- At least 11 people were killed overnight in eastern Gaza City amid air and tank strikes, witnesses and medics said.
- Hamas official Khalil Al-Hayya is heading to Cairo for talks on reviving a U.S.-backed 60-day truce and hostage deal.
- Israel signals a new Gaza City operation as critics warn of risks to hostages, troops, and displaced civilians.
The Big Picture
Israeli planes and tanks struck eastern Gaza City overnight, killing at least 11 people, as Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya heads to Cairo to discuss reviving a U.S.-backed 60-day truce and hostage deal, according to Reuters. The most recent round of indirect talks in Qatar ended in late July with both sides trading blame over the U.S. proposal, as reported by Reuters. Israel has since signaled a renewed push to reassert control over Gaza City even as international criticism mounts over devastation and hunger, Reuters reported.
What’s New
Seven people were killed in two houses in the Zeitoun suburb and four in an apartment building in central Gaza City, according to Reuters. In the south, five people — including a couple and their child — died in an airstrike on a house in Khan Younis, and four more were killed at a tent encampment in coastal Mawasi, medics said, as reported by Reuters.
The Israeli military said it was reviewing the reports and noted that its forces take precautions to reduce civilian harm, according to Reuters. Separately, the military said its forces have killed dozens of militants in north Gaza over the past month and destroyed additional tunnels, Reuters reported.
IDF update: An in-depth review by the Israel Defense Forces contends that claims of a broad “starvation campaign” are unfounded. According to the IDF, Gaza’s Health Ministry alleged 133+ malnutrition deaths in July but did not provide identities; the IDF says only a handful of cases were verified and many involved severe pre-existing conditions. The IDF cited cases including a 4-year-old with a genetic disease who received treatment in East Jerusalem months before the war, and a 27-year-old with lifelong muscular dystrophy — asserting these were not deaths from hunger. The review concludes there are no signs of a widespread malnutrition phenomenon among Gaza’s population, and accuses Hamas of exploiting images to generate political pressure. (According to the Israel Defense Forces.)
❗️🧵EXPOSED: Hamas' "Starvation Campaign" has been debunked by an in-depth IDF review. Misleading publication of malnutrition data & images of patients with pre-existing conditions have been used to discredit Israel and achieve political gains.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 12, 2025
Gaza’s Ministry of Health claims… pic.twitter.com/MVIuQEU0az
What They’re Saying
Context
Indirect talks in Qatar stalled in late July, with each side blaming the other for the impasse over the U.S. proposal, according to Reuters. Israel has said it will launch a fresh offensive to seize control of Gaza City — a city it captured in the early phase of the war before pulling out — while militants regrouped and shifted to guerrilla tactics, Reuters reported.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to widen military control over Gaza, expected to ramp up in October, has drawn international criticism amid widespread destruction and hunger, and stirred concern inside Israel over dangers to remaining hostages and troops, according to Reuters.
What’s Next
Al-Hayya’s Cairo visit will test whether mediators can bridge gaps on sequencing — hostages, troop repositioning, and commitments on future governance and security. On the ground, residents around Gaza City face the prospect of another major operation while aid groups warn of deepening displacement and hunger, according to Reuters.
The Bottom Line
Diplomacy is moving, but the fighting pace may set the terms. Without progress on the 60-day truce framework, Gaza City could see a renewed Israeli push even as mediators try to revive a deal, Reuters reported.
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