US-Israeli Gaza Genocide
The Israeli military has carried out fresh attacks on Gaza, although the regime approved the first phase of its ceasefire agreement with Hamas. Israeli warplanes launched an airstrike on Khan Yunis. The southern city saw artillery fire as well. Gaza City was also attacked by the regime’s helicopters. No casualties have been reported so far following the new attacks. The total number of Palestinians killed in the US-Israeli genocide in Gaza since October 2023 has surpassed 67,000, with around 170,000 others injured. Over 460 people have also died due to malnutrition.
Yemenis support for Palestine
Tens of thousands of Yemenis have held a rally in the northern city of Sa’ada to emphasize their support for Palestinians. Waving Palestinian and Yemeni flags, the demonstrators condemned the Israeli crimes in Gaza. Major cities in Yemen have been the scene of Friday rallies in support of the war-ridden Gaza Strip since the genocide was unleashed there in October 2023. Yemenis had vowed in previous rallies that they will continue their mass gatherings until Israel ends the genocide in Gaza and the siege of the Palestinian territory. Their fresh large rally comes despite Israel’s announcement that it approved a ceasefire agreement during a cabinet meeting.
NATO military spending row
US President Donald Trump says Spain has no excuse to reject an increase in the military spending agreed by NATO members, suggesting that Madrid should be expelled from the military alliance. Speaking at a joint presser with his Finnish counterpart at the White House, Trump blamed Spain for not boosting its defense spending to his proposed 5 percent. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanches has reacted to Trump’s remarks, saying the increase would require Madrid to cut its health care and education budgets. In a NATO summit in June, Trump demanded that the member states allocate 5% of their GDP to defense spending. The proposal was unanimously accepted, with Spain exempted to remain at 2.1 percent.