Iran is portrayed as a hateful nation by Donald Trump, who claims that Iranians even chant “death to America” there. But does the Iranian obsession with American tragedy mean anything else, or both? It is explained by Soraya Lennie.
Ramallah, occupied West Bank – Early on a recent Sunday morning, Saher figured he had a rare opportunity. Expecting Israeli forces to be distracted by the fallout from Iranian rocket attacks, he started to climb Israel’s separation wall.
He needed about 15 minutes to get to the other side. But as he climbed, an Israeli patrol suddenly appeared.
“I panicked, let go of the rope, and fell.”
He dropped from the top of the wall – a concrete barrier, in some places 8 metres (26 feet) high, which cuts through the occupied West Bank. Saher fell 4 metres (13 ft).
“For a moment, I thought I had died,” the 26-year-old recalled. “I heard voices in Hebrew. Then pain started creeping through my body.”
A Palestinian ambulance crew eventually transported Saber to Ramallah Hospital, where he was diagnosed with multiple rib fractures and fitted with a brace.
The Palestinian construction worker was trying to cross into Israel to reach his job in the city of Rishon LeZion. He spoke to Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisal for trying to enter Israel without permission.
Before Israel’s war on Gaza began following the October 7 attack on Israel, about 390,000 Palestinian workers relied on jobs in Israeli territory. But after the war started, Israeli authorities revoked their work permits and forced them to leave. As the war drags on, and amid Israeli military actions in the occupied West Bank, some Palestinians – mostly in the construction and hospitality sectors – have been risking their lives to get back to Israel for temporary work.
With crossing points closed and fewer smugglers willing to take people by car since October 2023, many have had only one perilous option left: to scale the wall. That option has now become deadlier, as Israel employed tighter security amid its conflict with Iran and the escalating regional tensions. The wall is now heavily monitored by drones, sensors and military patrols.
With unemployment in the occupied West Bank at critical levels, desperation is pushing people to climb the wall.
“Oh God, let me die and relieve me of this torment,” said Ahed Rizk, 29, as he lay on a bed in Ramallah Hospital. The recently married construction worker was in anguish, and not only physically: He is now unable to provide for his family.
Rizk, who is from a village near Ramallah, lost the use of both legs after falling from the separation wall during an attempt to enter Israel in mid-June. One of his legs is now paralysed; the other was shattered by the fall.
He underwent a six-hour surgery after falling from a height of about 5 metres (16 ft). The rope he had been climbing snapped under his 140kg (309-pound) weight.
“This wasn’t my first time entering for work,” he said. “But it was the most dangerous. I used to go with smugglers and pay a fee, but when the war started, chaos spread. There were no vehicles and soldiers were everywhere.
“I knew I was caught between two fires,” he added, referring to the risk of being killed while trying to enter Israel and the hardship of not being able to work to support his family.
Rizk said dozens of workers had been gathered near the wall between the town of ar-Ram and occupied East Jerusalem. Without a ladder tall enough to reach the top of the wall, they used a shorter ladder and a rope tied to the other side. But as Rizk climbed, the rope broke.
“I landed on another young man who was climbing. He had bruises. I lost both legs. The others went to work. My cousin ran when the [Israeli] army approached. I was left alone.”
Shaher Saad, the secretary-general of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU), says Palestinians have been forced to attempt dangerous crossings for years.
“Decades of high unemployment have left thousands with no choice,” he told Al Jazeera.
But since the war in Gaza began, crossings have grown deadlier, Saad said. Palestinians have been shot by Israeli forces or fallen to their deaths.
At least 35 Palestinian workers have died attempting to cross into Israel for work in 2025, Saad said. It is unclear how many of those were shot and how many died as a result of falling.
Saad attributes the deaths to Israel’s tightened restrictions, which prevent workers from accessing authorised avenues to employment.
Conditions in Israeli work sites are often poor, he added. “Most sites lack basic safety standards. Workers aren’t given protective gear. Some injuries are also due to the lack of awareness about safety procedures.”
Israel’s strategy through restrictions on movement and military actions is to exacerbate inequality between Israelis and Palestinians, said Sari Orabi, a Ramallah-based independent political analyst and researcher.
“It imposes restrictions on movement and access to resources, forcing civilians to choose between hunger and physical danger,” Orabi told Al Jazeera.
“This policy of geographic division and military control deepens social marginalisation and increases dependence on aid. It fosters a state of helplessness and poverty.”
In the village of Ni’lin, west of Ramallah, Otham al-Khawaja, a 37-year-old father of three, described how, as he tried to climb the wall in March, Israeli forces opened fire. The tiler by trade fell, breaking both of his legs, but believes he would have been shot had he not fallen.
He had scaled the wall several times before that because he feared not being able to provide for his family. “Fear sometimes clouds judgement,” he reflected.
Al-Khawaja underwent surgery to insert metal rods into his legs. After three months of treatment, he was able to walk again, though not like before.
“God wrote me a new life,” he said, grateful to have survived.
“You will never appreciate life until you face death. Then you learn to accept whatever comes your way.”
The world is appreciative of the ceasefire reached by Israel and Iran, but it is still concerned about how fragile the situation is.
Despite reports that Israel and Iran had reached a deal early on Tuesday to implement the overnight, phased ceasefire plan, which President Trump announced, both sides threatened immediate retaliation if one side violated the deal, and tensions continue to be high.
Defense Minister Israel Katz announced a ceasefire violation shortly after Israel signaled its intention, and he claimed he had ordered the military to strike Tehran.
Trump then instructed Israel to “don’t drop those bombs” in a social media post!
These events have only added to the confusion caused by the ceasefire’s complicated schedule.
Iran has already stated that it intends to return to normal with its nuclear program right away.
Israel claimed that intelligence reports that Tehran was close to developing nuclear weapons spurred its first strikes on Iran on June 13. On Saturday, the US attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities, and it said something similar.
In light of these uncertainties, the world has been optimistic but cautious because the truce is still fragile, and voices are raising that a ceasefire be be called for once more to put an end to the conflict in Gaza.
The Supreme National Security Council, Iran’s top security body, claimed Israel had been forced to “unilaterally accept defeat and accept a ceasefire.”
Tehran’s forces “keep their hands on the trigger” in response to “any act of aggression by the enemy,” the statement read.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Israel had accomplished the objectives it had set when it launched its surprise attack on Iran on June 13 to annihilate its missile and nuclear arsenal.
Israel has accepted President Trump’s request for a bilateral ceasefire, he said, “in light of the achievement of the objectives of the operation and in full coordination with him.”
Netanyahu continued, “Israel thanks President Trump and the United States for their support in defense and their participation in eradicating the Iranian nuclear threat.”
Yair Lapid, the leader of Israel’s opposition, stated on X that a ceasefire is also necessary right now in Gaza.
“There should close things there as well at this.” To end the conflict and free the hostages. He argued that Israel needs to begin rebuilding.
Trump’s ceasefire efforts have divided US politicians.
“President Trump did it all, utterly unthinkable.” Donald J. Trump was the only thing that the American people had to win, making the world a safer place. “CEASEFIRE” Nancy Mace, a Republican representative from South Carolina, added X.
“I believe the president really hit the reset button and said, Look, let’s actually bring about long-term peace in the region. According to US Vice President JD Vance, that’s always been his intention.
The president of the United States, according to Democratic representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, admitted that he had unilaterally declared war on the continent without the consent of Congress. It is prohibited. She claimed that it is unconstitutional.
“And for me, while the president is posting something about a ceasefire, I believe what he also posted was an official declaration that this was war,” he continued. And I believe it needs to be taken very seriously into account.”
Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani claimed that his nation contacted Iran to assist with the mediating of the ceasefire at the US’s request.
Qatar “welcomes” the ceasefire, he said, but it’s concerned about alleged violations.
We hope that the ceasefire will last and that diplomacy will prevail, he said, adding that the violations of the ceasefire that we witnessed this morning are unacceptable.
Al Thani added that Qatar and Egypt have been facilitating ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas in “the next two days” with Qatar and Egypt.
He added, “We hope that Israel doesn’t use the Iran ceasefire to continue attacking Gaza.”
The Egyptian government’s ministry of foreign affairs welcomed the truce, saying it “could represent a turning point in ending the military conflict between the two countries and restoring calm to the region.”
Nawaf Abdallah Salim Salam, the prime minister of Lebanon, expressed his gratitude for “manuevering to prevent being dragged into the Israel-Iran war.”
Jordan applauded the ceasefire and emphasized how significant it is in reducing regional tensions.
The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Sufyan Qudah, who emphasized the need to keep the ceasefire agreement safe from further deterioration.
He also demanded that Gaza’s current ceasefire be reached.
Saudi Arabia welcomed Trump’s announcement that the parties had reached a cease-fire agreement, according to the statement.
Moscow hoped “that this will be a sustainable ceasefire,” according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who stated that “if a ceasefire has indeed been achieved, this can only be welcomed.”
China has stated that it is willing to work with the international community to keep Middle East peace and stability and does not want tensions to escalate.
Beijing is urging all parties involved to reach a political settlement at a timely time, according to a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who spoke to a regular press conference.
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, stated that the bloc “welcomes” the announcement. It represents a significant step in the direction of restoring peace in a conflict-stricken area. She urged Iran to “engage seriously in a credible diplomatic process” and said that this must be our collective top priority.
The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs issued a statement urging Iran to immediately engage in negotiations that will lead to an agreement that addresses all issues involving its nuclear and ballistic programs and destabilizing activities.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Iran and Israel to “heed” the call while “giving thanks” to Qatar and other countries in the region for their “prudence” during the “dramatic” past days.
“It would be a very positive development if this ceasefire were to occur following the US’s decisive military strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities. According to Merz, it will make the Middle East and the entire world safer.
After the conflict ended, airspace across the Middle East resumed, including those in Qatar, Iraq, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Syria.
Now that backlogs are available, airlines must deal with them.
Oman Air reported that its flight schedules were reinstated as a result of last night’s cancellations due to regional tensions.
The immediate priority is getting those passengers’ significant backlogs cleared and flying them to their destination, according to a Virgin Australia spokesperson. There are currently more than 25 000 impacted passengers in Doha.
As Trump announced the ceasefire, oil prices increased by 3 percent, global stock prices increased, and the dollar increased.
The dollar dropped 0.77 percent to 145.0% overnight as a result of the ceasefire’s announcement. The euro rose 0.2 percent to $1.1602.
As the ruling party’s crackdown on its rivals continues, an opposition leader has been sentenced to seven months in prison by a Georgian court.
Giorgi Vashadze, a leader of the Strategy Builder party, was sentenced on Tuesday after the Tbilisi court found him guilty of obstructing a commission looking into allegations of power abuse by a former government.
Nearly all of the country’s major pro-European opposition figures are now imprisoned as a result of the jailing. In response to the ongoing protests following last year’s contentious elections, the ruling Georgian Dream party has received more accusations that it is violating democracy.
Vashadze, a deputy justice minister from 2010 to 2012, was found guilty of refusing to cooperate with a government commission looking into alleged abuse committed during the administration’s tenure under former president Mikheil Saakashvili.
Opposition figures claim that the commission is a ruse to intimidate opponents.
Saakashvili is currently serving a 12-and-a-half-year prison term for allegedly pursuing political motives, according to rights organizations.
Vashadze also received a two-year ban from running for office, which is his party’s third-placed coalition.
On the same charge, three additional opposition figures were imprisoned.
Georgia is currently undergoing a total incarceration under the Georgian Dream regime. Before the verdict, Vashadze stated, “We are fighting for the country’s liberation,” according to the AFP news agency.
Since Georgian Dream won a second term in the parliamentary elections in October, the country has experienced political unrest.
Voting irregularities and Russian interference are still brought up by the opposition in the wake of the results.
When the government announced in November that talks with the European Union would be suspended in response to a European Parliament resolution denying the election results, citing “significant irregularities,” a wave of protests erupted.
The protests have continued every night for more than 200 days, despite a recent decrease in their size.
Georgia’s most renowned poet, Zviad Ratiani, was detained on suspicion of assaulting a police officer at a protest outside the Tbilisi parliament on Monday night, according to news reports.
He could spend up to seven years behind bars.
US President Donald Trump on Monday announced that Israel and Iran have reached a ceasefire, hours after Iran launched a missile attack on the Al Udeid airbase in Qatar – the largest United States military base in the Middle East.
“The ceasefire is now in effect. Please do not violate it!” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on Monday.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel has agreed to the truce proposal, and Iranian state TV reported that the ceasefire had begun.
However, Israel has ordered strikes on Tehran after accusing Iran of violating the truce – an allegation rejected by Iran.
Here is what happened in Qatar, what Trump has said, and the latest on the ground.
Yes.
On Monday evening, consecutive flares were seen and loud explosions were heard in Qatar’s capital, Doha, alongside other parts of the country.
In a statement, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its attack was in response to the “blatant military aggression” by the US on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Tehran said it attacked the Al Udeid airbase because it “serves as the command centre of the US Air Force and is the largest strategic asset of the American terrorist army in West Asia”.
Qatar said it had successfully shot down 18 of 19 missiles deployed. No casualties were reported.
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani on Tuesday reiterated Qatar’s condemnation of Iran’s missile attack on the Al Udeid airbase, calling it an “unacceptable act”.
“The attack on the state of Qatar is an unacceptable act, especially as Qatar has been making great diplomatic efforts in order to de-escalate the situation,” said Sheikh Mohammed, adding Doha was “taken by surprise” by the move from what it considers a “neighbourly” country.
Earlier, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Iran’s ambassador to protest against Monday night’s attack.
But Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson defended the attack, saying it was a legitimate response under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
The attack was retaliation for the “unprovoked aggression against Iran’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty” by the US on Sunday when it hit three of Iran’s nuclear sites, Esmaeil Baghaei wrote on X.
Iran has stressed that Monday’s attack was not directed at the “brotherly” state of Qatar.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that a “complete and total” ceasefire has been reached between Iran and Israel.
In his post at 22:00 GMT, Trump wrote that the ceasefire would take effect “in approximately 6 hours from now”.
He additionally specified a timeline:
The Israeli prime minister’s office released a statement saying that Netanyahu has accepted the ceasefire and will deliver a statement later on Tuesday.
The statement added that Israel has achieved “all objectives” of its operation against Iran.
“Israel has removed a dual immediate existential threat – both in the nuclear and ballistic missile fields,” the statement said.
“In light of the achievement of the operation’s objectives, and in full coordination with President Trump, Israel has agreed to the president’s proposal for a bilateral ceasefire,” it added.
This came after Dan Illouz, a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party, opposed the ceasefire, saying the only deal the government must sign is Iran’s “surrender agreement”.
Tel Aviv-based political commentator Ori Goldberg told Al Jazeera that Netanyahu’s claims that all objectives were secured before the ceasefire are “ridiculous”.
“It is really unclear, to say the least, what Israel’s goals were. Over the past week, we heard Israel talk about everything from the decapitation of the nuclear programme to regime change.”
Goldberg said Netanyahu had no choice but to back the ceasefire due to the damage caused by Iranian attacks and pressure from the Trump administration.
“Netanyahu decided to gamble on Trump coming to his rescue. Trump did, and Netanyahu is therefore obligated to assist in Trump’s goal, which was and still is ultimately securing the regional deal and not launching a regional war.”
Iran’s top security body said on Tuesday it had agreed to the truce. The Supreme National Security Council, however, added Tehran does not trust Israel and has its “hands on the trigger”, ready to “deliver a decisive … response to any violating act”.
Sheikh Mohammed, who is also Qatar’s foreign minister, urged all parties to abide by the ceasefire brokered by the Trump administration. Sheikh Mohammed said Qatar, on the request of the US, reached out to Iran to help mediate the Israel-Iran ceasefire.
Al Jazeera’s Ali Hashem said that Qatar played a mediation role, helping to bring this [conflict] to an end.
“US President Trump spoke about this, saying that – despite the attack that took place on Al Udeid – Qatar played this role. It’s, of course, another victory for Qatari diplomacy,” he said from Tehran.
An Iranian missile struck a building in Israel’s Beersheba on Tuesday morning, killing at least four people and injuring several others.
The Times of Israel reported that Israel intercepted two Iranian ballistic missiles on Tuesday.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz instructed the Israeli military to “respond forcefully to Iran’s violation of the ceasefire with intense strikes against regime targets in the heart of Tehran”.
Iran’s military has denied the Israeli claim that it launched missiles at Israel over the past few hours in a short statement carried by state media.
In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, Trump warned Israel against dropping bombs in Iran, saying: “ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!”
“ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly “Plane Wave” to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect! Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Last month, Trump claimed he had helped broker a ceasefire after four days of tit-for-tat missile and drone attacks between South Asian neighbours India and Pakistan.
However, violations of the ceasefire were reported hours after Trump’s announcement on May 10. Both the nuclear-armed neighbours blamed each other for breaching the ceasefire agreement.
While the situation in South Asia has been calm since, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Trump on June 18 that the ceasefire was achieved through talks between military officials on both sides, rather than US mediation, according to Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
The Trump administration took credit for mediating the ceasefire to end the war in Gaza. The ceasefire was announced on January 15 and took effect four days later.
On March 18, Netanyahu unilaterally ended the ceasefire and resumed attacks on Gaza, killing thousands since then. Trump supported Netanyahu’s decision.
Since Israel launched the war on Gaza in October 2023, it has killed more than 56,000 Palestinians, and a total blockade since March 2 has resulted in deaths by starvation and malnutrition. After immense global pressure, Israel allowed limited UN-led aid deliveries to resume on May 19. Later, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an Israeli and US-backed body, was formed to distribute aid in the Palestinian enclave. But rights groups say the aid distribution centres have turned into “human slaughterhouses”. On Monday, Israel killed at least 43 people who were seeking aid in Gaza.
On the campaign trail, Trump had promised to end the war between Russia and Ukraine on his first day in office. This did not happen.
After multiple talks conducted between US officials, separately with Russian and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia, the three sides have been unable to agree on a full ceasefire.
In the most recent attacks on Gaza residents seeking aid, Israeli forces and drones have reportedly killed dozens.
According to Palestinian health workers and witnesses, the violence, which occurred as Palestinians waited for aid at distribution centers across the enclave on Tuesday, may have resulted in the deaths of up to 50 people, despite the uncertainty of the numbers.
The controversial Israeli and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNWRA) has referred to as a “death trap,” established a recent wave of daily carnage near aid distribution points late last month.
Up to 50 people have been killed by Israeli fire near aid distribution centers since dawn, according to sources in Gaza hospitals, along with 21 others, according to sources in Gaza hospitals.
According to The Associated Press news agency, at least 25 people were killed in a collision on Salah al-Din Street south of Wadi Gaza in central Gaza, according to medical sources. 62 of the injured were in critical condition, compared to 140 others.
According to footage posted on Instagram and verified by Al Jazeera’s Sanad agency, bodies were transported to al-Awda Hospital in the nearby Nuseirat refugee camp.
Following unverified rumor that the Israeli army had targeted people waiting for aid on al-Tina Street, reports of similar scenes from the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis were made.
According to Hani Mahmoud of Al Jazeera, both people who were approaching an aid station in Gaza City and Rafah in the south of the city reported killing both people.
According to him, “casualties were transported to various health facilities, including al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.” “Many people died waiting for medical care in the emergency room there,” according to the statement.
Witnesses claimed that Israeli forces were firing as aid trucks approached.
According to Ahmed Halawa, who claimed tanks and drones fired “even as we were fleeing,” “it was a massacre.”
After a group of people approached soldiers in an area close to the militarized Netzarim Corridor, the Israeli military announced it was reviewing reports of casualties from fire by its troops.
Israel claims that the “suspects” who approach soldiers have sparked previous shootings close to GHF aid sites.
Many of the shootings occurred without any prior notice, according to witnesses and humanitarian organizations.
Since the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) took over the distribution of food and other essential supplies, aid seekers have been killed almost daily.
After Israel had completely stopped providing food to Gaza for more than two months, prompting warnings of widespread famine, the foundation launched its aid distribution program in late May.
The UN has resisted working with the GHF, citing concerns that it prioritizes Israeli military needs over humanitarian needs, and that it has criticized the organization for “weaponizing” aid.
Scenes of chaos and carnage regularly occur at the GHF distribution sites. Since the start of the GHF aid program, more than 400 people have died and 1, 000 have been injured by Israeli soldiers.
The UN agency’s director, Philippe Lazzarini, described the distribution of aid in Gaza as “an abomination” on Tuesday.
At a press conference in Berlin, the newly established so-called aid mechanism is described as an “abomination that humiliates and degrades desperate people.” More lives are lost because of it, according to the statement.
The International Commission of Jurists, a prominent group of lawyers and judges, condemned the GHF and demanded “an end to private militarized humanitarian aid operations in Gaza,” in a letter released on Monday.
The militarized and privatized aid delivery model used by GHF, according to Philip Grant, executive director of TRIAL International, “violates fundamental humanitarian principles.”
He added that those who supported or benefited from the GHF’s activities “resistanced to face serious consequences for complicity in war crimes, including the forced transfer of civilians and the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare.”