Gaza
(UN News) After thousands of buildings were destroyed in the Gaza Strip during the Israel-Hamas war, local teams and civil defense personnel continue the arduous and delicate mission to remove rubble and search for the remains of missing persons believed to still be buried under the debris of homes destroyed by Israeli airstrikes. The passage of time and a severe shortage of heavy equipment have made the search and recovery operations increasingly difficult and complex, those working on this mission told UN News. In one of Gaza City’s neighborhoods, a piece of heavy machinery continues to remove the rubble of a war-destroyed house. Meanwhile, civil defence personnel and local teams continue digging and combing through debris for the remains of victims believed to still be buried under the rubble for more than two years. “This building was believed to contain the remains of 44 victims,” said locally based team member Asaad Shreim. “So far, we have only been able to recover 13 of them while the residents and civil defence teams were able to recover the largest number during the first hours following the bombing.” – ‘We face a new ordeal’: Gaza’s search for the dead goes on | UN News
Qatar
(Al Arabiya) Qatar’s ministry of transport on Sunday announced the temporary suspension of sailing and all maritime activities for most vessels until further notice, citing public safety. In a statement, the ministry advised owners and users of maritime vessels — including leisure boats, fishing boats, jet skis and all other maritime vessels — to temporarily suspend sailing and all maritime activities. – Qatar temporarily suspends maritime activities citing public safety
Russia – Ukraine
(Marianne Gross – Politico) Russia said a Ukrainian drone hit a tanker as it was entering the canal between the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea on Sunday, as Kyiv intensifies its attacks on Russian fuel supplies. The governor of Russia’s Rostov region, Yury Slyusar, said on Telegram that a drone strike caused a fire on the vessel but that it had since been contained. – Ukraine hits Russian tanker in Sea of Azov – POLITICO
(Dmytro Basmat – The Kyiv Independent) Ukrainian drones reportedly struck a major Russian oil refinery in the city of Syzran in Samara Oblast overnight on July 12, Russian Telegram media channels reported. Photos and videos posted to social media by local residents purport to show large flames and thick black smoke rising from the Szyran Oil Refinery, located more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) from the Ukrainian border. The refinery has a processing capacity of approximately 9 million tons of crude oil per year and supplies fuel to the Russian Air Force and military units in central and southern Russia, while also exporting petroleum products via the Volga River and the Caspian Sea. – Key Russian oil refinery struck in Ukrainian drone attack
(Dmytro Basmat – The Kyiv Independent) Russian independent media outlet Mediazona, in collaboration with the BBC Russian service, has confirmed the identities of 230,624 Russian military personnel killed in Ukraine. Since the media outlets’ last update in mid-June, the names of 2,890 Russian soldiers have been added to the list of casualties. The journalists note that the actual figures are likely significantly higher, as their verified information comes from public sources such as obituaries, posts by relatives, regional media reports, and statements from local authorities. – Over 230,000 Russian soldiers killed in Ukraine identified by media investigation
(Dmytro Basmat – The Kyiv Independent) President Volodymyr Zelensky said on July 11 that he is preparing changes to Ukraine’s “diplomatic efforts” to accelerate weapons deliveries from allies, as Ukraine’s stockpile of Patriot air defense missiles has run dry. “We need a new quality of engagement with Ukraine’s partners to ensure the implementation of our agreements on weapons supplies,” Zelensky said in his evening address. “The agreements reached at the leaders’ level must be implemented much faster and in full.” – Zelensky plans diplomatic changes amid air defense crisis
Ukraine
(Reuters/Al Arabiya) Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday he had proposed replacing Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. “I am grateful to Yuliia for her clear, steady, and effective work as Prime Minister, for her years of productive service on Ukraine’s team, and I have offered her the opportunity to lead a new and important area of relations with a key partner,” Zelenskyy said on X. – Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says he will replace Prime Minister Svyrydenko
US – Iran
(Al Arabiya) An adviser to Iran’s supreme leader said on Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz was more important than “dozens of atomic bombs,” vowing to protect the vital waterway. “This strategic passage is more important than dozens of atomic bombs, and the Islamic Republic of Iran will protect it,” Mohsen Rezaei was quoted by the ISNA news agency as saying. – Adviser to Iran’s supreme leader says Strait of Hormuz ‘more important’ than nuclear bombs
(Al Arabiya) Saudi Arabia on Sunday condemned the latest round of Iranian attacks on neighboring countries and ships in the Strait of Hormuz describing Iran’s conducts as destabilizing. “The Foreign Ministry expresses the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s condemnation and rejection in the strongest terms of Iran’s continuation of its destabilizing behavior to the security and stability of the region,” a statement read. – Saudi Arabia condemns Iran’s destabilizing behavior in the region
(AFP/Al Arabiya) Pakistan’s top diplomat called for “deescalation” and for parties in the Iran conflict to “show restraint” during a phone call with his Iranian counterpart on Sunday, a foreign ministry statement said. – Pakistan FM calls for ‘restraint’ in call with Iran counterpart, ministry says
(AFP/Al Arabiya) Tehran announced it was closing the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday and launched missiles and drones at its Gulf neighbors, in retaliation for new US strikes following an attack by Iranian forces on a merchant vessel that was abandoned in flames by its crew. Sirens and explosions were heard in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, AFP journalists and local authorities reported, the latest escalation to undermine an interim agreement between Washington and Tehran aimed at ending the Middle East war. – Iran strikes Gulf neighbors after new US attacks
(Al Arabiya) Iran on Sunday said it closed the Strait of Hormuz after a vessel traveled on an unapproved route and was struck, warning that any retaliation over the incident would be met with a “severe response”. “A vessel that had jeopardized maritime security by switching off its systems was struck and brought to a halt,” the Navy of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said in a statement, without giving any details about the ship. The statement said several ships attempted to move through the waterway on an “unauthorized route” and disregarded warnings to correct their course. – Iran declares Strait of Hormuz closed as ‘unauthorized’ vessel hit
(Alex Raufoglu – RFE/RL) The US launched a new wave of military strikes early on July 12 against Iran after Tehran declared the Strait of Hormuz closed and Iranian forces struck a Cyprus-flagged container ship, sharply escalating tensions in one of the world’s most strategically important waterways. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had begun a third round of strikes this week after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) attacked the M/V GFS Galaxy while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz. “A civilian crew member is missing and the vessel is unable to continue the journey due to an onboard fire and significant engine room damage,” CENTCOM said in a Rstatement. – US Launches Fresh Strikes On Iran After Tehran Closes Strait Of Hormuz
US – Mexico
(Mauricio Torres – CNN) The death of a Mexican man in Houston at the hands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is threatening to upend already-strained relations between Mexico and the United States. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum took the unusual step of announcing at a press conference on Thursday that Mexico is seeking civil and criminal investigations in the US related to the deaths of 17 Mexican nationals during immigration enforcement operations or at detention centers. These investigations aim to “protect the human rights of Mexicans in the United States,” the Mexican government said. The impetus for the announcement was the ICE shooting death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Texas last week. ICE officials said agents shot Salgado Araujo, whom they said was in the US illegally, after he rammed a law enforcement vehicle and refused to follow verbal commands during a traffic stop. His family has disputed ICE’s account, telling CNN that the 52-year-old father of three would have stopped if he had known the car that followed him belonged to law enforcement. – Mexico-US relations are already strained, but experts say they’re about to get worse | CNN
