For today, links to nine reports: from Agence France-Presse, Anadolu Ajansi, the Associated Press, National Public Radio, Middle East Eye, and the Cradle, and to commentary from Middle East Monitor; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. (GAZA 7-31-25 is HERE, or scroll down. SYRIA, IRAN, UKRAINE and MEDIA entries for this date are HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE, or scroll down.) — MCM
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France carries out first aid airdrop in Gaza. From AFP. President Emmanuel Macron said today France had carried out its first airdrop of humanitarian supplies into Gaza, after UN-backed experts warned the Israeli-blockaded Palestinian territory was slipping into famine. READ MORE . . .
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Aid convoys in Gaza face delays despite ‘secure’ routes: UN, by Diyar Guldogan | Anadolu Ajansi WASHINGTON — Aid convoys continue to face hurdles in delivering assistance to people in need in the Gaza Strip despite Israeli assurances declaring designated routes “secure,” the UN said today. READ MORE . . .
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U.S. envoy visits distribution site in Gaza as humanitarian crisis worsens, by Wafaa Shurafa, Sam Metz and Julia Frankel | AP DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee today toured one of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s distribution sites in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city. READ MORE . . . Click HERE to listen to earlier report from NPR, and HERE for July 31 report from Middle East Eye.
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‘Ludicrous spectacle’: Israeli army stages ‘propaganda display’ during US envoy’s visit to GHF site. From the Cradle. A Gaza journalist and others revealed today that U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff’s visit to a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation site in Rafah was a “farcical spectacle” aimed . . . READ MORE . . .
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FROM JULY 31 Humanitarian groups say aid finally getting into Gaza is a fraction of what’s needed. Reported by Emily Feng | NPR Facing global condemnation, Israel has allowed more aid to enter Gaza. But the aid is a fraction of what is needed and collecting it is still deadly for Palestinians. Click HERE to listen and, later, read, and HERE for report from AP.
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FROM JULY 31 Israeli soldier reveals ‘strange order’ to cancel Gaza border patrols on Oct. 7, 2023: media. From the Cradle. An Israeli soldier has stated that he and his fellow soldiers stationed at a military outpost near Gaza received orders not to carry out their usual early morning patrol on the border fence on Oct. 7, 2023, Israeli media reported on July 17. Click HERE for report including video of testimony.
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FROM JULY 31 U.S. lawmakers demand probe into Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s ‘aid traps.’ From the Cradle. A group of 92 Democratic U.S. House members has called on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to launch a formal investigation into the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, citing serious concerns about its funding, operational conduct, and role in civilian massacres at aid distribution sites in Gaza. READ MORE . . .
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FROM JULY 30 How Washington serves Tel Aviv: A reassessment of a risky intervention, by Timothy Hopper | Middle East Monitor Since June 2025, the Middle East has appeared more unstable than ever. READ MORE . . .
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