International
Israel attributes the attack on the only Catholic church in Gaza to an “involuntary diversion” of ammunition
The Israeli Army said on Wednesday that last Thursday’s attack on the only Catholic church in Gaza, the parish of the Sagrada Familia, which caused three deaths, was due to an “involuntary diversion” of ammunition during a military operation in the area.
“The investigation revealed that, during an operation by the troops of the Israeli Defense Forces in the Gaza City area, the church was accidentally hit due to an involuntary diversion of ammunition,” the Army said in a statement.
“The impact caused damage to the building and left several Gaza civilians injured,” he adds.
According to the Army, during the operation “adjustments were made” to improve the accuracy of the fire and, after the incident, “the guidelines for opening fire near religious buildings, shelters and other sensitive places were clarified.”
The attack occurred last Thursday around 10:20 local time (07:20 GMT), when about 500 displaced people, including children and people with disabilities, were in refugees in the church.
The bombing also injured his parish priest, the Argentine Gabriel Romanelli, who had become popular in Italy due to the daily calls of his compatriot, the late Pope Francis, who since the beginning of the Israeli offensive called him to ask him about the situation in Gaza and the hundreds of displaced people who took refuge in that church.
After the bombing, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, accompanied by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch, Theophilus III, visited the Gaza Strip for three days, as part of an ecclesiastical delegation that delivered humanitarian aid and expressed its solidarity with the local Christian community.
Last Saturday, July 19, the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, questioned the Israeli version – which at that time, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, attributed the attack to “a lost ammunition” – and expressed doubts about whether it was really due to an error.
In statements to Italian public television RAI, the head of Vatican diplomacy said that “it can be legitimately doubted” whether it was really a mistake or if there was an intention behind it, considering that Christians are “an element of moderation” in the Middle East.
“What has happened is of absolute gravity,” he stressed.
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.
International
Jair Bolsonaro sentenced for leading armed criminal plot after 2022 election loss
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, 70, has been sentenced for leading an armed criminal organization that attempted to cling to power after losing the 2022 elections to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The alleged coup plot, which reportedly included a plan to assassinate Lula, was not carried out due to lack of support from the military leadership.
By a four-to-one vote of the judges overseeing the case, seven co-defendants, including former ministers and military chiefs, were also convicted.
“A criminal armed organization was formed by the defendants, who must be sentenced based on the factual circumstances I consider proven,” said the final judge to cast a vote, Cristiano Zanin.
Bolsonaro, who has been under house arrest since August, did not attend the court hearings, citing health issues.
Reacting on X, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the former president’s son, said: “They call this a trial a process whose outcome everyone already knew before it began.”
One of the first international reactions came from the White House. Former U.S. President Donald Trump called the sentence “very surprising,” while Senator Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State, stated that the United States will “respond accordingly” to the “unjust” ruling.
International
Poland invokes NATO Article 4 after russian drone incursion
The violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones on Wednesday triggered the most serious clash between Russia and NATO since the start of the war in Ukraine, prompting Poland to invoke Article 4 of the NATO Treaty, which calls for consultations among allies.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk addressed Parliament on Wednesday, describing an unprecedented “aggression” in which at least 19 Russian drones breached Polish airspace, creating a situation that the Prime Minister described as “the closest to an open conflict since World War II.”
Speaking at the start of an extraordinary Council of Ministers session, Tusk stated that “this is the first time Russian drones have been shot down over the territory of a NATO member state, and that is why all our allies are taking the situation very seriously.”
Although he affirmed that “there is no reason to claim that we are in a state of war,” he labeled the incidents as “a large-scale provocation” and ordered the invocation of NATO’s Article 4 to call for consultations with allied nations.
Tusk also noted on X (formerly Twitter) that he had received “not only expressions of solidarity with Poland but, above all, concrete proposals to support the country’s air defense” during discussions with European leaders throughout the day.
The Polish leader specifically mentioned conversations with the leaders of the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, and the Netherlands—Keir Starmer, Giorgia Meloni, Friedrich Merz, and Dick Schoof—along with French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.
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