Great power rivalry

Ukraine: Donald Trump signalled this week he may abandon his efforts to end the war in Ukraine after holding a two-hour phone conversation with Vladimir Putin – their third since Trump’s inauguration – that failed to secure backing for a ceasefire.

Despite the United States president’s claim the call on Monday “went very well”, Trump was unable to persuade Putin to back a proposal for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire. The Russian president said he would not agree to a ceasefire without Ukrainian concessions and called for both sides to draft a “memorandum” that specified their terms of a future deal.

“There is no timeframe and can be none,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Tuesday.

Putin’s position was rejected as a delaying tactic by Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, who has called for an immediate ceasefire and negotiations.

“If the Russians are not ready to stop the killings, there must be stronger sanctions,” he said in a tweet. “Pressure on Russia will push it toward real peace.”

President Trump later appeared to back away from further involvement in talks, reportedly telling Zelensky and European leaders that Kyiv and Moscow should negotiate alone. As his peacemaking efforts faltered, the European Union and the United Kingdom imposed new sanctions on Russia this week.

Trump faces growing calls to also impose new sanctions, including from prominent Republicans such as Lindsey Graham, who backed a bill to impose 500 per cent tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil and gas.

US Vice President J. D. Vance told reporters on Monday that efforts to persuade Putin to negotiate had hit an “impasse”.

“I think honestly that President Putin, he doesn’t quite know how to get out of the war,” he said.

The neighbourhood

New Zealand: A plan by New Zealand to impose a tax on global technology giants was shelved this week amid concerns about the risk of retaliation by US President Donald Trump.

Simon Watts, the revenue minister, announced on Tuesday that the Nationals-led government was not proceeding with the proposed Digital Services Tax bill, which would impose a 3 per cent tax on revenue earnt from search engine, social media and content-sharing services in New Zealand by firms such as Google, Meta, Microsoft and Apple. The tax, introduced by the previous Labour government, was expected to generate about NZ$140 million a year.

The US president has condemned moves by countries such as the UK, France, Italy and New Zealand to tax technology firms. The UK has a 2 per cent tax but is in discussions with the White House about amending it as part of a wider deal to remove tariffs.

Watts said in a statement he would prefer for New Zealand to act as part of an internationally agreed approach.

“A global solution has always been our preferred option, and we have been encouraged by the recent commitment of countries to the OECD work in this area,” he said.

War zone

Gaza: Israel came under pressure this week from allies such as the UK to end its escalated offensive in Gaza, while more than 20 countries – including Australia – demanded Israel lift limits on aid flows.

As ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas ended without a deal, Israel proceeded this week with a new military campaign aimed at seizing and holding territory in Gaza while forcing residents to move to the south. The campaign, which began last Sunday, included heavy air strikes that killed 144 people in its first two days, according to local officials.

In a joint statement on Monday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney threatened to take “concrete actions” against Israel if it did not halt the campaign and address the need for aid. British Foreign Affairs Secretary David Lammy later suspended negotiations with Israel over a new trade deal, saying Israel’s actions were an “affront to the values of the British people”.

“The planned displacement of so many Gazans is morally unjustifiable, wholly disproportionate and utterly counter-productive,” Lammy told parliament.

Aid agencies have warned that stocks of food, medicine and fuel are running out and that Gaza, which has 2.2 million residents, is at risk of famine.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this week he would allow a “basic amount of food” into Gaza, ending a blockade that began in early March. On Tuesday, Israel said 93 trucks had been allowed to enter, but the United Nations said the Israeli military had not cleared aid workers to collect and distribute the supplies. A group of 24 countries – including the UK, Germany, France, Japan, Australia and New Zealand – demanded this week that Israel allow unlimited aid flows and enable humanitarian groups to operate.

“The Israeli government cannot allow the suffering to continue,” Australia’s minister for foreign affairs, Penny Wong, said in a statement.

Spotlight: Europe’s new MAGA populism

Romania: In 2006, Nicușor Dan, a Romanian maths prodigy who has a PhD from the Sorbonne, started an organisation to protect Bucharest’s architectural heritage from rampant development. He eventually became mayor of Bucharest, gaining prominence for his battles against corruption.

Last December, Dan decided to run for the presidency after an election in 2024 was annulled over concerns that Russia had meddled to favour a far-right populist.

In a second-round ballot last weekend, Dan, a centrist who supports the European Union and backs aid for Ukraine, defeated George Simion, a far-right anti-EU populist and Donald Trump advocate, by 53.6 per cent to 46.4 per cent. “It’s a moment of hope,” Dan told supporters after his win.

Dan’s victory was welcomed with relief by centrist leaders across Europe. France’s Emmanuel Macron said Romanians had chosen “democracy, the rule of law and the European Union”.

But the election – and Simion’s strong showing – also confirmed the growing popularity of MAGA-style right-wing populists across Europe.

In Portugal, the centre-right Democratic Alliance increased its vote at parliamentary elections last weekend and is on track to form a minority government. But the far-right Chega party is set to be the second-biggest party, winning at least 58 seats in the 230-member parliament. Chega competed in its first election in 2019, when it won one seat.

André Ventura, Chega’s leader, an anti-migration Trump devotee, told supporters: “I am not going to stop until I become the prime minister of Portugal.”

In Poland, the pro-EU mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, secured a narrow first-round victory in the presidential election last weekend, winning 31.4 per cent of the vote. A nationalist, Karol Nawrocki, won 29.5 per cent, and two far-right candidates were in third and fourth positions, together receiving 21 per cent of the vote. Trzaskowski and Nawrocki will hold a second-round election on June 1.

Though pro-EU centrists have been holding on to power, the three elections indicated that right-wing insurgents – often inspired by Trump – are on the rise.

Commenting on Dan’s victory in Romania, Dimitar Bechev, from Carnegie Europe, told the Financial Times: “This time we pulled it off, but what about next time?”

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Canada on Thursday condemned the Israeli government for failing to prevent what Prime Minister Mark Carney called a humanitarian disaster in Gaza.

Carney also accused Israel of violating international law over the blocking of Canadian-funded aid delivery to civilians in the war-torn Palestinian enclave.

“Canada calls on all sides to negotiate an immediate ceasefire in good faith. We reiterate our calls for Hamas to immediately release all the hostages, and for the Israeli government to respect the territorial integrity of the West Bank and Gaza,” Carney said on X.

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday accused the Israeli government of failing to prevent a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Gaza and of violating international law by denying aid.

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday accused the Israeli government of failing to prevent a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Gaza and of violating international law by denying aid.

In a post on X, Carney said Israel’s control of aid distribution must be replaced by “comprehensive provision” of humanitarian assistance led by international organizations.

“Canada calls on all sides to negotiate an immediate ceasefire in good faith,” he said.

“We reiterate our calls for Hamas to immediately release all the hostages, and for the Israeli government to respect the territorial integrity of the West Bank and Gaza.”

Israel’s parliament on Wednesday approved a symbolic motion to annex the West Bank. Annexation of the West Bank could make it impossible to create a viable Palestinian state alongside Israel, which is seen internationally as the only realistic way to resolve the conflict.

Carney said Canada supports a two-state solution, with Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand set to attend a UN conference next week in New York on the issue.

The Centre for Jewish and Israel Affairs said Hamas does not want a ceasefire agreement and wants to retain power at any cost.

“This is why we see Hamas thanking governments — including Canada’s — for statements that embolden it to continue subjecting both Gazans and Israelis to further suffering,” said the centre’s chief executive, Noah Shack, in a statement.

“At the NATO summit last month, Prime Minister Carney was clear: a two-state solution requires the Palestinian leadership to recognize the right of the Jewish nation to live safely in our ancestral homeland.”

Anand said it is “inexcusable” that women and children in Gaza are without adequate access to food and water.

“The Israeli government must allow the uninhibited flow of humanitarian aid to reach Palestinian civilians, who are in urgent need,” she said on X.

Their comments came on the same day French President Emmanuel Macron announced his country would recognize Palestine as a state.

Macron said in a post on X that he would formalize the decision at the UN General Assembly in September.

“The urgent thing today is that the war in Gaza stops and the civilian population is saved,” he wrote.

The mostly symbolic move puts added diplomatic pressure on Israel as the war and humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip rage.

France is now the biggest western power to recognize Palestine, and the move could pave the way for other countries to do the same. More than 140 countries recognize a Palestinian state, including more than a dozen in Europe.

The Palestinians seek an independent state in the occupied West Bank, annexed east Jerusalem and Gaza, territories Israel occupied in the 1967 Mideast war.

Canada was one of more than two dozen countries, including the United Kingdom, Japan and Australia, that issued a joint statement this week calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza.

— With files from The Associated Press.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 24, 2025.

The Canadian Press

WFP warns Gaza is on brink of full scale famine

NEW YORK: The UN World Food Programme warned on Monday that Gaza is teetering on the brink of full-scale famine, with nearly 100,000 women and children suffering from severe acute malnutrition amid rapidly deteriorating humanitarian conditions.

Speaking to reporters at a UN briefing, senior WFP official Ross Smith said that hunger is worsening, and humanitarian access has been severely restricted.

“A quarter of the population are facing famine-like conditions,” he said. “People are dying from lack of assistance every day.”

Smith stressed that food and humanitarian aid are the only viable solutions at present, but movement inside Gaza remains perilous and limited. “The markets are non-functional. Nothing is really moving inside Gaza for us,” he said, outlining the “minimum operating conditions” required to respond effectively. These include functioning border crossings, reduced wait times and security approvals, and the ability to transport goods freely and safely.

He said the WFP requires a minimum of 100 aid trucks to enter Gaza daily to meet urgent needs. “Until we have that scale of assistance, it’s going to be really, really difficult to control the situation on the ground.”

Smith called for all armed actors to stay away from aid convoys and distribution points.

Over the weekend scores of people were killed when a crowd surged around a WFP food convoy near a Gaza checkpoint.

“We cannot independently verify the death toll,” Smith said, noting WFP staff on the ground reported at least 40 fatalities, though other reports suggest as many as 80. “One death is too many. This is far, far too many.”

He denied any indication the incident was organized by militant groups, instead pointing to growing desperation among civilians. “These were people putting their lives on the line, trying to get something off a truck,” he said.

Fuel shortages and logistical hurdles continue to hamper aid distribution. Since mid-May, the WFP has managed to deliver less than 10 percent of the required food assistance. Smith said the agency has enough supplies pre-positioned outside Gaza to support the entire population for two months — provided a ceasefire is in place and aid routes are secured.

“We have the capacity, but we need a ceasefire,” he added.

The UN does not use armed escorts for its convoys and has no operational relationship with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, Smith confirmed. While the GHF has pushed for collaboration, no agreements are currently in place.

Smith warned that time is running out for thousands at risk of starvation. “Severe acute malnutrition, particularly in children, carries a very high mortality risk. They need treatment immediately,” he said.

The UN continues to press for adherence to existing humanitarian agreements and call for a ceasefire to prevent further tragedy. “Yesterday’s incident is one of the greatest tragedies we’ve seen in Gaza,” Smith said. “It was completely avoidable.”

Meanwhile, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned that a new mass displacement order issued by the Israeli military is further eroding Gaza’s already collapsing humanitarian infrastructure.

The directive, covering four neighborhoods in Deir Al-Balah, has forced thousands to flee, with an estimated 50,000 to 80,000 people in the affected area at the time of the order, including 30,000 already displaced sheltering at 57 sites.

UN staff remain stationed at dozens of locations within the area, and OCHA has stressed that all civilian and humanitarian sites must be protected regardless of military operations.

The order encompasses critical infrastructure, including four health clinics, humanitarian warehouses, and essential water systems such as Gaza’s Southern Desalination Plant. OCHA warned that any damage to these facilities could have life-threatening consequences for civilians.

Nearly 88 percent of the Gaza Strip now falls under displacement orders or Israeli-controlled zones, effectively confining 2.1 million people to just 12 percent of the territory.

By cutting across Deir Al-Balah to the Mediterranean, the order further fragments the enclave, choking off humanitarian access.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed serious concern over the latest Israeli evacuation order. He said UN staff remain in the area, despite two UN guesthouses being hit in recent days, even after their coordinates had been shared with the relevant parties.

“These sites must be protected,” Guterres said, calling once again for the protection of civilians, humanitarian personnel, and infrastructure. He reiterated his urgent appeal for unimpeded delivery of aid and repeated his call for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.

Guterres condemned growing reports of malnutrition among children and adults, and denounced the continued violence — including against people trying to access food.

“Civilians must never be targeted,” Guterres said, adding that Israel is obligated under international law to facilitate humanitarian relief. He stressed that the population remains gravely undersupplied with essentials such as food, water, and medicine.

From 19 May 2025 18.17 BST UK, France and Canada threaten ‘concrete actions’ if Israel does not stop Gaza offensive The leaders of Britain, France and Canada issued a joint statement on Monday warning that they will take “further concrete actions” if Israel does not stop a renewed military offensive in Gaza and lift aid restrictions. The statement by Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Mark Carney condemns Israel’s expansion of military operations in Gaza as “wholly disproportionate”, adding that the “level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable”. We will not stand by while the Netanyahu Government pursues these egregious actions. If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response. It describes the Israeli government’s “denial of essential humanitarian assistance” as “unacceptable” and says it risks breaching international humanitarian law. In addition, it condemns the “abhorrent” language used by Israeli politicians threatening civilians to relocate from Gaza. The leaders called on the Israeli government to stop its military operations in Gaza and immediately allow humanitarian aid to enter the Palestinian territory. Share

19 May 2025 20.08 BST Summary of the day so far It’s just past 10pm in Gaza and Tel Aviv. Here’s a recap of the latest developments: Nine aid trucks were authorised to enter Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing after 11 weeks of a complete blockade, a mere “drop in the ocean of what is urgently needed”, the UN’s humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, said on Monday. Five trucks carrying baby food and other desperately needed aid entered Gaza, according to the Israeli defense body in charge of coordinating aid to Gaza, COGAT. The UN has long said Gaza needs at least 500 trucks every day.

Benjamin Netanyahu said the aid that would be let into Gaza would be “minimal” as he announced that Israel plans to take control of all of Gaza. The Israeli leader, in a video message on Monday, said while Israel was deploying “massive force to take control of all of the Gaza Strip … we cannot reach a point of starvation, for practical and diplomatic reasons.”

At least 136 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes over the past 24 hours, Gaza’s health ministry said on Monday. The overall Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks in Gaza is now at 53,486, according to the ministry.

Two million people are starving in Gaza while tonnes of food are being blocked at the border “just minutes away”, the head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has said. The WHO has said around a quarter of the 2.1m population in Gaza are facing “a catastrophic situation of hunger, acute malnutrition, starvation, illness and death” due to the Israeli blockade.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) ordered residents living in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, Bani Suheila and Abasan to “evacuate immediately” ahead of an “unprecedented attack”. A statement from the IDF’s Arabic spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, said Israeli forces “will launch an unprecedented attack to destroy the capabilities of terrorist organisations in this area.”

Israel’s restarting of “minimal” aid deliveries to Gaza comes after the Trump administration warned it would “abandon” Israel if it did not end the war in Gaza, according to a Washington Post report. A US official later denied the report, claiming “the idea that we would abandon Israel is preposterous.”

The leaders of Britain, France and Canada threatened “further concrete actions” if Israel does not stop a renewed military offensive in Gaza and lift aid restrictions. The statement by Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Mark Carney on Monday condemns Israel’s expansion of military operations in Gaza as “wholly disproportionate”, adding that the “level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable”.

A joint statement by 22 countries demanded that Israel immediately “allow a full resumption of aid into Gaza”. Foreign ministers from countries including the UK, Australia and Germany also sharply rejected a reported Israeli plan to replace the previous system of delivering aid into Gaza.

The UK’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, said that the situation in Gaza is “intolerable”. Starmer said: “It is a really serious, unacceptable, intolerable situation. That’s why we are working intensely to coordinate with other leaders how we respond to this.” European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen called for the blockade to be lifted, adding that “humanitarian aid must never been politicised.”

Israel’s hardline minister for national security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, said Netanyahu is “making a grave mistake” by allowing any humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, which Israel has been blockading. Ben-Gvir said “any humanitarian aid that enters the Strip … will fuel Hamas and give it oxygen while our hostages languish in tunnels.”

The Israeli army targeted a warehouse storing medical supplies at the Nasser medical complex in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis on Monday. The World Health Organization (WHO), citing the hospital director, said about 30% of the warehouse as well as critical WHO supplies, including IV fluids and dialysis solutions were reportedly destroyed. The attack reportedly happened while Palestinians who were injured or killed in other Israeli airstrikes were being brought to the hospital. Share

19 May 2025 19.41 BST A US official has denied a report citing an unnamed source who claimed the Trump administration would “abandon” Israel if it did not end the war in Gaza. “The idea that we would abandon Israel is preposterous,” the US official said, according to the Times of Israel. Share

19 May 2025 19.29 BST 22 countries urge Israel to allow ‘full resumption’ of aid into Gaza We reported earlier that the leaders of the UK, France and Canada issued a joint statement threatening “concrete actions” if Israel does not stop a renewed military offensive in Gaza and lift aid restrictions. A separate joint statement by 22 countries on Monday has demanded that Israel immediately “allow a full resumption of aid into Gaza”. The statement came as the UN said nine aid trucks were authorised to enter Gaza, describing it as a “drop in the ocean” amid the territory’s humanitarian crisis. “Whilst we acknowledge indications of a limited restart of aid, Israel blocked humanitarian aid entering Gaza for over two months,” the statement reads. The statement sharply rejects a reported Israeli plan to replace the previous system of delivering aid into Gaza, noting that the UN and humanitarian partners have opposed the plan. The statement goes on: We have two straightforward messages for the Government of Israel: allow a full resumption of aid into Gaza immediately and enable the UN and humanitarian organisations to work independently and impartially to save lives, reduce suffering and maintain dignity. Share

19 May 2025 19.09 BST Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement that Israel will restart “minimal” aid deliveries to Gaza comes after public and behind-the-scenes pressure from the Trump administration, according to a report. A source told the Washington Post: Trump’s people are letting Israel know, ‘We will abandon you if you do not end this war. Share

19 May 2025 18.47 BST An Israeli attack on Nasser hospital in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis earlier today “severely damaged” a warehouse built by the World Health Organization (WHO), according to the hospital director. About 30% of the warehouse as well as critical WHO supplies, including IV fluids and dialysis solutions were reportedly destroyed. An assessment by hospital management is underway to determine the full scale of the loss, the WHO said in a statement on X. Amid critical shortages, escalating violence, and a rising number of casualties, this is a devastating blow that will cost lives. WHO reiterates: Health care must be protected. Hospitals must never be militarized or targeted. Share

19 May 2025 18.28 BST The joint statement by the leaders of Britain, France and Canada goes on to say that they oppose any attempt to expand Israeli settlements in the West Bank. It calls on Israel to stop these settlements, which the statement says are illegal and “undermine the viability of a Palestinian state and the security of both Israelis and Palestinians.” It says the three countries “will not hesitate to take further action, including targeted sanctions”. The statement by Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Mark Carney says they “strongly” support the efforts led by the US, Qatar and Egypt to secure an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. “These negotiations need to succeed,” it says. The statement concludes: We are committed to recognising a Palestinian state as a contribution to achieving a two-state solution and are prepared to work with others to this end. Share

19 May 2025 18.17 BST UK, France and Canada threaten ‘concrete actions’ if Israel does not stop Gaza offensive The leaders of Britain, France and Canada issued a joint statement on Monday warning that they will take “further concrete actions” if Israel does not stop a renewed military offensive in Gaza and lift aid restrictions. The statement by Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron and Mark Carney condemns Israel’s expansion of military operations in Gaza as “wholly disproportionate”, adding that the “level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable”. We will not stand by while the Netanyahu Government pursues these egregious actions. If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response. It describes the Israeli government’s “denial of essential humanitarian assistance” as “unacceptable” and says it risks breaching international humanitarian law. In addition, it condemns the “abhorrent” language used by Israeli politicians threatening civilians to relocate from Gaza. The leaders called on the Israeli government to stop its military operations in Gaza and immediately allow humanitarian aid to enter the Palestinian territory. Share

19 May 2025 17.53 BST The day so far United Nations aid chief Tom Fletcher said Israel cleared nine trucks of aid on Monday to enter Gaza through the Keren Shalom crossing after 11 weeks of a complete blockade, Reuters reported. “But it is a drop in the ocean of what is urgently needed, and significantly more aid must be allowed into Gaza, starting tomorrow morning,” Fletcher said in a statement.

An Israeli official says a shipment of flour, baby food and medical supplies will be allowed into Gaza. Eden Bar Tal, the foreign ministry’s director general, said the baby food had started entering, but there was no sign of any aid on the Gaza side of the border. He did not say how much aid would enter, where it would enter or when.

The aid that would be let into Gaza would be “minimal,” Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, without specifying precisely when it would resume. He said it would act as bridge toward the launch of a new aid system in Gaza, in which a US-backed organisation will distribute assistance in hubs that will be secured by the Israeli military.

Israel’s hardline minister for national security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has said that Benjamin Netanyahu is “making a grave mistake” by allowing any humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, which Israel has been blockading. Ben-Gvir said “The prime minister is making a grave mistake with this move. Any humanitarian aid that enters the Strip … will fuel Hamas and give it oxygen while our hostages languish in tunnels.”

In a post on X, the IDF’s Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee has told residents living in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, Bani Suheila and Abasan to “evacuate immediately” ahead of an “unprecedented attack” he claims is targeting Hamas infrastructure. “The IDF will launch an unprecedented attack to destroy the capabilities of terrorist organisations in this area,” he wrote in the social media post.

Gaza’s health ministry says 136 people have died in Israeli strikes over the past 24 hours. The ministry says 136 bodies were brought to Gaza hospitals over the past 24 hours.

The head of a French medical humanitarian organisation operating in Gaza says the US-backed group expected to distribute aid in the besieged territory will be an accessory to a massive displacement of the Palestinian population as planned by Israel. Jean-Francois Corty, president of Medicins du Monde, a France-based medical humanitarian organisation, sharply criticised plans by Israel, backed by the US, to use a private contractor, Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, to distribute aid in Gaza.

Khan Younis residents said Israeli special forces disguised as displaced Palestinians launched a rare ground raid into the city. The forces killed Ahmed Sarhan, a leader in the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, in a shootout, the group said. Palestinian witnesses said his wife and daughter were detained.

The UK’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, has said that the situation in Gaza is “intolerable”. During a joint press conference with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, Starmer said: “It is a really serious, unacceptable, intolerable situation. That’s why we are working intensely to coordinate with other leaders how we respond to this. We will continue to work in that way.”

Amnesty International has urged the US to investigate possible violations of international law in regards to a deadly airstrike on a migrant detention facility in Yemen last month, in which 68 African migrants were reported to have been killed. At the time, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, which governs north-west Yemen, said the migrant centre in the city of Saada was under the supervision of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Red Cross and targeting it constituted “a full-fledged war crime”. Share

19 May 2025 17.29 BST UN aid chief says aid allowed into Gaza ‘a drop in the ocean’ United Nations aid chief Tom Fletcher said Israel cleared nine trucks of aid on Monday to enter Gaza through the Keren Shalom crossing after 11 weeks of a complete blockade, Reuters reported. “But it is a drop in the ocean of what is urgently needed, and significantly more aid must be allowed into Gaza, starting tomorrow morning,” Fletcher said in a statement. “To reduce looting, there must be a regular flow of aid, and humanitarians must be permitted to use multiple routes. Commercial goods should complement the humanitarian response,” he said. Share

19 May 2025 17.27 BST The head of a French medical humanitarian organisation operating in Gaza says the US-backed group expected to distribute aid in the besieged territory will be an accessory to a massive displacement of the Palestinian population as planned by Israel. Jean-Francois Corty, president of Medicins du Monde, a France-based medical humanitarian organsation, sharply criticised plans by Israel, backed by the US, to use a private contractor, Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, to distribute aid in Gaza. The plans, as they are known so far, involve setting up four distribution hubs where Palestinians would have to go to collect food guarded by armed private contractors and near Israeli military positions. It appears three of the four hubs will be in Rafah in the far south of Gaza and one in central Gaza, meaning much of the population will have to move to Rafah to obtain aid. Israeli authorities have been pressing for Palestinians to evacuate south. Corty said GHF is “operating for American and Israeli authorities” and is “working for this project to support the massive deportation of the population which is planned by these authorities.” Share

19 May 2025 16.42 BST Khan Younis residents said Israeli special forces disguised as displaced Palestinians launched a rare ground raid into the city. The forces killed Ahmed Sarhan, a leader in the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, in a shootout, the group said. Palestinian witnesses said his wife and daughter were detained. The forces drove in on a civilian vehicle and carried out the raid under cover from heavy airstrikes. At least five other people were killed, in addition to Sarhan, according to Nasser hospital. Share

19 May 2025 16.14 BST An Israeli official says a shipment of flour, baby food and medical supplies will be allowed into Gaza. Eden Bar Tal, the foreign ministry’s director general, said the baby food had started entering, but there was no sign of any aid on the Gaza side of the border. He did not say how much aid would enter, where it would enter or when. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would allow some aid to enter Gaza for the first time in nearly three months under pressure from Israel’s allies. Aid groups say hunger is widespread and have warned of famine if Israel does not lift its blockade on Gaza’s 2m Palestinians. Share

19 May 2025 15.45 BST The IDF told residents living in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, Bani Suheila and Abasan to “evacuate immediately” ahead of an “unprecedented attack” on Monday. The IDF’s Arabic spokesperson Avichay Adraee claimed the attack was targeting Hamas infrastructure and that the area would be considered a ‘dangerous combat zone’. It comes a day after Israel allowed the entry of a ‘basic quantity’ of food into Gaza, after coming under international criticism over its 10-week blockade on food and humanitarian aid 1:38 Israel targets Nasser hospital as Netanyahu vows to take control of all of Gaza – video Share