Gaza crisis fuels growing pressure on Israel
Polls show declining US support for Israel across political spectrum.
Public opinion toward Israel in the United States has become increasingly negative, according to several recent surveys, reflecting growing concern over Israel's military campaign in Gaza.
A July Pew Research Center survey found that 42% of Americans now view the Israeli people unfavorably, up from 28% in 2019, while favorable views of the Israeli government have fallen from 41% to 32%. Americans also expressed increasingly negative views of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
An AP-NORC poll similarly found that 40% of Americans believe the US is "too supportive" of Israel, compared with 27% before the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks. The shift has been driven largely by Democrats, although recent polling also indicates declining support among younger Republicans.
Israel approves international force for Gaza
Israel's political-security Cabinet approved the deployment of the International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza under US President Donald Trump's postwar plan.
The multinational force, endorsed under a 2025 UN Security Council resolution, is expected to establish a headquarters near Rafah and help train Palestinian police, secure border areas and facilitate humanitarian assistance.
The decision was opposed by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who argued Hamas had not fulfilled commitments to disarm. Hamas, meanwhile, said demands for its disarmament before Israel fulfills its own ceasefire obligations contradict the agreed framework.
Aid agencies warn Gaza hunger gains remain fragile
A new Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report said famine conditions declared in parts of Gaza last year have eased following increased humanitarian aid and reduced fighting after the October 2025 ceasefire.
However, the agency warned that nearly 1.2 million people continue to face acute food insecurity and that the figure could rise to more than 1.4 million by the end of the year if aid funding and access decline.
UNICEF said many children continue to suffer from the long-term effects of malnutrition, while aid organizations warned that shortages of funding, clean water and sanitation threaten to reverse recent progress.
Israel rejected claims that it is restricting food supplies, arguing that aid deliveries exceed humanitarian requirements and accusing Hamas of interfering with distribution.
Settler attacks target mosques in West Bank
Palestinian officials said Israeli settlers set fire to two mosques and vandalized them with Hebrew graffiti during attacks on villages in the occupied West Bank on Sunday.
One mosque in Qusra was heavily damaged, while worshippers prevented a second mosque near Tulkarm from being destroyed after extinguishing the fire.
The attacks followed deadly clashes near the village of Tal on Friday that left four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers dead.
The Israeli military condemned the attacks on religious sites, saying forces were investigating and searching for suspects.
The violence comes amid a sharp rise in settler attacks since the start of the Gaza war, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered additional troop deployments in the West Bank and pledged to authorize more settlements.
Source:AA
