On Friday, Day 672 of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the Israeli army launched a barrage of missiles and shells across the devastated, starved, and besieged coastal enclave, killing and injuring numerous Palestinians. Meanwhile, the Israeli government approved a plan to “fully occupy the coastal region.”
Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip continues without pause. Medical sources reported that more than 36 Palestinians were killed by Israeli military fire since dawn on Friday, among them 36 who were seeking aid in various parts of the Gaza Strip.
Among the targeted areas was a school sheltering displaced families. A source at the Baptist Hospital in Gaza City confirmed the death of a Palestinian woman and multiple injuries following drone strikes on homes in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood, east of Gaza City.
Al Jazeera’s correspondent reported that Israeli warplanes launched a series of airstrikes on three homes near a mosque in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza city, killing at least one Palestinian in the Tuffah neighborhood, and causing several injuries.
At least one Palestinian was killed, and several others wounded, when the army bombarded the Shuja’iyya neighborhood, east of Gaza city.
Israeli artillery also shelled the vicinity of Al-Amal neighborhood in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, causing several casualties.
A Palestinian husband and his wife were also killed, and several residents injured, in an Israeli bombing of an area of Bani Soheila town, east of Khan Younis.
Early this morning, drone strikes hit a residential home in the Al-Mahatta area of Deir al-Balah, in central Gaza. Simultaneously, artillery fire targeted the northern outskirts of the nearby Nuseirat refugee camp.
🚨 BREAKING: Israeli warplanes have intensified their bombing campaign across Gaza.
A strike targeted the Yassin family home in the Asqoula area of Al-Zaytoun, south of Gaza City.
The multi-story building was completely destroyed, and fires spread to nearby houses. pic.twitter.com/Jj2vyvWhRL
— Gaza Notifications (@gazanotice) August 8, 2025
Furthermore, a child in Gaza died following an airdrop of humanitarian aid over the besieged enclave.
Medical sources at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis confirmed the death of Sa’id Kamal Abu Younis, who was fatally injured by an aid package dropped over the southern city.
At least three Palestinians were also killed, and many more wounded, when the army targeted them while seeking humanitarian aid at the Netzarim junction which separates northern Gaza with its southern parts.
Gaza’s Ministry of Health reported four additional deaths in the past 24 hours due to severe hunger and lack of access to food.
🚨 BREAKING: Israeli aircraft carried out a heavy airstrike, bombing a building next to Al-Shifa Medical Complex in western Gaza City. pic.twitter.com/nWLymWXcX0
— Gaza Notifications (@gazanotice) August 8, 2025
Palestinian sources stated that hospitals across the Strip received nine aid-seekers who were killed since yesterday.
Humanitarian organizations report worsening conditions. More than 200,000 Palestinian children are suffering from acute malnutrition, according to civil society networks in Gaza.
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that Gaza recorded its highest monthly rate of acute child malnutrition in July, with approximately 12,000 children under the age of five affected. He called for the immediate and uninterrupted delivery of aid through all available channels.
Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) condemned the aid distribution sites operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, describing them as epicenters of systematic violence and degradation of human dignity, rather than spaces of humanitarian relief.
The organization called for the immediate suspension of the Foundation’s distribution mechanism and urged governments and private donors to refrain from funding what it described as a “death trap.”
Video shows a large explosion targeting an apartment building near the al Shifa Medical Complex, west of Gaza City, only hours after the Israeli security cabinet approved a proposal to completely occupy the city. pic.twitter.com/r1QOodJ9ky
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) August 8, 2025
Between June 7 and July 24, MSF reported receiving 1,380 injured individuals at two of its medical centers near the Foundation’s distribution sites in southern Gaza. Among them, 28 people lost their lives.
Meanwhile, the Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu and his extremist coalition partners has decided to expand the offensive in Gaza, aiming to fully occupy the entire coastal enclave.
The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), along with other Palestinian factions, vowed to thwart Netanyahu’s proposed plan. They affirmed that Israeli captives would not be released except through negotiated agreements—or at a heavy cost.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has sharply criticized the decision made by Israel’s security cabinet, describing it as a “disaster” and stating that “it aligns with what Hamas ultimately seeks.”
His remarks came in response to the Netanyahu government’s approval of a military plan that begins with an incursion into Gaza City as part of a broader strategy to occupy the entire Gaza Strip.
According to Israel’s public broadcaster, Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi stated during discussions within the Israeli security cabinet that the proposed plan to take control of Gaza would require the mobilization of approximately 200,000 reserve troops.
A recent public opinion poll conducted by the Israeli daily Maariv highlights growing divisions within Israeli society regarding the ongoing war on Gaza and the fate of Israeli captives held there. The findings suggest that most Israelis are increasingly inclined toward diplomatic solutions over continued military escalation.
According to the survey, 57% of respondents believe that Israel should pursue a deal to secure the release of the captives, even if it requires ending the war. This reflects a sizable portion of the public prioritizing humanitarian concerns and the safe return of those held in Gaza.
In contrast, 30% of Israelis support the full-scale occupation of Gaza, despite the potential risks this poses to the captives. This group appears to favor a more aggressive military posture, viewing territorial control as a strategic imperative regardless of the human cost.
The poll also reveals mixed views on military strategy. About 30% of respondents endorse the Chief of Staff’s plan to encircle specific areas within Gaza, while 32% express support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s broader approach. These figures suggest a lack of consensus on how best to proceed, with public opinion fragmented across competing visions for the war’s trajectory.
According to Yedioth Ahronoth, the Israeli cabinet deliberately avoided using the term “occupation” in its official communications regarding Gaza, opting instead for the word “control” due to legal considerations.
The substitution is reportedly linked to the legal implications of occupation under international law, particularly the responsibilities it entails toward the civilian population. While the intent remains to occupy the Gaza Strip, the term “control” is being used for formal and legal framing.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich opposed the plan, citing “its failure to include a clause that would prevent any cessation of hostilities, even in the event of a deal to release the captives.”
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has condemned Israel’s recent decision regarding Gaza, stating that it directly violates the ruling issued by the International Court of Justice, which calls for an end to the occupation of the territory.
The Commissioner urged the Israeli government to immediately halt its plan for full military control over the Gaza Strip, warning that such actions constitute a breach of international law and risk exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the region.
It is worth mentioning that the United Nations will be holding an urgent meeting, Saturday, to discuss the Israeli plan to occupy the Gaza Strip.
Furthermore, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has called on Israel to refrain from imposing military control over the Gaza Strip, warning that such a move would further deepen the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the territory.
She emphasized that forced displacement constitutes a violation of international law, and urged all parties to cease hostilities, facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid, and secure the release of hostages.
Wong reaffirmed Australia’s position that a two-state solution remains the only viable path toward a lasting and just peace in the region.
Scotland and China have both condemned Israel’s decision to seize control of Gaza City, warning that such actions will intensify the conflict and worsen the humanitarian crisis.
Scottish First Minister stated that Israel’s move to take over Gaza City escalates the violence and deepens Palestinian suffering, declaring the decision unacceptable. He called on the international community to intervene, halt Israeli aggression, and ensure a ceasefire is enforced.
An airdropped aid parachute landed on displaced families’ tents on Al-Jalaa Street, critically injuring young man Karamallah Al-Kahlout in the head. He is now in the intensive care unit at Al-Ma’madani Hospital, fighting for his life. pic.twitter.com/p50rm1PQCI
— Ramy Abdu| رامي عبده (@RamAbdu) August 8, 2025
According to Agence France-Presse, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed serious concern over Israel’s plan to assert control over Gaza. The ministry urged Israel to immediately cease its dangerous actions and avoid further destabilization.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney criticized Israel’s plan to fully occupy Gaza, calling it “misguided” and warning that it would further endanger the lives of hostages held in the territory.
Also, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot strongly condemned the Israeli government’s plan to fully occupy the Gaza Strip, expressing deep concern over the military escalation and its severe humanitarian consequences for civilians in the territory.
Furthermore, The Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a sharp denunciation of Israel’s declared intent to occupy Gaza, urging both the global community and the UN Security Council to act swiftly to block the execution of the plan.
In its statement, Ankara demanded an immediate end to Israel’s military campaign, the establishment of a ceasefire in Gaza, and the initiation of negotiations grounded in the two-state framework.
The ministry emphasized that Israel’s continued pursuit of genocidal policies and territorial expansion in Palestine poses a serious threat to international peace and stability.
European diplomats cited by The Washington Post stated that Israel has not fulfilled the European Union’s conditions, adding that the agreement with Israel delayed punitive measures and failed to deliver food to the starving population in Gaza, while Israel also continues to block EU humanitarian officials from entering the territory.
Meanwhile, some of Israel’s allies in Europe caution against provoking Trump, a staunch supporter of Netanyahu.
Medical sources said that hospitals in the Gaza Strip received the bodies of 72 slain Palestinians and 314 wounded in the past 24 hours, and added that, since March 18, when Israeli forces breached the ceasefire agreement, the total number of slain Palestinians has reached 9,824 dead and 40,318 injured.
They also stated that among those brought to hospitals in the last 24 hours were 16 individuals killed while seeking aid, and 250 injured. This brings the total number of aid-related fatalities to 1,772 and injuries to 12,249.
Hospitals also recorded four new deaths due to starvation and malnutrition in the past 24 hours, raising the overall toll from hunger-related causes to 201, including 98 children.
The ongoing genocide has resulted in at least 61,330 Palestinian deaths and more than 152,369 injuries—primarily among children, women, and the elderly. Over 9,000 individuals remain missing, many trapped beneath the rubble in various parts of the enclave.
Hundreds of thousands have been displaced. Widespread famine continues to claim lives, including dozens of children. The humanitarian catastrophe deepens by the day.
