International

Israel claims to have killed a Hamas leader in an attack on Tulkarem that caused 18 deaths

The Israeli Army claimed to have killed a leader of the Palestinian Hamas group in the attack it launched this Thursday against the Tulkerem refugee camp, in the occupied West Bank, in which at least 18 people died, according to figures from the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israeli planes bombed a cafeteria and that 18 people perished in the attack.

According to the Army, in the attack, launched in coordination with the Israeli national intelligence service (Shin Bet), the leader of Hamas in Tulkarem, identified as Zahi Yaser bdel Razaq Awfi, died.

Attack on Tulkarem refugee camp

The Israeli army simply reported in a statement that it had launched an attack in coordination with the National Intelligence Center (Shin Bet) and that it would subsequently offer more details.

The Palestinian agency said that a missile hit a popular cafe located in Al Hamam alley, in the Tulkarem refugee camp.

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Attack in Tulkarem increases deaths in West Bank

In the last year, Israel has killed 720 Palestinians in the West Bank, including 160 minors, according to the Ministry of Health.
In Tulkarem alone, at least 94 Palestinians have died since January, including eight children aged 15 and 17, according to a follow-up by EFE.

Most have died from soldiers’ shots but more than thirty in air strikes, a tactic that Israel did not use in cities and refugee camps in the West Bank since the Second Intifada, two decades ago.

The offensive to Lebanon continues

The Israeli army launched 15 bombings this Thursday against targets of the Shiite Hezbollah militia in Beirut, including its historic center for the second time in a year of clashes, in attacks that have caused at least nine deaths, although the Lebanese authorities do not rule out more victims, while the clashes continue on the border between the two countries.

The Israeli army reported an airstrike against the intelligence headquarters of the Shiite group Hezbula in Beirut and also the office of its communication organ in the same city.

Deaths increase

According to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, at least nine people were killed and fourteen were injured in the bombing, although it reported that they are analyzing the DNA remains found at the scene to determine the final death count.

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The Lebanese National News Agency (ANN) reported that there were bombings in the Beirut area of Dahye, which targeted the neighborhoods of Haret Hreik, Burj al Barajna, Al Amirikan and Al Ghobeiry, while a building “completely collapsed” in the Muawad area.

He added that the attack destroyed a center of the Islamic Health Authority, an organization linked to Hezbullah that is responsible for offering health care and services, and in which “internationally prohibited phosphorus bombs” were used, he said.

International

Trump Floats “Friendly Takeover” of Cuba Amid Rising Tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that his administration is considering what he described as a “friendly takeover” of Cuba, as Washington continues to increase pressure on the island’s communist government.

“The Cuban government is talking to us and they have very serious problems, as you know. They have no money, they have nothing at this moment, but they are talking to us and maybe we will see a friendly takeover of Cuba,” Trump told reporters as he departed the White House for a trip to Texas.

Earlier in the week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Cuba needed a “radical change,” shortly after Washington eased restrictions on oil exports to the island for what officials described as “humanitarian reasons,” amid a deep economic crisis.

The United States has imposed an energy blockade on Cuba since January, citing what it calls an “extraordinary threat” posed by the communist-run island, located roughly 150 kilometers (90 miles) off the coast of Florida, to U.S. national security.

International

Argentina’s Senate Reviews Milei-Backed Labor Overhaul

Argentina’s Senate on Friday began reviewing the Labor Modernization Law promoted by the administration of President Javier Milei, a proposal that would significantly reshape labor rules across the country.

The upper chamber opened its final discussion of the contentious initiative, which revises the method used to calculate severance payments — lowering the amounts owed in dismissal cases — and introduces an “hour bank” mechanism that allows overtime to be offset with paid leave rather than extra wages.

The legislation also broadens the classification of essential services, a change that would place new limits on the right to strike in designated sectors.

The bill was initially approved by the Senate on February 11 and then moved to the Chamber of Deputies, where lawmakers passed it with amendments. It has now returned to the Senate for definitive approval.

Outside the Congress building in Buenos Aires, workers, trade unions and left-wing organizations staged demonstrations beginning at midday. The gathering later thinned out amid reports of disturbances and a strong police presence. Security forces had secured the area surrounding the legislature since early morning hours.

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Union leaders contend that the reform weakens labor protections, while many business representatives back the measure but stress that sustainable formal employment will require economic expansion, improved credit conditions, greater investment and a more dynamic domestic market.

International

Federal Judge Blocks Trump Policy Allowing Deportations to Third Countries

A federal judge ruled on Wednesday that the policy of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration allowing immigration authorities to deport foreign nationals to third countries without prior notice or the opportunity to object is unlawful. The decision marks another legal setback for the administration on immigration matters.

Judge Brian Murphy of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts struck down the regulation issued last year, which stated that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was not required to notify migrants if they were to be sent to countries other than the one listed in their removal order, provided that receiving nations offered assurances they would not face persecution or torture.

Murphy ordered the measure vacated but granted a 15-day delay before the ruling takes effect, giving the Trump administration time to file an appeal.

In his decision, the judge concluded that the policy violates federal immigration law and migrants’ due process rights. He also questioned the lack of transparency surrounding the alleged assurances provided by receiving countries, stating that “no one really knows anything about these supposed ‘assurances.’” He added, “It is not right, and it is not lawful.”

The ruling follows several legal disputes involving deportations to third countries. Last year, the executive branch deported more than 200 Salvadorans to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador, invoking an old wartime law. The White House also held talks with Costa Rica, Panama, and Rwanda about receiving migrants who are not citizens of those countries.

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In May, the same judge determined that the government violated a court order when it attempted to remove a group of immigrants with criminal records to South Sudan without prior notice or an opportunity to raise claims of fear of persecution.

Although President Donald Trump took the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, which temporarily allowed the deportations to resume while a final decision was pending, the White House is expected to again appeal to higher courts to overturn this latest judicial ruling.