Israeli airstrikes killed 40 Palestinians in Gaza within 24 hours, including 17 women and 10 children, as families crowded into tents in Khan Younis’s purported "safe zone." The Shaaban family, 10 members, including three grandchildren were killed while sheltering in their tent. Um Mohammad Shaaban, who survived, recounted finding her children and grandchildren mutilated: "It’s supposed to be a safe area," she wept. The attacks occurred despite Israel’s evacuation orders and assurances of humanitarian corridors. Nasser Hospital morgues overflowed, with bodies laid on bloodied floors due to a critical shortage of body bags and refrigeration.
As temperatures exceed 100°F (38°C), displaced families in coastal Muwasi face catastrophic water shortages, with aid trucks arriving only every four days. Amani Abu-Omar described children collapsing from dehydration and heat rashes, while Ali al-Najjar risked sniper fire to chase water trucks with buckets. The U.N. condemned Israel’s blockade as a "death trap," noting that 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million people now rely on contaminated water or starvation rations. Meanwhile, Israel welcomed a U.S. shipment of Caterpillar D9 bulldozers, machinery historically used to demolish Palestinian homes and farmland.
While Netanyahu dined with Trump at the White House, Gaza endured its deadliest airstrikes in weeks. Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff claimed "three key disagreements" with Hamas were resolved, but withheld details as Israel expanded ground operations in Beit Hanoun and Khan Younis. Hamas reiterated demands for a permanent ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal, conditions Netanyahu rejected as he vowed to "eliminate Hamas".
Netanyahu and Trump framed Gaza’s bloodshed as a steppingstone to regional peace, discussing Saudi-Israeli normalization and Syria’s inclusion in the Abraham Accords. Yet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman insists any deal requires Palestinian statehood, a nonstarter for Israel. This diplomatic theater unfolded as Israel announced plans to permanently seize Gaza’s coastline for a "Riviera of the Middle East," accelerating what U.N. experts call "ethnic cleansing".
The U.S. paused weapons shipments last week but resumed them hours after the Khan Younis massacre, with Trump pledging more "defensive weapons." European leaders like Macron and Lammy issued hollow appeals for ceasefires while approving arms exports. U.N. Human Rights Chief Volker Türk warned Gaza’s destruction constitutes genocide, noting: "Forcing people to flee amid bombardment and systematically denying food, water, and medicine are crimes against humanity".