• US envoy heads to Israel: White House special envoy Steve Witkoff will visit Israel today. Last week, Witkoff said the US would “consider alternative options” to end the war after recalling its negotiating team from ceasefire talks.
• Palestinian statehood: Canada said it will recognize a Palestinian state in September. The move follows similar announcements by France, which said it will recognize a Palestinian state, and the UK, which said it will follow suit if Israel does not take steps that include a Gaza ceasefire.
• Starvation crisis: Hunger and danger when accessing aid continue to plague Gaza. Overnight, dozens of people were killed and hundreds injured in northern Gaza after Israeli forces opened fire near an aid site, the enclave’s Health Ministry said.
• Unprecedented move: Arab and Muslim states, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, have for the first time issued a call for Hamas to disarm and relinquish power in Gaza as part of efforts to end the war.
It’s a long and dangerous walk to the point where trucks carrying aid into Gaza are expected to pass.
