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August 8, 2025 - Gaza News Updates

By Catherine Nicholls, Christian Edwards, Leinz Vales, Adrienne Vogt and Mitchell McCluskey, CNN

Updated 8:18 PM EDT, Fri August 8, 2025

2025-08-07T174218Z_1995899946_RC2H2GAL3CL0_RTRMADP_3_ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-GAZA.JPG

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Israel 'brutally determined' to capture Gaza in new escalation plan

02:26 • Source: CNN

Israel 'brutally determined' to capture Gaza in new escalation plan

02:26

What we covered today

• War expansion: Israel’s security cabinet approved a plan to take control of Gaza City. The announcement stopped short of explicitly stating that Israel would take full control of the Gaza Strip, although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that was the intention. He insists Israel won’t “occupy Gaza.”

• Regional and global backlash: The plan has drawn criticism from world leaders, Israel’s military chief and hostage families. Hamas also condemned the plan as a “full-fledged war crime” with a “high cost.”

• Germany halts arms exports: Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that Germany — the second-largest supplier of arms to Israel — won’t approve any exports of military equipment that could be used by Israel in Gaza.

• Humanitarian crisis: International outcry mounts over starvation in Gaza, where only a trickle of aid has been allowed in and there are regular reports of killings at aid sites. Israel does not allow international journalists to enter the Gaza Strip to report independently.

42 Posts

Our live coverage has concluded for today. Please scroll through the posts below to learn the latest developments in Gaza.

Middle Eastern countries condemn Israel's move to take control of Gaza City

From CNN's Dalia Abdelwahab and Ibrahim Dahman

Several Middle Eastern countries issued statements on Friday condemning the Israeli government’s approval of a plan to take control of Gaza City.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it condemns Israel’s “adamancy to commit the crimes of starvation of civilians, beastly conduct, and ethnic cleansing against our Palestinian brethren.”

The UAE’s ministry said that the decision would lead to “catastrophic consequences, including further loss of innocent life and a worsening of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.”

Saudi Arabia and the UAE both called on the United Nations to take action.

The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned the move while calling for “firm opposition to Israel’s continued violations of international humanitarian law.”

All three countries reaffirmed their support for a two-state solution to be reached.

Satellite image shows Israeli military buildup near border crossing to Gaza City

From CNN's Avery Schmitz

Satellite imagery shows a buildup of Israeli military vehicles near the Nahal Oz crossing into Gaza on Friday.

Satellite imagery shows a buildup of Israeli military vehicles near the Nahal Oz crossing into Gaza on Friday.

Planet Labs

A satellite image captured Friday morning by Planet Labs shows dozens of military vehicles at a compound near Israel’s Nahal Oz crossing into Gaza. This staging location, just two miles from Gaza City, is significant after the Israeli cabinet approved plans to capture the city over the next five months.

The photo shows over 100 vehicles parked in a depot near the border crossing. The depot, located along the 1949 Armistice line, is surrounded by several defensive berms.