Iran's civilians are terrorized by the attacks: 'Israel strikes everywhere, at any hour'
Since June 13, 2025, Israel has been carrying out strikes on Iranian military and strategic infrastructure. These attacks have, however, also caused significant civilian casualties. Two hospitals were hit, one in the western city of Kermanshah and another in Tehran.
On the night of June 19 to 20, Sanam, in a panic, called her friends who had left Tehran for the northern city of Rasht after they saw the Israeli military post an evacuation order for the city on X. "I told them to take shelter. They didn't have internet, but I had a little [service]," she explained. An hour later, five projectiles struck the Sefid Rud industrial complex in Rasht. Her friends described the sky turning as bright as day from the explosion. Then they saw planes heading toward Tehran. Minutes later, Sanam's apartment shook. "The Israelis struck the Nobonyad and Lavizan neighborhoods, not far from my house," said Sanam, who has sheltered in the basement every time she heard a threatening noise. The strikes continued through Friday night into Saturday, intensifying further in Tehran, Rasht, and Isfahan.
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Euronews
3 hours ago
- Euronews
Palestinians in Gaza say aid efforts not enough to reach those in need
Palestinians in Gaza said aid packages dropped by Israel and other nations on Sunday and the dozens of aid trucks that entered the enclave are not enough and have not reached the population of more than two million people. 'We haven't seen aid from land, air or anywhere else,' said Maryam Yahya, a displaced woman from Rafah living in Zawaida. 'Here we are, sitting by the road, receiving nothing and nothing is reaching us. We sit in tents like beggars, waiting for a kilo of flour, and no one bring it to us.' Israel has implemented daily 10-hour 'tactical pauses' in three areas of Gaza to allow for limited humanitarian access amid rising international concern over worsening hunger. However, the United Nations (UN) said the temporary pauses remain insufficient as risks of looting persists. The World Food Programme (WFP) has called for reliable corridors and consistent access to deliver aid at scale. 'We used to receive aid from UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East). They no longer give it to us. If they had handed it over to UNRWA, they would have brought it to us. When UNRWA delivered (aid), we never lacked anything,' Yahya said. 'Aid is delivered by air. The person fears leaving the tent and having a box fall on their children,' said Ahmed Al-Sumairi, a man from Khan Younis now displaced in Central Gaza. 'Many have died due to drop (aid) on the tents. On the ground, there is no ceasefire... The situation remains the same: a siege, no food or drink.' 'They call it a "temporary ceasefire", we don't see it as a temporary ceasefire. We see bombing everywhere,' said Mohammed Al-Sumairi, displaced from Khan Younis living now in a tent in Zawaida. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would allow 'minimal' aid to enter Gaza after images of emaciated children fanned criticism of Israel and urged its allies to call for the war to end. Israel claims it has restricted the level of aid which can enter Gaza because Hamas siphons it off to bolster its rule, though it does provide evidence. The Israeli Defence Forces said 28 aid packages containing food were airdropped into Gaza on Sunday and that further measures would be put in place to establish secure routs. The UN World Food Program said it had enough food in, or on its way, to feed all of Gaza for nearly three months. It has said a third of the territory's population were not eating for days and hundreds of thousands were suffering from famine-like conditions.
Euronews
5 hours ago
- Euronews
E3 leaders make renewed call for ceasefire in Gaza amid hunger deaths
The leaders of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, known as the E3, on Saturday issued a new call for an end to the Gaza war, describing the situation in the besieged enclave as appalling. According to a UK government statement, the three leaders, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, President of France Emmanuel Macron, and Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz, spoke Saturday morning by phone. They emphasised the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire, for Israel to lift all restrictions on aid, and for those suffering in Gaza to receive food they so desperately need, the statement said. They discussed their "intention to work closely together on a plan, building on their collaboration to date, which would pave the way to a long-term solution and security in the region," the statement added. Saturday's call follows that of Friday, where the European allies called for an immediate ceasefire, saying that "withholding essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable." What could the E3 nations' action be? The leaders stated that they "stand ready to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire and a political process that leads to lasting security and peace for Israelis, Palestinians, and the entire region," but did not specify what that action may be. On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that his country will become the first major Western power to recognise a Palestinian state, drawing a backlash from the US and Israel. It is unclear what the action will be from the other nations in the E3, but what is known is that the UK has historically been hesitant to recognise a Palestinian state for fear of upsetting its allies, the US and Israel, while Germany, due to its past, mostly finds it inappropriate to strongly criticise Israel. In Friday's joint statement, the leaders urged all parties to bring an end to the conflict and also called for an unconditional release of all hostages who have been held captive by Hamas since 7 October 2023. While their call comes amid a breakdown of ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, which hit a standstill after the US and Israel recalled their negotiating teams on Thursday, Starmer, Macron, and Merz stressed that the disarmament of Hamas remains imperative. "Hamas must have no role in the future of Gaza. We reaffirm our commitment to supporting the diplomatic efforts of the United States, Qatar, and Egypt," Friday's joint statement said. Gaza hunger deaths rising This week, the world has woken up to grim images of children suffering malnutrition and dying from starvation in Gaza. The images come after experts have long warned that Gaza is being pushed closer to famine after months of Israel entirely blocking food or letting in only limited amounts. Israel says it has allowed around 4,500 aid trucks into Gaza since lifting its total blockade in May. But the UN World Food Programme (WFP) says nearly one in three people in Gaza has not been eating for days at a time, warning that malnutrition is rising, with around 90,000 children and women now in need of urgent treatment. In the past three weeks, at least 50 people have died of causes related to malnutrition, including 28 adults and 22 children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. That's up from 12 children who died in the five previous months of 2025, according to the ministry. UK to airdrop aid in Gaza In its defence, Israel argues that it allows enough aid to enter and blames UN agencies for not doing more to retrieve and deliver it to those in need. As the country faces mounting international outcry and backlash over the worsening hunger crisis in Gaza, media reports claimed that Israel will permit foreign nations to airdrop aid into Gaza beginning Friday. On Saturday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK will be taking forward plans to work with partners such as Jordan to air-drop aid and evacuate children requiring medical assistance. In its statement on the call with Macron and Merz, Starmer said they all agreed it would be "vital to ensure robust plans are in place to turn an urgently needed ceasefire into lasting peace." Once this plan was worked up, they would seek to bring in other key partners, including those in the region, to advance it, the UK statement stated.
LeMonde
5 hours ago
- LeMonde
Israel begins daily 'tactical' pause in Gaza to allow 'minimal' food aid
The Israeli military on Sunday, July 27, began limited pauses in fighting in three populated areas of Gaza for 10 hours a day, part of measures including airdrops as concerns grow over surging hunger and as Israel faces criticism over its conduct in the 21-month war. The military said the "tactical pause" from 10 am to 8 pm in Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Muwasi, all with large populations, would increase humanitarian aid entering the territory. United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher welcomed Israel's decision to support a "one-week scale-up of aid" and said "some movement restrictions appear to have been eased." But he said action needs to be sustained, vast and fast. "Whichever path we choose, we will have to continue to allow the entry of minimal humanitarian supplies," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Images of emaciated children have fanned criticism of Israel, including by allies who call for the war's end. Israel has restricted aid to Gaza's population of over 2 million because it says Hamas siphons it off to bolster its rule, without providing evidence. Much of the population, squeezed into ever-smaller patches of land, now relies on aid. As the military had warned, combat operations continued otherwise. Health officials in Gaza said Israeli strikes killed at least 41 Palestinians from late Saturday into Sunday, including 26 seeking aid. "I came to get flour for my children because they have not tasted flour for more than a week," said Sabreen Hassona, as other Palestinians trudged along a dusty road carrying sacks of food from the Zikim crossing. But aid came slowly for others, if at all. "We saw the planes, but we didn't see what they dropped," Samira Yahya said in Zawaida in central Gaza. "They said trucks would pass, but we didn't see the trucks." Some people feared going out and having a box of aid fall on their children, Ahmed al-Sumairi said. 'Every delay is measured by another funeral' Israel's military said 28 aid packages containing food were airdropped, and said it would put in place secure routes for aid delivery. It said the steps were made in coordination with the UN and other humanitarian groups. The UN World Food Program said it had enough food in, or on its way, to feed all of Gaza for nearly three months. It has said nearly half a million people were enduring famine-like conditions. Antoine Renard, WFP's country director for the occupied Palestinian territories, said around 80 WFP trucks entered Gaza, while another over 130 trucks arrived via Jordan, Ashdod and Egypt. He said other aid was moving through the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings. He stressed it was not enough to counter the "current starvation." Gaza saw 63 malnutrition-related deaths in July, including 24 children underage 5, the World Health Organization said. Dr. Muneer al-Boursh, Gaza Health Ministry's director-general, called for a flood of medical supplies to treat child malnutrition. "This [humanitarian] truce will mean nothing if it doesn't turn into a real opportunity to save lives," he said. "Every delay is measured by another funeral." 'Alternative options' to talks. Ceasefire efforts appeared to be in doubt. Israel and the US recalled negotiating teams from Qatar on Thursday, blaming Hamas, and Israel said it was considering "alternative options" to talks. Partner service Learn French with Gymglish Thanks to a daily lesson, an original story and a personalized correction, in 15 minutes per day. Try for free Israel says it is prepared to end the war if Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile, something the group has refused. Khalil al-Hayya, head of Hamas' negotiating delegation, said the group had displayed "maximum flexibility." Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Merdawi said Israel's change of approach on the humanitarian crisis amounted to an acknowledgment of Palestinians starving in Gaza, and asserted that it was meant to improve Israel's international standing and not save lives. After ending the latest ceasefire in March, Israel cut off the entry of food, medicine, fuel and other supplies to Gaza for 2 ½ months, saying it aimed to pressure Hamas to release hostages. Fifty of them remain in Gaza, over half of them believed to be dead. Under international pressure, Israel slightly eased the blockade in May. Since then, the average of 69 trucks a day has been far below the 500 to 600 trucks the UN says are needed. The UN says it has been unable to distribute much aid because hungry crowds and gangs take most of it from trucks. In an attempt to divert aid delivery from UN control, Israel has backed the US-registered Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which in May opened four distribution centers. More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since May while trying to get food, mostly near those sites, the UN human rights office says. Israel asserts the UN system allows Hamas to steal aid. The UN denies it. "Gaza is not a remote island. The infrastructure and resources exist to prevent starvation; we just need safe, sustained access," Mercy Corps' vice president of global policy and advocacy, Kate Phillips-Barrasso, said in a statement. Awda Hospital in Nuseirat said Israeli forces killed at least 13 people, including four children and a woman, and wounded 101 as they headed toward a GHF aid distribution site in central Gaza. Israel's military said it fired warning shots to prevent a "gathering of suspects" from approaching, hundreds of meters from the site before opening hours. GHF said there were no incidents at or near its sites. Thirteen others were killed seeking aid elsewhere, including northwestern Gaza City, where over 50 people were wounded, and near the Zikim crossing where over 90 were wounded, hospital officials and medics said. US President Donald Trump on Sunday called the images of emaciated and malnourished children in Gaza "terrible."
