Al Mayadeen – August 7, 2025
Over 700 Palestinians killed, injured in Gaza over past 24 hours
Since October 7, 2023, the total death toll from "Israel’s" brutal war on Gaza has reached 61,258 martyrs and 152,045 injuries.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza has reported that 100 Palestinian martyrs were taken to the very few operating medical facilities in Gaza, including two whose bodies were recovered from under rubble, and 603 others injured over the past 24 hours as a result of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the besieged Gaza Strip.
Emergency and civil defense teams are still unable to reach countless victims trapped under the rubble or lying in the streets, due to continued strikes and unsafe conditions.
Since October 7, 2023, the total death toll from "Israel’s" brutal war on Gaza has reached 61,258 martyrs and 152,045 injuries.
From March 18, 2025, until today, the death toll stands at 9,752 martyrs and 40,004 injuries, highlighting the intensification of Israeli attacks in recent months.
Among the victims are 51 Palestinians killed and 230 injured while attempting to access humanitarian aid, bringing the total death toll at the so-called aid sites, or death traps, to 1,706 killed and over 12,030 injured.
Hospitals in Gaza recorded four new deaths in the past 24 hours due to starvation and malnutrition, raising the toll of the Israeli-made famine to 197 martyrs, including 96 children.
Israeli airstrikes on Gaza killed and injured dozens of Palestinians early Thursday, as occupation warplanes launched a wave of intense raids across multiple areas of the besieged Strip, including civilian homes and tents sheltering displaced families.
According to Al Mayadeen’s correspondent, at least five Palestinians were martyred and others wounded after Israeli aircraft bombed a tent sheltering displaced people at the Tal site, southwest of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.
In western Nuseirat camp, an Israeli helicopter strike hit an apartment in the al-Salhi tower near Abu Serrar roundabout, killing Anas Abdul Rahman al-Jammal, his wife, and their two daughters. The attack also left several civilians injured.
Additional casualties were reported following Israeli shelling on land sheltering displaced families in al-Bureij refugee camp, also in the central Gaza Strip.
Khan Younis: Child and mother among the martyred
In the southern Gaza Strip, airstrikes on the al-Mawasi area west of Khan Younis martyred several civilians, including 6-year-old Amir Mansour and her mother, after Israeli forces struck a tent near al-Sumoud camp. Fires broke out in multiple tents as a result of the attack.
Nearby, another airstrike targeted a tent adjacent to the Dream Hall, resulting in further deaths and injuries. Israeli warplanes also bombed the western Khan Younis camp, killing Ahmad Rubhi Abu Sahloul, his wife, and their children after hitting their home in the al-Qatatwa neighborhood.
In northern Gaza, an Israeli strike on a home belonging to the Zaqout family near the al-Nour al-Muhammadi mosque in Sheikh Radwan, Gaza City, killed three Palestinians and wounded others.
Another Israeli raid targeted a house near the al-Sousi mosque in al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, killing four civilians, including a child, and injuring several more. Simultaneously, multiple airstrikes hit the Shujaiya junction area in eastern Gaza City.
Putin: UAE fit for Trump talks, no plans to meet Zelensky yet
President Putin said the UAE is a suitable venue for a potential meeting with Donald Trump, while ruling out a meeting with Zelensky under current conditions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Thursday that the United Arab Emirates is a suitable venue to host a meeting with US President Donald Trump.
His remarks came during talks at the Kremlin with Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, where the two leaders discussed regional affairs and bilateral cooperation.
Putin's comments align with recent reports that the Kremlin and US officials are working to finalize details for a summit between Putin and Trump, possibly taking place as early as next week.
According to sources cited by Reuters, the UAE is one of the leading candidates to host the event, given its neutral stance and strong diplomatic ties with both Moscow and Washington.
Regarding a potential meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Putin said he is not opposed in principle, but noted that "certain conditions must first be prepared," adding that "the current situation is far from ready for such a meeting."
Kremlin officials have reiterated that a trilateral summit involving Zelensky is not currently on the table, given the lack of groundwork and trust.
Russia-UAE Relations
On bilateral relations, Putin said that Russia places great importance on its partnership with the UAE, noting that the two countries "actively cooperate on international platforms, including within the BRICS group and the Eurasian Economic Union."
The UAE has also offered itself as a host for peace talks on Ukraine earlier this year, according to diplomatic sources.
President bin Zayed, for his part, said that trade volume between the two nations has reached $11 billion, expressing hope to double that figure in the coming years.
He reaffirmed Abu Dhabi's long-term commitment toﾠdeepening cooperation with Moscowﾠ and thanked Russia for its warm hospitality.
US Envoy in Moscow for Pre-Summit Consultations
In a related development, President Putin held what the Kremlin described as "constructive" talks with US Special Envoy Steve Whitkoff in Moscow earlier this week.
The three-hour meeting focused primarily on the conflict in Ukraine and explored terms for a potential ceasefire agreement.
According to US media reports, the Trump administration has pushed for direct engagement with Russia to accelerate negotiations aimed at halting hostilities, with a view to bringing both Russia and Ukraine to the table, though Kiev has not confirmed its participation in any future summit.
As the groundwork for a Trump-Putin summit nears completion, European leaders are watching closely. Ukrainian President Zelensky has recently held consultations with EU allies, urging that any peace framework include Ukraine and respect its sovereignty, amid fears that a bilateral US-Russia deal could marginalize Kiev's interests.
Indonesia to treat 2,000 wounded Gazans
Indonesia will treat 2,000 wounded Gazans on Galang Island, stressing the move is humanitarian, not a displacement plan.
The Indonesian government will convert a medical facility on the currently uninhabited Galang Island to treat around 2,000 wounded Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, a presidential spokesperson announced on Thursday.
“Indonesia will give medical help for about 2,000 Gaza residents who became victims of war, those who are wounded, buried under debris,” said presidential spokesperson Hasan Nasibi, clarifying that the initiative is not an evacuation or displacement operation.
The patients are expected to return to Gaza after recovery, although no timeframe was provided. Nasibi referred further questions to the foreign and defense ministries, which have not yet responded to media inquiries.
The facility on Galang Island, located off Sumatra and south of Singapore, will be adapted to accommodate wounded Palestinians and temporarily shelter their families. The site is currently uninhabited and previously served as a COVID-19 treatment center and, before that, a refugee camp for people fleeing the Vietnam War in the 1980s and 1990s.
The Indonesian initiative comes amid the devastating humanitarian toll of the ongoing war. Since “Israel” launched its offensive on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza health officials.
Indonesia reiterates rejection of Gaza displacement plans
The humanitarian plan follows a previous offer by President Prabowo Subianto to shelter wounded Palestinians, a proposal that had drawn criticism from senior Indonesian clerics for appearing similar to a US-backed plan to permanently remove Palestinians from Gaza.
In response to US President Donald Trumpﾒs proposal to relocate Gazans permanently, Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry emphasized its opposition. "Indonesia strongly rejects any attempt to forcibly displace Palestinians," the ministry said at the time.
Jakarta maintains its support for a "Two-State solution" and continues to advocate for the protection of Palestinian sovereignty.
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/indonesia-to-treat-2-000-wounded-gazans
Nearly 10,000 killed since Western-friendly militants seized power in Syria: Report
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a UK-based monitor, has documented the violent deaths of nearly 10,000 people in Syria since Western-backed Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, once affiliated with al-Qaeda and Daesh, was installed as president in Damascus.
The SOHR reported on Thursday that “due to ongoing violence by local and foreign militants,” at least 9,889 people had been killed since 8 December 2024, the day Damascus fell under the controversial rule of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militant group.
The SORH said that 7,449 civilians were among the victims, including 396 children and 541 women.
It also stressed that there has been no accountability for killings carried out by members of HTS-affiliated armed factions.
This is while “in some cases, perpetrators are being covered up and facts are being distorted.”
The SOHR noted, for example, that the fact-finding committee formed to investigate the massacre of roughly 1,600 Alawite civilians in Syria's coastal regions in March “did not provide results consistent with the facts.”
HTS forces have killed at least 42 Alawites during the past two weeks in Syria.
This happened while HTS-led forces and affiliated factions were carrying out new massacres of Druze civilians in Suwayda.
At the same time, pro-HTS media campaigns have been launched to deflect from the massacres by calling Alawites “remnants” of the former government of President Bashar al-Assad.
In many videos posted online, HTS-affiliated militants regularly refer to both Alawites and Druze as “pigs” before executing them in their homes and on the street.
The UK-based monitor stated as well that thousands of detainees – who have not had a proper trial or been allowed to appear before a judge – remain in prison.
Among the detainees are people arrested after the fall of former President Assad, and others who were arrested during raids or at security checkpoints.
Many of these detainees have no clear charges against them and are being arbitrarily detained without due process.
Media reports earlier said that families of kidnapped civilians renewed calls for HTS authorities to reveal the fate of young Alawite men taken from their homes without charges during the massacres on the coast in March.
The missing detainees are from the villages of Hmeimim, Bustan al-Basha, Al-Qabo, and Al-Sanober.
Families said activists say that armed groups stormed houses and took the young men to an unknown location without explaining the reasons or issuing official arrest warrants.
Since then, HTS-led authorities have provided no information about their fate despite repeated demands from their families.
The tragic report comes after several recent incidents of violence targeting religious minorities, including massacres of Alawites along the country's coast, clashes with the Druze community in the south and a bombing at an Orthodox church in Damascus.
Since December last year, Jolani’s security forces have gone on a killing spree targeting Syria's minority groups.
The massacres have raised concerns for the safety of religious and ethnic minorities in the country.
According to several reports, Syrian forces, dominated by the HTS and other militant groups, have continued to carry out sectarian killings, kidnappings, and persecution across Syria, targeting Alawites and other minorities.
The HTS militant group seized control of Damascus on December 8, 2024, culminating a swift offensive that had begun in the northwestern province of Aleppo just two weeks earlier and ultimately brought an end to President Bashar al-Assad’s 24-year rule.
The HTS administration has since been involved in flagrant violations of human rights in Syria, particularly against minorities, drawing widespread condemnations from the international community.
The Druze minority and Alawite community had a history of supporting the Assad government and standing against Israeli occupation and expansionist policies, including in the occupied Golan Heights.
The UK and EU states have been gradually lifting Syria sanctions since the start of this year.
After the collapse of the al-Assad government last December, Jolani was widely praised by the Western media. An article in the UK's Telegraph described his armed group, the former al-Qaeda affiliated HTS, as “diversity-friendly militants.”
US President Donald Trump recently announced a decision to lift all sanctions against the al-Jolani administration in exchange for normalizing ties with Israel.
Jolani has assured the US-led Western countries that Syria will “normalize relations” with Israel, recognize the regime, and exchange ambassadors by the end of 2026.
The HTS-led regime will reportedly hand over the occupied Golan Heights to Israel as part of a looming normalization deal with the illegal entity.
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/08/07/752661/Syria-HTS-Jolani-Alawites-Druze-Assad
