Zohran Mamdani calls out US government for funding Gaza killings using tax payer money
Gaza
Israeli air and ground attacks have killed at least 24 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Monday, according to medical sources cited by Al Jazeera.
Hospitals across the enclave continue to report growing casualties amid ongoing strikes.
An Israeli airstrike hit a clinic in Gaza City used as a shelter by displaced Palestinians, killing at least six people and wounding several others. Witnesses described scenes of devastation and bloodshed inside the facility.
Moreover, Israeli forces have arrested Nasser Laham, editor-in-chief of the Palestinian Ma’an News Agency, during a raid on his home in Al-Duheisha, near Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, Middle East Eye reports.
Laham, who also heads the West Bank office of Lebanon’s Al-Mayadeen TV, was reportedly detained after soldiers ransacked his residence and confiscated mobile phones and electronic equipment. A message posted on his Facebook page confirmed the arrest.
Israeli outlet Haaretz said Laham is expected to appear before a military court at Ofer on Thursday for a hearing on the possible extension of his detention.
Freedom Flotilla to sail for Gaza again
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition has announced it will set sail again for Gaza on July 13, despite a recent interception by Israeli forces, Middle East Eye reports.
In a post on X, the group confirmed its next vessel, Handala, will depart from the port of Siracusa, Italy, as part of a renewed bid to defy Israel’s blockade of Gaza.
The coalition said the mission is dedicated to the children of Gaza. The boat is named after Handala, the iconic cartoon child who symbolises Palestinian resistance.
BRICS declares Gaza ‘inseparable’ part of Palestinian state
BRICS has declared the Gaza Strip an “inseparable part of the occupied Palestinian Territory” and called for a unified Palestinian governance under the Palestinian Authority.
In a joint declaration, the bloc reaffirmed its support for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and an independent State of Palestine, reported Anadolu Agency on Monday. The statement also endorsed full Palestinian membership at the United Nations.
The member states expressed “grave concern” over Israel’s continued military operations in Gaza and the blocking of humanitarian assistance, strongly condemning the use of starvation as a weapon of war.
“We urge the parties to engage in good faith in further negotiations to achieve an immediate, permanent and unconditional ceasefire,” the statement read.
BRICS also called for the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and all parts of the occupied Palestinian Territory, as well as the release of all hostages and detainees held in violation of international law.
BRICS, which originally included Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has expanded its diplomatic reach in recent years and increasingly positioned itself as a counterweight to Western influence on global security issues.
