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Roya News
an hour ago
- General
- Roya News
Gaza spirals into ‘man-made drought,' UNICEF warns
Gaza is facing a 'man-made drought' as its water systems collapse under the strain of ongoing genocide, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned on Friday. 'Children will begin to die of thirst. Only 40 percent of drinking water production facilities remain operational,' UNICEF spokesperson James Elder told reporters in Geneva, adding that water access in the Strip had fallen far below emergency standards. The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate rapidly. According to UNICEF, admissions of malnourished children aged six months to five years rose by 50 percent between April and May. The agency also estimated that around 500,000 people are experiencing hunger. UNICEF criticized the US-backed aid distribution system overseen by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), saying it was worsening the crisis. 'It's making a desperate situation worse,' Elder said. On Friday, at least 25 Palestinians were killed by 'Israeli' fire while waiting for or seeking aid south of Netzarim in central Gaza, according to local health officials. A day earlier, 51 people were killed in 'Israeli' gunfire and airstrikes, including 12 reportedly shot while attempting to approach a GHF distribution site. Elder, who recently visited Gaza, shared testimonies of women and children injured while trying to access food aid. One boy, he said, was struck by a tank shell while waiting for aid and later died from his injuries. He also pointed to confusion around the opening times of GHF aid sites, some of which are located in combat zones, as a cause of deadly incidents. 'There have been cases where people were told a site was open, only to later learn—through social media—that it wasn't. But Gaza's internet was down, and people had no way of knowing,' he explained. Despite the worsening conditions, the GHF said on Wednesday that it had successfully delivered three million meals across three sites without incident. Meanwhile, on Friday, at least 12 Palestinians from the Ayyash family were killed in an Israeli airstrike on their home in Deir al-Balah, raising the day's death toll to 37.
Roya News
4 hours ago
- Politics
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VIDEO: Palestine Action activists sabotage UK military aircrafts in protest over Gaza operations
Two military aircraft at RAF Brize Norton, the UK's largest airbase, have been put out of service after being targeted by members of Palestine Action in a direct action aimed at disrupting British involvement in military operations in Gaza and across the region. According to a statement from the activist group, two individuals breached the high-security facility using electric scooters to quickly reach two Airbus Voyager aircraft. Once on site, they sprayed red paint, symbolizing Palestinian blood, into the aircrafts' turbine engines using modified fire extinguishers and caused further damage to the planes with crowbars. Additional paint was sprayed across the runway, and a Palestinian flag was left behind. The activists reportedly left the scene undetected and have not been apprehended. RAF Brize Norton plays a central role in Britain's global military logistics, including daily flights to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. Akrotiri is widely reported to serve as a launch point for UK and allied military operations in the Middle East, including support missions for 'Israeli' operations in Gaza. In recent months, Akrotiri has reportedly facilitated hundreds of hours of reconnaissance flights over Gaza. Activists also allege that the base serves as a hub for transferring US and UK military cargo to 'Israel'. The aircraft, Airbus Voyager jets, are capable of refueling British, American, and Israeli fighter jets mid-air and transporting military cargo. The same type of aircraft has previously supported bombing missions in Yemen. In addition, Airbus Atlas transport aircraft, also based at Brize Norton, have reportedly been used to move soldiers and military hardware from Akrotiri to Tel Aviv during the current conflict. Palestine Action points to these logistics as evidence of what it calls Britain's 'active participation' in military actions across the region. A spokesperson for the group said, 'Despite publicly condemning the Israeli government, Britain continues to send military cargo, fly spy planes over Gaza and refuel US/Israeli fighter jets. Britain isn't just complicit, it's an active participant in the Gaza genocide and war crimes across the Middle East."
Roya News
7 hours ago
- Politics
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Appeals court allows Trump to keep control of California National Guard
A US federal appeals court on Thursday ruled that President Donald Trump may retain authority over California's National Guard, at least temporarily, as a legal challenge by Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom continues. The decision, handed down by a three-judge panel from the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, extends a freeze on a lower court ruling that found Trump had overstepped his legal authority when he federalized the state's National Guard to respond to unrest in Los Angeles. The legal dispute began after US District Judge Charles Breyer ruled on June 12 that Trump's June 7, 2020, decision to deploy 4,000 National Guard troops in Los Angeles violated federal law. Breyer found that Trump failed to coordinate with the state governor and did not meet the legal criteria that allow a president to assume control over state troops, such as an invasion or rebellion. 'The conditions set out under the statute to allow this move… did not exist,' Breyer concluded in his ruling, ordering Trump to relinquish command back to Newsom. However, within hours, the appeals court temporarily blocked that order and has now extended the pause. The case stems from a June 9 lawsuit filed by California, which argued that Trump's decision infringed on state sovereignty and contradicted laws prohibiting federal military involvement in civilian law enforcement. The state emphasized that while the protests in Los Angeles included scattered violence, they did not amount to a 'rebellion,' and local authorities were capable of managing the situation. The deployment of federal troops, including 700 US Marines sent after the National Guard, sparked a nationwide debate about the domestic use of the military. While the Trump administration insists the troops are not involved in law enforcement, California officials argue otherwise, especially in the context of immigration raids that inflamed tensions. At a recent hearing, the 9th Circuit panel, which includes two Trump appointees and one appointed by former President Biden, questioned the extent to which courts should intervene in presidential decisions related to military deployments. The Department of Justice has maintained that a president's decision to federalize the National Guard in an emergency is not subject to judicial or gubernatorial review.
Roya News
7 hours ago
- Politics
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'Israeli' Defense Minister warns Hezbollah against entering Iran-'Israel' war
'Israeli' Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a sharp warning to Hezbollah on Friday, cautioning the group against taking part in the ongoing war between Iran and 'Israel'. The statement comes after Hezbollah, a key Iranian ally based in Lebanon, signaled its readiness to respond 'as we see fit' in light of the escalating confrontation. 'I suggest the Lebanese proxy be cautious and understand that Israel has lost patience with terrorists who threaten it,' Katz said. 'If there is terrorism — there will be no Hezbollah.' Additionally, Katz stated that the group's leadership had not learned from the fate of its predecessors. 'The secretary-general of Hezbollah hasn't learned from the fate of his predecessors and is threatening to act against us,' Katz said in a statement. מזכ"ל החיזבאללה לא לומד לקח מקודמיו ומאיים לפעול נגד ישראל בהתאם להוראת הדיקטטור האיראני. אני מציע לפרוקסי הלבנוני להיזהר ולהבין שישראל איבדה את הסבלנות כלפי טרוריסטים שמאיימים עליה. — ישראל כ'ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) June 20, 2025
Roya News
12 hours ago
- Politics
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European, Iranian diplomats to meet as US mulls joining 'Israel' campaign
European foreign ministers will hold talks Friday with their Iranian counterpart, hoping to reach a diplomatic solution to the war with 'Israel' as US President Donald Trump mulls the prospect of US involvement. 'Israel', claiming Iran was on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon, launched air strikes against its arch-enemy a week ago, triggering deadly exchanges. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sworn Iran will "pay a heavy price" for a strike on an 'Israeli' hospital on Thursday, an attack Tehran said was targeting a military and intelligence base. European leaders urging de-escalation have scrambled to hold talks with Iran, as Trump said he would decide "within the next two weeks" whether to involve the United States in 'Israel's' bombing campaign. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will meet with his French, German, British and EU counterparts in Geneva on Friday to discuss Iran's nuclear programme. Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy said "a window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution", after meeting senior US officials in Washington on Thursday. Lammy and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio "agreed Iran can never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon", according to the State Department. Netanyahu welcomed the prospect of US involvement in its campaign, while Russia, an Iranian ally, told the United States that joining the conflict would be an "extremely dangerous step". The UN Security Council is also due to convene on Friday for a second session on the conflict, which was requested by Iran with support from Russia, China and Pakistan. While Netanyahu has not publicly said that 'Israel' is trying to topple Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, defence minister Israel Katz warned after the strike on 'Israel's' Soroka hospital that Khamenei "can no longer be allowed to exist". A week of deadly exchanges between the two countries has plunged the Middle East into a new crisis, more than 20 months since Oct. 7, 2023. Iran imposed a "nationwide internet shutdown" on Thursday –the most extensive blackout since widespread anti-government protests in 2019– internet watchdog NetBlocks said. The shutdown "impacts the public's ability to stay connected at a time when communications are vital", NetBlocks wrote on X. Any US involvement in 'Israel's' campaign against Iran would be expected to involve the bombing of a crucial underground Iranian nuclear facility in Fordo, using specially developed bunker-busting bombs. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump told aides he had approved attack plans but was holding off to see if Iran would give up its nuclear programme. The US president had favoured a diplomatic route to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons – an ambition Tehran has consistently denied – seeking a deal to replace the 2015 agreement he tore up in his first term. Dozens of US military aircraft were no longer visible at a US base in Qatar on Thursday, satellite images showed -- a possible move to shield them from potential Iranian strikes. Nuclear sites White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed Iran was "a couple of weeks" away from producing an atomic bomb. Iran had been enriching uranium to 60 percent – far above the 3.67-percent limit set by the 2015 deal, but still short of the 90 percent needed for a nuclear warhead. 'Israel' has maintained ambiguity on its own arsenal, but the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute says it has 90 nuclear warheads. A key Iranian government body, the Guardian Council, threatened a "harsh response" if "the criminal American government and its stupid president... take action against Islamic Iran". On Thursday, 'Israel' said it struck "dozens" of Iranian targets overnight, including the partially built Arak nuclear reactor and a uranium enrichment facility in Natanz. Iranian atomic energy agency chief Mohammad Eslami confirmed in a letter to the UN nuclear watchdog that the Arak reactor was hit, demanding action to stop "violation of international regulations" by 'Israel'. Iranian media reported blasts in Tehran late Thursday, while the Revolutionary Guards said more than 100 "combat and suicide" drones were launched at 'Israel'. In the central 'Israeli' city of Bat Yam, the body of a woman was found in a site hit on Sunday, taking the death toll in Israel from Iranian missiles since June 13 to 25 people, according to authorities. Iran said Sunday that 'Israeli' strikes had killed at least 224 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians. Authorities have not issued an updated toll since.
