strong>On Tuesday, the United Nations <\/strong><strong>called reports about a possible decision to expand Israel\u2019s military operations throughout the Gaza Strip \u201cdeeply alarming\u201d if true.<\/strong> The UN assistant secretary general Miroslav Jen\u010da told a UN security council meeting on the situation in Gaza that such a move \u201cwould risk catastrophic consequences \u2026 and could further endanger the lives of the remaining hostages in Gaza\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\"><strong>The US president, Donald Trump, declined to say whether he supported or opposed a potential military takeover of Gaza by Israel and said his administration\u2019s focus was on increasing food access to the Palestinian territory under assault from Washington\u2019s ally.<\/strong> \u201cI know that we are there now trying to get people fed,\u201d Trump told reporters on Tuesday. \u201cAs far as the rest of it, I really can\u2019t say. That\u2019s going to be pretty much up to Israel.\u201d Trump said Israel and Arab states were going to help with food and aid distribution in Gaza and provide financial assistance. He did not elaborate.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\"><strong>The leader of Lebanon\u2019s Hezbollah warned on Tuesday that if <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/israel\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Israel<\/a> intensifie<\/strong><strong>d its military operations against his group, the Iran-backed armed faction <\/strong><strong>would resume firing missiles toward Israel. <\/strong>Naim Qassem\u2019s comments came as Lebanon\u2019s cabinet was meeting to discuss Hezbollah\u2019s disarmament.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\"><strong>Gaza\u2019s civil defence agency said 26 people were killed by Israeli gunfire and airstrikes on Tuesday, including 14 who were waiting near an aid distribution site.<\/strong> Civil defence spokesperson Mahmud Bassal told AFP that eight people were killed by Israeli gunfire while waiting for aid near the southern city of Khan Younis.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Middle East crisis live: 20 killed as aid truck overturns in Gaza, civil defence agency says&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2025\/aug\/06\/middle-east-crisis-live-aid-truck-gaza-israel-netanyahu-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6892f6738f0804180afc198e#block-6892f6738f0804180afc198e\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a003.25 EDT<\/p>\n<p>Key events<\/p>\n<p>Show key events only<\/p>\n<p>Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Here are some images coming in via the newswires today:<\/p>\n<p>A Palestinian sits in a house previously damaged during the Israeli offensive, in Gaza City, on Wednesday. Photograph: Mahmoud Issa\/ReutersIsraeli police detain protesters as demonstrators and relatives of hostages block a road demanding the immediate release of hostages kidnapped by Hamas and the end of the war in Gaza, in Tel Aviv, on Tuesday night. Photograph: Tomer Appelbaum\/ReutersPalestinians carry the body of a person who was killed while trying to reach aid trucks entering the northern Gaza Strip through the Zikim crossing with Israel, at Shifa hospital in Gaza City on Wednesday. Photograph: Jehad Alshrafi\/APA Dutch transport plane taking off from Eindhoven airbase. The C130 aircraft will be used to drop relief supplies over Gaza. Photograph: Hollandse Hoogte\/Shutterstock<a href=\"mailto:?subject=Middle East crisis live: 20 killed as aid truck overturns in Gaza, civil defence agency says&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2025\/aug\/06\/middle-east-crisis-live-aid-truck-gaza-israel-netanyahu-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-689329368f08ef556a648031#block-689329368f08ef556a648031\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\"><strong>Lebanon<\/strong> has decided to rebaptise a road named after the former <strong>Syrian<\/strong> president <strong>Hafez al-Assad<\/strong> in favour of the late Lebanese musician and playwright <strong>Ziad Rahbani<\/strong>, a move many welcomed on Wednesday, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\u201cHafez al-Assad into the dustbin of history, Ziad Rahbani is the name of the airport road for ever!\u201d the independent lawmaker <strong>Mark Daou<\/strong>, who opposes <strong>Hezbollah<\/strong>, wrote on X.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">On Tuesday, the government announced the new name for the thoroughfare, which runs to the international airport through south <strong>Beirut<\/strong>, where Hezbollah enjoys strong support, reports AFP.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">The Lebanese actor <strong>Ziad Itani<\/strong> welcomed the move, telling AFP that the former Syrian leader was associated with \u201cdark periods in Lebanese history, marked by massacres, abuses and assassinations\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Middle East crisis live: 20 killed as aid truck overturns in Gaza, civil defence agency says&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2025\/aug\/06\/middle-east-crisis-live-aid-truck-gaza-israel-netanyahu-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-689325078f08c02c0d988983#block-689325078f08c02c0d988983\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a005.54 EDT<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">A member of <strong>Hezbollah<\/strong> was killed in an <strong>Israeli<\/strong> drone strike in <strong>Lebanon<\/strong>\u2019s north-eastern <strong>Bekaa valley<\/strong> on Tuesday night, the Times of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/israel\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Israel<\/a> reports, citing the <strong>Israel Defense Forces (IDF)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\u201cThe terrorist\u2019s activity posed a threat to the State of Israel and its citizens,\u201d the IDF said, describing <strong>Hassam Qassem Gharab<\/strong> as directing, from Lebanon, \u201cterror cells in Syria to launch rockets at the Golan Heights in northern Israel\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Middle East crisis live: 20 killed as aid truck overturns in Gaza, civil defence agency says&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2025\/aug\/06\/middle-east-crisis-live-aid-truck-gaza-israel-netanyahu-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-68931ed48f08c02c0d98892c#block-68931ed48f08c02c0d98892c\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a005.36 EDT<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Even as global attention has turned to starvation in <strong>Gaza<\/strong>, where after 22 months of a devastating <strong>Israeli<\/strong> military campaign a global hunger monitor says a famine scenario is unfolding, the water crisis is just as severe according to aid groups, reports Reuters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Though some water comes from small desalination units run by aid agencies, most is drawn from wells in a brackish aquifer that has been further polluted by sewage and chemicals seeping through the rubble, spreading diarrhoea and hepatitis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\"><strong>Cogat<\/strong>, the Israeli military agency responsible for coordinating aid in the Israeli-occupied <strong>Palestinian<\/strong> territories, says it operates two water pipelines into the <strong>Gaza Strip<\/strong> providing millions of litres of water a day. Palestinian water officials say these have not been working recently, reports Reuters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Israel stopped all water and electricity supply to Gaza early in the war, later partly resuming it, though the pipeline network in the territory has been badly damaged.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Most water and sanitation infrastructure has been destroyed and pumps from the aquifer often rely on electricity from small generators \u2013 for which fuel is rarely available.<\/p>\n<p>Palestinians wait to collect water amid shortages in Gaza City.  Photograph: Mahmoud Issa\/Reuters<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">According to Reuters, Cogat said the Israeli military has allowed coordination with aid organisations to bring in equipment to maintain water infrastructure throughout the conflict. <\/p>\n<p>The <strong>United Nations<\/strong> says the minimum emergency level of water consumption per person is 15 litres a day for drinking, cooking, cleaning and washing. Average daily consumption in Israel is about 247 litres a day according to Israeli rights group <strong>B\u2019Tselem<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\"><strong>Bushra Khalidi<\/strong>, the humanitarian policy lead for the aid agency <strong>Oxfam<\/strong> in the Israeli-occupied <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/palestinian-territories\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Palestinian territories<\/a> said the average consumption in Gaza now was 3-5 litres a day.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Oxfam said last week that preventable and treatable water-borne diseases were \u201cripping through Gaza\u201d, with reported rates increasing by almost 150% over the past three months.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Middle East crisis live: 20 killed as aid truck overturns in Gaza, civil defence agency says&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2025\/aug\/06\/middle-east-crisis-live-aid-truck-gaza-israel-netanyahu-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-68931c758f08c02c0d988920#block-68931c758f08c02c0d988920\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a005.23 EDT<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Peter_Beaumont,_L.png\" alt=\"Peter Beaumont\" class=\"dcr-lysqes\"\/>Peter Beaumont<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\"><strong>Israeli<\/strong> officials have said <strong>Benjamin Netanyahu<\/strong> discussed a plan with the <strong>White House<\/strong> as it attempted to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2025\/jul\/24\/us-israel-gaza-ceasefire\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">portray <\/a><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2025\/jul\/24\/us-israel-gaza-ceasefire\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Hamas<\/a><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2025\/jul\/24\/us-israel-gaza-ceasefire\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> as having walked away from ceasefire negotiations<\/a>, a claim denied by Hamas, which blamed Israel for the protracted impasse.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">While the Trump administration has not commented on the Netanyahu proposal, it has been given some credence by leaked comments made by the <strong>US<\/strong> envoy <strong>Steve Witkoff<\/strong> to <strong>Israeli<\/strong> hostage families at the weekend, suggesting his proposal for a ceasefire in exchange for the release of half of the remaining living hostages had failed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Witkoff added that <strong>Donald Trump<\/strong> \u201cnow believes that everybody should come home at once. No piecemeal deals,\u201d adding they were now pursuing an \u201call or nothing\u201d plan.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">At the centre of the Netanyahu plan is the notion that, by surrounding areas where hostages are believed to be held, Israeli forces can raid those areas and rescue the captives, a policy that has broadly failed during the past two years of war.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Amid questions over the practicality of a wider offensive, some have speculated that Netanyahu\u2019s call may be more rhetorical than real in substance, aimed at keeping onboard far-right ministers who have demanded they be allowed to build settlements in <strong>Gaza<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">A <strong>Palestinian<\/strong> official close to the talks and mediation said Israeli threats could be a way to pressure Hamas to make concessions at the negotiation table.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\u201cIt will only complicate the negotiation further, at the end, the resistance factions will not accept less than an end to the war, and a full withdrawal from Gaza,\u201d the official told Reuters, requesting not to be named.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Middle East crisis live: 20 killed as aid truck overturns in Gaza, civil defence agency says&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2025\/aug\/06\/middle-east-crisis-live-aid-truck-gaza-israel-netanyahu-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6893172b8f08c02c0d9888f6#block-6893172b8f08c02c0d9888f6\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a004.55 EDT<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Rachel_Hall_Next_Gen.png\" alt=\"Rachel Hall\" class=\"dcr-lysqes\"\/>Rachel Hall<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Targeting medics and hospitals in acts of war should be called \u201chealthocide\u201d, academics have urged, amid an increase in such attacks in recent years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Health services are increasingly deliberately under attack and medics are facing violence and abuse in conflict zones around the world \u2013 in particular in <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/gaza\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Gaza<\/a><\/strong>, but also in <strong>Lebanon<\/strong>, <strong>Ukraine<\/strong>, <strong>Sudan<\/strong>, <strong>Syria<\/strong> and <strong>El Salvador<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">This is despite the longstanding principle under international humanitarian law of medical neutrality, which protects healthcare workers and facilities during armed conflict and civil unrest, enabling them to provide medical care to those in need.<\/p>\n<p>In a commentary published in the <strong>British Medical Journal<\/strong>, <strong>Dr Joelle Abi-Rached<\/strong> and colleagues of the <strong>American University of Beirut<\/strong>, Lebanon wrote:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-154zxly\">\n<p>Both in Gaza and Lebanon, healthcare facilities have not only been directly targeted, but access to care has also been obstructed, including incidents where ambulances have been prevented from reaching the injured, or deliberately attacked.<\/p>\n<p>What is becoming clear is that healthcare workers and facilities are no longer afforded the protection guaranteed by international humanitarian law.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">The authors cite data from Israel\u2019s full-scale invasion of Gaza, which has resulted in at least 986 medical workers\u2019 deaths. Recent figures from the <strong>Healthcare Workers Watch<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2025\/jul\/26\/rising-number-of-doctors-among-hundreds-of-medical-staff-detained-in-gaza-say-rights-groups\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">show<\/a> that 28 doctors from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/gaza\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Gaza<\/a> are being held inside <strong>Israeli<\/strong> prisons without any charge, eight them senior consultants in surgery, orthopaedics, intensive care, cardiology and paediatrics.<\/p>\n<p>A medical staff member prays in a room designated for sterilising surgical tools, which also serves as a rest and prayer space for doctors and staff, at al-Shifa hospital in Gaza, last month. Photograph: Jehad Alshrafi\/AP<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">The <strong>World Health Organization<\/strong>\u2019s representative for the <strong>West Bank<\/strong> and Gaza <a href=\"https:\/\/press.un.org\/en\/2025\/sc15959.doc.htm\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">stated<\/a> at the <strong>UN security council<\/strong> in January that hospitals in Gaza had \u201cturned into battlegrounds\u201d, while the healthcare system was being \u201csystematically dismantled and driven to the brink of collapse\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Middle East crisis live: 20 killed as aid truck overturns in Gaza, civil defence agency says&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2025\/aug\/06\/middle-east-crisis-live-aid-truck-gaza-israel-netanyahu-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-68930f058f08c02c0d9888b7#block-68930f058f08c02c0d9888b7\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a>Jordan says Israeli settlers attacked Gaza-bound aid convoy on Wednesday<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\"><strong>Jordan<\/strong> said <strong>Israeli<\/strong> settlers attacked a <strong>Gaza<\/strong>-bound aid convoy on Wednesday in the second such incident in days, accusing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/israel\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Israel<\/a> of failing to act firmly to prevent repeated assaults.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">The convoy, carrying 30 trucks of humanitarian aid, was delayed in its arrival in a violation of signed agreements, the government spokesperson <strong>Mohammad al-Momani<\/strong> told Reuters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\u201cThis requires a serious Israeli intervention and no leniency in dealing with those who obstruct these convoys,\u201d Momani said.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Middle East crisis live: 20 killed as aid truck overturns in Gaza, civil defence agency says&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2025\/aug\/06\/middle-east-crisis-live-aid-truck-gaza-israel-netanyahu-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-68930e538f08c02c0d9888b5#block-68930e538f08c02c0d9888b5\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a004.16 EDT<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">The <strong>Israeli<\/strong> defence minister, <strong>Israel Katz<\/strong>, said on Wednesday that the country\u2019s chief of staff, <strong>Eyal Zamir<\/strong>, had a right to \u201cexpress his views\u201d, but that the military would ultimately have to \u201cexecute\u201d any government decisions on <strong>Gaza<\/strong>, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Katz\u2019s statement on the social media website X came after reports in the Israeli media in recent days suggested that Zamir is opposed to a government plan to occupy the <strong>Gaza Strip<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Katz wrote on X:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-154zxly\">\n<p>It is the right and duty of the chief of staff to express his position in the appropriate forums, and after decisions are made by the political echelon, the [army] will execute them with determination and professionalism \u2026 until the war\u2019s objectives are achieved.<\/p>\n<p>As the defence minister responsible for the [army] on behalf of the government, I must ensure that these decisions are carried out \u2013 and so it will be.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">AFP reports that Zamir has made no public statements on the matter but reportedly expressed his opposition to a full military occupation in a restricted meeting between the prime minister, <strong>Benjamin Netanyahu<\/strong>, and security officials on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Middle East crisis live: 20 killed as aid truck overturns in Gaza, civil defence agency says&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2025\/aug\/06\/middle-east-crisis-live-aid-truck-gaza-israel-netanyahu-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-689308e88f087c53f31fb708#block-689308e88f087c53f31fb708\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a004.16 EDT<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Footage taken by the Guardian\u2019s international correspondent, <strong>Lorenzo Tondo<\/strong>, shows the extent of the destruction of <strong>Gaza<\/strong>. The Guardian traveled on a <strong>Jordanian<\/strong> plane delivering aid as starvation worsens in the territory (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2025\/aug\/06\/middle-east-crisis-live-aid-truck-gaza-israel-netanyahu-latest-news-updates?page=with%3Ablock-689301718f0804180afc19ed#block-689301718f0804180afc19ed\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">see 8.32am BST<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Gaza before and after: new video shows extent of Israel's destruction \u2013 video\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1754475671_537_1280.jpg\" height=\"259\" width=\"460\" class=\"dcr-1qi2at0\"\/>Gaza before and after: new video shows extent of Israel&#8217;s destruction \u2013 video<a href=\"mailto:?subject=Middle East crisis live: 20 killed as aid truck overturns in Gaza, civil defence agency says&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2025\/aug\/06\/middle-east-crisis-live-aid-truck-gaza-israel-netanyahu-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-689308898f0804180afc1a23#block-689308898f0804180afc1a23\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\"><strong>Iran<\/strong> executed two men in separate cases on Wednesday, accusing one of spying for <strong>Israel<\/strong> and another of being a member of the <strong>Islamic State (IS)<\/strong> group, state media reported, according to the Associated Press (AP).<\/p>\n<p>A report by the judiciary news website Mizanonline identified the alleged spy as <strong>Rouzbeh Vadi<\/strong>, who was accused of relaying classified information to Israel\u2019s intelligence service, <strong>the Mossad<\/strong>. <\/p>\n<p>Authorities said Vadi provided information about an Iranian nuclear scientist who was killed during Israel\u2019s June airstrikes on Iran, according to the report, which did not identify the scientist or the time and place of Vadi\u2019s arrest.<\/p>\n<p>Vadi met the Mossad officers five times in <strong>Vienna<\/strong>, <strong>Austria<\/strong>, the report said.<\/p>\n<p>Israel\u2019s ambassador to <strong>France<\/strong>, <strong>Joshua Zarka<\/strong>, said in June that Israel\u2019s 12-day war on Iran included targeted strikes that killed at least 14 physicists and engineers involved with Iran\u2019s nuclear programme.<\/p>\n<p>Iran has hanged seven people for espionage during the conflict with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/israel\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Israel<\/a>, sparking fears from activists that the government could conduct a wave of executions.<\/p>\n<p>Iran separately hanged a man they said was a member of IS on Wednesday after he was convicted of plotting sabotage, Mizanonline reported. Officials accused <strong>Mehdi Asgharzadeh<\/strong> of participating in military training in <strong>Syria<\/strong> and <strong>Iraq<\/strong> before illegally entering Iran with a four-member team who were killed in a fight with Iranian security, the news site reported.<\/p>\n<p>Authorities said Iran\u2019s supreme court upheld the sentences of lower courts and followed full legal procedures before executing both men, Mizanonline reported.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Middle East crisis live: 20 killed as aid truck overturns in Gaza, civil defence agency says&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2025\/aug\/06\/middle-east-crisis-live-aid-truck-gaza-israel-netanyahu-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-689305378f087c53f31fb6ea#block-689305378f087c53f31fb6ea\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a003.52 EDT<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Lorenzo_Tondo.jpg\" alt=\"Lorenzo Tondo\" class=\"dcr-lysqes\"\/>Lorenzo Tondo<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">The Guardian was granted permission on Tuesday to travel onboard a <strong>Jordanian<\/strong> military aircraft providing aid. <strong>Israel<\/strong> announced last week that it had resumed coordinated humanitarian airdrops over <strong>Gaza<\/strong>, following mounting international pressure over severe shortages of food and medical supplies, which has reached such a crisis point that a famine is now unfolding there.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">The flight offered not only a chance to witness three tonnes of aid \u2013 far from sufficient \u2013 dropped over the famine-stricken strip but also a rare opportunity to observe, albeit from above, a territory that has been largely sealed off from the international media since 7 October and the subsequent offensive launched by Israel. Following the <strong>Hamas<\/strong>-led attacks that day, Israel barred foreign journalists from entering <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/gaza\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Gaza<\/a> \u2013 an unprecedented move in the history of modern conflict, marking one of the rare moments that reporters have been denied access to an active war zone.<\/p>\n<p>A view of northern Gaza from the Jordanian aid plane. Photograph: Alessio Mamo\/The Guardian<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Even from an altitude of about 2,000ft (600 metres), it was possible to glimpse places that mark some of the conflict\u2019s most devastating chapters \u2013 a landscape etched with the scars of its deadliest attacks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">These are the sites of bombings and sieges that have been courageously documented by <strong>Palestinian<\/strong> journalists \u2013 often at the cost of their own lives. More than 230 Palestinian reporters lie buried beneath in hastily dug cemeteries.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">You can read the full story by <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/profile\/lorenzo-tondo\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Lorenzo Tondo<\/a> <\/strong>with photography by <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/profile\/alessio-mamo\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Alessio Mamo<\/a><\/strong> here:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Middle East crisis live: 20 killed as aid truck overturns in Gaza, civil defence agency says&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2025\/aug\/06\/middle-east-crisis-live-aid-truck-gaza-israel-netanyahu-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-689301718f0804180afc19ed#block-689301718f0804180afc19ed\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a>Trump declines to say whether he supports or opposes potential Israeli military takeover of Gaza, as UN alarmed by expansion reports<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Peter_Beaumont,_L.png\" alt=\"Peter Beaumont\" class=\"dcr-lysqes\"\/>Peter Beaumont<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">On Tuesday, the <strong>US<\/strong> president, <strong>Donald Trump<\/strong>, declined to say whether he supported or opposed a potential military takeover of <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/gaza\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Gaza<\/a><\/strong> by <strong>Israel<\/strong> and said his administration\u2019s focus was on increasing food access to the <strong>Palestinian<\/strong> territory.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Trump told reporters:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-154zxly\">\n<p>I know that we are there now trying to get people fed. As far as the rest of it, I really can\u2019t say. That\u2019s going to be pretty much up to Israel.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Late on Tuesday, a senior <strong>UN<\/strong> official warned that expanding Israeli military operations inside the territory \u201cwould risk catastrophic consequences for millions of Palestinians and could further endanger the lives of the remaining hostages in Gaza\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Addressing the <strong>UN security council<\/strong> in <strong>New York<\/strong>, <strong>Miroslav Jen\u010da<\/strong>, the assistant secretary general for Europe, central Asia and the Americas, said:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-154zxly\">\n<p>There is no military solution to the conflict in Gaza or the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\"><strong>China<\/strong>\u2019s deputy UN representative, <strong>Geng Shuang<\/strong>, expressed \u201cgreat concern\u201d about the reported plans for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/gaza\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Gaza<\/a> and added:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-154zxly\">\n<p>We urge Israel to immediately halt such dangerous actions.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">He called for a ceasefire and urged countries with influence to take concrete steps to help bring one about.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Middle East crisis live: 20 killed as aid truck overturns in Gaza, civil defence agency says&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2025\/aug\/06\/middle-east-crisis-live-aid-truck-gaza-israel-netanyahu-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6892fff18f087c53f31fb6d3#block-6892fff18f087c53f31fb6d3\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a003.56 EDT<\/p>\n<p>Israeli cabinet meeting postponed as tensions rise over Netanyahu\u2019s occupation plan<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Peter_Beaumont,_L.png\" alt=\"Peter Beaumont\" class=\"dcr-lysqes\"\/>Peter Beaumont<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">An <strong>Israeli<\/strong> security cabinet meeting, which had been expected to discuss <strong>Benjamin Netanyahu<\/strong>\u2019s call for the \u201cfull occupation\u201d of <strong>Gaza<\/strong>, has been postponed amid mounting tensions over whether the plan is feasible.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Amid a stalling of ceasefire negotiations with <strong>Hamas<\/strong>, Israeli officials had briefed local and international media that the prime minister was considering an expansive offensive, aimed at taking full control of the <strong>Palestinian<\/strong> territory after 22 months of war against the militant group Hamas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">However, senior Israeli military officers and former senior commanders warned the plan would endanger the lives of the remaining Israeli hostages held by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/hamas\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Hamas<\/a>, risk further international isolation of Israel and require Israeli soldiers to administer a population in which Hamas fighters were still present.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Any move towards full occupation is likely to be strongly resisted by large parts of the international community, already horrified by the conduct of Israel\u2019s military campaign.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Israel\u2019s scorched-earth campaign has obliterated large parts of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/gaza\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Gaza<\/a>, killed more than 60,000 people, mostly civilians, forced nearly all of Gaza\u2019s more than 2 million people from their homes and created what a global hunger monitor last week called an unfolding famine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">That has caused widespread international anger and prompted several <strong>European<\/strong> countries to say they would <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/2025\/jul\/29\/uk-to-recognise-state-of-palestine-in-september-unless-israel-holds-to-a-ceasefire\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">recognise a Palestinian state next month<\/a> if there was no ceasefire, amid mounting calls for sanctions against Israel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">The disquiet follows briefings to Israeli journalists on Monday saying that Netanyahu had decided the expanded offensive was a foregone conclusion.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\u201cThe die has been cast. We\u2019re going for the full conquest of the Gaza Strip \u2013 and defeating Hamas,\u201d the unnamed sources said, quoting Netanyahu.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">By Tuesday, however, evidence had emerged of deep splits between Netanyahu and senior military officials, including the chief of staff, <strong>Eyal Zamir<\/strong>, who reportedly voiced opposition to the plan, prompting calls for his dismissal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Absent at a security cabinet meeting, Netanyahu did, however, meet security officials, but not in a decision-making setting. His office said later that the Israeli military would carry out any decision made in cabinet.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">During a visit to an army training facility earlier on Tuesday, Netanyahu said:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-154zxly\">\n<p>It is necessary to complete the defeat of the enemy in Gaza, to free all our hostages and to ensure that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Middle East crisis live: 20 killed as aid truck overturns in Gaza, civil defence agency says&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2025\/aug\/06\/middle-east-crisis-live-aid-truck-gaza-israel-netanyahu-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6892ff0c8f08c02c0d98884f#block-6892ff0c8f08c02c0d98884f\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a003.10 EDT<\/p>\n<p>Gaza civil defence agency says 20 killed by overturned aid truck<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\"><strong>Gaza\u2019s civil defence agency<\/strong> said on Wednesday that 20 people were killed when an aid truck overturned near the <strong>Nuseirat refugee camp<\/strong> in the central <strong>Gaza Strip<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\u201cTwenty people were killed and dozens injured around midnight last night in a truck carrying aid [that] overturned \u2026 while hundreds of civilians were waiting for aid,\u201d the agency\u2019s spokesperson <strong>Mahmud Bassal<\/strong> told Agence France-Presse (AFP).<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\"><strong>Hamas<\/strong> accused <strong>Israel<\/strong> of forcing truck drivers to take unsafe routes to reach aid distribution centres. \u201cThis often results in desperate crowds swarming the trucks,\u201d its media office said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>Palestinians struggle to get food and humanitarian aid from the back of a truck as it moves along the Morag corridor, near Rafah, on Monday. Photograph: Mariam Dagga\/AP<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Seperately, it was reported yesterday that truck drivers trying to deliver aid inside <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/gaza\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Gaza<\/a> said their work had become increasingly dangerous in recent months as people have grown desperately hungry and violent gangs have filled a power vacuum left by the territory\u2019s Hamas rulers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Crowds of hungry people have routinely ripped aid off the backs of moving trucks, the local drivers said. According to reports, some trucks have been hijacked by armed men working for gangs who sell the aid in Gaza\u2019s markets for exorbitant prices.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">In other developments:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\n<li class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\"><strong>An Israeli security cabinet meeting, which had been expected to discuss Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s call for the \u201cfull occupation\u201d of Gaza, has been postponed amid mounting tensions over whether the plan is feasible. <\/strong>Amid a stalling of ceasefire negotiations with Hamas, Israeli officials had briefed local and international media that the prime minister was considering an expansive offensive, aimed at taking full control of the Palestinian territory after 22 months of war against the militant group Hamas.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\"><strong>On Tuesday, the United Nations <\/strong><strong>called reports about a possible decision to expand Israel\u2019s military operations throughout the Gaza Strip \u201cdeeply alarming\u201d if true.<\/strong> The UN assistant secretary general Miroslav Jen\u010da told a UN security council meeting on the situation in Gaza that such a move \u201cwould risk catastrophic consequences \u2026 and could further endanger the lives of the remaining hostages in Gaza\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\"><strong>The US president, Donald Trump, declined to say whether he supported or opposed a potential military takeover of Gaza by Israel and said his administration\u2019s focus was on increasing food access to the Palestinian territory under assault from Washington\u2019s ally.<\/strong> \u201cI know that we are there now trying to get people fed,\u201d Trump told reporters on Tuesday. \u201cAs far as the rest of it, I really can\u2019t say. That\u2019s going to be pretty much up to Israel.\u201d Trump said Israel and Arab states were going to help with food and aid distribution in Gaza and provide financial assistance. He did not elaborate.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\"><strong>The leader of Lebanon\u2019s Hezbollah warned on Tuesday that if <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/israel\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Israel<\/a> intensifie<\/strong><strong>d its military operations against his group, the Iran-backed armed faction <\/strong><strong>would resume firing missiles toward Israel. <\/strong>Naim Qassem\u2019s comments came as Lebanon\u2019s cabinet was meeting to discuss Hezbollah\u2019s disarmament.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\"><strong>Gaza\u2019s civil defence agency said 26 people were killed by Israeli gunfire and airstrikes on Tuesday, including 14 who were waiting near an aid distribution site.<\/strong> Civil defence spokesperson Mahmud Bassal told AFP that eight people were killed by Israeli gunfire while waiting for aid near the southern city of Khan Younis.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Middle East crisis live: 20 killed as aid truck overturns in Gaza, civil defence agency says&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2025\/aug\/06\/middle-east-crisis-live-aid-truck-gaza-israel-netanyahu-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6892f6738f0804180afc198e#block-6892f6738f0804180afc198e\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a003.25 EDT<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Gaza civil defence agency says 20 killed by overturned aid truck Gaza\u2019s civil defence agency said on Wednesday&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":123338,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[99,50],"class_list":{"0":"post-123337","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"tag-israel","9":"tag-news"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114981325033272716","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123337","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=123337"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123337\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/123338"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=123337"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=123337"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=123337"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}