WASHINGTON — President Trump is scheduled to speak with Russia’s Vladimir Putin Thursday as he considers Ukraine’s push for long-range missiles, according to a White House official who was not authorized to comment on the private call and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The call comes ahead of Trump’s meeting on Friday at the White House with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian leader has been pressing Trump to sell Kyiv Tomahawk missiles which would allow Ukrainian forces to strike deeper into Russian territory.
Zelensky has argued such strikes would help compel Putin to take Trump’s calls for direct negotiations between the Russia and Ukraine to end the war more seriously.
With a fragile Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage deal holding, Trump has said he’s now turning his attention to bringing Russia’s war on Ukraine to an end and is weighing providing Kyiv long-range weaponry as he looks to prod Moscow to the negotiating table.
Ending the wars in Ukraine and Gaza was central to Trump’s 2024 reelection pitch, in which he persistently pilloried President Joe Biden for his handling of the conflicts. Yet, like his predecessor, Trump also has been stymied by Putin as he’s unsuccessfully pressed the Russian leader to hold direct talks with Zelensky to end the war that is nearing its fourth year.
But fresh off the Gaza ceasefire, Trump is showing new confidence that he can finally make headway on ending the Russian invasion. He’s also signaling that he’s ready to step up pressure on Putin if he doesn’t come to the table soon.
“Interestingly we made progress today, because of what’s happened in the Middle East,” Trump said of the Russia-Ukraine war on Wednesday evening as he welcomed supporters of his White House ballroom project to a glitzy dinner.
Earlier this week in Jerusalem, in a speech to the Knesset, Trump predicted the truce in Gaza would lay the groundwork for the U.S. to help Israel and many of its Middle East neighbors normalize relations. But Trump also made clear his top foreign policy priority now is ending the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II.
“First we have to get Russia done,” Trump said, turning to his special envoy Steve Witkoff, who has also served as his administration’s chief interlocutor with Putin. “We gotta get that one done. If you don’t mind, Steve, let’s focus on Russia first. All right?”
Trump weighs Tomahawks for Ukraine
Trump is set to host Zelensky for talks Friday, their fourth face-to-face meeting this year.
Ahead of the meeting, Trump has said he’s weighing selling Kyiv long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles, which would allow Ukraine to strike deep into Russian territory — if Putin doesn’t settle the war soon. Zelensky, who has long sought the weapons system, said it would help Ukraine put the sort of pressure on Russia needed to get Putin to engage in peace talks.
Putin has made clear that providing Ukraine with Tomahawks would cross a red line and further damage relations between Moscow and Washington.
But Trump has been undeterred.
“He’d like to have Tomahawks,” Trump said of Zelensky on Tuesday. “We have a lot of Tomahawks.”
Agreeing to sell Ukraine Tomahawks would be a splashy move, said Mark Montgomery, an analyst at the conservative Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington. But it could take years to supply and train Kyiv on the Tomahawk system.
Montgomery said Ukraine could be better served in the near term with a surge of Extended Range Attack Munition (ERAM) missiles and Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS. The U.S. already approved the sale of up to 3,350 ERAMs to Kyiv earlier this year.
The Tomahawk, with a range of about 995 miles (1,600 kilometers), would allow Ukraine to strike far deeper in Russian territory than either the ERAM (about 285 miles, or 460 km) or ATACMS (about 186 miles, or 300 kilometers).
“To provide Tomahawks is as much a political decision as it is a military decision,” Montgomery said. “The ERAM is shorter range, but this can help them put pressure on Russia operationally, on their logistics, the command and control, and its force disbursement within several hundred kilometers of the front line. It can be very effective.”
Signs of White House interest in new Russia sanctions
Zelensky is expected to reiterate his plea to Trump to hit Russia’s economy with further sanctions, something the Republican, to date, has appeared reluctant to do.
Congress has weighed legislation that would lead to tougher sanctions on Moscow, but Trump has largely focused his attention on pressuring NATO members and other allies to cut off their purchases of Russian oil, the engine fueling Moscow’s war machine. To that end, Trump said Wednesday that India, which became one of Russia’s biggest crude buyers after the Ukraine invasion, had agreed to stop buying oil from Moscow.
Waiting for Trump’s blessing is legislation in the Senate that would impose steep tariffs on countries that purchase Russia’s oil, gas, uranium and other exports in an attempt to cripple Moscow economically.
Though the president hasn’t formally endorsed it — and Republican leaders do not plan to move forward without his support — the White House has shown, behind the scenes, more interest in the bill in recent weeks.
Administration officials have gone through the legislation in depth, offering line edits and requesting technical changes, according to two officials with knowledge of the discussions between the White House and the Senate. That has been interpreted on Capitol Hill as a sign that Trump is getting more serious about the legislation, sponsored by close ally Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., along with Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.
A White House official said the administration is working with lawmakers to make sure that “introduced bills advance the president’s foreign policy objectives and authorities.” The official, who was granted anonymity to discuss private deliberations, said any sanctions package needs to give the president “complete flexibility.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday the administration is waiting for greater buy-in from Europe, which he noted faces a bigger threat from Russian aggression than the U.S. does.
“So all I hear from the Europeans is that Putin is coming to Warsaw,” Bessent said. “There are very few things in life I’m sure about. I’m sure he’s not coming to Boston. So, we will respond … if our European partners will join us.”
Madhani and Kim write for the Associated Press. AP writers Fatima Hussein, Chris Megerian and Didi Tang contributed to this report.
Sept. 3 (UPI) — Survivors of convicted sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, flanked by lawmakers and lawyers, spoke out at a press conference on Capital Hill Wednesday.
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, called the fight for the Epstein files a “Democrat hoax.”
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., called on Republicans in the House to support the survivors by signing his discharge petition to force a vote to release all the files. But House GOP leaders are pushing members to avoid the petition and support the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which is working for disclosures from the Department of Justice, The Hill reported.
In a closed-door meeting in the Capitol, Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., called on GOP lawmakers to instead support the efforts of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, led by Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., which is seeking more disclosures on the Epstein case from the DOJ, the Epstein estate, and former law enforcement officials who worked on the case.
Massie said of Comer’s committee, “They’re allowing the DOJ to curate all of the information that the DOJ is giving them.”
“I hope my colleagues are watching this press conference,” Massie said. “Hopefully today we’ll get two more signatures on the discharge petition, that’s all we need.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said she and the others would fight for the victims.
“Today, we are coming forward and we are going to fight like hell for these women, because we have to fight like hell for those that are enduring sexual abuse and are living in a prison of shame,” Greene said.
Trump said in a meeting Wednesday with the president of Poland to a reporter, “So this is a Democrat hoax that never ends. You know, it reminds me a little of the Kennedy situation [assassination], we gave them everything. Over and over again. More and more and more. And nobody’s ever satisfied.”
He said Democrats are trying to distract from his successes as president.
“I know that no matter what you do, it’s going to keep going,” the president said of the focus on the Epstein files.
“I think we’re probably having, according to what I read, even from two people in this room, we’re having the most successful eight months of any president ever,” he said. “And that’s what I want to talk about. That’s what we should be talking about. Not the Epstein hoax.”
Brad Edwards, who represents some of the victims, responded, urging Trump to join the survivors.
“Back in 2009 and several times after that, [Trump] didn’t think that it was a hoax then. In fact, he helped me. He got on the phone, he told me things that were helping our investigation. Our investigation wasn’t looking into him, but he was helping us then,” Edwards said. “So at this point in time, I would hope that he would revert back to what he was saying to get elected, which is, ‘I want transparency.'”
One of Epstein’s survivors, Chauntae Davies, said Epstein was very proud of his friendship with Trump.
“His biggest brag, forever, was that he was very good friends with Donald Trump. He had an 8-by-10 framed picture of him on his desk with the two of them,” Davies said.
Several victims expressed their pain and frustration with the lack of transparency and support at the event.
“Why was he so protected? And why didn’t anyone ever care to stop him?” survivor Haley Robson asked.
She urged lawmakers to “lift the curtain on these files and be transparent.”
Marina Lacerda said she was “one of dozens of girls that I personally know who was forced into Jeffrey mansion … when we were just kids,” CBS News reported.
Lacerda said she was 14 when she met Epstein, after being told she could earn $300 “to give an older guy a massage.”
“It went from a dream job to the worst nightmare,” Lacerda said.
She said she had “no way out … until he finally told me that I was too old.”
Lacerda questioned why Epstein was able to “go on with the abuse,” saying she could have testified earlier on to “help stop him.”
“Our government could have saved so many women, but Jeffrey Epstein was too important and those women didn’t matter,” Lacerda said. “Why? Well we matter now. We are here today, and we are speaking, and we are not going to stop speaking.”
A lawyer for some of the victims, Brittany Henderson, said the women want transparency and protection.
“The women here represent hundreds of other women who we have spoken to, many of whom were trafficked from other countries — from eastern European countries — where women don’t have the rights that we have here, women don’t have the protections that we have here. And those women are terrified that their names will be released in those files.”
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who is working with Massie on the discharge petition, said, “A nation that allows rich and powerful men to traffic and abuse young girls without consequence, is a nation that has lost its moral and spiritual core.”
Khanna said there are “corrupt, special-interest forces” blocking the release of the full files, saying “There is something that is rotten in Washington.”
Survivor Jena-Lisa Jones said, “Together, we can finally make a change.”
“Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, this does not matter,” Jones said. “This is not about sides.”
One survivor, Teresa Helm, spoke out against the interview that Attorney General Todd Blanche conducted with Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
“Her voice was elevated way before our voices were elevated here today. And that same calm, manipulative voice that she had, so polite there that day with Todd Blanche, was the same, polite, coercive, manipulative voice that I heard as she was grooming me to then send me off to the home of Jeffrey Epstein, where he would assault me.”
She criticized Blanche’s failure to counter what Maxwell said.
“Does he even have the facts to be able to push back on her? We could sit there and push back. Why didn’t we get to attend that? Why weren’t we there that day? Or why wasn’t even one of us consulted prior to that day in that meeting?” she asked.
“We all work very hard on healing and [Maxwell’s voice] still gets to us after two decades,” she said.
Annie Farmer, a survivor who testified at Maxwell’s trial, said that there are two Americas.
“At a time with record high levels of distrust in our institutions, and a perception that there are two Americas — one for those with power and privilege and one for everyone else, passing this Epstein transparency bill is one important step that can be taken to prove to Americans that the government does not side with sexual perpetrators,” Farmer said.
Anouska De Georgiou, another survivor, said the issue is secrecy.
She called the discharge petition “so essential,” saying it’s “about ending secrecy wherever abuse of power takes root.”
“The only motive for opposing this bill would be to conceal wrongdoing,” she said.
Massie voiced the same concern.
“What’s clear is they’re not redacting just to protect victims; they are redacting to protect reputations,” Massie said. “Some of those people are probably innocent, but some of them are most certainly guilty.”
Lisa Phillips, a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, speaks out during a rally with other survivors on Capitol Hill in Washington on September 3, 2025. Photo by Anna Rose Layden/UPI | License Photo
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived on Wednesday in Berlin for a virtual summit with European officials and United States President Donald Trump, convened by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
The call was meant to bring European leaders together with Trump before the planned August 15 Alaska meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Those on the call included Merz and the US president, as well as US Vice President JD Vance, Zelenskyy, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, among others.
Here are the key takeaways:
What happened on Wednesday?
The prospect of Trump meeting alone with Putin has left European leaders uneasy. Since the Alaska summit was announced, they have worked to secure Trump’s ear one last time, and on Wednesday, that effort resulted in a series of high-level calls.
About 12:00 GMT, European leaders and NATO members held a video conference with Zelenskyy. Roughly an hour later, Trump and Vice President JD Vance joined the discussion.
Chancellor Merz and President Zelenskyy then delivered joint statements, followed by a separate address from Trump at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
Later in the day, the “Coalition of the Willing”, a group of 31 countries committed to strengthening support for Ukraine against Russian aggression, met in a separate virtual session, issuing a statement.
What were the key takeaways from all these talks?
Here is a breakdown.
EU leaders:
Following the talks with other European leaders and Trump:
Merz said that European and Ukrainian security interests must be respected at Friday’s Alaska summit. He underlined the importance of Ukraine having a seat at the table in any peace discussions, with a ceasefire as the essential first step.
“We have made it clear that Ukraine will be at the table as soon as there is a follow-up meeting,” Merz told reporters in Berlin alongside Zelenskyy. “President Trump wants to make a ceasefire a priority,” he added.
Any territorial exchange in Ukraine “must only be discussed with Ukraine”, French President Macron told reporters in Bregancon, France, following the call.
“Trump was very clear on the fact that the US wants to obtain a ceasefire at this meeting in Alaska,” Macron said. “We must continue to support Ukraine, and when I say ‘we’, I mean Europeans and Americans,” he added.
Ukraine needs credible security guarantees as part of any peace deal, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Starmer said following the virtual summit. The United Kingdom’s support for Ukraine is “unwavering”, he added.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, right, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attend a joint news conference in Berlin after a virtual meeting with US President Donald Trump [Omer Messinger/Getty Images]
Zelenskyy statements:
Zelenskyy, during the news conference with Merz, said Putin is “bluffing” about being interested in peace. “Russia is attempting to portray itself as capable of occupying all of Ukraine. That is undoubtedly what they want,” Zelenskyy said.
The Ukrainian leader also warned that “talks about us, without us, will not work”.
“Everything concerning Ukraine must be discussed exclusively with Ukraine. We must prepare a trilateral format for talks. There must be a ceasefire,” Zelenskyy added.
He also said “there must be security guarantees – truly reliable ones”.
Among the agreed principles, Zelenskyy said, is that Russia must not be allowed to block Ukraine’s path to joining the European Union or NATO, and that peace talks should go hand in hand with maintaining pressure on Russia.
The Ukrainian leader also emphasised that sanctions should be strengthened if Russia fails to agree to a ceasefire during the Alaska summit. “These are effective principles. It is important that they work,” Zelenskyy added.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 13, 2025
Trump’s news conference:
Following the call, Trump spoke at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC:
“We had a very good call. I would rate it a 10, very friendly,” Trump explained. The US leader then went on to discuss potential next steps ahead of Friday’s meeting.
“There’s a very good chance that we’re going to have a second meeting, which will be more productive than the first. Because the first is: I’m going to find out where we are and what we’re doing,” he said.
Trump also mentioned the possibility of a later meeting “between President Putin and President Zelenskyy and myself, if they’d like to have me there”, after the first meeting between him and Putin.
Trump also said he plans to call Zelenskyy and other European leaders after Friday’s discussions with Putin.
The US president also said there will be “very severe consequences” for Russia if Putin doesn’t agree to end the war after Friday’s meeting.
US President Donald Trump speaks during the unveiling of the Kennedy Center Honors nominees on August 13, 2025, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC [Mandel Ngan/AFP]
“Do you believe you can convince him to stop targeting civilians in Ukraine?” one journalist asked Trump. “I’ve had that conversation with him,” Trump said.
“Then I go home and I see that a rocket hit a nursing home or a rocket hit an apartment building and people are laying dead in the street. So I guess the answer to that is no, because I’ve had this conversation,” he added.
However, he reaffirmed his intention to find a solution: “I want to end the war. It’s Biden’s war, but I want to end it. I’ll be very proud to end this war, along with the five other wars I ended,” he said, without explaining which other conflicts he was referring to. He has claimed credit for ceasefires between India and Pakistan in May and Israel and Iran in June, and helped mediate truce pacts between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. Trump has also repeatedly made it clear that he covets a Nobel Peace Prize and believes he is deserving of one.
The Coalition of the Willing:
The coalition issued a statement outlining four key requirements they believe should form the basis of Friday’s talks.
They said “meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or a lasting and significant cessation of hostilities”.
Second, if Russia refuses a ceasefire in Alaska, sanctions and other economic measures should be intensified to further strain its war economy.
Third, “international borders must not be changed by force”.
Fourth, Ukraine should receive strong security guarantees, with the Coalition of the Willing ready to help, including a reassurance force after hostilities end. “No limitations should be placed on Ukraine’s armed forces or on its cooperation with third countries,” the statement said. And Russia cannot veto Ukraine’s path to EU or NATO membership.
Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer co-chairs the Coalition of the Willing video conference call with European leaders on Ukraine [Jack Taylor/Reuters]
Will the European intervention influence the Alaska summit?
It’s unclear, but analysts say that Wednesday’s calls show how Europe has managed to make sure that Trump can’t ignore the continent.
“Even if certain commitments are given, we don’t know what will happen once Putin and Trump find themselves in a room,” Lucian Kim, a senior analyst for Ukraine with the International Crisis Group, told Al Jazeera.
“The Europeans have quite a lot of power and even more than they realise themselves,” he said, adding that it was an “achievement” for European leaders to get Trump’s attention, and there is now a difference in tone.
“It was not a given when Trump first got into office that he would listen to the Europeans,” he said. Kim also noted that Europe has used its power and influence to pressure Russia over the war.
“Russia was heavily dependent on Europe, not the United States, and this lack of trade is hurting Russia,” he said. “Also, you have European banks that are holding hundreds of billions of dollars in Russian government assets.”
“Trump has realised that without the Europeans, it will be very hard to reach any solution in Ukraine.”
What has Russia said so far about any peace agreement?
On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Alexey Fadeev told a news conference that Moscow’s position remained unchanged since President Putin outlined it in June 2024.
At the time, Putin had said that a ceasefire would take effect immediately if the Ukrainian government withdrew from four Ukrainian regions partially occupied by Russia – Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia. He also insisted that Ukraine must formally abandon its bid to join the NATO military alliance.
Russia currently controls about 19 percent of Ukraine, including the entirety of Crimea and Luhansk, more than 70 percent of Donetsk, Zaporizhia and Kherson, as well as small portions of the Kharkiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv, and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
India is signaling it may seek to rebalance its global partnerships after Trump’s salvo of tariffs on Indian goods.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva have spoken by phone, their offices said, discussing a broad range of topics that included tariffs imposed by the United States on goods from both countries.
Lula confirmed a state visit to India in early 2026 during the call on Thursday, which occurred a day after the Brazilian leader told the news agency Reuters that he would initiate a conversation among the BRICS group of countries on tackling US President Donald Trump’s levies, which are the highest on Brazil and India.
The group of major emerging economies also includes China, Russia and South Africa.
“The leaders discussed the international economic scenario and the imposition of unilateral tariffs. Brazil and India are, to date, the two countries most affected,” Lula’s office said in a statement.
Trump announced an additional 25 percent tariff on Indian goods on Wednesday, raising the total duty to 50 percent. The additional tariff, effective August 28, is meant to penalise India for continuing to buy Russian oil, Trump has said.
Trump has also slapped a 50 percent tariff on goods from Brazil, with lower levels for sectors such as aircraft, energy and orange juice, tying the move to what he called a “witch hunt” against former President Jair Bolsonaro, a right-wing ally on trial for an alleged coup plot to overturn his 2022 election loss.
On their call, Lula and Modi reiterated their goal of boosting bilateral trade to more than $20bn annually by 2030, according to the Brazilian president’s office, up from roughly $12bn last year.
Brasilia said they also agreed to expand the reach of the preferential trade agreement between India and the South American trade bloc Mercosur, and discussed the virtual payment platforms of their countries.
Modi’s office, in its statement, did not explicitly mention Trump or US tariffs, but said “the two leaders exchanged views on various regional and global issues of mutual interest.”
India is already signalling it may seek to rebalance its global partnerships after Trump’s salvo of tariffs on Indian goods.
Modi is preparing for his first visit to China in more than seven years, suggesting a potential diplomatic realignment amid growing tensions with Washington. The Indian leader visited Lula in Brasilia last month.
On The Crisis Room, we’re following insecurity trends across Nigeria.
Nigeria’s security landscape is a complex and multifaceted one. The dynamics differ according to each region. In Borno State, there is the Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgency, and complications resulting from the government’s resettlement efforts.
In this episode, we will be hearing the voices of some HumAngle reporters as they offer insight from their respective regions of coverage.
“The Crisis Room” podcast investigates the insecurity trends across Nigeria, highlighting the complex security challenges which vary by region. In Borno State, issues like the Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgency are compounded by government resettlement efforts. This episode features insights from HumAngle reporters covering different regions, providing a comprehensive understanding of the situation. Hosts Salma and Salim facilitate the discussion, with guests Usman Abba Zanna, Saduwo Banyawa, and Damilola Ayeni. The podcast is produced by Anthony Asemota and executive produced by Ahmad Salkida.
It is the child who wakes up asking for biscuits that no longer exist. The student who studies for exams while faint from hunger.
It is the mother who cannot explain to her son why there is no bread.
And it is the silence of the world that makes this horror possible.
Children of the famine
Noor, my eldest sister Tasneem’s daughter, is three; she was born on May 11, 2021. My sister’s son, Ezz Aldin, was born on December 25, 2023 – in the early months of the war.
One morning, Tasneem walked into our space carrying them in her arms. I looked at her and asked the question that wouldn’t leave my mind: “Tasneem, do Noor and Ezz Aldin understand hunger? Do they know we’re in a famine?”
“Yes,” she said immediately. “Even Ezz, who’s only known war and ruins, understands. He’s never seen real food in his life. He doesn’t know what ‘options’ are. The only thing he ever asks for is bread.”
She imitated his baby voice: “Obz! Obza! Obza!” – his way of saying “khobza” (a piece of bread).
She had to tell him, “There’s no flour, darling. Your dad went out to look for some.”
Ezz Aldin doesn’t know about ceasefires, borders, or politics. He doesn’t care about military operations or diplomatic statements.
He just wants one small piece of bread. And the world gives him nothing.
Noor has learned to count and recite the alphabet from her mother. Before the war, she loved chocolate, biscuits. She was the first grandchild in our family, showered with toys, snacks, and little dresses.
Now, every morning, she wakes up and turns to her mother with wide, excited eyes. “Go buy me 15 chocolates and biscuits,” she says.
She says 15 because it’s the biggest number she knows. It sounds like enough; enough to fill her stomach, enough to bring back the world she knew. But there’s nothing to buy. There’s nothing left.
Where is your humanity? Look at her. Then tell me what justice looks like.
[Omar Houssien/Al Jazeera]
Killed after five days of hunger
I watched a video that broke my heart. A man mourned over the shrouded bodies of seven of his family. In despair, he cried, “We’re hungry.”
They had been starving for days, then an Israeli surveillance drone struck their tent near al-Tabin School in Daraj, northern Gaza.
“This is the young man I was raising,” the man in the video wept. “Look what became of them,” as he touched their heads one last time.
Some people still don’t understand. This isn’t about whether we have money. It’s about the total absence of food. Even if you’re a millionaire in Gaza right now, you won’t find bread. You won’t find a bag of rice or a can of milk. Markets are empty. Shops are destroyed. Malls have been flattened. The shelves are not bare – they are gone.
We used to grow our own food. Gaza once exported fruits and vegetables; we sent strawberries to Europe. Our prices were the cheapest in the region.
A kilo (2.2 pounds) of grapes or apples? Three shekels ($0.90). A kilo of chicken from Gaza’s farms? Nine shekels ($2.70). Now, we can’t find a single egg.
Before: A massive watermelon from Khan Younis weighed 21 kilos (46 pounds) and cost 18 shekels ($5). Today: The same watermelon would cost $250 – if you can find it.
Avocados, once considered a luxury fruit, were grown by the tonne in al-Mawasi, Khan Younis and Rafah. They used to cost a dollar a kilo. We had self-sufficiency in dairy, too – cheeses and yoghurts made in Shujayea by local hands.
Our children were not spoiled – they just had basic rights. Breakfast meant milk. A sandwich with cheese. A boiled egg. Now, everything is cut off.
And no matter how I explain it to the children, they cannot grasp the words “famine” or “price hike”. They just know their bellies are empty.
Even seafood – once a staple of Gaza’s diet – has disappeared. Despite strict fishing restrictions, we used to send fish to the West Bank. Now, even our sea is silent.
And with all due respect to Turkish coffee, you haven’t tasted coffee until you’ve tried Mazaj Coffee from Gaza.
It had a strength you could feel in your bones.
This is not a forecast. Famine is now. Most of us are displaced. Unemployed. Mourning.
If we manage one meal a day, we eat it at night. It’s not a feast. It’s rice. Pasta. Maybe soup. Canned beans.
Things you keep as backup in your pantries. Here, they are luxury.
Most days, we drink water and nothing more. When hunger becomes too much, we scroll through old photos, pictures of meals from the past, just to remember what life once tasted like.
Starving while taking exams
As always, our university exams are online, because the campus is rubble.
We are living a genocide. And yet, we are trying to study.
I’m a second-year student.
We just finished our final exams for the first semester. We studied surrounded by hunger, by drones, by constant fear. This isn’t what people think university is.
We took exams on empty stomachs, under the scream of warplanes. We tried to remember dates while forgetting the last time we tasted bread.
Every day, I talk with my friends – Huda, Mariam, and Esraa – on WhatsApp. We check on each other, asking the same questions over and over:
“What did you eat today?”
“Can you even concentrate?”
These are our conversations – not about lectures or assignments, but about hunger, headaches, dizziness, and how we’re still standing. One says, “My stomach hurts too much to think.” Another says, “I nearly collapsed when I stood up.”
And still, we keep going. Our last exam was on July 15. We held on, not because we were strong, but because we had no choice. We didn’t want to lose a semester. But even saying that feels so small compared to the truth.
Studying while starving chips away at your soul.
One day, during exams, an air strike hit our neighbours. The explosion shook the walls.
A moment before, I was thinking about how hungry I felt. A moment after, I felt nothing.
I didn’t run.
I stayed at my desk and kept studying. Not because I was OK, but because there is no other choice.
They starve us, then blame us
Let me be clear: The people of Gaza are being starved on purpose. We are not unlucky – we are victims of war crimes.
Open the crossings. Let aid enter. Let food enter. Let medicine enter.
Gaza doesn’t need sympathy. We can rebuild. We can recover. But first, stop starving us.
Killing, starving, and besieging are not just conditions – they are actions forced upon us. Language reveals those who try to hide who is responsible.
So we will keep saying: We were killed by the Israeli occupation. We were starved by the Israeli occupation. We were besieged by the Israeli occupation.
It’s an end of an era as Neighbours cast members film their final scenes of the Australian soap opera as cast member break their silence on the show ending after four decades
Neighbours: Death in the Outback storyline teased in trailer
Neighbours has officially wrapped with the cast filming their last day at at Nunawading studios.
This chapter of the iconic Australian soap opera will be brought to a close in December 2025, celebrating over 40 years of entertainment, heart, and history.
Amazon had previously saved the soap in 2022 with it returning the following year, but sadly the deal has now come to an end.
Cast members have been sharing their memories of the soap which recently turned 40, with Paul Robinson actor Stefan Dennis saying: “I never thought a single show would give me the greatest adventures of my career, spanning 40 years.
Neighbours has officially wrapped with the cast members filming their last day at at Nunawading studios
“Without Neighbours I would not have meet the people, been to the places and lived the experiences of a lifetime. Thank you all.”
Susan Kennedy actress Jackie Woodburne continued: “It’s impossible to measure the gratitude I feel for the gift of 30 years on Neighbours.
“To do so I would have to calculate the number of extraordinary cast and crew I have been privileged to work with, count the number of laughs I have shared with them, measure the pride I feel for the diverse, dramatic (and sometimes outrageous!) storytelling we have all been a part of.”
“We are the best version of ‘family’. It has been a wild ride into a happy life. Wouldn’t change it for quids!”
Cast members Jackie Woodburne and Alan Fletcher have opened up about the show ending
Alan Fletcher, who play Karl Kennedy, added: “Neighbours has been my happy place for over 30 years. I will always treasure the creative freedom and enthusiasm amongst the whole team that has allowed us to produce a brilliant show for so long.”
Candice Leask, who plays Wendy Rodwell, explained: “It took me 10 years and five auditions to land the role of Wendy Rodwell.
“The three years playing Wendy and being on Neighbours has changed my life, not only as an actor but also as a person. The people that I have gotten to know so closely from production to crew to cast have allowed me to see how amazing this industry can be.”
Neighbours will be brought to a close in December 2025(Image: Amazon)
Executive Producer, Jason Herbison, said: “Neighbours is a special show and it’s been a privilege to make the recent seasons for our loyal viewers around the world. We have added 460 episodes to our legacy of over 9000 episodes, something we all feel proud of.
“Once again, we will be resting the residents of Ramsay Street on a hopeful note, with some tantalising possibilities for a future chapter.”
Neighbours is available to stream on Amazon Freevee
A Palestinian man trapped under rubble in a burning building spoke to his cousin by phone, pleading for help after an Israeli airstrike flattened their home in Gaza City. Rescue teams later found Ibrahim al-Daly dead from severe burns. (Warning: Distressing Content)
Jenny Ryan, also known as the Vixen, competed against two contestants in the final round of ITV’s the Chase in an episode hosted by Bradley Walsh that aired yesterday
Some viewers were left confused over an answer that was accepted by host Bradley Walsh on an episode of The Chase that aired this week. It came during a team’s final showdown against Jenny Ryan on the ITV quiz show.
An episode that aired yesterday saw four contestants take on Jenny, 43, who is also known as the Vixen, in a series of general knowledge rounds. Only two of them, Nick and Laura, made it to the final round against her, though.
The contestants had amassed a prize fund of £3,000 by that point and the pair managed to get 14 correct answers in their last round. Jenny then faced her final questions and one of her answers caught the attention of viewers at home.
Early on in her final chase, Bradley, 65, asked: “What colour top indicates semi-skimmed milk on bottles?” After taking a moment over the question, Jenny responded: “Red and silver.” The host reacted to her answer: “I’ll accept.”
An answer given by Jenny Ryan on an episode of the Chase that aired yesterday attracted attention on social media(Image: ITV)
Some fans were confused over the decision, though, with them suggesting that the correct answer should have been green. They shared their thoughts on X, with one viewer writing on the platform: “Semi-skimmed milk tops are green.”
Another asked: “I thought semi-skimmed was green?!” Someone else commented amid discussion about the episode: “Weird he just accepted a wrong answer!” Whilst another person wrote in a post: “Semi-skimmed is green!”
It was however pointed out that glass and plastic containers differ in colour coding. Some fans noted that glass bottles for semi skimmed milk have foil caps featuring red and silver stripes, whilst plastic alternatives often have green tops.
After asking which colour top indicates semi-skimmed milk on bottles, host Bradley Walsh accepted her answer of ‘red and silver’(Image: ITV)
Addressing the confusion, one person wrote on X this week: “Semi skimmed milk in glass bottles are red/silver striped. Poly containers it’s green.” Another said whilst the episode aired yesterday: “On bottles it’s red and silver stripes.”
It isn’t the first time that the question has prompted a reaction, with the episode having previously aired in 2022. At the time, it similarly was met with reaction from viewers over the accepted answer by host Bradley on the quiz show.
After answering the question, Jenny went on to get more correct answers in the final chase than the two remaining contestants, despite some pushbacks. Although they didn’t win the money, they received praise from the chaser.
Jenny then went on to win contestants Laura (left) and Nick (right), who had made it to the final round of the ITV show(Image: ITV)
Jenny, who had seven seconds to spare, told the team that they had “great answers” to a few “tricky questions”. She told them: “I think that shows that the total in the final chase doesn’t tell the whole story because you scored 14 with some great answers to some tricky questions.”
She added that as a result, she faced some challenging questions herself. Jenny said: “It meant that the equal set for me had some tricky ones in there that were gonna catch me out, but also some straightforward ones that I should have got.”
The Chase airs most weekdays on ITV and ITVX from 5pm.
Former Columbia University student was released from a detention centre on Friday after being held for more than three months.
Former Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil has pledged to continue protesting Israel’s war on Gaza, as well as the United States’s support for Israel’s military operations.
Khalil, who was released on Friday night after being detained for more than three months at a detention centre, told reporters at New Jersey’s Newark International Airport on Saturday that the government was funding “this [Gaza] genocide, and Columbia University is investing in this genocide”.
“This is why I will continue to protest with every one of you. Not only if they threaten me with detention. Even if they would kill me, I would still speak up for Palestine,” he said.
“Whether you are a citizen, an immigrant, anyone in this land, you’re not illegal. That doesn’t make you less of a human.”
Born in Syria to Palestinian parents, Khalil, 30, was arrested by immigration agents at his university residence in March and swiftly became the image for President Donald Trump’s harsh crackdown on pro-Palestine student protesters and their possible deportation in the name of alleged anti-Semitism.
The government has claimed that the grounds to detain and deport Khalil, a legal US citizen, were that there were inaccuracies in his application for permanent residency.
But District Judge Michael Farbiarz said it was “highly, highly unusual” for the government to continue detaining a legal US resident who was unlikely to flee and had not been accused of any violence.
Under the terms of his release, Khalil is not allowed to leave the country except for “self-deportation” and faces restrictions on where he can go in the US.
The government condemned the decision to release Khalil and filed a notice that it was appealing the decision.
Jaime Jarrín, the former Spanish-language voice of the Dodgers who captivated thousands of fans for decades and served as Fernando Valenzuela’s translator during Fernandomania, posted a message on his Instagram account about the raids and protests in a city he adopted as his own in 1958.
“As an immigrant who came to this country 70 years ago, I know firsthand the hope, courage and determination it takes to build a new life in a new land,” Jarrín posted Tuesday. “I have always believed that immigration is not just part of the American story; it is the American story.”
“Los Angeles is my home,” Jarrín added in his Instagram post. “This city is my family. And it breaks my heart to see the growing division in our community and across the country. We all deserve to be treated with dignity, respect and humanity.”
Former Dodgers Spanish language broadcaster Jaime Jarrín posted a message in support of immigrants and protestors following to weeks of ICE raids.
Jarrín is originally from Quito, Ecuador, and his first job in this country was in a factory in East Los Angeles. Over time, Jarrín became the sports director for KWKW and a Dodgers broadcaster for more than six decades. Jarrín worked alongside Valenzuela when he was a rookie in Major League Baseball in 1981, serving as his translator during Fernandomania in the 1980s. They later shared microphones in the radio booth broadcasting Dodger games in Spanish.
“In the face of the injustices and suffering we have witnessed, I am deeply proud of the thousands who have peacefully taken to the streets; raising their voices, refusing to be silenced. Their courage matters. Your presence matters. Do not be afraid. Stand strong. Stay present. Let your voice be heard,” added Jarrín.
President Donald Trump’s massive deportation orders have affected the professional sports atmosphere in Los Angeles. The games typically draw Latinos and immigrants from a wide range of countries. Tournaments such as the Gold Cup and the Club World Cup lost fans as some stayed away from stadiums because they feared potential raids or preferred to show solidarity with the demonstrations.
Of Los Angeles’ 12 professional sports teams, as of Friday morning, only two have issued public statements about the raids. Angel City FC and LAFC have shown their support for the community since the protests began, while the Dodgers and Galaxy, with a heavily Latino and immigrant fan bases, have remained silent.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has responded to some questions from reporters, but he has limited his remarks to saying he understood that the community is “heartbroken” and said the situation was somewhat “unsettling for everyone.”
Fan favorite Kiké Hernández took to his social networks to say he was “sad and enraged” at how immigrants were treated, noting the city of Los Angeles had opened its arms to him.
The Puerto Rican player, who helped the Dodgers win the World Series last season, wrote: “Maybe I wasn’t born and raised here, but this city adopted me as if I was one of them. I am too sad and infuriated with everything that is going on in the country and in our city. Los Angeles and Dodger fans have opened their arms to me, supported me and shown me a lot of kindness and most of all a lot of LOVE! This is my second home,” posted Hernandez, who was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and is in his second stint with the Dodgers after playing in L.A. from 2015-20 and returning from 2023 to the present.
“I cannot tolerate watching our community continue to be violated, attacked, abused and separated. ALL people deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and their human rights. I stand with you!!! #CiudadDeImigrantes,” the Dodger wrote on Sunday, using a hashtag referring to L.A. as a city of immigrants in Spanish.
Meanwhile, Maria Valenzuela, the daughter of legendary pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, spoke out against the ICE raids.
“I am a proud daughter of immigrant parents. They came to this country with dreams bigger than borders. My mother followed her heart, and my father not only pitched for the Dodgers, but for all immigrants who believed they belonged in this country,” Maria Valenzuela posted on Instagram. “He helped shape a city and inspired generations of Mexicans to dream big. Behind the fame was the same immigrant story: sacrifice, struggle and endless work for a better future.”
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca says he has yet to speak to Mykhailo Mudryk since the forward was charged with violating the Football Association’s anti-doping rules but insists the player retains the club’s support.
Ukraine international Mudryk, 24, was provisionally suspended by the FA in December after an “adverse finding in a routine urine test” and now faces a potential four-year ban.
Mudryk, who at the time of his suspension said he was in “complete shock” and had “never knowingly used any banned substances”, last played for Chelsea in November but attended the Blues’ Uefa Conference League final win in Poland last month in a private capacity.
“Mischa is a Chelsea player and – as a Chelsea player – I trust all the Chelsea players,” said Maresca.
“I spoke with Mischa at the Conference League final in Poland but I haven’t spoken to him since.
“When I spoke to him he was quite good, I didn’t see him worried or not good, he was good and okay but I haven’t spoken to him since that day so I don’t know how he is now.”
Chelsea signed Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk in January 2023 in a deal worth up to £89m, and he is under contract at the club until June 2031.
Mudryk, who cannot currently train with the club, has scored 10 goals in 73 appearances in all competitions for the Blues.
New South Korean President Lee Jae Myung appears at a news conference at the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea, on Wednesday, his first remarks after being inaugurated earlier in the day. Photo by Ahn Young-joon/EPA-EFE/pool
June 7 (UPI) — South Korea’s President Lee Jae-myung spoke for the first time with U.S. President Donald Trump late Friday as both leaders agreed to further strengthen their nations’ alliance.
The White House has not confirmed the conversation, and the president, who is in New Jersey this weekend, hasn’t posted about the call on Truth Social.
The two presidents agreed to strive toward reaching a mutually acceptable trade agreement, including on tariffs.
Trump has imposed 10% baseline tariffs on most trading partners. On April 2, Trump said the Republic of Korea would face a 49% duty but one week later he paused it for three months along with the other worst offenders in the trade imbalance.
South Korea’s tariffs on imported agricultural goods average 54%.
Trump congratulated Lee on his election victory, and the new leader expressed his gratitude, according to the office.
Lee noted the importance of the alliance, which forms the foundation of Seoul’s diplomacy.
The phone call was “conducted in a friendly and candid atmosphere,” as they shared anecdotes and experiences from their election campaigns, according to South Korea’s presidential office.
They exchanged views on their assassination attempts last year and political challenges, in addition to discussing their their golf skills and agreed to play a round together.
Trump invited Lee to the White House and the Group of Seven summit in Alberta, Canada, from June 15-17.
South Korea is not a G7 member state, but the nation attended them group’s meetings in 2021 and 2023. Korea’s neighbor, Japan, is a member of the G7.
Yonhap reported the South Korea government is in consultations for Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Chinese President Xi Jinping to speak to their leader.
It has not been decided whether Lee will attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization leaders’ summit in the Netherlands on June 24 and 25, according to the presidential office.
Lee, the Democratic Party liberal candidate, won in a landslide over Kim Moon-soo of the conservative People Power Party. He was inaugurated the next day on Wednesday.
South Koreans turned out in record numbers in a snap election triggered by the impeachment and removal of Yoon Suk Yeol in April after a botched martial law decree.
Some 35.24 million voters cast a ballot, representing a turnout of 79.4% — the highest mark since an 80.7% turnout in 1997.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has discussed the war in Ukraine with leaders of the United States, Italy, France and Germany, a 10 Downing Street spokesperson has said, in advance of US President Donald Trump’s planned call with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on Monday.
The flurry of diplomacy comes shortly after inconclusive direct Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul, Turkiye on Friday.
The leaders discussed the need for an unconditional ceasefire and for Putin to take peace talks seriously, the spokesperson said late on Sunday, adding that they also raised the use of sanctions if Russia failed to engage seriously in a ceasefire and concerted peace talks.
In remarks to reporters earlier on Sunday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he discussed the issue with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio while the two men were attending the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican. Merz said he also spoke at length at the Vatican with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“I spoke with Marco Rubio, including about the call tomorrow. We agreed that we will speak again with the four state leaders and the US president in preparation of this conversation [with Putin],” Merz said.
Trump said he planned to speak to Putin and Zelenskyy to discuss ways to stop the war’s “bloodbath”.
In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to Russian news agencies that preparations were under way for a conversation between Putin and Trump.
The talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul on Friday were the first time the sides had held face-to-face talks since March 2022, weeks after Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbour.
The brief talks yielded only an agreement to swap 1,000 prisoners of war, according to the heads of both delegations, in what would be their biggest such exchange since the war began.
A senior Ukrainian official familiar with the talks said Russian negotiators demanded Ukraine pull its troops out of all Ukrainian regions claimed by Moscow before they would agree to a ceasefire. That is a red line for Ukraine, and as it stands, Russia does not have full control in those regions.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy met US Vice President JD Vance and Rubio on the sidelines of the papal inauguration, according to a source in the Ukrainian delegation. It was the first meeting between Zelenskyy and Vance since they publicly clashed during talks at the White House in February over the future of the war in Ukraine.
Ukraine fears ballistic missile attack
In the meantime, Ukraine has claimed Russia is planning to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile late on Sunday to intimidate it and its Western allies.
Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, GUR, said Russia was planning to conduct a “training and combat” launch of the missile.
GUR said in a statement on the Telegram app that the launch was ordered to be implemented from Russia’s Sverdlovsk region, adding that the flight range for the missile was more than 10,000km (6,200 miles).
Ukraine on Sunday also said Russia had launched a record number of drones overnight, targeting various regions, including that of the capital, where a woman was killed.
Its air force said Russia launched “273 Shahed attack drones and various types of imitator drones”, of which 88 were destroyed and 128 went astray, “without negative consequences”.
Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said it was a “record” number of drones. “Russia has a clear goal – to continue killing civilians,” she said.
Al Jazeera’s Zein Basravi, reporting from Kyiv, said overnight, “air raid sirens began, and they went on for nearly nine hours”.
“We see these massive drone strikes and we see crowds of people seeking shelter, seeking safety, in those deep underground subway stations in the capital and in other areas of the country, once again,” Basravi said.
‘Deliberate killing of civilians’
The Russian military said it intercepted 25 Ukrainian drones overnight and on Sunday morning. It also claimed it had captured Bahatyr, another village in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, as it intensifies the war effort despite the talks.
Russia’s overnight drone attacks were roundly condemned by Ukrainian officials.
Zelenskyy reiterated his call for stronger sanctions on Moscow after a Russian drone killed nine bus passengers in the Sumy region of northeastern Ukraine on Saturday. “This was a deliberate killing of civilians,” he said.
“Pressure must be exerted on Russia to stop the killings. Without tougher sanctions, without stronger pressure, Russia will not seek real diplomacy.”
Russia, which denies targeting civilians, said it struck a military target in Sumy. Its Ministry of Defence claimed another settlement was captured in eastern Ukraine.
Zelenskyy’s top aide, Andriy Yermak, also decried the attacks.
“For Russia, the negotiations in Istanbul are just a pretence. Putin wants war,” Yermak said.
Russia aims to ‘create conditions for lasting peace’
In an interview with Russian state TV, Putin said Moscow’s aim was to “eliminate the causes that triggered this crisis, create the conditions for a lasting peace and guarantee Russia’s security”, without elaborating further.
Russia’s references to the “root causes” of the conflict typically refer to alleged grievances with Kyiv and the West that Moscow has put forward as justification for launching the invasion in February 2022.
They include pledges to “de-Nazify” and demilitarise Ukraine, protect Russian speakers in the country’s east, push back against NATO expansion and stop Ukraine’s westward geopolitical drift.
Ukraine and the West have rejected all of these reasons, saying Russia’s offensive is nothing more than an imperial-style land grab.
Tens of thousands have been killed since Russia started the war, with millions forced to flee their homes.
Putin said the Russian army, which occupies about 20 percent of Ukraine, had the “troops and means required” to achieve its goals.
The US Department of State said in a statement that Rubio and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, spoke with each other on Saturday. During the call, Rubio welcomed the prisoner exchange agreement reached in Istanbul, the department’s spokesperson said.
Ukraine’s top negotiator, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, said the “next step” would be a meeting between the two warring presidents.
Russia said it had taken note of the request, but added that the swap of prisoners of war had to be completed first, and both sides then needed to present their visions for a ceasefire before the next round of negotiations could be arranged.
After a signing trade and defence deals with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, US President Donald Trump told media in Doha that the two had also discussed the Russia-Ukraine war and Iran’s nuclear programme.
I had closely followed the genocidal war in Gaza for nine months when an opportunity came around to volunteer as part of a medical mission organised by the United Nations, World Health Organization and the Palestinian American Medical Association.
As a trained nephrologist, a doctor who treats patients with kidney disease, I felt there was a critical need for specialised medical care amid the collapse of the healthcare system in Gaza and the high number of medical specialists who had been killed.
I also felt it was my duty as a Muslim to help the people of Gaza. Islam teaches us that whoever saves one life, it is as if he had saved all of humanity; taking care of others is an act of worship, and standing up against injustice is a moral obligation.
I believe my degrees are not meant to simply hang on the walls of an air-conditioned office or help me drive the nicest car or live in an expensive neighbourhood. They are a testament to the fact that I have taken an oath to dedicate my expertise to the service of humanity, to maintain the utmost respect for human life and to offer my medical knowledge and compassion to those in need.
So on July 16, I departed for Gaza with a few other medics.
We entered the strip through the Karem Abu Salem crossing. We went from observing the prosperity, comfort and wealth of the Israeli side to recoiling at the destruction, devastation and misery of the Palestinian side. We basically saw what apartheid looks like.
On our short trip through southern Gaza to reach our destination in Khan Younis, we saw many buildings bombed, damaged or destroyed. Homes, schools, shops, hospitals, mosques – you name it.
The amount of rubble was sickening. To this day, I can’t unsee the landscapes of destruction I witnessed in Gaza.
We were accommodated in Al-Nasser Hospital because it was too dangerous to stay at any other place. We were welcomed and cared for so much that I felt embarrassed. We were seen as saviours.
I treated patients with kidney problems, worked as a primary care physician and sometimes helped during mass casualty events in the emergency room.
The author with one of his patients at Al Nassar Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip [Courtesy of Talal Khan]
Dialysis requires clean water, sterile supplies, reliable electricity, medications and equipment that must be maintained and replaced – none of which was guaranteed under the Israeli blockade. Each dialysis session was a challenge. Every delay increased the risk of my patients dying. Many of them did die – a fact I struggled to accept, knowing that under normal circumstances, many of them could have been saved and lived normal lives.
I remember the smiling face of one of my patients, Waleed, a young man who suffered from kidney failure caused by early-onset high blood pressure, a condition that, with access to proper treatment, could have been managed appropriately.
Dialysis was Waleed’s lifeline, but he couldn’t get an adequate number of sessions due to the Israeli blockade causing severe shortages of medical supplies. Malnutrition and worsening living conditions only accelerated his decline.
I remember how short of breath he was, his body overloaded with fluid and his blood pressure dangerously high. And yet, every time I saw him, Waleed greeted me with a warm smile, his spirit somehow intact, his mother always by his side. A few months after I left Gaza, Waleed passed away.
Another patient of mine was Hussein, a gentle, kind-hearted, deeply respected man. His children cared for him with love and dignity.
He suffered from severe hypokalaemia and acidosis: His body’s potassium levels were dangerously low, and acid built up to toxic levels. To address his condition, he needed basic medications: potassium supplements and sodium bicarbonate pills.
These were simple, inexpensive, life-saving medicines, and yet, the Israeli blockade did not allow them in. Because he could not find these pills, Hussein was hospitalised multiple times for intravenous potassium supplementation.
Despite his immense suffering, Hussein remained gracious, brave and full of faith. When speaking, he always repeated the phrase Alhamdulillah (praise be to God). He passed away a few weeks ago, I was told.
Waleed and Hussein should be here – smiling, laughing, living happily with their families. Instead, they became casualties of siege and silence. These are two of so many tragic stories I know of and I witnessed. So many beautiful lives that could have been saved were lost.
Despite this grim reality, my colleagues in Gaza continue to do their utmost for their patients.
These are medics who are bruised in every way. They are not only battling the daily struggles of life like all other Palestinians in Gaza but also witnessing daily horrors of headless babies, amputated limbs, fully burned human beings and sometimes the lifeless remains of their own loved ones.
Imagine working with no anaesthesia, limited pain medications, very few antibiotics. Imagine surgeons scrubbing with plain water, children undergoing amputations with no sedation, full-body burns patients’ dressings being changed with no pain relief.
Still these healthcare heroes just keep going.
One of the nurses I worked with, Arafat, made a deep impression on me. He was living in a makeshift shelter with multiple family members. It offered no protection against the elements – the cold winter, the scorching heat or the drenching rain.
He starved – like all other Palestinians in Gaza – losing 15kg (33lb) in nine months. He walked 2km to 3km (1 to 2 miles) every day to work with worn-out sandals, facing the danger of Israeli drones bombing or shooting him in the street.
And yet, the smile never left his face. He took care of more than 280 dialysis patients, treating them with care, attentively listening to their anxious families and uplifting his colleagues with light humour.
I felt so small next to heroes like Arafat. His and his colleagues’ resilience and persistence were unbelievable.
While in Gaza, I had the opportunity to visit Al-Shifa Hospital with a UN delegation. What once was Gaza’s largest and most vital medical centre was reduced to ruins. The hospital that was once a symbol of hope and healing had become a symbol of death and destruction, of the deliberate dismantling of healthcare. It was beyond heartbreaking to see its charred, bombed-out remains.
I stayed in Gaza for 22 days. It was an absolute honour to visit, serve and learn life from the resilient people of Gaza. Their relentless courage and determination will stay with me until I die.
Despite witnessing what I could have never imagined, I did not have the urge to leave. I wanted to stay. Back in the United States, I felt profound guilt that I left behind my colleagues and my patients, that I did not stay, that I did not do enough.
Feeling this constant heartache, I cannot understand the growing number of people who are accustomed to the daily reports of Palestinian deaths and images of torn bodies and starving children.
As human beings and as health workers, we cannot quit on Gaza. We cannot stay silent and passive. We must speak out and act on the devastation of healthcare and attacks on our colleagues in the Gaza Strip.
Already fewer and fewer healthcare workers are being allowed to enter Gaza on medical missions. The current blockade has prevented all medical supplies from going in.
We, as healthcare professionals, must mobilise to demand an immediate lifting of the siege and free access to medical missions. We must not stop volunteering to help the struggling medical teams in Gaza. Such acts of speaking out and volunteering give our colleagues in Gaza the hope and comfort that they have not been abandoned.
Let us not allow Gaza to be just a symbol of destruction. Instead, let it be the example of unbreakable spirit.
Stand, speak and act – so history remembers not just the tragedy but also the triumph of human compassion.
Let us uphold human dignity.
Let us tell Gaza, you are not alone!
Humanity is on your side!
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.
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