Pro-Palestinian platform opens Pamplona’s running with the bulls festival

Pro-Palestinian activists have kicked off a new edition of the running with the bulls in the northern Spanish city of Pamplona with the traditional fireworks at noon (10:00 GMT).

The platform Yala Nafarroa con Palestina (Let’s Go Navarra with Palestine), which accuses Israel of genocide, was selected to open the nine-day St Fermin Festival after a public vote held in Pamplona.

One of its members, Eduardo Ibero Albo, described the decision to the news agency DFP as an opportunity to “give Palestine a voice”.

The festival, also known locally as Sanfermines, is dedicated to the city’s patron saint and has been celebrated in the 200,000-inhabitant city of the Navarra region since the end of the 16th century, always at the beginning of July.

_{Revellers hold a Palestinian flag as they celebrate the start of the St Fermin Festival in Pamplona, Spain, on July 6}

Brazil’s Lula opens BRICS summit with mention of Gaza ‘genocide’

Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has opened the BRICS summit with a speech in which he absolutely condemned Israel’s war on Gaza, saying, “We cannot stand by indifferent to the genocide being committed by Israel against the people of Palestine.”

He also said that the use of hunger as a weapon of war was absolutely unacceptable and that the only solution was for Israel to abandon the occupied territories and the establishment of a Palestinian State within the 1967 borders.

Leaders of the growing BRICS group are gathering in Rio de Janeiro for a two-day summit in which they are expected to discuss ways to increase cooperation amid what they say are serious concerns over Western dominance.

_{Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has condemned Israel’s war on Gaza as he opened the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil}

Israeli cabinet approves sending negotiators to Doha after heated debate

It took five hours of heated discussions, which devolved into shouting matches, according to Israeli media reports, for the cabinet to approve sending negotiators to Doha. There are now disagreements, especially regarding the distribution of aid.

Hamas says that the UN must be allowed to once again distribute aid at more than 400 distribution points across Gaza that they used to operate before Israel broke the ceasefire in March. This is not just the Hamas demand; it’s really an international one.

At this point, what Netanyahu wants to do is protect the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the control that Israel has now over the distribution of aid, which is not limited to food.

Israel wants Gaza to be ‘land without a people’

Netanyahu is not interested in a ceasefire, according to Adnan Hayajneh, professor of international relations at Qatar University, who told Al Jazeera that “there’s no hope that the ceasefire will continue” after all the captives are released, when Israel will return to “the same old story of killing the Palestinians”.

“I think what Israel wants is clear … it wants to land without a people … so Palestinians are given three choices: starve to death, get killed or leave the land.

“Palestinians and Hamas are interested in an overall ceasefire and the stop of the killing of the people and ending the conflict,” he said, adding that Israel is only interested in an agreement for the short-term target of securing the release of Israeli captives.

_{A Palestinian man carries a child wounded in an Israeli attack}

‘Hamas will not be there’, Netanyahu says as he leaves for Washington

Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will not agree to a ceasefire deal that allows Hamas to remain in the Gaza Strip, adding that the war would only be over when Hamas is defeated.

“We will not allow a situation that encourages kidnapping and murders,” the Israeli prime minister was quoted by Israeli media as saying while boarding a flight to Washington, DC in the US. “That means eliminating Hamas’s military capabilities. Hamas will not be there.”

Israel sent its negotiating team to the Qatari capital, Doha, for indirect talks with Hamas. Meanwhile, Netanyahu was heading to meet US President Donald Trump, whom he thanked for a “tremendous victory” against Iran in the 12-day Israel-Iran war last month.

“We have already transformed the Middle East beyond recognition, and we now have a chance to bring a great future to the people of Israel and the Middle East,” he said.

Retired Israeli general says Hamas fighters back to pre-war numbers

Israeli (reserve) Major-General Yitzhak Brik says Hamas has regained its pre-war strength, contradicting the Israeli army’s accounts of progress in Gaza, calling the reality on the ground “grim”.

Writing an opinion article published by Israeli news outlet Maariv, Brik claimed that Hamas now numbers about 40,000 fighters, similar to its strength before the war began in Gaza, with many operatives stationed in tunnels.

“They continue to fight as guerrillas as they have been fighting since the beginning of the war,” Brik wrote. “They were never an army, and therefore they have not lost their military capabilities as the Chief of Staff [of the Israeli Army] claims.”

Far-right Israeli minister slams Gaza aid decision as ‘grave mistake’

Netanyahu delays departure to Washington: Report

Israeli media is reporting that the Israeli prime minister is delaying his departure for Washington, scheduled at 4pm (13:00 GMT), to take part in discussions on an updated bill proposal on the conscription of ultra-Orthodox men for military service.

The Times of Israel cited Hebrew media as saying that PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s flight schedule had been pushed back to later this evening.

The controversy over the conscription of Haredi Jews threatens to destabilise Netanyahu’s coalition government, which is reliant on religiously conservative parties that oppose the move.

The military has called up tens of thousands of soldiers and says it needs all the manpower it can get, as casualties in Gaza continue to mount.

Israeli army to send recruitment summons for 54,000 ultra-Orthodox Jews

The Israeli military has announced it will begin sending draft notices to members of the ultra-Orthodox community this week as the law giving them exemptions from military service has expired.

The notices will be sent out in several phases in July until all 54,000 summonses are issued, the army said in a statement. It added that the army intends to ramp up its “enforcement actions against draft evaders and deserters from the entire population”.

Israeli army chief visits ultra-Orthodox brigade amid measures against draft dodgers

Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir has visited the training base for the ultra-Orthodox Hasmonean Brigade as the military calls up the Haredi for service and acts against dodgers.

“You are proof that there is no contradiction between a Haredi lifestyle and serving” in the Israeli military, Zamir told the troops, according to a statement by the army.

The brigade has been involved in military attacks on Gaza, too, so the army chief “emphasised the importance” of the recruitment of ultra-Orthodox Jews into the military at a time when the war is ongoing and Israel has been attacking Iran, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen as well.

This comes as Israeli media report that the army is adopting measures against draft dodgers and deserters, including shortening the process of being declared a draft dodger.

Food supplies at US-, Israeli-backed GHF aid centres deemed insufficient

On the ground, it is increasingly clear to many Palestinians that the Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF) has not been operating as a humanitarian actor. Civilians continue to say that these spaces are military zones that endanger Palestinian lives rather than protect them.

Palestinians have repeatedly been killed during these operations. Testimonies confirm that the victims were killed while they were simply trying to collect food.

Many testify that the aid distributed here is far from sufficient to address the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The severe shortage of food in Gaza, coupled with exorbitant prices in local markets, means most people cannot access or afford basic necessities.

Gaza officials slam US consulting group’s involvement in aid system

The Government Media Office in Gaza has condemned the US-based Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and its role in setting up the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) aid system, calling it an “American-Israeli scheme to displace our Palestinian people under a misleading humanitarian guise”.

On Saturday, The Financial Times reported that the BCG “modelled the costs of ‘relocating’ Palestinians from Gaza” and was involved in a “multimillion-dollar contract” to help launch the GHF, which it has since disavowed.

“We warn against the continuation of these criminal projects that market the crime of forced displacement as a ‘humanitarian solution’,” the Government Media Office said in a statement. “We hold all parties involved in or supporting these schemes fully responsible for the crimes committed against Palestinian civilians.”

Video clips have emerged showing Palestinians being shot at while trying to collect food aid at GHF sites. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, more than 700 Palestinians have been killed by attacks at the aid sites.

Pro-Palestine activists storm headquarters of company supporting GHF

Pro-Palestine activists have stormed the headquarters of US company Orbis for supporting the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), scattering flowers, fake blood and dismembered baby dolls to mimic the real-life scenes at food distribution centres in Gaza.

A Financial Times investigation this week revealed the organisation’s involvement in planning ground operations in Gaza. More than 700 Palestinians have been killed and thousands injured while trying to obtain food and essential supplies from GHF centres, after its contractors as well as Israeli forces, opened fire on them.

https://www.instagram.com/shahhatun

Iran’s Araghchi warns BRICS against ‘impunity’ enjoyed by Israel

At the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told other leaders that the US and Israel are violating the UN Charter and have engaged in “illegal” attacks on Iran, Gaza and elsewhere.

“I call on everyone to truly understand the depth and the repulsiveness of this lawlessness, and the extremely dangerous consequences of the continued impunity of the Israeli regime in its occupation, apartheid, genocide and warmongering in our region,” he said.

He said the targeting of Iran’s nuclear facilities by two nuclear-armed states constitutes an “unprecedented violation of international peace” that damaged the global non-proliferation and diplomatic efforts.

Araghchi said that as the voice of the Global South, BRICS must act as a defender of international law and take action to end the impunity.


_{Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (far right) takes a group photo with other leaders from BRICS countries during the summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on July 6}

BRICS call for ‘unconditional’ Gaza ceasefire, Israel’s withdrawal from occupied Palestine

BRICS leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro have called on all parties to the war in Gaza to “engage in good faith in further negotiations to achieve an immediate, permanent and unconditional ceasefire”.

In a joint statement, the 10-nation bloc also called for a “full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and all other parts of the Occupied Palestinian Territories.”

It also condemned US and Israeli attacks on Iran and urged “just and lasting” solutions to conflicts across the Middle East.

Israel launches air strikes on multiple areas across Lebanon

The Israeli army has launched a series of air strikes on areas across Lebanon, according to local media and footage circulating online.

The country’s state-run National News Agency reported that Israeli warplanes launched at least three attacks targeting the outskirts of the town of Bodai, located in eastern Lebanon’s Baalbek.

Another three strikes were reported on the outskirts of the towns of Arzi and Burj Rahal, northeast of Tyre in southern Lebanon.

The area of Kfar Melki in southern Lebanon’s Sidon was targeted, as were two towns on the banks of the Litani River and several towns in the mountainous Iqlim al-Tuffah region.

Israeli military says Hezbollah sites struck in Lebanon

Israeli forces say they have carried out military strikes on several Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon as well as the eastern Bekaa region. In a statement, the military said the strikes were directed at infrastructure used for “storing and producing strategic weapons” and a “rocket launch site”.

Since a November 27 ceasefire formally ended more than a year of hostilities with Hezbollah, Israel has continued sporadic strikes on Lebanon. It says the group’s activities run counter to the agreement, but does not provide evidence to back its claims.

‘No stability without Israel’s complete withdrawal from Lebanon’: PM

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam earlier today made a visit to the eastern region of Bekaa, which was bombed by the Israeli military tonight.

“I have repeatedly stated that there is no stability in the country without Israel’s complete withdrawal from Lebanon and the cessation of its aggressive actions,” he wrote in a post on X, adding that weapons must be confined to the state alone for Lebanese people to feel safe.

Salam said the country also needs safety nets to protect its citizens and “balanced development across the homeland”.

This comes as the prime minister, along with President Joseph Aoun and parliament speaker Nabih Berri, are expected to meet with US envoy Tom Barrack in Beirut to discuss the future of Lebanon.

Israeli military issues evacuation threat for Yemeni ports ahead of strikes

The Israeli military has issued an evacuation threat for three Yemeni ports, saying it will strike those areas due to military activities being conducted there.

The military’s Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, issued a statement identifying the targets as the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Isa and as-Salif, as well as the Hodeidah power station.

Israeli warplanes hit Yemeni port city: Report

The Houthi-run news outlet Al Masirah TV reports that strikes have hit Hodeidah.

Israeli military says attack on Yemeni ports due to repeated Houthi attacks

The Israeli military has issued a statement saying the strikes on Yemen’s ports of Hodeidah, Ras Isa and as-Salif were carried out in light of repeated attacks by the Houthis against Israel, including the launch of unmanned aerial vehicles and surface-to-surface missiles.

It also blamed the Houthis for disrupting maritime trade by attacking transiting vessels. Earlier, a commercial vessel in the Red Sea came under attack after small boats fired rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons towards the ship.

The army said the strike on the port of Ras Isa had among its targets the merchant ship “GALAXY LEADER”, which it claimed was carrying a radar system to track vessels in international maritime space.

The Ras Qantib power plant was also attacked, which the military claimed was supplying electricity for military activities.

Houthis say air defences prevented more Israeli strikes on Yemen

Houthi spokesman Ameen Hayyan Yemeni has said the group’s air defences responded to Israel’s air strikes, forcing “a large portion” of Israel’s warplanes to retreat.

Locally-manufactured surface-to-air missiles were used to respond, “causing great confusion among enemy pilots and operations rooms”, he wrote in a statement on X.

All crew evacuated from ship hit near Yemen

United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reports that all crew members of the ship that was attacked and significantly damaged near the coast of Yemen have been evacuated.

A passing merchant vessel rescued the crew, all of whom are safe, the organisation said, advising “extreme caution” to any vessels passing in the area.

As we reported earlier, the Liberian-flagged and Greek-owned bulk carrier Magic Seas is taking on water and has fought off a fire onboard after men on small boats and unmanned surface vehicles attacked it. The incident took place some 51 nautical miles (94.5km) southwest of Yemen’s port city of Hodeidah, which the Israeli military struck within the past hour.

More settler attacks reported in West Bank

Palestinian news agency Wafa is reporting that Israeli settlers set up tents and raised the Israeli flag in the Wadi Abbas area west of the town of Deir Istiya, northwest of Salfit, in the occupied West Bank.

The tents were placed near a well used by farmers to irrigate their crops to stop the farmers from accessing it. Settlers also bulldozed private agricultural land in the Wadi al-Qibli area, adjacent to the Revava settlement.

In a separate incident, the head of the al-Minya Village Council, Zayed Kawazbeh, told Wafa that a group of settlers attacked Palestinian shepherds in the Khalayel al-Qusur area and forced them at gunpoint to leave the area.


Israeli soldiers injure Palestinian children in new West Bank raids

Israeli military forces have wounded several more Palestinians during their latest raids across the occupied West Bank.

Three teenage boys were injured with live bullets during a raid into the Askar al-Jadid refugee camp in the eastern area of Nablus. The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said a 16-year-old was shot in the abdomen and hand, another the same age took a bullet to his hand, and a 15-year-old was shot in the thigh.

Two more Palestinians were injured as a result of a direct attack by Israeli forces on citizens at the Anab military checkpoint, east of Tulkarem city, PRCS told the Wafa news agency.

We reported earlier that two Palestinians were killed during earlier raids on Nablus.

‘Dangerous’ rise in number of administrative detainees held by Israel

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Office reports that it has registered a “dangerous increase” in the number of those held under administrative detention in Israeli military prisons.

The latest figure of administrative detainees as of the beginning of July stands at 3,629 people, which the monitor said is the highest number recorded since this type of detention began being used on a wide scale.

Palestinian detainees are stripped of any legal rights under this type of detention, which can be extended for months or even years by Israeli authorities, without providing any sort of strong evidence or access to adequate legal representation.

Administrative detention is a remnant of the British occupation of Mandatory Palestine.

During Mandatory Palestine, administrative detention was used as a legal tool by the British authorities to detain individuals without charge or trial, often based on secret evidence.

Gaza’s government rejects US claim about attack on GHF

The Hamas government’s Media Office in Gaza has firmly rejected the claim by the US State Department that resistance fighters threw grenades at US workers of the aid group the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), injuring them.

“These misleading allegations are nothing but a blatant attempt to justify the continued killing and starvation of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and represent a dangerously full alignment with the Israeli military narrative that, since the start of the war, has sought to legitimise the crimes committed against Gaza’s civilian population by fabricating security narratives to justify the excessive use of force against civilians,” it said in a statement.

It called the GHF an “intelligence-security front” that “oversees the death traps in the Gaza Strip” and pointed out that the controversial organisation has been disavowed by more than 165 international aid groups that have been sidelined from delivering aid to the enclave by Israel.

The office said at least 751 Palestinians have been killed, 4,931 others injured, and 39 disappeared while trying to get food from GHF sites.


_{Smoke from an explosion rises in the northern Gaza Strip, as seen from southern Israel, on Sunday, July 6}

Minor damage to buildings surrounding Gaza after rocket attack

A rocket fall was detected inside Nirim after sweeping operations conducted by the Israeli army, according to the Eshkol Settlements Council, which is located near the separation barrier with Gaza.

Israel’s Channel 12 cited the local authority as saying the rocket caused minor damage to several buildings, with no casualties recorded. Israeli media published photos, verified for their recentness by Al Jazeera’s Sanad agency, claiming they document the damage to buildings in the kibbutz.

Michal Oziah, the head of the Eshkol Settlements Council, said local authorities expect an investigation into the failure that prevented the activation of the interception system.

Main events on July 6th

• The Israeli military killed dozens more Palestinians, including aid seekers, in attacks across the Gaza Strip that have intensified as prospects of a 60-day ceasefire grow stronger.
• Israeli warplanes also bombed areas across Yemen and Lebanon, with the army saying it targeted ports and a power plant run by the Houthis, as well as Hezbollah infrastructure.
• Several small boats and sea drones attacked a Liberian-flagged and Greek-owned bulk carrier off the coast of Yemen, causing extensive damage and forcing the crew to abandon ship.
• At least two Palestinians were killed and others were wounded after a series of raids by Israeli soldiers and settlers into areas across the occupied West Bank.
• BRICS member states called for an immediate and “unconditional” ceasefire in Gaza, as well as full withdrawal of the Israeli military from Gaza and other occupied Palestinian territory.
• The Freedom Flotilla Coalition is preparing to set sail again towards Gaza, weeks after intercepting a previous ship taking humanitarian aid to the enclave and illegally seizing it.
• The Israeli military plans to send recruitment summons to 54,000 ultra-Orthodox Jews after a law exempting them from service expired.

Freedom Flotilla to launch new mission to Gaza on July 13

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition has said it is preparing to set sail again towards Gaza, weeks after the Israeli navy intercepted and illegally seized the Madleen aid vessel in international waters when it was about 185km (100 nautical miles) from the Strip. Twelve activists, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, were detained and repatriated.

The group said another boat, the Handala, would depart from the Italian port of Siracusa on July 13 for another attempt at breaking Israel’s siege of the Strip. “The mission is for the children of Gaza,” it said on X. The name of the vessel is a reference to a cartoon character of a 10-year-old boy who has become a prominent Palestinian symbol.

Palestinian Activists OUTSMART Israel

Katie talks to Palestinian Youth Movement organizer Aisha Nizar about the Mask Off Maersk campaign’s latest win, as Maersk becomes the first global shipping company to cut ties with Israeli settlements.