International
Amnesty International denounces torture and arbitrary arrests by Israel to the Gazats
Amnesty International (AI) released on Thursday a report in which it denounced torture and detentions of Palestinians incommunicadome by Israel, and called on the authorities to release “immediately” the detainees arbitrarily.
“The Israeli authorities must put an end to the indefinite detention incommunicado of Palestinians from the occupied Gaza Strip, without charges or trial, under the Law on Illegitimate Combatants, in flagrant violation of international law,” the organization demands in a press release.
The Army invoked this law, enacted in 2002, for the first time in five years to arrest alleged participants in the October 7 attacks, but shortly thereafter expanded its use “to detain Palestinians in Gaza en masse without charges or trial,” the organization denounces.
AI interviewed 27 people arrested and released later – five women, 21 men and a 14-year-old teenager – and all of them reported having been subjected to torture and other ill-treatment.
Through the Law on the Detention of Illegitimate Combatants, the Army has no obligation to issue an arrest warrant against the individual, to whom the rule denies access to legal assistance for up to 90 days, also encoding detention in isolation, which facilitates torture.
The detainees do not receive the evidence that justifies their arrest, nor does the lawyer who assists them, which leads many to remain imprisoned for months “without the slightest idea” of why they are detained – which is a violation of international law -, “completely isolated from their family and loved ones, and without means to challenge the reasons for their arrest,” according to Amnesty International.
Nor can they communicate with their family, as a health worker told the organization, according to which not knowing if their family was alive or dead in Gaza was “even worse than torture and hunger.”
In December, Israel amended the law to extend the time of captivity without a detention warrant of Palestinians from the original 96 hours (extendable up to seven days) to a maximum of 45 days. The maximum deprivation of liberty until appearing before a judicial authority went from 14 to 75 days, and the imprisonment without legal assistance went from 21 days to 6 months, then reduced to 3.
Of those interviewed, eight showed marks and bruises compatible with torture, and the medical reports of two people corroborated the reports of torture.
In addition, Amnesty International has verified five videos of mass arrests, having filmed in some of them people in underwear after being arrested in northern Gaza and Jan Yunis (south).
According to the organization, “public nakedness forced for prolonged periods violates the prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment and constitutes sexual violence.”
Some of the most explicit cases were recorded in the prison of Sde Teiman, in southern Israel. The prisoners locked up there reported having been forced to stay for hours in tense positions, and were forbidden to talk to other prisoners or raise their heads.
A 14-year-old boy from Yabalia (northern Gaza) remained in this prison for 24 days locked in a barracks with at least 100 adult detainees.
The minor reported having received kicks and punches in the neck, and that the captors had “repeatedly burned him with cigarette butts,” something that the organization verified when observing burns and bruises when interviewing him.
Among the interviewees were five women who were detained in isolation for more than 50 days.
One of them told how, after three weeks in Damon prison (northern Israel), she was told that she was going to be released. “They handcuffed her, blindfolded her, put shackles on her feet and took her to another place.”
There, the military tore her clothes with a knife and subjected her to “a violent naked body search,” and then she was taken for 18 more days to the Anatot prison (near Jerusalem).
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.
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Trump floats Vance-Rubio potential Republican ticket for 2028 election
Russia Accuses Ukraine of Violating Victory Day Truce
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