International
Guterres: “It’s time to give the Palestinians hope that there will be a Palestinian state”
The Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, assured this Saturday that it is necessary to agree on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, release the hostages in the hands of the Islamist group Hamas and give hope for the creation of an independent Palestinian state.
“It’s time to create hope for the Palestinian people that there will be a Palestinian state,” Guterres said at a press conference from Arish airport in Egypt, after visiting the Rafah border crossing, which connects the Sinai peninsula with the Gaza Strip.
The head of the UN said that “everything possible” must be done to avoid an Israeli offensive in the Palestinian town of Rafah, in the southern end of the Strip and where about 1.5 million displaced people are crowded by the war that began on October 7.
“Everyone is going to assume their responsibilities with History. For me, it is clear: We need to avoid a catastrophic situation in Rafah,” Guterres said, adding that there is “a clear consensus” between the United States, the European Union, the UN and the international community against that ground offensive.
Asked how the effects of an offensive in Rafah could be mitigated, the diplomat replied: “Don’t ask me how I can guarantee that the Israeli Government does anything, because it is clear that the Israeli Government does not normally do what I ask.”
Guterres described the obstacles to the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip as “moral outrage”. According to the Egyptian authorities, more than 7,000 trucks loaded with assistance are waiting for instructions from Israel to enter the Palestinian enclave.
“A long line of rescue trucks blocked on one side of the door, and the long shadow of hunger on the other side. This is more than tragic. It’s a moral outrage,” Guterres said at a press conference from the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing, which connects the Egyptian Sinai peninsula with the Gaza Strip.
The head of the UN, who today made his second visit to the border with Gaza since the beginning of the war on October 7, also warned against an Israeli operation in the Palestinian town of Rafah, in the extreme south of the Strip and where about 1.5 million displaced Gazans are crowded.
“All this shows that it’s time for an immediate ceasefire. I say it again. It’s time for a strong commitment by Israel to full and unrestricted access to humanitarian goods throughout Gaza,” Guterres urged.
He also appealed to the “spirit of compassion” of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan fasting for “the immediate release of all hostages” in the hands of the Islamist group Hamas.
“It is monstrous that after so much suffering for so many months the Palestinians in Gaza celebrate Ramadan while Israeli bombs continue to fall, bullets continue to fly, artillery continues to strike and humanitarian assistance continues to face obstacles behind obstacles,” the Portuguese lamented.
Upon his arrival in Egypt, Guterres met with the governor of the province of Northern Sinai, Mohamed Shosha, who told him that Israel “is hindering the entry of trucks” into Gaza due to severe restrictions and lengthy procedures, something that has caused about 7,000 trucks to have not yet been able to enter the enclave, according to a statement from the provincial administration.
The head of the UN reiterated that “nothing justifies the horrible attacks in Hamas of October 7,” in the same way that “nothing justifies the collective punishment of the Palestinian people,” in reference to the retaliation of Israel – which has resulted in about 32,000 lives – for the attacks of the Islamist group that left about 1,200 dead.
“Now more than ever it’s time to achieve an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. It’s time to silence the weapons. Palestinian children, women and men in Gaza are still trapped in an incessant nightmare, communities destroyed, houses demolished, entire families and generations annihilated by hunger and starvation that stay the population,” Guterres recalled.
In this sense, he urged all UN member countries to support humanitarian work, after several countries suspended funding for the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) after Israel’s accusations against a dozen of its members of participating in the Hamas attacks.
“I want the Palestinians in Gaza to know that they are not alone. People from all over the world are outraged by the horrors that we all witness in real time (…) We have already seen enough. We have already had enough and we still believe that human dignity and decency must define us as a global community,” Guterres said.
International
U.S. and Mexico Reach Deal to Address Water Deficit Under 1944 Treaty
The United States and Mexico have reached an agreement to comply with current water obligations affecting U.S. farmers and ranchers and for Mexico to cover its water deficit to Texas under the 1944 Water Treaty, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a statement.
The department уточified that the agreement applies to both the current cycle and the water deficit from the previous cycle.
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump accused Mexico of failing to comply with the water-sharing treaty between the two countries, which requires the United States to deliver 1.85 billion cubic meters of water from the Colorado River, while Mexico must supply 432 million cubic meters from the Rio Grande.
Mexico is behind on its commitments. According to Washington, the country has accumulated a deficit of more than one billion cubic meters of water over the past five years.
“This violation is severely harming our beautiful crops and our livestock in Texas,” Trump wrote on Monday.
The Department of Agriculture said on Friday that Mexico had agreed to supply 250 million cubic meters of water starting next week and to work toward closing the shortfall.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, quoted in the statement, said Mexico delivered more water in a single year than it had over the previous four years combined.
Trump has said that if Mexico continues to fall short of its obligations, the United States reserves the right to impose 5% tariffs on imported Mexican products.
Mexico’s Deputy Foreign Minister for North America, Roberto Velasco, said that a severe drought in 2022 and 2023prevented the country from meeting its commitments.
International
Several people shot in attack on Brown University campus
Several people were shot on Saturday in an attack on the campus of Brown University, in the northeastern United States, local police reported.
“Shelter in place and avoid the area until further notice,” the Providence Police Department urged in a post on X. Brown University is located in Providence, the capital of the state of Rhode Island.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on his social media platform Truth Social that he had been briefed on the situation and that the FBI was on the scene.
At 5:52 p.m. local time (11:52 p.m. GMT), Brown University said the situation was still “ongoing” and instructed students to remain sheltered until further notice.
After initially stating that the suspect had been taken into custody, Trump later posted a second message clarifying that local police had walked back that information. “The suspect has NOT been apprehended,” the U.S. president said.
International
Colombia says it would not reject Maduro asylum request as regional tensions escalate
The Colombian government stated on Thursday that it would have no reason to reject a potential asylum request from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro should he leave office, as regional tensions persist over the deployment of U.S. military forces in the Caribbean since August.
“In the current climate of tension, negotiations are necessary, and if the United States demands a transition or political change, that is something to be assessed. If such a transition results in him (Maduro) needing to live elsewhere or seek protection, Colombia would have no reason to deny it,” said Colombian Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio in an interview with Caracol Radio.
However, Villavicencio noted that it is unlikely Maduro would choose Colombia as a refuge. “I believe he would opt for someplace more distant and calmer,” she added.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro also commented on Venezuela’s situation on Wednesday, arguing that the country needs a “democratic revolution” rather than “inefficient repression.” His remarks followed the recent detention and passport cancellation of Cardinal Baltazar Porras at the Caracas airport.
“The Maduro government must understand that responding to external aggression requires more than military preparations; it requires a democratic revolution. A country is defended with more democracy, not more inefficient repression,” Petro wrote on X (formerly Twitter), in a rare public criticism of the Venezuelan leader.
Petro also called for a general amnesty for political opponents and reiterated his call for forming a broad transitional government to address Venezuela’s prolonged crisis.
Since September, U.S. military forces have destroyed more than 20 vessels allegedly carrying drugs in Caribbean and Pacific waters near Venezuela and Colombia, resulting in over 80 deaths.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned that attacks “inside Venezuela” will begin “soon,” while Maduro has urged Venezuelans to prepare for what he describes as an impending external aggression.
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