Skip next section UN says Israel’s Gaza plans risks ‘another calamity’
08/10/2025August 10, 2025UN says Israel’s Gaza plans risks ‘another calamity’
A UN official warned Sunday that Israel’s plan to take control of Gaza City could trigger “another calamity” in the enclave, with regional consequences.
“If these plans are implemented, they will likely trigger another calamity in Gaza, reverberating across the region and causing further forced displacement, killings, and destruction,” UN Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca told the United Nations Security Council.
The Security Council was holding an emergency meeting on Sunday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Security Cabinet approved the military operation earlier this week, drawing global criticism.
Called by Denmark, France, Greece, the United Kingdom and Slovenia, all members of the Council supported the talks, except the United States, according to media reports.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, defended the planned offensive during a news conference for international media.
He said it was part of Israel’s efforts to defeat the militant group Hamas, saying it wouldn’t take long and insisting there were no plans to occupy Gaza.
“[Israel is] talking in terms of a fairly short timetable because we want to bring the war to an end,” he said.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called Israel’s plans a ‘dangerous escalation’ (FILE: July 16, 2025)Image: Selcuk Acar/Anadolu/IMAGO
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Skip next section Netanyahu defends new military push in Gaza
08/10/2025August 10, 2025Netanyahu defends new military push in Gaza
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defended his plan to seize Gaza City, the largest metro area in the Palestinian territory, saying it’s the “best way to end the war … speedily.”
He said the new offensive plans to tackle two remaining Hamas strongholds around the city.
Netanyahu told a news conference on Sunday that, given Hamas’ refusal to lay down its arms, Israel has no choice but to “finish the job” and “defeat” the militant group.
He also hit out at a “global campaign of lies” which he said was exaggerating the humanitarian situation in Gaza, based on Hamas’ reports of growing hunger.
Netanyahu said Israel had allowed 2 million tons of aid into the enclave since the beginning of the war.
He said the government would open “safe corridors” for the delivery of essential supplies, as well as new aid sites in Gaza.
The UN, aid agencies and several governments have urged Israel in recent weeks to boost deliveries of food, fuel and medicine to Gaza residents due to the fear of famine.
The prime minister also said he had directed the military to allow more foreign journalists to report from Gaza, having banned them until now.
https://p.dw.com/p/4ymeT
Skip next section Palestinian Islamic Jihad fires missiles at Israeli border towns08/10/2025August 10, 2025Palestinian Islamic Jihad fires missiles at Israeli border towns
Militants from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad have launched missile attacks on border communities in Israel, according to a statement from the group.
Its military wing, the al-Quds Brigades, has claimed responsibility for firing rockets at Nahal Oz and Sa’ad kibbutzim near the Gaza border.
The Israeli military confirmed that two missiles were launched from Gaza and engaged by its air defense systems.
According to the news outlet Ynet, one missile was successfully intercepted, while the other struck a cowshed in Sa’ad kibbutz.
Although Palestinian militants in Gaza have fired thousands of rockets at Israel since the outbreak of war with Hamas nearly two years ago, such attacks have become increasingly infrequent.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad members assisted Hamas in the October 7, 2023 terror attacks on Israel and took Israeli citizens hostage.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad is deemed a terrorist group not only by Israel, but also the US, UK, Canada and several other countries.
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Skip next section Israeli army to remain in West Bank refugee camps — Katz
08/10/2025August 10, 2025Israeli army to remain in West Bank refugee camps — Katz
More than 40,000 Palestinians were forced from their homes during Israel’s operation in JanuaryImage: Majdi Mohammed/AP Photo/picture alliance
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has said Israeli army troops would remain in areas of the occupied West Bank heavily populated by Palestinian refugees until at least the end of the year.
Katz wrote on X that the quarters in Jenin, Tulkarem and Nur Shams were “hotbeds of terror” that had served as a front against Israel with Iranian support.
Following a large-scale military operation by the Israeli military, he said, “there is no more terror in the camps today.”
The Israeli offensive, launched in January, targeted Palestinian militants in the northern West Bank.
Several people were killed and tens of thousands of Palestinians were driven from their homes, as massive destruction was inflicted on their neighborhoods.
The displacement was criticized by the United Nations as “unprecedented” in the West Bank.
https://p.dw.com/p/4ymGY
Skip next section Israel’s far-right pushes for ‘decisive’ win against Hamas
08/10/2025August 10, 2025Israel’s far-right pushes for ‘decisive’ win against Hamas
Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has slammed the Israeli government for failing to go harder on the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza.
Smotrich, the leader of a religious Zionist party, said in an online video that the Israeli cabinet “chose to do more of the same,” referring to Israel’s new plan to seize control of Gaza City, rather than the whole of the Palestinian enclave.
He said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan was not seeking a “decisive victory” in Gaza, but “rather to apply limited pressure on Hamas to bring about a partial hostage deal.”
Smotrich said he has ‘lost faith’ in Netanyahu’s ability to defeat HamasImage: Bezalel Smotrich/newscom/picture alliance
Meanwhile, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, also of the far-right, told Kan radio on Sunday: “It is possible to achieve victory. I want all of Gaza, transfer and colonization. This plan will not endanger the troops.”
Israel remains divided between those calling for an end to the conflict, along with the return of hostages, and others who want to see Hamas defeated.
Netanyahu reaffirmed his plan on social media Friday: “We are not going to occupy Gaza — we are going to free Gaza from Hamas.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4ym89
Skip next section Netanyahu’s Gaza plans spark anger in israel
08/10/2025August 10, 2025Netanyahu’s Gaza plans spark anger in israel
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to seize control of Gaza City, the largest urban centre in the Palestinian territory, is meeting with growing opposition from Israelis.
Families of hostages taken captive by the Palestinian militant group Hamas have called for a national day of strike action next Sunday in opposition to the proposal.
Local media said the strike, organized by the October Council, which represents families affected by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 massacre, has already received backing from prominent opponents of Netanyahu.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid wrote on X that the hostage families’ call “to shut down the economy is justified and worthy. We will continue to stand by their side.”
Hostage families fear Israeli plans to intensify Gaza war
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However, it is unclear whether the walkout can take place after the powerful Histadrut labor federation was blocked by a Tel Aviv court last year from taking similar strike action.
The court ruled that the strike was political, rather than over workers’ rights.
In another sign of public disquiet, Israeli peace activists stormed a live television broadcast on Saturday evening in opposition to Israel’s plans for Gaza City.
During a vote on the show “Big Brother,” several young people wearing white T-shirts with the slogan “Leaving Gaza” leapt onto the stage and sat down demonstratively on the floor.
As they were carried away by security guards, the activists from the Standing Together peace group repeatedly shouted: “The people demand: Stop the shooting!”
https://p.dw.com/p/4ym7s
Skip next section Majority of Germans back recognition of Palestinian state: poll
08/10/2025August 10, 2025Majority of Germans back recognition of Palestinian state: poll
A new poll released on Sunday shows that 54% of Germans support formally recognizing a Palestinian state, while 31% oppose it.
In the July survey by the Forsa Institute for the foreign policy journal Internationale Politik, 1,001 respondents were asked: “Should Germany now recognize Palestine as its own state?”
The poll found higher approval in eastern Germany (59%) and among 18–29-year-olds (60%), and those aged above 60 (58%).
Support varied by party, with 85% of Left Party voters favored recognition, followed by Greens (66%) and Social Democrats (52%). Backing was lower among CDU/CSU alliance (48%) and AfD (45%) supporters.
While Germany advocates a two-state solution, it views recognition of a Palestinian state contingent on being as a final step after peace talks.
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Skip next section Salah slams UEFA over tribute to Palestinian footballer08/10/2025August 10, 2025Salah slams UEFA over tribute to Palestinian footballer
Soccer star Mohamed Salah called out football body UEFA’s tribute post for Palestinian footballer Suleiman Al-Obeid for not mentioning the circumstances of his death.
The 41-year-old, nicknamed the “Palestinian Pele,” was killed by Israeli gunfire while waiting for aid in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Football Association.
UEFA in its post said: “Farewell to Suleiman al-Obeid, the ‘Palestinian Pelé’. A talent who gave hope to countless children, even in the darkest of times.”
The Liverpool forward and captain of the Egypt national team replied, “Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?”
Read more about how Salah criticized UEFA over its tribute to al-Obeida.
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Skip next section UN Security Council to urgently convene over Gaza plan
08/10/2025August 10, 2025UN Security Council to urgently convene over Gaza plan
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are estimated to still live in the city, which was the enclave’s most populous before the warImage: Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua/IMAGO
The UN Security Council will hold an emergency session on Sunday to discuss Israel’s plan to capture and occupy Gaza City.
On Friday, Israel’s Security Cabinet approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to expand military operations in Gaza City, where half of the enclave’s population lives.
The move has drawn global condemnation, with UN chief Antonio Guterres calling it a “dangerous escalation.”
European Council members, France, the UK, Slovenia, Denmark and Greece, requested the urgent meeting in New York. Media reports said all members except the US backed the meeting.
The session is set to begin at 10am ET (1400 GMT).
Following Israel’s decision, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Australia and New Zealand issued a joint statement strongly rejecting the plan, saying it risks “violating international humanitarian law.” They said that a two-state solution remains the only path to lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
Meanwhile, Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz halted military exports to Israel to be used in Gaza.
https://p.dw.com/p/4ylfG
Skip next section Welcome to our coverage08/10/2025August 10, 2025Welcome to our coverageThe UN Security Council is convening an emergency session on Sunday to discuss Israel’s intentions to capture and occupy Gaza CityImage: Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu Agency/IMAGO
We’re tracking the latest developments in Israel’s war in Gaza, as the UN Security Council is set to hold an emergency meeting on Israel’s Gaza City plan.
The Israeli government’s announcement last week that it plans to expand its operations and take control of the enclave’s largest city has caused a global outcry.
In Germany, public opinion is also shifting, after a new poll showed that majority of Germans now support the formal recognition of a Palestinian state.
Stay with us for news, analysis, and explainers on the situation in Gaza, Israel, and the wider Middle East.
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