The tension still rises Middle East a few hours after the arrival in Israel of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. In Jerusalem, protesters are calling for Netanyahu's resignation, while the Pope launches an appeal for a ceasefire. In Ukraine new heavy Russian raids during the night, while this morning Moscow launched dozens of cruise missiles on six Ukrainian regions, creating new problems for the electricity grid.
Israel: Protesters demand Netanyahu's resignation
While the bombing of Gaza continues, in Jerusalem a few dozen demonstrators from the "Changing Direction" movement and the "Elections Now" coalition are blocking the main entrance to the Knesset, Israel's parliament, demanding early elections and the immediate replacement of the government with the expulsion of extremists from the executive: “Netanyahu resigns” the protesters shout, according to what the Israeli media write.
The organizers of the protest stated among other things that "any hope that the government would rise to the level of emergency has been dashed in light of its failed conduct, which is reflected in the dysfunctions, in the abandonment of the abductees, in a fatal wound to the image of the State". According to Haaretz, some organizers of the protest were evicted by the police family members of people killed by Hamas the 7 October.
Meanwhile, the public TV channel Kan reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has no intention of removing any of his ministers from office despite pressure and protests. There will be no reshuffle, but at most the closure of ministries considered ''minor''. In this context, talks are underway to provide a ''compensation'' to the ministers concerned and, according to rumors, they would be guaranteed a place in the government, but without a portfolio. Another option could be to offer the minister left without a ministry the leadership of the government body Tkuma (resurrection in Hebrew) created after the massacre launched by Hamas last October 7. The body is responsible for managing the reconstruction of communities in the Gaza Strip devastated by Hamas terrorists.
The Pope, ceasefire and release of hostages in Gaza
“I reiterate my appeal to all parties involved to a ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, and for the immediate release of all hostages in Gaza,” he said Pope to the Diplomatic Corps on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “I ask that the Palestinian population receive humanitarian aid and that hospitals, schools and places of worship have all the necessary protection,” said the Pontiff, adding: “I hope that the international community will proceed with determination the two-state solution, one Israeli and one Palestinian, as well as an internationally guaranteed special status for the City of Jerusalem, so that Israelis and Palestinians can finally live in peace and security."
“Modern wars no longer take place only on demarcated battlefields, nor do they only concern soldiers. In a context where it seems the distinction between military and civilian objectives can no longer be observed, there is no conflict that does not end up in some way affecting the civilian population indiscriminately", denounced Pope Francis in the audience with the diplomatic corps.
“The events in Ukraine and Gaza are clear proof of this – he continued -. We must not forget that serious violations of international humanitarian law are war crimes, and that it is not enough to detect them, but it is necessary to prevent them. There is therefore a need for greater commitment from the international community for the protection and implementation of humanitarian law, which seems to be the only way to protect human dignity in situations of war". And "even when it comes to exercising the right to self-defence, it is essential to stick to a proportionate use of force".
According to the Pontiff, "perhaps we don't realize that theand civilian casualties are not 'collateral damage'. They are men and women with names and surnames who lose their lives. They are children who remain orphaned and deprived of the future. They are people who suffer from hunger, thirst and cold or who are maimed due to the power of modern weapons." “
Night of intense fighting in Gaza and with Hezbollah
In Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces said there was intense fighting in Khan Yunis overnight, with the air force launching strikes on around 30 "significant" Hamas targets in the area.
The targets included underground sites, weapons depots and other infrastructure. The fighting is continuing this morning too. The IDF announced on X that it had also "struck numerous Hezbollah targets in Lebanon" during the night. The IDF had previously confirmed that a Hezbollah rocket fire damaged a strategic air base in northern Israel on Saturday.
Blinken in Israel
After visiting Turkey, Greece, Jordan and Qatar, the US Secretary of State Antony blinken he will be in Israel in the next few hours where he will ask Netanyahu to announce the end of the "military phase" of the war in the Gaza Strip andi move on to “targeted raids”. The announcement comes from the Israeli TV channel Channel 12.
Blinken will also meet today with local authorities in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia with the aim of convincing them to use their influence to avoid an escalation of the conflict. “This is a conflict that can easily have a risk of metastasis with more insecurity and even more impatience,” Blinken said while meeting journalists in Qatar.
Russian raids on 6 regions in Ukraine
In Ukraine, dozens of cruise missiles were launched this morning from Russia on six regions. National media report that explosions have been reported in several cities after Russian air raids targeted the areas of Dnipro, Ternopil, Kharkiv, Kyiv, and Lviv overnight. Due to the bombing, a fire broke out in a shopping center in Kryvi Rih, the home city of President Volodymyr Zelensky, causing one death and over 20 injuries. Other wounded were rescued after the bombing in Zaporizhzhia.
According to the Ukrainian energy operator Ukrenergo, the Russian bombings that began this morning at 6 am have caused new damage to electricity networks in the Donetsk, Kharkiv and Kherson regions.
Kiev's fears about the Orban risk at the European Council
Meanwhile, the announcement of a candidacy by the President of the European Council Charles Michel in the next European elections worries Kiev. If elected, Michel would take office in the European Parliament in mid-July. EU leaders will therefore have to quickly nominate a successor to his vacant seat in the European Council. Given that Hungary will assume the rotating presidency of the Council in July – several Ukrainian media highlight – Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban could take on the role of president of the European Council if EU members do not quickly reach an agreement on another candidate.
Tensions between the EU and Hungary over support for Ukraine have increased in intensity over the past year. As Michel's replacement, “Orban – writes the Kyiv Independent – would probably cause further conflicts between members of the European Commission.” Since the start of Russia's war in Ukraine, Hungary has repeatedly blocked EU support for Kiev, opposed sanctions against Moscow and is now threatening to thwart Ukraine's aspiration to join the EU.
