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Israel Calls on Famine-Stricken Residents to Flee and Targets More High-Rises in Gaza City

Palestinians fleeing south, ride vehicles with their belongings, along the coastal road near the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip, on August 5, 2025. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)
Palestinians fleeing south, ride vehicles with their belongings, along the coastal road near the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip, on August 5, 2025. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)
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Israel Calls on Famine-Stricken Residents to Flee and Targets More High-Rises in Gaza City

Palestinians fleeing south, ride vehicles with their belongings, along the coastal road near the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip, on August 5, 2025. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)
Palestinians fleeing south, ride vehicles with their belongings, along the coastal road near the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip, on August 5, 2025. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)

The Israeli army issued evacuation orders and targeted high-rise buildings in famine-stricken Gaza City on Saturday, calling on Palestinians to move to the territory's south as it escalates operations ahead of a new offensive to seize the city of nearly 1 million. 

Aid groups warn that a large-scale evacuation would exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza City, which the world's leading hunger watchdog says is suffering from famine as a result of Israel's restrictions on food into the territory. 

Most families have already been displaced several times over the nearly two-year-long Israel-Hamas war and say they have nowhere left to go, as the Israeli military has repeatedly bombed tent encampments that it had designated as humanitarian zones. 

Some Palestinians — who at times have nothing to eat for days in a row — say they are too weak to uproot themselves again. 

Israeli army urges Palestinians to move to a ‘humanitarian zone’ 

Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee urged Palestinians on Saturday to flee to the south of the Gaza Strip, saying on social media platform X that the army had declared the makeshift tent encampment of Muwasi and parts of the southern town of Khan Younis to be a humanitarian zone. 

It shared a map of Khan Younis neighborhoods within the redrawn borders of the humanitarian zone, which covered the district home to Nasser Hospital. Israel hit the hospital last week in a strike that killed 22 people, including five journalists — among them Mariam Dagga, who worked for The Associated Press and other media outlets. 

Palestinians would be able to drive from Gaza City to Khan Younis, and the overcrowded coastal community of Muwasi to the town's west, via a designated road without being searched, Adraee said. 

Aid groups have raised alarm about woefully inadequate shelter, sanitation, water and food in Muwasi. Months of bombardment have decimated civilian infrastructure in Khan Younis. 

The military said in a statement that it would work to provide field hospitals, water pipelines and food supplies within its newly designated humanitarian zone. 

The United Nations on Saturday said its staff would remain in Gaza City to provide badly needed aid to Palestinians caught up in Israel's renewed assault on the city. It said Palestinians who heed Israeli evacuation orders must be able to return voluntarily when the situation allows. 

Exhausted and despairing, many Palestinians said they won't pack up and leave again. 

“Nowhere is safe across the strip,” said Gaza City resident Ayman Abo Saif, adding that the surge of displaced people in the overcrowded south had sent rents soaring to over $7 a day for just 25 square meters (270 square feet). 

Israel targets high-rises in Gaza City  

Israel on Saturday issued evacuation warnings for two high-rises in Gaza City and surrounding tents, with Adraee, the military spokesperson, saying that the buildings were targets because Hamas had infrastructure inside or near them. Hamas didn't comment on the allegations. 

Soon after, Adraee said that the military had struck one of the buildings. There was no immediate information on casualties. 

Israel Katz, Israel’s defense minister, posted a video of the tower collapsing in an enormous cloud of smoke along with the words: “We continue.” 

The strike comes a day after Israel hit another high-rise building in Gaza City, saying Hamas fighters used it for surveillance, without providing evidence. Hamas denied those claims. 

The leveling of high-rises comes as Israel ramps up its offensive after announcing last month it planned to take control of Gaza's largest northern city, where many families are crammed into tents in the ruins of bombed-out buildings, in an effort to dislodge Hamas. 

Earlier this week, the Israeli military said it had already seized control of 40% of the city. 

At Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on Saturday, officials were counting the dead and tending to the wounded from Israeli bombardment the day before. 

They said 15 people had been killed, including a family of five whose apartment was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike on the city's Shati refugee camp and civilians killed by Israeli gunfire while seeking aid near the Zikim crossing between the Gaza Strip and Israel. 

More than 2,000 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid at distribution points or along UN convoy routes, the Gaza Health Ministry reports, many of them by Israeli fire. 

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on those killed Friday. 

Israeli hostage families appeal to Trump  

Israelis have staged widespread protests over the military's renewed assault on Gaza City, fearing it will further endanger the remaining hostages held in the strip, 20 of whom Israel believes to still be alive. 

Those fears intensified on Friday when Hamas released a propaganda video showing two hostages, Guy Gilboa-Dalal and Alon Ohel, being held in Gaza City. 

Families of the hostages have accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of failing to prioritize the safety of their loved ones and called on US President Donald Trump to help accelerate the release of Israelis in Hamas captivity. 

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a group representing many families of the hostages, thanked Trump and his envoy Steve Witkoff on Saturday for their work advancing Israel-Hamas ceasefire negotiations. The statement praised them for “unwavering determination, courage and compassion.” 

Yet for all their appeals, a lasting truce has proven elusive. Hamas said it had accepted a ceasefire proposal from Arab mediators last month. Israel has not yet responded to the latest offer, vowing the war will continue until Hamas disarms and releases all Israeli hostages. 

It also has insisted on retaining open-ended security control of the territory of some 2 million Palestinians — a condition unacceptable to Hamas. 

The war erupted when Hamas-led fighters invaded southern Israel and killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 others on Oct. 7, 2023. Most have since been released in ceasefires or other agreements. 

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 64,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants beyond saying that women and children make up around half the dead. 

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Arab World

Gas, Transport and Charity Kitchens Deepen Ramadan Hardship in Gaza

Palestinians share the iftar meal amid homes destroyed by Israeli bombardment in Gaza on Sunday (EPA). 
Palestinians share the iftar meal amid homes destroyed by Israeli bombardment in Gaza on Sunday (EPA). 
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Gas, Transport and Charity Kitchens Deepen Ramadan Hardship in Gaza

Palestinians share the iftar meal amid homes destroyed by Israeli bombardment in Gaza on Sunday (EPA). 
Palestinians share the iftar meal amid homes destroyed by Israeli bombardment in Gaza on Sunday (EPA). 

As Ramadan enters its sixth day, residents of the Gaza Strip are grappling with mounting daily pressures amid a web of crises that extend well beyond soaring prices for basic goods.

For many families, access to essentials such as cooking gas, adequate food and transportation has become an exhausting struggle.

Among the most acute problems is the shortage of cooking gas, leaving most households reliant on firewood. But wood is also scarce and increasingly expensive, particularly during Ramadan, when demand rises, including from restaurants facing the same fuel shortages.

The Gaza Petroleum Authority distributes limited quantities of gas to residents — eight kilograms per household — without a fixed timetable. Distribution cycles are irregular due to the limited and inconsistent flow of supplies into the territory.

Hassan Al-Masri, 45, said residents can wait three or four months to receive just eight kilograms, less than the 12 kilograms or more typically held by a standard gas cylinder.

The shortage has severely affected families’ ability to prepare meals, particularly during Ramadan. Samar Abu Al-Jebin, from Jabalia and currently displaced at a shelter in the Al-Nasr neighborhood, said preparing food for her family of nine, especially the pre-dawn suhoor meal, has become increasingly difficult. On some days, she relies on meals distributed by charity kitchens for iftar.

Even those who manage to receive food aid say the quality has deteriorated.

In a camp on the outskirts of Al-Shati refugee camp, northwest of Gaza City, hundreds of tents shelter families displaced from northern Gaza. Residents say the meals provided by charity kitchens, many operating on behalf of international organizations, are often extremely poor in quality.

Ahmed Labad, 39, displaced from Beit Lahia, said that for nearly two months, even before Ramadan began, meals have been substandard. “Most of it is thrown away,” he said, explaining that only those with no alternative eat the food to feed their children. He questioned the level of oversight on kitchens operating for international and other institutions.

Firas Al-Kafarna, a resident of the camp, said that since the beginning of Ramadan, only the first day’s meal had been of acceptable quality. “After that, families have been throwing the food in the trash,” he said, adding that complaints are coming from displacement camps and shelters across the Gaza Strip due to the very poor meals being served.

Some families living in partially damaged homes also depend on the charity kitchens because of severe economic hardship. Yet residents say much of the distributed food ultimately ends up discarded.

Gaza’s Ministry of Social Development, run by Hamas, has issued instructions to all organizations providing meals — particularly to displaced people — to improve quality.

The ministry stressed that kitchens should not limit distributions to plain rice or thin stews without additions, and called for including meat and poultry, especially given the recent influx of frozen products allowed into Gaza.

According to Al-Kafarna, however, none of the organizations have complied with these directives so far.

Beyond food and fuel, transportation has become another daily burden. A shortage of vehicles — many destroyed during the war — combined with a severe liquidity crisis has complicated movement across the territory.

Anas Hamid, 21, displaced from the Shujaiya neighborhood east of Gaza City to Al-Nasr in the west, said drivers insist on cash payments and frequently vary fares from one location to another. “There is no unified fare,” he said, questioning the absence of effective oversight.

Driver Hassan Al-Hanawi said many drivers avoid electronic banking applications or digital wallets for several reasons, including unreliable internet access, the absence of bank accounts among some drivers, and fuel station owners who require payment in cash rather than electronically.

The Hamas-run government has issued several circulars instructing drivers to accept worn banknotes and encouraging the use of electronic payment systems. However, implementation has remained limited.

With vehicle shortages persisting, many residents have turned to bicycles — once uncommon in Gaza — to meet daily needs. Demand has surged, though supply remains limited and prices have risen sharply compared to pre-war levels.

Nabil Al-Tayef, 26, initially used his bicycle to run errands for his family before joining a delivery office as restaurants and shops gradually resumed operations.

Most delivery services now rely heavily on young men using their own bicycles. Motorbikes are rare, and electric bicycles — recently permitted into Gaza through a single trader — are prohibitively expensive, costing more than $3,500, compared with $500 to $700 before the war.

Arab World

Maliki Says Has ‘Absolutely No Intention’ to Withdraw PM Candidacy as Barrack Visits Iraq 

A handout picture made available by the Iraqi prime minister's office on February 22, 2026, shows US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack (L) meeting with Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (R) in Baghdad's Green Zone. (Handout / Iraqi Prime Minister’s Press Office / AFP)
A handout picture made available by the Iraqi prime minister's office on February 22, 2026, shows US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack (L) meeting with Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (R) in Baghdad's Green Zone. (Handout / Iraqi Prime Minister’s Press Office / AFP)
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Maliki Says Has ‘Absolutely No Intention’ to Withdraw PM Candidacy as Barrack Visits Iraq 

A handout picture made available by the Iraqi prime minister's office on February 22, 2026, shows US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack (L) meeting with Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (R) in Baghdad's Green Zone. (Handout / Iraqi Prime Minister’s Press Office / AFP)
A handout picture made available by the Iraqi prime minister's office on February 22, 2026, shows US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack (L) meeting with Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (R) in Baghdad's Green Zone. (Handout / Iraqi Prime Minister’s Press Office / AFP)

The leading candidate to become Iraq's next prime minister, former premier Nouri al-Maliki, told AFP on Monday that he will not withdraw his nomination after pressure from the US, while also seeking to allay Washington's concerns.

Since the US-led invasion that overthrew former ruler Saddam Hussein in 2003, Iraqi leaders have struggled to find a balance between two global powers competing for influence in the country: neighbor Iran and its arch-rival the United States.

Last month President Donald Trump intervened by issuing an ultimatum that if Maliki -- a two-time former premier with close ties to Iran -- was named Iraq's next prime minister, the US would no longer help the country.

"I have absolutely no intention of withdrawing out of respect for my country, its sovereignty, and its will," Maliki told AFP in an interview.

"No one has the right to say whom we can or cannot vote for," the powerbroker added.

"I will not withdraw until the end."

Trump's threat left Iraqi leaders at a loss, particularly within the Coordination Framework -- a ruling alliance of Shiite groups with varying degrees of links to Iran than nominated Maliki.

Maliki told AFP that "countries have the right to set conditions in their dealings with Iraq," but changing the nomination depends on the Coordination Framework, which still backs him.

Iraq’s former PM and candidate for the premiership, Nouri al-Maliki, speaks during an interview with AFP at his office in the Green Zone in Baghdad on February 23, 2026. (AFP)

- 'One army under one command' -

Maliki -- who is Iraq's only two-term prime minister, serving from 2006 to 2014 -- also rejected claims that his relationship with the US was bad during his previous tenure.

Maliki at first enjoyed support from the American occupation following the 2003 invasion, but later fell out with Washington over his growing ties with Iran and allegations that he pushed a sectarian agenda.

Iraq's new premier will be expected to address Washington's longstanding demand that Baghdad rein in Tehran-backed factions that are designated terrorist groups by the US.

Maliki said that Washington has conveyed several messages to Iraqi leaders.

"They seek changes in the state's policies," he said.

Washington's concerns include the future of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) -- a former paramilitary alliance that has integrated into the armed forces -- as well as disarming pro-Iran armed factions and accusations that some Iraqi entities are helping Iran evade US sanctions on oil exports.

Maliki sought to reassure the US on Monday.

"In fact, what America wants is not new. These are our demands," he said.

"We want weapons in the hands of the state. We want a centralized military force. We have said it repeatedly: we want one army under one command, directly under state authority.

"It's quite possible" to achieve a deal with pro-Iran armed factions, he added.

"There is a good basis for understanding with the factions" but this cannot happen "through force, war or confrontations," he said.

Maliki added that he believes factions "do not want to expose Iraq to any danger."

Washington has also demanded that the eventual Iraqi government exclude Iran-backed armed groups -- an issue that is under discussion, according to Maliki.

Some of these groups have increased their presence in the new parliament and have seen their political and financial clout increase.

"We want those who participate in the political process and the government to lay down their arms," Maliki said.

"Those who lay down their arms are welcome to be part of the next government."

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and US envoy Tom Barrack meet in Baghdad on Monday. (Iraq Foreign Ministry)

- No attacks -

After decades of conflict, Iraq has begun to enjoy some stability in recent years, yet its politics remain volatile, shaped not only by internal disputes but also by regional dynamics.

Today, all eyes are on negotiations between the US and Iran over Tehran's nuclear program, with a third round of talks scheduled for Geneva on Thursday.

With fears rising that Iraq could be dragged into a war if the US strikes Iran, Maliki vowed to prevent attacks on diplomatic missions in Iraq if he becomes prime minister.

"All countries can be assured that we will prevent any violation against their embassies or officially recognized interests in Iraq," Maliki said.

"We will not allow any party to target any country that maintains a diplomatic presence."

Previously, Iran-backed armed groups attacked US missions and troops in Iraq.

Maliki defended Iraq's relations with Iran, which he said "rest on the principle that Iraq's sovereignty is respected" and that "shared interests define this relationship".

"We share a 1,300-kilometer border and mutual interests with Iran," he added.

Despite its oil wealth, Iraq depends on imports from Iran to meet its energy needs.

Maliki warned that "if Iran cut off our natural gas supply... it would be a major catastrophe."

This handout picture made available by the Iraqi prime minister's office shows Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (top C), Oil Minister Hayan Abdul Ghani al-Sawad (top R), US envoy Tom Barrack (top L), Chevron's Director of Business Development Joe Koch (bottom L), and the Basra Oil Company Director Bassem Abdul Karim (bottom R) attending the signing of agreements between Chevron Corporation and the Basra Oil Company at the government palace in Baghdad on February 23, 2026. (Iraqi Prime Minister’s Press Office / AFP)

- Barrack visits -

Meanwhile, US envoy Tom Barrack was in Iraq on Monday where he held talks with caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and President of the Supreme Judicial Council Faiq Zidan.

Sudani said the meeting with Barrack stressed the importance of dialogue and diplomacy to resolve disputes.

The officials discussed bilateral ties between Iraq and the US and developments in the region, as well as Baghdad’s efforts to support regional stability, especially in Syria, read a statement from Sudani’s office.

They also tackled opportunities for economic cooperation.

For his part, Barrack described the meeting with Sudani as "fruitful".

In a post on the X platform, he said he discussed with Sudani "continued Iraqi goals and objectives to build a sovereign, stable, and prosperous future that aligns with Trump’s desire and plan for peace and prosperity in the region."

"The necessity of effective leadership that aligns itself with the policies and practices of further stabilization for Iraq and the Iraqi people is key to our mutual goals," he remarked.

Barrack later held meetings with President of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani and Taqaddum Party leader Mohammed Halbousi.

During his visit, Iraq's foreign minister said Türkiye had agreed to take back Turkish citizens from among thousands of ISIS detainees transferred to Iraq from Syria when camps and prisons there were shut in recent weeks.

Also on Monday, Iraq and the US energy giant Chevron signed deals to manage and develop several oil fields, including one previously operated by Russia's Lukoil.

Sudani's media office said "two preliminary memoranda of principles" were signed with Chevron, the first of which was "concerning the transfer of management of the West Qurna 2 field," one of the world's largest oil fields.

The second agreement concerns the development of the Nasiriyah field and four exploratory blocks in Dhi Qar province in the country's south, as well as the Balad field in the northern province of Salah al-Din.

Sudani and Barrack attended the signing ceremony.

Arab World

EU Diplomats Meet Board of Peace Director over Gaza's Future

Trump and leaders and representatives of participating states sign the founding charter of the Board of Peace in Davos on Jan. 22, 2026. (AFP)
Trump and leaders and representatives of participating states sign the founding charter of the Board of Peace in Davos on Jan. 22, 2026. (AFP)
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EU Diplomats Meet Board of Peace Director over Gaza's Future

Trump and leaders and representatives of participating states sign the founding charter of the Board of Peace in Davos on Jan. 22, 2026. (AFP)
Trump and leaders and representatives of participating states sign the founding charter of the Board of Peace in Davos on Jan. 22, 2026. (AFP)

The European Union's top diplomats met Monday in Brussels with the director of the Board of Peace after a shaky and controversial embrace of US President Donald Trump's efforts to secure and rebuild the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.

Nikolay Mladenov, a former Bulgarian politician and UN diplomat chosen by Trump to manage the Board of Peace, met the EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and foreign ministers from across the 27-nation bloc. The EU diplomats were also expected to discuss the war in Ukraine and fresh sanctions on Russia.

“We want to be part of the peace process in Gaza and also contribute with what we have,” Kallas said ahead of the meeting. Afterward, she said Mladenov updated diplomats on the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the Board of Peace's activities and strategy, which included an EU presence in stabilization and humanitarian efforts.

“It was good to hear from Mladenov that it’s really right now trying to improve the situation, that he sees this in the same way, that actually they also need us there contributing," Kallas said.

One EU nation blocked new sanctions on Israeli settlers agreed by the rest of the bloc, she said, without naming the holdout. The EU's planned training of Palestinian police in Gaza is awaiting approval by Israel, Kallas said.

Just across the Mediterranean Sea from the Middle East, the EU has deep links to Israel and the Palestinians. It now plays a crucial oversight role at Gaza's Rafah border crossing with Egypt, and is the top donor to the Palestinian Authority.

The question of whether to work with the Trump-led board has split national capitals from Nicosia to Copenhagen. The EU is supportive of the United Nations’ mandate in Gaza.

EU members Hungary and Bulgaria are full members of the board, as are EU candidate countries Türkiye, Kosovo and Albania.

Twelve other EU nations sent observers to the inaugural meeting in Washington on Thursday: Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. The EU flag was displayed at the event alongside EU observer and member nations.

European leaders like French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen turned down invitation to join, as did Pope Leo XIV. But von der Leyen did send European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica to the meeting in Washington as an observer.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said sending Šuica without consulting the European Council, the group of the bloc's leaders, broke EU regulations.

“The European Commission should never have attended the Board of Peace meeting in Washington,” Barrot said in a post on X. “Beyond the legitimate political questions raised by the ‘Board of Peace,’ the Commission must scrupulously respect European law and institutional balance in all circumstances.”

"It is in the remit of the commission to accept invitations,” von der Leyen spokesperson Paula Pinho said Friday.

While the executive is not joining the board, it is seeking to influence reconstruction and peacekeeping in Gaza beyond being the top donor to the Palestinian Authority, she said.

Trump’s ballooning ambitions for the board extend from governing and rebuilding Gaza as a futuristic metropolis to challenging the UN Security Council’s role in solving conflicts. But they could be tempered by the realities of dealing with Gaza, where there has so far been limited progress in achieving the narrower aims of the ceasefire.