July 17, 2024

*) Israel kills 48 Palestinians in Gaza in less than an hour The civil defence agency in Gaza said three air strikes in less than one hour — including on a school — killed at least 48 people. Israel said it carried out two of the strikes that the civil defence agency said also left dozens more wounded. According to an updated toll, 25 people were killed at the UN-run Al Razi School in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, 18 people were killed at Al Mawasi in Khan Younis and five more were killed in a strike at Beit Lahia in northern Gaza. *) Türkiye’s Fidan discusses Gaza crisis, ceasefire negotiations with Haniyeh Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan has held a telephone conversation with Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh to discuss the situation in besieged Gaza. The two sides discussed the humanitarian situation in Gaza, which has reached catastrophic levels due to Tel Aviv’s ongoing war on the besieged enclave. They also discussed the worrying developments resulting from increasing hunger and diseases, especially in the north of Gaza. *) Ukraine joining NATO would mean declaration of war: Medvedev Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has said the accession of Ukraine to NATO would be a declaration of war against Moscow. He said only “prudence” on behalf of the alliance could prevent the planet from being shattered into pieces. The leaders of the NATO pledged at their summit last week to support Ukraine on an “irreversible path to full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership,” but left open when that membership could happen. *) Harris extends debate challenge to Vance as Trump VP pick US Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican JD Vance had their first chat since the Ohio senator became the GOP vice presidential nominee. But the two sides are still working on terms for participating in a debate, according to three people familiar with the matter. The people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal conversations about the debate, said there had been no progress at bridging the disagreements on the network partner and format. *) Deadly heatwave grips Southern Europe and Balkans Record-breaking heat wave has swept across Europe. The Italian health ministry placed 12 cities under the most severe heat warning as a wave of hot air from Africa baked southern Europe and the Balkans and sent temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius. Municipal authorities in several southern European and Balkan cities took measures to look after elderly people in particular as civil protection crews fielded calls for water-dropping aircraft to douse wildfires.