Israeli Airstrikes Kill 30 in Gaza, Says Civil Defence

July 29, 2025— Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Saar, has dismissed growing international calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and for the recognition of a Palestinian state, labelling the pressure campaign a “distorted” effort that ignores the continued threat posed by Hamas.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Saar said that ending the conflict while Hamas remains in control of Gaza and continues to hold Israeli hostages would be a “tragedy for both Israelis and Palestinians.”

“It isn’t going to happen, no matter how much pressure is put on Israel,” Saar stated, reaffirming Israel’s position that military operations will continue until Hamas is removed from power.

Mounting Humanitarian Concerns

Meanwhile, humanitarian organisations and international observers are sounding alarm bells over the rapidly deteriorating conditions faced by civilians in Gaza. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), the global authority on food crises, warned on Tuesday that the “worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out” in the Gaza Strip and could lead to “widespread death” without immediate intervention.

While the IPC stopped short of declaring an official famine, its alert highlighted the devastating effects of the ongoing blockade, which it says has “dramatically worsened” the humanitarian situation. The warning comes amid harrowing images of severely malnourished children and reports of dozens of hunger-related deaths.

Despite Israeli claims that aid is entering Gaza, many Gazans report receiving little or no food. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied that there is starvation in the enclave, a claim contradicted by humanitarian footage and on-the-ground accounts.

ALSO READ: UN Chief Condemns Use of Hunger in War

Diplomatic Fallout

In response to the worsening humanitarian situation, the Dutch government announced it would summon Israel’s ambassador in The Hague to express its condemnation of what it called the “unbearable and indefensible” conditions in Gaza. The Netherlands has also imposed travel bans on two far-right Israeli cabinet ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, accusing them of inciting violence and promoting “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians from the Strip.

Israeli Rights Groups Accuse Government of Genocide

In a rare and powerful rebuke from within Israel, two domestic human rights organisations, B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel, have accused the Israeli government of committing genocide in Gaza.

“The report we are publishing today is one we never imagined we would have to write,” said B’Tselem executive director Yuli Novak at a press conference in Jerusalem. “The people of Gaza have been displaced, bombed, and starved, left completely stripped of their humanity and rights.”

Physicians for Human Rights Israel focused on what it described as the systematic destruction of Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure. “Israel’s actions have destroyed Gaza’s healthcare system in a manner that is both calculated and deliberate,” the organisation said.

Continued Strikes in Gaza

Amid the mounting international criticism, Israeli military operations continued Tuesday. Gaza’s civil defence agency reported that overnight and early morning airstrikes killed at least 30 Palestinians, including women and children, in the central Nuseirat refugee camp.

Spokesman Mahmud Basal said that several civilian homes were targeted in the strikes, further adding to the toll of a conflict that has already left thousands dead and millions displaced.

As calls for a ceasefire grow louder, and accusations of war crimes mount, Israel remains defiant. For those trapped inside Gaza, however, the situation continues to worsen by the day with no clear path toward peace or relief.

 

 

Content Credit: Ohidah Oluwaferanmi

Image Credit: France 24.com