1. Introduction / Background
The current situation in Gaza remains dire amid ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas since October 7, 2023. Over 52,908 Palestinians have been killed, mostly civilians including women and children, with more than 119,721 injured. The Israeli military continues intensive operations aiming to destroy Hamas and free hostages, with reports of forced displacement of nearly all Gaza's 2.3 million residents and widespread destruction of infrastructure, hospitals, and homes.
More than 550 former officials from Israel’s security establishment have urged US President Donald Trump to use his visit to the Middle East to help end the war on Gaza and secure the release of captives held in the Strip. (https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20250513-over-550-ex-israel-officials-call-on-trump-to-end-gaza-war/)
2. Key Highlights – Israel Hamas war updates
• Killed - 42 (52,904)
• Injured - not updated (119,648)
• Home Destroyed
3. Governments’ Response
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he’ll send mediators to Qatar for truce talks, while his office says Israel will hold off on plans to expand the war on Gaza until after US President Donald Trump’s Middle East visit.
4. Military Developments
Israeli forces have bombed the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, killing two people, including journalist Hassan Eslaih, and wounding several other patients and staff.
Israeli forces are conducting a massive arrest campaign in Dura, south of Hebron, and have also begun raiding the Askar al-Jadeed refugee camp in Nablus, storming homes and defacing property in the northern part of the occupied West Bank.
Medical sources report that at least 11 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since early this morning due to Israeli attacks.
5. Militants’ Activity
Israel has warned ‘all those present’ at Houthi-controlled ports of Ras Isa, Al-Salif and Hodeidah to evacuate. With reports of the Houthis detaining ships under threat of violence, vessels and seafarers are under increased danger.
The Yemeni Houthi fighters have warned Arab states to be wary of any agreements with U.S. President Donald Trump as he visits the Middle East-Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar-saying the United States has a consistent pattern of discarding its allies when circumstances change.
Israel claimed to have intercepted a missile coming from Yemen, after Tel Aviv launched a series of air strikes on the Red Sea city of Hudaydah, Hebrew media outlets reported.
6. Impact On the Trade and Travel
7. International Response
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he’ll send mediators to Qatar for truce talks after Hamas released a US-Israeli soldier; his office said Israel would hold off on plans to expand the war on Gaza until after US President Donald Trump’s Middle East visit.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls for an end to Israel’s blockade of Gaza, after a leading global hunger monitor said the entire population of the enclave faces the risk of famine.
Israeli Minister of Regional Cooperation David Amsalem has expressed concerns about Trump's unpredictable approach, including his overnight changes in positions, including engaging with Hamas and the Houthis without consulting Israel.
The UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees has again sounded the alarm over food scarcity in Gaza, created by Israel’s ongoing blockade of the Strip.
Pro-Palestinian protesters in Basel, Switzerland, condemned Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest amid the ongoing war in Gaza, accusing the event of overlooking the humanitarian crisis.
Israeli MP Avigdor Lieberman accuses Netanyahu of prolonging the Gaza war to maintain power, claiming he has no intention of defeating Hamas and criticizing his failure to do so.
The UK High Court is set to commence hearings in a petition filed by Palestinian rights group Al-Haq, which seeks to halt the export of fighter jet parts to Israel amid the ongoing Gaza conflict.
A group of over 550 former Israeli military and intelligence officers has written to Trump, urging him to use his visit to the region to "bring all our hostages back" and "end the war" in Gaza.
Rights groups have issued a new famine warning, urging global action to break Israel's siege in Gaza. The IPC has previously warned 250 Palestinian and international rights groups to deploy a humanitarian convoy.
8. Comment.
Gaza is experiencing ongoing intense conflict, severe humanitarian deprivation, and political stalemate, with international concern growing over the escalating crisis and civilian suffering.
9. latest news in two lines
- https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/if-u-s-nuclear-negotiations-with-iran-fail-the-b-52s-in-diego-garcia-are-ready
- https://www.rte.ie/news/us/2025/0513/1512524-us-iran/
- https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/donald-trump-visit-uae/2025/05/12/id/1210665/
- https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-may-13-2025/
- https://www.independent.ie/world-news/middle-east/kurdish-pkk-militants-agree-to-lay-down-their-arms-and-disband/a2091254799.html
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