Closing summary
Israel has dismantled the proven and internationally backed ‘civilian model’ of aid distribution, furthering its military and objectives in Gaza and furthering starvation, according to a newly published joint report by Forensic Architecture (FA) and the World Peace Foundation (WPF).
The report by the research agency and charity respectively– published today at the same time as the UN-backed body, IPC confirmed Famine in Gaza – examines two models for aid distribution in Gaza, revealing how since 18 March 2025, Israel has dismantled the proven and internationally backed ‘civilian model’ of aid distribution, replacing it with a ‘military model’ which furthers Israel’s military and political objectives in Gaza while starving the region’s civilian population.
The UK’s foreign secretary, David Lammy, has condemned Israel’s refusal to allow sufficient aid into Gaza and has described the crisis in Gaza as a catastrophic humanitarian situation after a Famine was confirmed by the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification. His statement today read: “The confirmation of famine in Gaza City and the surrounding neighbourhood is utterly horrifying and is wholly preventable. The Israeli government’s refusal to allow sufficient aid into Gaza has caused this man-made catastrophe. This is a moral outrage.”
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a report from a global hunger monitor on Friday that said Gaza City and surrounding areas were officially suffering from famine, saying it ignored recent humanitarian steps by Israel. “The IPC report is an outright lie. Israel does not have a policy of starvation. Israel has a policy of preventing starvation. Since the beginning of the war Israel has enabled two million tons of aid to enter the Gaza Strip, over one ton of aid per person,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
Far more aid required to tackle the malnutrition threatening the lives of 130,000 Palestinian children, a children’s charity has warned. Plan International UK said in reaction to the IPC’s report that the Famine was an “entirely man-made hunger catastrophe that is killing Gazan children every day”.
Foreign ministers from European countries, Australia and the United Kingdom on Friday condemned Israel’s plans to construct a settlement east of Jerusalem, they said in a joint statement. “The decision by the Israeli Higher Planning Committee to approve plans for settlement construction in the E1 area, East of Jerusalem, is unacceptable and a violation of international law,” the statement said.
Mothers in Gaza have resorted to using legume water and herbs as alternative to infant milk amid famine, charity warned. Dr Ra’ed Al-Baba, who works at Al Awda Hospital run by ActionAid’s partner Al-Awda, said usage of alternatives to infant milk had “catastrophic” consequences..
Figures from a classified Israeli military intelligence database indicate five out of six Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in Gaza have been civilians, a joint investigation by the Guardian, the Israeli-Palestinian publication +972 Magazine and the Hebrew-language outlet Local Call has found. As of May, 19 months into the war, Israeli intelligence officials listed 8,900 named fighters from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad as dead or “probably dead”.
The Indonesian government is working on plans to treat 2,000 people from war-ravaged Gaza, holding a series of inter-ministerial discussions to discuss logistics, legality and foreign policy implications relating to the highly sensitive proposal, according to a senior government official. Indonesia announced earlier this month that it would provide temporary medical assistance to 2,000 Palestinians from Gaza, with the uninhabited island of Galang identified as one possible site.
Israel’s plans to expand the fighting and seize Gaza City have sparked international outcry as well as domestic opposition. The Red Cross became the latest voice to condemn the plan on Thursday, calling it “intolerable”. The Israeli defence ministry approved an expanded offensive to target the remaining Hamas strongholds in the strip. The newly approved plan authorises the call-up of roughly 60,000 reservists, deepening fears the campaign will worsen the already catastrophic humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory.
Relatives of Israeli hostages held in Gaza have urged Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to accept a proposed ceasefire deal, saying a failure to do so is “a death sentence for the living hostages and a sentence of disappearance for the deceased ones.”
Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital said at least 17 Palestinians were killed Friday as Israel escalates its activity in the area in the lead-up to its broader planned offensive. An Israeli airstrike hit a school in Sheikh Radwan, a Gaza City neighborhood where tens of Palestinians shelter in makeshift tents in the schoolyard. It killed at least seven people, according to an eyewitness and hospital records.
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi and his French, British and German counterparts agreed on Friday to resume talks next week on nuclear and sanctions issues, Iranian state media reported. The three major European powers have threatened to re-activate United Nations sanctions on Iran under a “snapback” mechanism if Tehran does not return to negotiations on a deal to curb its disputed uranium enrichment programme.
A Palestinian girl waits at a community kitchen before donated food is distributed in Gaza City, earlier today.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a report from a global hunger monitor on Friday that said Gaza City and surrounding areas were officially suffering from famine, saying it ignored recent humanitarian steps by Israel.
“The IPC report is an outright lie. Israel does not have a policy of starvation. Israel has a policy of preventing starvation. Since the beginning of the war Israel has enabled two million tons of aid to enter the Gaza Strip, over one ton of aid per person,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system said 514,000 people - close to a quarter of Palestinians in Gaza - are experiencing famine, with the number due to rise to 641,000 by the end of September.
Iran and European powers agree to resume nuclear talks next week
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi and his French, British and German counterparts agreed on Friday to resume talks next week on nuclear and sanctions issues, Iranian state media reported.
The three major European powers have threatened to re-activate United Nations sanctions on Iran under a “snapback” mechanism if Tehran does not return to negotiations on a deal to curb its disputed uranium enrichment programme.
German foreign minister Johann Wadephul confirmed talks next week and warned Iran that sanctions would snap back into effect unless it reached a verifiable and durable deal to defuse concerns about its nuclear ambitions. He reiterated that time was very short and Iran needed to engage substantively.
Iranian state media said Araqchi and the British, French and German foreign ministers agreed during a phone call for deputy foreign ministers to continue the talks on Tuesday.
During the call, Araqchi “emphasised the legal and moral incompetence of these countries to resort to the [snapback] mechanism, and warned of the consequences of such an action”, Iranian media reported.
The European trio, along with the US, contend that Iran is using the nuclear energy programme to potentially develop weapons capability in violation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Iran says it seeks only civilian nuclear power.
David Lammy condemns Israel's refusal to allow sufficient aid into Gaza and describes famine as 'catastrophic humanitarian situation'
The foreign secretary, David Lammy, has condemned Israel’s refusal to allow sufficient aid into Gaza and has described the crisis in Gaza as a catastrophic humanitarian situation after a Famine was confirmed by the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification.
His statement today read:
The confirmation of famine in Gaza City and the surrounding neighbourhood is utterly horrifying and is wholly preventable.
The Israeli government’s refusal to allow sufficient aid into Gaza has caused this man-made catastrophe. This is a moral outrage.
The IPC report makes clear the sickening consequences, especially for children. The Government of Israel can and must immediately act to stop the situation deteriorating any further. It must immediately and sustainably allow unhindered food, medical supplies, fuel, and all types of aid to reach those who so desperately need them.”
Lammy added that the Israeli government must allow the UN and international NGOs to carry out their work and for aid to reach those most in need.
We desperately need an immediate ceasefire, to enable aid delivery at maximum speed and at the scale required. This includes halting the military operation in Gaza City which is the epicentre of the famine.”
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Indonesian government work on plans to treat 2000 people from Gaza
The Indonesian government is holding a series of inter-ministerial discussions to discuss logistics, legality and foreign policy implications relating to the highly sensitive proposal, according to a senior government official.
Dave Laksono, deputy chair of the parliament’s commission I, which oversees defence and foreign affairs said:
These discussions have focused on logistical feasibility, medical readiness, and legal frameworks,”
Commission I has also been briefed on the strategic implications, particularly regarding Indonesia’s foreign policy posture and regional stability.
Plans at this stage remain “exploratory” with Galang island identified as one site due its historical use for humanitarian purposes and existing infrastructure.
Other sites, including facilities in West Java and Central Java that have proximity to major hospitals and logistical hubs are also being considered.
Kate Lamb’s report is below:
Updated
Figures from a classified Israeli military intelligence database indicate five out of six Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in Gaza have been civilians, a joint investigation by the Guardian, the Israeli-Palestinian publication +972 Magazine and the Hebrew-language outlet Local Call has found.
As of May, 19 months into the war, Israeli intelligence officials listed 8,900 named fighters from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad as dead or “probably dead”.
At that time 53,000 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli attacks, according to health authorities in Gaza, a toll that included combatants and civilians. Fighters named in the Israeli military intelligence database accounted for just 17% of the total, which indicates that 83% of the dead were civilians.
You can read the investigation by Emma Graham-Harrison and Yuval Abraham below:
Foreign ministers from EU countries condemn Israel's new settlement plan
Foreign ministers from European countries, Australia and the United Kingdom on Friday condemned Israel’s plans to construct a settlement east of Jerusalem, they said in a joint statement.
“The decision by the Israeli Higher Planning Committee to approve plans for settlement construction in the E1 area, East of Jerusalem, is unacceptable and a violation of international law,” the statement said.
Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital said at least 17 Palestinians were killed Friday as Israel escalates its activity in the area in the lead-up to its broader planned offensive.
An Israeli airstrike hit a school in Sheikh Radwan, a Gaza City neighborhood where tens of Palestinians shelter in makeshift tents in the schoolyard. It killed at least seven people, according to an eyewitness and hospital records.
Israel’s military said it wasn’t aware of a strike in the area but in a statement said troops were operating on the outskirts of Gaza City and in the Zeitoun neighborhood.
The strike is part of Israel’s ongoing push in Gaza City, where the military says it is operating and witnesses have reported intense bombardment in the days since Israel approved its plans to take the city.
Amal Aboul Aas, who is now sheltering in Gaza City after being displaced four times, said the explosions were so intense he couldn’t sleep, yet she couldn’t leave either.
“We do not have the money, the resources, or the energy to evacuate again. I just wish for a quick death right where I am here because I am not going anywhere. Eventually one of these missiles will hit me,” she told The Associated Press.
The numbers behind the IPC’s Famine analysis
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification system said 514,000 people – nearly a quarter of Palestinians in Gaza – are experiencing famine.
The number is to rise to 641,000 by the end of September.
About 280,000 of those people are in a northern region covering Gaza City – known as Gaza governorate.
For a region to be classified as in famine at least 20% of people must be suffering extreme food shortages, with one in three children acutely malnourished and two people out of every 10,000 dying daily from starvation or malnutrition and disease.
It is the fifth time in the past 14 years that a famine has been determined by the IPC after previously determining that there was famine in areas of Somalia in 2011, South Sudan in 2017 and 2020, and Sudan in 2024.
Israel has been critical of the U.N.-led operation and accuses Hamas of stealing aid, which the militant group deny.
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Deaths from starvation may amount to a war crime, UN human rights agency warn
The UN human rights agency’s spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said that the famine confirmed today in Gaza is a direct result of Israel’s actions, and may amount to a war crime.
You can watch it in our video below:
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Humanitarian organisations and charities have been react to Famine
Humanitarian organisations and charities have been reacting after Famine was confirmed in Gaza City for the first time by a UN-backed body responsible for monitoring food security (see 10.07).
Here are some of the latest responses:
Helen Stawski, Oxfam Policy Lead said:
Despite warnings in July that famine was imminent, Israel has continued to deprive Palestinians of food, denying almost every request from long-established humanitarian agencies, preventing them from delivering vital food and aid that could have stemmed hunger, malnutrition and disease.
Oxfam alone has more than $2.5m worth of life-saving aid, including high-calorie food packages – now sitting in warehouses outside Gaza. Israeli authorities have rejected it all, at a time when it is needed more than ever.
Moazzam Malik, CEO Save the Children UK said:
This siege and the weaponisation of aid must end. Essential supplies must flow without hinderance on political grounds. The UK must suspend all arms transfers to Israel, including components for F-35 fighter jets used to rain terror on civilians. The UK must act against those that are responsible for these atrocities.”
Samah Wadi, a nutritional expert working at a primary healthcare centre for CARE International UK in Deir Al-Balah said:
We see people at our clinic who think nutritional supplements can replace food, then you are forced to explain that these nutritional supplements are just complementary.
They are looking for anything to survive on, to hold onto, even if it means it will only save them for another couple of hours.”
Israel has furthered starvation with 'military model' of aid distribution, according to new joint-report
Israel has dismantled the proven and internationally backed ‘civilian model’ of aid distribution, furthering its military and objectives in Gaza and furthering starvation, according to a newly published joint report by Forensic Architecture (FA) and the World Peace Foundation (WPF).
The report by the research agency and charity respectively– published today at the same time as the UN-backed body, IPC confirmed Famine in Gaza – examines two models for aid distribution in Gaza, revealing how since 18 March 2025, Israel has dismantled the proven and internationally backed ‘civilian model’ of aid distribution, replacing it with a ‘military model’ which furthers Israel’s military and political objectives in Gaza while starving the region’s civilian population.
FA verified at least 64 incidents occurring between 18 March and 1 August of civilians being attacked by the Israeli military while seeking aid, including 25 incidents at and around Gaza Humanitarian Foundation ration stations.
It concludes that Israel has used aid to break down existing social and civil structures in Gaza, grounded in relations between family networks, political groups, and international aid organisations, to generate dependency and, as a result, to establish political control over the Palestinian population.
Eyal Weizman, director of Forensic Architecture said
Aid can be lethal when used in a manipulative way. We have unpacked the architecture of starvation imposed by Israel in Gaza.
It is composed of acts of construction and destruction: the destruction of Palestinian agriculture and food sovereignty, the destruction of Palestinian civil society, and the construction of death traps.’
Alex de Waal, executive director of the World Peace Foundation (WPF) added:
‘The dehumanisation of Palestinians, the stripping of basic dignity, and the tearing apart of the fabric of the community are not accidental byproducts of the mass starvation inflicted on the people of Gaza.
There is every reason to believe that these are what Israel intends through its militarised ration system.’
Updated
Far more aid required to tackle the malnutrition threatening the lives of 130,000 Palestinian children, a children’s charity has warned
Plan International UK said in reaction to the IPC’s report that the Famine was an “entirely man-made hunger catastrophe that is killing Gazan children every day”
Kathleen Spencer Chapman, director of influencing and external Affairs at global children’s charity Plan International UK said:
While Plan International has recently delivered critically needed aid into Gaza, far more is required to prevent continued catastrophic loss of life. Until Israel ends its illegal blockade of life-saving aid at Gaza’s borders, children will continue to die painfully and needlessly.
The world cannot continue to look on while Gazan children and their families are deliberately starved to death. We renew our urgent calls for the end of all UK arms sales to Israel, an immediate and sustained ceasefire, and the complete lifting of Israel’s illegal blockade of humanitarian aid.
This must include dismantling the so-called ‘Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’ – a cruel deathtrap that has killed thousands simply seeking food and basic humanitarian assistance.”
Updated
More than 2,700 food kits have items that have already expired or been lost due to political inaction, humanitarian organisation says
Mercy Corps said it had enough life saving aid to help 160,000 people but it has been “blocked for months”.
Mercy Corps chief executive officer, Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, said in response to confirmation of the Famine:
This is the direct result of months of deliberate restrictions on aid, the destruction of Gaza’s food, health, and water systems, and relentless bombardment. This is a man-made catastrophe, entirely preventable and entirely unconscionable.
We’re watching our own team members waste away. They’re standing in food lines, skipping meals so their children can eat, and risking their lives daily just to find bread and water.
Mercy Corps has life-saving aid – enough to help 160,000 people – waiting for permission to enter Gaza. But it has been blocked for months. This includes food kits, hygiene supplies, and shelter materials, pre-positioned and waiting for clearance. Meanwhile, 2,700 of our food kits have items within them that have already expired, lost due to political inaction.”
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Israeli military agency that coordinates aid, accuses Hamas of a "false starvation campaign"
COGAT, the Israeli military agency that coordinates aid, accused Hamas of a “false starvation campaign” and said the U.N. and others were spreading unfounded claims about hunger in Gaza.
It comes after The IPC published its 59-page report, saying there should be “no doubt in anyone’s mind that an immediate, at-scale response is needed” to unfolding Famine in Gaza.
Mothers in Gaza have resorted to using legume water and herbs as alternative to infant milk amid Famine, charity warns
Dr. Ra’ed Al-Baba, who works at Al Awda Hospital run by ActionAid’s partner Al-Awda, said usage of alternatives to infant milk had “catastrophic” consequences.
He said:
There are mothers who resort to using legume water, herbs, and other alternatives to infant milk because of the severe shortage. These methods carry catastrophic risks, causing gastroenteritis, food poisoning, delayed growth, severe anaemia, and even the inability to move. We have seen cases of extreme dehydration from polluted water mixed with these substitutes. This is not survival, this is slow death.”
Poland join international opposition to new settlement plan
Poland have joined 21 other countries in condemning Israel’s new illegal E1 settlement plan in the West Bank
It called it a “flagrant breach of international law”.
The statement added that Poland “advocates the two-state solution which implies the peaceful coexistence of Israel and Palestine within the 1967 borders, as confirmed by UN security council resolutions”.
The 3,400-home development has been condemned internationally and will cut off much of the occupied West Bank from occupied East Jerusalem while linking up thousands of illegal Israeli settlements in the area.
More than 20 countries, including the UK, Australia and Japan, released a joint statement on Thursday, condemning the plan, which they say makes a future two-state solution for Palestinians impossible.
Famine in Gaza confirmation is a “deep stain on our collective humanity,” charity says
ActionAid UK have urged the international community to use diplomatic pressure to bring about a permanent ceasefire after Famine was confirmed in Gaza by a UN backed body.
Taahra Ghazi, co-CEO of ActionAid UK, said:
There is now a race against time to stop this famine from becoming any further entrenched.
Every hour counts and there is no time to waste. The international community must take meaningful action and use diplomatic pressure to bring about a permanent ceasefire immediately.
Food and other aid must be allowed to enter Gaza unhindered, rapidly and at scale if there is to be any hope of preventing any more deaths by starvation.”
Famine in Gaza City means "deaths will increase exponentially", UN-backed organisation warns
Famine has been confirmed in Gaza City for the first time, a UN-backed body responsible for monitoring food security says.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has raised its classification to Phase 5, the highest and worst level of its acute food insecurity scale.
The report states:
The Famine Review Committee (FRC) has determined that Famine (IPC Phase 5) is now occurring in Gaza Governorate. Furthermore, the FRC projects Famine (IPC Phase 5) thresholds to be crossed in Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis Governorates in the coming weeks.
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As this Famine is entirely human-made, it can be halted and reversed. The time for debate and hesitation has passed, starvation is present and is rapidly spreading. There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that an immediate, at-scale response is needed. Any further delay-even by days-will result in a totally unacceptable escalation of Famine-related mortality.
• If a ceasefire is not implemented to allow humanitarian aid to reach everyone in the Gaza Strip, and if essential food supplies, and basic health, nutrition, and WASH services are not restored immediately, avoidable deaths will increase exponentially.
The full report can be accessed here
Updated
Israel releases latest data on aid entering Gaza yesterday
COGAT said more than 220 humanitarian trucks had entered Gaza through the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings
The body published the figures this morning on X:
Humanitarian aid summary for August 21:
— COGAT (@cogatonline) August 22, 2025
🚛📦Aid entry: Over 220 humanitarian aid trucks entered Gaza through the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings.
🛻📦Aid collection: Over 370 trucks were collected and distributed by the UN and international organizations. The contents of… pic.twitter.com/CPpyj0FF1D
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Humanitarian situation reaching new depths, UK warns
Speaking on the crisis in Gaza, the parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Hamish Falconer, said the humanitarian situation in Gaza has “reached new depths”, Sky reports.
He said:
“Israel must immediately and permanently lift all barriers preventing aid reaching the people of Gaza to prevent the horrifying starvation in the Strip continuing,” he said.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza has reached new depths and that is why we are doing all we can to end the current suffering and change the situation on the ground.
We continue to support efforts to bring about an immediate ceasefire. We also need a comprehensive plan to end this misery and get to a long-term settlement that provides peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis.”
Israel vows to destroy Gaza City if Hamas doesn’t disarm, free hostages
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has vowed to destroy Gaza City if Hamas did not agree to disarm, release all remaining hostages in the territory and end the war on Israel’s terms, reports AFP.
He wrote on social media:
Soon, the gates of hell will open upon the heads of Hamas’s murderers and rapists in Gaza - until they agree to Israel’s conditions for ending the war, primarily the release of all hostages and their disarmament,” the minister posted on social media.
If they do not agree, Gaza, the capital of Hamas, will become Rafah and Beit Hanoun,” he added, referring to two cities in Gaza largely razed during previous Israeli operations.
The statement came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late Thursday that he had ordered immediate negotiations aimed at freeing all the remaining hostages in Gaza to accompany the operation to take control of Gaza City and destroy the Hamas stronghold.
Earlier this week, the Israeli defence ministry authorised the call-up of roughly 60,000 reservists to help seize Gaza City.
Here are some of the images that have come out of Gaza overnight and in the early hours of this morning:
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Opening summary
Welcome to live coverage of the Israel-Gaza war. It is 10.42 in Gaza City.
Here are some of the latest developments:
Famine is set to be officially declared by the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) – a globally recognised system for classifying the severity of food insecurity and malnutrition.
Israel’s plans to expand the fighting and seize Gaza City have sparked international outcry as well as domestic opposition. The Red Cross became the latest voice to condemn the plan on Thursday, calling it “intolerable”. The Israeli defence ministry approved an expanded offensive to target the remaining Hamas strongholds in the strip. The newly approved plan authorises the call-up of roughly 60,000 reservists, deepening fears the campaign will worsen the already catastrophic humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory.
Relatives of Israeli hostages held in Gaza have urged Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to accept a proposed ceasefire deal, saying a failure to do so is “a death sentence for the living hostages and a sentence of disappearance for the deceased ones.”
In Gaza City, thousands of Palestinians have left their homes as Israeli forces have escalated shelling on the Sabra and Tuffah neighbourhoods. Some families have left for shelters along the coast, while others have moved to central and southern parts of the enclave, according to residents there.
Children suffering from malnutrition in Gaza could die if emergency provisions are not immediately put in place during Israel’s Gaza City military operation, the head of the UN Palestinian refugee agency has warned. UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini said its data showed a six-fold increase in the number of children suffering from malnutrition in Gaza City since March.
Israeli citizen Saleh Abu-Hussein, who was detained in Lebanon for about a year, has returned to Israel following negotiations with the help of the Red Cross, the Israeli prime minister’s office has said. The prime minister’s office did not disclose details on the circumstances of the citizen’s detention, according to Reuters.
Armed Palestinian groups in Lebanese refugee camps will start handing over their weapons to the authorities on Thursday, a joint committee said, following a deal reached in May. “Today marks the beginning of the first phase of the process of handing over weapons from inside the Palestinian camps,” Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue Committee chairman Ramez Dimashkieh said in a statement.
The UK’s Foreign Office has summoned Israeli ambassador Tzipi Hotovely over Tel Aviv’s approval of a major settlement plan in the West Bank.
Turkish port authorities have begun informally requiring shipping agents to provide letters declaring that vessels are not linked to Israel and not carrying military or hazardous cargo bound for the country, according to two shipping sources. The move is another step Turkey has taken against Israel after it last year severed trade with the country, worth $7bn (£5.20bn) annually, over its war in Gaza with Palestinian militant group Hamas.
The UK has called on Israel to allow foreign journalists to enter Gaza as Tel Aviv prepares to step up military operations in the territory. In a statement alongside 25 other members of the Media Freedom Coalition, the UK urged Israel to “allow immediate independent foreign media access and afford protection for journalists operating in Gaza”.
Britain imposed sanctions on one individual and four entities on Wednesday under its Iran sanctions regime, saying they are part of a network that supports Tehran’s overseas activities, including in Ukraine and Israel. The sanctions include an asset freeze on Iranian oil magnate Hossein Shamkhani, and on four companies operating in the shipping, petrochemical and financial sectors, according to a government notice published online.
Iranian state television report said the nation’s first military exercise since the 12-day war with Israel involved a frigate IRIS Sabalan and a smaller vessel, the IRIS Ganaveh, which launched Nasir and Qadir cruise missiles at targets in the sea, striking them. Coastal batteries also opened fire as part of the exercise.
A group of 17 US senators sent a letter to secretary of state Marco Rubio on Wednesday calling for the United States to press Israel to grant access and protection to journalists in Gaza. The letter comes one week after an Israeli strike killed a group of Palestinian journalists in the besieged territory.
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Famine set to be officially declared in Gaza for first time by UN-backed group
A famine is set to be declared in Gaza by the international body responsible for monitoring world hunger.
The Guardian understands that the report will declare that the threshold for famine has been reached in Gaza City, in parts of the south and central areas of the territory but not in the north, where data is insufficient.
The situation in the northern areas of Gaza, which have been completely reduced to rubble in large part, is thought to be worse than in much of the rest of Gaza however, aid officials said.
The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) is a globally recognised system for classifying the severity of food insecurity and malnutrition.
It has been used to declare just four famines since it was established in 2004, most recently in Sudan last year.
The organisation has previously warned famine is imminent in parts of Gaza, it has until now stopped short of making a formal declaration, citing a lack of hard data.
However, this morning, it is expected to formally declare a famine in Gaza City, the last remaining major built-up area of Gaza and home to some 500,000 people.
The Israeli government has consistently denied that famine is taking place in Gaza and is currently moving in on Gaza City.
In order to declare a famine, three strict criteria must be met: at least 20 per cent of households face an extreme lack of food, at least 30 per cent of children suffer acute malnutrition, and two people for every 10,000 die each day due to “outright starvation”.
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