International

Biden tells Netanyahu that the future of US support will depend on the protection of civilians in Gaza

US President Joe Biden warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday that the future support of the United States for the war in Gaza will depend on the “concrete” actions he takes to minimize the damage to civilians in the Gaza Strip and ensure the safety of humanitarian workers.

The two leaders spoke this Thursday by phone, in what is their first direct contact since the attack that on April 1 killed seven co-workers from World Central Kitchen (WCK), the NGO founded by Spanish chef José Andrés.

According to the White House in a statement, Biden took advantage of the call to ask Netanyahu to announce and implement “a series of specific, concrete and measurable steps to address the damage to civilians, humanitarian suffering and the safety of aid workers.”

He then warned that his Government’s future policy regarding Gaza “will depend” on the actions that Israel takes to comply with those requests and considered that the attacks on humanitarian workers and the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, where 33,000 people have died, “are unacceptable.”

Biden also stressed to Netanyahu that “an immediate ceasefire is essential to stabilize and improve the humanitarian situation and protect innocent civilians,” and urged him to empower his negotiators to conclude an agreement without delay for the hostages to return home.

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Biden’s words imply a hardening of tone, although already in recent months he has been critical of Israel’s military strategy in Gaza.

However, in practice, your Government has not modified the support it has provided to Israel since the beginning of the conflict.

In fact, this same Thursday, The Washington Post newspaper reported that the United States approved on Monday – the same day that the attack on WCK took place – a new weaponry package to Israel that includes 2,000 small and medium-diameter bombs.

The White House statement did not mention that delivery of weapons and it is only said that both also talked about Iran’s threats to Israel. In this regard, Biden made it clear that the United States strongly supports Israel in the face of those threats.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that President Joe Biden asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to have a ceasefire in Gaza to protect innocent civilians.

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During today’s telephone conversation with Netanyahu, Biden told him that “an immediate ceasefire is essential to stabilize and improve the humanitarian situation and protect innocent civilians,” Blinken said at a press conference in Brussels, after having participated in a NATO ministerial meeting.

He also urged him to allow his negotiators to conclude “an agreement without delay to return home the hostages” kidnapped by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas after its attack on Israel on October 7, in which about 1,200 people also died.

“If we don’t see the changes we have to see, there will be changes in our policy,” Blinken insisted.

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.”

International

Mexico security chief meets DEA director in Washington to boost anti-drug cooperation

Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection, Omar García Harfuch, met in Washington with the head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Terrance Cole, to discuss cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking and illegal arms flows.

The Mexican official said Monday on social media that he attended the meeting in representation of the Mexican government’s Security Cabinet.

“In Washington, D.C., I represented the Security Cabinet to hold talks with DEA Director Terrance Cole on the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation to combat drug trafficking, curb the flow of weapons into our country, and reduce violence in Mexico through significant arrests,” García Harfuch wrote.

He added that, following instructions from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, the government will continue strengthening international cooperation on security matters.

For his part, Cole said the meeting focused on cross-border collaboration to tackle drug trafficking and to build safer communities on both sides of the border.

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The meeting comes as Mexico and the United States begin a new round of dialogue on economic and security issues.

Earlier Monday, President Claudia Sheinbaum said she will look for the “best moment” to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, adding that maintaining a good relationship with Washington is a priority for her administration.

International

Venezuela’s foreign minister accuses UN rights chief of “immoral bias”

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil criticized the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, accusing him of having an “immoral bias” and acting as an “echo chamber for falsehoods” regarding the situation in Venezuela.

Gil’s remarks came after Türk stated that his office had not received an official list from Venezuelan authorities detailing the release of political prisoners, nor authorization to carry out visits related to the issue.

“The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights insists on a narrative biased against our country, repeating unfounded accusations while deliberately omitting the impact of unilateral coercive measures on the rights of the Venezuelan people,” Gil said in a message posted on his Telegram channel.

Without directly addressing the question of prisoner releases, the Venezuelan foreign minister also accused Türk of aligning with what he described as the “agenda of extremism in Venezuela.”

Gil added that, despite serious human rights violations occurring in other parts of the world, the UN official has chosen to maintain what he described as an “immoral bias” against Venezuela.

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The criticism is part of a broader dispute between the Venezuelan government and the UN human rights office over reports and investigations concerning the human rights situation in the country.