Key facts
- Gaza's Health Ministry reports over 73,000 Palestinians killed since October 2023.
- Over 173,200 Palestinians have been wounded in Gaza since October 2023.
- Israeli military operations continue in Gaza.
- Ceasefire talks between involved parties are stalled.
- Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich canceled the 1997 Hebron Protocol.
- Planning and construction powers at a Hebron shrine are transferred to Israeli control.
- The Palestinian Presidency condemned the Hebron shrine decision as a violation of international law.
- An Israeli air strike in the Nuseirat refugee camp killed two brothers.
- Israeli forces expanded territorial control in Gaza City's Al-Tuffah neighborhood.
- Israel's Supreme Court denied an appeal to release Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya.
- Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, a Gaza hospital director, has been detained without charge since late 2024.
- The Supreme Court cited confidential evidence for denying the release appeal.
The Palestinian death toll in Gaza has surpassed 73,000 since October 2023, with more than 173,200 individuals wounded, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Israeli military operations are ongoing, occurring amidst stalled ceasefire negotiations and reciprocal accusations of violations between the involved parties.
In a separate development, Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the cancellation of the 1997 Hebron Protocol. This decision transfers planning and construction powers at a shrine revered by both Jewish and Muslim communities in the occupied West Bank from Palestinian authorities to Israeli control. The Palestinian Presidency condemned this action, labeling it a violation of international law.
Further escalating the conflict, an Israeli air strike in the Nuseirat refugee camp resulted in the deaths of two brothers, Ahmed and Mahmoud Abu Heen. Concurrently, Israeli forces have expanded their territorial control within Gaza, leading to the displacement of residents from the Al-Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City.
Adding to the ongoing legal and humanitarian concerns, Israel's Supreme Court rejected an appeal for the release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, a director of a Gaza hospital. Dr. Abu Safiya has been detained without charge since late 2024. The court's ruling cited the presentation of confidential evidence, a decision that has drawn condemnation from human rights organizations.