International

At least 35 dead in a new Israeli attack in northern Gaza

At least 35 people, including numerous children, died in the last few hours in an Israeli bombing of a residential complex in Beit Lahia, in the north of the Gaza Strip.

The attack targeted a block with five houses in a western neighborhood of Beit Lahia, according to local sources quoted by the Palestinian agency Wafa and Al Jazeera.

Health collapse

This Saturday, the Civil Defense was overwhelmed by the number of calls for help from bombed homes in the north of the enclave.

The lack of ambulances and the Israeli blockade of the attacked areas is complicating the rescue operations of people who are trapped in the rubble.

In addition, the Indonesian and Kamal Adwan hospitals are not functioning due to the collapse of the health system.

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In the latter center, at least 44 health workers and several patients were detained by Israeli forces after the siege launched yesterday, according to the regional director of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the Middle East, Hanan Balkhy.

The person in charge, who cites the Gaza Ministry of Health, said that only a group of health personnel and the director of the hospital remain in the center, in addition to a doctor who was not arrested.

His message comes after a day of siege to what was one of the few hospitals in operation in the punished north of Gaza, where a harsh Israeli offensive that began more than three weeks ago has already claimed the lives of about 800 people and has forced tens of thousands of Palestinians to flee.

Israel attacks the Salah al-Din complex

On the other hand, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported a “precise attack against terrorists” operating within a command and control center located within a complex called Salah al-Din, which previously served as a school in Gaza.

According to the IDF, members of the Islamist group Hamas operated in that place, without adding further information.

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In the last two days, the Israeli attacks in the Strip have killed 77 people and 289 others have been injured, figures that do not include data from the hospitals in the north of the enclave, subjected to this harsh offensive.

Since the war began more than a year ago, 42,924 people have died and more than 100,800 have been injured in the devastated Palestinian enclave, according to data from Gaza hospitals.

In addition, it is estimated that the bodies of thousands of missing people continue to be buried under the rubble.

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.