Thousands of Palestinians continued to flee the devastated southern city of Khan Younis on Friday after Israel launched a fresh offensive and issued evacuation orders. Families fled in vehicles and on foot from eastern parts of the city, where many had returned less than two weeks ago after the Israeli military’s last incursion in July. Read our live blog to see how all the day's events unfolded.
Summary:
- Israel agreed to resume Gaza ceasefire talks on August 15 at the demand of US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's office said overnight Friday.
- French President Emmanuel Macron held a phone call on Friday with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, during which Macron reaffirmed his calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.
- An Israeli air strike on a car deep inside Lebanon killed a senior figure from Palestinian armed group Hamason Friday evening.
- Israel launched another offensive on the devastated southern city of Khan Younis on Friday as thousands of Palestinians fled the area following the military’s evacuation orders
- At least 39,699 Palestinians have been killed and 91,722 injured in Israel's war in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run enclave. The Hamas-led October 7 attacks resulted in the deaths of more than 1,190 people, mostly civilians, according to official Israeli figures. Some 250 people were taken hostage, with about 120 remaining in Gaza. Many have been declared dead by Israeli authorities.
Yesterday's key developments:
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Qatari, Egyptian and US leaders on Thursday urged Israel and Hamas to resume urgent talks on August 15 either in Doha or Cairo to bridge all remaining gaps in the proposed Gaza ceasefire agreement and start implementing it without any delay.
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The Israeli military ordered another mass evacuation in large areas around Khan Younis in southern Gaza, saying its forces will soon operate there in response to Palestinian rocket fire.
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Israel's decision to revoke the diplomatic status of Norwegian envoys will have negative consequences, Oslo said, after Israel announced it will no longer accredit diplomats for the occupied Palestinian Territories. Norway, along with Spain and Ireland, recognised Palestinian statehood in May.
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Air France said Thursday the suspension of flights to Beirut will last until August 11. The airline halted flights on July 29 after regional tensions spiked in the wake of a rocket fired from Lebanon that killed 12 youths in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights.
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The World Central Kitchen, a US-based NGO, said a Palestinian staff member was killed while off-duty in Gaza.
Gaza’s health ministry collects data from the enclave’s hospitals and the Palestinian Red Crescent. For more on the health ministry’s casualty figures, click here.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, Reuters, AP)
