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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.

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International

Wildfires in France Burn Nearly Three Times More Land Than in 2025, Interior Minister Says

More than 50,000 hectares of land have been destroyed by wildfires across France since the beginning of the year, nearly three times the area affected during the same period in 2025, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said Friday in an interview with AFP.

Emergency crews are currently battling several major fires, including one near the popular Cap Ferret peninsula, where flames have already consumed more than 10,000 hectares, making it the largest wildfire of the season so far, according to the minister.

“Currently, we have 32 fires underway, which obviously do not all have the same level of importance,” Nuñez said.

“We have exceeded the threshold of 50,000 hectares burned since January 1 of this year. It is practically three times more than during the same period last year,” he added.

Despite the extensive resources deployed and the long hours worked by emergency teams — estimated to be two and a half times higher than last year — Nuñez said authorities remain “calm” and “determined” to contain the situation.

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The minister acknowledged that the main concern is the fatigue affecting firefighters and emergency personnel who have been working under demanding conditions.

“The concern, if there has to be one, obviously lies in the state of exhaustion of the men and women who are committed. We have to hold on throughout the entire season,” Nuñez said.

France’s late spring and early summer have been marked by repeated periods of extreme heat, conditions linked by scientists to climate change and considered a major factor contributing to the increase in wildfire activity across the country.

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International

Israel Says Saudi Recognition Would Mark ‘Historic Breakthrough’ for Middle East Peace

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Saudi Arabia’s recognition of Israel would represent a “historic breakthrough” toward achieving peace in the Middle East.

The statement came after the United States and Saudi Arabia announced an agreement on Wednesday to establish a civil nuclear program in the kingdom. U.S. President Donald Trump said the initiative would be linked to Riyadh’s decision to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel.

“Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords would represent a historic breakthrough toward peace in the Middle East,” Netanyahu’s office said following Trump’s announcement.

The statement added that recent developments, including joint military actions by the United States and Israel against Iran, as well as Israel’s efforts against what it described as Iran’s “terror axis,” have created new opportunities to expand regional diplomatic ties.

“The joint U.S.-Israeli military action against the genocidal regime in Tehran and Israel’s defeat of Iran’s terror axis have created the possibility of expanding the circle of peace,” the statement said.

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A potential normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia would represent a major diplomatic shift in the region, as Riyadh has long been viewed as one of the key countries whose formal recognition could significantly reshape Middle Eastern relations.

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International

Nicolás Maduro’s Son Calls U.S. Trial Against His Father and Cilia Flores “Unjust”

Venezuelan lawmaker Nicolás Maduro Guerra on Wednesday described as “unjust” the legal proceedings in the United States against his father, ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, following their capture in Caracas on January 3 by U.S. forces.

“Faced with the unjust trial taking place today, the people raised their voices with a single demand: We demand the immediate release of President Nicolás Maduro and the First Lady,” Maduro Guerra wrote on his Instagram account.

The lawmaker attended a rally in Caracas where supporters of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV)gathered to show support for the former president, who faces charges in the United States including conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and cocaine importation. Flores is accused of crimes related to drug trafficking and weapons possession.

The event was also attended by PSUV Vice President for Mobilizations and Events Nahum Fernández and Caracas Mayor Carmen Meléndez, according to photos shared by Maduro’s son.

The third hearing in the case against Maduro and Flores concluded Wednesday at a federal court in New York after lasting only about 18 minutes. During the hearing, the judge preliminarily set June 2027 as the expected start date for the trial.

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One of the main arguments from the defense will focus on immunity. Maduro’s lead attorney, Barry Pollack, who has also represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, said the defense plans to request immunity for both defendants, arguing that Maduro was serving as head of state and Flores as first lady at the time of their detention.

Both Maduro and Flores pleaded not guilty during their first court appearance in New York on January 5.

Meanwhile, Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez, who assumed power after Maduro’s capture, has not yet commented on Wednesday’s hearing in the United States.

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