Gaza, July 2026: the crisis continues amid bombings, hunger, and impunity

In July 2026, the situation in Gaza remains extremely grave. Local health sources continue to report a very high death toll since the start of the war on 7 October 2023, while humanitarian organisations describe a persistent emergency situation, marked by widespread destruction, displacement, malnutrition, water scarcity, and the collapse of essential services. Even after the ceasefire, the civilian population continues to suffer deaths and injuries, and many families survive with water supplies well below the minimum levels indicated by international bodies.

Attacks and military operations continue to hit densely populated areas, with devastating effects on children, women, healthcare personnel, and humanitarian workers. Hospitals, ambulances, schools, shelters, and water networks remain infrastructure under pressure or destroyed, while the protection of civilians remains inadequate in relation to the obligations of international humanitarian law.

Updated data

As of 17 July 2026, the most reliable quantitative data indicates that the overall Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip exceeds 73,000 dead and 173,000 injured since the start of the war on 7 October 2023.

Here is an updated table as of today.

 

Obstructed aid

On the aid front, the gap between official Israeli statements and the reality on the ground remains enormous. Israel claims that hundreds of trucks enter Gaza every day, but humanitarian agencies and various independent sources report that distribution remains fragmented, insecure, and insufficient in relation to the real needs of the population. Restrictions at crossings, insecurity for drivers, logistical difficulties, and destruction of infrastructure continue to slow down or prevent the arrival of aid where it is truly needed.

When humanitarian assistance is systematically obstructed, civilian suffering is not a collateral effect but a predictable consequence of political and military choices.

Political responsibilities and double standards

The primary responsibility lies with the Israeli authorities, who continue to conduct military operations with devastating effects on civilians and maintain control that conditions access to essential goods. But responsibility is not solely Israeli: international actors who limit themselves to formal calls, without real consequences, also contribute to consolidating impunity.

Here we see the Western double standard. The West invokes international law and the protection of civilians, but often avoids taking concrete measures when violations are attributed to Israel. For other conflicts, sanctions, embargoes, or diplomatic isolation are adopted; in Gaza, however, ambiguity, linguistic caution, and political-military support for those who continue to exercise destructive force on an already beleaguered civilian population prevail.

International bodies

From a legal standpoint, the issue remains open before the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court. In the proceedings initiated by South Africa, the International Court of Justice has already indicated provisional measures to prevent acts prohibited by the Genocide Convention and to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid, but has not yet issued a final ruling on the merits. In May 2026, the Court also set new procedural deadlines, indicating that the litigation is still ongoing.

At the same time, the International Criminal Court continues to address individual criminal responsibilities for crimes committed in the context of the war in Gaza. In 2025, it rejected the Israeli attempt to contest the arrest warrants related to Netanyahu and Gallant, confirming that the proceedings remain open. However, international justice advances at a much slower pace than the destruction on the ground, and this gap fuels the perception of de facto impunity.

Francesca Albanese

In July, Francesca Albanese - UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories - intensified her public presence in Italy, participating in meetings and presentations dedicated to Palestine, including the Leverano festival from 12 to 19 July and an event in Syracuse. In her speeches, she insisted on the centrality of international law, the need to document responsibilities, and the duty not to normalise the suffering of civilians.

Her voice remains one of the clearest in denouncing not only the ongoing violations but also the role of states and economic institutions that, with their political, military, or commercial support, contribute to maintaining the framework of violence and impunity. In this sense, the Gaza issue is not only about what happens on the ground but also about the network of complicity that makes it possible.

Journalists and information

Another crucial aspect is that of Palestinian journalists, who continue to pay a very high price in documenting what is happening. Sources cited in recent days speak of hundreds of information operators killed or injured since the start of the war, in a context of constant risk for those trying to tell the reality. The pressure against freedom of information thus adds to material destruction and the humanitarian crisis, exacerbating international silence.

Based on available information, July 2026 has been marked by a series of deadly attacks targeting journalists in Gaza. Here are the names of the information professionals killed in July.

July 2026: journalists killed in Gaza

• Ahmed Wishah: cameraman for Al Jazeera, killed in an Israeli drone attack in the refugee camp of Bureij, in the central Gaza Strip, on 10 or 11 July (sources vary). The Israeli army accused him of being a member of Hamas. His brother, journalist Mohammed Wishah, had been killed in an attack in April.

• Hossam Al-Masri: cameraman and collaborator for Reuters, killed in an attack on the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, on 5 or 6 July.

• Mariam Abu-Dagga (or Maryam Abu Daqqa): freelance journalist, collaborator for The Associated Press (AP) and other outlets. She was 33 years old and was killed in the same attack on Nasser Hospital on 5 or 6 July.

• Mohammed Salama (or Mohammed Salam): journalist for Al Jazeera, killed in the attack on Nasser Hospital on 5 or 6 July.

• Moaz Abu Taha (or Muath Abu Taha): local journalist, killed in the attack on Nasser Hospital between 5 or 6 July.

• Ahmed Abu Aziz: local journalist, killed in the attack on Nasser Hospital between 5 or 6 July.

• Mohamed Al Khalidi: journalist for the Palestinian media Sahat, killed in an Israeli attack on a tent near the Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on 5 July.

Context and reactions

These murders are part of a broader and dramatic picture. At the beginning of July, the UN condemned the targeted killing of six journalists in Gaza, describing it as a "serious violation of international humanitarian law". The attack, which targeted a tent housing five Al Jazeera employees and a freelancer, was acknowledged by Israel as a planned operation.

The Foreign Press Association expressed shock and outrage, describing the attack on Nasser Hospital as "one of the deadliest against the media since the start of the war". The association emphasised that local journalists are "the only link to the world" to report what is happening, given that international reporters are banned from entering Gaza.

According to data from the Palestinian Journalists Forum, since 7 October 2023, 263 journalists have been killed, while Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reports over 220 Palestinian journalists killed, of whom at least 70 while carrying out their work.