Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff has visited Gaza to inspect aid distribution sites backed by the US and Israel
He was joined by ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who shared images from an aid point run by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)
It comes as Human Rights Watch accuses Israeli forces and US-backed contractors of putting in place a "flawed" aid distribution system that turns sites into "regular bloodbaths"
Israel has accused Hamas of instigating the chaos near the aid sites, saying its troops have only fired warning shots and that they do not intentionally shoot civilians
According to the UN human rights office, at least 1,373 Palestinians have been killed while trying to get food aid since the GHF began operating in late May - the GHF rejects these figures
The Israeli government does not allow international news organisations, including the BBC, into Gaza to report freely
In the last 24 hours, 101 people have been killed in Gaza and a further 625 people were injured by Israeli strikes, the Hamas-run health ministry says in its latest update.
The death toll since Israel's military launched a campaign in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023 has risen to 60,239, the ministry says.
Image source, ReutersNemah Hamouda is caring for her granddaughter after her mother was killed during the war. She says she has had to resort to giving the baby girl anise tea as she is not eating and there is no sugar.
She tells Reuters: "At times, when we get lentil soup from the soup kitchen, I strain the water, and I try to feed her. What can I do? The can of formula sells for four million (shekels, meaning 400 shekels around $120) - where can I get (the money) for this?"
“I said by God, doctor, I raised eight children. The doctor would tell me when I used to breastfeed, he would say 'be careful, for (the first) six months the child isn’t allowed to taste any herbs, anything, anise, and even water is forbidden.’
"So how am I supposed to feed the child, she’s an orphan, how can I give her anise (tea)? How can I feed her lentil soup when the child isn’t even three months old yet?”
Image source, Reuters
Gabriela Pomeroy
Live reporter
Image source, Egyptian Ministry of Defence/ HandoutHumanitarian aid packages from Egypt are airdropped over Gaza on 30 July
Deaths in Gaza
Earlier, we reported that dozens of people were shot dead while waiting for food close to the Zikim crossing in northern Gaza on Wednesday. The director of al-Shifa hospital now tells the BBC it received the bodies of 54 people killed.
The Israeli army said its soldiers fired "warning shots", not "directed at the gathering" in response to a "threat posed to them", and it was "not aware of any casualties" as a result of its fire.
Deaths from malnutrition
The Hamas-run health ministry said on Wednesday that seven people died from malnutrition over a 24 hour period, bringing the total to 154 since 7 October 2023, with the majority in recent weeks.
On Tuesday, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) - an initiative which defines hungers levels - said there was widespread starvation, external in the territory.
More aid trucks enter Gaza
Israel - which controls the entry of all supplies to Gaza - is pausing military operations during the daytime in some areas to help aid get in.
The Israeli agency which coordinates aid for Gaza - Cogat - said 270 humanitarian aid trucks, external entered the Strip on Wednesday, plus two fuel tankers. There were also 32 pallets of aid airdropped with the help of Egypt, Jordan and the UAE.
Aid agencies have previously said at least 500 to 600 aid lorries are needed each day in Gaza. Earlier this week, the UN's humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, said what had been delivered so far was just "a drop in the ocean" of what was required.
He also said that most of the UN's food lorries were looted after entering Gaza on Sunday, a situation that has been seen repeated in the days since.
"Most of those lorries... were hit by desperate individual civilians, starving," he said.
Rushdi Abualouf
Gaza correspondent, in Istanbul
Image source, ReutersPalestinians have described the recent moves to recognise Palestine by France, the UK, and Canada as a symbolic but important step toward their long-held aspiration of establishing an independent state.
However, many remain sceptical about the feasibility of the two-state solution given Israel’s continued opposition.
In Gaza, where access to news and social media is extremely limited due to the ongoing war and humanitarian crisis, many residents were likely unaware of the diplomatic developments.
Those who did manage to follow the news online expressed a mixture of gratitude and cautious hope.
Imad Abu Shawish, a local journalist in Gaza, wrote on his Facebook page: “Another slap to Israel — this time from Canada after France and the UK. Every recognition brings us a step closer to our dream of an independent state.”
Mohammed Diab, a Gaza-based community activist, sees the wave of European recognition as a turning point in global discourse.
“These successive recognitions of Palestine are a major blow to Israel’s narrative and signal the crumbling of its political and moral project on the international stage. But Israel’s right-wing government will likely continue its war and defiance, ignoring the world’s position," he said
"Like Hamas misread the moment early in the war, Israel is now failing to grasp the shift. We’re witnessing the collapse of right-wing strategies in the region.”
For others, like Ibrahim Faris, the recognition is meaningful not just politically but also in humanitarian terms.
“This international pressure must now translate into real action to end the starvation and daily killings. The recognition is important symbolically, but for us in Gaza, it’s a cry for the world to end this catastrophe," he said.
While Palestinians remain realistic about the great obstacles ahead, many view these recognitions as a growing sign of international solidarity and a potential lever for greater diplomatic and humanitarian intervention particularly in Gaza, where a severe food crisis continues to unfold.
Tom Bateman
US State Department correspondent
Mark Carney said the conventional approach towards achieving a two-state solution was no longer tenable, because of Hamas’s violent rejection of Israel’s right to exist and Israel’s erosion of a future Palestinian state through its settlement expansion and threats to annex the occupied West Bank.
He condemned Israel for allowing starvation to unfold in Gaza.
He said the planned recognition of a Palestinian state would be conditional on the Palestinian Authority agreeing to democratic reforms, which it has pledged to carry out as part of the UN conference.
Canada’s move, following Britain and France, leaves the US increasingly isolated in its unyielding backing for Israel’s approach to the war in Gaza.
And it highlights the strategic vacuum being left by Washington that had traditionally led diplomatic efforts towards a viable longer-term peace in the decades old conflict.
Israel called Canada’s announcement part of a distorted campaign of international pressure and a reward to Hamas for 7 October.
US President Donald Trump's envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, has landed in Israel, according to Israeli media reports.
Witkoff is expected to meet Israeli officials today, amid growing international criticism of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza and as ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel appear to have stalled.
Image source, EPADonald Trump says there "is real starvation" in Gaza
During his visit to Scotland earlier this week, US President Donald Trump was asked frequently about the increasingly dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
There is "real starvation" in the territory, he told reporters on Monday, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted there was no such thing.
Trump said Washington would set up food centres in Gaza, "where the people can walk in and no boundaries, we're not going to have fences".
"We want to get the children fed," the US president added.
On the Israeli hostages being held by Hamas, Trump said that "in some cases" Israel knows where Hamas is holding the hostages. He voiced his frustration at how difficult it has been to make a deal with Hamas.
"When you get down to the final 20, they won’t release them, because that's their shield," Trump added.
Paul Adams
Diplomatic correspondent
Image source, ReutersPalestine will soon have the support of four of the UN Security Council’s five permanent members - assuming France and the UK recognise its statehood
The state of Palestine is currently recognised by 147 of the UN's 193 member states.
At the UN, it has the status of a "permanent observer state", allowing participation but no voting rights.
With France also promising recognition in the coming weeks and assuming the UK does go ahead with recognition, Palestine will soon enjoy the support of four of the UN Security Council's five permanent members (the other two being China and Russia).
This will leave the United States, Israel's strongest ally by far, in a minority of one.
Washington has recognised the Palestinian Authority, currently headed by Mahmoud Abbas, since the mid-1990s but has stopped short of recognising an actual state.
Several US presidents have expressed their support for the eventual creation of a Palestinian state. But Donald Trump is not one of them. Under his two administrations, US policy has leaned heavily in favour of Israel.
Without the backing of Israel's closest and most powerful ally, it is impossible to see a peace process leading to an eventual two-state solution.
The Israeli government has criticised Canada's plan to recognise a Palestinian state.
Israel's Foreign Ministry said the move was was a "reward for Hamas". Recognition of such a state "harms the efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza", the ministry posted on X, and damages work towards the release of the remaining hostages.
Defence Minister Israel Katz said the plans to recognise a Palestinian state "give Hamas encouragement and harden its stance".
A Palestinian state would be a "Hamas state", said Israel's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Gideon Saar, in reaction to the UK and France's earlier decision to formally recognise a Palestinian state.
The UK's move was also criticised yesterday by British-Israeli citizen Emily Damari, who was taken hostage by Hamas on 7 October 2023 and spent 15 months in captivity.
"This move does not advance peace - it risks rewarding terror," she posted online. "It sends a dangerous message: that violence earns legitimacy."
Image source, PA MediaEmily Damari reuniting with her mother Mandy in January, after being held in captivity by Hamas for more than 15 months. She lost two fingers when she was was shot in the hand as she was dragged from her home in southern Israel in the 7 October attacks
Image source, EPAPalestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, pictured in April
The Palestinian Authority's President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed Canada's decision to recognise a Palestinian state as a "historic" decision.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement posted on X: "This courageous and principled decision marks a significant step towards justice, peace, and the long-overdue realisation of the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination."
As a reminder, the Palestinian Authority has limited governance over the parts of the occupied West Bank that are not under full Israeli control. It lost control of Gaza in 2007 to Hamas.
On Wednesday, Canadian PM Mark Carney said recognising a Palestinian state "is predicated on the Palestinian Authority's commitment to much-needed reforms".
He also said the plans were based on Abbas's pledge to "hold general elections in 2026 in which Hamas can play no part, and to demilitarise the Palestinian state".
Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent
Some of Britain's most distinguished lawyers have warned the UK government that recognising a Palestinian state would breach international law.
In a letter to Lord Hermer, the attorney general, a group of 40 members of the House of Lords, many of them lawyers, write that proceeding with recognition would be "contrary to international law" because important criteria have not been met.
The BBC has not been able to obtain a full list of signatories, but according to The Times they include the prominent barrister Lord Pannick KC, the former Supreme Court judge Lord Collins of Mapesbury, the former justice minister Lord Faulks KC, and Lord Shamash, the Labour Party's solicitor since 1990.
Part of the letter says: "Palestine does not meet the international law criteria for recognition of a state, namely, defined territory, a permanent population, an effective government and the capacity to enter into relations with other states.
"This is set out in the Montevideo Convention, has become part of customary law, and it would be unwise to depart from it at a time when international law is seen as fragile or, indeed, at any time."
Yolande Knell
Middle East correspondent, in Jerusalem
Image source, EPASteve Witkoff, pictured earlier this month
President Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is due to meet Israeli officials today, amid growing international outrage over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The US envoy is arriving at a grim moment. With hunger and malnutrition continuing to kill people daily in Gaza, Israeli media report that Witkoff will visit the controversial aid sites operated by the Israeli-backed, American group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
He’ll also meet Israel officials who are considering punitive measures against Hamas after ceasefire and hostage release deal talks stalled last week.
In Gaza, despite some new steps by Israel’s military, the UN is still struggling to deliver aid. Most of its lorries are looted by desperate crowds.
Yesterday, a local hospital said at least 48 people were shot dead by Israeli fire while waiting for food at a crossing in the north of the strip.
Footage showed the dead and wounded being taken on carts to hospital while others carried away bags of flour.
The Israeli army said its soldiers fired "warning shots", not "directed at the gathering", and it was "not aware of any casualties" as a result of IDF fire.
It also urged caution with "information published by unreliable sources".
Paul Adams
Diplomatic correspondent
Image source, EPA-EFEPalestine is a state that does and does not exist.
It has a large degree of international recognition, diplomatic missions abroad, and teams that compete in sporting competitions, including the Olympics.
But due to the Palestinians' long-running dispute with Israel, it has no internationally agreed boundaries, no capital and no army.
Due to Israel's military occupation in the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority - set up in the wake of peace agreements in the 1990s - is not in full control of its land or people.
Gaza, where Israel is also the occupying power, is in the midst of a devastating war.
Given its status as a kind of quasi-state, recognition is inevitably somewhat symbolic. It will represent a strong moral and political statement but will change little on the ground.
Around 12 hours after Canada made its announcement, US President Donald Trump responded on his social media network, Truth Social:
"Wow! Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine. That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them. Oh’ Canada!!!"
His warning to Canada comes hours before his "Liberation Day" tariffs are due to kick in for countries that have not struck trade deals with the US.
Countries including the UK, South Korea, and Japan, as well as the EU, have recently reached trade deals - so they will have specific rates for the goods they sell to the US.
But other countries - including China and Mexico – are still to reach agreements. Trump has been clear that deals must be reached before 1 August, or higher levies will apply.
Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesOn the original trade "Liberation Day" - 2 April - Trump announced higher tariffs on almost every country in the world. Many have since been lowered in specific trade deals
Image source, ReutersOn Wednesday in Ottawa, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said his country plans to recognise a Palestinian state in September.
The state would be part of the two-state solution - that is Israel and Palestine living side by side.
Carney said his decision was prompted by the "catastrophe" in Gaza, and because he feared the prospect of a Palestinian state was "receding before our eyes".
The Palestinian Authority - which runs parts of the occupied West Bank - must commit to "much-needed reform" he said. And Hamas, which controlled Gaza, "can play no part".
Canada's announcement came just a day after the UK said it too would recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel committed to a ceasefire.
Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron also said France would recognise a Palestinian state in September, saying "we must build the State of Palestine, ensure its viability, and ensure that by accepting its demilitarisation and fully recognising Israel".
It's worth remembering that 147 of the UN's 193 member states already formally recognise a Palestinian state.
US President Donald Trump says it will be "very hard" to make a trade deal with Canada, after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced plans to recognise a Palestinian state.
Trump's trade threat comes a day before higher tariffs on countries without a US trade deal are set to begin. Canada will face a 35% tariff on most goods it sells to the US from Friday, if a deal is not reached today.
Canada’s move to recognise a Palestinian state follows similar announcements from the UK and France. It comes as the hunger crisis in Gaza deepens: on Wednesday, the Hamas-run health ministry reported seven more deaths from malnutrition.
Earlier this week, Donald Trump said there was "real starvation" in Gaza, and that he was working with Israel to "get things straightened out". US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff is due to meet officials in Israel today.
It's going to be another busy day - we’ll bring you all the latest news and analysis on this page.