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

ICE agent arrested in Texas over shooting of Venezuelan migrant in Minnesota

U.S. authorities arrested an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent on Friday in Texas after he was accused of shooting a Venezuelan migrant in Minnesota earlier this year and later providing false information about the incident.

The suspect, identified as Christian Castro, faces four counts of second-degree assault, along with an additional charge related to filing a false official report. He was taken into custody after investigators from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension located him, according to a statement from the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.

The case stems from a January operation carried out by ICE during which Castro shot Julio César Sosa, a Venezuelan migrant, in the leg. Prosecutors allege that the agent later submitted a misleading account of the incident, claiming that Sosa and another migrant had attacked officers with a shovel and a broomstick.

However, investigators say that video evidence and further findings contradicted that version of events, leading to the dismissal of charges initially brought against the migrants by federal prosecutors.

ICE’s acting director, Todd Lyons, acknowledged in February that agents involved in the incident had given “false sworn testimony” about what occurred.

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Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty described Friday’s arrest as a “critical step forward” in the judicial process and reaffirmed that the investigation remains ongoing.

International

U.S. classifies CV and PCC as terrorist groups in major policy shift

The United States government announced on Thursday that it will add the Brazilian criminal organizations Comando Vermelho (CV) and Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) to its list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO), a designation set to take effect on June 5, 2026.

The State Department justified the decision by stating that both groups are among the most powerful criminal organizations in Brazil and accused them of coordinating violent attacks against police officers, public officials, and civilians.

The designation comes just days after Brazilian senator and presidential hopeful Flávio Bolsonaro directly asked U.S. President Donald Trump to classify these groups as “narco-terrorist” organizations during a visit to the White House.

Bolsonaro, who is running in Brazil’s upcoming presidential election in October, has made tougher action against organized crime and prison-based gangs a central part of his campaign platform.

He is part of a political dispute with current Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who has opposed the U.S. classification, warning it could open the door to potential foreign military intervention in Brazilian territory.

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The Comando Vermelho and Primeiro Comando da Capital emerged in Brazilian prisons during the 1970s and have since expanded their influence, now controlling extensive criminal activities including drug trafficking, extortion, smuggling, and other illicit operations.

According to security experts and Brazilian authorities, both organizations have tens of thousands of members and support networks spread across multiple states in the country.

The U.S. measure aims to increase financial and operational pressure on these groups by restricting funding sources, limiting international mobility, and expanding cooperation in security enforcement efforts.

International

U.S.–Iran pre-agreement aims to de-escalate tensions and secure key trade route

The United States confirmed on Thursday that its negotiators have reached a preliminary agreement with Iran aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and extending the current ceasefire, though the understanding still requires final approval from U.S. President Donald Trump.

U.S. government sources confirmed information first reported exclusively by Axios, stating that the deal now only awaits the president’s endorsement.

According to Axios, citing two senior U.S. officials, the draft agreement stipulates that navigation through the Strait of Hormuz—previously blocked by Iran in response to U.S. and Israeli military actions—would be “unrestricted.”

The agreement reportedly includes provisions under which Iran would not impose transit fees in the strategic waterway, a critical route for global oil shipments. In parallel, the United States would lift maritime restrictions on vessels entering and leaving Iranian ports.

The memorandum of understanding also contains a commitment from Iran not to develop nuclear weapons, a key red line for President Trump. However, discussions on limiting Iran’s uranium enrichment would be postponed to later negotiations.

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These issues are expected to be addressed during a 60-day extension of the ceasefire, which has been in place since April.

In addition, the United States would consider easing sanctions on Iran and releasing frozen Iranian assets as part of the broader diplomatic framework.

Negotiations between Washington and Tehran have intensified over the past week with mediation from Pakistan, as both sides seek to formally end the conflict that began on February 28 involving the United States and Israel.

The White House has recently stated that a deal was “a matter of days away,” while Tehran has tempered expectations, suggesting that an agreement is not yet imminent.