Russia hits Ukraine with record 479-drone strike ahead of POW swap
Russia has launched 479 drones against Ukraine in the biggest overnight drone bombardment of the three-year war, according to the Ukrainian air force. The air force said early on Monday that it had downed 460 drones as well as 19 missiles launched overnight. Russia’s continued to step up its drone and missile attacks on Ukraine, despite declaring, under pressure from United States President Donald Trump, that it is interested in pursuing peace talks. The record launch came just ahead of the start of a prisoner swap agreed at recent talks between the pair. Of the hundreds of projectiles fired at numerous targets, only 10 reached their destination, Kyiv officials said. One person was reported injured. Russia’s escalation of aerial attacks has been matched by a renewed battlefield push in the eastern and northeastern parts of the roughly 1,000km (621-mile) front line in occupied parts of Ukraine. The onslaught follows a secretive Ukrainian drone attack that damaged several Russian bombers parked at airbases deep inside the country in what was an embarrassment for the Kremlin and, according to Kyiv, a palpable hit on its ability to strike across the border with missiles. Advertisement Russia’s Ministry of Defence said one target of Kyiv’s strike was the Dubno airbase in Ukraine’s Rivne region, which hosts tactical aviation aircraft. The mayor of the western city of Rivne, Oleksandr Tretyak, said the overnight drone launch was “the largest attack” on his region since the start of the war. Prisoner swap Late on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy conceded that in some areas targeted by the Russian offensive, “the situation is very difficult”. However, he provided no details. Ukraine is shorthanded on the front line against its bigger enemy and needs further military support from its Western partners, especially air defences. However, uncertainty about the US policy has led to doubts about how much help Kyiv can count on. Two recent rounds of direct peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul have yielded no breakthroughs beyond pledges to swap thousands of prisoners, including dead and seriously wounded soldiers. Since the agreement, believed to concern an exchange of around 1,200 prisoners by each, was struck last week, the pair has accused one another of failing to meet their obligations. However, the first batch of POWs was repatriated on Monday afternoon. “Today’s exchange has begun. It will be done in several stages in the coming days,” Zelenskyy said on the Telegram app. “Among those we are bringing back now are the wounded, the severely wounded, and those under the age of 25,” he added. The Russian defence ministry also said the first exchange had been carried out. It did not say how many prisoners had been swapped, but did note that the numbers on each side matched. Advertisement The Russian Defence Ministry said on Monday that its forces shot down 49 Ukrainian drones overnight over seven Russian regions. Two drones hit a plant specialising in electronic warfare equipment in the Chuvashia region, located more than 600km (373 miles) east of Moscow, officials reported. Since the beginning of the war in 2022, Russia has targeted both military and civilian areas of Ukraine with Shahed drones. The attacks have killed more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to the United Nations. However, Russia claims it attacks only military targets. Alexander Gusev, head of Russia’s Voronezh region, said 25 drones had been shot down there overnight, damaging a gas pipeline and sparking a small fire. The general staff of the Ukrainian armed forces also claimed that its special operations troops struck two Russian jets stationed at the Savasleyka airfield in Russia’s Novgorod region, located some 650km (404 miles) from the Ukrainian border. The statement did not say how the planes were struck. Adblock test (Why?)
Gaza aid sites branded ‘human slaughterhouses’ under deadly Israeli fire
At least 13 Palestinians have been killed and more than 150 injured after Israeli troops and American security contractors opened fire on crowds waiting for food near two aid distribution sites in Gaza, one east of Rafah and another near the Wadi Gaza Bridge. Sunday’s killings are the latest in a series of attacks on civilians seeking food at aid centres operated by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US-led initiative backed by Israel in Israeli-controlled zones. More than 130 people have now been killed and more than 700 wounded by Israeli troops while desperately trying to access meagre food parcels for their hungry families from the aid sites since the GHF programme began on May 27. At least nine people are still missing. In a statement, Gaza’s Government Media Office condemned the distribution sites as “human slaughterhouses”, accusing Israeli forces of luring desperate civilians to their deaths. “These are war crimes and crimes against humanity,” the statement said, urging an independent international probe and an immediate suspension of GHF’s delivery model. Advertisement The drive backed by Israel and the United States has faced growing criticism from human rights organisations and the United Nations for violating basic humanitarian standards and bypassing organisations that have decades of experience distributing aid to the entire population of the besieged enclave. ‘This is a trap for us, not aid’ The latest bloodshed reportedly began around 6am local time (03:00 GMT), as hundreds of Palestinians stalked by starvation gathered near the aid point in the al-Alam area of Rafah. Witnesses said people had started forming queues as early as 4:30am, desperate to get food before the site became overwhelmed. “After about an hour and a half, hundreds moved toward the site, and the army opened fire,” said witness Abdallah Nour al-Din. Palestinians mourn over the body of Ahmed Abu Hilal, killed en route to an aid hub in Gaza, during his funeral at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza, June 8, 2025 [Abdel Kareem Hana/AP] The Israeli military later said its troops opened fire on individuals who “continued advancing in a way that endangered the soldiers”, and claimed the area had been designated an “active combat zone” at night. However, survivors insist the shooting took place after sunrise. “This is a trap for us, not aid,” said Adham Dahman, speaking to the Associated Press from Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza with a bloodied bandage on his chin. He said a tank fired towards the crowd, and people were left scrambling for cover. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said that 13 wounded individuals and one person who was dead on arrival came to its clinic in the al-Mawasi area of southern Khan Younis today. Advertisement MSF said the injured and dead were “carried in donkey carts, on bicycles, or on foot”. The wounded were all men between the ages of 17 and 30. The victims said they were shot in the Shakoush area while travelling to a food distribution site in Saudi village. Footage from outside the hospital showed mourning families weeping over blood-soaked shrouds, as emergency workers rushed to treat the wounded. UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese called the GHF operation “humanitarian camouflage” and “an essential tactic of this genocide”. People carry relief supplies on June 8, 2025 after they have been distributed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which the United Nations and major aid organisations have refused to cooperate with, citing concerns that GHF was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives [Eyad Baba/AFP] In a post on social media, Albanese blamed “the moral and political corruption of the world” for enabling the destruction of Gaza. Al Jazeera’s correspondent Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza City, said the GHF’s delivery model has proven woefully inadequate. “Today’s deadly attacks in the south show that the GHF is insufficient in the way it’s running aid delivery,” he said. “In the north, living conditions are becoming even more difficult. People are not just spending hours searching for water and food — they are spending the entire day. By the end of it, many are completely exhausted and dehydrated, simply because they could not find anything.” Advertisement An unnamed GHF official claimed there has been no violence in or around its aid distribution sites, all three of which delivered food on Sunday, according to The Associated Press. Hospitals overwhelmed The violence comes as Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that the total death toll from Israel’s ongoing war has reached 54,880, with more than 126,000 injured since October 7, 2023. Since Israel ended a ceasefire on March 18, 4,603 Palestinians have been killed and more than 14,000 injured. In just the last 24 hours, Israeli strikes have killed at least 108 people and wounded nearly 400 more across the besieged enclave, the ministry said. Hospitals are overwhelmed and on the brink of collapse, the ministry said. Rafah’s Red Cross Field Hospital has declared 12 mass casualty emergencies in just two weeks, with more than 900 wounded arriving during that period — 41 of them already dead. Most of those treated had been trying to reach food distribution sites when they were shot or injured. A spokesman at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah warned that fuel supplies for Gaza’s health facilities may run out within 48 hours, leaving patients without care. “The hospital’s artificial kidney department is out of service due to the occupation’s attacks,” he told Al Jazeera. Meanwhile, the director of al-Shifa Hospital told Al Jazeera that the lives of 300 kidney failure patients hang in the balance. “We are facing a real disaster in the hospital if electricity is not provided,” he warned. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
Israel strikes Syria again, claims to have killed alleged Hamas member
Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports one dead and two others wounded in the Israeli attack on a vehicle. The Israeli army has again bombed Syria, claiming it killed a Hamas member during an air strike in the south of the country, in the latest in its series of attacks on Syria in the wake of former President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster last December. In a statement on Telegram on Sunday morning, the Israeli army said it had struck the alleged Hamas member in the Mazraat Beit Jin area. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that one person was killed and two others were wounded in the Israeli attack targeting a vehicle in the town near the United Nations-patrolled buffer zone. Hamas has not yet commented on the death of the alleged member. The observatory says Israel has carried out 61 attacks – 51 by air and 10 by ground – in Syria so far this year. Two rockets launched from Syria targeted Israel earlier this week, a first since the fall of al-Assad. Two groups claimed responsibility for the attack. The first group, named the “Martyr Mohammed Deif Brigades”, is a little-known group named after the Hamas military commander who was killed last year. A second little-known group, the “Islamic Resistance Front in Syria”, called for action against Israel from southern Syria a few months ago. Advertisement Israel struck southern Syria shortly afterwards, with Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz saying that he was holding Syria “directly responsible”. Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani condemned Israel’s attacks and called them “coordinated provocations aimed at undermining Syria’s progress and stability”. “These actions create an opening for outlawed groups to exploit the resulting chaos,” he said, adding, “Syria has made its intentions clear: we are not seeking war, but rather reconstruction”. Syria and Israel had recently engaged in indirect talks to ease tensions, a significant development in relations between states that have been on opposite sides of conflicts in the Middle East for decades. But Israel has relentlessly waged a campaign of aerial bombardment that has destroyed much of Syria’s military infrastructure. It has occupied the Syrian Golan Heights since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and taken more territory in the aftermath of al-Assad’s removal, citing lingering concerns over the country’s new government led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who it dismisses as a “jihadist.” Syria’s new government has taken several major steps towards international acceptance after the United States and European Union lifted sanctions on the country last month, giving a nation devastated by nearly 14 years of civil war a lifeline to recovery. Adblock test (Why?)
Portugal beat Spain in penalty shootout to win second Nations League crown
Ruben Neves scores winning penalty kick as Portugal defeat Spain 5-3 in a shootout to win football’s Nations League title. Cristiano Ronaldo was in tears as Portugal picked up their second Nations League title by beating holders Spain 5-3 on penalties following a thrilling 2-2 draw in the final. Ronaldo’s 138th international goal took the final on Sunday to a shootout, with Alvaro Morata’s miss proving costly for Spain as Ruben Neves struck the winning spot kick to spark wild scenes of celebration, with emotion overwhelming the veteran captain. Spain’s exhilarating 5-4 victory over France in Thursday’s semifinal ensured Luis de la Fuente’s side had continued an unbeaten run that stretched back to March 2023 coming into Sunday’s showpiece final in Munich. They appeared on course for yet another trophy, on the back last year’s European Championship triumph, as Martin Zubimendi tapped home his second international goal in the 21st minute. The holders’ lead did not last long, however, as flying Portugal full-back Nuno Mendes slotted home the equaliser after good work from Ronaldo in the build-up. A sublime pass from midfielder Pedri helped Mikel Oyarzabal, who netted the winner against England in last year’s European Championship final, restore Spain’s lead before the break. Advertisement The football tussle between the Iberian neighbours was billed as a clash between old and new – 40-year-old and five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo and Spain’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal. While Yamal, among the favourites to take home one of the most prestigious individual awards this year, struggled to make inroads, Ronaldo pounced on his chance, firing Portugal level from close range just past the hour mark. Ronaldo went off injured late on, and neither side could find a winner in extra time, with the game going to a shootout and Portugal netting all five of their penalties to claim the trophy. Earlier on Sunday, Kylian Mbappe led France to third place with a 2-0 win over host nation Germany in Stuttgart. The Real Madrid star scored one goal and set up the other for Michael Olise as France recovered from a lethargic first half. Adblock test (Why?)
Deploying troops is “too much power into the hands of one man”
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Attorney Robert Patillo compares Trump’s crackdown on LA protests to tactics used by autocratic regimes.
AI surveillance crackdown in the US
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Is there a shift in the digital surveillance of ordinary people?
Colombia presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe shot: What to know
Colombian presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe is “fighting for his life” after being shot during a campaign rally in the capital, Bogota. The assault took place on Saturday in a park as the country gears up for next year’s presidential election. Uribe, a 39-year-old senator, was shot twice – in the head and the chest, according to Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office. The suspect is a 15-year-old who is in custody. Here is what to know about the incident and Uribe’s current status: What happened at the rally? Senator Miguel Uribe Turbay, who is seeking to run in the 2026 presidential election, was shot from behind at a campaign rally about 5pm [22:00 GMT] at El Golfito Park in Bogota’s Fontibon district. A video verified by The New York Times shows Uribe being shot in the middle of his speech. Images from the scene of the shooting showed Uribe slumped against the hood of a white car, smeared with blood, as a group of men tried to hold him and stop the bleeding. According to local media reports, he was first stabilised at a nearby clinic before being airlifted to the Santa Fe Foundation hospital. The hospital confirmed he arrived about 8:30pm on Saturday [01:00 GMT Sunday]. Advertisement A security guard managed to detain the suspected attacker, a minor who is believed to be 15 years old. National Police Director Carlos Fernando Triana said the suspect was injured and was receiving treatment. Two others – a man and a woman – were also wounded. But no details were available regarding their identities. Miguel Uribe Londono, far left, father of Miguel Uribe Turbay outside Santa Fe Foundation hospital [Ivan Valencia/AP Photo] What is Uribe’s health status now? Uribe is stable but still in critical condition after emerging on Sunday from a “neurosurgical” and “peripheral vascular procedure”, according to the hospital. He “overcame the first surgical procedure”, Bogota Mayor Carlos Fernando Galan told the media, adding that he had entered “the critical hours” of recovery. “He fought the first battle and fought it well. He is fighting for his life,” Uribe’s wife was heard saying in an audio recording shared with the media. Who is Miguel Uribe? Uribe was elected as senator in 2022 under the conservative Democratic Centre party, founded by former President Alvaro Uribe, whom he is not related to. The former president described the shooting as an attack against “a hope for the country”. His maternal grandfather, Julio Cesar Turbay Ayala, served as president from 1978 to 1982. He is also the son of journalist Diana Turbay, who was kidnapped in 1990 by Pablo Escobar’s Medellin cartel. She died in a botched rescue operation by Colombian forces a few months later. Uribe has held several public offices, including Bogota City Council member (2012–2015) and government secretary of Bogota (2016–2018). He also ran for the capital’s mayor in 2019 but lost that election. Miguel Uribe, 39, was in critical condition and one person had been arrested in his shooting [File: Raul Arboleda/AFP] Who attacked Uribe? The Attorney General’s Office confirmed a 15-year-old boy was arrested at the scene with a “9mm Glock-type firearm”. Witnesses had also described seeing a young assailant open fire from behind Uribe before being subdued by bodyguards and civilians. Advertisement The suspect remains in custody with investigations under way to determine if there were any accomplices. What was the motive behind the shooting? No motive has been established, and authorities said there was no specific threat made against the politician before the incident. But the country is home to several armed groups, powerful cartels and has a long history of political violence. In the 1980s and 1990s, at least five presidential candidates were assassinated by drug cartels, paramilitaries or political opponents. One such case was the assassination of Luis Carlos Galan in 1989. Galan was a leading presidential candidate known for his strong anticorruption stance and opposition to drug trafficking. He was widely expected to win the presidency the following year. A 2016 agreement aimed to bring long-lasting peace to the country by disarming rebels from the left-wing Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. When is the next presidential election in Colombia? Colombia’s next presidential election is scheduled for May, in which current leftist President Gustavo Petro is ineligible to run due to term limits. A run-off will be held if needed. Uribe, who is a right-wing critic of Petro, announced his intention to run for president in March. What are the reactions? The attack drew strong reactions from both local and international leaders. Petro pledged an investigation. “What matters most today is that all Colombians focus with the energy of our hearts, with our will to live … on ensuring that Dr Miguel Uribe stays alive.” Advertisement In an earlier statement, Petro condemned the violence as “an attack not only against his person, but also against democracy, freedom of thought, and the legitimate exercise of politics in Colombia”. “Respect life, that’s the red line. … My solidarity [is] with the Uribe family and the Turbay family. I don’t know how to ease their pain,” he posted on X. Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez mobilised military and intelligence resources and announced a reward of 3 billion Colombian pesos ($730,000) for information about the shooting. United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement saying the US condemns the attack “in the strongest possible terms” and considers it a “direct threat to democracy”. He also called on Petro to “dial back the inflammatory rhetoric” and protect officials. Leaders across Latin America also condemned the attack. Chilean President Gabriel Boric said, “There is no room or justification for violence in a democracy,” while Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa denounced “all forms of violence and intolerance”. Both expressed solidarity with Uribe’s family. Adblock test (Why?)
Nations League final: Spain-Portugal more than Yamal battle, says Ronaldo
Defending champions Spain face 2019 winners, and Iberian rivals, Portugal in Sunday’s Nations League final in Munich. Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo acknowledged that he was “another generation” to Spain starlet Lamine Yamal but said Sunday’s Nations League final was more than just a battle between the duo. The final in Munich has been framed as a showdown between veteran Ronaldo, 40, one of the game’s biggest names, and 17-year-old Yamal, the most exciting young talent in world football. Ronaldo scored the winner to send Portugal past Germany into the final, and Yamal was named man-of-the-match after bagging a brace in Spain’s wild 5-4 semifinal win over France. Ronaldo, however, said the focus on the two individuals was overblown, calling Spain “maybe the best national team in the world”. “There are different generations, one is coming in and another is exiting the stage. If you want to see me as another generation, then that’s OK. “When you talk about a clash between Cristiano and someone else, that’s not how it works. The media always try to hype things up, which is a normal thing, but it’s one team versus another team.” Advertisement “You’ve been talking about Lamine a lot and you’re right to do so because he’s very good,” Ronaldo told journalists, adding, “but I’d like to talk about the team. “They’ve got Nico Williams, great midfielders like Pedri and their coach [Luis] de la Fuente is very good, very strong, very disciplined.” Spain’s Lamine Yamal celebrates scoring his side’s third goal against France int the Nations League semifinal with Spain’s Nico Williams [Angelika Warmuth/Reuters] Portugal last beat their Iberian neighbours in a competitive fixture 21 years ago, in a match which Ronaldo started. Like Yamal, Ronaldo burst onto the scene at a young age. Aged just 18, Ronaldo impressed so much for boyhood side Sporting in a 3-1 win over Manchester United in a friendly in Lisbon that the English club decided to buy him, bringing him to Old Trafford less than a week later. Like a young Ronaldo, Yamal has consistently impressed since bursting onto the scene, winning a league and cup double with Barcelona this season after lifting the Euro 2024 title in Germany last year. The Portuguese veteran asked the media to allow the teenager to grow and improve without pressure, reminding them the Spanish star “with funny hair” was just “three years older than my son”. “The kid has been doing very well, but what I ask is for you to let him grow, not put him under pressure. For the good of football, we need to let him grow in his own way and enjoy the talent he has.” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said Yamal was “only 17, but very mature for his age. Well-prepared, intelligent – he lives life as if it’s all normal, and that’s what we want for him”. De la Fuente said the national side were “trying to walk alongside [Yamal] in his education,” but added “you’d be surprised, shocked, how calm he is. Advertisement “He’s special. For some people, this would be a situation of maximum stress. But for him, he’s relaxed, he’s in control – he masters the situation.” The coach also took time to praise Ronaldo, calling him “a legend in football and an example of the values I like: effort, work rate, sacrifice, getting better every day and never letting your guard down. “Portugal are led by a footballer who will go down in history with an indelible legacy.” Both Spain and Portugal have already won the Nations League. Spain are the current champions from their win in 2023, while Portugal won the inaugural tournament back in 2019. Spain have won 16 and drawn two of their past 18 fixtures – and have not lost a competitive match since March 2023. Spain forward Mikel Oyarzabal told reporters his side “do not think we are better than anyone,” but “we trust ourselves 100 percent and know we can compete in every game. “We’ve shown that over the years. Our level is very high.” Adblock test (Why?)
ICE operating in LA for 2nd day amid protests against immigration raids
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested at least 44 people on Friday during a raid in downtown Los Angeles. Authorities in the United States have extended their immigration crackdown operation in the Los Angeles, California area for a second day following protests at a federal detention centre that were met with police tear gas and stun grenades. Border Patrol personnel stood in front of an industrial park in the city of Paramount, clad in riot gear and gas masks on Saturday, as bystanders jeered. “ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] out of Paramount. We see you for what you are,” a woman announced through a megaphone. “You are not welcome here.” One hand-held sign said, “No Human Being is Illegal.” The boulevard was closed to traffic as US Border Patrol circulated the area. ICE arrested at least 44 people on Friday after executing search warrants at multiple locations, including a clothing warehouse in what opponents described as an “oppressive and vile paramilitary operation”. The raids quickly triggered protests and demonstrators blocked entrances and exits for the Edward R Royal Federal Building in downtown LA, where detainees were being processed. Advertisement The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) denounced the raids and referred to the immigration authorities as “masked goons”. “We call on our elected officials to uphold their commitment to all Angelenos – immigrants and non-immigrants alike – by taking all action necessary to grind this oppressive and vile paramilitary operation to a halt and keep our city safe and whole,” the statement read. Senior White House aide, and Trump’s key anti-immigration proponent, Stephen Miller wrote on X on Saturday that the protests against the ICE raids were an “insurrection against the laws and sovereignty of the United States”. In a separate post, Miller said LA police chief Jim McDonnell was siding with “invaders over citizens” after he said his officers would not help ICE in any way. The immigration crackdown is part of President Donald Trump’s pledge to deport a record number of people living in the country illegally, as the White House set a goal for ICE to arrest at least 3,000 immigrants a day. LA Mayor Karen Bass strongly condemned the raids Friday: “These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city. We will not stand for this”. ICE acting Director Todd Lyons slammed Bass’s statement, claiming that the mayor had taken the side of “chaos and lawlessness over law enforcement”. “Make no mistake, ICE will continue to enforce our nation’s immigration laws and arrest criminal illegal aliens,” Lyons said. Adblock test (Why?)
Israel kills more than 70 in Gaza, including 16 in bombing family building
Israeli raids across Gaza have killed at least 75 Palestinians, with rescuers scrambling to find dozens of bodies under the rubble after the bombing of a residential building in Gaza City described by the enclave’s civil defence as a “full-fledged massacre”. Palestinian Civil Defence spokesperson Mahmoud Basel told Al Jazeera that the Israeli army gave “no warning, no alert” before Saturday’s strike on the house in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City that left at least 16 people dead, including women and children. “This is truly a full-fledged massacre … a building full of civilians,” said Basel, who added that approximately 85 people were believed to be trapped under the rubble. “We woke up to the strikes, destruction, yelling, rocks hitting us,” said Hamed Keheel, a displaced Palestinian at the site, noting that the attack had taken place on the second day of Eid al-Adha. “This is the occupation,” he said. “Instead of waking up to cheer our children and dress them up to enjoy Eid, we wake up to carry women and children’s bodies from under rubble.” Advertisement Local resident Hassan Alkhor told Al Jazeera that the building belonged to the Abu Sharia family. “May God hold the Israeli forces and [Israeli Prime Minister] Netanyahu accountable,” he said. The Israeli military said afterwards that it had killed Asaad Abu Sharia, the leader of the Mujahideen Brigades, who it claimed had participated in the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel in 2023, according to a report in the Times of Israel published Saturday. Hamas confirmed the killing in a statement shared on Telegram, saying that Abu Sharia’s brother, Ahmed Abu Sharia, had also been assassinated in the attack, which it said was “part of a series of brutal massacres against civilians”. ‘A handful of rice for our starving children’ Also on Saturday, Israeli forces killed at least eight Palestinians waiting near an aid distribution site run by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in southern Gaza’s Rafah, the latest in a series of deadly incidents around the group’s operations that have killed 118 people and left others missing in less than two weeks. Gaza resident Samir Abu Hadid told the AFP news agency that thousands of people had gathered at the al-Alam roundabout near the aid site. “As soon as some people tried to advance towards the aid centre, the Israeli [forces] opened fire from armoured vehicles stationed near the centre, firing into the air and then at civilians,” Abu Hadid said. One woman told Al Jazeera her husband had been killed in the attack after going to the aid point to get “a handful of rice for our starving children”. Advertisement “He said he felt he was walking towards death, I begged him not to leave. He insisted to find anything to feed our children,” she said. The GHF, a shadowy United States-backed private group engaged by Israel to distribute aid under the protection of its troops and security contractors, began operations in late May, replacing existing networks run by the United Nations and charities that have worked for decades. Critics say the group does not abide by humanitarian principles of neutrality, claiming that its operations weaponise aid, serving Israel’s stated aims of ethnically cleansing large swaths of Gaza and controlling the entire enclave. GHF said on Saturday that it was unable to distribute any humanitarian relief because Hamas issued “direct threats” against its operations. “These threats made it impossible to proceed today without putting innocent lives at risk,” it said in a statement. Hamas told the Reuters news agency that it had no knowledge of these “alleged threats”. The United Nations, which has refused to cooperate with the GHF, has warned that most of Gaza’s 2.3 million population is at risk of famine after an 11-week Israeli blockade, with the rate of young children suffering from acute malnutrition nearly tripling. ‘Lost future generation’ As Israel continued its attacks amid the looming famine, it emerged that health authorities had recorded more than 300 miscarriages over an 80-day period in the enclave. Expectant mothers face an increased risk of miscarriage and premature births, with basic medical supplies such as iron supplements and prenatal vitamins impossible to obtain. Advertisement Brenda Kelly, a consultant obstetrician at Oxford University Hospital, told Al Jazeera that Gaza was “losing a future generation of children”, alluding to a “staggering rise” in stillbirths, miscarriages and pre-term births. “What we’re seeing now is the direct fallout of Israel’s weaponising of hunger in Gaza – impacting babies’ growth and growth restriction is one of the leading causes of miscarriages and stillbirth,” she said. Severe malnutrition among pregnant women is compounded by severe stress and psychological trauma, as well as repeated displacement and a lack of safe shelter, she said. Those babies that do survive face heightened health risks. “We know that famine experienced in-utero has lifelong consequences for children who then go into adulthood with much higher risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, as well as mental health disorders,” she said. Adblock test (Why?)