Gaza & Palestine: Situation Report

Speaking on the inaugural episode of former Israeli hostage Rom Braslavski’s podcast, Ben-Gvir — a senior member of Netanyahu’s security cabinet — said: “I think targeted assassinations should be carried out in Gaza, taking down 30 to 40 every night. Not just those who pose an immediate threat — there are people there who are not worthy of life.” In the same interview, when Braslavski asked to personally execute Palestinian prisoners, Ben-Gvir said he would “turn the world upside-down” to make that happen, calling it one of his “greatest dreams.” Ben-Gvir does not command Israel’s military, but he holds substantial authority over the country’s police force and prison system, where thousands of Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank are held; Israel’s top court ruled in 2025 that the prison service under his authority was depriving Palestinian detainees of a minimum subsistence diet. Similar past statements by Ben-Gvir and other Israeli officials have previously been submitted to the ICJ as evidence of genocidal intent. Israeli domestic media largely ignored the remarks, which surfaced days before Israel’s October 27 elections, in which Ben-Gvir’s once-fringe positions have gained mainstream traction.

Analysts warn the rejection threatens to entrench indefinite conflict for the territory’s more than two million residents, undermining the roadmap negotiated through the Board of Peace.

Figures are from Gaza’s Health Ministry. Despite the de-escalation, violence continued: Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian man in Deir el-Balah on August 8, with more people wounded in Khan Younis and Gaza City.

The deal was negotiated through Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the US. Hamas says it will not implement the agreement unless Israel first halts attacks and withdraws troops; Israel has not publicly agreed to the proposal.

Gaza’s Government Media Office says Israeli forces committed 4,091 ceasefire violations over 300 days, and that only 35% of expected aid trucks entered the territory in that period.

UNICEF’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa said: “A ceasefire that leaves an average of one child dead each and every day is failing children.”

Most incidents disrupted medical evacuation convoys. An estimated one in four Palestinians injured since October 2023 lives with a spinal cord or brain injury, while entry of rehabilitation supplies remains restricted.

About 82% of all structures in Gaza — roughly 200,000 buildings — are now damaged, two-thirds of them destroyed, according to UNRWA. OCHA warns Gaza remains unsafe for civilians, citing continued airstrikes on populated areas, schools and canvas classrooms despite the truce.

The warehouse was described as a lifeline for the region. The strikes came just days after Hamas and other factions signed the disarmament agreement the US had called a breakthrough.

The count covers January 2025 through the end of June 2026. Related HRW reporting documents a July 24 settler attack near Nablus that killed four Palestinians and two Israelis, part of a surge UN officials have called an “all-time high” in settler violence.