The Israeli army early on Tuesday killed a Palestinian journalist while receiving medical treatment in a hospital in Khan Younis, the southern Gaza Strip.
In a statement, the Gaza-based Government Media Office mourned journalist Hassan Eslaih, and said Israel assassinated him while receiving medical treatment in the Nasser hospital after he had survived a previous assassination attempt.
It added that Eslaih’s assassination brings the toll of Palestinian journalists killed by Israel since the start of its genocide in Gaza in October 2023 to 215.
The statement strongly condemned the Israeli “systemic targeting of journalists,” urging the International Federation of Journalists, the Arab Journalists Union, and all press organizations worldwide to condemn Israeli crimes and prosecute it before international courts.
The Palestinian Health Ministry, for its part, condemned the Israeli crime of bombing the Nasser hospital in Khan Younis and killing two people who were receiving medical treatment.
Late Monday, the Israeli army resumed its attacks on the Gaza Strip, following a temporary lull so the Palestinian group Hamas could release Israeli American soldier Edan Alexander, following an agreement between Hamas and the US administration.
Nearly 52,900 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli onslaught since October 2023, most of them women and children.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
The International Committee of the Red Cross received Israeli-American soldier Idan Alexander from Hamas on Monday evening. His family confirmed he would travel to Doha later in May to meet President Trump and Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Hamas had captured Alexander in Gaza during the war as he served in the Israeli military. The release followed direct talks between Hamas and the U.S., and came as part of broader efforts to secure a ceasefire, open border crossings, and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
The handover took place in Khan Younis in southern Gaza. The Israeli military confirmed it received Alexander and said he is in good health.
Hamas said it released Alexander after “important talks” with the U.S. and praised the American administration’s efforts. The resistance movement emphasized that serious and responsible negotiations produce results in freeing prisoners. Continued military aggression, they warned, only prolongs prisoners’ suffering and risks killing them.
Hamas declared its readiness to begin immediate negotiations for a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, lifting the blockade on Gaza, a prisoner exchange deal, and reconstruction of the war-torn enclave. It also called on U.S. President Donald Trump to intensify efforts to end “Netanyahu’s brutal war against children, women, and unarmed civilians in Gaza.”
Earlier Monday, Israeli media reported full preparations were in place to receive Alexander. His family confirmed he would travel to Doha later in May to meet President Trump and Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Channel 12 said the Israeli army received orders to halt fire in Gaza from midday to ensure a smooth handover. A military helicopter brought Alexander’s family to the Re’im base near the Gaza border to await his release.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Israelis demonstrated outside the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, demanding the release of all Israeli prisoners.
Earlier in the day, Abu Obeida, spokesperson for Hamas’s military wing, said on Telegram that the group had decided to free Alexander. The 21-year-old soldier, originally from New Jersey, had served in the Israeli army and became the 39th prisoner released by Hamas since January 19, when a temporary ceasefire was reached. That deal later collapsed in March when Israel resumed its offensive.
U.S. Middle East envoy Steven Witkoff arrived in Israel for the release. Adam Boehler, the U.S. envoy for hostage affairs, posted a photo from the plane flying him and Alexander’s mother to Israel to receive the soldier.
Boehler praised Hamas’s decision and called for the return of the remains of four other U.S. citizens reportedly killed and still in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issued a statement saying Israel remains committed only to securing a safe corridor for Alexander’s release—not to a broader ceasefire or exchange. Talks for other Israeli prisoners, they added, will continue while Israel prepares to intensify attacks.
Netanyahu claimed Alexander’s release came without concessions, crediting U.S. support and Israeli military pressure. “We are in critical days,” he said, “and Hamas now has a deal on the table that could lead to the return of our captives.”
Haaretz quoted a senior Israeli source saying Israel demands that Hamas release at least half of the Israeli prisoners—dead or alive—before it enters full negotiations to end the genocide.
The Times of Israel reported that Hamas had received assurances from a mediator that releasing Alexander would improve their standing with Trump. The resistance movement reportedly hopes the move will encourage the U.S. president to pressure Netanyahu into accepting a broader deal according to the Quds News Network.
Alongside the relentless toll of fatalities from continuous Israeli bombardment, a silent death is sweeping through Gaza’s elderly and children—largely unrecorded and undocumented. This is the result of deadly living conditions deliberately imposed by Israel to exhaust the population. At the forefront of these crimes are starvation, the infliction of extreme suffering, deprivation of medical care, and the imposition of a total blockade—all constituting acts of ongoing genocide for over 19 months.
Now entering its third consecutive month, the intensified siege has had devastating and long-term effects—disproportionately harming Gaza’s most vulnerable. Israel’s systematic policy seeks to destroy all means of survival and eliminate any path to staying alive. This deepens the humanitarian catastrophe, making it a central instrument in the execution of genocidal policy.
Over the past week, 14 elderly Palestinians were documented to have died across Gaza from complications related to hunger, malnutrition, and lack of medical care. These deaths are directly linked to Israel’s complete closure of border crossings and its prevention of humanitarian aid and essential goods from entering the Strip since 2 March.
[My father] recently suffered a severe health setback. Hunger and malnutrition had left his body extremely weak and frail, so we transferred him to Nasser Hospital. After examination, doctors found he was suffering from acute anaemia and a severe deficiency in proteins and minerals
Jalal, son of Talib Al-Arja who died due to lack of food
The victims died in various areas of Gaza, where residents face acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine. Famine is spreading, the health system has collapsed, and even the most basic medical care is unavailable—leaving vulnerable people, especially the elderly and those with chronic illnesses, to die in total isolation from the outside world.
The death of Musbah Abdul Raouf Abdul Ghafhour, 84, was documented in Khan Younis on Saturday. His family told Euro-Med Monitor that his condition deteriorated sharply after he was diagnosed with stomach cancer. He could not be referred for treatment outside Gaza due to the total Israeli blockade. With no treatment available inside Gaza and his health further deteriorating due to malnutrition and lack of suitable food, he eventually succumbed.
The death of Talib Sabbah Suleiman Al-Arja, 80, was recorded on Tuesday, 7 May. His son, Jalal, told Euro-Med Monitor: “After the war on Gaza began and the suffocating siege was imposed, my father suffered repeated health setbacks due to a lack of food. We lived in miserable conditions in Rafah, and when we were displaced to Khan Younis, the suffering worsened. We lacked even the most basic necessities. My father complained about the intense heat inside the tent during the day and the biting insects at night. As an elderly man, he could not endure the hunger or thirst. He would ask for cold drinking water during the day, but we couldn’t provide it. He would long for foods like chicken, fish, eggs, and fruit—but none were available.”
He added, “He recently suffered a severe health setback. Hunger and malnutrition had left his body extremely weak and frail, so we transferred him to Nasser Hospital. After examination, doctors found he was suffering from acute anaemia and a severe deficiency in proteins and minerals. He remained in the hospital for less than 30 hours. His body did not respond to the medications, supplements, or IV fluids administered—and, in the end, he passed away.”
The Euro-Med Monitor team reported that dozens of elderly patients have been arriving at hospitals, the vast majority diagnosed with acute malnutrition and anaemia. With no access to treatment for their chronic illnesses, many have been forced to rely on canned food as their main source of nutrition—causing their health to deteriorate dramatically, in some cases leading to death.
An increasing number of elderly people, children, and patients are now dying as a direct result of the collapsing healthcare, severe malnutrition, and hunger, amidst the systematic breakdown of Gaza’s healthcare system caused by the Israeli blockade. The lack of an effective mechanism within Gaza’s Ministry of Health to monitor such cases means they are often recorded as natural deaths, though in reality, they result directly from deliberate starvation policies and the destruction of the health system. These practices constitute a pattern of intentional killing, which is prohibited under international humanitarian law and international criminal law.
Such actions amount to some of the gravest crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which classifies wilful killing — including causing death through starvation or denial of medical care — as a war crime and a crime against humanity, particularly when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack targeting civilians. This is consistent with the pattern of assault being carried out by Israel against civilians in the Gaza Strip.
These actions also meet the legal criteria for the crime of genocide, whether through acts of killing, inflicting serious bodily or mental harm, or imposing living conditions intended to bring about the physical destruction of a protected group, in whole or in part. This crime has been ongoing for over 19 months, perpetrated by Israel against the civilian population of Gaza.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels. Hunger is no longer confined to vulnerable or marginalised groups—it now affects all segments of society. There has been an almost total collapse of essential public services and basic requirements for survival, including access to food, healthcare, and shelter.
The unlawful Israeli blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip since the start of the genocide in October 2023—accompanied by systematic and arbitrary restrictions on humanitarian aid and the deliberate destruction of the healthcare system, particularly over the past seventy days—has caused catastrophic deterioration and led to irreversible conditions affecting the health and wellbeing of more than two million people in the territory.
The proposed Israeli-American mechanism for humanitarian aid in Gaza is nothing more than a new manoeuvre aimed at prolonging the illegal and comprehensive blockade. It repackages the crime of starvation in a misleading humanitarian guise, falsely legitimising its continued use as a weapon in the ongoing crime of genocide.
The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor has called on all states, individually and collectively, to fulfil their legal obligations and take urgent action to halt the genocide and lift the illegal blockade on Gaza. Immediate and concrete measures must be taken to protect Palestinian civilians—especially the elderly and children.
The international community must act swiftly to lift the unlawful Israeli blockade, as it remains the only viable path to halting the accelerating humanitarian collapse and ensuring the flow of aid into Gaza. Any delay in lifting the blockade will only exacerbate the already uncontainable catastrophe, leaving more than two million people hostage to hunger, disease, and thirst—deprived of the most basic conditions for a dignified life.
The international community must also impose economic, diplomatic, and military sanctions on Israel in response to its systematic and grave violations of international law. This includes banning weapons exports to Israel and halting arms purchases from it; suspending all forms of political, financial, and military support and cooperation; freezing the assets of officials involved in crimes against Palestinians or inciting such acts; and imposing travel bans on them. Moreover, trade privileges and bilateral agreements that grant Israel economic advantages, enabling it to commit crimes, must be suspended.
All states must also be held accountable for their complicity or involvement in supporting Israel’s crimes—chief among them the United States—and any nations providing Israel with any form of assistance linked to the perpetration of these crimes. This includes aid or contractual ties in the military, intelligence, political, legal, financial, media, or economic sectors, or any other domain contributing to the continuation of these violations.
Israeli Army Radio has reported that personalities close to US President Donald Trump informed the Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister, Ron Dermer, that the US president had decided to cut off contact with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Army Radio explained that these acquaintances close to Trump informed Dermer that Netanyahu was manipulating the US president, stressing that what Trump hates most is being perceived as being manipulated.
The radio quoted an Israeli official as saying that Minister Dermer’s conversation with senior Republican officials, did not work because of his displayed arrogance.
This came hours after a report in the Israel Hayom newspaper asserting that the US president is “disappointed” with Netanyahu and intends to take “steps” in the Middle East “without waiting for him.”
Since the start of his new presidential term on January 20, 2025, Trump has offered diverse and unlimited support to the Netanyahu government, which has been waging a genocidal war against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023.
Netanyahu-Trump conflict escalates
The Israel Hayom newspaper quoted sources close to Trump as saying: "We can clearly say that the relationship between Trump and Netanyahu has reached its lowest point." pic.twitter.com/QckvxxcBQu
However, the Israel Hayom daily quoted an unnamed sources as saying that “there is a decline in the personal relations and mutual disappointment between Netanyahu and Trump.”
The newspaper added that two senior sources close to Trump said, in closed conversations in recent days, that he has decided not to wait for Israel any longer and is moving forward with steps in the Middle East without “waiting for Netanyahu.”
The sources did not elaborate on the nature of the steps Trump intends to take unilaterally, but there is a complaint in Tel Aviv that Trump sometimes acts without coordination with Israel.
The most recent example is the ceasefire agreement reached by the United States and the Yemeni Houthi group, which does not include Israel and which Israel was unaware of before its announcement according to Al Jazeera.
Hamas congratulated Cardinal Robert Prevost on Thursday for being elected the new pope, urging him to follow in the footsteps of Pope Francis, who was a strong advocate for the Palestinian cause and condemned Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Prevost, who will be known as Pope Leo XIV, was elected as the new pope by the Cardinals in a two-day conclave and will be the first American pontiff in history.
Hamas said in a statement it “extends its sincere congratulations to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on the occasion of his election as Head of the Catholic Church.”
Dear MAGA:
Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting migrants, particularly Venezuelan refugees fleeing economic hardship. He was noted for his special concern for these individuals, emphasizing assistance and integration into… pic.twitter.com/SEbIHdDXT0
“We wish him success in fulfilling his spiritual and humanitarian mission at a time when the world faces profound crises and tragedies—chief among them, the ongoing brutal Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.”
“We highly value the principled and courageous humanitarian positions taken by the late Pope Francis, including his repeated expressions of solidarity with the Palestinian people and his firm stance against the occupation and its repressive policies.”
“We look forward to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV continuing this ethical and moral path—standing with the oppressed, advocating for justice, and engaging actively within international forums to help end the crime of genocide and ethnic cleansing being perpetrated by the Israeli occupation against children, women, and unarmed civilians in Gaza.”
“We also call for action to halt the ongoing violations against Islamic and Christian holy sites throughout Palestine, and reaffirm the importance of upholding human dignity and religious sanctity everywhere.”
Pope Francis was a staunch advocate for Palestinians and kept in regular contact with Catholics in Gaza amid Israel’s assault. That included daily calls with the priest at the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, the only Catholic church in the Palestinian enclave.
Upon his death, Francis also donated his so-called “popemobile” to Gaza to serve as a mobile children’s clinic. Pope Leo XIV has not said much publicly about Gaza, making it unclear if he will emulate his predecessor according to the Quds News Network.
CrossFireArabia
