He said restoring the flow of Russian crude oil through Ukraine into the European Union (EU) would be like lifting economic sanctions on Moscow.

Ukraine says the Soviet-era Druzhba oil pipeline was damaged by Russian air strikes in January and has yet to be repaired.

Hungary depends on Russian energy and is blocking both fresh EU sanctions on Moscow and a vital €90bn ($103bn; £78bn) loan for Kyiv until the pipeline is reopened.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has made hostility towards Ukraine a key issue ahead of April elections. His party is entering the race trailing behind in opinion polls.

The EU has urged Zelensky to repair the pipeline quickly and is asking him to allow inspectors in to visit the damage. Some EU officials fear Zelensky’s resistance may help Orban win re-election.

But talking to reporters in Kyiv, including the BBC, Zelensky said he was simply opposed in principle to allowing Russian oil to transit through Ukraine while the EU sanctioned its sale elsewhere.

He said: “We either sell Russian oil or we don’t. Because [the EU] are forcing me to restore Druzhba.

“How is this different from lifting sanctions on the Russians? Why can we in one case tell the United States that we oppose lifting sanctions, while on the other hand forcing Ukraine to resume oil transit through Druzhba – and at a political price that effectively pays for anti-European policies?”

Zelensky’s comments come after the US loosened sanctions preventing other countries buying Russian oil in order to ease the energy supply crunch sparked by the US-Israel war with Iran. The move has drawn criticism from a number of European leaders.

“If we have decided to restore Russian oil supplies, then I want them to know that I am against it. And there is no need to accuse me of blocking anything. I am not blocking it,” Zelensky said.

“I am saying openly: I am against it. But if I am given conditions that Ukraine will not receive weapons, then, excuse me, I am powerless on this issue. I told our friends in Europe that this is called blackmail.”

He added that the EU decision to loan Ukraine €90bn had been adopted by all 27 countries and must be implemented.

Talking about the widening conflict in the Middle East, Zelensky described his country’s interceptor drones as “Ukrainian oil” and said he was ready to agree a $50bn joint production deal with the US.

He said the US had “reached out to us several times” and claimed Washington was “very interested” in a deal.

Since that war broke out, many countries – especially in the Gulf – have asked Ukraine for help defending against cheap Iranian-designed drones.

Ukraine is a world leader in both producing cheap interceptor drones but also in learning how best to use them against almost nightly Russian attacks.

“For us, this is like oil,” Zelensky told reporters. “The production of modern drones and Ukraine’s relevant expertise is our today’s Ukrainian oil.”

He emphasised that Ukraine would want both money and technology in return for any agreements.

He added that Ukraine had proposed a joint production drone deal with the US last year but it had not been agreed.

“We were ready then, and are still fully ready now. We would welcome such a shared use of experience. That is why we made this proposal,” he said.

The Ukrainian leader said that since the US-Israel attack on Iran, the US had reached out to Ukraine several times: “There were several requests – either for assistance to a particular country or for support for Americans. Our military is in contact at various levels. We received letters, calls, and requests across all military institutions.”

Zelensky also warned about the risks posed to Ukraine by the war in the Middle East.

“We do not want to lose the Americans; we speak about this openly,” the Ukrainian leader said.

“The United States is, without question, currently more focused on the Middle East… There may be delays in delivering certain weapons or reductions in the volume of critical defensive supplies for us.”

And he opposed the US 30-day waiver on sanctions against Russian oil already at sea: “We do not support such a policy. I believe that lifting sanctions on Russia will not help the world; it will only help Russia.”

Zelensky added: “We certainly do not support relaxing the sanctions policy. And overall, this war in the Middle East does not help us, here and now, although we have no illusions about the Iranian regime and we absolutely do not support it – and that is putting it mildly.”

The US’s temporary sanctions waiver was expected to last until 11 April, according to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Vladimir Putin’s economic envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, has said that the lifting of sanctions shows Russia is integral to the stability of the global energy market and that further loosening them was “inevitable”.

US-Israel plan seems unclear as war on Iran appears to be escalating: Norway

Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store says the war in Iran appears to be escalating, adding that the US-Israeli plan for the military campaign seems unclear.

Gahr Store also said no nuclear weapons would be stationed in his country.

Norway strongly criticised Israel’s “preemptive” attacks on Iran, which launched the war, saying they violated international law and labelled Israel an “aggressive nation”.

It has also warned that the US-Israel war on Iran is undermining regional stability.

Israel approves emergency military funding as Iran war rages

Israel has approved an $827m emergency budget allocation for military purchases, according to Israeli media, as the US-Israel war on Iran entered its third week.

The 2.6-billion-shekel package was approved over the weekend by cabinet ministers during a telephone meeting, the Haaretz daily reported. It will be used for “security purchases” and to address “urgent needs”, it said, without providing further details.

A Finance Ministry document circulated to all ministers and cited by several media outlets said, “given the intensity of the fighting”, the additional budget allocation was necessary.

“An urgent and immediate need has arisen to provide an operational response, including the acquisition of munitions, the procurement of advanced weapons systems and the replenishment of critical combat stocks,” the document said.

The document added that the move constituted “an exceptional emergency decision intended solely to address needs arising from the conduct of the fighting”.

The funds will be drawn from the state budget, totalling $222bn and approved by the government on March 12, and expected to be adopted by the Knesset by March 31, according to the reports.

US strategy limited to ‘maximum destruction’ of Iran’s industrial, military capabilities

Samir Puri, a war studies visiting lecturer at King’s College London, says the US attack on Isfahan, Iran’s industrial heartland, demonstrates that the Trump administration appears to have only one objective in its ongoing war on Iran.

The attack “tells us that the US doesn’t really have a strategy, other than the maximum destruction of Iran’s industrial and military capabilities”, Puri told Al Jazeera.

This and other similar attacks are “probably a strategic necessity for Israel as it sees it”, but “it’s very hard to see how the US emerges from even another one, two, three weeks of pummelling the Iranian industrial capacity, with a suitable outcome”, said Puri from London.

“And that’s the thing about strategy, it’s not just about the tactics used or the targets used, it’s about the political endgame,” he added.

While Israel may benefit from Iran simply experiencing “maximum destruction, it’s going to be very problematic” for Trump because “the US is the biggest underwriter for Gulf state security and that security, not only for the Gulf states but also for the Strait of Hormuz, is only going to get worse and worse with a deeply embittered Iranian regime that may actually feel quite vindicated that it emerges from this bloody but unbowed”, said Puri.

MotoGP postpones Qatar Grand Prix due to Middle East conflict

The Qatar Grand ⁠Prix, which was scheduled to be held next month, has ⁠been postponed due to the war ⁠in the Middle East, the sport’s governing body says.

“MotoGP confirms that the Qatar Grand Prix, originally ⁠scheduled for April, has been ⁠postponed to November ⁠8 due to the ongoing geopolitical situation in the Middle East,” ‌MotoGP said.

The Lusail International Circuit was ‌scheduled to host the fourth round of the 2026 championship on April 10-12, but it has now been rescheduled for ⁠November 8, organisers said ⁠in a statement.

Formula One and its governing body, FIA, also said the Grands Prix races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will not happen in April.

Iran ready to help investigate civilian strikes, welcomes initiatives to end war

Iranian Foreign ⁠Minister Abbas Araghchi insists that Iran has not targeted civilian or residential areas ⁠in the Middle East, adding that Tehran ⁠is ready to form a committee with its neighbours to investigate who is responsibile for such strikes.

Araghchi’s Telegram channel quoted him as ⁠saying in an interview with the Al-Araby al-Jadeed ⁠website that Tehran ⁠was in communication with Gulf countries and would welcome any initiative that ‌could guarantee an end to the US-Israeli war ‌on ‌Iran.

Gulf ‌countries have called on Iran to cease its attacks on their territories, which they say have not only hit US military forces ⁠but have also damaged energy facilities and residential areas.

Trump’s push to send warships to Hormuz risks ‘dangerous’, ‘difficult’ mission

It’s unlikely that countries will agree to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz despite Trump’s call, says Mohamad Elmasry, a professor of media studies at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies.

He said this is “a really difficult task” that Trump is underestimating.

“These are slow-moving ships. They travel about 25km [15.5 miles] per hour. They are massive targets in a very narrow waterway,” said Elmasry.

“Iran can strike the ships in the strait from anywhere on Iranian territory because those Shahed drones have a range of up to 2,500km [1,600 miles], and the strait is very close to the Iranian mainland. So Iran can really wreak havoc on the strait if it wants to.”

It’s a very “dangerous proposition”, and this is why insurance companies are not willing to insure ships or their crews, he added.

Ukraine does not want to lose US backing because of Iran war: Zelenskyy

Ukraine does not want to lose US support for its war against Russia as a result of Washington’s war with Iran, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told journalists.

“We don’t want to lose the Americans” while they are “without a doubt currently preoccupied with the Middle East”, the Ukrainian leader told the media on Saturday. His comments were under embargo until today.

“We are showing our willingness to help the United States and their allies in the Middle East” by offering to share Ukraine’s drone expertise, and “we strongly hope that as a result of the Middle East, the United States will not turn its back on the question of the war in Ukraine,” he added.

No country should escalate the conflict, Iran’s Araghchi tells top French diplomat

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has held a phone conversation with his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot to discuss the US-Israeli war on his country that has affected the whole region.

Araghchi said the “only factor” behind rising insecurity in the region and the Strait of Hormuz was the actions of the US and Israel, according to a post on Telegram from Iran’s Foreign Ministry.

He called on countries to take a “responsible approach” to the situation, and to avoid steps that could further escalate the conflict.

Araghchi also said Iran remained determined to defend its sovereignty and national security, reiterating that Tehran’s military has targeted only military bases of the “aggressors” and should not be seen as attacks on other regional states.

The Iranian minister also said peace in Lebanon would depend on ending Israeli attacks.

Bahrain says 125 missiles, 211 drones intercepted since Iran war erupted

Bahrain says its air defences have intercepted 125 missiles and 211 drones since the Iran war began.

At least one person has been killed in the attacks.

Britain mulling options with allies on Strait of Hormuz closure

The UK is “intensively looking” at what it can do to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which has been essentially blocked by Iran, leading to energy price spikes, according to British Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.

“We are talking to our allies. There’s different ways in which we can make maritime shipping possible. We are intensively looking with our allies at what can be done because it’s so important that we get the strait reopened,” Miliband said in an interview with the Sky News broadcaster when asked if Britain was looking at sending mine sweepers or mine-hunting drones to the strait.

Miliband had earlier said there are a range of things the UK can do, including the use of autonomous mine-hunting equipment, but refused to speculate on how far along these proposals were.

He also denied suggestions that Britain did not have a large enough military to meet all its commitments and at the same time respond to the crisis.

Iran claims to have hit police headquarters, satellite communications centre in Israel

Iran’s army says in a statement carried by the country’s media outlets that its forces carried out “powerful drone attacks” this morning targeting Israel’s “Lahav 433” special police unit headquarters and the Gilat defence satellite communications centre.

It did not specify the locations of the targeted sites or the results of the attacks.

Minab: When the world’s most precise missile chose a classroom

US  Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently remarked with disarming composure in a media interview: “The only ones that need to be worried right now are Iranians who think they’re going to live.”

Words spoken without hesitation, as if the prospect of death for millions were merely a strategic calculation.

In southern Iran, before the sun rises over the coast, a familiar sound travels quietly through the villages: the sound of lenj boats preparing for the sea. Their weathered wooden hulls creak against the tide, sails unfold slowly, and fishermen pull their ropes in the stillness of the early morning.

Trump’s comment shatters US image as reliable security partner

Trump has said the US might continue to bomb Iran’s Kharg Island “just for fun”. Al Jazeera asked analyst Samir Puri if comments like this could shatter the image of the US as a reliable security partner to the Gulf countries.

“When a major or superpower offers security guarantees, it’s not just about the hardware” and the army capabilities, “it’s also about the sense of strategic common sense that comes with it, that this is a responsible actor”, said Puri, a war studies visiting lecturer at King’s College London.

Other members of the Trump administration have also acted in ways that may make Gulf states question whether the US is a stable long-term partner, said Puri.

“Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appears to be taking an enormous delight for destruction’s sake in terms of the way the US is approaching the war” in Iran, he added.

While there has been a long-term rivalry between Iran and Arab states, “there’s also an intense desire for stability”, and the question among Gulf states will be whether the US can continue to maintain stability in the region, said Puri.

This is a valid question, “given that it’s arguably radicalising further an already radicalised Iranian theocratic regime, which already has apocalyptic visions about its own destiny, its own sense of martyrdom, many of which” they feel have been validated given that the US and Israel launched strikes on their country during negotiations, said Puri.

Rescue efforts continue after the loss of the KC-135, it said, having earlier said neither hostile nor friendly fire were involved in the downing of the aircraft.

The tanker had been involved in ongoing US operations against Iran and was one of two aircraft involved in the incident. The second landed safely.

The Boeing-manufactured aircraft are capable of refuelling planes midair and typically play a major role in US military operations. They were used extensively in the first Gulf War to extend the range of fighter jets and bombers.

Centcom said the incident occurred around 14:00 ET (19:00 GMT) on Thursday and that the circumstances of the crash were now under investigation.

The US military command unit added that the identities of the personnel who had been killed were being withheld for 24 hours so their next of kin could be notified.

The KC-135 usually has a crew of at least a pilot, a co-pilot and a boom operator responsible for controlling the refuelling arm of the aircraft.

Centcom earlier described the crash as happening over friendly airspace – but this is a region of Iraq where pro-Iranian militias operate. Iran’s military claimed on state TV that an allied group had targeted the plane with a missile.

Thursday’s crash brings the official US military death toll in the US-Israel war with Iran, which began a fortnight ago, to 11.

The US military has now lost at least four aircraft during the current war.

Earlier this month, three F-15s were shot down in “an apparent friendly fire incident” over Kuwait, officials said. All six crew members were able to safely eject.

Boeing manufactured the KC-135 Stratotanker for the US military in the 1950s and early 1960s.

It has been a backbone to the US military’s air refuelling fleet, and allow combat aircraft to carry out longer missions without needing to land.

Separately, Israel’s military said on Friday that it had launched a fresh “wide-scale wave of strikes” targeting Iranian infrastructure across Tehran.

Explosions were later reported in and near the Iranian capital.

It came after the US loosened sanctions on other countries buying Russian oil and petroleum already loaded on vessels at sea to curb the economic impact of the US-Israel war with Iran.

Oil prices climbed above $100 a barrel again on Thursday, while stock markets fell after three more cargo vessels were hit in the Gulf and Iran’s new supreme leader vowed to keep blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane.

US President Donald Trump has indicated that the war could end “very soon” since the price of oil shot up, while also suggesting the US could “go further”.

France’s military announced on Friday that a drone had killed a French soldier, who it identified as Staff Sgt Arnaud Frion, and wounded six others at a Kurdish military base in northern Iraq yesterday.

It said the soldiers had been stationed at the base to train Iraqi units.

The White House later addressed the post in a news briefing, affirming that it was false.

The flip-flop happened early on Tuesday afternoon, when Wright posted on social media around 1:02pm US Eastern time (17:00 GMT) a message he then deleted within about a half hour.

Shortly afterwards, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt denied that a military escort had occurred, walking back the post entirely.

“I can confirm that the US Navy has not escorted a tanker or a vessel at this time,” she said. “Though, of course, that’s an option the president has said he will absolutely utilise if and when necessary at the appropriate time.”

More than 20 percent of the world’s oil travels through the strait, a narrow maritime passage between Iran, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

But since the US and Israel launched a war against Israel on February 28, trade through Hormuz has come to a standstill amid fears of Iranian strikes.

Initially, Wright had erroneously reported that a tanker had passed through the strait with the help of the US military, and he praised the administration of US President Donald Trump for the alleged intervention.

“President Trump is maintaining stability of global energy during the military operations against Iran,” Wright wrote.

“The U.S. Navy successfully escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz to ensure oil remains flowing to global markets.”

But the post was swiftly deleted with no explanation. Leavitt noted that the post had been “taken down pretty quickly” and that she had not yet “had a chance to talk to the energy secretary about it directly”.

The Iranian government, meanwhile, suggested that the deleted post was a misinformation effort, designed to rally global oil markets.

“U.S. officials are posting fake news to manipulate markets. It won’t protect them from inflationary tsunami they’ve imposed on Americans,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on social media.

“Markets are facing biggest shortfall in HISTORY: bigger than Arab Oil Embargo, Iran’s Islamic Revolution and the Kuwait invasion COMBINED.”

Free travel through the Strait of Hormuz has been a point of concern for the Trump administration, which pledged US assistance for the global shipping operations that have been affected.

On Tuesday, Trump warned Iran against laying mines in the Hormuz.

Minutes later, he wrote in a social media post that over the past few hours the US had targeted “completely destroyed, 10 inactive mine laying boats and/or ships, with more to follow”.

On March 3, four days into the war, Trump posted on his platform Truth Social that the US Development Finance Corporation, a federal agency, would offer “political risk insurance and guarantees” for vessels travelling through Hormuz at a “very reasonable price”.

He added that military support may also be available.

“If necessary, the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible,” Trump wrote. “No matter what, the United States will ensure the FREE FLOW of ENERGY to the WORLD.”

But it is unclear how effective his administration would be in protecting vessels passing through the strait, given the waterway’s proximity to Iran and Tehran’s pledge to shut down the waterway.

General Dan Caine, the head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, also signalled on Tuesday that the military had yet to begin any operations to protect oil tankers in the strait, appearing to contradict Wright’s now-deleted post.

“If tasked to escort, we’ll look at the range of options to set the military conditions to be able to do that,” Caine said in a statement.

The inability to move oil through the Strait of Hormuz has been credited with causing oil prices to skyrocket, heightening public backlash across the globe.

On Tuesday, the American Automobile Association, known as AAA, found that the average price of oil in the US had jumped to $3.54 per gallon (94 cents per litre), up nearly 43 cents from the previous week.

The  war with Iran is seen as widely unpopular in the US, with poll after poll indicating it has one of the lowest initial rates of support of any foreign conflict the US has entered in recent history.

Quinnipiac University released a survey on Monday that found 53 percent of US voters opposed military action against Iran. A poll from Reuters-Ipsos last week found an even higher percentage of disapproval, at 60 percent.

The Pentagon said in a statement on Tuesday that most of the injuries were minor.

“Since  the start of Operation Epic Fury, approximately 140 US service members have been wounded over 10 days of sustained attacks,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said.

“The vast majority of these injuries have been minor, and 108 service members have already returned to duty. Eight service members remain listed as severely injured and are receiving the highest level of medical care.”

The statement came after the Reuters news agency published a report citing two unidentified officials as saying that 150 service members were injured in the first 10 days of the war.

The US military has confirmed seven fatalities from Iranian attacks across the region. It said on Monday that an eighth service member died of a “health-related incident” in Kuwait.

Iran has responded to the US-Israeli bombardment campaign that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and more than 1,250 other people with missile and drone attacks against Israel and US bases in the Middle East.

US President Donald Trump has not ruled out deploying US troops to Iran.

On Monday, the US president said the war was “very complete” and would end soon. But his aides have said that the military campaign is just starting and will go on until all of its objectives are met.

Asked which assessment is true, Trump told reporters on Monday: “I think you could say both.”

Trump  said the war marks the “beginning of building a new country”, stressing that Iran’s military assets have been degraded.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt reiterated on Tuesday that the US assault is progressing ahead of schedule.

“The president and the US military’s initial timeline was about four to six weeks to achieve the full objectives of Operation Epic Fury,” Leavitt said.

She added that the goals are “to destroy their missiles and their ability to make them, destroy their navy, permanently deny them nuclear weapons forever, and to, of course, weaken their evil terrorist proxies in the region”.

Iran has consistently denied seeking a nuclear weapon and insists that its nuclear programme is peaceful, while Israel is widely believed to possess a covert nuclear arsenal.

Following US strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025, Trump claimed that Washington had “obliterated” the Iranian nuclear programme.

On Tuesday, Leavitt said Trump will decide when the objectives of the war, including Iran’s “unconditional surrender”, are met.

“President Trump will determine when Iran is in a place of unconditional surrender — when they no longer pose a credible and direct threat to the United States of America and our allies,” she said.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the measures in a televised address to the nation on Monday night, warning that disruptions to maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz – a vital waterway for traded oil – had placed Pakistan’s economy under direct threat.

“The entire region is currently in a state of war,” Sharif said as he laid out a series of steps, including moving to a four-day workweek for government employees and spring holidays for schools from March 16 to the end of the month.

Sharif said 50 percent of government staff will work from home on a rotating basis and recommended similar arrangements for the private sector, giving key sectors such as banking an exemption.

While  schools will remain closed for two weeks from Monday, scheduled examinations will be held. Universities and higher education institutions have been directed to shift to online classes to conserve fuel.

The austerity measures also include the federal and provincial cabinet members forgoing their salaries and allowances for the next two months, while salaries of the members of federal and provincial legislatures will see a 25 percent cut during the period.

Ministers, parliamentarians and officials can make a foreign trip only for essential purposes and in economy class.

All in-person meetings across federal and provincial governments have been banned and must be conducted online, and fuel allowances of government offices have also been reduced.

People have been asked to restrict social gatherings, with weddings and parties capped at 200 guests and limited to one main dish.

Pakistan relies on imports for more than 80 percent of its oil needs. Between July 2025 and February 2026, its oil imports totalled $10.71bn, while the calendar year total in 2024 was more than $15bn.

But the recent energy crisis has triggered the largest fuel price increase in the country’s history, with petrol on Tuesday costing $1.15 a litre and diesel at $1.20 a litre – a 20 percent jump since last week.

Energy analyst Amer Zafar Durrani, a former World Bank official and chief executive of advisory firm Reenergia, said the government’s austerity measures could work in the short term, but they leave the main driver of fuel demand largely unaddressed.

“Transport dominates petroleum consumption,” Durrani told Al Jazeera. “Roughly 80 percent of petroleum products are used in transport, meaning the country’s oil dependence is fundamentally a mobility problem.”

He said measures like salary cuts or procurement freezes mainly affect public finances and do little to reduce national fuel use. He suggested that improving freight logistics by shifting more cargo from roads to rail could have a better effect.

On rising oil prices, Durrani said Pakistan could be particularly affected given the value of its currency in the global market.

“The biggest risk does not come from oil prices alone. The real macroeconomic trigger is currency depreciation, which amplifies the impact of higher oil prices on domestic inflation,” he said.

Durrani said a long-term solution lies in harnessing more electric power for transport needs, reducing the reliance of industries on diesel, and expanding renewable energy.

“Without these structural changes, every global energy shock will continue to threaten Pakistan’s economy,” he said.

Pakistan’s vulnerability also extends to natural gas. It has been importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) since 2015 after domestic reserves declined. LNG now accounts for nearly a quarter of Pakistan’s electricity supply, with the power sector being the largest consumer.

Qatar is Pakistan’s primary LNG supplier, and its cargoes pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s retaliatory attacks have targeted energy infrastructure across the Middle East, including the oil traffic passing through the Strait.

The  fuel crisis in Pakistan emerged during the final days of Ramadan, when families are preparing for the Eid al-Fitr holiday, the most important Muslim festival.

Higher petrol prices have already pushed up transport fares and the cost of groceries, adding pressure on household budgets at a time when spending typically rises.

Muhammad Zubair, a plumber in the capital, Islamabad, whose family lives in Muzaffarabad, the main city in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, says the fuel crisis has directly affected his income.

“I remain mobile for work on my motorbike, but with fuel getting so expensive, it just eats into my savings,” he told Al Jazeera, adding that his plans to go home a week before Eid are now thwarted as he might have to stay back in the city and save money.

Sohail Ahmed, a 27-year-old delivery rider supporting a family of seven, says the government’s austerity measures matter less to him than the rising cost of fuel.

“There is no benefit to me if they [government employees] work three days or five days a week,” he told Al Jazeera.

“For me, the main concern is the fuel price because that increases the cost of every little thing. With this situation not ending any time soon, I don’t have much to think about Eid.”

He also said there was “a risk” Ukraine’s allies could be distracted by the conflict, and forget his country’s defence against Russia’s full-scale invasion.

“We could find ourselves having difficulty obtaining missiles and weapons to defend our skies,” he told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. “The Americans and their allies in the Middle East might need them to defend themselves, for example Patriot missiles.”

Asked if there was a risk the United States and the European Union could forget Ukraine’s defence while focused on the Middle East, Zelensky replied: “Of course, it’s a risk. But I hope the Iranian crisis remains a limited operation and doesn’t turn into a long war. We know first-hand how bloody it risks being.”

For years Ukraine has become accustomed to being in the eyes of the world. Last week the streets of Kyiv thronged with Western leaders marking the grim, fourth anniversary of the moment Russia launched its all-out war.

But a few days later, people here in Ukraine’s capital have felt an almost tangible shift of focus away to another conflict. Some here have pointed out the reaction of Gulf residents to drone strikes that in Kyiv would prompt no more than a shrug. But more fear what the fighting in the Middle East might mean for them.

Zelensky’s remarks illustrate that uncertainty. On one hand he is gloomy, pointing to the risks that Ukraine’s defence against Russia becomes a forgotten war. There is already uncertainty about whether the latest planned talks with the US and Russia will take place.

He is also aware the vast numbers of air defence interceptor missiles being fired off by Gulf countries could lead to a global shortage, making such weapons more expensive and harder to find.

That was certainly true last summer when Israel and the US attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities. “Israel was under Iranian attack then, and missile delivery programs for us were slowed down,” Zelensky said. “It hasn’t happened yet, but I fear it could happen again.”

On Truth Social, President Trump claimed the US had an “unlimited supply” of arms. But he also used his post to mock Zelensky as “PT Barnum”, a 19th-Century US showman and hoaxer, suggesting Ukraine’s leader had tricked President Joe Biden into giving away too many US weapons for free.

Nonetheless, Zelensky has also looked for positives. Iran has sold Russia tens of thousands of Shahed drones that almost nightly wreak deadly havoc on Ukraine. That may stop. “I think attacking Iranian military targets was a good decision,” he said. “The Iranians produce a lot of weapons for Russia, especially drones and missiles, although I don’t think they’ll be able to do that anymore.”

Analysts point out however that Russia now also produces Shaheds domestically, after taking Iran’s design and modifying it for attacks on Ukrainian cities.

Kyiv may also benefit, financially and politically, if it could support Gulf partners with drone technology and expertise – but, as Zelensky has pointed out, that could probably happen only if Russia were to agree a ceasefire.

Ukraine’s president also believes Vladimir Putin’s failure to support Iran shows the Russian president’s weakness: “He talks, but doesn’t act, demonstrating that he is a weak ally of the Iranians. Just as he was with Bashar Assad’s Syria.”

That optimistic note was echoed by Oleksandr Merezhko, chairman of the foreign relations committee in Ukraine’s parliament. He told me that by supporting US attack on Iran, Ukraine could win favour in the White House: “The US does not view us as allies, but as partners,” he said.

“This gives us a chance to show that we are allies. We are fighting against the same coalition – Iran and Russia.”

Merezhko also said Moscow had lost influence with the US because it could no longer argue it had influence over Tehran and its nuclear ambitions. “Iran does not have this leverage anymore, so it has become less useful in the eyes of Trump,” the MP said.

Others are less sure. They point out Russia has no formal defence partnership with Iran and had made no commitment to come to its aid in event of a US attack. Some also suggest Putin is deliberately staying out of the conflict, apart from calling Gulf leaders to offer Russia’s services as a mediator with Iran.

John Lough, head of foreign policy at the New Eurasian Strategies Centre, said: “Putin’s priority is to preserve the relationship with Trump and to use it to help him out of the quagmire he has blundered into in Ukraine.”

“In return for not standing in Trump’s way in Iran, he can reasonably expect Washington to put more pressure on Ukraine to accept his terms for peace,” Lough added.

Russia may also gain if global oil prices continue to soar, fuelling its industrial war machine. The US-based Institute for the Study of War think tank said: “Sustained high oil prices could keep Russia economically afloat and allow Russia to fund its war in Ukraine in the medium term.”

But crucially, it added: “It is unlikely, however, that Iran can successfully and indefinitely impose a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz long enough for Russia to reap long-term benefits from the current surge in oil prices.” Just one reason why Ukrainian policymakers are hoping the war in the Middle East does not sustain.

The biggest fear, perhaps, in Kyiv is that conflict in the Middle East fuels yet more war fatigue over Ukraine. One diplomat told me that despite rising temperatures as winter makes way for spring, the mood in the capital was grim.

“There is a lot of exhaustion,” they said. “The mood is almost brooding. There is a deep sense of betrayal from the Americans. And less trust in the Europeans. And now all this distraction. It’s not great.”

Here’s where things stand on Friday 25 July 2025:

• Hospitals in the besieged Gaza Strip have recorded two more deaths “due to famine and malnutrition” in the past 24 hours, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, bringing the total to at least 115.
• US envoy Witkoff blames Hamas for failure to reach ceasefire, says US considering “alternative options” to free Israeli captives, after Hamas submitted response to ceasefire proposal earlier.
• The response reportedly includes amendments to conditions around the entry of aid, areas from which the Israeli army should withdraw, and guarantees on securing a permanent end to the war.
• Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 59,587 people and wounded 143,498. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the October 7, 2023 attacks, and more than 200 were taken captive.

Here’s what happened today

This live page will be closing soon. Here are today’s top developments:

• The number of people killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza since this morning has climbed to 62, including at least 19 Palestinians who were attempting to collect desperately needed aid.
• The Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, reports 20 people killed and at least 140 injured over the past 24 hours.
• French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged that France will formally recognise the State of Palestine in September during the UN General Assembly.
• UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said he will speak with French, German and Italian leaders on Friday to “discuss what we can do urgently to stop the killing and get people the food they desperately need” in Gaza.
• US envoy Steve Witkoff has announced that Trump-era negotiators are being withdrawn from Qatar, blaming Hamas for the breakdown in ceasefire talks. Hamas has not yet responded.
• International criticism of Israel’s blockade of Gaza continues to intensify, as malnourished Palestinians search for food for themselves and their starving children.

Spain criticises Israeli vote on West Bank annexation

Spain has strongly condemned a vote by Israel’s parliament in favour of annexing the West Bank, warning that it “disregards the fundamental principles and provisions of international law”.

In a sharply worded statement, Spain’s Foreign Ministry said the motion, while nonbinding, “undermines the basis for the implementation of a two-State solution” and ignores longstanding commitments made since the Madrid Conference and Oslo Process.

Madrid also renewed its “condemnation of the expansion of settlements” and called for “the release of hostages, the cessation of hostilities and mass entry of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip”.

Reaffirming its diplomatic position, Spain declared its “firm support for the two-State solution as the only way to achieve peace”.

Earlier, we reported that Israel’s parliament had approved a symbolic measure calling for the annexation of the occupied West Bank, with Knesset lawmakers voting 71-13 in favour of the motion.

US envoy says Syria-Israel meeting in Paris aimed at ‘dialogue and de-escalation’

US Ambassador to Turkiye Tom Barrack has just confirmed a meeting took place between Israeli and Syrian officials in Paris.

“Our goal was dialogue and de-escalation, and we accomplished precisely that,” Barrack said in a post on X after the talks. “All parties reiterated their commitment to continuing these efforts.”

While Barrack declined to name participants, Israeli media reported that Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer was expected to meet with him alongside Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani.

US considering ‘alternative options’ after leaving Gaza talks

The US State Department announced it is now considering “alternative options” for Gaza after Special Representative Steve Witkoff left negotiations in Qatar, accusing Hamas of not “acting in good faith.”

US Muslim group condemns Trump negotiators for leaving ceasefire talks

The decision to leave Gaza ceasefire talks in Qatar gives Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “cover to continue starving, bombing and ethnically cleansing everyone in Gaza”, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) says.

“Steve Witkoff knows that Netanyahu and his cabinet of openly racist, genocidal fascists do not want to permanently stop the genocide in Gaza, even if carrying on means leaving more hostages to die in Israel’s indiscriminate bombing campaign or to starve to death alongside the Palestinian people,” CAIR Deputy Executive Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said in a statement.

“Yet whenever push comes to shove in recent negotiations, Mr Witkoff has parroted the Israeli government’s line and given Netanyahu cover to continue the genocide.”

As we’ve been reporting, Witkoff announced earlier that US negotiators were heading home from the Qatari capital, Doha, after Hamas presented its response to the latest ceasefire proposal. The US special envoy blamed the Palestinian group for the failure to reach a deal.

But CAIR’s Mitchell said Washington – which provides Israel with at least $3.8bn in military aid annually – should be exerting pressure on Israel to end its war on Gaza.

“Until the Israeli government’s enablers in the United States, Europe and the Arab world use their military, economic, diplomatic and financial influence to force a ceasefire on the Netanyahu government, no one should expect its genocide to stop,” he said.

Hunger crisis in Gaza ‘catastrophic’ as children face starvation: UN

The United Nations has issued a stark warning over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza while urging immediate and large-scale access to aid.

“The hunger crisis in Gaza has never been so dire,” the UN said in a post on X. “Deadly malnutrition among children is reaching catastrophic levels. Humanitarian aid at scale is urgently needed. Safe, unrestricted access into Gaza must be granted to save lives.”

The warning comes amid mounting international concern over the deteriorating conditions in the besieged enclave, where ongoing Israeli bombardment and restrictions on aid access have left families struggling to find food and medicine.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said the situation facing children in Gaza was intolerable.

“Horrific images of starving children in Gaza demand action,” she said. “UNICEF is getting three truckloads of baby milk into Gaza as we speak. But it’s far too little for thousands of children at risk of starving to death.”

Israeli army says it intercepted drone from Yemen

The military did not provide any additional details on the interception.

Freedom Flotilla loses contact with Handala en route to Gaza

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) announced Thursday that it has lost contact with the “Handala,” a ship carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza as part of the group’s mission to break Israel’s blockade.

According to a statement posted on the coalition’s official Telegram channel, the group said: “All communications with the ‘Handala’s crew have been jammed.”

“We lost all contact with our crew, and there are multiple drones near the vessel,” it said. “Which means that they could have been intercepted or attacked.”

No further details were available regarding the ship’s precise location, the status of its crew, or confirmation of an Israeli intervention.

Hamas says ‘bewildered’ by Witkoff’s remarks on ceasefire talks

The Palestinian group has responded to the US special envoy’s allegations that it lacked the will to reach a Gaza ceasefire agreement.

In a statement shared on Telegram, Hamas said it made “a sincere commitment to the success of the mediators’ efforts” to reach a deal.

Hamas also said the mediators welcomed its “constructive and positive” position.

“The movement affirms its commitment to completing the negotiations and engaging in them in a way that contributes to overcoming obstacles and reaching a permanent ceasefire agreement.”

Israeli settler attacks show new level of violence, organisation

Israeli settlers are becoming more brazen and heavily armed, attacking Palestinians with impunity as the Israeli government and Palestinian Authority stand by.

Saeed Al Umoor’s story exemplifies this desperate situation.

More Israeli reactions to France’s Palestinian state recognition plan

More Israeli leaders have reacted angrily to French President Macron’s announcement on Palestinian statehood:

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “We strongly condemn President Macron’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state next to Tel Aviv in the wake of the October 7 massacre.”
• Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar: “The French President’s pretension to create by mere words an illusionary arrangement in our land is ridiculous and not serious.”

Macron has been increasingly vocal in his criticism of Israel’s war on Gaza, repeatedly drawing the ire in recent months of Israeli leaders such as Netanyahu.

Severe malnutrition spreading faster than aid can reach Gaza’s children: UNICEF

Edouard Beigbeder, the Middle East regional director at UNICEF, says 80 percent of the more than 100 Palestinians who have died of starvation in the Gaza Strip have been children.

“These deaths are unconscionable – and could have been prevented. The UN-led humanitarian response must be allowed to function fully through unfettered aid access to children in need,” Beigbeder said in a statement.

Five thousand children were admitted for treatment of malnutrition in the first two weeks of July across Gaza, he said, while in Gaza City specifically, acute malnutrition among children has risen four times from levels in February.

“UNICEF and partners remain in the Gaza Strip screening and treating children for malnutrition, but to be able to reverse the catastrophic situation we face, a sustained and predictable flow of humanitarian and commercial supplies is urgently needed,” Beigbeder said.

“Fuel must enter in sufficient quantities that allow life-saving services to function. Children must be protected – not killed, and not left to starve.”

Hamas urges all countries to ‘follow France’s example’

The Palestinian group has welcomed France’s intention to recognise a Palestinian state as “a positive step in the right direction toward achieving justice for our oppressed Palestinian people”.

“We in Hamas consider this important French position a political development that reflects the growing international conviction in the justness of the Palestinian cause and the failure of the occupation to distort the facts or obstruct the will of free peoples,” Hamas said in a statement shared on Telegram.

“We call on all countries of the world, especially European countries and those that have not yet recognized the State of Palestine, to follow France’s example and fully recognize our people’s national rights.”

Those include the right of return of Palestinian refugees, the right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, Hamas said.

BCG says staff behind plans to remove Palestinians from Gaza ‘ignored company protocols’

An investigation by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has found that some of its US-based employees ignored the company’s risk controls to work on projects linked to the GHF and the displacement of Palestinians.

In a response published Thursday to a British parliamentary committee inquiry, BCG admitted that some staff helped set up GHF between late 2024 and early 2025.

GHF, backed by the US and Israel, has been accused of putting Palestinians at risk by directing them to aid distribution points where Israeli forces have reportedly shot hundreds of Palestinians.

BCG also worked with the Tony Blair Institute on post-war Gaza planning. According to the Financial Times, BCG modelled the costs of relocating Palestinians, while the Tony Blair Institute helped develop the controversial plan.

BCG has decided not to release the full investigation.

Israel condemns France’s planned recognition of Palestinian state

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has slammed Macron’s announcement that France will recognise a Palestinian state, calling it “a disgrace and a surrender to terrorism”.

“Instead of standing with Israel in this time of trial, the French president is acting to weaken it,” Katz wrote on X.

“We will not allow the establishment of a Palestinian entity that would harm our security, endanger our existence, and undermine our historical right to the Land of Israel.”

As we reported earlier, French President Macron announced that France will recognise the State of Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September.

Israel ‘expanding war on Palestinian refugees in West Bank’: Researchers

Forensic Architecture, a research group in the UK, says its analysis shows the Israeli military is carving up the Tulkarem, Jenin and Nur Shams refugee camps “to establish new military routes, displace Palestinians, and dismantle historic centres of resistance”.

“By demolishing homes and repeatedly uprooting Palestinians, Israel is not only forcing them from place to place—itself a form of physical and psychological warfare—but attempting to erase the fact that these locations were ever refugee camps at all and weaken Palestinian demand for return,” the group said on X.

“Each wave of displacement seeks to dissolve the Palestinian refugee identity and undermine the population’s political, historical and legal claims.”

Israeli strikes on Lebanon continue

Video circulating on social media, verified by Al Jazeera’s fact-checking unit, shows plumes of smoke rising over the Mahmoudiya area, near the Litani River in southern Lebanon.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported a short while ago that Israeli attacks targeted “the Rayhan Heights… the areas of Sajed, Jarmaq, Mahmoudiya, Deir al-Zahrani, al-Jabour and Wadi Baraz”.

“The enemy aircraft also raided the area between al-Zararia and Ansar”, the agency added in its report.

Photos: Israelis rally in Tel Aviv to demand captives’ release

UK government ‘deeply committed’ to recognising Palestinian statehood

A member of the United Kingdom’s government has reiterated its commitment to recognising a Palestinian state, emphasising the need for a “meaningful” step towards a two-state solution.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds told LBC Radio that recognition must be part of “a genuine move towards a two-state solution and a long-term peace settlement” with Israel.

“We are deeply committed to the recognition of Palestine as a state, which was part of our manifesto, but obviously we want that to be meaningful,” Reynolds said.

The minister also pointed to recent measures taken by the UK in response to Gaza’s “intolerable situation,” including sanctions on Israeli ministers.

This comes as the UK government is under increasing pressure to recognise Palestine after London Mayor Sadiq Khan called for the prime minister to “immediately recognise Palestinian statehood” earlier this week.

Macron says France will recognise Palestinian state

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that France will recognise the State of Palestine in September at the UN General Assembly.

“The urgent need today is for the war in Gaza to end and to rescue the civilian population,” Macron wrote in a post on X.

“Peace is possible. We need an immediate ceasefire, the release of all the captives and massive humanitarian aid to the population of Gaza.”

Bodies arrive in Khan Younis hospital after Palestinians killed waiting for aid

Footage verified by Al Jazeera shows the body of a Palestinian man reportedly killed after Israeli forces opened fire and shelled a group of civilians waiting for humanitarian aid south of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip.

The video posted on Instagram documented the arrival of casualties at Nasser Medical Complex. “Martyrs and wounded in the targeting of aid … south of Khan Younis city,” read the caption.

“Dozens of cases were transferred to Nasser Medical Complex where they piled up in the emergency and reception departments,” it added.

Al Jazeera’s verified video shows scenes of overcrowded emergency rooms and bodies lined in corridors.

Earlier, we reported that the Nasser Medical Complex recorded the killing of 20 people, with 140 others wounded in just 24 hours.

Pakistan’s FM: ‘No question’ Israel is committing genocide in Gaza

Al Jazeera’s Gabriel Elizondo has spoken to Ishaq Dar on the sidelines of the UN Security Council meeting in New York City, asking him about the state of global opposition to Israel’s war on Gaza.

The reason why these institutions were created, particularly the UN 80 years ago, was to deal with this sort of situation”, Dar said, when asked what the international community can do in the face of Israeli impunity.

“This certainly has become a graveyard of morality. The people are dying, the food has been made weaponised, and the children, almost dozens every week, are dying”, he continued.

“So, I think the united stand of the world community and the institutions’ responsibility is to make sure that this ends as soon as possible, because this is virtually unacceptable under international law as the UN Charter, humanitarian rights.”

“This is totally unacceptable.”

If you’re just joining us

Let’s bring you up to speed on the latest developments:

• The death toll from Israeli attacks on Gaza since dawn today has risen to 62, including at least 19 Palestinians who were killed while seeking desperately needed aid.
• Nasser Medical Complex in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis says it recorded the killing of 20 people in the last 24 hours, with at least 140 others wounded.
• US envoy Steve Witkoff says the Trump administration is bringing negotiators home from Qatar, blaming Hamas for a failure to reach a Gaza ceasefire deal; Hamas has yet to comment.
• Global condemnation of Israel’s blockade on the Strip continues to grow, as emaciated Palestinians search for food to feed themselves and their starving children.

ICC issues statement after Hungary failed to arrest Netanyahu during visit

A court has ruled that Hungary violated international law by refusing to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to Budapest.

Despite the ICC issuing an arrest warrant issued in November 2024, Hungary allowed Netanyahu to enter the country on an official four-day visit, including meetings with Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

The court said Hungary’s failure to provisionally arrest Netanyahu “prevented the Court from exercising its functions”, and referred the matter to the Assembly of States Parties for further action, the court’s governing body.

Hungary has announced plans to withdraw from the Rome Statute in June 2026.

Activist group warns of ‘collusion’ between Israeli settlers and army in West Bank

A leading Israeli activist group has accused the army of colluding with settlers in an “organised attack” on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

“Especially after the 7th of October, the Israeli military recruited many, many settlers as reserve soldiers,” said Hagit Ofran, from Peace Now.

“Many of them are taking part in the attacks on Palestinians, but this time they’re doing it with the uniform and the weapon of the [Israeli army] and with the authorities of a soldier. That marks a big escalation in the central violence together with the army.”

She warned that the West Bank violence is not limited to settlers. “It’s a government organisation. They are supported by our government,” she said. “They get a budget from this government, and this is how it’s all organised.”

State Dept refuses to say what ‘alternative options’ being considered for Gaza

A spokesperson for the US State Department has refused to answer repeated questions from reporters about special envoy Witkoff’s statement on the Trump administration’s withdrawal from Gaza ceasefire talks in Qatar.

Notably, deputy spokesman Thomas Pigott was pressed about what Witkoff meant when he said that Washington “will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza”.

“Ultimately, the statement speaks for itself”, Pigott said during a briefing.

“At this point, I have nothing to preview,” he added when asked again about what “alternative options” are on the table.

Trump has previously said he wants the US to “own” Gaza as part of an effort to turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East” and supports initiatives to push Palestinians out of the enclave.

Rights advocates have said that would constitute ethnic cleansing, and Trump’s position has been firmly rejected by Palestinians.

UK’s Starmer says will discuss steps to ‘stop the killing’ in Gaza with EU allies

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said he will speak with his French, German and Italian partners on Friday to “discuss what we can do urgently to stop the killing and get people the food they desperately need” in Gaza.

“The suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza is unspeakable and indefensible. While the situation has been grave for some time, it has reached new depths and continues to worsen. We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe,” he said in a statement.

Starmer has faced growing pressure to take concrete action to pressure Israel to end its war on Gaza and allow humanitarian aid into the enclave, as well as to recognise a Palestinian state.

“We are clear that statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people,” the prime minister said in the statement, stressing that the UK supports efforts to reach a Gaza ceasefire deal.

“A ceasefire will put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution which guarantees peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis.”

What next after US says ceasefire negotiators coming home?

It was notable that the Israelis removed their negotiators a short time before this tweet [from US special envoy Steve Witkoff].

In an interview with Axios, they made it clear they were simply trying to shake up the negotiations, put more pressure on Hamas, but they weren’t leaving the negotiations.

We don’t know whether [Witkoff’s tweet] is part of a negotiating tactic. We know that one of the key sticking points for Hamas is Donald Trump perhaps giving some kind of personal guarantee that after 60 days, hostilities won’t resume. That’s something he could very easily do.

We also know that there was a suggestion that Israel probably wouldn’t sign onto any great breakthrough until Sunday, when the Knesset [parliament] in Israel dissolves, so that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government can’t be brought down by coalition partners.

Having said that though, this is a very sternly worded tweet.

For Witkoff to be talking about alternative options for a more stable environment for the people of Gaza, we know that Trump simply hasn’t ruled out ethnic cleansing, concentration camps, getting other countries [to take in Palestinians].

But right now, we simply don’t know whether it’s a negotiating position or the end of the negotiations.

‘Stop funding a genocide,’ army veteran tells US officials

Josephine Guilbeau, a US Army veteran, has delivered an impassioned rebuke of Israel’s starvation policy against Palestinians during a news conference outside the US Capitol.

“I have been screaming, as a conservative Christian, to my Republican leaders to stop funding a genocide,” she said.

“But what I am witnessing this week [is] the forced starvation of babies. They are not allowing baby formula to reach babies. The level of evil that it takes to make a decision to starve a baby as a means of war, as a weapon of war – what have we come to as a humanity? What have we come to as a country?”

Guilbeau told Al Jazeera separately that she is encouraged that more conservative figures in US politics are speaking out against Israeli atrocities.

She said the “tide is definitely turning” on the right to oppose unconditional support for Israel.

Latest on Israeli army, settler attacks against Palestinians in West Bank

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has released its latest update on the situation in the occupied West Bank:

• At least 159 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank between January 1 and July 21 of this year.
• So far in 2025, about 320 Palestinians – more than half of them children – have been displaced by so-called “lack-of-permit demolitions” in occupied East Jerusalem; that amounts to an average of 49 demolitions per month.
• Between July 15 and 21, OCHA documented at least 27 Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians that resulted in casualties and/or property damage.
• “These attacks led to the displacement of two households comprising 10 people, including five children, and the injury of seven Palestinians, including one child – six by Israeli settlers and one by Israeli forces,” the agency said.

Rashida Tlaib hits out at fellow US legislators for Israel support

The Palestinian American congresswoman has called on her colleagues to listen to their constituents and end unconditional aid to Israel.

Recent public opinion polls have shown growing US public discontent with Israel over its treatment of Palestinians, but Congress remains staunchly supportive of Israel on a bipartisan basis.

“Americans serving in Congress, wake up because the American people are telling you over and over again: ‘We’re not in support of this’,” Tlaib told reporters outside the US Capitol.

“So maybe for once, would you listen to your constituency? Poll them like you poll everything else. They will tell you they do not want one goddamn freaking dime going to starve a whole people.”

Tlaib appeared to criticise a vote by her progressive ally Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez against a measure to stop $500m in missile defence aid to Israel.

Ocasio-Cortez argued that cutting off “defensive” arms to Israel does not help end the bombardment of Palestinians.

But Tlaib suggested she is not swayed by that justification.

“No matter what weapons – I don’t care if it’s offensive or defensive, whatever you call it – let’s stop enabling the genocide,” Tlaib said.

The US provides Israel with billions of dollars in military assistance annually despite allegations of rights violations that would make the country ineligible for security aid under US law.

United Nations experts and leading rights groups have accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.

Israeli military strikes southern Lebanon

The Israeli army has just announced that it targeted southern Lebanon with air strikes, claiming it struck multiple Hezbollah-linked sites.

In a post on X, the Israeli army said fighter jets “attacked military sites”, including “weapons storage facilities and a rocket launcher”.

The military also claimed responsibility for another strike earlier on Thursday.

Earlier we reported that one person was killed in an Israeli drone strike on a car in the southern Lebanese town of Aita al-Shaab.

Israel has launched near-daily attacks on Lebanon despite agreeing to a US-backed ceasefire in November.

US envoy Witkoff blames Hamas for failure to reach ceasefire deal

Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy for the Middle East, says the Trump administration has decided to bring its negotiating team home from Qatar after Hamas’s latest response to a ceasefire proposal.

As we’ve been reporting, Israel said earlier that it recalled its team of negotiators for “consultations” after Hamas submitted its response.

Witkoff said the Palestinian group’s position “clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza”, without elaborating.

“While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith. We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza,” Witkoff said.

“It is a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way. We are resolute in seeking an end to this conflict and a permanent peace in Gaza.”

Hamas has yet to comment publicly on its response, or the criticism from the US envoy. The Palestinian group has been pushing for a deal that would ensure Israel agrees to a permanent end to its war on Gaza.

The power of images to convey Palestinian suffering in Gaza

This is a story about scale, about humanity, about massive war crimes. But the pictures that seem to be having a real significant impact, starting to show up on the front pages of newspapers in the UK and elsewhere, tend to be smaller scale.

There’s the picture put out by the Palestinian journalist Ahmed al-Arini, the child being held in his mother’s arms, the child’s back to us, the profile visible to us.

Another reason that this image has gained the kind of traction that other images have not is that this picture also captures the face of the mother. Any parent will tell you that their biggest fear in life, their biggest nightmare, is the suffering of their child, and this image somehow captures both those things.

Al-Arini is a very talented photographer. A lot of his images that we see him putting out, they almost look, in a strange way, like they’ve been shot in a studio. And while that sounds off-putting, it can be very affecting.

When you show thousands or tens of thousands of people in a field trying to line up for aid at the risk of being shot, it’s difficult for people to identify with imagery like that.

So while this story is about scale – and must be about scale, the way it’s been covered – images like this, like al-Arini’s, of individual children suffering … they have a way of landing with audiences, I think, that other images do not.

Palestinian mothers devastated as children beg for food

We have more testimonials from Palestinian women in Gaza who are struggling to feed their starving families under Israel’s blockade.

“I went to get food, to support my children, and I fainted there. No one helped me,” said Sabreen Abu al-Kass, a mother of 10 from the Shati refugee camp, who tried but failed to get supplies from the GHF.

“I couldn’t bring back any aid at all. We returned home empty-handed, just like we came. Out of maybe 50 attempts, I was only able to get some food once. One time, among thousands of women,” she told Al Jazeera.

“There is no flour, no food, nothing. My husband, the one I relied on, is gone [killed]. Who will help me now? Only God.”

Hanan Fares also described the devastation of not being able to find any food to feed her children and grandchildren. “Even my youngest granddaughter is crying and begging, saying: ‘Grandma, I want some bread. I’m hungry.’ But I couldn’t bring her anything,” Fares told Al Jazeera.

“This is the third time I’ve gone out to try to get food aid, and every time, I’ve failed. I couldn’t get anything. God is my witness, and may He hold those responsible accountable.”

“Why are they doing this to the children? What did the children do wrong?” Fares asked.

‘We want to wake people up,’ protester says in Washington, DC

We’ve just spoken to a pro-Palestine activist at a small protest outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC.

Holding a sign reading, “Never again is now”, in reference to the Holocaust, Steve France told Al Jazeera that what Israel is doing in Gaza “is comparable to other genocides in the past, including the Holocaust”.

“We want to wake people up,” France said of the goals of the demonstration.

The US provides at least $3.8bn in military assistance to Israel annually, and it has given billions more since the Gaza war began. Washington also shields its ally from criticism at the United Nations and other international bodies.

‘Do you think what is happening to us is normal?’ Palestinian mother asks

Buthaina Ashour, a Palestinian mother in Gaza, is among countless women who have braved deadly violence to try to get food at GHF aid distribution sites in the enclave.

“We came here for nothing … we came to die. We are suffering. We need someone to help us. We cannot go on like this,” Ashour told Al Jazeera after Israeli soldiers opened fire and threw tear gas at the crowds.

“The children cry day and night, just wanting a piece of bread, and we cannot find even that. I came here and told my children, ‘I will go and find you something to keep you from starving.’ Do you think what is happening to us is normal? We are exhausted.”

Ashour said countless Palestinian mothers like herself have been forced to try to get food at GHF sites for their children, who she said are now “unable to even sleep from the hunger”.

“We are dying, simply because we want food to keep our children alive. What is happening to us is unjust,” she added.

Families call for updates on captives negotiations

The families of the captives have said they are following with “deep concern” reports that the Israeli negotiating team has returned from Doha, urging the Israeli leadership to provide an update on the status of negotiations and information on what is preventing a deal.

“Another missed opportunity to bring all 50 hostages back would be inexcusable. It would be yet another moral, security, and diplomatic failure in an endless chain of failures,” the families said in a statement.

The group also urged US President Donald Trump to use his leverage to make sure this round of negotiations ends with the return of the captives.

The comments come soon after Netanyahu’s office said the negotiating team was called back from Doha for “additional consultations” in Israel.

There are about 50 captives still in Gaza. Less than half are believed to be still alive.

‘Tip of the iceberg’: Starvation deaths increasing in Gaza

Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud says starvation deaths in Gaza are increasing at a “frightening pace”.

“This is the tip of the iceberg,” Mahmoud reported from Gaza City, noting that people of all ages, including children and the elderly, have been transferred to hospitals due to malnutrition.

He added that the now-infamous US- and Israeli-backed GHF aid distribution scheme has exacerbated the crisis.

As we’ve been reporting, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid since the GHF began operating in Gaza in May.

“People are trying to [buy] whatever they can get their hands on” to survive, Mahmoud said.

Israel preventing UN from verifying Gaza aid awaiting distribution: OCHA

The United Nations says it does not know how many truckloads of aid are awaiting distribution inside the Gaza border because Israel has not granted it access.

“Despite our repeated requests, Israel has not allowed the UN to be present at the crossings, which are militarised areas,” Jens Laerke, spokesman for the UN humanitarian agency OCHA, told the AFP news agency. “We therefore cannot verify the amount of supplies currently at the crossing.”

Laerke explained that the UN needed multiple authorisations from the Israeli authorities: first to get aid across the border from Israel into the Gaza Strip, where it is dropped off, with the trucks returning to Israel – then to drive trucks from inside Gaza to the crossing point to pick up aid.

“It is very important to stress that it is not just about denials of requests to pick up the cargo,” he added. “Israel – as the occupying power and a party to the conflict – must facilitate humanitarian operations all the way till it reaches people who need it to survive.”

This means that, beyond simply authorisation, “they must provide the green light for trucks without unnecessary delays; allow teams to use multiple, safer routes; and order troops to stay away from the convoys, and never shoot at civilians along the allocated routes – or anywhere else”, Laerke explained.

“Without the full set of conditions in place, safe and principled delivery cannot take place at scale. So even when approved, those missions are often impeded on the ground.”

Starvation as a weapon: Scholar links Israeli practices to war crimes and genocide

Omer Bartov, professor of holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University, says Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war, a war crime and an act that is part of what constitutes the commission of genocide.

“There is now an attempt, as the genocide resolution from 1948 says, of deliberately inflicting on Palestinians conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction in whole or in part – this is section three of the genocide convention,” Bartov told Al Jazeera.

“So, clearly, this is part of an attempt to make life impossible for Palestinians either to force them out or simply to see them die where they are,” he said, highlighting that the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant also for using starvation as a tool of war.

There have been several historical episodes where starvation has been used as a weapon of war, including during the German siege of what was then called Leningrad (today, Saint Petersburg), when about one million people died, mostly from hunger.

And because it is not new, starvation “was included in the definition of genocide in 1948 – it’s a war crime, it’s a crime against humanity and it is also part of the definition of genocide”.

‘All Gaza will be Jewish’: Israeli minister

Israel’s Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu has told Haredi radio station Kol Barama that his government “is racing ahead to wipe out Gaza”, according to the Times of Israel newspaper.

Eliyahu says Gaza will be cleared for Jewish settlement, but says Jewish towns will not be “fenced in inside cantons”.

“All Gaza will be Jewish,” he was quoted as saying.

Hamas slams global community for being ‘silent witness’ to starvation in Gaza

The Palestinian group says “the continued crime of starvation in the Gaza Strip is a stain on the international community, which continues its shameful silence in the face of one of the most horrific crimes of our time”.

“The systematic and overt policy of starvation and thirst practiced by the government of the war criminal Netanyahu against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, which has intensified over the past five months, is a disgrace to the international community, which has been a silent witness to this horrific, brutal crime,” Hamas said in a statement published on Telegram.

“We call on the European Union, Britain, Canada, Australia, and other Western countries to translate their declared media positions into effective political and economic actions and measures, to review all forms of cooperation with the occupation, to stop supplying it with weapons with which it kills civilians and children around the clock, and to hold it accountable for using starvation as a tool of mass murder,” the group added.

It also called on the UN and the international community “to take practical and binding measures to compel the occupation to allow the immediate entry of aid, without conditions or control, in a manner that ensures the rescue of civilians from the threat of death by hunger and thirst”.

Here’s where things stand on Thursday 24 July 2025:

• Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan dies aged 71, his representative confirms
• First responders received a call from his Florida home at 10:00 local time over a report of “cardiac arrest”, authorities say – he was pronounced dead at hospital later
• Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, was the biggest professional wrestler of the 80s and 90s and went on to achieve crossover fame
• Tributes from the wrestling world, political sphere and Hollywood have been pouring in, with many remembering him as an “American pop culture fixture”
• Known for red and yellow outfits, “Real American” entrance music, and army of “Hulkamaniac” fans, he continued wrestling well into his 50s
• In 2018, he was reinstated into the WWE Hall of Fame after being ejected for using a racist slur

WWE co-founder calls Hogan a ‘global phenomenon’

“The world lost a treasure today,” Vince McMahon writes of Hogan.

The WWE co-founder and close friend of Hogan says: “Hulk Hogan was the greatest WWE Superstar of all time”.

He describes him as a “trailblazer” and “global phenomenon”.

“His grit and unbridled thirst for success were unparalleled”, he adds.

“He gave everything he had to the audience whom he appreciated, respected and loved.”

McMahon and Hogan had a very public and complicated friendship for decades.

It’s McMahon that started WWE, and helped get Hogan to stardom. However, they also had sour moments, including when Hogan testified against him in an illegal substance case in the 1990s.

The family Hulk Hogan leaves behind

Hulk Hogan is survived by his third wife, Sky Daily, who he married in September 2023.

He leaves behind two adult children Brooke and Nick. The children are from his 26-year marriage to Linda Hogan, which ended in 2009.

They were featured in Hogan Knows Best, a reality television show about their family which ran from 2005 to 2007.

In January, Brooke and her husband Steven Olesky welcomed twins.

From Terry Bollea to Hulk Hogan

Hogan was born as Terry Bollea on 11 August, 1953 in Georgia and was raised in Tampa, Florida.

He was the son of a construction foreman and a dance teacher.

Hogan loved music growing up, and played guitar and bass guitar for several rock bands. One of them, Ruckus, went on to be come a popular act in the Tampa Bay area.

He was eventually tempted by the wrestling scene in the United States. He recounted a story of how he broke his leg on the first day of training in a Vice interview in 2014.

He gained fame in the 1980s and 1990s and eventually became a symbol of WWE – then known as WWF.

Linda McMahon remembers ‘dear friend’

Linda McMahon, who Hogan knew well as she was the co-founder of WWE with her husband Vince, has posted a tribute to the late wrestler.

“I had the privilege of knowing and working with Hulk Hogan for over 40 years,” she writes.

She describes him as a “dear friend” with a wrestling legacy that “will always been remembered”.

“He was one of a kind!”

Linda McMahon is currently the United States Secretary of Education as part of the Trump administration.

Hogan also had strong ties to President Trump, and famously spoke at the Republican National Convention in 2024.

Police release timeline of Hogan’s death

Clearwater Police Department have issued an updated timeline of events surrounding Hogan’s death.

They were first called at 09:51 local time and dispatched within the same minute.

Medical teams arrived on site at 09:56, with the police arriving at 10:23.

He was transported to a Florida hospital at 10:32, and confirmed dead at 11:17.

Wrestling star Sting says Hulk Hogan was ‘greatest of all’

A professional wrestling peer, Sting, shared a tribute to the late Hulk Hogan, calling him a “the greatest of all”.

“Can’t thank you enough for all that you did for me and for wrestling fans all over the world. I loved you and I will miss you. My friend, Terry Bollea, RIP,” Sting, whose real name is Steve Borden, wrote on X.

Wrestling icon The Undertaker remembers Hogan as ‘true legend’

The Undertaker, whose real name is Mark Calaway, has shared a post on X to commemorate his former opponent in the ring, saying he was a “true legend”.

“The wrestling world has lost a true legend. His contributions to our business are immeasurable and for that I am appreciative. Thank you, Hulk Hogan.”

The Undertaker

In the span of both men’s wrestling careers, Hogan and the Undertaker squared off for three televised singles matches.

Hogan’s iconic Wrestlemania moment against Andre the Giant

Wrestling fans will always remember Hulk Hogan’s body slam of Andre the Giant during their WrestleMania III match in 1987.

The two wrestlers faced off in front of more than 93,000 fans in Michigan in what remains one of the most iconic matches in history.

Hogan appeared to struggle with Andre’s overwhelming size and strength for much of the match, but the tide eventually turned when he was able to lift the 2.2m-tall (7ft 4 in) behemoth off his feet and deliver a body slam, retaining the WWF Championship.

The spectacle solidified Hogan’s status and cemented WrestleMania as the biggest event in the industry.

John Cena shares photo of Hulk Hogan

Actor and professional wrestler John Cena posted a tribute to Hulk Hogan on Instagram.

The photo shows Hogan in the ring with Andre the Giant, holding his hair, with his fist cocked and ready to punch.

Cena’s post didn’t include any text, but nearly 2,000 comments have since flooded in with fans sharing their condolences.

‘There was no one like The Hulkster’ – Triple H

Professional wrestler and WWE chief content officer, Triple H, calls Hogan the “archetype” of what it means to be a WWE Superstar.

In other words – “a global sensation that inspired millions to work hard at whatever it was they wanted to accomplish and a look that made him recognizable to fans around the world”.

Otherwise known as Paul Michael Levesque, his tribute labels Hogan as “iconic”.

“There was no one like The Hulkster and there very well may never be another,” he says.

Official statement released on Hogan’s Instagram

“It is with a heavy heart and deep sadness that we confirm we have lost a legend,” a post on Hulk Hogan’s official Instagram account says.

Hogan passed away “surrounded by his loved ones,” it reads.

“At this time of grief, we ask that everyone please respect the privacy of his family and friends.”

He will be missed “but never forgotten”, it adds.

The various controversies of Hogan

Hulk Hogan will be remembered for his wrestling stardom, but also for many, they will remember the various controversies surrounding him.

In 1994, he testified in the case of Vince McMahon, WWE co-founder, after getting immunity from prosecution. The infamous case saw prosecutors accuse McMahon and WWE of providing illegal steroids to wrestlers.

Hogan’s testimony was key in the government losing the case – success for McMahon. But it was seen by some as a betrayal that Hogan even testified against McMahon.

As we reported earlier, Hogan was removed from the WWE Hall of Fame in 2015 over a racist slur he was caught saying on tape. He was reinstated three years later.

In 2024, he took aim at the then vice-President Kamala Harris: “Do you want me to body slam Kamala Harris?” while speaking at an event for his new beer.

A one-off appearance at the start of 2025 saw him receive a deafening amount of boos from the crowd, not the entrance expected for one of the greats of WWE.

From Obama to MAGA: Hulk Hogan’s changing political views

For the 2008 US presidential election, Hulk Hogan endorsed Barack Obama, who would go on to become the first black US president.

But just three years later, like his shirts, Hulk Hogan had ripped apart this support.

“I was a big Obama supporter and kinda believed everything he said he was gonna do,” Hogan told Fox News in 2011. But Obama hadn’t delivered on his campaign promises, he said.

Hogan was also unhappy about Obama opening his 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner speech with Hulk Hogan’s “Real American” song. It was tongue-in-cheek: As the song played, screens showed a copy of Obama’s birth certificate proving that he was born in the United States. False claims that Obama wasn’t American had been promoted by Donald Trump.

By the time of the 2016 election, Hogan had made a hard turn towards Trump, endorsing him then, and again in 2020. He even floated the idea of being Trump’s vice-presidential nominee, and even contemplated running for the White House too.

Last year, he took to the stage at the Republican National Convention, where he once again endorsed Trump, days after he had survived an assassination attempt.

“After everything that’s happened to our country over the past four years, and everything that happened last weekend, I can no longer stay silent,” he said.

“I’m here tonight because I want the world to know that Donald Trump is a real American hero, and I’m proud to support my hero as the next president of this United States.”

Trump says Hulk Hogan was ‘MAGA all the way’

Trump has posted on Truth Social sharing his feelings about Hulk Hogan, who he called “a great friend” and the “Hulkster”.

“Hulk Hogan was MAGA all the way – Strong, tough, smart, but with the biggest heart,” Trump wrote.

“He gave an absolutely electric speech at the Republican National Convention, that was one of the highlights of the entire week. He entertained fans from all over the World, and the cultural impact he had was massive.”

Trump gave his condolences to Hogan’s family and said the wrestler will be missed.

Hogan’s career on the silver screen

Hogan was known for his wrestling, but also starred in several movies.

He began his acting journey in Rocky III (1982), in which he played pro wrestler Thunderlips alongside Sylvester Stallone.

He is also remembered for his performance as the lead character, Rip Thomas, in No Holds Barred (1989).

Hogan also acted in several others during the 1990s, such as Suburban Commando, Mr. Nanny and Santa with Muscles.

‘I wish we had time to mend our friendship’ – Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake

Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake – who once headlined a WCW PPV in a title match against Hogan – has said he is “devastated” by today’s news.

There had been reports of a falling out between the pair in recent years.

“Through the good times and the bad, I always loved my brother Terry!” Brutus says now.

“I only wish we had time to mend our broken friendship before his passing. Until I see you Brother, in the big squared circle in the sky!”

Emergency call was for report of cardiac arrest – police statement

As we’ve reported, first responders arrived at Hogan’s Florida home this morning after an emergency call was made – we now have a little more information on that call.

“The nature of the call was for a cardiac arrest,” the Clearwater Police Department says in a statement.

Police say no suspicious activity related to Hogan’s death

The news conference is already over – it was very short, and no questions were taken.

Clearwater Police Department officer Nate Burnside said emergency services responded to a medical related call this morning just before 10:00 local time, where they found Hulk Hogan experiencing a serious medical related issue.

Hogan was taken to the hospital where he died at 11:17. There will be an investigation, but there is no suspicious activity surrounding his death.

Burnside said no reports will be released today, and asked for the privacy of Hogan’s family to be respected.

Press conference about to start

The Clearwater police and fire departments are about to deliver a press conference on the death of Hulk Hogan.

We’ll bring you text updates here, or you can watch liveat the top of this page. Stay with us.

‘Hulk Hogan was there for me when I nearly lost my dad’ – Charlotte Flair

Charlotte Flair, a WWE wrestler and the most decorated woman in WWE history, writes “rest in peace brother” in tribute to Hogan.

In a post on X, she adds: “When I nearly lost my dad 8 years ago, one of the few people who was there for all of it was Hulk Hogan.”

Her heart breaks for his children, she says.

‘Hogan’s name was synonymous with professional wrestling’

The president of wrestling brand Total Nonstop Action Wrestling has said he is “saddened” to learn of Hulk Hogan’s passing.

“Hogan’s name was synonymous with professional wrestling, transcending the industry to become an American pop culture fixture,” Carlos Silva says in a post on X.

“My condolences go out to his fans, friends and family.”

The post is accompanied by a black and white image of Hulk Hogan accompanied by dates “1953-2025”.

Sylvester Stallone: Hogan made Rocky III ‘incredibly special’

Sylvester Stallone pays tribute to Hulk Hogan, saying the wrestler was “absolutely wonderful and his amazing skill made Rocky three incredibly special”.

“My heart breaks,” he says on Instagram.

Hogan acted alongside Stallone in the 1982 movie Rocky III.

Vance says he had plans to go for a beer with Hogan

“Hulk Hogan was a great American icon,” writes Vice-President JD Vance.

He says the professional wrestler was “one of the first people I ever truly admired as a kid”.

In a post on X, he continues: “The last time I saw him we promised we’d get beers together next time we saw each other.

“The next time will have to be on the other side, my friend! Rest in peace.”

‘Hulkamania never dies’

John “Bradshaw” Layfield, Smackdown champion, writes on X that Hulk Hogan was one of the reasons the wrestling star got into the sport.

“Hulk was always so nice to me,” he says.

“There will never be another. Hulkamania never dies.”

‘We are heartbroken’ – Hogan’s representative

Hulk Hogan’s representative, Linda Bose, confirms that he has died.

Speaking to CBS News, she says: “Unfortunately we must confirm that Terry Bollea, aka Hulk Hogan passed away this morning.

“We are heartbroken. He was such a great human being and friend.”

Trump Jr pays tribute to ‘legend’ Hulk Hogan

In a short X post, Donald Trump Jr, son of the US president, says “R.I.P to a legend”.

The post is accompanied by a selfie featuring the pair at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Hogan spoke on stage at the convention and other events in support of Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.

‘One of pop culture’s most recognizable figures,’ WWE says

In a statement World Wrestling Entertainment says it’s “saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away”.

Describing Hogan as “one of pop culture’s most recognizable figures”, it says “Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s”.

“WWE extends its condolences to Hogan’s family, friends, and fans,” the post concludes.

I am absolutely shocked, says wrestler Ric Flairpublished at 18:2318:23

Wrestling legend Ric Flair has paid tribute to his close friend Hulk Hogan, saying he is “absolutely shocked” to hear about his death.

“An incredible athlete, talent, friend and father,” he says in a post on X. “Our friendship has meant the world to me.”

Hulkster, no one will ever compare to you. Rest in peace my friend.”

Ric Flair

Wrestling’s first superstar

Hulk Hogan is arguably the most famous name in professional wrestling history.

Born Terry Boella in 1953, Hogan dominated the professional wrestling world throughout the 80s and 90s before expanding into films, and later reality TV.

Joining the World Wrestling Federation (now World Wrestling Entertainment, WWE) in 1979 but leaving shortly after in 1981, Hogan headlined the first WrestleMania in New York in 1985, where he and Mr T defeated Paul Orndorff and Roddy Piper.

Throughout the 90s, Hogan’s popularity transcended the wrestling ring, appearing in films including Mr Nanny and Suburban Commando.

It was a surprise to no-one when Hogan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005 (he would later be inducted again in 2020 as a member of the NWO), but he was removed from the hall in 2015 when his WWE contract was terminated after a tape of him emerged using a racist slur.

In 2018, the company reinstated him, saying he deserved a second chance, but several WWE superstars, including the New Day and Titus O’Neil, said it would be “difficult to simply forget” what Hogan had said.

In recent years, Hogan had appeared at Trump rallies and on the US election campaign trail last year.

Hogan was booed by the crowd at his most recent WWE appearance, when he appeared on the company’s flagship Monday Night Raw programme to promote his beer brand.

Hulk Hogan’s life in pictures

Hulk Hogan dies aged 71 – World Wrestling Entertainment

Professional wrestler Hulk Hogan has died at the age of 71, the WWE confirms.

Stick with us as we bring updates on this developing story.

Here’s where things stand on Tuesday 3 June 2025:

• Gaza’s Government Media Office has accused Israel of “a horrific, intentionally repeated crime”, saying it has lured starving Palestinians to aid centres run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and killed 102 of them in the past eight days.
• At least 27 Palestinians have been killed in the latest such attack in southern Gaza’s Rafah governorate, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry.
• The Israeli military says three of its soldiers have been killed in northern Gaza’s Jabalia area, in what appeared to be the deadliest attack on them since they ended a ceasefire with Hamas in March.
• Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 54,510 Palestinians and wounded 124,901, according to the Health Ministry.
• An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, and more than 200 were taken captive.

Photos: Palestinians queue for drinking water in Gaza amid severe shortages

New GHF chief lauded Trump’s plan for removing Palestinians from Gaza

We reported earlier that the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has appointed evangelical leader Johnnie Moore as its new chief.

There have been concerns that GHF could be used as a vehicle for displacing Palestinians inside Gaza, and to push them to leave the territory.

In February, Moore praised Trump’s plan to remove all Palestinians from Gaza and turn the enclave into the “Riviera of the Middle East”.

“President Trump always sees war through the eyes of its human cost, & he thinks creatively — never bound by conventional wisdom. He stops wars & makes peace,” Moore wrote in a social media post.

“The USA will take full responsibility for future of Gaza, giving everyone hope & a future”.

Global think tank to Europe: ‘Words are not enough’

In a statement titled “Europe on Gaza: Words Are Not Enough”, the International Crisis Group urges European leaders to back their stated concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza with action.

In recent weeks, several European countries have employed stern language to rebuke Israel’s blockade that has brought hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza to the verge of starvation.

But most European countries enjoy warm ties with Israel and continue to export weapons to the country. The EU is Israel’s top trade partner.

“For European Union members and the UK to have any hope of contributing to changes in Israel’s policy, they need to throw more of their economic and diplomatic weight into signalling to Israel that the Gaza campaign must end”, the International Crisis Group said.

“A starting point would be to ban arms sales to Israel or, at least, forbid the use of weapons from Europe in Gaza; commit to upholding the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants for top Israeli officials, including Netanyahu himself, if they travel to Europe; curb preferential trade benefits; and sanction those senior officials and ministers pushing illegal settlement policy, while threatening further steps if the assault does not stop.”

US ‘aid’ group for Gaza appoints pro-Israel evangelical leader as new chief

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has announced Johnnie Moore – a US evangelical leader staunchly supportive of Israel – as its new executive chairman.

Moore has been talking up the foundation’s work in Gaza and denying Israeli attacks, which have killed dozens of Palestinians, near the aid distribution sites.

UN agencies and the overwhelming majority of the humanitarian community have rejected diverting aid from the existing mechanism to allow GHF to exclusively distribute assistance in Gaza.

Critics say the foundation risks the militarisation and privatisation of the aid and could be used to displace Palestinians in Gaza.

Moore succeeds the former head of GHF, Jake Wood, who quit the group saying that it is not possible to implement private aid distribution plan “while also strictly adhering to the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence”.

WHO calls for protection of health facilities after demolition of dialysis centre

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has called for a ceasefire in Gaza and “the urgent protection of all health facilities and personnel”.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the comments after Israeli forces this week demolished the Noura al-Kaabi Kidney Dialysis Centre in northern Gaza.

According to Tedros, the centre had been providing care to about 40 patients each week.

“Last week, WHO moved 20 of the 23 dialysis machines out of the center to keep them safe,” the director general said in a post on X.

Israeli military and settler attacks reported across the occupied West Bank

The Palestinian news agency Wafa has reported a number of Israeli military and settler attacks in the occupied West Bank today. Here is a quick summary:

• Israeli forces attacked Palestinian civilians in the town of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron, and confiscated two agricultural tractors.
• Israeli forces raided several archaeological sites in the town of Qarawat Bani Hassan, west of Salfit in the occupied West Bank.
• Israeli military forces on Tuesday carried out land-levelling operations in the village of Deir Jarir, close to Ramallah.
• Israeli settlers destroyed dozens of olive trees in the village of Kafr Malek east of Ramallah.

Photos: Palestinians leave Khan Younis after evacuation orders

Western European opinion of Israel plummets: Survey

Public opinion of Israel has plunged to record lows across Western Europe, with widespread condemnation of its military operations in Gaza, according to the latest YouGov Eurotrack survey.

The survey, conducted in Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, reveals a stark shift in sentiment, with net favourability ratings in Germany, France and Denmark for Israel reaching their lowest levels since tracking began in 2016.

In each of the six countries surveyed, only 13 percent to 21 percent of respondents expressed a favourable view of Israel, while 63 percent to 70 percent said their opinion was unfavourable.

Only 7-18 percent said they sympathised most with Israel, according to YouGov.

Israeli attacks kill three in Deir el-Balah, four near Khan Younis

Medical sources at Nasser Hospital tell Al Jazeera Arabic that an Israeli drone has killed at least four Palestinians in the Joura area near Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

A separate Israeli attack in central Gaza killed three Palestinians and injured several others in Deir el-Balah.

Lufthansa extends Israel flight suspension

Germany’s Lufthansa is suspending flights to Israel for another week over ongoing security concerns, the aviation group has announced.

Flights operated by the group, which also owns carriers such as Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, SWISS and Eurowings, will remain suspended until June 22.

Lufthansa halted connections following a missile strike launched from Yemen on Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport last month.

Palestinian pilgrims from the West Bank face Israeli violence on journey to Hajj

Palestinians from the occupied West Bank will also be in Mecca for Hajj.

Just getting there, they’ve faced military checkpoints, travel restrictions and Israeli violence.

Despite that, they say it’s a chance to pray for peace for one of the most devastated places in the world.

‘Children cannot unsee what they’ve seen’ in Gaza: Save the Children

It feels like aid workers in Gaza are working with “two hands tied” behind their backs, Georgia Tacey, Save the Children’s Gaza response director, tells Al Jazeera.

“At the moment, we are just running services instead of being able to deliver a lot of the usual aid like food hygiene kits, shelter kits, because our warehouses are empty and all of our stock is stuck in thousands of trucks on the border,” Tacey said.

It is “a roller-coaster of emotions here between anger and frustration and despair. … I’ve been working in the sector for 20 years. We haven’t seen anything like this before,” she said.

Referring to the GHF’s takeover of aid distribution in Gaza, she said: “When you have only four distribution sites instead of the 400 that we’re used to working with in terms of the UN and NGO community, people are going to act desperately, and they’re humiliated that they’re acting this way, and they shouldn’t be expected to act politely.”

“This system was set up by design to fail, so all we’re asking is to open those borders. Let us do our jobs. Children cannot unsee what they’ve seen. They can’t unknow what they know now, which is that it appears human rights are only for children in certain countries,” she said.

UN official condemns killings of Palestinians near aid sites

Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has voiced deep concern over the killing of more than 100 Palestinians near US-backed aid sites in Gaza.

“Can you imagine someone who is so desperate for food that they are making this trek over a long distance, and the fear that they must have – that they could even be shot or that they may even come back with no food?” Laurence told Al Jazeera.

“They’re at the risk of starvation. As the high commissioner [Volker Turk] says, it’s unconscionable.”

Laurence said attacks directed against civilians “constitute a grave breach of international law”.

“That is a war crime,” he said, adding that wilfully impeding access to food or other life-sustaining supplies for civilians “may also constitute a war crime”.

Israeli forces targeted heads, chests of Palestinians collecting food

The civil defence teams have described the distribution points where Palestinians are supposed to get food as death traps.

Israeli forces situated these distribution points in the western parts of Rafah, an area that is known as a safe humanitarian zone.

Israeli forces opened fire on thousands of Palestinians who were going there only for the sake of getting food.

Now, talking to people, collecting testimonies, there are Palestinians who were killed as they were holding food parcels. A woman was trying to feed her children and her family.

Many of the injured are still in hospital. They’re in the ICU because the Israeli forces mainly targeted the heads, the chest and the upper parts of the body.

Doctors are saying that most of those injured are in a very serious, critical situation that’s why they were calling for blood donations, as Nasser Hospital has been running out of blood units and also running out of medical supplies.

According to the Health Ministry, since those distribution points were set up, at least 102 Palestinians have been killed and more than 460 have been injured.

Witnesses recount deadly shooting at Rafah aid centre

We have been reporting on the 27 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire at the US-backed aid distribution site in southern Gaza’s Rafah governorate.

Rania al-Astal, 30, said she had gone to the area with her husband to try to get food.

“The shooting began intermittently around 5am [03:00 GMT]. Every time people approached Al-Alam roundabout, they were fired upon,” she told the AFP news agency.

Another witness, Mohammed al-Shaer, said at first, “the Israeli army fired shots into the air, then began shooting directly at the people.”

“A helicopter and quadcopters [drones] started firing at the crowd to prevent them from approaching the tank barrier. There were injuries and deaths,” the 44-year-old told AFP.

“I didn’t reach the centre, and we didn’t get any food.”

Photos: Dead, wounded recovered from rubble in Gaza City

Gaza health system teeters amid staff and equipment shortages: MSF director

Fadi al-Madhoun, medical director for Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Gaza, has described the dire challenges facing the health system in the enclave.

Here are his translated comments:

• The health situation in the Gaza Strip is complex, and there is a shortage of staff and equipment.
• If Nasser Hospital goes out of service, it will be a major disaster for the residents of southern Gaza.
• We call for the health system in the Gaza Strip to be kept away from any military operations.
• We call for providing health services to the population in the Gaza Strip without any restrictions or conditions.

If you’re just joining us

Here are the latest developments:

• At least 58 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza since dawn, according to medical sources speaking to Al Jazeera.
• The total death toll from Israel’s war on Gaza has risen to 54,510 killed and 124,901 injured since October 7, 2023, the enclave’s Health Ministry says.
• The United Nations human rights office says the impediment of access to food and relief for civilians in Gaza may constitute a war crime, describing attacks on civilians trying to access food aid as unconscionable.
• Spain’s Defence Ministry will not go ahead with the purchase of Spike antitank missiles from Israeli firm Rafael, according to Spanish media.
• About 58 percent of respondents in Germany favour a temporary halt to arms exports to Israel, according to a study by polling firm INSA.

Norway’s wealth fund reviews Israeli bank stakes over West Bank settler loans

The ethics watchdog for Norway’s $1.9 trillion wealth fund is scrutinising Israeli banks’ practice of underwriting Israeli settlers’ housebuilding commitments in the occupied West Bank in a review that could prompt up to $500m in divestments.

The Council on Ethics, a public body set up by the Ministry of Finance, has, however, decided not to object to the fund’s investments in accommodation platforms such as Airbnb that offer rentals in the illegal Israeli settlements.

The body checks that firms in the portfolio of the world’s largest wealth fund meet ethical guidelines set by Norway’s parliament.

Gaza hospitals operate in ‘catastrophic’ conditions: Ministry

Gaza’s Health Ministry has provided an update on the conditions at hospitals in the coastal enclave amid ongoing Israeli attacks.

Here are its translated comments:

• Operating rooms, intensive care units and emergency rooms are experiencing catastrophic conditions with an increase in serious injuries.
• Shortages of life-saving medicines, medical supplies and diagnostic imaging equipment prevent urgent surgical interventions for the wounded.
• Medical teams are working under complex conditions and extended hours in attempts to treat the wounded and save their lives.
• Community appeals for blood donations have become ineffective as malnutrition among citizens worsens.
• Generators are operating on limited fuel reserves to supply vital departments with electricity.

Israel kills 58 Palestinians in Gaza since dawn

At least 58 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza, according to medical sources speaking to Al Jazeera.

Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis received 35 of those killed today, including 27 aid seekers who were shot dead at an aid distribution site in Rafah governorate.

Six others were received by Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza’s Deir el-Balah.

In Gaza City, al-Shifa Hospital received 14 bodies, and three more were delivered to al-Ahli Arab Hospital.

Spain cancels $325m arms deal with Israel’s Rafael firm

Spain’s Defence Ministry will not go ahead with the purchase of Spike antitank missiles from Israeli firm Rafael, according to Spanish media.

The $325m deal was finalised four days before Israel’s war on Gaza erupted on October 7, 2023, the reports said.

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Hamas says former US official’s admission of Israeli war crimes exposes Washington

The group says recent remarks by former US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller under the Biden administration, who acknowledged that Israel committed war crimes in Gaza, as “an important admission”.

“[It] condemns the occupation, confirms its crimes, and exposes the US administration’s attempts to obscure the truth about this brutal war against innocent civilians in the Gaza Strip,” Hamas said in a statement.

Miller recently told UK broadcaster Sky News that it was “without a doubt true that Israel has committed war crimes” in Gaza.

Hamas highlighted Miller’s statement that “he was not permitted to tell the truth” while in office “exposes the deep political complicity of the US administration with the occupation and its criminal cover-up of its brutal violations”.

“This admission not only condemns the occupation, but also holds Washington directly accountable as an actual partner in the war crimes and genocide perpetrated against our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, through funding, arming, providing political and diplomatic protection, and misleading media coverage,” it added.

Israeli army blocks journalists from touring occupied West Bank villages

Israeli soldiers have barred journalists from entering villages in the occupied West Bank on a planned tour organised by the directors of the Oscar-winning movie No Other Land.

The directors of the film, which focuses on Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians in the occupied territory, said they had invited the journalists on Monday’s tour to interview residents about increasing settler violence in the area.

In a video posted on X by the film’s co-director, Yuval Abraham, an Israeli soldier tells a group of international journalists there is “no passage” in the area because of a military order.

Basel Adra, a Palestinian co-director of the film who lives in the area, said the military then blocked the journalists from entering two Palestinian villages they had hoped to visit.

“They don’t want journalists to visit the villages to meet the residents,” said Adra, who had invited the journalists to his home. “It’s clear they don’t want the world to see what is happening here.”