International
Islamic Jihad launches 20 rockets from Gaza to Israel, the largest attack in months
The terrorist group Islamic Jihad launched 20 projectiles from Gaza on Monday against several communities in southern Israel, most of which were intercepted and others fell on the ground without causing victims, according to the Israeli Army in a statement.
The attack, which the Islamists carried out from the southern city of Jan Yunis, is the largest launched from the Strip in recent months, in which the missiles that crossed the border into Israeli territory rarely reached the ten.
“We have bombed Kissufim, Ein Hashlosha, Nirim, Sofa, Holit and the settlements of the Gaza area with rocket launches in response to the crimes of the Zionist enemy against our Palestinian people,” Islamic Jihad wrote in a statement with which he claimed the attack.
The Israeli Army, for its part, said it was “attacking” the point of origin of the rocket launch in the statement in this regard.
At the same time, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported an Israeli bombing in the town of Khuza’a, east of Jan Yunis, in which a Palestinian was killed and an indeterminate number were injured and taken to the European Hospital in Gaza.
Israel also reported that it has eliminated about twenty alleged Palestinian militiamen in its “selective incursions” in Shujaiya, a neighborhood in the southeast of Gaza City where Hebrew troops resumed their military offensive last Thursday before the return of Hamas to the area.
Since the war began, about 37,900 people have died in Gaza (mostly women and children) and almost 87,000 have been injured, according to data collected by the Ministry of Health of the Strip, controlled by Hamas.
To these are added the more than 10,000 bodies that continue under the rubble without ambulances or rescue teams having access to them.
On the other hand, the Israeli Army released Mohamed Abu Salmeya, director of the Al Shifa hospital, the largest in the Gaza Strip, after spending seven months in detention, Palestinian sources told EFE.
Abu Salmeya returned to Gaza along with at least 50 other Palestinian detainees, whose release is due to the fact that “the prisons are full,” according to the Israeli public radio Kan, although the exact number of Gaza detainees in Israeli prisons is not known.
In statements to the Qatari chain Al Jazeera after his release, Abu Salmeya denounced that the prisoners are in “tragic conditions,” defined by the lack of food, medicines, and the torture carried out against them.
“We have been subjected to severe torture and the (Israeli) occupation assaults the prisoners’ cells and assaults them almost daily,” he explained.
The former director of the largest hospital in Gaza was arrested on November 23 to be interrogated for the “terrorist activities” of the Islamist organization Hamas in the clinic, after the discovery of one of its tunnels under the center.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered an “immediate” investigation after the release of Abu Salmeya, seven months detained by Israel allegedly in a detention center in the Negev.
And several Israeli ministers also rejected that release.
The Minister of National Security, the far-right Itamar Ben Gvir, denounced on social network X the release of Salmeya and the rest of the prisoners as a “security negligence.”
Ben Gvir seeks a tightening of the treatment of prisoners, and in 2023 he already proposed a death penalty law only for Palestinians that was approved in first reading two months later, although he still has to receive the green light from the Knesset (Parliament).
According to lawyer Khaled Mahajneh, who visited a detainee in Sde Teman prison, in Néguez (in southern Israel), known for the harsh treatment to which prisoners are subjected, the Palestinians go so far as to remain chained and blindfolded for up to 24 hours.
On the other hand, a Palestinian child and woman died and four other people were injured during a military incursion by the Israeli Army in the Nur Shams refugee camp, on the outskirts of Tulkarem, in the occupied territory of the West Bank, the Palestinian Ministry of Health announced.
Tulkarem is one of the hottest spots in the West Bank and, so far in 2024, Israel has already killed about 57 Palestinians here, according to an EFE count, sometimes in multi-day raies with great destruction of homes and roads.
The refugee camp, the birthplace of the Tulkarem Brigade that brings together different armed factions of both Fatah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, became this morning the scene of armed fighting between militiamen and soldiers in military vehicles and two excavators.
International
FBI Says It Disrupted Alleged Plot Targeting White House During UFC Event
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced Tuesday that it had disrupted an alleged plot to attack the White House during a major Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event held in Washington over the weekend.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the threat was identified on June 10 through a joint investigation involving multiple law enforcement agencies. According to Patel, swift action by authorities led to the arrest of several suspects before the alleged plan could be carried out.
“On June 10, the FBI and our law enforcement partners became aware of a potential threat targeting UFC America 250 in Washington. Thanks to the rapid response of the FBI and our partners, multiple individuals are now in custody, and the alleged attack plans were stopped before they could be executed,” Patel said.
He emphasized that the operation demonstrated the ability of security agencies to detect and prevent potential threats at large public gatherings. Patel added that the investigation remains ongoing and that additional details will be released as court proceedings move forward.
According to reports from U.S. media outlets, five individuals have been arrested so far. The suspects were identified as Tycen Proper of Ohio, Daniel Eskridge of Missouri, Abraham Hermosillo Álvarez of Nebraska, and Bryan Omar Roa and Michael Alan Thomas, both from California. Authorities are also investigating the possible involvement of 18 additional individuals.
Investigators allege that the plot involved the use of drones equipped with explosives to target buildings near the sporting event. The plan reportedly sought to trigger a mass evacuation and direct attendees toward areas where snipers were allegedly positioned. Authorities further claim that a second phase of the operation included an attempted assault on the White House.
The U.S. Secret Service confirmed that it worked closely with the FBI throughout the operation. Secret Service Director Sean Curran stated that security teams conducted extensive efforts to identify those involved and eliminate any threat to attendees and protected facilities.
The investigation reportedly uncovered communications conducted through the messaging application Signal, where several suspects allegedly discussed details related to the planned attack. A forensic analysis of one of the seized mobile phones revealed at least 23 users participating in conversations connected to the alleged planning activities.
Court documents also indicate that some of the suspects allegedly intended to target U.S. political figures. Among the reported targets were members of Congress who had received contributions from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Investigators further stated that one of the primary suspects had posted antisemitic messages and expressions of support for Adolf Hitler on social media, evidence that is now part of the ongoing judicial investigation.
International
Brazil helicopter crash in Rio de Janeiro kills six, including pilots and international figures
The Rio de Janeiro Civil Police confirmed on Monday the identities of three of the six victims killed in a helicopter collision that occurred the previous morning in the Recreio dos Bandeirantes neighborhood.
All three identified victims are Brazilian nationals: the pilots of the aircraft, Charles Marsillac and Alexandre Souza, and music producer Lucas Brito.
The identities of the three foreign victims have not yet been officially confirmed. They include U.S. singer Oliver Tree, Argentine YouTuber Gaspar Prim—known online as “Gaspi”—and Argentine producer Lucas Vignale, all of whom were listed on the flight manifest.
According to police, forensic experts from the Legal Medical Institute have already collected DNA samples in order to identify the foreign victims, whose bodies were severely burned.
One of the helicopters crashed into a private parking lot, triggering a fire that destroyed around twenty electric vehicles. That aircraft was carrying the pilot and four passengers, including the three foreign nationals.
The second helicopter, which had only the pilot on board, crashed approximately 100 meters away from the first impact site.
Rio de Janeiro’s deputy mayor, Eduardo Cavaliere, stated that both helicopters were operating transport flights toward Angra dos Reis on the Rio coastline and toward the mountainous region of the state.
Oliver Tree, 32, was in Brazil as part of an international tour. The artist, known for songs such as “Life Goes On” and “Miss You,” had performed to a large audience in São Paulo a week earlier and was scheduled to continue his tour in Europe.
Argentine content creator Gaspar Prim, 23, had built a following of more than two million on social media platforms, gaining popularity for humorous and often controversial video productions that had occasionally been removed by hosting platforms.
International
Mexico and U.S. Launch New Bilateral Security Group to Combat Fentanyl and Organized Crime
The governments of Mexico and the United States officially launched the Bilateral Implementation Group (BIG) on Friday, a new initiative aimed at strengthening cooperation on security issues and enhancing joint efforts against transnational crime.
In a statement, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson announced that he and Deputy Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco addressed officials from both countries who will lead what he described as a “new phase of bilateral cooperation.” The initiative seeks to curb the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs, illegal firearms, and human trafficking across the shared border.
Earlier this week, Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had confirmed that senior security officials from both nations would meet in Mexico City on June 12 to review and advance existing cooperation agreements.
Through social media, Ambassador Johnson explained that the new bilateral group is designed to improve coordination between the two governments by placing greater emphasis on implementation, accountability, and measurable results. The effort will also focus on combating transnational criminal organizations operating across North America.
“The participation of 15 U.S. government agencies, working alongside their Mexican counterparts, reflects the seriousness of this effort and our shared commitment to delivering measurable results,” Johnson said.
The ambassador also highlighted several achievements that he attributed to ongoing bilateral cooperation. According to Johnson, maritime drug trafficking into the United States has declined by more than 95 percent, while overdose deaths have fallen by 35 percent.
He further noted that Mexican authorities have seized more than 400 metric tons of illegal drugs and dismantled over 2,300 clandestine laboratories as part of their efforts to combat organized crime and narcotics production.
The launch of the Bilateral Implementation Group marks the latest step in the security partnership between Mexico and the United States, as both countries seek to address shared challenges related to drug trafficking, arms smuggling, human trafficking, and the activities of criminal networks operating across the region.
Costa Rican President Presents Security Reform Package to Fight Crime and Strengthen Prisons
FBI Says It Disrupted Alleged Plot Targeting White House During UFC Event
Nicaraguan media publishes photos of detained Indigenous leader amid calls for proof of life
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
Central America2 days agoNicaraguan media publishes photos of detained Indigenous leader amid calls for proof of life
-
Central America1 day agoCosta Rican President Presents Security Reform Package to Fight Crime and Strengthen Prisons
-
International4 days agoMexico and U.S. Launch New Bilateral Security Group to Combat Fentanyl and Organized Crime
-
International2 days agoBrazil helicopter crash in Rio de Janeiro kills six, including pilots and international figures
-
International1 day agoFBI Says It Disrupted Alleged Plot Targeting White House During UFC Event