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
Russia – Ukraine
(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
US – Iran
(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
