Trump: 'We have good news on Gaza'. Syria: army withdrawal from Sweida begun

"The situation in Syria is complicated... but we are on the road to de-escalation, in the next few hours we hope to see some progress to end what we've seen," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in the Oval Office. Rubio himself wrote on X that all parties involved in the ongoing conflicts in Syria have agreed on steps to end the violence by the end of the day. "We have agreed on specific steps that will end this disturbing and terrifying situation as early as tonight."

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that "Israel's attacks targeting Syria and the conflict in southern Syria must be stopped" during a conversation with Tom Barrack, US Special Representative for Syria as well as US Ambassador to Ankara. According to reports on state TV Trt, Fidan also held talks with his Syrian counterpart, Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, where he expressed concern about the attacks by the Jewish state, adding that "interventions that threaten the efforts for stability in Syria must stop".

The IDF Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, orders the reinforcement of the Syrian border area with additional surveillance and offensive capabilities, in the context of the ongoing attacks in Syria. The Times of Israel reports this. Zamir also orders the Northern Command to divert forces to the Syrian border in order to 'increase the pace of attacks and stop attacks against the Druze in Syria'. The additional forces will reinforce the 210th 'Bashan' Division along the border and in the Israeli-controlled Syrian buffer zone. "The IDF is committed to a deep alliance with our Druze brothers and that is why they are striking targets across Syria to protect them in the Sweida region, Jabal al-Druze and wherever necessary," the statement read.

At least 61 Palestinians died today in the Gaza Strip. According to local hospital sources, 41 of them - including 11 children - were killed in Israeli air strikes. The other 20 lost their lives in Khan Younis, near a distribution centre run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (Ghf).

According to Ghf, 19 people died in the crush while waiting to receive food aid, while another was stabbed. The same foundation accuses Hamas of spreading disinformation and fomenting panic, causing the tragedy. However, the Gaza Health Ministry and several witnesses report that it was the Ghf workers themselves who used tear gas against the crowd, triggering the chaos.

The situation in Gaza and Israel's responsibility was also addressed by former EU High Representative Josep Borrell, who criticised the EU Foreign Council for failing to take a decision on Israeli actions against the Palestinians. Borrell said that the EU, by not punishing Israel, is enabling genocide in Gaza.

According to the Ministry of Health, this is the first time deaths have been reported in a stampede at a distribution centre. Ghf confirms deaths at its sites for the first time, but health sources, eyewitnesses and UN agencies report that hundreds of Palestinians have died in recent months while trying to access aid.

Some witnesses report that panic spread after messages announcing the suspension of distribution. Others report that many people were trapped in a turnstile system, generating a deadly traffic jam.

Rafah resident Omar Al-Najjar said many people were panting, probably from the effect of tear gas. "The injuries were not caused by gunshots, but by people crowding and pushing against each other," he said, while transporting an injured man to hospital. Another witness, Abdullah Aleyat, reported the use of stun grenades and pepper spray against the crowd.

According to the Gaza Ministry of Health and the UN Human Rights Office, 875 Palestinians have been killed while trying to receive food aid since May. Of these, 674 are reported to have died near centres run by Ghf.

On the diplomatic front, US President Donald Trump will meet with the Prime Minister of Qatar, Muhammad bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, at the White House this evening. According to White House reports, the focus of the meeting will be on negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages. Qatar continues to play a mediating role between Hamas and Israel.

Indirect talks between Hamas and Israel are continuing in Doha, but without a definite timeline. This was stated by Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari at a weekly press conference today. "Negotiations are ongoing," he said, "and all parties are communicating on a daily basis.

Al Ansari reiterated that Qatari, Egyptian, and US mediators are working "around the clock" to overcome differences on outstanding issues, with the aim of reaching a preliminary understanding that could pave the way for in-person talks. "There is no stagnation," he said.

During the conference, the Qatari spokesman also condemned the "irresponsible Israeli policies", emphasising that the recent clashes between Israel and Iran had highlighted the risk to regional security. He therefore called on the international community to take "a very clear stand against these provocations".

The new round of talks in Doha began on 6 July as part of international efforts to end a conflict that has ravaged Gaza for more than 21 months. According to local health authorities, the Israeli military campaign - which began in October 2023 - has so far left 58,479 Palestinians dead and 139,355 wounded.

The health condition of Kamal Adwan hospital director, paediatrician Hossam Abu Safiya, who was arrested on 27 December by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip and detained "in solitary confinement" in Ofer prison, is worsening. This was reported by his lawyer Gheed Kassem, referring on his social accounts to the visit made to the doctor on 9 July.

"What I saw was heartbreaking," he said, "since the beginning of his detention, he has lost more than 40 kilograms, more than a third of his body weight. He entered prison weighing 100 kilograms. Today he weighs no more than 60. On 24 June 2025, Dr Hussam was subjected to a targeted and brutal attack. Soldiers broke into Room 1, Section 24 of Ofer Prison, where he was being held, and beat him mercilessly for 30 minutes. His rib cage was hit repeatedly. He suffered severe bruises on his face, head, back and neck". According to the lawyer, Abu Safiya asked for medical assistance, but "the request was rejected".