International
Israel withdraws from more neighborhoods of Gaza City, leaving dozens of corpses in its path
The Israeli Army withdrew from more neighborhoods of Gaza City, leaving dozens of corpses in its wake, according to the Civil Defense of the enclave, which in the Tal al Hawa area alone recovered about 60 bodies.
According to the group, Israeli troops withdrew today from the neighborhoods of Tal al Hawa and Rimal, and also from the headquarters of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in the Gaza capital, where Israel is holding a new offensive to try to prevent Hamas militiamen from regrouping.
Only yesterday, the rescue teams of the Civil Defense recovered another 60 corpses from the Shujaiya neighborhood, a bastion of the Islamist group in the Gaza capital that has become totally uninhabitable after the passage of Israeli soldiers, who left it on the night of Wednesday to Thursday.
This Friday, the Army announced that during its operations in Shujaiya it managed to eliminate the deputy commander of the Hamas battalion in the neighborhood, whom it identified as Ayman Showadeh.
According to Israel, Showadeh participated in the planning of the October 7 attacks and led numerous attacks against Israeli troops throughout the war in Gaza.
The Army also assured that during its attacks in Shujaiya it eliminated more than 150 alleged militiamen, including a commander identified as Ubadah Abu Heen, to whom it attributed an “important role” in the fighting in Gaza.
More than 38,300 people have already died throughout the Strip, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Health of the enclave, controlled by Hamas, and it is estimated that thousands of bodies are still buried under the rubble.
Meanwhile, the Israeli Army maintains a tough offensive in Rafah, the southernmost town in the Gaza Strip, where on the last day the troops “have eliminated numerous terrorists in short-range combat and air strikes, and dismantled terrorist infrastructure in the area,” according to a military statement.
Israel also assured that its forces have located an arms production workshop and a large amount of funds “used in terrorist activities” in the center of the devastated Palestinian enclave, in addition to several militiamen who were eliminated.
In the midst of negotiations to reach a ceasefire agreement in the devastated Strip, which are at its most promising point in recent months, the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, denied that the Army will leave the so-called Philadelphia corridor, located in Rafah and which runs the border of Gaza with Egypt.
“The Prime Minister insists that Israel will remain in the Philadelphia corridor. These were his instructions to the negotiating teams, and this is what he communicated to the representatives of the United States this week and to the Government last night,” the Office of the Prime Minister of Israel said in a statement.
Netanyahu thus responded to information published today by the Reuters news agency indicating that Israeli and Egyptian negotiators would be negotiating an electronic surveillance system that allows Israeli troops to leave the border in case of reaching a ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
The Islamist group, for its part, accused the Israeli president of introducing new demands in the negotiations for a ceasefire, which shows that he is “procrastinating, looking for what will make the agreement fall,” according to a message from the member of the political bureau of Hamas Izzat al Risheq.
The group also insisted that managing the Gaza Strip after the war is an exclusively Palestinian matter, and confirmed that it has proposed that a single government, national and non-partisan, take control of the enclave next to the occupied West Bank.
Israel took control of the Philadelphia corridor in early May and since then controls the area, which includes the Rafah border crossing to Egypt, through which much of the humanitarian aid previously entered Gaza and which remains closed since the entry of Israeli troops into the town.
For Israel, controlling that border – in which they claim to have found at least 20 tunnels – is very important because it is the main source of arms smuggling that for years has served for the entry of Hamas weapons.
International
Trump floats Vance-Rubio potential Republican ticket for 2028 election
U.S. President Donald Trump suggested on Monday that Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubiocould potentially form a Republican presidential ticket for the 2028 elections.
Speaking during a dinner with law enforcement officials as part of National Police Week, Trump publicly praised both officials and said they could make “an ideal team” for the next presidential race.
“Who likes JD Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio?” Trump asked attendees before adding that the pair “sound like a good combination.”
The president highlighted his vice president’s performance in office, stating that their current partnership has been highly effective. “JD is perfect, that has been a perfect formula,” Trump told reporters later.
He further suggested that a Vance-Rubio pairing could represent a strong presidential and vice-presidential ticket, although he stopped short of offering any formal endorsement.
“I think it sounds like a presidential candidate and a vice-presidential candidate,” he said, while clarifying that his remarks should not be interpreted as an official backing of any future campaign.
So far, neither Vance nor Rubio has publicly confirmed any intention to run in the 2028 presidential election.
Rubio previously sought the Republican nomination in 2016 but withdrew after losing the primary race to Trump. Later, in a December 2025 interview with Vanity Fair, he said he would be among the first to support Vance if he decided to run for the White House.
Vance, meanwhile, has recently dismissed speculation of any political rivalry with Rubio amid growing discussion about potential future GOP leadership.
International
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Violating Victory Day Truce
Russia accused Ukraine on Saturday of violating a Victory Day truce that was reportedly agreed with mediation from the United States, claiming that Ukrainian forces carried out attacks on Russian territory as well as on the annexed Crimean peninsula.
Despite the declared ceasefire, the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement that Ukrainian forces attacked Russian military positions using attack drones and artillery.
According to the ministry, Ukrainian forces made twelve attempts to advance toward Russian-held positions across several sectors of the front line.
It also alleged that Ukrainian strikes targeted civilian infrastructure in Crimea, several border regions, the Caucasus, and other areas including Moscow and Perm in the Ural region.
The Defense Ministry estimated around 8,900 violations of the ceasefire in total, including more than 7,000 drone attacks and over 1,000 strikes involving tanks, artillery, multiple rocket launch systems, and mortars since the truce came into effect at midnight.
Russia said its forces responded “symmetrically” to what it described as violations by Ukrainian troops.
Earlier, the Kremlin denied claims that Ukraine attempted to sabotage a military parade in Red Square marking the 81st anniversary of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
“No attempts were made. Everything went well,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told local media.
International
Trump Says U.S.-Iran Talks Progressing, Signals Possible Deal on Strait of Hormuz
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Washington is holding “very good” talks with Iran and stated that there is a strong possibility of reaching an agreement to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“We’ve had very good conversations over the last 44 hours, and it’s very possible that we’ll reach an agreement,” Trump said during an event held in the Oval Office at the White House.
The president’s remarks came just hours after he announced a temporary suspension of the military operation aimed at escorting vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf due to Iran’s blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
Trump explained that the pause in operations is intended to facilitate diplomatic negotiations between both sides and prevent further military escalation in the region.
“We’re in good shape, and right now things are going well. Now we have to achieve what we need to achieve. If we don’t, we’ll have to go much further,” the Republican president warned.
In a post published on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump reiterated that if Iran accepts Washington’s proposed conditions, military operations and the naval blockade affecting the Islamic republic would come to an end.
However, he also issued a new warning to the Iranian government, stating that the United States would respond with attacks “of greater intensity” if Tehran rejects the agreement promoted by the White House.
Panama confirms drug contamination of El Salvador coffee shipment occurred on its territory
Trump floats Vance-Rubio potential Republican ticket for 2028 election
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Violating Victory Day Truce
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