Morning Briefing: June 25, 2024

By Rabia Ali

ISTANBUL (AA) - Here is a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Tuesday with, including Gaza becoming a "living hell" for over 2 million people, EU's Borrell warning of Israel's will to annex West Bank, and arrival of an arms and ammunition US cargo plane in Israel.

TOP STORIES

• Decimated Gaza 'living hell' for over 2M people, says UNRWA chief

Gaza has been decimated and become a "living hell" for more than 2 million people, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said Monday.

Philippe Lazzarini's remarks came in his opening address at the meeting of the agency's Advisory Commission in Geneva.

Describing the situation as "a nightmare" that Gazans cannot wake, he lamented that "catastrophic levels" of hunger across the Gaza Strip are the result of human action.

"Children are dying of malnutrition and dehydration, while food and clean water wait in trucks," he said.

• EU's Borrell warns of Israel's 'clear will' to annex West Bank 'little by little'

The EU foreign policy chief said on Monday that Israel seems to have a "clear will" to annex the occupied West Bank "little by little," warning that this "certainly" will not lead to peace.

"There seems to be a clear will to annex the West Bank, little by little, bit by bit," Josep Borrell told a news conference in Luxembourg.

Reminding that a cease-fire has not been reached in Gaza, he said: "We are nowhere in terms of a cease-fire."

• US cargo plane lands in Israel following Israel’s criticism of delayed American arms shipments

A US C-17 cargo plane, reportedly carrying weapons and ammunition, landed in Israel on Monday amid the ongoing Israeli conflict with Gaza and daily exchanges of fire with the Lebanese Hezbollah group.

This development follows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's public criticism of the US for delayed weapons deliveries, which has strained the allies' relationship.

“Regarding Prime Minister Netanyahu's complaint about delayed weapons shipments from the US, a US C-17 cargo plane, used for transporting goods, has just landed in Israel,” Israeli Army Radio reported.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• Moscow said on Monday that the death toll from Sunday attacks on religious buildings in the Russian Republic of Dagestan rose to 19.

• British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak defended his government's migration policy on Monday, reiterating that flights to transport asylum seekers to Rwanda will take off next month.

• French President Emmanuel Macron urged European countries on Monday to create a continental defense force as part of NATO.

• US President Joe Biden designated Kenya as a "major non-NATO ally" on Monday, making it the first sub-Saharan African nation to receive the designation.

• Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is expected to plead guilty to a US felony as part of a deal that will see him return to his native Australia, according to court documents filed Monday evening.

• A strong earthquake jolted the Vanuatu Pacific island nation on Monday, the US Geological Survey said.

• The Lebanese group Hezbollah on Monday said it targeted Israeli soldiers in northern Israel.

• German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Monday hinted that her country would seek to implement an arrest warrant against Israeli leaders if issued by the International Criminal Court.

• A major international anti-human trafficking operation resulted in 219 arrests and the identification of 1,374 potential victims, including 153 children, in 39 countries, Interpol announced on Monday.

• The US is once again pausing its aid operations at a temporary pier in Gaza, saying that the latest halt is being enacted for "scheduled maintenance activities."

• SpaceX has sent 20 Starlink satellites Sunday onboard its Falcon 9 rocket, successfully completing the mission for June.

SPORTS

• Mattia Zaccagni's last-minute goal brings last 16 ticket to Italy

Mattia Zaccagni’s last-minute goal in the 97th minute allowed Italy to reach the last 16 of EURO 2024 with a 1-1 draw on Monday.

Croatia missed the chance to reach the last 16 of the 2024 European Football Championship (EURO 2024) with a goal by the Italians.

• Hungary forward Varga may undergo surgery on facial fracture

Hungary striker Barnabas Varga may undergo surgery after he broke several facial bones during a group match at the European Championship on Sunday, the Hungarian football federation said.

"Several bones in Barnabas Varga’s face were broken during the collision during the match, and he also suffered a concussion. The Ferencvaros striker is most likely to undergo surgery," the federation said in a statement.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Major record companies in US sue music services using artificial intelligence

Major record companies in the US are suing two multi-million-dollar music generation services, Suno and Udio, for using artificial intelligence (AI).

Suno and Udio are facing two copyright infringement cases based on the mass infringement of copyrighted sound recordings that are copied and exploited without permission, the Recording Industry Association of America said Monday in a statement.

• Iran announces agreement with Bahrain to release frozen assets

Tehran has reached an agreement with Manama to establish a joint mechanism for the release of Iran's frozen assets in Bahrain, acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri announced on Monday.

Addressing a news conference in Tehran following the 19th Asian Cooperation Dialogue Forum attended by senior officials from 35 countries, Bagheri stated that the member countries shared their views on regional and global developments during the meeting.​​​​​​​