An Israeli scheme to move hundreds of thousands of already uprooted Palestinians to a so-called "humanitarian city" in Gaza has led politicians to spar with the defence establishment, but officials say a practical plan has yet to be crafted.

A planned “humanitarian city” inside Gaza intended to hold hundreds of thousands of Palestinians would be a “concentration camp,” former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has warned.

“There are no words to describe the heartbreak I feel witnessing the devastation that is being inflicted upon innocent people in Palestine,” Rodrigo wrote Saturday on her Instagram story. “Mothers, fathers, and children in Gaza are starving, dehydrated, and being denied access to basic medical care and humanitarian aid.

Over 58,000 people have died in Gaza since Israel launched its military operation in October 2023. Recent airstrikes and aid-related violence continue to claim civilian lives amid growing water shortages and humanitarian collapse.

Ten hostages held in Gaza will be returned along with the bodies of 18 others, spread out over 60 days. In exchange, Israel will release detained Palestinians. Israel says that of 50 hostages held by Hamas and its allies,

As U.N. agencies issue dire warnings of humanitarian collapse in Gaza, the Catholic arm of an organization that promotes Christian engagement in the Near East has announced a nine-day novena prayer for peace in the Holy Land to begin on July 16.