Israeli airstrikes in Syria and Gaza kill 93 in 24 hours. Syria accuses Israel of inciting chaos. UN calls emergency meeting on Mideast crisis.
🔴 Middle East Escalation: Syria and Gaza Under Fire
The Middle East is once again reeling under intense conflict as Israel launched deadly strikes on Syria and Gaza, killing at least 93 Palestinians in the past 24 hours and triggering political chaos across the region. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa condemned the Israeli strikes, calling them attempts to “ignite tension and chaos” inside Syria.
Simultaneously, Gaza continues to bear the brunt of Israeli air raids, as medical sources report over 58,500 deaths since October 7, 2023. The developments have sparked international outrage, prompting the UN Security Council to call for an emergency session.
🇸🇾 Israeli Strikes Hit Damascus: Syria Calls It an Attack on Sovereignty
🎯 Critical Infrastructure Targeted
On Wednesday night, Israeli warplanes bombed central Damascus, including:
- The Syrian Defence Ministry
- Areas near the Presidential Palace
At least three Syrians were killed and dozens injured, according to Syrian state media.
President Sharaa accused Israel of trying to manipulate internal dynamics within Syria, particularly involving the Druze minority in Suwayda.
🗣️ “Any attack on the Syrian state is an attack on the Druze community.” — Sheikh Yousef Jarbou, Druze Religious Leader
🕊️ Ceasefire in Suwayda: A Temporary De-escalation?
In a surprising move, Syrian government troops withdrew from Suwayda, the southern city predominantly inhabited by Druze. Local governance and security are now being handed over to:
- Religious elders
- Local armed factions
President Sharaa stated this was done in the “supreme national interest” — a clear effort to de-escalate tensions and prevent further sectarian fallout.
Two Israeli soldiers seriously wounded in Gaza
Two members of Israel’s Battalion 202 paratrooper brigade have been “seriously injured” in fighting in the northern Gaza Strip, the Israeli military says without providing further details.
The two were medically evacuated for treatment in Israel, and their families have been informed, the military said.
🩸 Gaza Suffers Relentless Bombardment: 93 Dead in 24 Hours
🚨 Humanitarian Catastrophe Deepens
In the latest 24-hour reporting cycle:
- 93 Palestinians were killed
- 30 deaths occurred at an aid distribution site
- Hundreds more injured
The Gaza Health Ministry reports:
- 58,573 total deaths
- 139,607 injured
- Over 953 infants under one year old killed since October 7
The bombings continue to hit schools, hospitals, and refugee camps, causing mass displacement and civilian panic.
Israeli forces arrest 8, set explosives to demolish two homes in occupied West Bank
Our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic report that at least eight Palestinians were arrested in raids by Israeli forces across the occupied West Bank overnight.
The Palestinian news agency, WAFA, said two Palestinians aged 58 and 23 were arrested in raids on two homes in the Bethlehem governorate, and in a separate incident a Palestinian youth was injured by troops south of Tubas city.
In Qabatiya town, south of Jenin, one person was arrested and the family homes of two slain Palestinians were rigged with explosives by Israeli forces in preparation for demolition, a punitive action that is regularly carried out by Israeli forces, WAFA reports.
Palestinian homes were also raided by Israeli forces in the villages of Kafr Jamal and Kafr Zibad, southeast of Qalqilya city.
💔 Stampede Tragedy at Aid Hub in Khan Younis
A tragic incident occurred at a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid distribution site in Khan Younis, where:
- 20 people were killed
- 15 deaths were caused by stampede and suffocation
- Pepper spray and alleged tear gas use worsened the chaos
🔍 Eyewitness accounts suggest that guards at the site locked the gates, trapping people between fences — leading to the deadly stampede.
While GHF denied using tear gas, it accused Hamas-affiliated groups of inciting unrest — a claim strongly disputed by local witnesses.
⚠️ UN officials have repeatedly criticized GHF’s distribution model, calling the sites “death traps”.
🏥 Medical Aid Finally En Route to Gaza Hospitals
In a rare positive update, the Gaza Health Ministry confirmed that:
- Medical supplies and vaccines for children will arrive later today
- The shipment is organized via WHO and UNICEF
- No food items are included, only essential life-saving medication
The Ministry urged international agencies to:
- Ensure safe delivery
- Protect the convoy from being targeted
- Facilitate continued humanitarian access
Palestinian Ministry of Health publishes list of every person killed in Gaza
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza has published a list of every known death of a Palestinian killed as a result of Israel’s war on Gaza since October 7, 2023.
The 2,086-page document, published on Telegram, lists the name, age, gender, and ID number of 58,380 people.
The list features some 953 children less than a year old, with the first nine entries documenting children killed on the same day they were born.
🌍 Global Reactions: UN and U.S. Respond
🛑 Emergency UN Security Council Session Called
The UN Security Council will convene an emergency session on Thursday, following diplomatic outrage over the Israeli strikes on Syria and the escalating humanitarian disaster in Gaza.
The move comes amid increasing pressure from:
- Arab League
- Non-Aligned Movement
- Human rights groups around the world
🇺🇸 U.S. Pushes for Ceasefire
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed a tentative ceasefire agreement involving Israel and Syria, though tensions remain high.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump also hinted at progress in Gaza ceasefire negotiations, promising “good news” soon — although critics say such declarations have little credibility without immediate action on the ground.
Syrian leader’s speech ‘encouraging’ for Druze, but action needs to follow: Analyst
Al Jazeera spoke earlier to Mohamad Elmasry, professor of media studies at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies. Here’s more from what Elmasry said about the televised speech by Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Israeli attacks on Syria.
“It’s a very difficult situation in Syria. You are talking about a very multiethnic society. You have outside forces, starting with Israel, trying to basically fragment the country and establish a separatist system, if you will, in Syria,” Elmasry said.
“I thought it was interesting that al-Sharaa decided to devote part of his speech to the Druze, and the messages were encouraging. He said that the Druze are an essential component. They are an essential part of Syria. He said it’s the Syrian government’s responsibility to protect them and to hold to account those who have transgressed against them in recent days. So that’s all encouraging,” he said.
“But it’s going to come down to policy and what he does and what the government does with their actions, because I think their actions will speak louder than words for those minority groups in Syria.”
🧠 Expert Insight: Strategic Motives Behind Israel’s Moves
Military analysts suggest the Israeli strikes in Syria may be a signal to Iran-backed militias, warning them to stay out of the Gaza conflict. But the targeting of Damascus — especially government institutions — indicates a broader strategy to:
- Undermine Syrian military cohesion
- Sow sectarian rifts, especially in regions like Suwayda
- Protect Israeli borders through proxy containment
However, critics argue such strikes only inflame tensions, increase civilian casualties, and push the region closer to all-out war.
🧭 Timeline Recap: How We Got Here
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Oct 7, 2023 | Hamas attacks Israel; 1,139 Israelis killed |
| Oct 8, 2023 – Jul 17, 2025 | Gaza faces continuous bombardment |
| Jul 17, 2025 | Israel bombs Damascus, Gaza aid site stampede kills 20 |
| Jul 18, 2025 | UN calls emergency meeting |
Syrian leader’s speech marks ‘significant departure’ in tone towards Israel: Analyst
Mohamad Elmasry, professor of media studies at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, said the televised speech by Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa contained a note of warning to Israel that while the country does not want a war, “anyone who starts a war with Syria … would regret it”.
“He said it’s easy to start a war. But it’s not easy to control the end results of a war,” Elmasry told Al Jazeera.
“So these were messages directed at Israel, and it marked a very significant departure from what we’ve heard from him and at times not heard from him when Israel has attacked Syria,” Elmasry said.
“I think we’re at a potentially dangerous tipping point and it really will come down to, I think, the extent to which Donald Trump and the United States are willing to kind of rein in Israel,” he said.
📢 The Big Picture: What’s Next?
With Gaza’s death toll climbing and Syria’s sovereignty being tested, the region is entering a critical phase. The key questions moving forward are:
- Will the tentative ceasefire hold in Syria and Gaza?
- Can the UN exert effective pressure on all parties?
- Will international humanitarian agencies get uninterrupted access to deliver aid?
Unless the world acts decisively, the risk of a multi-front war involving Israel, Syria, Hezbollah, and Hamas looms large.
US calls Israel’s bombing of Syria a ‘misunderstanding between new neighbours’
Throughout the course of the day, the State Department has been characterising this conflict as a misunderstanding.
The spokesperson for the State Department, Tammy Bruce, said, “It’s a misunderstanding between new neighbours”.
The secretary of state has been in touch with all parties from both the Israeli and the Syrian side, and he has now taken to social media announcing that the conflict may be nearing an end.
So the US secretary of state is apparently convinced that an end to this splurge of conflict is now in sight.
It is now, he says, up to the parties involved to make good on whatever commitments they have made to the United States and, perhaps, to each other.
🕯️ Final Words: A Region in Need of Peace, Not Provocation
From Damascus to Khan Younis, the human cost of conflict is undeniable. Every airstrike, every blockade, and every political gamble comes at the cost of innocent lives.
In the words of one Palestinian medic:
“We don’t need ceasefire statements, we need ceasefire actions.”
Demonstrators protest arms shipment to Israel at Greek port
A recap of recent developments
- Israel continued its relentless assault on Gaza, with at least 93 Palestinians killed on Wednesday, according to health officials in the besieged enclave.
- Among the dead were at least 25 more people killed at a GHF aid distribution site, most of whom were trampled in a stampede reportedly caused by tear gas being fired into the crowd by the American contractors.
- GHF, the controversial US- and Israeli-backed aid contractor, again justified the death of unarmed civilians at one of its sites in Gaza, claiming armed groups in the crowd caused unrest.
- Syria’s government said a new ceasefire had been agreed in Suwayda after clashes erupted there between Druze and Bedouin fighters on Sunday, while its army had “begun withdrawing” from the southern city.
- The withdrawal comes after the Israeli military bombed multiple sites in Damascus and warned it would escalate attacks if Syrian troops did not leave the area bordering Israel.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the various parties involved in fighting in Syria had agreed on “specific steps” to end the clashes there.
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