‘A declaration of war': Israel's strike on Iran – Today in Focus Extra
As the Guardian's senior international correspondent Julian Borger reports from Jerusalem, this time Israel has attacked Iran's nuclear facilities, as well as killing the head of the Revolutionary Guards, the army chief of staff, and six senior nuclear scientists.
So, asks Michael Safi, this time are we really on the brink of a regional war?
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Times
19 minutes ago
- Times
Israel challenges UN to deliver more food to Gaza
Israel challenged the United Nations on Sunday to carry out its pledge to deliver more food to the starving people of Gaza after announcing a U-turn in its aid policy. After two months of restricting UN aid convoys in favour of the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the Israel Defence Forces said they were implementing new 'humanitarian pauses' in fighting to allow in more UN aid. They stopped daytime military operations in three locations: Gaza city, Deir al-Balah and Muwasi. In addition they set up 'secure routes to enable the safe passage of UN and humanitarian aid organisation convoys delivering and distributing food and medicine to the population across the Gaza Strip'. They also allowed three Jordanian and Emirati supply planes to drop aid supplies into the strip, though the quantity delivered, 25 tonnes, is a fraction of what the UN can deliver on the ground. The World Food Programme (WFP) said that it distributed 4,200 tonnes last week, even before Israel eased restrictions. Israel also staged its own air drops. Israeli ministers have alternated between denying the existence of famine conditions in Gaza, despite the mounting numbers of images of emaciated children, and blaming Hamas. On Sunday Binyamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, gave an ambiguous interpretation of whether the IDF's reversal amounted to a concession to international pressure, including from Britain and other western governments. 'Whichever path we choose, we will have to continue to allow the entry of minimal humanitarian supplies,' Netanyahu said. Speaking from the Ramon air base in the Negev desert, he added: 'There are secured convoys. There have been all along, but today it is official. There will be no more excuses.' In line with warnings from aid officials, the first convoys seen to enter Gaza under the new regimen, including from Egypt for the first time in months, were mobbed by desperate crowds. Apart from the aid situation, the prospect of a ceasefire will be high on the agenda when President Trump meets Sir Keir Starmer on Monday, especially after the announcement by President Macron of France on Friday that he intended to recognise Palestinian statehood. Starmer has so far resisted pressure to follow suit but ministers were keen to show they were paying attention to growing concern about Gaza by focusing on aid. David Lammy, the foreign secretary, reiterated promises to join the Israeli air drop scheme but also insisted that ground convoys were the only way to get enough food into Gaza to feed its people. 'Access to aid must be urgently accelerated over the coming hours and days,' he said. 'Whilst airdrops will help to alleviate the worst of the suffering, land routes serve as the only viable and sustainable means of providing aid into Gaza. These measures must be fully implemented and further barriers on aid removed. The world is watching.' Although aid agencies say that only a ceasefire will allow Gaza to obtain all the aid it needs, they welcomed the easing of restrictions yesterday. 'We have enough food in, or on its way to, the region to feed the entire population of 2.1 million people for almost three months,' the World Food Programme said. 'These new commitments to improve operating conditions come on top of earlier assurances from Israel to strengthen facilitation of humanitarian assistance.' UN emergency relief coordinator Tom Fletcher said aid restrictions appeared to have eased by Sunday evening, citing initial reports indicating that over 100 truckloads of aid were collected. He warned in a statement, however, that 'sustained action' was needed to 'stave off famine and a catastrophic health crisis'. In Israel, a boat attempting to bring a symbolic amount of aid into the territory was brought into the port of Ashod, along with its 21 crew members from the Pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition activist group – including two French parliamentarians and two Al Jazeera journalists. Israeli forces seized the vessel in international waters earlier in the weekend. In Gaza, six people died from malnutrition in 24 hours, the Hamas-run health ministry said on Sunday, with the World Health Organisation stating that the condition remained 'on a dangerous trajectory, marked by a spike in deaths in July'. AHMED JIHAD IBRAHIM AL-ARINI/ GETTY IMAGES It said it had recorded 63 deaths from malnutrition this month, including 24 children under five, one child over five, and 38 adults. That compared with a total of 11 deaths over the first six months of the year. Mervat Najm, 53, who has nine children, said she felt more secure, even if she had yet to receive more food herself. 'We woke up and for once we felt some psychological relief,' she said. 'But no organisation has contacted us. We're glued to our phones, trying to keep them charged, just in case we receive a message saying we can collect aid. 'We just want the aid to come in safely. A few days ago my 17-year-old son Abdel Rahman was carrying a bag of flour when someone pulled a knife on him and stole it.' A key marker of confidence is the price of food on what remains of the open market in Gaza. 'Just two days ago I bought a pack of pasta for 35 shekels (£7.75). Today, I found the same pack for 15 shekels,' said Doaa Masoud, a teacher and father of three who has been displaced to Muwasi. 'Traders are beginning to lower prices. Flour was selling for 100 shekels per kilo a few days ago. Today some sellers are offering it for 25 shekels. But for us, as displaced families, we're still living off promises, not real assistance.'
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Keir Starmer & John Swinney face difficult ‘balancing act' after Donald Trump admits he's in a grumpy mood
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SIR Keir Starmer and John Swinney face a difficult 'balancing act' in talks with Donald Trump - after the US President admitted he was in a grumpy mood. The Prime Minister will fly to Scotland on Monday morning to meet Mr Trump at his Turnberry golf resort in Ayrshire for a 'wide-ranging' summit on issues including trade and the Israel-Hamas war. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Donald Trump is 'not in a good mood' before summit 3 The Prime Minister and First Minister are set to meet with the US President 3 He made the admission after he striking an EU trade deal Later, the PM and the First Minister will attend a banquet-style dinner hosted by the US leader in the north-east, ahead of him opening a new 18-hole golf course in honour of his late Scottish mother, Mary Anne Macleod, at Menie, Aberdeenshire, on Tuesday. But despite striking an EU trade deal, the unpredictable US President admitted he was 'not in a good mood' after a hectic weekend at Turnberry, where he juggled two rounds of golf with family time, presidential business, and a flurry of social media blasts taking aim at rivals back home. A senior SNP insider admitted that today's multiple summits - including an expected one-to-one between Mr Trump and Mr Swinney in the north-east - amounted to 'a difficult balancing act for everyone', with both the PM and FM expected to try to pressure Mr Trump on thorny issues including trade tariffs and reviving stalled Gaza peace talks. Speaking in the first of two press conferences with White House reporters, journalists suggested he seemed in a good mood. But Mr Trump replied: 'I'm actually not in a good mood' - prompting a nervous smile and a raised eyebrow from Ms von der Leyen. The President insisted it was nothing to do with imminent talks with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, and asked why he was in a bad mood and if it was to do with his latest golf round, Mr Trump said: 'No, the golf was beautiful. Golf can never be bad.' But minutes later, a tetchy-sounding President launched into another of his trademark attacks on windfarms, which he famously battled against - in vain - off the Aberdeenshire coast. In a two-and-half minute blast, he claimed he would 'not allow a windmill to be built in the US' as 'they're killing the beauty of our scenery, our valleys, our beautiful planes - and I'm not talking about aeroplanes, I'm talking about beautiful planes, beautiful areas in the US'. He said 'almost all' were made in China and 'when they start to rust and rot in eight years, you can't really turn them off, you can't bury them'. Mr Trump said windmills 'kill the birds' and said: 'You have a certain place in the Massachusetts area that over the last 20 years had one or two whales wash ashore .. cause it's driving them loco. It's driving them crazy.' TRUMP V WINDMILLS Slamming windfarms off the Ayrshire coast, he said 'I mean, today, I'm playing the best course I think in the world, Turnberry - even though I own it, it's probably the best course in the world, right - and I look over the horizon and I see nine windmills right at the end of the 18th hole. 'And I said, 'Isn't that a shame? What a shame.' UK and Scottish government aides are known to be on edge about today's talks with Mr Trump, which will take place between the PM and President at Turnberry, before the pair fly together to Aberdeen, where Mr Swinney will then meet the US leader. All three will then attend a private ceremonial dinner said to involve a 'broad range' of guests including politicians and business figures. Sir Keir is under intense pressure from Labour backbenchers and opposition parties including the SNP to push Mr Trump for the US to revive Gaza ceasefire talks, and also to further the recent UK-US trade deal by pressuring for the removal of punishing ten per cent tariffs on products including Scotch whisky. And Mr Swinney is under fire from left-wingers in the SNP and at Holyrood for even meeting with Mr Trump. The First Minister was blasted by critics at the weekend for announcing £180,000 to help Mr Trump's Menie course to host a golf comp, which wannabe Greens leader Ross Greer claimed was like 'bending the knee' to the US President or 'giving the school bully your lunch money'. A senior Nats source defended Mr Swinney's approach, with the Tories also accusing him of hypocrisy after claims he had last wee 'whipped up' anti-Trump protests, but was now trying to curry favour with the world's most powerful man. The insider said 'There will be complaints about our approach to Trump whatever we do. 'The funding for the event at Trump International Golf Links was a positive announcement and it's our job to make the best of this visit as we possibly can.' Tomorrow morning Mr Trump will carry out the ceremonial opening of the Macleod course at his Menie estate, which it emerged on Saturday was set to get £180,000 from the Scottish Government's tourism and events organisation, VisitScotland, to support its hosting of the 2025 Nexo Championship next month. Police lock down Scots country park and beach ahead of Donald Trump's arrival HOLIDAYMAKERS have been ordered to leave a country park boasting one of Scotland's best beaches as police prepared for Donald Trump's visit to his nearby golf course. Visitors were told to vacate the beauty spot as security is beefed up ahead of US president's trip to his neighbouring Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire tomorrow. Officers locked down Balmedie Country Park and its coastal stretch — which has won 20 awards for the quality of its sand and water. Locals have vowed to protest after the Scottish Government announced a tournament held at his Trump International resort is being given £180,000 of taxpayers' cash. An onlooker said: 'Police were shutting off the beach and the park. 'It's one of the country's best and we're in the middle of the school holidays. 'Trump doesn't own it so it feels ridiculous that people who live here are being told to leave. "Loads of people were told to go. 'Is it any wonder most people around here hate him so much?' Downing Street last night said Mr Trump and Sir Keir are expected to discuss progress on implementing the UK-US trade deal agreed in May, hopes for a ceasefire in the Middle East and applying pressure on Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine. It comes amid pressure on Starmer from Labour MPs to urge the US to rejoin Israel-Hamas peace talks, amid the starvation of kids in Gaza. No10 said in a statement that the 'strength of the UK-US relationship will be on display again' as the PM meets Mr Trump in 'for wide-ranging talks'. It said: 'The leaders are expected to talk one-on-one about advancing implementation of the landmark Economic Prosperity Deal so that Brits and Americans can benefit from boosted trade links between their two countries. 'The Prime Minister is also expected to welcome the President's administration working with partners in Qatar and Egypt to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza. 'Mr Trump's visit comes amid mounting global anger over the humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Police lock down Scots country park and beach ahead of Donald Trump's arrival Foreign Secretary David Lammy said access to aid in Gaza must be 'urgently accelerated', after air drops by Jordan and the United Arab Emirates yesterday. It came hours after Israel opened up aid corridors and 'refuted' the 'false claim of intentional starvation'. Mr Swinney said: 'My meeting with the US President during his visit to Scotland presents a significant opportunity to speak up for the issues that matter to people in Scotland on the highest platform. Global, humanitarian issues are rightly at the forefront of many people's minds. 'It is of utmost importance that we discuss what action can be taken to end the horrific suffering we are witnessing around the world, particularly the unimaginable hardship being endured by people in Gaza and the need for an urgent ceasefire. 'Both the US President and I share a fundamental desire to build peace across the world and to end the suffering endured by so many. I hope that our discussion helps to further that aim.' Mr Trump will visit the UK again in September for the official state visit announced earlier this year. But a senior whisky industry source warned: 'If the PM comes away from the Trump visit with nothing more on trade there will be serious questions to answer about whether he really fought as hard as possible for Scotland and the UK's interests, or if he just went there and tried not to upset Trump.'
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Starmer to urge Trump to end the mass starvation in Gaza
Sir Keir Starmer will plead with Donald Trump to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza and end the suffering of thousands of Palestinians when he meets with the US president in Scotland on Monday. The growing crisis in the Middle East will top the agenda when the two hold their bilateral meeting at President Trump's Turnberry golf course in Ayrshire, with the prime minister under immense political pressure to change the UK's policy on recognising Palestine as a state. It comes after the IDF announced a 'tactical pause' in fighting to allow aid to get in, with thousands of people trapped in Gaza facing mass starvation. On Sunday, Jordan and the UAE carried out the first airdrops of food and essential supplies. A Downing Street source said that the prime minister and the president have a 'shared desire to bring an end to the barbaric war'. The meeting comes after a Sunday bilateral between Mr Trump and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen at Turnberry, where the two struck a trade deal to avoid a tariff war despite the US president having told reporters beforehand that he was 'not in a good mood'. It was put to Mr Trump that Sir Keir would ask him about a Middle East ceasefire, but he replied: 'We're meeting about a lot of things. We have our trade deal and it's been a great deal. 'It's good for us. It's good for them and good for us. I think the UK is very happy, they've been trying for 12 years to get it and they got it, and it's a great trade deal for both, works out very well. 'We'll be discussing that. I think we're going to be discussing a lot about Israel. They're very much involved in terms of wanting something to happen. [Starmer] is doing a very good job, by the way.' The mini-summit at Turnberry was intended primarily to focus on the continuing problem of steel tariffs imposed by President Trump, and other aspects of the trade deal the two signed last month. Sir Keir also wants to press the president on providing a backstop for the 'coalition of the willing' he is establishing with French president Emmanuel Macron to provide a guarantee of peace in Ukraine once the war with Russia comes to an end. But with harrowing pictures emerging over the past week of malnourished children in Gaza, alongside reports of the impact of starvation in the territory, the Middle East crisis has risen to the top of the agenda. Sir Keir is hoping that the strong personal relationship he has developed with the US president will help him in persuading Mr Trump to move on a number of these issues. The two will continue to talk when they travel together to Aberdeen for a further private dinner at Mr Trump's other Scottish golf course, which is dedicated to his mother. The president is looking for support to host an Open championship. Downing Street has insisted that 'the strength of the UK-US relationship will be on display again' as the prime minister meets President Trump for what it described as 'wide-ranging talks'. But the meeting is likely to be overshadowed by pressure on Sir Keir to join Mr Macron in officially recognising a Palestinian state. There was some speculation on Friday that the prime minister was close to doing so, after 221 MPs signed a cross-party letter supporting the move. Labour's biggest donors, the trade unions, have also collectively demanded action on recognising Palestine. Sir Keir used his strongest language yet on Friday when he described Israel's actions in Gaza as 'unspeakable and indefensible', adding that Palestinians have an 'inalienable right' to their own state. Pressure was further added by Mr Macron's announcement that France was preparing to recognise Palestine as a state, just ahead of an E3 phone call on Friday with Sir Keir and the German chancellor Friedrich Merz. But Sir Keir has held off taking similar action, with some suggesting that he wanted to see what President Trump would have to say about the crisis at their meeting at Turnberry before making a final decision. The problems kicked off further on Sunday, when Live Aid founder and former pop star Sir Bob Geldof clashed with Tory leader Kemi Badenoch on the topic of Israel and Gaza. The two appeared on Sir Trevor Phillips's Sunday morning show on Sky News. When asked about Israeli government claims that there are hundreds of trucks full of aid waiting to get into Gaza that are being held up by United Nations incompetence and Hamas, Sir Bob hit out at Benjamin Netanyahu and his government. 'The Israeli authorities are lying,' he claimed. 'They're lying. Netanyahu is a liar. The IDF are lying.' The comments enraged the Israeli government, which has denied being at fault after reports emerged that more than 110 people have died of hunger during the conflict. Israel has blamed Hamas for 'stealing aid and prolonging the war'. Israel's deputy foreign minister, Sharren Haskel, told The Independent: 'Bob Geldof says that 'we are way beyond' the attack by Hamas on Israel on 7 October 2023. This is complete rubbish. Hamas still holds 50 hostages in their dungeons of torture. They have been held for 660 days. I don't hear Bob Geldof calling for their release?' When Sir Bob's remarks were put to her by Sir Trevor, Ms Badenoch said he was wrong. She said: 'I disagree with that. What I'm seeing is Israel allowing humanitarian aid to go in. This has been an unbelievably difficult situation. It's been heartbreaking seeing some of the pictures, hearing those stories, and what we all want to see is this awful war coming to an end, and that will happen when those hostages are released. We need a ceasefire.' Polling by More in Common has shown that the British public side with Palestinians more than with Israel, by 29 per cent to 15 per cent.
