Israel is engineering a “cruel and Machiavellian scheme to kill” in Gaza, the head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees says, as the world body reports that since May, some 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid.

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg has said the Israeli regime kidnapped her and other pro-Palestinian activists in international waters while they were aboard the Gaza-bound Madleen aid ship.

UNRWA warned that the humanitarian situation in Gaza has deteriorated significantly, describing it as likely the worst it has been since the outbreak of the brutal Israeli military campaign in October 2023.

The United Nations agency reports that at least 322 children were killed and 609 were injured in the Gaza Strip over the past 10 days, following the resumption of Israeli bombing on March 18, 2025.

Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), has condemned Israel’s blockade on humanitarian aid entering Gaza, as well as its decision to cut off electricity to the Palestinian enclave.

In phase one, which ended on Saturday, a total of 33 Israeli captives, including eight bodies, were released in exchange for 1,737 Palestinian abductees held in the regime’s jails.

In a series of notifications sent to Congress on Friday, the State Department has reported it has approved the sale of more than 35,500 MK 84 and BLU-117 bombs and 4,000 Predator warheads worth $2.04 billion to Israel.

U.S. President Donald Trump has reiterated his controversial proposal to take control of Gaza, saying he is committed to “buying and owning” the war-ravaged enclave.

Over all, Washington has provided the regime with $310 billion in military and economic aid, which has been regularly adjusted for inflation, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, an American think tank.

The president of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, ordered the handover of the Galapagos Islands for the construction of a U.S. military base, due to the approval of the “Comprehensive security project in the island region” and the “Instructions for the application of cooperation agreements between Ecuador and the United States” on December 10.

The Crimean Central Library is showcasing for the first time a selection of 30 paintings by Cuban artists, featuring landscapes, portraits, cityscapes, and depictions of Cuban life.

Thousands of Chileans were beaten and sprayed with high-pressure water guns while marching to pay tribute to the victims of the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship.

On Friday, ALBA Movements, an organization bringing together grassroots movements from 25 countries in the Americas, issued a statement rejecting the claims made by the presidents of Colombia and Brazil, who proposed the formation of a cohabitation government in Venezuela, where President Nicolas Maduro was re-elected in the July 28 elections. 

Brazilians took to social media following the news calling out Bolsonaro for “celebrating” the military dictatorship and its coup using the hashtag #DitaduraNuncaMais (No More Dictatorship).