Gaza latest: Trump says ‘we will have no choice but to go in and kill Hamas’ if violence continues

US President Donald Trump waded into the dispute late on Thursday as he threatened that there would be “no choice but to go in and kill” Hamas if it it continued to “kill people in Gaza”.

Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, a Gaza paediatrician, will remain in detention for six more months, Al Mezan’s lawyers confirmed on Thursday.

“An Israeli court has rubber-stamped the extension of Dr. Abu Safiya’s arbitrary detention for six more months,” the human rights organisation wrote in a statement on X/Twitter on Thursday.

“This decision strips away any pretense: Dr. Abu Safiya is a hostage, a bargaining chip in ongoing negotiations.”

Amnesty has called for the release of Dr Safiya and all arbitrarily detained Palestinian healthcare workers. The doctor was detained by Israeli authorities on 27 December 2024.

Israeli forces stormed the Kamal Adwan Hospital – the last functioning hospital in northern Gaza at the time – and arrested Dr Safiya, the hospital’s director along with other medical staff.

Prior to Channel 13 footage released earlier this year, he had last been seen walking through rubble towards Israeli tanks after the hospital was raided.

Aid trucks entered Gaza on Wednesday as Israel said 600 had been approved to go in under the ceasefire agreement.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher said it was a “good base” but nowhere near enough, with medical care also scarce and most of the 2.2 million population homeless.

UNICEF said it has brought in 250 pallets of supplies including family tents, winter clothes, tarpaulins, sanitary pads and hygiene kits.

It has distributed more than 56,000 packs of baby food to help 12,500 children for two weeks, UNICEF spokesperson Tess Ingram said on Thursday.

Marwan Barghouti, the most popular leader for Palestinians who is currently in an Israeli jail, was beaten unconscious by Israeli prison guards, his son has said.

Arab Barghouti cited evidence given by Palestinian detainees released this week in the ceasefire deal.

According to that information, his 66-year-old father was attacked by eight guards on 14 September while being transferred between Ganot and Megiddo prisons.

“What we know is that while they were transferring my father, they stopped along the way and eight security guards within the prison authority that worked for the prison authority started beating my father up in different ways, by kicking him, by [throwing] him on the ground, by punching him, focusing on the head area, chest area and legs as well,” he said according to The Guardian.

Mr Barghouti could barely walk for days, the released detainees said, after what his son said was the fourth time his father had been beaten over the past two years.

UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese said on X: “I fear for the life of Marwan Barghouti. Reports say Israeli guards beat him unconscious.”

She called on the Red Cross to be allowed to visit Mr Barghouti to verify his condition.

Mr Barghouti has been in solitary confinement since the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023. He has been in prison for more than 20 years after being convicted of planning attacks which led to five civilians being killed, in a trial described as flawed by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, which questioned the quality of the evidence.

Aston Villa has said Maccabi Tel Aviv fans are not allowed to attend a Europa game on 6 November.

“Following a meeting this afternoon, the Safety Advisory Group have formally written to the club and UEFA to advise no away fans will be permitted to attend Villa Park for this fixture,” Villa said in a statement on Thursday.

“West Midlands Police have advised the SAG that they have public safety concerns outside the stadium bowl and the ability to deal with any potential protests on the night.

“The club are in continuous dialogue with Maccabi Tel Aviv and the local authorities throughout this ongoing process, with the safety of supporters attending the match and the safety of local residents at the forefront of any decision.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has criticised the decision, writing: “This is the wrong decision. We will not tolerate anti-semitism on our streets. The role of the police is to ensure all football fans can enjoy the game, without fear of violence or intimidation.”

Last year a football game in Amsterdam led to clashes between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv fans.

The health ministry in Gaza received 45 more bodies of Palestinians from Israel, marking another step in the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.

That brought to 90 the total number of bodies returned to Gaza for burial.

The forensics team examining the remains said they showed signs of mistreatment and released images of 32 unidentified bodies to help families recognise missing relatives.

The team that received the bodies said some arrived still shackled or bearing signs of physical abuse.

Many of the bodies appeared decomposed or burned. Some were missing limbs or teeth, while others were coated in sand and dust, according to Gaza officials.

Health officials have said Israeli restrictions on allowing DNA testing equipment into Gaza have often forced morgues to rely on physical features and clothing for identification.

Sameh Hamad, a member of a commission tasked with receiving the bodies at Khan Younis’ Nasser Hospital, said some arrived with their hands and legs cuffed. “There are signs of torture and executions,” he told The Associated Press.

The bodies, he said, belonged to men ages 25 to 70. Most had bands on their necks, including one that had a rope around the neck.