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Humanitarian Aid on Trial in Greece

  File photo: Migrants from Afghanistan is towed by rescuers of the Refugee Rescue NGO, on the island of Lesbos, Greece. Twenty-four humanitarian aid workers have gone on trial in Greece, facing felony charges of migrant smuggling, money laundering, and membership in a criminal organization . The case, unfolding on the island of Lesbos, targets former volunteers of the now-defunct NGO Emergency Response Centre International (ERCI) , which operated search-and-rescue missions between 2016 and 2018. Among the defendants are Sarah Mardini , a Syrian refugee and professional swimmer whose story inspired the Netflix film The Swimmers , and Seán Binder , a German-Irish rescue diver. Both were arrested in 2018 for their involvement in helping migrants and refugees arriving by sea from Turkey. If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison . Greek prosecutors allege that the group facilitated illegal entry into the country by monitoring coastguard communications and relaying ...

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Israel Claims Major Strike on Hamas Militants in Gaza Tunnels

 

Israeli soldiers walk through what Israel's military says is an iron-girded tunnel designed by Hamas to disgorge carloads of Palestinian fighters for a surprise storming of the border.


Israel announced that its forces killed approximately 40 Hamas militants who had been trapped in tunnels beneath Rafah in southern Gaza. According to the Israeli military, the operation targeted fighters who had been hiding underground for months, with some attempting to emerge and engage in clashes before being killed.

Officials stated that around 200 militants were initially trapped in the tunnel network, though some surrendered or were eliminated in earlier confrontations. Among those killed were three local Hamas commanders and the son of a senior Hamas leader, Ghazi Hamad.

The tunnels in Rafah have long been a focal point of Israel’s military campaign, as they serve as critical infrastructure for Hamas operations. Israeli forces have concentrated efforts on dismantling these underground routes, aiming to weaken Hamas’ ability to regroup and launch attacks.

Attempts by international mediators, including U.S. officials, to negotiate a deal for the militants to lay down arms in exchange for safe passage have so far failed. Washington described the situation as a test case for broader efforts to disarm Hamas across Gaza.

The Israeli military emphasized that the operation was part of its ongoing campaign to eliminate Hamas’ underground strongholds. Meanwhile, Hamas sources confirmed some of the casualties but have not issued a full statement on the incident.

This development underscores the fragile state of ceasefire negotiations and highlights the continuing volatility in southern Gaza, where tunnel warfare remains a deadly and decisive element of the conflict.

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