Leaders urge for immediate ceasefire, offer support for lasting peace, security 

Agencies Berlin 

E3 leaders — Germany, the UK and France, underscored that the time has come to end the war in Gaza and the humanitarian catastrophe in the tiny strip and called for an immediate end to the conflict.

The declaration was shared by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. On X, he said, “The time has come to end the war in Gaza. We — France, the UK and Germany — urge all parties to bring an end to the conflict by reaching an immediate ceasefire”. 

“A negotiated ceasefire is the best chance to bring the hostages home, end the anguish of their families and finally bring relief to the civilian population in Gaza,” leaders of the three European countries (E3) said.

They reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the diplomatic efforts of the US, Qatar, and Egypt. “The disarmament of Hamas is imperative, and Hamas must have no role in the future of Gaza. We reaffirm our commitment to supporting the diplomatic efforts of the US, Qatar, and Egypt,” they said.

Israel kills 25

Israeli airstrikes and gunshots overnight killed at least 25 people, officials said, as ceasefire talks appear to have stalled and Gaza faces famine. The strikes come as ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas have hit a standstill after the US and Israel recalled their negotiating teams on Thurs­day, throwing the future of the talks into further uncertainty. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said his government was considering “alternative options” to ceasefire talks with Hamas.

Experts, UN warn of famine

For desperate Palestinians, a ceasefire can’t come soon enough. The UN and experts say Palestinians in Gaza are at risk of famine, with reports of increasing numbers of people dying from causes related to malnutrition.

No aid loot by Hamas

A US government analysis has found no evidence of systematic theft by Hamas of US-funded humanitarian supplies, contradicting the justification by Israel and the US for supporting a new armed private aid operation. The analysis, by a bureau in USAID and completed in late June, reviewed 156 incidents of theft or loss of US-funded supplies reported by US aid partners between Oct 2023 and May 2024.

Study Islam, Arabic

The IDF has made it mandatory for soldiers and officers in the intelligence wing to train in Arabic and Islamic Studies. The initiative comes after an intelligence failure around Oct 7, 2023.

The move aims to strengthen the analytical capabilities of the staff. By 2027-end, 100% of AMAN (Hebrew acronym for Israel’s Military Intelligence Directo­rate) men will be trained in Islamic Studies and 50% of them will undergo Arabic training. The programme will focus on training in the Houthi and Iraqi dialects as intelligence personnel have faced difficulty in deciphering Houthi communications.