It is not the age of genocide, and yet...
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
28 minutes ago
- Mint
Iran refuses to abandon uranium enrichment after Israel-Iran war, cites ‘national pride'
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said Tehran cannot abandon its uranium enrichment program despite serious damage to its nuclear infrastructure following the recent Israel-Iran war. Speaking to Fox News on Monday, Araghchi described enrichment as a core achievement and a matter of national pride. 'It is stopped because, yes, damages are serious and severe. But obviously we cannot give up enrichment because it is an achievement of our own scientists,' Araghchi said. 'And now, more than that, it is a question of national pride.' While acknowledging the extensive destruction of Iranian nuclear facilities from US and Israeli strikes, Araghchi emphasised Iran's continued capacity to pursue enrichment. 'The technology is there. The scientists are there. The people who have run these facilities are there,' he said. 'Buildings can be rebuilt. Facilities can be rebuilt. Machines can be replaced.' When asked about Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium, Araghchi said he had 'no detailed information' on whether it was destroyed in the attacks. Araghchi firmly rejected any demand from the United States to curtail Iran's missile program or to halt its support for regional armed groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. 'They are fighting for a just cause, and we have always supported them,' he said. 'On our missiles… that is our most reliable means of defense. How can we disarm ourselves? Who can [Iran] accept anything like that? So, we will never disarm ourselves.' While ruling out direct dialogue 'for the time being,' Araghchi said Tehran remains open to talks with Washington. Prior to the recent war, the two sides had held five rounds of nuclear negotiations mediated by Oman, but failed to agree on limits to enrichment. 'If the goal is to make sure that Iran will never have nuclear weapons, that is achievable,' he said. 'But if the goal is to deprive Iran from its rights, including the right of enrichment, I think we have difficulty.' The 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran in June began with Israeli airstrikes on June 13, prompting retaliation from Tehran and subsequent US attacks on Iranian nuclear sites. A ceasefire was reached in late June. Despite the destruction, Araghchi claimed the conflict proved that military action cannot halt Iran's nuclear ambitions. 'I think the recent attack proved that there is no military option for our nuclear program.' Iran remains a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The UN nuclear watchdog has said it has 'no credible indication' of an active weapons program in Iran. Tehran insists its nuclear efforts are exclusively for civilian use. Israel, widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, has said its goal is to prevent Iran from ever acquiring one.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Israeli strikes kill at least 20 in Gaza, health officials say
Israeli strikes killed at least 20 people in Gaza, Palestinian health officials said Tuesday (July 22, 2025), as Israel pushed on with a new incursion in an area that had largely been spared heavy fighting during the 21-month war. The expansion of Israel's ground invasion comes as Israel and Hamas have been considering terms for a ceasefire for Gaza that would pause the fighting and free at least some hostages. The latest round of talks has dragged on for weeks with no signs of breakthrough, though negotiators have expressed optimism. With Israel expanding its control over large chunks of Gaza, an expected pullback of troops is a major point of contention in the talks. The Trump administration has been pushing Israel to wrap up the war and has shown signs of impatience. On Monday, President Donald Trump's press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Mr. Trump was 'caught off guard' by a recent Israeli strike on a Catholic church in Gaza. Top Christian clergy visited that church last week and in a press conference Tuesday in Jerusalem called for the war to end. At least 20 killed in Israeli strikes, health officials say One strike hit tents sheltering displaced people in the built-up, seaside Shati refugee camp on the western side of Gaza City, killing at least 12 people, according to the city's Shifa Hospital, which received the casualties. The Israeli military said it was not aware of such a strike by its forces. The dead included three women and three children, Dr Mohamed Abu Selmiyah, director of the hospital told The Associated Press. Thirty-eight other Palestinians were wounded, he said. The strike tore apart tents, and left some of the dead laying on the ground, according to footage shared by the Health Ministry's ambulance and emergency service. An overnight strike that hit crowds of Palestinians waiting for aid trucks in Gaza City killed eight, hospitals said. At least 118 were wounded, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. Ahmed Mhana, who said he was waiting on a coastal road for aid trucks, said the crowd was struck twice by Israeli aircraft. The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the Gaza City strike. Israel blames the deaths of Palestinian civilians on Hamas because the militants operate in densely populated areas. It accuses the group of prolonging the war because Hamas has not accepted Israel's terms for a ceasefire — including calls to give up power and disarm. Heavy explosions heard in area that avoided major fighting In Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, which previously has not seen major ground operations or widespread devastation, Palestinians reported heavy explosions from strikes and tank shelling overnight. 'It was non-stop,' Ayman Aby Hassan said. 'We felt that the area was shaking, as if there was an earthquake.' The man, who is in his 40s, fled an area in the southwestern side of Deir al-Balah that was invaded by the military earlier this week. He headed to the Muwasi area near the sea. The Israeli military ordered evacuations from parts of the city earlier this week. Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people in the Oct 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war and killed around 1,200 people. Fewer than half of the 50 hostages still in Gaza are believed to be alive. More than 59,000 Palestinians have been killed during the war, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its count does not distinguish between militants and civilians, but the ministry says more than half of the dead are women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas government, but the UN and other international organisations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties. Church leaders witnessed an almost totally destroyed' Gaza In Jerusalem, top church leaders called on the international community to help bring an end to the war in Gaza after making a rare visit to the conflict-ridden territory last week. Their visit came a day after Gaza's only Catholic church was struck by an Israeli shell in an attack that killed three people and wounded 10, including a priest who had developed a close friendship with the late Pope Francis. The strike drew condemnation from Pope Leo XIV and Trump, and prompted statements of regret from Israel, which said it was an accident. 'It is time to end this nonsense, end the war,' Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa told reporters. Israel has heavily restricted access to Gaza since the start of the war, though church leaders have entered on previous occasions, usually to mark major holidays. Pizzaballa and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III said they witnessed a Gaza that was 'almost totally destroyed.' They said they saw older people, women and boys 'totally starved and hungry' and called for urgent humanitarian aid. "Every hour without food, water, medicine, and shelter causes deep harm," Pizzaballa said. 'It is morally unacceptable and unjustifiable.' Israel has greatly reduced the amount of aid being let into Gaza and aid that does enter is often met by chaos and violence at distribution points. On Tuesday, the UN said more than 1,000 people have been killed seeking aid in Gaza since Israel redesigned the distribution of goods for Palestinians. Accusing Israel of the killings, the UN said more than 750 had died 'in the vicinity' of aid sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an Israeli- and US-backed group. GHF mostly denies that violence occurs at its sites.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Unarmed man shot by Israeli sniper while livestreaming at Gaza port
In a shocking moment that was captured live on social media, a young man was allegedly shot by an Israeli sniper while live-streaming in the Gaza port. The video of the attack went viral on social media and ignited global outrage amid calls for an immediate end to the Middle East war. The incident reportedly occurred during a lull in active shelling at the Gaza port.(Representational Image: Reuters) A man (whose face is not shown) is seen walking and recording the port when he is struck by a bullet and seems to go down on the ground as a result of the injury. The camera continues rolling as the blood trickles out from the body of the man, and nearby locals rush to his aid. The incident reportedly occurred during a lull in active shelling at the Gaza port, which in the video appeared relatively calm before the shot was fired. Also Read | Donald Trump caught 'off guard' by Israel's actions in Gaza, Syria; called on Netanyahu to 'rectify' From the video, the man seemed unarmed and not posing any danger when he was targeted. However, HT was unable to independently confirm the authenticity of this viral video. Though the circumstances surrounding the shooting and the identity of the victim remain unknown, the incident rekindled the concerns regarding the targeting of civilians, and more so, journalists and content creators, in conflict areas. Israel-Hamas war At the same time, at least 20 individuals were murdered in Gaza in what Palestinian health officials called Israeli attacks on Tuesday. This is as Israel continued with a fresh incursion in an area that had previously mostly been exempt from intense combat during the 21-month war. The widening of Israel's ground offensive comes as Israel and Hamas have been negotiating conditions for a Gaza ceasefire that would temporarily stop the fighting and release at least some hostages. Also Read | Why Israel's Chaotic New Food Program in Gaza Has Turned So Deadly The fighting between Israel and Hamas, which eventually engulfed the entire Gaza Strip, resumed after militants who follow Hamas abducted 251 individuals on October 7, 2023. Less than half of the remaining 50 hostages in Gaza are thought to be alive. Also Read | Israeli PM Netanyahu falls ill with food poisoning, to work from home for three days In the meantime, the Trump administration has been urging Israel to conclude the war and has demonstrated signs of restlessness. On Monday, President Donald Trump's press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated Trump was "caught off guard" by an Israeli recent attack on a Catholic church in Gaza.
