GAZA: At least 90 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since dawn, sources in the territory’s hospitals have told Al Jazeera. Among the victims were 36 people who were seeking aid, they said.
More than 100 others have been injured in the latest attacks, which struck several neighbourhoods and aid distribution areas across the besieged enclave.
Emergency workers said the number of casualties may rise, as some of the wounded are in critical condition.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump claimed that 10 more Israeli captives will be released “very shortly”, though he gave no details or timeline.
Speaking at a dinner with lawmakers at the White House on Friday night, Trump praised the efforts of his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff.
“We got most of the hostages back. We’re going to have another 10 coming very shortly, and we hope to have that finished quickly,” he said.
Trump has repeatedly claimed a ceasefire and release deal is near, though no agreements have materialised.
‘No one should have to risk their life to get basic assistance’: Red Cross chief
Jagan Chapagain, secretary general of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), has again warned that Palestinians in Gaza face “an acute risk of famine”, and the situation is getting worse, Al Jazeera reports.
“Basic food supplies are no longer available in markets or distribution points,” Chapagain said in a post on X.
“The cost of remaining essentials, such as flour, has skyrocketed, with 1 kilogramme now reaching as much as $20, making it impossible for two million people to meet their minimum daily nutritional needs.”
He also reiterated a call “for full and unhindered access for humanitarian assistance” to Gaza, which remains under an Israeli blockade.
UK police arrest 55 at parliament rally for banned Palestine Action group
Fifty-five people have been arrested at a rally for the banned Palestine Action group outside Britain’s parliament, Reuters reports quoting London’s Metropolitan Police.
The crowd in Parliament Square had been waving placards supporting the group that was banned this month under anti-terrorism legislation, the force said in a post on X.
People from the rally, some wearing black and white Palestinian scarves, were taken away in police vans.
British lawmakers proscribed the group earlier this month after some of its members broke into a Royal Air Force base and damaged planes in protest of Britain’s support for Israel. Membership of Palestine Action now carries a prison sentence of up to 14 years.
The group has called the decision “authoritarian”, and a challenge to the ban will be heard at London’s High Court on Monday.
Israel’s war on Gaza
Israel has carried out a devastating military campaign in Gaza since late October 2023, killing at least 58,667 Palestinians, the majority of them women and children.
The relentless bombardment has levelled much of the besieged enclave, creating severe food shortages, collapsing health infrastructure, and fuelling the spread of disease.
In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice.
