International

More than 150 dead in Israeli attacks in Gaza in 24 hours

More than 150 Gazati lost their lives in Israeli attacks in the Palestinian enclave since Saturday, about 84 yesterday and at least 70 in the early hours of today, Sunday, in a bombing in Beit Lahia (north) that also caused more than 40 injuries.

With these attacks, the number of fatalities since the beginning of the war on October 7, 2023 today exceeded 42,600 – mostly women and children – and the number of injured 99,800, in an enclave with a health system on the verge of collapse.

In Beit Lahia alone, at least 73 people died around midnight when Israel bombed a residential complex and a roundabout, according to the authorities of the Strip, in what the Army described as a “precision” attack.

This morning, the Gaza Ministry of Health increased that figure to 87 victims between dead and missing people under the rubble, as well as more than 40 injured, some of them in critical condition. These are added to the nearly 500 deaths in the north alone in the last two weeks of military siege.

In addition to this lethal attack, the hospitals in the north of the enclave were also attacked by Israel, which surrounded the Indonesian Hospital with tanks and demolished part of its walls. Al Awda and Al Yaman Al Saeed hospitals were also damaged.

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The director of the Indonesian Hospital, located in Beit Lahia, Marwan Sultan, said that the Israeli artillery attacked the second and third floors, which “endangered the lives of patients and medical personnel,” in addition to their water tanks and the power grid.

Israeli artillery also attacked Yabalia and its surroundings, according to the Wafa agency, coinciding with the demolition of residential buildings in explosions controlled by army troops.

The acting director of the Al Awda hospital in Yabalia, Mohammed Salha, denounced in messages to EFE that the Israeli Army attacked two ambulances from the center that were transferring the wounded to Kamal Adwan, so both vehicles have been trapped in this hospital without being able to return.

“There are bombings around the hospital (Al Awda) and this morning they have shot at the wall,” Salha added, although he pointed out that no one was injured.

Israel kills four engineers who were repairing pipes

The Israeli Army killed four engineers who were going to repair infrastructure for water distribution in Khuzaa, east of Jan Yunis, in southern Gaza, despite prior coordination with the Israeli authorities to guarantee their safety, Oxfam denounced late Saturday.

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“Despite prior coordination with the Israeli authorities, his clearly identified vehicle was bombed,” denounced Oxfam, which identified the four engineers as workers of a partner organization, the Coastal Townships Water Company (CMWU).

“Their deaths aggravate the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where access to drinking water is already seriously compromised,” added the NGO founded in the United Kingdom, which described the attack on civilian infrastructure and those who maintain it as “clear violations of international humanitarian law” and demanded an independent investigation.

For its part, the Israeli Army said that “observers identified several suspicious people on Saturday who were one kilometer from the southern border of the Gaza Strip” and that a tank fired a projectile to “scare them away.”

In addition, according to the statement cited by Haaretz, the Army acknowledged that the victims were hydraulic engineers and said they were investigating the incident.

Hundreds of engineers, officials, health workers and humanitarian workers have died in Israeli attacks after more than a year of this war, which already has more than 42,500 dead.

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One of the most reported cases was the multiple attack, on April 1, against a convoy of the NGO World Central Kitchen, by Spanish chef José Andrés.

On this occasion, Israel fired three consecutive missiles killing seven of its cooperants, which caused the organization to stop its operations to carry and distribute food in the devastated north of the Strip. Israel said it attacked by “mistake,” despite shooting three times in a row.

International

Trump Floats “Friendly Takeover” of Cuba Amid Rising Tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that his administration is considering what he described as a “friendly takeover” of Cuba, as Washington continues to increase pressure on the island’s communist government.

“The Cuban government is talking to us and they have very serious problems, as you know. They have no money, they have nothing at this moment, but they are talking to us and maybe we will see a friendly takeover of Cuba,” Trump told reporters as he departed the White House for a trip to Texas.

Earlier in the week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Cuba needed a “radical change,” shortly after Washington eased restrictions on oil exports to the island for what officials described as “humanitarian reasons,” amid a deep economic crisis.

The United States has imposed an energy blockade on Cuba since January, citing what it calls an “extraordinary threat” posed by the communist-run island, located roughly 150 kilometers (90 miles) off the coast of Florida, to U.S. national security.

International

Argentina’s Senate Reviews Milei-Backed Labor Overhaul

Argentina’s Senate on Friday began reviewing the Labor Modernization Law promoted by the administration of President Javier Milei, a proposal that would significantly reshape labor rules across the country.

The upper chamber opened its final discussion of the contentious initiative, which revises the method used to calculate severance payments — lowering the amounts owed in dismissal cases — and introduces an “hour bank” mechanism that allows overtime to be offset with paid leave rather than extra wages.

The legislation also broadens the classification of essential services, a change that would place new limits on the right to strike in designated sectors.

The bill was initially approved by the Senate on February 11 and then moved to the Chamber of Deputies, where lawmakers passed it with amendments. It has now returned to the Senate for definitive approval.

Outside the Congress building in Buenos Aires, workers, trade unions and left-wing organizations staged demonstrations beginning at midday. The gathering later thinned out amid reports of disturbances and a strong police presence. Security forces had secured the area surrounding the legislature since early morning hours.

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Union leaders contend that the reform weakens labor protections, while many business representatives back the measure but stress that sustainable formal employment will require economic expansion, improved credit conditions, greater investment and a more dynamic domestic market.

International

Federal Judge Blocks Trump Policy Allowing Deportations to Third Countries

A federal judge ruled on Wednesday that the policy of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration allowing immigration authorities to deport foreign nationals to third countries without prior notice or the opportunity to object is unlawful. The decision marks another legal setback for the administration on immigration matters.

Judge Brian Murphy of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts struck down the regulation issued last year, which stated that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was not required to notify migrants if they were to be sent to countries other than the one listed in their removal order, provided that receiving nations offered assurances they would not face persecution or torture.

Murphy ordered the measure vacated but granted a 15-day delay before the ruling takes effect, giving the Trump administration time to file an appeal.

In his decision, the judge concluded that the policy violates federal immigration law and migrants’ due process rights. He also questioned the lack of transparency surrounding the alleged assurances provided by receiving countries, stating that “no one really knows anything about these supposed ‘assurances.’” He added, “It is not right, and it is not lawful.”

The ruling follows several legal disputes involving deportations to third countries. Last year, the executive branch deported more than 200 Salvadorans to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador, invoking an old wartime law. The White House also held talks with Costa Rica, Panama, and Rwanda about receiving migrants who are not citizens of those countries.

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In May, the same judge determined that the government violated a court order when it attempted to remove a group of immigrants with criminal records to South Sudan without prior notice or an opportunity to raise claims of fear of persecution.

Although President Donald Trump took the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, which temporarily allowed the deportations to resume while a final decision was pending, the White House is expected to again appeal to higher courts to overturn this latest judicial ruling.