International
Israel operates throughout the city of Rafah and leaves more than 25 dead in attack on displaced people
The Israeli Army intensified its attacks and incursion in the heart of the city of Rafah, southern Gaza, as well as on its western side; causing, according to medical sources, at least 25 deaths in an attack on displaced people’s tents – which is not attributed – and great destruction in residential neighborhoods.
As Palestinian sources confirmed to EFE, the attacks are now concentrated in Al Auda, in the center of the city of Rafah, and in Tal al Sultan, a neighborhood in the northwest. The southern and east areas are already under their control weeks after the Israeli tanks began their incursion into the city, on May 6.
“The whole city of Rafah is an area of Israeli military operations,” Ahmed al Sofi, mayor of Rafah, said today in a statement released by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas on Telegram. “The city is experiencing a humanitarian catastrophe and people are dying inside its tents due to the Israeli bombings.”
Sofi added that there is no medical center left in operation in the city and that residents and displaced people – according to UNRWA about 65,000 people, although before the military incursion there were 1.4 million Gaza refugees in Rafah – cannot meet their daily needs for food and water.
The third point of intense military activity, according to local sources to EFE, is still the so-called Philadelphia corridor, the 14-kilometer border line with Egypt that Israel aspires to control, according to military sources, in order to cut the network of tunnels that supplies Hamas and helps it both to rearm itself and to attack.
In this area, the destruction of infrastructure is being absolute, and a kind of buffer strip has been created, as in the Saudi Quarter of Rafah (west), where units of Army engineers are flying residential buildings.
Since this morning, at least 25 Gaza people died and 50 were injured after an Israeli bombing of displaced people’s stores in Al Mawasi, northwest of Rafah, according to the Ministry of Health, an event that the Israeli Army, after a preliminary investigation, claims to be unaware of but claims to be investigating.
In the northern city of Gaza, at least 17 Gazans died: ten after Israeli fighters bombed a home in Beach Camp, five municipal officials in an attack in the center of the city and two others in attacks in the Zeitun neighborhood, the Palestinian agency Wafa reported.
In addition, two more Gazazians lost their lives today north of the city of Rafah, in the neighborhood of Khirbet al Adas, according to Palestinian sources, which would increase the total number of deaths to 37,470 in eight and a half months of Israeli offensive.
In the north, the lack of food and food is still a critical issue. According to UN data from July 1 to 18, of the 61 coordinated humanitarian assistance missions in northern Gaza, only 28 – 46% – were facilitated by the Israeli authorities, details the UN Agency for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
“The absence of healthy food and drinking water accelerates the spread of diseases,” Hosam Abu Sfiya, the director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital, in the northern Strip, warned today in a statement. “We have not received any essential supplies in the northern Gaza Strip, especially food for children.”
The reality in the enclave is that only a tiny minority can eat regularly, in the absence of food or unaffordable prices. Many do it once a day and there is a lack of milk and porridge, denounce organizations on the ground. In addition, the shortage of fuel forces you to burn plastic or firewood to cook.
Some diseases are re-emerging, such as hepatitis and gastroenteritis.
“All we can offer are some medical solutions for malnourished children,” Hosam Abu Sfiya continued. “We demand the entry of fuel, food and medical supplies.”
For its part, the NGO Doctors Without Borders (MSF) warned today of the psychological trauma that the war is causing to the children of Gaza, with some not wanting to continue living surrounded by so much death.
“What we are seeing in young children, especially, are symptoms of depression because they have lost everything. They have lost their parents, their siblings, their home, their toys, everything that made their daily life normal,” the organization said in a statement.
International
Chuck Schumer Unveils Proposal to Strengthen Oversight of the U.S. Presidency
U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday announced legislation to establish a federal anti-corruption office aimed at strengthening oversight of the executive branch and preventing future presidents from using the White House for personal financial gain.
Schumer said the proposal was prompted by what he described as President Donald Trump’s misuse of the presidencyto benefit his family’s business interests.
“In just 18 months, the Trump family has made more than $4 billion by exploiting the influence of the presidency,” Schumer alleged.
The New York senator also argued that the alleged corruption has had direct economic consequences for American households.
“The same corrupt practices Trump is using to pocket billions of dollars are also forcing Americans to pay, on average, $3,100 more each year because of the rising cost of living,” he said.
The legislation was introduced alongside Democratic Senators Alex Padilla, Jeff Merkley, and Andy Kim.
According to Schumer, the bill has two primary objectives: “First, to return money to the American people. Second, to ensure that no one can ever steal from them again.”
He added that the proposal would create legal mechanisms allowing citizens to seek the recovery of funds allegedly obtained through government corruption.
“The fact that Trump stole money from the American people does not make it his. Americans deserve to get that money back,” Schumer said.
Under the proposed legislation, any U.S. citizen—as well as state attorneys general acting on behalf of their residents—would be authorized to file civil lawsuits to recover funds allegedly acquired through corrupt practices by public officials.
“Our bill would empower any individual, including a state attorney general acting on behalf of the people of that state, to bring legal action to recover money stolen from the public through government corruption,” Schumer said.
The measure is expected to face debate in Congress, where Republicans and Democrats remain deeply divided over executive accountability and the scope of presidential powers.
International
Trump Administration Urges Latin America to Increase Defense Spending Against Organized Crime
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Latin American countries to increase investment in defense and security to strengthen the fight against organized crime and drug trafficking networks.
The appeal was made by Elbridge Colby, the U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, in an article published by Americas Quarterly. Colby argued that governments across the region should assume greater responsibility for protecting their territories from transnational criminal organizations.
“It is essential that our neighbors in the region invest more in their own defense and security. There is no reason why any country, especially those facing significant narco-terrorist threats, should spend so little on defense,” Colby wrote.
The Pentagon official described it as “absurd” that some Latin American nations allocate less than 1% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to defense, although he did not identify the countries. He contrasted that with NATO members in Europe, many of which are increasing defense expenditures to 3.5% of GDP, with an additional 1.5% devoted to security-related investments.
Colby, who participated earlier this month in the Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas in Cusco, Peru, said there is “a historic opportunity” for the United States and its regional partners to strengthen cooperation against drug trafficking and other transnational threats.
He also defended the proposed Shield of the Americas, a military partnership promoted by the Trump administration to combat organized crime and supported by several conservative governments in the region. The initiative does not include Brazil or Mexico.
In addition, Colby said the administration’s security strategy includes an updated interpretation of the Monroe Doctrine, the long-standing U.S. foreign policy principle that historically viewed Latin America as part of Washington’s sphere of influence.
“Of course, we recognize that the Monroe Doctrine is controversial in many circles. But it is also frequently misunderstood,” he said.
According to Colby, the United States is not seeking “exploitation, subordination or dependence,” but rather a region characterized by greater prosperity, stability and security.
He also stated that Washington is prepared to use “all available resources,” including the U.S. Armed Forces, to combat drug trafficking and irregular migration. Colby highlighted ongoing counternarcotics operations in the Caribbean, despite criticism from human rights organizations that have questioned some missions over allegations of extrajudicial killings in international waters.
International
FAO and WFP Seek $42 Million to Prepare Southern Africa for Unprecedented El Niño
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) on Thursday appealed for $42 million to help vulnerable communities in southern Africa prepare for what is expected to be an unprecedented El Niño event.
The funding will enable humanitarian agencies to protect millions of people before worsening weather conditions severely affect agricultural production across the region.
Following a meeting with partners in Maputo, Mozambique, the two UN agencies said they still need to secure $42 million of the $54 million required to assist 2.3 million people in Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
In a joint statement, FAO and WFP said the appeal marks the first time the two organizations have launched a large-scale, forward-looking call for anticipatory action, warning that insufficient funding could push the region’s most vulnerable families into a major food security crisis.
“The period before the main planting season is critical for taking action,” said José Luis Fernández, FAO Representative in Mozambique. He stressed that early intervention is both more effective and less costly than responding after crops have failed and productive assets have already been lost.
“With timely and flexible financing, we can help farmers access appropriate seeds and agricultural inputs, protect livestock and water resources, and sustain food production before reduced rainfall causes irreversible damage,” Fernández said.
Claire Conan, WFP Representative in Mozambique, emphasized that acting before disasters strike is more efficient and cost-effective than responding after communities have lost their livelihoods. She added that the agency is working closely with the Mozambican government to translate climate forecasts into preventive measures aimed at reducing the impact of droughts and floods.
The planned interventions include supporting farmers, strengthening food production systems and protecting the food security of the region’s most vulnerable households, with the goal of reducing the risk of widespread hunger.
El Niño is a recurring climate phenomenon characterized by unusually warm sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean and changes in atmospheric circulation, disrupting weather patterns around the world. Its most recent episode, between 2023 and 2024, was associated with record global temperatures, severe droughts across southern Africa, Central America and northern South America, as well as destructive wildfires, torrential rainfall and widespread flooding.
Chuck Schumer Unveils Proposal to Strengthen Oversight of the U.S. Presidency
Trump Administration Urges Latin America to Increase Defense Spending Against Organized Crime
FAO and WFP Seek $42 Million to Prepare Southern Africa for Unprecedented El Niño
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