International
Armed settlers attack Palestinian villages as Iranian threat plans over Israel
Armed settlers attacked ten villages in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, leaving more than a dozen Palestinians wounded by bullets, after a 14-year-old Israeli teenager was found dead near a settlement; the escalation occurs while Israel remains on alert to the Iranian threat of attacking the Jewish State.
According to medical sources of the Palestinian Red Crescent, more than a dozen Palestinians were wounded by bullets today – five in the village of Al Mughayir, where yesterday a 25-year-old Palestinian died in a first attack by settlers along with law enforcement forces – and another five in the village of Duma, northeast of Ramalla.
At least three more were beaten, and one Palestinian was injured with rubber bullets in widespread attacks – with burning of homes and destruction of cars – according to a count by the Israeli NGO Yesh Din in eight other villages: As Sawiya, Qusra, Beitin, Silwad, Sinjil, Beitillu, Turmusaya and Beit Furik.
The Palestinian Prime Minister, Mohamad Mustafa, today condemned the attacks of Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank and said in a statement that they will “not deter” Palestinians from “remaining in their land.” With the start of the war in Gaza, these attacks have increased to more than 700 since October, according to OCHA.
These attacks occurred after a search device found this afternoon with a drone the lifeless body, near the outpost of Malachei HaShalom (illegal settlement also under Israeli law) of the 14-year-old settler Benjamin Achimeir, who disappeared yesterday at 6:00 in the morning when he went out to herd sheep.
The Israeli Army reported that the violence and clashes “had ended” tonight and announced more military and police presence in the West Bank, according to a statement.
According to the text, members of the Israeli security forces were also injured in the clashes that lasted for hours, and the Army reported the use of “anti-riot dispersal means” to end the altercations.
The Israeli Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, today asked Israelis via X that they will not take “justice in their own hands” and to let “the security forces act quickly in the search for the terrorists.”
“Acts of revenge will make the mission of our soldiers difficult. Justice should not be taken by its own hands,” he said in reference to the search operation to find the person responsible for the death of the Jewish teenager, who the authorities believe is Palestinian.
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, sent his condolences to the family, in what he called an “atrocious murder,” and assured that those responsible will be punished as “anyone who damages the citizens of the State of Israel.”
Meanwhile, the Army said it was still on “high alert” to protect itself from “new Iranian aggressions,” as the Israeli military spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said today in a statement shortly after the capture by Iran of a freighter in the Persian Gulf, to which he made no reference, was known.
The Israeli Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, did confirm the participation of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in the hijacking of the ship, linked to the company ‘Zodiac Maritime’ owned by an Israeli billionaire, and asked the European Union to declare that Persian military corps a “terrorist organization.”
Hours later, the Ministry of Defense claimed to have increased security measures.
The capture has further increased tension in the Middle East, and especially in Israel, which awaits a reprisal attack after the bombing of the Tehran consulate in Damascus on April 1, which claimed the lives of half a dozen Iranians.
Despite the official alert, the population has hardly altered their behavior at all: the bars are still full and, tonight, a large demonstration has been called in Tel Aviv against the Netanyahu Government and for the return of the hostages from the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas informed on Saturday the intermediaries of Egypt and Qatar, who have been working for months to try to achieve a truce in the war in Gaza, its rejection of the latest proposal, mediated by the United States, which it received last Monday and calls for a “permanent ceasefire.”
“In Hamas we reaffirm our adherence to our demands and the national demands of our people,” Hamas said in a statement, in which it reiterated its four requirements for an agreement: a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of the Israeli “occupation army” from all Gaza, the return of displaced people from the northern of the Strip, and a greater entry of humanitarian aid and the beginning of reconstruction.
“We also confirm our willingness to close an agreement,” the statement says, through “a serious and real exchange of prisoners between the two parties.”
According to leaks to the Israeli media and sources close to the negotiations in Cairo contacted by EFE, the last agreement on the table included six weeks of ceasefire, and a first exchange of 40 hostages for about 900 Palestinian prisoners; a hundred of them with long sentences.
International
20th Festival Salvadoreñísimo brings together thousands of salvadorans in Houston
Parades, baton twirlers, and a mix of Salvadoran and international music set the tone for the 20th edition of the Festival Salvadoreñísimo, held in Houston, Texas, with Tony Villatoro once again leading the organization.
This year, the highly anticipated event moved to a new venue: The Crown Festival Park in Sugar Land, Fort Bend County, within the “space city.” Despite the scorching sun of the open-air setting, spirits remained high, and a brief drizzle later brought relief and renewed energy to the celebration.
More than 5,000 Salvadorans gathered at the park, joining with Guatemalans, Hondurans, and even Mexicans to commemorate 204 years of independence for El Salvador and Central America. The festival was marked by a family-friendly atmosphere, where traditional foods such as pupusas, panes con gallina, pastelitos, and horchata could not be missed.
“Twenty years with this festival, and I am very grateful to the Salvadoran community that always shows up. Thanks to them, the sponsors, and to Diario El Salvador for supporting us since the beginning,” said Tony Villatoro, as more compatriots continued arriving to the celebration.
“I am satisfied. I didn’t expect this level of attendance, especially since we were trying a new outdoor venue with some challenges, but we made it through successfully,” Villatoro added.
The Festival Salvadoreñísimo, now a two-decade-long tradition, once again took place as part of Hispanic Heritage Month, a time when independence festivities run from mid-September through October.
International
El Salvador unveils 2025-2029 National Reintegration Plan for returned migrants
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched the National Reintegration Plan for Returned Salvadorans 2025-2029, a strategy designed to create greater opportunities, ensure access to quality services, and provide a favorable environment for Salvadorans returning to their home country to rebuild their lives.
The initiative is supported by the United Nations Network on Migration, coordinated by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), financed by the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), and backed by the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB) Migration Unit.
During the presentation, Vice Minister of Diaspora and Human Mobility Cindy Mariella Portal emphasized that migrants often face multiple challenges upon returning to their communities.
“That is why we are implementing actions that generate real and sustainable opportunities for these individuals,” she stated.
International
Authorities capture CJNG financial chief in international airport operation
A man identified as the main financial operator of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) was arrested Thursday at Mexico City’s international airport, authorities reported.
The individual, named by Mexican media as Óscar Antonio Álvarez, was apprehended during an operation involving the army, navy, National Guard, police, and the attorney general’s office, according to a joint statement.
Álvarez is considered the primary financial operator of a criminal group originating in Jalisco, and the capture took place at Benito Juárez Airport as he arrived on a flight from Barcelona, Spain.
Authorities stated that Álvarez faces charges of organized crime and money laundering, specifically for receiving and transferring illicit funds. His work with the CJNG reportedly included purchasing properties and managing businesses in the tequila and livestock sectors.
According to El Universal, Álvarez was directly under the command of Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, “El Mencho”, the cartel’s top leader, for whom the U.S. offers a $15 million reward.
The CJNG, which operates throughout Mexico and in various parts of the world, was designated earlier this year as a “foreign terrorist organization” by the U.S. government.
Álvarez was handed over to the federal public prosecutor to determine his legal situation, the report added.
20th Festival Salvadoreñísimo brings together thousands of salvadorans in Houston
El Salvador unveils 2025-2029 National Reintegration Plan for returned migrants
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