International
European leaders call for an end to the war in Gaza after the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar
The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, said on Thursday that the death in an Israeli operation of the leader of Hamas in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, is a “turning point” of the war, which should lead to the release of all hostages and the end of the conflict.
“This day is a turning point in addition to a military success for Israel. This opportunity must be taken so that all hostages are released and to finally stop this war,” he said at a press conference after the summit of EU heads of state and government.
Macron thus defended “ending military activities” and called for “accepting a ceasefire in Gaza” and “opening a political perspective for Israelis and Palestinians.”
Israel’s guarantees for the security of Palestine
The French president also stressed that “after the end of the war in Gaza, Israel will have to be given guarantees for its security” and also defended the need to “reform the Palestinian Authority” and “move towards the two-state solution.”
“An immediate ceasefire is necessary, urgently multiplying humanitarian operations, which are still at their lowest point, and moving forward to stop the violence perpetrated by settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank,” he added.
Born in a refugee camp in Jan Yunis, a city in southern Gaza, Sinwar was elected leader of Hamas in Gaza in 2017 after arbilling a reputation as a bitter enemy of Israel and on August 6 – after the murder in Tehran of the then head of the political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh – he was chosen to occupy the highest position in the organization chart of the Islamist group.
He represented the hardest and most belligerent line of the group and is considered by Israel the mastermind of the attacks of October 7 against Israeli territory in which some 1,200 people died and another 250 were taken hostage, which made him the most wanted man by Israel.
Borrell: Sinwar was “an obstacle” to the ceasefire
For his part, the high representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, said on Thursday that the leader of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar, who was killed on Wednesday in an Israeli operation, was “an obstacle” on the way to the “urgently needed ceasefire and the release of all hostages.”
“He was a terrorist on the European Union list responsible for the horrible attack of October 7 (2023). Violence must be stopped, hostages must be released and the suffering of Palestinians must be stopped,” Borrell said in a message in X.
In the same vein, the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, said that after the death of the leader of Hamas “a new phase has to begin.”
“It is time for all hostages to be released, for the ceasefire to be proclaimed immediately and for the reconstruction of Gaza to begin,” the president said,” the Italian leader continued.
Regarding Sinwar’s death, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that the attack of October 7 last year “was horrible and inhuman” and that “someone who is militarily responsible for Hamas’ activity, of horrible crimes, has lost his life.”
Von der Leyen says that this coup weakens Hamas
In the opinion of the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, the death of the top leader of Hamas “significantly weakens” the organization.
“Sinwar was the leader of a terrorist organization, the terrorist organization of Hamas and was basically the brain behind (the attack) of October 7 with the deaths, massacres, rapes and kidnappings. His death certainly weakens Hamas significantly,” Von der Leyen said at the press conference after the European summit held today in Brussels.
The acting Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, said that “it is very difficult to understand what Israel’s goal is” in the war. “We see that they are able to eliminate targets in an almost surgical way, but not every time, because there are already 42,000 dead in Gaza” and he said he was “perplexed.”
After more than a year of war in Gaza, Israel killed Sinwar yesterday in a military operation in the Rafah area, in the southern Strip, the country’s authorities confirmed today.
Apart from the death of the Hamas leader, European leaders approved some conclusions in which they were “deeply alarmed by the dramatic military escalation in the Middle East” and called for an “immediate ceasefire,” both in Gaza and in Lebanon.
European leaders call for an end to the war
They also condemned Israel’s attacks on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNFIN) in Lebanon and noted that “all actors have an obligation to take the necessary measures to ensure the safety of United Nations personnel.”
At the same time, the EU insisted that Israel “has the right to defend itself,” but that “international law must be respected.”
They also condemned “in the most energetic terms” Iran’s attacks on Israel on October 1 and its actions to “destabilize the East through the Middle East, through terrorist and armed groups, including the Houthi, Hezbulah and Hamas rebels.”
European leaders insisted on their call for the release of living Israeli hostages, as well as the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza and Lebanon.
Although not included in the conclusions, Spain and Ireland insisted on the need for the EU to verify whether Israel is fulfilling its humanitarian obligations under the partnership agreement.
Central America
Bukele Tops Latin America’s Presidential Approval Ranking in June, Survey Finds
President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador, President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico, and President Laura Fernández of Costa Rica are the three highest-rated leaders in Latin America, according to the latest June 2026 presidential approval survey conducted by CB Global Data. The study places Peru’s interim president, José María Balcázar, at the bottom of the regional ranking.
Bukele leads the list with a 69.1% approval rating and a 27.6% disapproval rate, improving on the 67.5% positive image recorded in May. The Salvadoran president has maintained a state of emergency since March 2022 as the cornerstone of his anti-gang security strategy, a policy that continues to shape public perceptions of his administration.
Sheinbaum, Mexico’s first female president, ranks second with a 65.5% approval rating and 31% disapproval. Although she remains among the region’s most popular leaders, her support declined from the 67.8% approval registered in May.
Completing the top three is Costa Rican President Laura Fernández, who recently assumed office and now records a 56.1% favorable rating against 37.1% negative opinion. Her approval has risen significantly from the 52.7% reported a month earlier.
At the opposite end of the ranking is Peru’s interim president, José María Balcázar, who received only 18.2% positive approval while 71.7% of respondents expressed a negative view of his administration. Despite remaining last in the survey, he showed a slight improvement compared to previous measurements.
Second from the bottom is Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, with a 29.5% approval rating and 64.8% disapproval. Nevertheless, she registered the largest increase in positive perception among all leaders surveyed, gaining more than five percentage points compared with the previous month.
Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo rounds out the group of lowest-rated leaders, posting a 33.1% approval rating against 63% disapproval. His support level declined from 36.9% in May.
Just outside the top three is President Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic, who achieved a 54.8% approval rating and 42.2% disapproval, despite a decline from the 60.2% support recorded a month earlier.
Paraguayan President Santiago Peña follows with a 48.3% favorable rating and 48.2% disapproval, improving slightly compared with May. Meanwhile, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ranks sixth with a 47.6% approval rating and 48.1% disapproval, down from 49.5% the previous month. Lula is expected to seek another term in Brazil’s presidential election scheduled for October 2026.
Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz fell to seventh place after experiencing the largest decline in the survey. His approval rating dropped to 46.4%, while disapproval climbed to 52.3%, representing a loss of more than nine percentage points compared with May.
The CB Global Data survey, conducted across 18 Latin American countries, reflects shifting public sentiment toward regional leaders and highlights the growing influence of Central American presidents among the continent’s most highly rated governments.
International
NGO Reports Release of 54 Political Prisoner Soldiers in Venezuela
A Venezuelan human rights organization reported on Tuesday that 54 military personnel detained for political reasons have been released, describing the measure as a positive step while stressing that hundreds of service members remain behind bars.
According to the Coalition for Human Rights and Democracy, 51 of the released detainees had been held at Ramo Verde prison in Miranda state, while three women were imprisoned at the National Institute for Female Orientation (INOF), also located in the same region. The organization said the releases should mark the beginning of a broader process aimed at freeing all military personnel imprisoned for political reasons in Venezuela.
Among those released is First Lieutenant Reinaldo Enrique Finol, who was arrested in 2020 in connection with the so-called “American Spy” case. The investigation also involved former U.S. Marine Matthew John Heath, whom Venezuelan authorities accused of conducting espionage activities at oil facilities in the state of Falcón. Heath was released in 2022 following a visit to Caracas by Roger Carstens, then the United States Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs.
In a message posted on social media, the Coalition called for the release of all political prisoners in the country, with particular attention to women who have been separated from their children and families. The organization described the liberation of the 54 military detainees as an important humanitarian development.
Ana Leonor Acosta, director of the Coalition, said there is still no official confirmation regarding the legal status of the released individuals. She explained that it remains unclear whether they were granted full freedom or released under precautionary measures, although the organization believes each case was reviewed individually before the detainees were freed.
The Coalition estimates that 213 military personnel remain imprisoned for political reasons in Venezuela. At the same time, relatives of political prisoners have continued demonstrations outside the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, urging Washington to support efforts aimed at securing the release of those who remain incarcerated.
Family members and human rights advocates argue that hundreds of political prisoners are still being held despite government announcements made earlier this year regarding the release of a significant number of detainees. Concerns have also been raised over the lack of information surrounding recent transfers of prisoners from the Bolivarian Intelligence Service (SEBIN) headquarters, commonly known as El Helicoide.
The developments come amid continued international scrutiny of Venezuela’s human rights record. In May, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that his administration would work toward securing the release of all individuals imprisoned for political reasons in the South American nation.
International
ICE to prioritize security over immigration enforcement during 2026 World Cup, says official
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will prioritize event security and the protection of attendees over immigration enforcement during the 2026 World Cup, according to its director, Tom Homan.
The tournament will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19, 2026, and is expected to draw millions of visitors across the three countries.
Speaking in an interview with ABC, Homan said the agency’s main responsibility during the competition will be to prevent any security threats that could disrupt one of the world’s largest sporting events.
“We have a national security responsibility that we are going to carry out,” Homan stated, emphasizing that ICE operations during the tournament will focus on intelligence, prevention, and the protection of critical infrastructure rather than immigration enforcement actions targeting undocumented individuals.
He added that the agency’s priority will be safeguarding players, teams, fans, and stadiums throughout the event.
However, Homan clarified that immigration status could still be taken into account in cases where national security concerns arise. “If we find a national security issue and it involves an illegal alien, of course we will take action,” he said.
The comments came in response to questions about concerns from international visitors regarding possible immigration enforcement activity during the tournament.
Homan reiterated that ICE’s operational focus will remain strictly on security-related matters. Known as the “border czar” within the U.S. administration, he said the agency will concentrate on preventing risks and ensuring the safety of all participants and spectators.
The 2026 World Cup will be the first edition of the tournament to feature 48 national teams, significantly increasing travel and logistical demands across the host nations. As a result, authorities are coordinating extensive security preparations involving federal, state, and international agencies.
Officials have described the tournament as one of the most complex security and organizational challenges ever undertaken in North America, with preparations already underway to ensure its safe and orderly execution.
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