Idf kills six terrorists in raid on hospital. In Tel Aviv, 350,000 take to the streets for hostages

The Israeli government's security cabinet ended "without any discussion on Hamas' latest truce proposal" and without a formal vote on any measures. The cabinet is reportedly firm on its intention to continue the offensive in the Strip by conquering Gaza City. The ministers are now at a gala dinner where protesters rail at them shouting 'celebrate while hostages starve'.

The Israeli security cabinet meeting ended without discussing the 60-day ceasefire and the hostage release agreement agreed with Hamas. This was reported by the Hebrew-language media. The meeting, Channel 12 reports, lasted less than three hours and did not include a formal vote. The meeting had been brought forward so that the ministers could attend an evening event in Jerusalem organised by the Binyamin Regional Council in the West Bank.

Six of the approximately 20 Palestinians killed yesterday in the Israeli forces' attack on the Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis "were Hamas terrorists". This was stated by the IDF regarding the preliminary investigation opened into the raid, as reported by Jerusalem Post. According to the Israeli army, one of the six Hamas militiamen killed was also involved in the 7 October attack

The Israeli army says its attack on a Gaza hospital, which killed 20 people, including five journalists, was aimed at what military officials believed to be a Hamas surveillance camera, as well as people identified as militants. The statement was issued by the IDF as part of its preliminary investigation into the attack. According to the military, the consecutive strikes on the largest hospital in southern Gaza were ordered because the soldiers believed militants were using the camera to observe Israeli forces, and because Israel has long suspected Hamas and other armed groups of being present in the hospitals.

Two Syrian government soldiers were killed and six others were injured in an Israeli airstrike southwest of Damascus. This was reported by the National Observatory for Human Rights in Syria, according to which the attack took place with a drone near the Syrian military base in Kiswa, along the road connecting the Syrian capital to the occupied Golan Heights. Earlier, a Syrian civilian was killed by another Israeli bombing in the border region of Qunaytra, which has been exposed to continuous Israeli attacks and incursions for more than eight months.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he did not believe at the time that yesterday's Israeli attack on the Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, in which at least 20 people died, including five journalists, was targeting reporters. "But both the Israeli army and the Israeli government have promised to launch a thorough investigation into this incident," he said at a press conference in Berlin. "And I would like to wait for the results of this investigation before making a final judgement," the chancellor added.

"Israel is penetrating the heart of Gaza city with overwhelming force: tanks and warplanes are razing entire blocks to the ground, not only destroying buildings, but also deliberately emptying residential neighbourhoods of their residents". Al Jazeera writes this, adding that 'there has been a huge increase in the deployment of artillery units in eastern Gaza City, resulting in the destruction of civilian infrastructure'. "The Israeli army is using military power that aims less at striking with precision and more at wiping out what remains of Gaza's urban fabric: houses, schools, shelters and hospitals have been hit by the shelling," the Qatari broadcaster points out. "This new military expansion is leaving families with nowhere to go.

The Israeli security cabinet meeting at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office in Jerusalem has begun. This was reported by the PM's office to Times of Israel. The meeting is expected to approve the operational plans for the next phases of the IDF operation in Gaza City. According to Jewish media, the gradual ceasefire and hostage release agreement that Hamas said it had agreed to last week will not be discussed.

Dozens of protesters are blocking Route 1 and Route 6, two major highways in central Israel, near the Daniel intersection where the two roads meet. The Times of Israel reports. The blockades are part of a nationwide day of protest aimed at pressuring the government to negotiate a deal for the release of the 50 Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. According to Haaretz, highways between Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and other major cities are currently blocked in both directions, with protesters burning tyres at three different points on the roads. On Route 6, protesters unfurled a huge banner reading: 'End the war, bring everyone home'. Protests in support of the hostages are taking place throughout the day, and groups of demonstrators had previously blocked major roads. In the evening, thousands of people are expected in front of Tel Aviv's Savidor train station to march to Hostages Square, demanding an agreement to bring home all hostages held by Hamas and end the war in Gaza.

Dimostranti bloccano un'autostrada durante una protesta che chiede il rilascio immediato di tutti gli ostaggi detenuti da Hamas e la fine della guerra nella Striscia di Gaza, vicino a Modiin, Israele, martedì 26 agosto 2025. (Foto AP/Ohad Zwigenberg)

A column of Israeli military vehicles entered the centre ofRamallah this afternoon in a rare daytime raid on one of the largest Palestinian cities in the West Bank. The Israeli army confirmed that an operation was underway in the city, but gave no information on the purpose of the raid. The Palestinian Red Crescent stated that there were 58 casualties during the raid, including injuries from real bullets, rubber bullets, tear gas inhalation and 'shrapnel from real bullets'. Israeli armoured vehicles entered a busy intersection in the city centre, blocking traffic. Several dozen people tried to throw stones at the military vehicles.

Ramallah is the seat of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), which cooperates with Israel on security matters and has been largely sidelined since the beginning of the war in Gaza. The city has suffered similar raids before, including one in May when Israeli forces targeted money transfer companies there and in other Palestinian cities, claiming they had links to militant groups. The war in Gaza triggered a wave of violence in the West Bank. The Israeli army conducted large-scale operations against militants, killing hundreds of Palestinians and displacing tens of thousands. This coincided with an increase in settler violence and Palestinian attacks on Israelis. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, more than 1,000 attacks by Israeli settlers occurred during 2025, with 11 Palestinians killed and about 700 injured.

At least 54 Palestinians have been killed since dawn in the Gaza Strip following Israeli attacks, medical sources told Al Jazeera. The victims also include nine people who, according to the same sources, were shot while waiting to receive humanitarian aid.

"The killing of five journalists, four health workers and several civilians" yesterday in Gaza "is totally unacceptable. Civilians and journalists must be protected under international law." "We reiterate our call on Israel to respect international humanitarian law and to ensure that these attacks are investigated, and we note the statements by the Israeli authorities that a thorough investigation will be conducted." This was said by EU Commission spokesperson Anouar El Anouni during the press briefing.

Egypt is reinforcing its forces along the shared border with Gaza ahead of the planned offensive by the IDF to occupy Gaza City, due to fears that the mass evacuation of Palestinians from the north of the Gaza Strip to the south could lead to chaos along the border. This was reported by Arab and Jewish media, quoted by the Times of Israel.

Nearly one million civilians, or almost half of the Strip's population, reside in Gaza City, many of whom have begun evacuating south in anticipation of the Israeli offensive, although no official evacuation notices have yet been issued. Egyptian officials fear that this mass evacuation of Gaza City residents may lead Palestinians to flee across the border to Egypt. Therefore, Arabic-language media report that some 40,000 Egyptian soldiers are now deployed in northern Sinai, ready to guard the 12-kilometre border separating it from the Gaza Strip.

Some videos circulating on social media, allegedly taken today, show Israeli IDF forces in action in the West Bank city of Ramallah. According to reports in the Times of Israel, one clip appears to show soldiers raiding a local currency exchange office, while others show military vehicles and troops moving through the streets of the city. Although the IDF has maintained a strong presence throughout the West Bank since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, it is rare for the army to operate inside Ramallah, the administrative centre of the Palestinian National Authority. The IDF has not yet commented on the news.

"What is happening is terrible, we must fight". So said the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, arriving at the Rimini Meeting, to those who asked her about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Asked about the possibility of a strong stance by the EU Parliament, she replied: 'There must be, we have no choice. The position of the European Parliament is very strong'.

The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said that in the past 24 hours 75 Palestinians were killed in Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) attacks, including 17 while waiting for aid.

The ministry also reported that three people had died of malnutrition in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of hunger-related deaths since the beginning of the war to 303, including 117 children.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene his security cabinet for 4pm local time, 3pm in Italy, to discuss Gaza and efforts to reach an agreement on the hostages. This was reported to the Times of Israel by his office, which would not reveal whether Netanyahu will raise the issue of the ceasefire and the proposed gradual release of hostages that Hamas said it had accepted last week.

In the days following the Hamas announcement, Netanyahu had stated that he had instructed the Israeli negotiating team to resume talks to reach a comprehensive agreement that would guarantee the release of all hostages and end the war on Israel's terms, while reiterating his commitment to the Cabinet-approved plan to take control of Gaza City. According to the Times of Israel, negotiations on the venue for the next round of talks are reportedly underway, while the date and composition of the Israeli delegation have yet to be finalised.

The UN reiterated that Israel must not only investigate alleged unlawful killings in Gaza, such as the hospital attack that killed 20 people, including five journalists, but must also ensure that such investigations yield results. "Israeli authorities have previously announced investigations into such killings... but these investigations must lead to results," UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan told reporters in Geneva. "There must be justice. We have not yet seen results or accountability measures," she added.

"We will not join the initiative for the recognition of a Palestinian state," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said at a joint press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Berlin today.

'The Canadian government and the Canadian prime minister are aware of the federal government's position on a possible recognition of Palestine as a state. We will not join such an initiative,' Merz stressed to the press.

The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry said three more people had died of malnutrition in the enclave in the past 24 hours. This brings the total number of starvation deaths in the Strip to 303, including 117 children, according to the ministry quoted by Al Jazeera.

China said it was 'shocked' by Israel's attack on a Gaza hospital, in which five journalists died among the at least 20 people killed, expressing 'condemnation' of the incident. "We are shocked and condemn the fact that medical personnel and journalists have unfortunately lost their lives once again in the conflict," Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun commented on the incident. "We express our condolences to the victims and our solidarity with their families," Guo added in the daily briefing.

For Donald Trump within two to three weeks the war in Gaza could end. 'I think within the next two or three weeks we will come to a positive and final conclusion,' the US president said at the White House. This is not the first time Trump has spoken about this time frame. "It has to be ended because between hunger and all the other problems people keep getting killed," the tycoon said again.

In the last few hours, shelling has continued near the Catholic parish in Gaza. This was announced by the parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli, posting some videos on Facebook. Father Romanelli explains that "yesterday the shelling" occurred "between 400 and 1000 metres south of the parish".

"There can be no future based on imprisonment, displacement of Palestinians or revenge", "this is not the right way. There is no reason to justify the deliberate and forced mass displacement of civilians". This was stated in a joint note by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. 'It is time,' the patriarchs say, 'to end this spiral of violence, to put an end to war and to prioritise the common good of the people. There has already been enough devastation, in the territories and in people's lives. There is no reason to justify holding civilians as prisoners and hostages in dramatic conditions. The time has come to heal the long-suffering families on all sides. With equal urgency, we call on the international community to act to end this senseless and destructive war and for the return of the missing persons and Israeli hostages'.

At least one person was killed and several others were injured this morning in an Israeli army (IDF) attack on Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid near the Netzarim corridor in central Gaza, according to a local medical source quoted by Al Jazeera. The attack brings to at least 21 the number of civilians killed in the Strip by the IDF since dawn today.

The Norwegian sovereign wealth fund announced that it had sold its stake in US construction equipment company Caterpillar due to human rights violations in Gaza. 'There is no doubt that Caterpillar products are being used to commit widespread and systematic violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza territory,' the fund said in a note. The fund said it was acting on the recommendation of its Ethics Council that "bulldozers manufactured by Caterpillar are being used by the Israeli authorities for the large-scale and illegal destruction of Palestinian property".

The Israeli government will hold a meeting of the Security Cabinet this evening: the agenda has not been officially announced, but according to local media reports it may concern the resumption of negotiations for a ceasefire agreement and the release of hostages. At the beginning of August, the Cabinet approved a plan for the military takeover of Gaza City, triggering new fears for the safety of the hostages and a new wave of protests that in recent weeks has seen tens of thousands of people take to the streets across the country. Last week, Prime Minister Netanyahu had ordered the immediate start of talks aimed at securing the release of all remaining prisoners in Gaza, while at the same time redoubling plans for a new offensive to take over the Strip's largest city. A few days earlier, Hamas had declared that it had accepted a new ceasefire proposal put forward by the mediators, which provided for the staggered release of hostages over an initial period of 60 days in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Demonstrations for the release of hostages and an end to the war in Gaza are underway today at several road junctions in Israel. Haaretz reports. Dozens of demonstrators blocked the Yakum junction in the centre of the country, setting fire to tyres.

Another protest took place in front of the home of Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and the homes of several other ministers.

Israeli attacks continued this morning in several areas of Gaza, causing at least 20 deaths so far. This was reported by medical sources quoted by al Jazeera. The latest casualties include seven people killed in a house in Gaza City and six people - including children - killed in a tent near Khan Yunis, the sources report.

Egypt strongly condemned the Israeli airstrike against a hospital in the Gaza Strip city of Khan Yunis, which resulted in the death of five journalists. This was stated in a statement by the Foreign Ministry in Cairo.

"The Arab Republic of Egypt strongly condemns the Israeli occupation forces' attack on the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis, which resulted in the deaths of innocent civilians, medical personnel and journalists," the note reads.

The office of the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, released a statement calling Monday's attack on the Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, in the south of the Gaza Strip, a 'tragic incident', with the death toll at least 20 including five journalists. "Israel expresses deep regret over the tragic incident that occurred at the Nasser Hospital in Gaza," reads the statement from Netanyahu's office. "Israel appreciates the work of the journalists, medical personnel and all civilians," it continued, adding that "the military authorities are conducting a thorough investigation." "Our war is against Hamas terrorists. Our righteous goals are to defeat Hamas and bring our hostages home," he concludes.

Five journalists, three of whom worked for Reuters, al Jazeera and Associated Press, killed in a double raid by the Israeli army that today targeted the Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, in the south of the Gaza Strip. This is the latest tragic tribute of the media to the Israeli military pressure, imposed by Prime Minister Netanyahu. The attack, as reported by the satellite TV al-Jazeera citing the Gaza Health Ministry, left at least 20 people dead: in addition to the five journalists, also doctors and hospitalised patients.