Middle East
Netanyahu’s Full Gaza Takeover Plan Faces Military Pushback

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly decided to pursue a full military takeover of the Gaza Strip, despite strong opposition from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and the potential risk to hostages still held by Hamas.
According to a report by The Times of Israel on Monday (August 4), Netanyahu is expected to seek cabinet approval for the plan within the week. Several ministers have confirmed that Netanyahu has privately used the word “takeover” in conversations, signaling a significantly more aggressive military stance toward Gaza.
A senior official close to Netanyahu told Israeli media outlet Walla: “The decision has been made. We are going to take full control of Gaza.” The official added that operations would extend even into areas where hostages are believed to be held. “If the Chief of Staff disagrees, he should resign,” the source was quoted as saying.
However, Israeli military leadership appears divided. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi has reportedly expressed opposition to the full occupation plan. Currently, IDF controls about 75% of Gaza. The new plan would expand operations to the remaining areas, effectively bringing the entire strip under Israeli military control.
Military officials have warned that such a move could take years due to the extensive underground infrastructure developed by Hamas. They also raised concerns that an intensified operation may place the lives of hostages at immediate risk.
Humanitarian organizations and international observers have also raised alarms about the potential consequences for Gaza’s civilian population and ongoing aid efforts, should Israel proceed with full-scale occupation.
While Netanyahu has announced plans to convene the cabinet soon to discuss the next steps, some analysts suggest he may ultimately urge patience to allow negotiations for hostage releases to continue.
International
Israel kills three Palestinians accused of crossing Gaza ceasefire line

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have shot and killed three Palestinians in Gaza’s eastern Shuja’iyya area on Tuesday morning, claiming they crossed a designated ceasefire boundary.
According to The Times of Israel, the IDF said the individuals allegedly breached the so-called “yellow line,” a demarcation established as part of the ongoing truce arrangements.
The army claimed its troops initially tried to disperse the suspects but opened fire “to neutralize the threat” when they ignored warnings.
In a statement, the IDF urged Gaza residents to follow its directives and avoid approaching areas where Israeli soldiers are stationed.
International
Gaza in a thousand faces

Al Jazeera looks back at the faces of people who suffered throughout two years of Israel’s war on Gaza.

We have more than 30,000 photos in our archive from Gaza, compiled over the past two years alone.
We chose more than one thousand photos, focusing on the faces of people enduring a genocidal war.
Each photo is a snapshot in time of a place more than two million people call home, of an incident or moment that marked one of those people.
Young and old, their faces bear moments of fear, pain, and rare glimpses of happiness.
Looking into their eyes, you begin to see their lives, their resilience, their loss, and their hope.
The video below is a time-lapse of 200 faces.
Scroll to the end to explore an interactive mosaic of nearly 2,000 faces.
/Many children, their eyes wide with shock, cling to the arms of rescuers after explosions tear through their neighbourhoods.
Some images are too horrific to show, with small bodies crushed beneath rubble, homes erased in an instant, and the innocence of youth replaced by trauma.
These faces, once vibrant and full of life, grow thinner and paler, fading under the weight of hunger and loss.
One such image, taken on May 21, 2024, by Ashraf Amra, shows a child with a broken arm wrapped in plaster, lying on a hospital floor stained with blood. He stares fixedly up at the camera, the blood on the floor seeping closer to his uninjured shoulder.
He was one of the injured Palestinians brought to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital following Israeli attacks on the Bureij refugee camp in Deir el-Balah.

Also among them are Gaza’s women – mothers, teachers, doctors, journalists, and caregivers, carrying heavy loads, both physical and emotional. Some are guided by faith, in mosques or churches.
The older generation bears the eyes of displacement, having lived through such events before.
One of the most powerful images shows Palestinian woman Inas Abu Maamar, 36, embracing the body of her 5-year-old niece Sally, who was killed in an Israeli strike, at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on October 17, 2023.
Photographer Mohammad Salem was at the hospital morgue that day.
“It was a powerful and sad moment, and I felt the picture sums up the broader sense of what was happening in the Gaza Strip,” he said.
“People were confused, running … anxious to know the fate of their loved ones, and this woman caught my eye as she was holding the body of the little girl and refused to let go.”
The image went on to win the 2024 World Press Photo of the Year award, recognised for capturing the profound grief and chaos experienced by those living through the attacks in Gaza.

Many of the men pictured are carrying shrouded bodies, the weight of loss heavy.
Rescue workers and young men, often civilians turned first responders, move through the rubble with grim determination.
Each shrouded body tells a story of tragedy and sudden loss, and each man’s face reflects exhaustion, grief, and the urgent need to help in the midst of chaos.
One image taken by Omar Al-Qattaa shows a man carrying the shrouded body of a child killed in overnight Israeli bombardment at the al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City on October 2, 2024.

Explore an interactive mosaic of nearly 2,000 photos spanning two years in Gaza. Hover over or click on each icon to view the full image.
International
Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Officially Comes into Effect in Gaza

A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas has officially come into effect in Gaza, following a proposal by U.S. President Donald Trump. The Israeli government confirmed its approval of the truce, marking the first formal peace initiative in Gaza in two years.
According to an official statement, Israel’s cabinet approved both the ceasefire and a prisoner-exchange framework based on negotiations held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. However, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir opposed the decision.
In the first phase, Israeli forces will withdraw from a designated “Yellow Line” in Gaza within 24 hours. Within 72 hours, Hamas is expected to release around 20 Israeli hostages alive, followed by the return of bodies of the deceased.
In exchange, Israel will release over 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, including 250 serving life sentences and several detained after October 7, 2023.
Although the duration of the ceasefire remains undefined, it represents the first significant peace effort amid Gaza’s two-year-long devastating conflict, which has claimed over 67,000 Palestinian lives.
Hamas senior leader Khalil al-Hayya said the agreement also includes provisions for a permanent ceasefire, the entry of humanitarian aid, and the reopening of the Rafah border crossing.
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