Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks cabinet backing to expand Israel’s offensive in Gaza and seize the entire enclave, according to Israeli media.
Netanyahu is set to meet with his security cabinet on Tuesday, as he declared on Monday they would discuss how to instruct the military to meet his war goals in Gaza.
Senior officials in Netanyahu’s office allegedly said: “The decision has been made - we're going to occupy Gaza”, according to Israeli news channel N12. The Jerusalem Post also reported plans of an occupation, citing a source in the Prime Minister’s Office.
The Independent has approached the Prime Minister’s Office to confirm these reports.
Netanyahu shared a video of himself at 9pm local time in which he said Israel was “committing to free Gaza from the tyranny of these terrorists”.
It comes as new footage of emaciated hostages has sparked national outrage in Israel and put pressure on Netanyahu, who met with the International Committee of the Red Cross to ask that it bring hostages food and medicine - access that the organisation says has never been granted by Hamas.
Israel-Gaza latest: Key points
- Netanyahu leaning toward seizing Gaza - reports
- Family of Israeli hostage held in Gaza accuses Hamas of starving him
- 600 Israeli ex-security officials appeal to Trump
- Israeli protests to end war, release hostages
- Western leaders condemn videos of Israeli hostages
- UK to evacuate ill and injured children for urgent medical treatment
Canada to deliver additional humanitarian assistance to Gaza
21:45 , Bryony GoochThe Canadian government said on Monday it delivered additional humanitarian assistance to Gaza, which has been under a devastating Israeli military assault for almost 22 months after the deadly October 2023 Hamas attack.
"The (Canadian Armed Forces) employed a CC-130J Hercules aircraft to conduct an airdrop of critical humanitarian aid in support of Global Affairs Canada into the Gaza Strip. The air drop consisted of 21,600 pounds of aid," the Canadian government said in a statement.
Canada said last week it plans to recognize the State of Palestine at a meeting of the United Nations in September, ratcheting up pressure on Israel as starvation spreads in Gaza.
Why are airdrops so dangerous?
21:30 , Bryony GoochAs a Palestinian nurse has been killed by a flying pallet in the midst of air drops, humanitarians have already told The Independent their safety concerns surrounding aid drops.
Read more here:
Can airdrops solve the Gaza crisis? Aid agencies are sceptical
Watch: Protesters gather at Netanyahu's office demanding end to war in Gaza
21:15 , Bryony GoochProtesters gather outside Labour headquarters for Palestine
21:00 , Bryony GoochAround 40 pro-Palestine protesters gathered outside the Labour Party headquarters on Monday evening.
Campaigners held Palestine flags and chanted "Shame on Keir Starmer, shame on the Labour Party, shame on David Lammy" while banging steel pot lids outside the office in Southwark, London.
One sign displayed by the group read "We support the legal application to de-proscribe Palestine Action. Fight racism. Fight imperialism".
The group chanted "brick by brick, wall by wall, the siege in Gaza has to fall" and "brick by brick wall by wall, the Labour Party has to fall".
There were around 10 police officers in attendance, along with three police vans.
Turkey's Erdogan congratulates UK for Palestinian recognition remarks
20:30 , Bryony GoochTurkey's President Tayyip Erdogan congratulated British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for his statements over the recognition of a Palestinian state on Monday, Erdogan's office said.
Erdogan and Starmer discussed bilateral relations in a phone call, as well as regional and global issues, the Turkish statement said. It added that the Turkish president also emphasised the importance of taking steps to compel Israel to agree to a ceasefire in Gaza and a two-state solution
Foreign Office: 'A ceasefire is the first step to recognising Palestine'
19:58 , Bryony GoochThe British foreign office has shared a statement following reports about Britain’s intention to recognise Palestine as a state.
A spokesperson said: “We have been unequivocal about the appalling and unrelenting scenes in Gaza and have announced our intention to recognise Palestine in September to protect the viability of the two-state solution. The first step in that process must be a ceasefire and there is no question about that.
“We must also see significant progress on the ground including the supply of humanitarian support and for Israel to rule out annexations in the West Bank, and a commitment to a long-term sustainable peace.
“We will make an assessment ahead of UNGA on how far both Israel and Hamas have met the steps we set out. No one side will have a veto on recognition through their actions or inactions.
“As we set out to Parliament in September, we suspended certain export licences to Israel for items used in military operations in Gaza and our latest data shows we have continued to refuse licences for military goods that might be used by Israel in the current conflict.”
Netanyahu leaning toward seizing Gaza, Israeli TV says
19:30 , Bryony GoochIsraeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is leaning toward expanding the offensive in Gaza and seizing the entire enclave, Israel's Channel 12 cited an official from his office as saying on Monday.
Netanyahu will be convening his cabinet on Tuesday to make a decision on the matter, Israeli media reported.
Netanyahu said on Monday he would convene his security cabinet this week to discuss how to instruct the military to meet his war goals in Gaza.
"We must continue to stand together and fight together to achieve all our war objectives: the defeat of the enemy, the release of our hostages, and the assurance that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel," Netanyahu said.
Family pays tribute to Palestinian nurse killed in aid drop
18:53 , Bel Trew, Chief International Correspondent“Like all the young men, Oday waited in the scorching sun for four hours. But when the planes arrived, he couldn’t get out of the way in time,” said Moatasem Al-Quraan, 31, from central Gaza, about his cousin, nurse Oday Al-Quraan, who was crushed to death earlier on Monday.
A pallet of aid airdropped into central Gaza landed on him as he waited for food , his family and eyewitnesses told The Independent. His cousin was speaking at Oday’s funeral.
“He is married and has two children. He was like every citizen in Gaza. He has been hungry for four months.
“The plane which dropped the aid which killed Oday was carrying 12 boxes, inside each were 36 cartons of food. Where will we distribute them? The aid on the plane isn’t enough for the 20,000 people who were waiting there.”
Hostage images are 'sickening': UK Foreign Sec
18:30 , Steffie BanatvalaThe images of hostages being paraded for propaganda are sickening.
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) August 3, 2025
Every hostage must be released unconditionally. Hamas must disarm and have no control over Gaza.
We are working with partners on a long-term solution and plan for peace. This must begin with an immediate…
Watch: Israeli strike on Gaza HQ, according to Palestinian aid group
17:30 , Steffie BanatvalaExplained: What does recognising a Palestinian state mean?
16:45 , Steffie BanatvalaEarlier we reported that more than a dozen House Democrats have signed a letter urging Trump to recognise a Palestinian state.
The criteria to recognise a sovereign state under the Montevideo Convention of 1933 requires:
- a defined territory
- a permanent population
- an effective government and international relations
- formal diplomacy including embassies, ambassadors and treaties
147 of 193 UN member states already recognise Palestine as a state, as of March 2025.
Canada, the UK and France have announced plans to recognise Palestine in September, though Westminster said it would refrain from doing so if Israel takes urgent steps to end the war.
Longtime Trump ally breaks with GOP over Gaza
16:15 , Steffie BanatvalaGreene has recently broken with the Republicans on several key issues, including condemning Israel’s war in Gaza as “genocide”:
Marjorie Taylor Greene hints that she might be finished with the Republican Party
UK govt declines to say if Palestine will be recognised with Hamas in power
15:45 , Steffie BanatvalaDowning Street declined to say whether Britain would recognise Palestine with Hamas still in power after the militant group reportedly described statehood as “one of the fruits of October 7”.
Number 10 also refused to be drawn on whether the release of all Israeli hostages was a condition for recognition, but insisted they must be freed “unconditionally and immediately”.
Netanyahu says he will instruct military to meet war goals in Gaza
15:31 , Steffie BanatvalaIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netaynahu is set to convene his security cabinet this week to discuss how to instruct the military to proceed in Gaza and meet all his war goals.
“We must continue to stand together and fight together to achieve all our war objectives: the defeat of the enemy, the release of our hostages, and the assurance that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel,” Netanyahu said.
He did not specify when the meeting would be held.
In pictures: Israeli protests to end war, release hostages
15:28 , Steffie Banatvala
In pictures: Palestinians rush to receive aid drops
15:15 , Steffie Banatvala
US House speaker visits illegal settlement in West Bank
14:52 , Steffie BanatvalaMike Johnson visited a settlement in the occupied West Bank on Monday during a private visit to Israel organised by a pro-Israel advocacy group, Axios reports.
Johnson's visit to the Ariel settlement received approval from the White House and State Department, Israel Hayom reported, alongside a photo of Johnson and his wife.
WHO chief issues appeal for hostages in Gaza
14:45 , Steffie BanatvalaWorld Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has echoed humanitarian appeals for the “immediate and unconditional release” of all hostages in Gaza.
His statement followed an appeal from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) after videos of emaciated Israeli hostages circulated online over the weekend.
We echo @ICRC’s call for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held in #Gaza.
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) August 4, 2025
We reiterate that all those being held must receive access to food and medical care, and must be treated without any form of humiliation. https://t.co/ARYaF7Qeuq
'I don't think it's genocide': Trump
14:35 , Steffie Banatvala
When asked, US President Donald Trump rejected the characterisation of the war in Gaza as genocide.
“I don’t think it’s that. They’re in a war,” Trump said.
“Some horrible things happened on October 7,” the President added, as he prepared to board Air Force One in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
“It was a horrible, horrible thing. One of the worst I’ve ever seen.”
Read in full: Aid group says worker killed by Israeli military in attack on Gaza HQ
14:15 , Steffie BanatvalaThe Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) has accused Israel of strikings its Gaza headquarters – killing an aid worker and injuring a number of others.
Alexander Butler reports:
Aid group says worker killed by Israeli military in attack on Gaza HQ
In pictures: aid packages dropped over Gaza
13:45 , Steffie Banatvala
'Hamas no longer poses strategic threat to Israel': 600 Israeli ex-security officials
13:15 , Steffie BanatvalaSix hundred retired Israeli security officials and former intelligence agency heads have written to US President Trump to pressure Israel to end the war in Gaza immediately.
The appeal comes as ceasefire talks have stalled and Netanyahu is reportedly pushing to expand military operations in Gaza.
It is our professional judgement that Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel
In Pictures: Palestinians struggle for food amid hunger crisis
12:54 , Steffie Banatvala
Death toll climbs by 94 in Gaza: health ministry
12:45 , Steffie BanatvalaAt least 94 Palestinians were killed and 439 others were injured in the past 24 hours alone, according to health ministry’s latest update.
A total of 60,933 people have now died since 7 October 2023, it said.
Macron: 'Hamas embodies abject cruelty'
12:15 , Steffie BanatvalaAn abject cruelty, an unlimited inhumanity: this is what Hamas embodies.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 3, 2025
The unbearable images showing Israeli hostages held in Gaza remind us of this horror.
We think with deep emotion of Evyatar David, Rom Braslavski, all the hostages…
Democrats push for Palestinian statehood
11:49 , Steffie BanatvalaMore than a dozen House Democrats have signed a letter urging Trump to recognise a Palestinian state, Axios reports.
At least one also plans to introduce a pro-statehood resolution.
It comes as even some Republicans and pro-Israel House Democrats have ramped up criticism of Israeli leadership in response to starvation in Gaza.
Opinion: Netanyahu’s gameplan for Gaza is in tatters
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Netanyahu’s gameplan for Gaza is in tatters
The Israeli prime minister has long cast himself in a Churchillian mould, a wartime leader who is uniquely placed to remodel the Middle East’s geopolitical landscape with his military might. Other world leaders this week have shown that the truth is rather different, says Alon Pinkas...
German interior ministry reviewing projects to treat children from Gaza
11:19 , Steffie BanatvalaGermany's interior ministry is reviewing the feasibility of projects that would involving bringing children from Gaza to Germany for treatment, a ministry spokesperson said on Monday.
"The feasibility of such initiatives depends crucially on the security situation, the possibility of leaving the country, and other factors," said the spokesperson.
The German cities of Hanover and Duesseldorf have said in recent days that they would accept children from the Gaza Strip and Israel who are particularly vulnerable or traumatised.
The ministry has not yet received any inquiries from German cities about the issue, the spokesperson said at a regular government press conference in Berlin.
Which Western leaders condemned the videos of Israeli hostages?
11:15 , Steffie Banatvala- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he was "appalled" by the images, adding that the release of hostages was necessary for a ceasefire
- French President Emmanuel Macron said Hamas embodies "abject cruelty", also adding that France is working to release hostages, obtain a ceasefire and get aid into Gaza
- UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said "images of hostages being paraded for propaganda are sickening" and they must be released "unconditionally"
Three people die from Guillain-Barre Syndrome in Gaza
11:07 , Steffie BanatvalaThree people have died from a rare nerve condition, Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), according to the Gaza’s health ministry.
GBS can cause sudden muscle weakness or paralysis.
Two of the deaths were children under 15 years old, who died after life-saving treatment failed due to the blockade, the ministry said in a post on Telegram.
“These are not just deaths... they are a warning of a real, potential infectious disaster,” the ministry said.
It warned that a dangerous increase in infections and malnutrition among children is creating a “fertile environment for the uncontrolled spread of infectious diseases”.
In pictures: Palestinians seek aid supplies from US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation
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Who are the Israeli hostages appearing in videos sparking outcry?
10:30 , Steffie Banatvala
Videos released of emaciated Israeli hostages in Gaza have sparked international condemnation over the weekend.
On Saturday Hamas released a video of Evyatar David, 24, in a fragile condition.
On Thursday the Palestinian Islamic Jihad published a video of Rom Braslavski, 21, crying.
Both Braslavski and David were abducted from the Nova music festival on 7 October 2023.
They are among the 49 hostages believed still in Gaza, of whom 27 are believed dead.
Netanyahu urges Red Cross to help hostages
10:15 , Steffie BanatvalaIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he spoke to Red Cross regional lead, Julien Lerisson, to request help in getting food and medical care to hostages in Gaza.
It comes after videos showed Israeli hostages Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski in a visibly fragile state.
“The world cannot remain indifferent to the shocking images,” Netanyahu’s post said.
There are 49 hostages believed still in Gaza, of whom 27 are believed dead.
Israel has been accused of creating a man-made famine in Gaza, which it denies.
Meet the pensioners risking prison terms to support Palestine Action
10:00 , Steffie Banatvala
Meet the pensioners risking lengthy prison terms to support Palestine Action
In an interrogation room just after 1am, 68-year-old grandmother-of-seven Marji Mansfield was sat across from counter terrorism officers after being arrested at a pro-Palestine protest in central London.
WHO to bring blood units and medical supply: Gaza's health ministry
09:45 , Steffie BanatvalaIn their latest update, Gaza’s health ministry said the World Health Organisation will deliver trucks carrying blood units and medical supplies to hospitals in Gaza.
These trucks will not contain any food items, the ministry said in a post on Telegram this morning.
The Ministry of Health urges citizens, dignitaries, families, and relevant authorities to make every effort to protect the convoy, prevent any interference with the trucks, and enable their safe arrival at hospitals to save the lives of patients and the wounded.
Five more deaths in Gaza from starvation in 24 hours: health ministry
09:31 , Steffie BanatvalaA further five adults have died from malnutrition and starvation in Gaza over the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run health ministry said.
In total 180 people, including 93 children, have now died from hunger, the ministry said.
In pictures: Palestinians mourn aid seekers killed by Israeli fire
09:30 , Steffie Banatvala
Last 24 hours re-capped
09:09 , Steffie BanatvalaWe’re back with live coverage of the war in Gaza.
Here are the key updates, bringing you up to speed:
In Gaza:
- Hospital sources said at least 33 more Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire while seeking food aid
- Aid deliveries continue to be airdropped, with Israel’s military claiming 136 packages were parachuted in by six countries
Worldwide response:
- The UN Security Council said it would hold a special discussion on the remaining Israeli hostages on Tuesday
- The UK government is planning to evacuate up to 300 seriously ill or injured children for NHS treatment
- Hamas said it would let the Red Cross bring aid to Israeli hostages if Israel opens permanent humanitarian corridors
- That came after Benjamin Netanyahu saw videos of emaciated captives over the weekend and urged the Red Cross to act
- The videos sparked international outcry, including from French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy
- Israel's far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, led prayers at Jerusalem's most sensitive holy site, sparking international condemnation
US ambassador claims 'massive amounts of food' entering Gaza
08:59 , Steffie BanatvalaThe real story of starvation in Gaza is of hostages being held by Hamas. Will France,UK, & Canada condemn this? Why isn’t the massive amounts of food going in not shared with the very well fed members of Hamas? pic.twitter.com/dGZiXsbobW
— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) August 4, 2025
Data: 88% of Israeli war crimes investigations end without charges: watchdog
08:44 , Steffie BanatvalaIsrael has closed nearly nine out of 10 investigations into alleged war crimes and abuses by its forces in Gaza and the West Bank without any charges or findings of wrongdoing, according to a report by a conflict monitor.
Data from conflict monitor Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) shows Israel has closed 88 per cent of cases into alleged war crimes and abuses by its forces in Gaza and the occupied West Bank without filing charges or finding wrongdoing.
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88% of Israeli war crimes investigations end without charges, watchdog says
Family of Israeli hostage accuses Hamas of starving him
08:40 , Steffie Banatvala
Relatives of an Israeli hostage held in Gaza have claimed Hamas is starving him after a video in which he appeared emaciated was released.
The video released on Saturday showed Evyatar David digging a hole that he says in the video is for his own grave, Reuters reported.
“We are forced to witness our dear son and brother Evyatar being deliberately and cynically starved in Hamas’s tunnels in Gaza – a living skeleton buried alive. Our son has only a few days left to live in his current condition,” the family said in response.
UK to evacuate ill and injured children for urgent medical treatment
08:40 , Steffie Banatvala- Hundreds of seriously ill children from Gaza are set to be evacuated to the UK for treatment by the NHS under a new plan.
- Up to 300 young people will receive free medical care under the scheme, expected to be announced within weeks.
- The initiative comes amid a severe malnutrition crisis in Gaza, where health authorities report 92 children have died from hunger-related causes.
- Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer previously pledged to evacuate badly injured children, and over 100 MPs have signed a letter supporting the scheme.
- The plan will run in parallel to the privately funded Project Pure Hope, which has so far facilitated medical visas for only three children from Gaza.
