Israel has launched a new wave of attacks across the Gaza Strip, with warplanes striking more than 100 locations over the past 24 hours. As air and ground operations escalate, the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate, with growing alarm over plans to forcibly relocate hundreds of thousands of Palestinians into a so-called “humanitarian city” in southern Gaza. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has joined international voices warning that the plan risks becoming a form of ethnic cleansing.
Heavy Bombardment and Ground Assaults Expand in North Gaza
The Israeli military confirmed that its forces have targeted over 100 locations in Gaza in the past day, claiming the strikes hit weapons storage sites, anti-tank missile launchers, and militant strongholds. Ground troops are also pushing deeper into several northern neighborhoods, including Shujayea, Zeitoun, Beit Hanoun, and Jabalia, areas already devastated by previous assaults.
Strikes remain especially intense in northern Gaza City, with reports of widespread destruction and a rising civilian death toll. Hospital sources have recorded at least 95 Palestinian fatalities from the latest strikes, many of them in residential areas.
Rafah Under Siege: Sharp Increase in Demolitions
In the south, demolition operations have accelerated rapidly. Satellite imagery shows that between early April and July 4, the number of buildings destroyed in Rafah surged from around 15,800 to over 28,600, a sharp increase aligned with Israel’s renewed offensive in the region.
These demolitions coincide with Israel’s plan to relocate hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians into a newly designated area in Rafah, where authorities aim to construct what they describe as a humanitarian safe zone.
Controversial “Humanitarian City” Plan Draws Condemnation
The Israeli government has announced a plan to relocate 600,000 Palestinians into what it calls a “humanitarian city” in southern Gaza, with the potential to expand the zone to house the entire population of the Strip. The plan would involve strict Israeli military oversight, restricted movement, and international agency management. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has harshly criticized the plan, warning that it risks becoming a modern-day concentration camp. “If they [Palestinians] are deported into this new ‘humanitarian city’, then you can say this is part of an ethnic cleansing,” Olmert said in an interview. “There is no other understanding that I have, at least.”
He added that the proposal appears to be less about humanitarian protection and more about systematically removing Palestinians from large parts of Gaza.
UN Agencies Warn of Fuel Crisis and Humanitarian Collapse
Eight United Nations agencies have issued a joint warning that a worsening fuel shortage in Gaza could shut down critical humanitarian services. The statement highlights that without urgent fuel deliveries, essential operations, including hospitals, water desalination, food distribution, and sanitation, could cease entirely.
“Without fuel, these lifelines will vanish for 2.1 million people,” the agencies said, warning that some hospitals are already ceasing operations due to a lack of power.
Mounting International Concern
Legal experts, human rights groups, and even members of the Israeli military have raised alarms over the legality and ethics of the relocation plan. Critics argue that forced displacement under military occupation, combined with restricted access and surveillance, could constitute a grave violation of international humanitarian law. Despite this, Israeli leadership continues to press ahead, describing the project as essential
Palestinian and Israeli Foreign Ministers Attend EU Meeting in Brussels Amid Tensions
Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin is attending a high-level EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels, where she is scheduled to hold talks with several European counterparts, including EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
While both Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and Shahin are attending the event, the Palestinian Authority has denied that any bilateral meeting between the two will take place.
In a statement, the Palestinian Authority said Shahin will demand an immediate halt to alleged Israeli crimes, including genocide, forced displacement, and annexation, and call for the resumption of a political process aimed at ending the occupation and achieving Palestinian self-determination.
Netanyahu Aide Faces Indictment Over Alleged Leak of Military Secrets
Israeli Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has announced that Jonatan Urich, a close adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is facing possible indictment on national security charges, pending a hearing. Urich is accused of leaking classified military information during Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
The allegations center on claims that Urich and another aide provided top-secret material to Germany’s Bild newspaper in an attempt to influence public opinion and media coverage surrounding the killing of six Israeli hostages by Palestinian captors in August 2024.
Urich has denied any wrongdoing, and Netanyahu has called the investigation politically motivated, asserting that no damage was done to Israel’s national security. Urich’s legal team maintains the charges are baseless and that he will be fully exonerated.
The case adds to tensions between Netanyahu and Baharav-Miara, whom the prime minister’s government has tried to remove. The attorney general, appointed under the previous administration, has clashed with Netanyahu’s cabinet over the legality of various policies.
