Gaza: Worse Than Hell on Earth
States are falling short in efforts to end the war, relieve Palestinian suffering, and secure the release of Israeli hostages - ICRC
Gaza has become worse than hell on Earth, according to the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Mirjana Spoljaric. Speaking in a BBC interview at the ICRC headquarters in Geneva, Spoljaric says humanity is failing. States are not doing enough to end the war, end the suffering of Palestinians and release Israeli hostages, she adds. Palestinians, she says, have been stripped of human dignity. International humanitarian law is being hollowed out. What is happening in Gaza, she says, surpasses any acceptable legal, moral and humane standard. The ICRC is an international organisation that operates in war zones. It has over 300 staff in Gaza, most of whom are Palestinians. Its surgical hospital in Rafah, in southern Gaza, is the closest medical facility to the area where many Palestinians have been killed during chaotic aid distribution in the last few days near sites run by the Israel and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The ICRC says that yesterday morning its Rafah surgical teams received 184 patients, including 19 people dead on arrival and eight others who died of their wounds shortly afterwards. It was the highest number of casualties from a single incident at the field hospital since it was established just over a year ago - BBC
The ICRC urgently reiterates its call for the respect and protection of civilians. Civilians trying to access humanitarian assistance should not have to confront danger. Now more than ever, it is crucial that the rapid and unimpeded flow of humanitarian relief into Gaza is allowed and facilitated.
🎧 Tap above to listen to yesterday’s World Briefing Plus.
It’s a great example of the in-depth analysis and exclusive insights that paid subscribers receive—well before they’re shared more widely.
The world will never forget the Tiananmen Square massacre, the US secretary of state and Taiwan president have said on the 36th anniversary of the crackdown, which China’s government still tries to erase from domestic memory. There is no official death toll but activists believe hundreds, possibly thousands, were killed by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in the streets around Tiananmen Square, Beijing’s central plaza, on 4 June 1989. “Today we commemorate the bravery of the Chinese people who were killed as they tried to exercise their fundamental freedoms, as well as those who continue to suffer persecution as they seek accountability and justice for the events of June 4, 1989,” said Marco Rubio, the US’s top diplomat, in a statement. “The CCP [Chinese Communist party] actively tries to censor the facts, but the world will never forget.” Responding to Rubio’s remarks on Wednesday, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, said: “Erroneous statements by the US side maliciously distort historical facts, deliberately attack China’s political system and developmental path, and seriously interfere in China’s internal affairs.” Separately, Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory, also praised the bravery of the Tiananmen Square protesters. “Authoritarian governments often choose to silence and forget history, while democratic societies choose to preserve the truth and refuse to forget those who gave their lives – and their dreams – to the idea of human rights,” said Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te. - The Guardian
France has pledged to come up with a plan within the next six weeks to intercept migrant “taxi boats” at sea for the first time. French interior ministry sources said they will target boats within 300 metres of the beaches to stop them leaving for the UK loaded with migrants. The strategy aims to be ready for the Franco-British summit, which begins on July 8, when Emmanuel Macron, the French president, will travel to London for a state visit. France is expanding its naval forces with six new patrol boats that will not only rescue migrants but could also intercept the “taxi boats” before they leave for the UK. The first of the boats, the 46-metre long Rozel, which is capable of carrying 20 paramilitary police officers, known as gendarmes, has already been put to sea. The move comes after Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, this week demanded the French start intercepting migrant boats at sea “as swiftly as possible” after a record 1,195 migrants reached the UK in 19 dinghies on Saturday. It took the total so far this year to 14,812, the highest on record - The Telegraph
The United States says the UK and all other NATO allies must agree to spend at least 5% of national income on defence and security "starting now". Matthew Whitaker, Donald Trump's ambassador to the NATO alliance, said: "Let me cut to the core of our message: 5%." He continued: "Peace through strength means nothing less and it demands it equally from all allies. This is not going to be just a pledge. This is going to be a commitment. Every ally must commit to investing at least 5% of GDP in defence and security, starting now." The warning comes after Sky News revealed yesterday that Sir Keir Starmer would be forced to agree to lift pure defence spending to 3.5% of GDP and spend a further 1.5% on defence-related areas by the 2030s as part of a NATO push to rearm and to keep the US on side. Yet as late as Monday, the prime minister was still talking merely about an "ambition" to increase investment in his armed forces to 3% from 2.3% by 2034 - even as he launched a major review of defence. The position caused bemusement inside the Ministry of Defence where officials believe it is inevitable that the UK position will change - Sky News
“This is the closest I’ve ever seen them—almost directly overhead.” In this CNN interview, I describe the chilling moment Russian drones pierced deeper into Odesa’s heart than ever before. Also, the impact of Ukraine’s strikes deep inside Russia and what the EU needs to do to restrain Putin.
The European Commission has given Bulgaria the go-ahead to join the eurozone single currency region as of January 1, 2026, the country's second major step in just one year on its path to full integration into the European Union. The commission, which met on June 4 to convey its decision on the issue, said Bulgaria fulfils the four nominal convergence criteria that are used to evaluate whether a country is ready for euro adoption. "The euro is a tangible symbol of European strength and unity," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The European Central Bank (ECB) also gave a positive assessment of Bulgaria's application, saying it met the criteria of currency stability, inflation, public finances, and interest rates - RFE/RL
President Donald Trump has sent Congress a request to nix $9.4 billion in current funding for public broadcasting and foreign aid — the first test of Republicans’ willingness to back the administration’s gutting of federal agencies. The “rescissions” memo was officially transmitted Tuesday to Capitol Hill and seeks to eliminate $8.3 billion in foreign aid, along with $1.1 billion from public broadcasting, including for National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service. It also asks Congress to claw back funding from more than a dozen accounts across the State Department, including U.S. contributions to UN peacekeeping efforts and $900 million for global health programs, as well as $800 million for migration and refugee assistance. The request now starts a 45-day clock — not counting breaks longer than three days — for Congress to either approve or rebuff Trump’s recommendation to claw back funding that’s supposed to be flowing now. While Speaker Mike Johnson vowed Tuesday to “act quickly” to approve the package, it faces longer odds in the Senate, despite the fact that the chamber can approve it at a simple-majority bar without having to worry about clearing the filibuster: Trump’s previous request to revoke $15 billion during his first term in office was defeated in 2018. - Politico
The journals…
