The archives contain this tale. It originally aired June 23rd, 2024. No modifications were made to any of the associated dates, titles, or other references.  ,
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Libya’s coast guard fired upon rescue vessel searching for boat in distress
A humanitarian organization claims that the coast guard of Libya opened fire on a boat in the Mediterranean Sea while searching for a refugee and migrant boat.
The nonprofit SOS Mediterranee, which confirmed the incident on Monday, disclosed details and images of the incident and said it had happened a day earlier, about 40 nautical miles (74 kilometers) north of the Libyan coast. Although the group claimed that the ship suffered significant damage, no injuries have been reported.
In collaboration with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, SOS Mediterranee charters the Norwegian-flagged Ocean Viking.
The Libyan coast guard, which receives training, equipment, and funding from the European Union, appeared to be the most violent incident.
According to SOS Mediterranee, the Libyan coast guard received a 2023 gift from Italy as part of its support for a border management program.
The Ocean Viking was heading to Italy after rescuing 87 people from two boats, many of whom had been killed in Sudan.
The Ocean Viking was approached by a Libyan patrol vessel in international waters while searching for a third boat in distress, according to Angelo Selim, the ship’s search-and-rescue coordinator, The Associated Press reported.
He claimed that they started shooting for 15 to 20 minutes when they reached a close range.
“I didn’t understand the noise of the shots at first. However, Selim recalls that when the first windows blew up on my head, everyone fell to the floor. He added that some shots appeared to be coming from automatic weapons.
Selim claimed that while he and the captain remained on the bridge, he instructed the refugees, migrants, and non-essential crew members to lock themselves inside the safety room.
He claimed that the threats continued after the shooting was over, but eventually it ended. The Libyan coast guard issued the warning to the Ocean Viking in Arabic over the radio: “We will come and kill you all.
Two men can be seen pointing weapons at the boat and hearing several rounds of gunshots in SOS Mediterranee’s video and photos of the incident. Additionally visible are damaged equipment and broken windows.
In a statement released on Monday, SOS Mediterranee stated that “this incident was not only an outrageous and unacceptable act.” The Libyan Coast Guard has a long history of careless maritime conduct that seriously violates international maritime law, human rights, and other international maritime laws.
The incident was “deeply concerning,” according to Frontex, the EU’s border protection agency, which frequently coordinates with the relevant maritime authorities and urges “the proper authorities to investigate the events quickly and thoroughly.”
The right-wing government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has pledged to stop the passage of refugees and migrants from Africa and has passed measures to combat human traffickers, including tougher jail sentences. Additionally, the government has urged allies to increase their efforts to stop immigration.
People traveling from Libya have experienced numerous maritime disasters, making the dangerous Mediterranean crossing from Africa to Europe.
In Libya, rights organizations and UN agencies have also documented systematic abuse of refugees and migrants, including rape, extortion, and torture.
Hezbollah chief rejects disarmament, demands Israel comply with ceasefire
Naim Qassem, the group’s secretary-general, warned that putting an end to Israel’s “aggression” would only help to secure Lebanon’s sovereignty.
Qassem stated that the Lebanese government must first ensure that Israel adheres to the ceasefire agreement before beginning discussions on a national defense strategy.
The Hezbollah leader said that the resistance would continue to serve as a “strong barrier” that would prevent Israel from achieving its objectives and that it would be impossible for Israel to remain in Lebanon or carry out its expansionist project there.
He rebuffed Israeli demands to first withdraw from Lebanese territory, release prisoners, and halt attacks on the Lebanese government and foreign suggestions to include Hezbollah’s arsenal in a national defense strategy.
Stop the aggression if you truly want sovereignty. We won’t give up the weapons we have in our possession, Qassem said.
He continued, “It cannot be trusted that Lebanon’s sovereignty will survive if this government operates in its current form.”
A resolution tasked the army with developing a strategy to disarm Hezbollah by the end of the year was approved by the Lebanese Council of Ministers last month.
The decree was in line with a proposal from the United States that contained flimsy assurances that Israel would end its occupation of southern Lebanon and launch daily attacks against the country if Hezbollah’s weapons were taken down.
Hezbollah has stated that it will “treat” the decision as if it doesn’t exist.
Israel said it would consider reducing its military presence in southern Lebanon if Beirut’s armed forces invaded Hezbollah’s territory. Qassem made these remarks as Israel made its remarks. Israel’s support for Lebanon’s cabinet’s recommendation to assign an army with a disarmament plan by the end of the year was made public by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Monday.
The Israeli military will engage in reciprocal measures, including a gradual reduction, if the Lebanese Armed Forces take the necessary steps, according to the Israeli prime minister’s office.
The Israeli announcement came a day after Netanyahu had a meeting with US Ambassador Tom Barrack, who has been heavily involved in a plot to detach Israeli forces from Lebanon.
‘Step-by-step’
Barrack urged Israel to honor its obligations under the Hezbollah ceasefire.
“The Lebanese government has done their part,” he said. “There is always a step-by-step approach. The first step was made by them. Israel must now follow through on what Barrack described during meetings with Lebanese officials last week in Beirut.
US deputy envoy Morgan Ortagus arrived in Beirut on Monday, according to Lebanon’s official National News Agency, before scheduled meetings with officials.
Despite a US-brokered ceasefire in November, Israel still holds five positions in southern Lebanon. Within two months, Lebanon’s armed forces were scheduled to take control of the nation’s southern region, which has long been Hezbollah’s mainhold.
In nearly daily violations of the November truce, Israeli forces have continued to air attack Lebanon, killing and injuring people, including Syrian refugees, and destroying infrastructure and properties.
One person was killed in a drone attack in southern Lebanon during the most recent Israeli aggression. The drone struck a pick-up truck on the Bint Jbeil district’s Ain al-Mazrab-Tebnine road, according to Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health.
Later on Monday, the Israeli military claimed in a statement that it had killed a Hezbollah member and that it would “continue to operate to remove threats posed to the Israeli citizens.”
After Lebanon’s civil war of 1975-1990, Hezbollah, the only group that still had its weapons, suffered significant damage from the assassination of senior leaders, including former chief Hassan Nasrallah, the assassination of thousands of its fighters and civilians killed, and tens of thousands of Shia and other communities were forced to flee their destroyed homes.
Intel says US govt stake could hurt sales, White House hints at more deals
The semiconductor chip tycoon’s 10% stake in Intel could hurt its global sales.
The company claimed in a securities filing on Monday that the new agreement, which is expected to stifle its ability to secure future government funding, could result from Kevin Hassett’s comments that the US might own shares of companies in the artificial intelligence (AI) and chip sectors. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing and Advanced Micro Devices are two potential examples.
For the fiscal year that ended in December 2024, sales outside of the US made up 76% of Intel’s revenue. The company is moving forward with the deal even though China provided 29 percent of that.
Hassett told CNBC in an interview on Monday that “I think this is a very, very special circumstance because of the enormous amount of CHIPS Act spending that was coming in Intel’s way.”
“I’m certain that there will be more transactions, if not in this sector, then there will be other sectors,” he said.
The phrase “Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors” is used in the US legislation that Hassett was referring to.
US President Donald Trump said in a post on his social media platform, “I WILL MAKE DEALS LIKE THAT FOR OUR COUNTRY ALL DAY LONG,” echoing Hassett’s comments.
Following a meeting with CEO Lip-Bu Tan, Trump agreed to a deal with the troubled Silicon Valley tech giant. Trump had previously requested his resignation because of his previous investments in Chinese companies.
The US government will purchase Intel shares with $5.7 billion in unpaid grants from the President Joe Biden’s CHIPS Act in 2022 as part of the looming deal, which is anticipated to close as early as Tuesday. For the Secure Enclave program, which Biden created under CHIPS, Intel will receive an additional $3.2 billion.
According to the securities filing that lists new risk factors, “to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law,” Intel’s obligations under the CHIPS Act will be regarded as discharged, with the exception of the Secure Enclave program.
Additionally, the company claimed that existing stockholders would be diluted by the company’s proposed reduction in the amount of shares to be issued to the US government at a discount to the current market price.
The government will purchase Intel shares on Friday for $4 less than the company’s closing stock price of $ 24.80.
The government’s stake also lowers other stockholders’ ability to vote, and its substantial additional authority over laws and regulations that affect Intel may limit its ability to pursue transactions that benefit shareholders, according to the filing.
Trump added that the agreement, which he claimed will boost employment and income, “stupid people” are upset about.
However, the deal comes as Intel’s workforce undergoes extensive layoffs. By the end of 2025, the company announced last month that it would eliminate roughly 25, 000 jobs.
Customers have been hesitant to purchase Intel’s products despite the fact that semiconductors are exempt from tariffs due to economic uncertainty. In comparison to the same period last year, Intel reported a 3 percent decline in chip sales for the second quarter in late July.
Israel’s killing of five Gaza journalists draws global condemnation
The Israeli military’s killing of five Palestinian journalists, including an Al Jazeera cameraman, in Gaza has caused global condemnation, with Al Jazeera Media Network accusing Israel of “assassinating journalists as part of a systematic campaign to silence the truth”.
The Israeli military bombed Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis on Monday, killing five journalists, including Al Jazeera photographer Mohammad Salama.
In total, 20 people were killed in a double-tap strike – one missile hitting first, then another moments later as rescue workers and journalists arrived – on southern Gaza’s main medical facility. The attack comes as Israel has intensified its offensive to seize Gaza City, the main urban centre in the enclave of 2.3 million people, despite a famine being declared last week.
Al Jazeera condemned the attack as “a clear intent to bury the truth”.
Here are some reactions to the latest slaughter of media workers in the enclave:
In a statement on Monday, Al Jazeera said it condemns “this horrific crime committed by the Israeli occupation forces, who have directly targeted and assassinated journalists as part of a systematic campaign to silence the truth”.
“The blood of our martyred journalists in Gaza has not yet dried before the Israeli occupation forces committed another crime against Al Jazeera cameraman Mohammad Salama, together with three other photojournalists,” the network said, referring to Israel’s killing barely two weeks prior of renowned Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif, who had become the voice of Gaza for his extensive reporting from the enclave.
Al Jazeera called the attack a violation of international norms and laws, “amounting to war crimes”.
“Despite relentless targeting, Al Jazeera remains resolute in providing live coverage of the Israeli genocide in Gaza for the past 23 months, with occupation authorities barring international media outlets from entering to report on the war,” it added.
Organization of Islamic Cooperation
The Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have been holding an extraordinary meeting in Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah to discuss the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people,
The OIC condemned killing of journalists and media professionals by the Israeli army in Gaza as “war crime” and an “assault on press freedom”.
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)
The PFLP, a left-wing Palestinian faction founded in 1967, called the attack proof of “the absolute brutality and sadism of the [Israeli] occupation”.
It held Israel and its allies responsible, saying supporters led by the US administration are “fully responsible for this organised crime”.
The PFLP is the second-largest group in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) after Fatah.
Turkiye
Ankara has denounced Israel’s latest strikes on Gaza as “another war crime”.
“Press freedom and human values have once again been targeted, under the shadow of genocide, amidst the anguished cries of the innocent,” Burhanettin Duran, head of Turkey’s presidential communications directorate, said in a post on X.
“Israel, which continues its atrocities without regard for any humanitarian or legal principles, is under the illusion that it can prevent the truth from being revealed through its systematic attacks on journalists.”
United Kingdom
Britain’s Foreign Minister David Lammy expressed horror at Israel’s latest attack.
“Horrified by Israel’s attack on Nasser hospital. Civilians, healthcare workers and journalists must be protected. We need an immediate ceasefire,” Lammy wrote in a post on X.
Spain
The Spanish foreign ministry issued a statement decrying Israel’s latest strike as a flagrant violation of humanitarian law.
“The Spanish government condemns the Israeli attack on the Nasser Hospital in Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of four journalists and innocent civilians,” the ministry said.
“We reiterate that specially protected sites cannot be targeted. This is a flagrant and unacceptable violation of international humanitarian law, which must be investigated,” it said.
The statement stressed the importance of special protection for journalists and reaffirmed Spain’s “full commitment” to the right of access to information.
Germany
Germany said it was “shocked by the killing of several journalists, rescue workers, and other civilians” in Israeli airstrikes on the Nasser Hospital.
“This attack must be investigated,” the foreign ministry said on X, also calling on Israel to “allow immediate independent foreign media access and afford protection for journalists operating in Gaza”.
France
French President Emmanuel Macron said that Israel’s latest strikes were “intolerable”.
“Civilians and journalists must be protected under all circumstances. The media must be able to carry out their mission freely and independently to cover the reality of the conflict,” Macron said in a post on X. “Reducing a population to famine is a crime that must stop immediately,” he added.
Committee to Protect Journalists
CPJ has condemned the Israeli attack, calling for the international community to hold Israel accountable for its “continued unlawful attacks on the press”.
In a statement, CPJ’s Regional Director Sara Qudah said Israel’s killing of journalists in the enclave continues while “the world watches and fails to act firmly on the most horrific attacks the press has ever faced in recent history.
“These murders must end now. The perpetrators must no longer be allowed to act with impunity,” Qudah said.
Foreign Press Association
The association, which represents international media working in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, says it is “outraged and in shock” after the attack.
In a statement, the group demanded “an immediate explanation” from the Israeli army and the Israeli prime minister’s office.
“We call on Israel once and for all to halt its abhorrent practice of targeting journalists,” it added.
“This must be a watershed moment. We appeal to international leaders: Do everything you can to protect our colleagues. We cannot do it ourselves.”
Reporters Without Borders
The press organisation said it “fiercely condemns” the killings of the journalists.
“How far will the Israeli armed forces go in their gradual effort to eliminate information coming from Gaza? How long will they continue to defy international humanitarian law?” RSF’s Director General Thibaut Bruttin said in a statement.
“RSF calls for an emergency UN Security Council meeting to ensure [that UN Resolution 2222] is finally respected, and that concrete measures are taken to end impunity for crimes against journalists, protect Palestinian journalists, and open access to the Gaza Strip to all reporters.”
Reuters
In a statement, a Reuters spokesperson said the agency is “devastated to learn of the death of Reuters contractor Hussam al-Masri and injuries to another of our contractors, Hatem Khaled, in Israeli strikes on the Nasser Hospital in Gaza today”.
The spokesperson said Reuters is “urgently seeking more information” about the attack and has “asked authorities in Gaza and Israel to help us get urgent medical assistance for Hatem”.
United Nations Secretary-General
Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the killing of Palestinians in Israeli strikes that struck Nasser Hospital and called for a prompt, impartial investigation, spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.
“The Secretary-General recalls that civilians, including medical personnel and journalists, must be respected and protected at all times. He calls for a prompt, impartial investigation into these killings,” Dujarric told reporters.
UN envoy Francesca Albanese
“Rescuers killed in line of duty. Scenes like this unfold every moment in Gaza, often unseen, largely undocumented,” said Albanese – the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories – in a post on X.
“I beg states: how much more must be witnessed before you act to stop this carnage? Break the blockade. Impose an Arms Embargo. Impose Sanctions,” she wrote.
United Nations rights office
“The killing of journalists in Gaza should shock the world – not into stunned silence but into action, demanding accountability and justice,” UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said in a statement, insisting: “Journalists are not a target. Hospitals are not a target.”
UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini
Lazzarini has called for immediate protection for journalists, health professionals and aid workers in Gaza after the latest deadly hospital strike.
In a post on X, Lazzarini expressed shock at what he called the “silencing [of] the last remaining voices reporting about children dying silently and famine” in Gaza.
He urged immediate action to end the famine by lifting restrictions on aid entering the enclave and ensuring protection for reporters and humanitarian and health workers.
Israel army chief says captive ‘deal on table’, Israel must take it: Report
According to Israeli media, the Israeli military chief claimed that “a deal was on the table” to free the prisoners held in Gaza and that the military offensive to seize Gaza City would “present a great danger” to the lives of captives.
Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Eyal Zamir was cited as saying “Now it’s in Netanyahu’s hands” during his Sunday visit to the Haifa naval base by Israel’s Channel 13 news.
Zamir claimed that the army’s offensive in Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians, and “created the conditions” for a holdout agreement with Hamas.
According to an official statement from the Israeli military and reported by Israeli media, “We created the conditions for the release of the hostages.”
The comments come as Qatar and Egypt’s security cabinet is scheduled to discuss the most recent truce proposal at a Tuesday meeting. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has launched a protest calling on him to end the conflict and bring the captives back.
Hamas announced last week that it had accepted the new recommendations, which call for a 60-day temporary stop to military operations, during which time Palestinian prisoners would be exchanged for Israeli prisoners.
Despite a UN-backed body declaring famine in Gaza last week due to Israeli restrictions on the entry of food items, Israel has continued to pursue its plan to seize the city’s nearly one million-home neighborhood.
According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), close to 514, 000 people are experiencing famine, with the number expected to rise to 641, 000 by the end of September.
In the past 24 hours, the Gaza Health Ministry reported that two children among the 11 have died from malnutrition. That brings the total number of deaths in Gaza from hunger and malnutrition to 300, with 117 children among them.
Five journalists, including Al Jazeera cameraman Mohammad Salama, were killed when Israel bombed a hospital in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis on Monday, in addition to the injured Al Jazeera journalists. The attack, which has sparked outrage and condemnation, included 20 rescue workers.