Displaying items by tag: israel

Deadly violence has erupted in Suweida between Druze militias and Bedouin tribes, resulting in at least two hundred deaths, including children and civilians. The fighting, which began after the abduction of a Druze merchant, quickly escalated, prompting Syria's interim government to send troops into the previously autonomous Druze region. Israel launched airstrikes against these troops, claiming they were targeting the Druze, with whom Israel shares strong ties. The strikes drew international criticism and further inflamed tensions. Despite a ceasefire declared by Syria’s defence minister, reports emerged of government forces bombing Suweida, executing Druze civilians and looting homes. A Druze spiritual leader initially called for cooperation with authorities, but later urged resistance. Syria accused Israel of full responsibility for the violence, while the USA urged Israel to halt its strikes. The Israeli military has already carried out hundreds of strikes across Syria to destroy the country's military assets since the fall of the Assad regime. Breaking news: Israel has now bombed Damascus, targeting the presidential palace and the ministry of defence building. See

The official Iranian death toll from the recent twelve-day war with Israel has been raised to 935, including 38 children and 132 women, based on new forensic data. Iranian officials accused Israel of war crimes and vowed to present evidence to international bodies. The government also criticised Donald Trump’s rhetoric about potential further strikes and sanctions, dismissing his remarks as psychological manipulation rather than genuine diplomacy. Meanwhile, tensions have risen over the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Officials have condemned its ‘double standards’, and have said that its boss Rafael Grossi is not welcome in Iran. They have also refused to guarantee the safety of nuclear inspectors. Western nations have condemned the threats against Grossi and urged Iran to maintain cooperation with the IAEA.

Donald Trump has announced that Israel has agreed to the ‘necessary conditions’ for a sixty-day ceasefire in Gaza, pending Hamas’s approval. While the details remain vague, Trump said that the USA, along with Qatari and Egyptian mediators, will work toward ending the war. Hamas stated it is open to a deal if it guarantees an end to hostilities, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and humanitarian relief. Israel’s key demand remains the release of most, if not all hostages held in Gaza. Hamas representatives in Cairo are reportedly negotiating, though insiders describe the talks as stagnant. Disagreements persist over the absence of a guarantee for permanent peace and continued military presence in Gaza. Meanwhile, the conflict continues: Israel has ordered evacuations in northern Gaza ahead of increased military action, and at least twenty Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air strike on a seafront café on 30 June. A previous attempt at a ceasefire failed in March. Trump's upcoming meeting with Netanyahu may prove decisive.

After a US bombing campaign targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities, Donald Trump and US defence secretary Pete Hegseth offered conflicting assessments of its impact. At first, Trump claimed total obliteration, later suggesting the damage might have been ‘moderate’ or ‘severe’, while a leaked Pentagon assessment concluded the setback was only a matter of months. CIA director John Ratclife insisted that critical sites like Fordow had been rendered inoperable for years, while Israel announced that the strikes had pushed Iran’s programme back significantly. Meanwhile, questions emerged about Iran’s highly enriched uranium, some of which appears to have been moved prior to the attacks. The IAEA warned that different estimates of how long it will take Iran to rebuild distracted from the larger issue of long‑term non‑proliferation, and the risk of Iran expelling inspectors and leaving the non-proliferation treaty altogether.

Greta Thunberg, the climate-change inspiration for millions of young people world-wide, has condemned Israel’s seizure of a Gaza-bound aid boat she was aboard, calling it ‘an illegal act’. The British-flagged yacht Madleen had sailed from Sicily intending to breach Israel’s sea blockade of Gaza. Thunberg and eleven others were detained in international waters and brought to Israel. She described their treatment as forced and restrictive, but stressed the real issue is Gaza’s ‘systematic starvation’ and the blockade preventing essential supplies. Israel countered with footage of the boat’s passengers being given food, which Thunberg dismissed as a PR stunt. She was put on a plane back to Sweden on 10 June, and three others have agreed to deportation, but the rest remain in detention. Meanwhile, tensions in Gaza escalate: Hamas reported three paramedics killed by Israeli strikes, and local authorities say Israeli fire killed at least 17 Palestinians at a US-backed aid site. The Israeli military says it is investigating. Aid routes remain perilous, with over 130 Palestinians killed near such sites in recent weeks.

The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Mirjana Spoljaric, has condemned the worsening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, calling it ‘worse than hell on earth.’ In an interview, she declared that ‘humanity is failing’ as the world watches the war’s horrors unfold. Spoljaric said that neither the Hamas attacks on Israel nor Israel’s military response justify violations of international law. She stressed that every party in conflict must uphold the Geneva Conventions, which protect civilians and non-combatants. Gaza’s devastation has stripped civilians of basic human dignity, with aid efforts overwhelmed and even hospitals - like the ICRC’s field unit in Rafah - no longer safe. On 3 June alone, 184 patients arrived at the facility, including 27 dead or dying. The ICRC, which is not participating in the new US-backed food aid system, criticised its dangerous design. Spoljaric urged global leaders to act immediately, warning that if legal and moral norms continue to collapse, the damage will extend far beyond the Middle East. On 4 June, the USA vetoed a UN resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire: see

A UN warehouse in Gaza has been stormed by desperate civilians amid growing hunger and aid shortages, resulting in two deaths and several injuries. The World Food Programme warned of impending famine, urging immediate aid expansion. Though Israel has lifted an eleven-week blockade, only limited aid has entered via the UN and the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The UN criticised Israel’s aid efforts as grossly inadequate, likening them to ‘a lifeboat after the ship has sunk’. Ongoing Israeli strikes, including the killing of Hamas leader Mohammad Sinwar, killed at least thirty people on 28 May. Israel, facing international pressure, is insisting aid be routed through the GHF, but the UN and other charities are refusing to do so because they do not see it as neutral. The GHF has so far distributed over 840,000 meals; reports say that at one site 47 people were injured in a rush for food. Humanitarian groups continue to warn of systemic deprivation and the collapse of basic aid infrastructure in Gaza.

The UK has suspended trade talks with Israel, summoned its ambassador, and imposed sanctions on West Bank settlers in response to Israel’s escalating military operations in Gaza, which foreign secretary David Lammy called ‘morally unjustifiable’. The UK has joined France and Canada in demanding an end to military expansion and a rapid influx of humanitarian aid, as Gaza faces famine due to an eleven-week blockade. Although Israel has permitted limited aid, the UN says the assistance is vastly insufficient. Lammy condemned inflammatory remarks from Israeli officials suggesting plans to ‘cleanse Gaza’ and warned that Israel risks isolating itself internationally. Meanwhile, at least 82 people including a week-old baby were killed in Israeli airstrikes on 20 May: see

In an address to the Security Council, UN emergency relief coordinator Tom Fletcher warned that Gaza’s 2.1 million residents are enduring famine-like conditions after a ten-week aid blockade. He condemned the ongoing displacement of civilians, destruction of hospitals, and systematic denial of humanitarian access by Israel, urging immediate global intervention to prevent genocide. Fletcher described Israel’s alternative aid delivery proposal as a ‘cynical sideshow, a deliberate distraction, and a fig leaf for further violence and displacement’. He said that humanitarian agencies have the capability and verification systems to deliver aid responsibly, but are being obstructed. While the International Court of Justice reviews genocide allegations, Fletcher warned such action may come too late. He appealed to Israel and Hamas: ‘Will you act - decisively - to prevent genocide and to ensure respect for international humanitarian law? Or will you say instead, “we did all we could?”’

Five Iranian men have been arrested in the UK on suspicion of plotting a terrorist attack, with the Israeli embassy in London understood to have been the target. Although police have not officially confirmed the embassy as the focus, multiple sources, including the BBC, report this as accurate. The suspects, aged between 24 and 46, were arrested in Swindon, west London, Stockport, Rochdale, and Manchester. Four remain in custody under the Terrorism Act; one has been released on bail. Counter-terrorism officers have searched several properties across England, and the investigation is described as fast-moving and sensitive. Iran has denied involvement but offered cooperation. Officials warn that Iranian-backed activities in the UK are often underestimated, with influence spread via religious institutes, media, and charities aligned with Tehran’s aims. UK authorities have praised the swift response of hundreds of officers involved, highlighting the seriousness of this threat. Citizens are urged to remain vigilant as investigations continue, with further updates expected as operational security allows.