Israel Gaza live: Trump envoy to enter Gaza as nearly 100 aid-seekers killed in Israeli fire – UK Times

Arab nations have taken the unprecedented step of telling Hamas to lay down its arms and surrender control of Gaza.

Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt called for the terrorist group to “disarm” and disband. It is the first time these countries have condemned Hamas and demanded it play no part in the future of Palestine.

The three Arab countries joined 14 other nations, including Britain and France, in calling for the disbandment of the group.

At least 91 Palestinians have been killed and over 600 wounded in the past 24 hours while attempting to access desperately needed humanitarian aid, the Gaza health ministry said on Thursday.

The toll includes 54 people who were killed near the Zikim crossing in northern Gaza while waiting for food on Wednesday.

Officials warned that the death toll is likely to rise further, as many of the wounded were taken to isolated, poorly equipped hospitals in the north that are struggling to function amid ongoing shortages and destruction.

Israel’s military acknowledged that its forces had fired warning shots as crowds gathered around aid trucks, but said it had no knowledge of injuries caused by Israeli fire.

A security official, speaking anonymously, claimed the gunfire came from within the crowd during clashes between Palestinians scrambling to secure aid.

Scenes of desperation have continued to unfold in Gaza as dozens of people sprint toward parachuted food parcels dropped from the sky. With land routes into Gaza effectively sealed, aid organisations have increasingly resorted to air drops, but the deliveries have triggered chaos on the ground.

Stampedes and skirmishes have erupted around the drops, as starving civilians jostle, scream, and fight for the limited supplies.

“I went and my children prayed that I’d return with food. They haven’t eaten or drank anything for two days,” said Eslam al-Telbany, a displaced woman from Jabaliya, who was carrying a sack of flour and a bottle of cooking oil when she was attacked and bitten in the chaos. She dropped the aid and returned home empty-handed.

US president Donald Trump voiced concern over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, calling the situation “terrible” and questioning the effectiveness of US aid efforts.

His comments came as he was questioned on whether “ what’s taking place in Gaza is a genocide”.

“It’s terrible what’s occurring there. It’s a terrible thing. People are very hungry,” Mr Trump told reporters. “You know, the United States gave $60m for food and it’s a shame, because I don’t see the results of it. And we gave it to people that in theory are watching over it fairly closely. We wanted Israel to watch over it.”

Mr Trump’s remarks come as his envoys, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Ambassador Mike Huckabee, continue their visit to the region.

The White House said on Thursday that special envoy Steve Witkoff and ambassador Mike Huckabee held a “very productive” meeting with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior officials to discuss urgent humanitarian assistance for Gaza.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the meeting focused on accelerating food and aid delivery to the besieged Palestinian enclave.

“President Trump is a humanitarian with a big heart, and that’s why he sent Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to the region in an effort to save lives and end this crisis,” Ms Leavitt said.

According to the statement, Mr Witkoff and Mr Huckabee are scheduled to enter Gaza on Friday to inspect existing distribution sites, coordinate further aid delivery, and speak directly with local residents to assess the scale of the humanitarian crisis.

Their visit comes amid growing international concern over widespread hunger and deteriorating living conditions in Gaza, where aid agencies have repeatedly warned of severe access restrictions.

The statement Keir Starmer made on Tuesday announcing the government’s intention to recognise the state of Palestine sounded as if it had been drafted and re-drafted so many times that no one thought to check if it still made grammatical or logical sense.

Hence the initial confusion: did this mean Britain will recognise Palestine or not? The statement said the government would do so at the United Nations General Assembly in September “unless…” the Israeli government did four things. But one of the conditions listed was a commitment to a two-state solution, something to which Benjamin Netanyahu would never agree.

So it seemed clear that, whatever the deliberate ambiguities of the rest of the statement, recognition would be going ahead in September. It was a victory for those members of the cabinet who had been pushing for it – David Lammy, Shabana Mahmood, Yvette Cooper, Wes Streeting and others – with the support of the silent majority of Labour MPs.

The Independent’s chief political commentator John Rentoul writes:

Conflict occurred in British-ruled Palestine between Arabs and Jews who had migrated to the area, seeking a national home as they fled antisemitic persecution in Europe and citing biblical ties to the land throughout centuries in exile.

In 1947, the United Nations agreed a plan partitioning Palestine into Arab and Jewish states with international rule over Jerusalem. Jewish leaders accepted the plan, which gave them 56% of the land. The Arab League rejected it.

The state of Israel was declared on 14 May 1948. A day later, five Arab states attacked. The war ended with Israel controlling 77% of the territory.

Some 700,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes, ending up in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as well as in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

In a 1967 war, Israel captured the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, from Jordan and Gaza from Egypt, securing control of all territory from the Mediterranean to the Jordan valley.

Although 147 of the 193 UN member states already recognise Palestine as a state, it is not itself a UN member, meaning most Palestinians are not recognised by the world body as citizens of any state.