Food airdropped into Gaza as Israel says opening aid routes
Jordanian and Emirati planes dropped food into Gaza on Sunday, as Israel began a limited “tactical pause” in some military operations to allow the UN and aid agencies to tackle a deepening hunger crisis.The Palestinian territory is gripped by dire humanitarian conditions created by 21 months of war and made worse by Israel’s total blockade of aid from March to May.Since the easing of the blockade, the levels of aid reaching Gaza have been far below what aid groups say is needed.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted his government was not to blame for the dire situation and lashed out at the UN.The Israeli military dismissed allegations that it had been using starvation as a weapon, saying it had coordinated with the UN and international agencies to “increase the scale of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip”.The World Health Organisation warned on Sunday that malnutrition was reaching “alarming levels” in Gaza.It said that of the 74 recorded malnutrition-related deaths in 2025, 63 had occurred in July — including 24 children aged under five, one child older than five, and 38 adults.”Most of these people were declared dead on arrival at health facilities or died shortly after, their bodies showing clear signs of severe wasting,” the UN health agency said.”The crisis remains entirely preventable. Deliberate blocking and delay of large-scale food, health and humanitarian aid has cost many lives.”The UN’s World Food Programme said a third of the population of Gaza had not eaten for days, and 470,000 were “enduring famine-like conditions”.UN emergency relief coordinator Tom Fletcher welcomed Israel’s tactical pauses, saying his teams “will do all we can to reach as many starving people as we can in this window”. – ‘Humanitarian aid now’ -The Israeli decision came as international pressure mounted on Netanyahu to prevent mass starvation in the territory. Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz joined the chorus of concern on Sunday, urging the Israeli premier “to provide the starving civilian population in Gaza with urgently needed humanitarian aid now”.Accusing the UN of fabricating “pretexts and lies about Israel” blocking aid, Netanyahu said in remarks at an airbase that “there are secure routes” for aid.”There have always been, but today it’s official. There will be no more excuses,” he added.The situation inside the territory deteriorated sharply after Israel imposed its total blockade on aid in March.It later eased the blockade, but sidelined the UN and major aid agencies and instead relied on a newly created, US-backed private foundation.Aid groups refused to work with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, accusing it of furthering Israel’s military goals, while hundreds of people have been killed attempting to reach its sites.The Jordanian military said its planes, working with the United Arab Emirates, had delivered 25 tonnes of aid in three parachute drops over Gaza on Sunday. The Israeli military also said it had conducted a drop, parachuting seven pallets of aid into the territory. Truckloads of flour were also seen arriving in northern Gaza through the Zikim area crossing from Israel, according to AFP journalists. AFP correspondents also saw trucks crossing from Egypt, heading for Israeli inspection before entering Gaza.The charity Oxfam’s regional policy chief Bushra Khalidi called Israel’s latest moves a “welcome first step” but warned they were insufficient.”Starvation won’t be solved by a few trucks or airdrops,” she said. “What’s needed is a real humanitarian response: ceasefire, full access, all crossings open and a steady, large-scale flow of aid into Gaza.”We need a permanent ceasefire, a complete lifting of the siege.”In general, humanitarian officials are deeply sceptical that airdrops can deliver enough food safely to tackle the hunger crisis facing Gaza’s more than two million inhabitants.- ‘It felt like war’ -In Gaza City’s Tel el-Hawa district, 30-year-old Suad Ishtaywi said her “life’s wish” was simply to feed her children. She spoke of her husband returning empty-handed from each day from aid points.There were chaotic scenes at the site where Israel conducted its first food drop, witnesses told AFP.Samih Humeid, a 23-year-old from the Al-Karama neighbourhood of Gaza City, said dozens of people had gathered to rush towards the parachuted supplies. “It felt like a war, everyone trying to grab whatever they could. Hunger is merciless. The quantities were extremely limited, not enough even for a few people, because hunger is everywhere. I only managed to get three cans of fava beans,” he said. The Israeli army’s daily pause from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm will be limited to areas where its troops are not currently operating — Al-Mawasi in the south, Deir el-Balah in the centre and Gaza City in the north.Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant, citing “reasonable grounds” to suspect war crimes including starvation — charges Israel vehemently denies.On Sunday, according to the Gaza civil defence agency, Israeli army fire killed 27 Palestinians, 12 of them near aid distribution areas. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency and other parties.Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.The Israeli campaign has killed 59,733 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.burs-str-dc/dcp
Israel seeking to deport activists detained on Gaza-bound boat: NGO
Israel is seeking to deport pro-Palestinian activists who were detained and brought to shore when their Gaza-bound boat was intercepted by the navy, a legal aid centre advising them said on Sunday. The 21 activists from 10 countries were taken into custody late Saturday when the Handala was boarded in international waters as it attempted to breach an Israeli maritime blockade of the Palestinian territory.The Handala and its crew from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) were brought to the port of Ashdod in Israel, where, according to the legal rights centre Adalah, all but two — a pair of dual US-Israeli nationals — were being held under Israeli immigration law. “Israel is handling the custody of the volunteers as though they had entered the country illegally — even though they were forcibly taken from international waters and brought into Israel against their will,” Adalah said in a statement after its lawyers were allowed to meet the detainees.”The authorities presented them with two options: either agree to so-called ‘voluntary deportation’, or remain in detention and appear before a tribunal, to have their continued detention pending deportation reviewed,” the statement continued.According to Adalah, three detainees — an Italian, an American and a French member of parliament, Gabrielle Cathala — agreed to be deported and are expected to leave Israel in the coming hours.The US-Israeli nationals were interrogated by Israeli police and released, while 12 international activists — including another left-wing French MP, Emma Fourreau — refused to sign voluntary deportation orders and are still in Israeli custody pending legal hearings.The remaining four detainees, including a pair of Al Jazeera journalists, have retained private counsel. – ‘Peaceful’ mission -Adalah reiterated that the activists were engaged in a “peaceful civilian mission”, and maintained that both their detention and the Israeli blockade of Gaza were illegal.The Israeli foreign ministry has said the navy stopped the Handala to prevent it from entering coastal waters off Gaza, noting after its intecerption that all the vessel’s “passengers are safe”. Just before midnight local time on Saturday, video streamed live from the Handala showed Israeli troops boarding the vessel. An online tracker showed the ship in international waters west of Gaza.The ship had been on course to try to break the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza and bring a small quantity of humanitarian aid to the territory’s Palestinian residents.The Handala’s crew had said before their capture in a post on X that they would go on hunger strike if the Israeli military intercepted the boat and detained its passengers.A previous boat sent by Freedom Flotilla, the Madleen, was also intercepted by the Israeli military in international waters on June 9 and towed to Ashdod.It carried 12 campaigners, including prominent Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. The activists were eventually expelled by Israel.
Tour de France: Tadej Pogacar, le bouquet final
Grandissime favori au départ, Tadej Pogacar a remporté son quatrième Tour de France dimanche à Paris où, après quelques jours de lassitude, il a animé une dernière étape exceptionnelle remportée par Wout Van Aert sous le déluge sur les Champs-Élysées.Un grand sourire barrait le visage du Slovène lorsqu’il a franchi, le doigt levé, tout en jaune et trempé jusqu’à l’os, la ligne d’arrivée après une incursion inédite sur la butte Montmartre, théâtre d’un final exceptionnel.Après avoir assommé la concurrence dès les Pyrénées et ensuite promené son ennui dans les Alpes, le champion du monde avait décidé de faire la course dimanche. Et le spectacle a été total dans les avenues détrempées de Paris, en particulier dans la rue Lepic, noyée dans une ferveur indescriptible comme il y a un an aux JO, pour cette dernière étape transformée en classique pavée flandrienne.Lorsque le peloton a attaqué la première des trois ascensions de Montmartre, Pogacar n’avait pourtant plus qu’à rallier l’arrivée pour assurer sa victoire finale, puisque les temps au général – 4:24 d’avance sur Jonas Vingegaard – avaient été gelés à cause de la pluie.Une issue qui n’était totalement pas une garantie vu ce qui tombait et l’état de la chaussée, terriblement glissante.Mais le champion du monde, qui avoue préférer les classiques aux grands Tours, a décidé, contrairement à Vingegaard, d’engager un bras de fer époustouflant dès la première montée de la rue Lepic, en suivant un mouvement de Julian Alaphilippe.Passant en tête lors des deux premières ascensions, il a encore attaqué, au sein d’un groupe de six coureurs, lors de la dernière ascension. Mais Van Aert, autre formidable coureur de classiques, a réussi à s’accrocher à sa roue. Avant de lâcher le maillot jaune dans une ambiance indescriptible et d’aller gagner pour la deuxième fois de sa carrière sur les Champs-Élysées.- Il égale Chris Froome -Quatrième de l’étape, Pogacar a ainsi conclu en beauté un Tour de France qu’il aura maîtrisé de bout en bout au point de tuer rapidement tout suspense, après avoir gagné quatre étapes dès les Pyrénées, malgré un rhume.La traversée des Alpes a été très longue pour lui et il a fini par avouer qu’il comptait les jours jusqu’à Paris.A l’approche des Champs-Élysées, Pogacar a modifié son discours. Assurant qu’il avait quand même “apprécié” la course, il a mis sa lassitude sur le compte de la fatigue du Tour “le plus difficile” qu’il ait jamais couru.En six participations, il en est désormais à quatre victoires et deux deuxièmes places, égalant Chris Froome pour se rapprocher à une unité du record détenu par Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Jacques Anquetil et Miguel Indurain.A seulement 26 ans, le leader d’UAE a largement le temps de les dépasser.Vu qu’il paraît peu probable qu’il dispute la Vuelta, son prochain grand objectif sera la défense de son titre de champion du monde en septembre au Rwanda pour renforcer un peu plus sa candidature au titre de meilleur coureur de tous les temps.Tout n’a pourtant pas été rose et Pogacar a dû composer avec l’abandon de son lieutenant Joao Almeida, des coureurs malades dans son équipe, son propre rhume, les inévitables questionnements sur sa suprématie et l’équipe Visma.- Les jeunes poussent -Mais la stratégie de harcèlement de la formation néerlandaise a fait pschitt et, au final, Vingegaard boucle son plus mauvais Tour depuis 2021, sans victoire d’étape.Après une préparation pourtant idéale et axée sur le Tour, la question se pose: le Danois, qui disputera la Vuelta, ne devrait-il pas élargir son spectre ?D’autant que derrière, les jeunes poussent à l’image de Florian Lipowitz, premier Allemand sur le podium depuis Andreas Klöden en 2006, qui s’est monté bien plus fort que Primoz Roglic, son coéquipier chez Red Bull Bora (8e).”Lipo” a aussi profité de l’abandon de Remco Evenepoel qui pourrait le rejoindre dès 2026 dans l’équipe allemande.Quatrième, le Britannique Oscar Onley, 22 ans, représente également l’avenir.Deux Français qu’on n’attendait pas à ce niveau se glissent dans le Top 10 avec la septième place de Kévin Vauquelin et la dixième de Jordan Jégat.Le premier a réussi un Tour enthousiasmant au sein d’une équipe Arkéa-B&B Hotels qui aurait difficilement pu faire mieux pour convaincre des partenaires à la sauver de la disparition.Jegat, longtemps resté chez les amateurs, a montré avec panache qu’il n’y a pas forcément besoin d’être super fort à 18 ans pour avoir un avenir dans le cyclisme.
Trump, EU chief strike trade deal in transatlantic standoff
US President Donald Trump and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen Sunday announced they had reached a deal to end a transatlantic tariffs standoff and avert a full-blown trade war.The agreement came as the clock ticked down on an August 1 deadline for the European Union to strike a deal with Washington — or face an across-the-board US levy of 30 percent.”We have reached a deal. It’s a good deal for everybody,” Trump told reporters following a high-stakes meeting with von der Leyen at his golf resort in Turnberry, Scotland.Trump told reporters the deal involved a baseline levy of 15 percent on EU exports to the United States — the same level secured by Japan — including for the bloc’s crucial auto sector, which is currently being taxed at 25 percent.”We are agreeing that the tariff straight across, for automobiles and everything else, will be a straight across tariff of 15 percent,” Trump said.He also said the bloc had agreed to purchase “$750 billion worth of energy” from the United States, as well as $600 billion more in additional investments in the country.Negotiating on behalf of the EU’s 27 countries, von der Leyen’s European Commission had been pushing hard to salvage a trading relationship worth an annual $1.9 trillion in goods and services.”It’s a good deal,” the EU chief told reporters, sitting alongside Trump following their hour-long talks.”It will bring stability. It will bring predictability. That’s very important for our businesses on both sides of the Atlantic,” she said.- No carve-outs -The EU has been hit by multiple waves of tariffs since Trump reclaimed the White House. It is currently subject to a 25-percent levy on cars, 50 percent on steel and aluminium, and an across-the-board tariff of 10 percent, which Washington threatens to hike to 30 percent in a no-deal scenario.Brussels has been focused on getting a deal to avoid sweeping tariffs that would further harm its sluggish economy — with retaliation held out as a last resort.But the deal as outlined by Trump appeared to fall short of EU expectations.The bloc had been pushing hard for tariff carve-outs for critical industries from aircraft to spirits, and its auto industry, crucial for France and Germany, is already reeling from the levies imposed so far.Any deal will also need to be approved by EU member states — whose ambassadors, on a visit to Greenland, were updated by the commission Sunday morning. They were set to meet again after the deal struck in Scotland.Trump said pharmaceuticals — a key export for Ireland, which the bloc has lobbied to shield — “won’t be part of” any deal.”We have to have them built, made in the United States,” the president said. This month, Trump suggested the possibility of a 200-percent tariff on drugs imported into the United States, which would deal a crushing blow to the sector in Europe.The EU had also hoped for a compromise on steel that could allow a certain quota into the United States before tariffs would apply, but Trump ruled that out, saying steel was “staying the way it is”.- Auto sector -While 15 percent would be much higher than pre-existing US tariffs on European goods, which average around 4.8 percent, it would mirror the status quo, with companies currently facing an additional flat rate of 10 percent.Had the talks failed, EU states had greenlit counter tariffs on $109 billion (93 billion euros) of US goods including aircraft and cars to take effect in stages from August 7. Brussels was also drawing up a list of US services to potentially target.Beyond that, countries including France say Brussels should not be afraid to deploy a so-called trade “bazooka” — EU legislation designed to counter coercion that can involve restricting access to its market and public contracts.Trump has embarked on a campaign to reshape US trade with the world, and has vowed to hit dozens of countries with punitive tariffs if they do not reach a pact with Washington by August 1.US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had said Sunday the August 1 deadline was firm and there will be “no extensions, no more grace periods”.