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Here’s where things stand on Thursday 26 June 2025:
- During a meeting in Brussels, the EU said it “deplores the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, the unacceptable number of civilian casualties and the levels of starvation”.
- At least 71 people have been killed this morning in Israeli attacks on Gaza, hospital sources tell Al Jazeera. At least 14 of that number were killed in the north
- Iran’s Supreme Leader Kahmenei congratulated the country’s armed forces and said US bases could be attacked again in case of future threats.
- President Donald Trump says US and Iran officials will talk next week, as Iran’s Guardian Council suspends cooperation with UN’s IAEA.
- Iran’s Health Ministry says at least 627 people were killed and more than 4,870 injured during Israel’s 12 days of attacks on the country. At least 28 people were killed in Iranian strikes on Israel.
- Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 56,156 people and wounded 132,239, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the October 7 attacks, and more than 200 were taken captive.
Iran denies any meeting with US next week
Iran currently has no plan to meet the US government, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said, contradicting President Trump’s statement that Washington planned to have talks with Iran next week.
The Iranian foreign minister said Tehran was assessing whether talks with the US were in its interest, following five previous rounds of negotiations that were cut short by Israel and the US attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Araqchi said the damages to nuclear sites “were not little” and that relevant authorities were figuring out the new realities of Iran’s nuclear programme, which he said would inform Iran’s future diplomatic stance.
Qatar’s emir, Turkiye’s president discuss Iranian strike
Qatar’s emir has spoken with Turkiye’s President Erdogan, in the latest call regarding Iran’s strike on a US air base in Qatar on Monday.
During the call, Erdogan “stressed his country’s absolute rejection of any aggression that threatens the security and safety”.
As we reported earlier, Sheikh Tamim also spoke with Iraq’s president about the Iranian attack.
Photos: Palestinians in Gaza form long queues to receive a hot meal
Gaza death toll rises
Hospital sources in Gaza report that 71 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli air strikes across Gaza since dawn.
State Department approves $30m for controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation
The approval announced today comes despite global condemnation of the controversial group, whose aid delivery scheme has resulted in the killing of hundreds of Palestinians.
It is the first known US government financial contribution to the GHF, although it has long been diplomatically supported by the Trump administration.
It comes at a time when the administration has severely curtailed other forms of international aid.
‘Gaza is a black hole as far as the Israeli military is concerned’
“There isn’t much that Israel can do now in Gaza, regardless of the military seeking to shift attention back” to the Palestinian enclave, Israeli political scientist Ori Goldberg tells Al Jazeera.
“I don’t think the military is really all that eager to get into Gaza again,” he said, adding that, in fighting Iran, it was able to demonstrate “its tactical superiority and its general prowess”.
In contrast, “Gaza is a black hole as far as the Israeli military is concerned.”
“I think a lot of people, and certainly even some senior Israeli politicians affiliated with Netanyahu, are talking about this privately.”
He said Netanyahu is now in a politically favourable position and he doesn’t have to “worry about the far-right side of his government”, because if he ends the war on Gaza, he will receive parliamentary support, at least until the Knesset dissolves itself and then an election is called by the opposition.
Iraq condemns Iranian strike in call with Qatari emir
Qatar’s emir has spoken with Iraq’s President Rashid where the latter condemned Iran’s attack on Al Udeid airbase earlier this week, saying he shared Qatar’s view that it was a blatant violation of Qatar’s sovereignty and airspace.
Qatar has filed a complaint with the UN over the attack, which came shortly before a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was announced.
Netanyahu turns attention from Gaza with talk of expanding Abraham Accords
Netanyahu is talking a much bigger game, and that’s because only talking about a ceasefire in Gaza following his grand proclamations of victory over Iran would be domestically costly for him.
Instead, what we hear now is Netanyahu working with his close confidants, with the US administration, about something bigger, more normalisation deals with some countries in the region. Deals that can help him sidestep the Palestinian issue.
But of course, immediately after the declaration of the ceasefire with Iran, we heard from the families of the captives held in Gaza. We heard from opposition leaders. All eyes were back on Gaza.
This is a war that has lasted for more than 625 days with no end in sight.
There is now a closed-door meeting at Capitol Hill
US senators will discuss this pressing question that everyone wants to know: Exactly how much damage these US air strikes on the Iranian nuclear facilities caused.
Senators will be hearing again from the US defence secretary, as well as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the CIA director.
Missing from that roster, though, is Tulsi Gabbard. She’s been sidelined since Trump discredited her earlier assessment back in March when she testified that Iran was not in the middle of making a nuclear bomb at that time.
Since then, there was a leaked preliminary report that said US air strikes may have only caused enough damage to set back Iran’s nuclear programme by a few months.
There has been immense pressure on these top intelligence officials to back up Trump’s conclusion that the strikes obliterated the nuclear facilities.
Israel claims it struck Hezbollah facility in southern Lebanon
Israel has claimed that the attack in Houla, which took place late on Wednesday, destroyed a building in the village used by Hezbollah.
Israel has repeatedly accused Hezbollah of seeking to rebuild its forces in southern Lebanon in violation of a ceasefire agreement reached in November of last year.
Lebanon’s government has said Israel has been committing near-daily violations of the agreements.
Israeli forces fire bullets, stun grenades in occupied West Bank raid
The Palestinian Wafa news agency is reporting that several Palestinians have been injured in a raid by Israeli forces on the town of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron in the occupied West Bank.
According to local activist Muhammad Awad, quoted by Wafa, Israeli army vehicles stormed the town and deployed soldiers.
Live and rubber-coated steel bullets were fired in addition to stun grenades and tear gas canisters.
Missile from Yemen ‘crashes en route’ to Israel
Israeli Army Radio, citing the Israeli army, says a missile launched from Yemen crashed on its way towards Israeli territory.
Israeli media outlet Haaretz, also citing the Israeli military, said that the missile is believed to have crashed midway between its launch site and the intended target.
White House believes no enriched uranium removed prior to US attacks on Iran
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said there is no indication that any enriched uranium was removed from any of the three Iranian nuclear sites targeted by US strikes.
The statement comes as Trump administration officials have repeatedly pushed back on questions of how successful the attack was.
Earlier today, Pentagon chief Hegseth said he was not aware of any intelligence indicating that Iran had moved its stockpiles before the strike. Trump also said earlier today that “nothing was taken” from the facility.
Analysts have questioned how definitive early intelligence will prove, noting that accurately assessing the current state of Iran’s nuclear programme will likely be a lengthy process.
Netanyahu claims ‘victory’ over Iran, says it opens door to expansion of Abraham Accords
Netanyahu’s statements come amid reports the US is on a diplomatic offensive to reach more normalisation agreements between Israel and Arab countries.
The first agreements were reached during Trump’s first term between Israel, the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.
Israel’s war on Gaza cast doubt on whether any further agreements would be reached.
“This victory presents an opportunity for a dramatic widening of peace agreements. We are working on this with enthusiasm,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
The US has repeatedly sought normalisation between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Most families in Gaza forced to survive on one meal a day: WFP
One-third of families in Gaza are going the entire day without eating as a result of Israel’s continued bombardment of the Palestinian enclave, according to the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and its partners.
In a statement, the WFP said families in Gaza are surviving on thin broths, lentils or rice, one piece of bread or sometimes just a combination of herbs and olive oil known locally as duqqa.
It said that due to the extreme shortages of food, Palestinians routinely risk their lives to get some food.
“The majority of casualties have been shot or shelled trying to reach US-Israeli distribution sites purposefully set up in militarised zones,” said Johnathan Whittall, head of office for the UN humanitarian affairs agency, OCHA, in the occupied Palestinian territory.
The UN said that since 27 May, 549 Palestinians have been killed and 4,066 injured while trying to access food.
Other services are being pushed to the brink. As a result of fuel shortages, only 40 percent of drinking water facilities are functional, and 93 percent of households face water insecurity, the statement said.
Israel’s defence minister says he would have killed Khamenei if possible
Israel’s Defence Minister said the military would have assassinated Iran’s supreme leader during the 12-day conflict if it was possible.
“I estimate that if Khamenei had been in our sights, we would have taken him out,” Katz said in the interview with Israel’s Kan public broadcaster.
“But Khamenei understood this, went underground to very great depths, and broke off contacts with the commanders who replaced those commanders who were eliminated, so it wasn’t realistic in the end.”
Israel has repeatedly signalled that its attacks on Iran sought broader regime change, while also claiming it only sought to cripple Iran’s nuclear programme.
Katz last week directly threatened Khamenei, saying Israel’s operation was striking a broad range of targets to “shake” Iranian leadership.
EU ‘deplores’ humanitarian situation in Gaza
During a meeting in Brussels, the EU said it “deplores the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, the unacceptable number of civilian casualties and the levels of starvation”.
“The European Council calls on Israel to fully lift its blockade on Gaza, to allow immediate, unimpeded access and sustained distribution of humanitarian assistance at scale into and throughout Gaza and to enable the UN and its agencies, and humanitarian organisations, to work independently and impartially to save lives and reduce suffering,” it said.
The bloc added it will discuss in July a report from its diplomatic service, which found there were indications Israel had breached its human rights obligations under the terms of a pact governing relations. That meeting could lead to possible EU sanctions on Israel.
It also called to “take work forward” on “extremist settlers” in the occupied West Bank, and the entities and organisations that support them.
What areas were attacked during the 12 days of the Israel-Iran conflict?
How widespread were Israel’s attacks on Iran?
Israel and the US launched at least 145 air strikes on Iran.
The actual count may be much higher, as another source, the Armed Conflict Location and Event data (ACLED), tabulated at least 508 air strikes by Israeli forces on Iran.
How did Iran retaliate and attack Israel?
According to ACLED, Iran attacked Israel at least 120 times. These strikes included ballistic missiles and drones. Many were intercepted with the US’s help, and some hit residential areas.
Iran mainly targeted Tel Aviv and surrounding areas, and one of the significant hits was the Soroka Medical Centre – a strike that injured dozens. Among other targets were the Israeli Military Intelligence School, the Ministry of Interior in Haifa, the Weizmann Institute of Science, and an oil refinery and power plants.
You can find out more in our article, which visualises the 12 days of the Israel-Iran conflict, here.
UNRWA says ‘no respite’ for occupied West Bank
The UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees has said home and building demolitions have been ongoing in the occupied West Bank for 12 days, as the territory has been out of the global spotlight.
“Out of the spotlight of the regional escalation, camps in the northern West Bank have faced ongoing destruction, with dozens of buildings demolished in the last twelve days,” Roland Friedrich, director of UNRWA affairs for the occupied West Bank said in a statement.
“Even now, Israeli Forces are continuing to demolish homes and buildings in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams camps.
“This is not just destruction: it is part of systematic forced displacement, a violation of international law, and a form of collective punishment.”
Shipping prices in Gulf region fall amid Iran-Israel ceasefire
While shipping rates for supertankers in the Gulf jumped over the last two weeks as fighting between Iran and Israel escalated, they have since the ceasefire came into effect.
Rates had crossed $60,000 a day but were back down to about $50,000 a day.
The conflict has raised concerns that Iran could close the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passageway between Iran and Oman through which about 20 percent of global oil and gas is transported.
Analysts have warned shipping prices could rise again if fighting resumes, which could raise the global price of fossil fuels.
