International

More than 200,000 people return to northern Gaza in an ongoing exodus

Thousands of Gazans began this Tuesday the return to what is left of their homes in the devastated north of the Gaza Strip, after yesterday at least 200,000 people did, according to UN figures, which the Hamas government raised to more than 300,000, in a statement from the Islamist group.

“More than 300,000 displaced people from our great Palestinian people returned from the southern and central governors to the (city of) Gaza and northern governors through Rashid and Salah al Din streets after 470 days of the genocidal war committed by the ‘Israeli’ army of occupation,” the Hamas media office said in a statement.

At dawn, the crowds who had spent the night near the Netzarim corridor, a closed military area located in the south of Gaza City, began to move on foot to the northern cities and a longed-for Gaza, the once vibrant capital of Gaza, from where 1.4 million people began to be forcibly evacuated after the first week of war.

“The doctor told me that I shouldn’t walk or climb stairs, but I’ve been walking for two hours and I’m not tired. I feel like someone takes me every step of the way. Closer and closer to my house,” the Palestinian Nihad, who walked yesterday with her husband and children through that parallel road to the Mediterranean Sea, heading north, told EFE.

As the Hamas Government reported today, more than 5,500 officials are working to facilitate return routes and corridors, while some 135,000 tents and caravans are needed to house this population that returns to a destroyed Gaza that they no longer know.

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Late last night, at least one Palestinian was killed by an Israeli airstrike against the excavator he was driving next to the Nuseirat refugee camp, in central Gaza, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

With this event, the total number of deaths after the entry into force of the ceasefire is at least 16 people, according to an EFE count.

The Israeli Army confirmed today having fired from the air against “several suspicious vehicles” that were moving north through an area that “is not authorized for the passage and without being inspected, in violation of the terms of the agreement,” according to a military statement.

In addition, he said that after having fired “warning shots” at a suspect in northern Gaza who did not leave, “additional shots were fired to eliminate the threat.”

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International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

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Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”