Middle East Crisis

Gaza War
US vetoes UN demands for ceasefire – again

The US has once again vetoed a resolution in the UN Security Council calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, reports the AP. This time, the resolution included the release of hostages, which the US demanded the last time it vetoed it. Now the US believes that the wording of the resolution did not sufficiently condemn Hamas, according to Reuters.

All other 14 countries in the council voted in favor of the resolution, which describes the humanitarian situation in Gaza as catastrophic and calls on Israel to stop preventing emergency aid from reaching it.

IDF: Four Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza

Four Israeli soldiers have been killed in fighting in southern Gaza. The Israeli army, the IDF, reports this, according to several Israeli media.

The four were killed on Thursday morning by a homemade bomb while clearing a road in the city of Rafah, writes Haaretz. Earlier in the day, several exchanges of fire took place between Israeli soldiers and Hamas fighters, Ynet reports, citing military sources.

Three other Israeli soldiers were injured in the incident, according to the Times of Israel.

Recognition of Palestine
Trump on Palestine: “Disagree with Starmer on that issue”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says at a press conference with US President Donald Trump that they are in complete agreement on the need for peace in Gaza. However, Trump says that the two leaders do not share the view of recognizing Palestine as a state, Reuters reports.

“I disagree with the prime minister on that issue, which is actually one of our few differences of opinion,” Trump says.

According to media reports, Britain is expected to formally recognize a Palestinian state after Trump’s state visit is over.

At the press conference, Starmer emphasizes that the decision is a step closer to a two-state solution, The Guardian reports.

Reactions
Arms shipments to Israel blocked in Italy

Port workers in Ravenna, Italy, blocked two trucks carrying arms shipments to Israel on Thursday, Reuters reports.

The city's mayor, Alessandro Barattoni, said the port authority had approved his and the regional government's request to deny access to shipments of weapons destined for Israel.

"The Italian state says it has stopped the sale of weapons to Israel, but it is unacceptable that weapons can pass through Italy from other countries thanks to bureaucratic loopholes," Barattoni said in a statement.

He did not specify where the shipments came from.