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Gaza genocidal war

Israel has stepped up its air and ground offensive in Gaza, killing dozens of civilians in its fresh strikes. At least 30 Palestinians lost their lives in Israeli attacks on the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood in Gaza City. Intense ground battles are also underway in the neighborhood. Hamas has released footage of its fighters hitting Israeli targets there. The regime has ordered Palestinians to evacuate. Gaza officials have called the order a form of psychological warfare against civilians, because they have nowhere to go. The escalation comes as a new round of ceasefire talks have got underway in Qatar and Egypt. Hamas says the increased Israeli military activity can torpedo the talks. Nearly 38,300 Palestinians have been killed since the war began in early October. 

US support for Israel

The US has announced plans to resume shipping 500-pound bombs to Israel despite the American public outcry to stop arming the genocidal regime. An official, whose name is not revealed, said the bombs were put together in the same shipment with the larger ones that were paused and therefore got held up. The administration of President Joe Biden had halted the shipment of bombs in May amid concerns that they could be used in Gaza. But Washington has taken a u-turn, notifying Israel that it is releasing the 500-pound bombs but keeping the hold on the larger ones. The move followed pressures from the Israeli prime minister, his war cabinet and Israeli lobby in Washington. In June, Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the US was withholding weapons and pleaded with American officials to remedy the situation. 

‘West’s double standards’

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has criticized the West for double standards with regard to wars in Gaza and Ukraine. Sanchez said the West requires a consistent political position during the NATO summit in Washington. He said, "If we claim to support Ukraine because we are defending international law, we have to do the same for Gaza." The Spanish prime minster also called for a Gaza ceasefire and an international peace conference to push for an independent Palestinian state. Spain recently recognized the Palestinian statehood and criticized Israel for waging a genocidal war on Gaza.