Today Israel decides on total occupation, Netanyahu imposes himself on the army and the opposition

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox Business overnight that while the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is a real problem, not enough attention is being paid to the 20 Israeli hostages still being held by Hamas in the Palestinian enclave.

Rubio was asked whether he has spoken with Israeli officials about the possibility of the IDF occupying all of Gaza and whether he thinks that is a wise decision.

"Ultimately, the president said it's up to Israel to decide what to do for its own security," Rubio responded, adding that he had "spoken frequently—almost daily—with someone in the Israeli government, often with the prime minister, but many times with many members of his team."

"There's a lot of attention paid to the humanitarian aspect, and we want to do everything we can to address the humanitarian issue, but not enough attention is being paid to the fact that 20 people who have nothing to do with this are being held hostage in the tunnels, on the verge of death," Rubio emphasized. "As long as Hamas exists, there will be no peace. There can be no permanent peace. It will start again if Hamas remains," the Secretary of State concluded.

Israel's raids in the Gaza Strip continue. Medical sources tell Al Jazeera that at least 13 people have been killed by Israeli strikes across the enclave since the early hours of this morning.

Hospitals in the Gaza Strip have recorded at least 138 deaths and 771 injuries in 24 hours, the Palestinian enclave's Health Ministry reported yesterday, specifying that at least 87 people were killed and 570 were injured while awaiting humanitarian aid.

The total number of Palestinian deaths since the beginning of the conflict thus rises to 61,158 and the number of wounded to 151,442.

Hundreds of protesters, including the families of hostages still held in Gaza, marched in Tel Aviv to protest Israel's plan to expand the war by completely taking control of the Strip.

Clashes erupted during the demonstration with Israeli police, who forcibly removed Michel Illouz, the father of hostage Guy Illouz. Former hostages Yocheved Lifshitz and Ohad Ben-Ami also joined the protest, calling for continued negotiations for a comprehensive settlement regarding the kidnapped children. "The occupation of the Strip could lead to the loss of our loved ones' lives," they warned. Danny Miran, father of hostage Omri Miran, spoke at the protest and said, "I appeal to the cabinet members: the decision to occupy the Strip will be a certain death for my son." For her part, Ella Ben Ami, whose parents were both kidnapped and returned from captivity in a previous hostage deal, said: "Today the cabinet ministers will make a decision for the hostages who are still there. We saw Evyatar and Rom; they don't have another day. If the cabinet decides to sacrifice their lives, we will go mad," she said, referring to videos released by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad of the two hostages, who appeared severely affected by their long detention.

The limited access of humanitarian convoys to Gaza has led to a boom in the black market for food. The alarm was raised by the UN, which reported that a "sack of sugar weighing about 57 grams costs around $170," or 145 euros, while "eggs, poultry, and meat have disappeared from the market." "People," added spokesman Farhan Haq, "rely on legumes and bread to survive, when and if available, which is far from sufficient for the most vulnerable."

The Israeli military has carried out a series of airstrikes in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah, including weapons and rocket launcher depots and sites used to store construction vehicles, which the group uses to restore its infrastructure.

The United Nations Humanitarian Team, which brings together UN agencies and NGOs active in the West Bank, has called on the Israeli authorities to "revoke the obligation imposed on international non-governmental organizations to share sensitive personal information on their Palestinian employees, under penalty of cessation of their humanitarian operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories."

"If urgent action is not taken," spokesperson Farhan Haq added, "most international NGOs could be deregistered by September 9 or earlier, forcing them to withdraw all international staff and preventing them from providing life-saving humanitarian aid to Palestinians." "This requirement," he noted, "is part of a series of new restrictive conditions for international NGOs, which also include potential consequences for any public criticism of Israeli government policies and practices."

Dani Miran, father of hostage Omri, has appealed against the planned fighting in the central Gaza Strip: "If the war resumes there, it will be a death sentence for my son, if he isn't already dead," he said. "They will kill him, and his blood will be on the hands of the responsible leaders. A stigma will follow their families for generations."

Several news crews have recently managed to film and photograph the destruction in the Gaza Strip by boarding airlifts carrying aid. These images were shot by the private French television station Métropole 6 (M6) and broadcast internationally by Reuters. Similar footage was aired Monday evening in a special on the British channel ITV, during which correspondent Emma Murphy then recalled estimates that, in over twenty months of Israeli raids, a total of "100,000 tons of explosives" have been dropped on the Gaza Strip: a quantity greater than the combined amount of carpet bombings of "London, Dresden, and Hamburg," much larger areas, during World War II. Murphy had already flown over the Strip a year and a half ago: "It seemed like a hopeless scenario to me, but now it's incredibly worse: the amount of additional damage done in the last 17 months is astonishing," she stated. Lorenzo Tondo and Alessio Mamo, correspondent and photographer respectively for The Guardian , both Italian, were also able to fly over and publish their shots: "Gaza was a vibrant and lively place until less than two years ago, despite all the hardships its inhabitants already faced then. Its markets were crowded, its streets filled with children. That Gaza no longer exists: it was not buried by volcanic ash, nor erased from history, but razed to the ground by an Israeli military campaign that left behind a place that looks like the result of an apocalypse," is the opening line of the British newspaper's article.

The Prime Minister's Office confirmed to the Times of Israel that Benjamin Netanyahu will convene the Security Cabinet today at 6:00 p.m. (5:00 p.m. GMT) at his office in Jerusalem to discuss war plans for Gaza. "The Cabinet is expected to approve the full military occupation of the Strip," the Times of Israel reports, despite the Chief of Staff and other army generals warning of the operation's risks.

The fierce clash between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli Armed Forces over the possible occupation of Gaza continues.

According to the Kan website, the IDF estimates heavy losses among its ranks in the event of a large-scale military operation, which would also put the lives of the hostages at risk. Chief of the General Staff Eyal Zamir made no secret of his concerns about the operation: "It would lead us into a trap," he reportedly said.

Palestinian media say 20 people were killed and dozens injured when a truck carrying goods to Gaza overturned in Deir al-Balah, in the central part of the Strip.

It's not yet clear whether the truck was intended for traders or a humanitarian organization. The vehicle apparently overturned after a crowd gathered around it, forcing it to veer off a dangerous path, causing the accident.

More than 600 retired Israeli security officials, including former intelligence agency heads, have urged US President Donald Trump to pressure his government to end the war in Gaza. "It is our professional judgment that Hamas no longer poses a strategic threat to Israel," the former officials wrote in an open letter shared with the media, calling on Trump to "guide" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decisions.