International

Far-right Israeli minister will leave the Netanyahu government if his country does not resume the war after the truce

Israel’s Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, announced on Thursday that his party will leave the coalition government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he does not commit to resume the war in Gaza “immediately after” the end of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement announced this Wednesday.

“The faction supports the demands of the party’s chairman, Minister Bezalel Smotrich, to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to guarantee Israel’s return to war to destroy Hamas (…) immediately after the conclusion of the first phase of the agreement, as a condition for the party to remain in the governing coalition,” the far-right party Religious Zionism said today in a statement.

According to the draft agreement to which Efe had access and details provided by Israeli officers, in the first phase of the 42-day agreement, Hamas will gradually release, and in exchange for more than a thousand Palestinian prisoners, 33 hostages (alive and dead) giving priority to women still captives – also the military ones -, people over 50 years of age, those under nineteen and the sick.

It is the second phase that must initiate “a sustainable calm” in the Strip and the total abandonment of Israeli troops from the Palestinian enclave as a requirement for Hamas to release the rest of the civilians and the male military so that finally, in a third phase, it exchanges the lifeless bodies of hostages already dead.

This morning, Netanyahu’s Office accused Hamas of not wanting to comply with what was already agreed on May 27, in the draft announced then by US President Joe Biden, and of wanting to exchange “mass murderers” for hostages, despite an explicit clause that vetoes it.

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Hamas, for its part, assured that it is “committed to the ceasefire agreement, announced by the mediators” and that it is Israel that is trying to “create tension at a critical moment,” in addition to asking the US government to force it to comply with the agreement.

An Israeli official confirmed today to EFE that the negotiating delegation, headed by the head of the Mossad, David Barnea, is still in Doha finalizing the details of the ceasefire agreement, announced yesterday by Qatar and which should come into force this Sunday.

International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

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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.”