Israeli strikes kill at least 42 across Gaza as UN eyes ceasefire vote
Israeli attacks have killed at least 42 people across Gaza since dawn, medical sources told Al Jazeera, as the United Nations General Assembly prepares for a vote urging an unconditional ceasefire in the besieged enclave.
Sources told Al Jazeera that at least 26 of the people killed on Thursday died in Israeli drone attacks while waiting for food and basic supplies being distributed by the controversial United States and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
Gaza civil defence official Mohammed el-Mougher told AFP news agency that al-Awda Hospital received at least 10 bodies and about 200 others who were wounded 'after Israeli drones dropped multiple bombs on gatherings of civilians near an aid distribution point around the Netzarim checkpoint in central Gaza'.
El-Mougher said that Gaza City's al-Shifa Hospital also received six bodies after Israeli attacks on aid queues near Netzarim and in the as-Sudaniya area in northwestern Gaza.
Since the GHF began its operation in Gaza in late May, dozens of Palestinians have been killed while trying to reach the aid distribution points, according to Gaza's civil defence agency.
The previously unknown GHF has come under intense criticism from the United Nations, which says its distribution model is deeply flawed.
'This model will not address the deepening hunger. The dystopian 'Hunger Games' cannot become the new reality,' Philippe Lazzarini, the chief of the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), wrote on X.
'The UN including @UNRWA has the knowledge, expertise & community trust to provide dignified & safe assistance. Just let the humanitarians do their jobs,' he added.
Separately, a medical source at al-Shifa Hospital told Al Jazeera that two Palestinians were killed as a result of Israeli shelling targeting the Bir an-Naaja area west of Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza.
Meanwhile, Hamas condemned on Thursday the decision of Israel to cut off communication lines in Gaza, describing it as 'a new aggressive step' in the country's 'war of extermination'.
'We call on the international community to assume its responsibility to stop the aggression and ensure the protection of civilians and humanitarian and civilian facilities.'
The disruption of communications has resulted in the UNRWA losing contact with its colleagues in the agency in Gaza, the UN's main humanitarian provider in Gaza said.
The latest developments come as the UN General Assembly is set to vote on a draft resolution that demands an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in the war in Gaza.
The 193-member General Assembly is likely to adopt the text with overwhelming support, diplomats say, despite Israel lobbying countries this week against taking part in what it called a 'politically motivated, counterproductive charade'.
Last week, the United States vetoed a similar effort in the Security Council.
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Medera and Novoheart Presented Breakthroughs in Human mini-Heart Platforms and Gene Therapy at ISSCR 2025
Showcased 7 presentations at ISSCR 2025, including a featured oral presentation on first-in-human gene therapy for heart failure, powered by their proprietary human mini-Heart technology. FDA-backed human-based screening platform recognized as an animal-free alternative in drug development, supporting IND and Fast Track approvals under the FDA Modernization Act 2.0. Breakthroughs in high-throughput screening, AI-driven drug classification, and patient-specific disease modelling underscored the platform's potential to de-risk development and accelerate clinical translation. BOSTON, June 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Medera Inc. ('Medera'), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on targeting cardiovascular diseases by developing a range of next-generation therapeutics, and Novoheart, its wholly owned pre-clinical subsidiary pioneering human-based cardiac tissue engineering for disease modelling and drug screening, today announced the successful presentation of seven scientific abstracts at the 2025 International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) Annual Meeting, held June 11–14 in Hong Kong. The annual ISSCR meeting brought together nearly 4,000 of the world's leading stem cell researchers and regenerative medicine experts. Medera's presentations showcased how the company's human mini-Heart technology has informed and accelerated clinical translation of novel gene therapies, including two ongoing first-in-human clinical trials for heart failure. 'Regulatory momentum is clearly building toward human-specific models in place of traditional animal testing,' said Ronald Li, PhD, CEO and co-founder of Medera and Novoheart. 'At ISSCR 2025, we demonstrated that engineered human mini-Hearts not only predict human outcomes better, as well as directly support clinical and regulatory decisions—including trial design and therapeutic validation.' 'The advances in human mini-Heart platforms presented at ISSCR exemplify the translational promise of stem cell technologies,' said Dr. Kevin Costa, co-founder of Novoheart. 'By creating more physiologically relevant human cardiac tissues, we significantly reduce the time and cost of bringing new therapies to patients while aligning with evolving FDA guidance on alternatives to animal testing.' Featured Oral Presentation 'Gene Therapy Clinical Trial for Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (MUSIC-HFpEF) Informed by In Vitro Screening with Stem Cell-Based Bioengineered Mini-Hearts' (Abstract #2036995)Track: Clinical ApplicationsPresenter: Dr. Kevin Costa, co-founder of NovoheartThis presentation showcased how data generated from Novoheart's human mini-Heart platform informed both the FDA's Investigational New Drug (IND) approval and Fast Track Designation of the MUSIC-HFpEF gene therapy trial (NCT06061549). The trial is investigating SRD-002, a one-time gene therapy treatment delivered through proprietary minimally invasive intracoronary infusion methodology. The FDA's recognition of these in vitro human cardiac models reflects a broader regulatory embrace of non-animal technologies to advance safer and more targeted therapies, in line with new federal policy. Poster Highlights 'Reversal of Contractile Defects in Engineered Human Tissue Models of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF) Leads to First-In-Human Gene Therapy Clinical Trial' (Abstract #2035967)Track: Disease Modeling and Drug DiscoveryThis poster described how disease-specific mini-Heart models enabled rational dose selection and mechanistic insight into SERCA2a-targeted AAV gene therapy now in clinical trials for HFpEF. 'Modulation of SERCA2a of Intra-Myocytic Calcium Trafficking in Patients with Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction (MUSIC-HFrEF) and Stem Cell Models of Heart Failure' (Abstract #2036913)Track: Clinical ApplicationsThis presentation detailed how mini-Heart models supported the ongoing MUSIC-HFrEF trial (NCT04703842) evaluating SRD-001 gene therapy for patients with HFrEF. 'Enhanced Drug Classification Using Machine Learning with Multiplexed Cardiac Contractility Assays' (Abstract #2035910)Track: Disease Modeling and Drug DiscoveryNovel ensemble algorithms trained on contractility and electrophysiology data from human cardiac tissues were demonstrated to outperform conventional approaches for drug classification. 'Automating High-Throughput Screening of Cardiac Contractility by Robotically Controlled Functional Testing of Stem Cell-Derived Micro-Tissues in a 96-Well Plate Format' (Abstract #2036321)Track: Disease Modeling and Drug DiscoveryThis technology was shown to reduce cell use and screening time by over 90%, scaling up human-relevant cardiac safety and efficacy profiling. 'Collagen Matrix Improves Cardiomyocyte Contractility and Maturity Compared to Fibrin in 3D Engineered hiPSC Cardiac Tissue Strips' (Abstract #2036017)Track: Disease Modeling and Drug DiscoveryThe researchers demonstrated how matrix optimization yields more physiologically relevant tissue phenotypes for improved drug screening and disease modeling. 'Transcriptomic Analysis and Bioengineered Tissue Model of Dystrophinopathy with Patient-Derived iPSC-Cardiomyocytes" (Abstract #2035586)Track: Disease Modeling and Drug DiscoveryA personalized medicine platform was presented for understanding and treating rare genetic cardiomyopathies such as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy-associated cardiomyopathy. These advances underscore the transformative role of human organoid technologies in bridging the lab-to-clinic gap while helping to realize the vision of ethical, efficient, and precision-driven biomedical innovation. On September 5, 2024, Medera and Keen Vision Acquisition Corporation ('KVAC') (NASDAQ: KVAC, KVACW), announced they had entered into a definitive merger agreement. About Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF) Heart failure (HF) is a global pandemic with an estimated 64.3 million cases worldwide and a rising prevalence trend. Accounting for 50% or more of the overall HF population, HFpEF is an age-related condition that has become increasingly prevalent in recent years. This surge is partly due to better awareness and identification of the condition and partly due to lifestyle changes affecting cardiac myocytes. Individuals affected by HFpEF experience similar morbidity and mortality to patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Despite the growing epidemic of this emerging syndrome, HFpEF-focused interventional trials have had little success, except for the use of sacubitril-valsartan (Entresto™) and the sodium glucose transporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor empagliflozin (Jardiance™) for reducing cardiovascular mortality and heart failure hospitalization. However, these agents are not disease-modifying, highlighting the critical need for therapeutic interventions targeting the physiological mechanisms involved in HFpEF. About Medera Medera is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on targeting difficult-to-treat and currently incurable diseases by developing a range of next-generation therapeutics. Medera operates via its two preclinical and clinical business units, Novoheart and Sardocor, respectively. Novoheart capitalizes on the world's first and award-winning 'mini-Heart' Technology for revolutionary disease modelling and drug discovery, uniquely enabling the modelling of human-specific diseases and discovery of therapeutic candidates free from species-specific differences in accordance to the FDA Modernization Act 2.0. Novoheart's versatile technology platform provides a range of state-of-the-art automation hardware and software as well as screening services, for human-specific disease modelling, therapeutic target discovery and validation, drug toxicity and efficacy screening, and dosage optimization carried out in the context of healthy and/or diseased human heart chambers and tissues. Global pharmaceutical and academic leaders are using Novoheart's technology platform for their drug discovery and development purposes. The Novoheart platform has facilitated and accelerated the development of Sardocor's lead therapeutic candidates that are currently in clinical trials. Sardocor is dedicated to the clinical development of novel next-generation therapies for Medera. Leveraging Novoheart's human-based drug discovery and validation platforms, Sardocor aims to expedite drug development and regulatory timelines for its gene and cell therapy pipeline. Sardocor has received Investigational New Drug (IND) clearances from the FDA for three ongoing AAV-based cardiac gene therapy clinical trials targeting Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction (HFrEF), Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF) with the Fast Track Designation, and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy-associated Cardiomyopathy (DMD-CM) with the Orphan Drug Designation. Additionally, Sardocor's pipeline includes four preclinical gene therapy and three preclinical small molecule candidates targeting various cardiac, pulmonary, and vascular diseases. For more information, please visit About Keen Vision Acquisition Corporation Keen Vision Acquisition Corp ("KVAC"), listed on Nasdaq, is a blank check company incorporated for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. KVAC is focused on biotechnology, consumer goods or agriculture opportunities, which are also evaluated on their sustainability, environmental, social, and corporate governance ("ESG") imperatives. For more information, please visit Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements included in this press release are not historical facts but are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. Any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are also forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by words such as "estimate," "plan," "project," "forecast," "intend," "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "seek," "strategy," "future," "opportunity," "may," "target," "should," "will," "would," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result," "preliminary," or similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, KVAC's, Medera's, or their respective management teams' expectations concerning the outlook for their or Medera's business, productivity, plans, and goals for future operational improvements and capital investments, operational performance, future market conditions, or economic performance and developments in the capital and credit markets and expected future financial performance, including expected net proceeds, expected additional funding, the percentage of redemptions of KVAC's public shareholders, growth prospects and outlook of Medera' operations, individually or in the aggregate, including the achievement of project milestones, commencement and completion of commercial operations of certain of Medera's projects, as well as any information concerning possible or assumed future results of operations of Medera. Forward-looking statements also include statements regarding the expected benefits of the transactions contemplated by the merger ("Transaction"). The forward-looking statements are based on the current expectations of the respective management teams of Medera and KVAC, as applicable, and are inherently subject to uncertainties and changes in circumstance and their potential effects. There can be no assurance that future developments will be those that have been anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, (i) the risk that the Transaction may not be completed in a timely manner or at all, which may adversely affect the price of KVAC's securities; (ii) the risk that the Transaction may not be completed by KVAC's business combination deadline and the potential failure to obtain an extension of the business combination deadline if sought by KVAC; (iii) the failure to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of the Transaction, including the adoption of the Merger Agreement by the shareholders of KVAC and the receipt of certain regulatory approvals; (iv) market risks; (v) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the Merger Agreement; (vi) the effect of the announcement or pendency of the Transaction on Medera's business relationships, performance, and business generally; (vii) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Medera or KVAC related to the Merger Agreement or the Transaction; (viii) failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the Transaction; (ix) the inability to maintain the listing of KVAC's securities or to meet listing requirements and maintain the listing of Medera's securities on Nasdaq; (x) the inability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations after the completion of the Transaction, identify and realize additional opportunities, and manage its growth and expanding operations; (xi) risks related to Medera's ability to develop, license or acquire new therapeutics; (xii) the risk that Medera will need to raise additional capital to execute its business plan, which may not be available on acceptable terms or at all; (xiii) the risk of product liability or regulatory lawsuits or proceedings relating to Medera's business; (xiv) uncertainties inherent in the execution, cost, and completion of preclinical studies and clinical trials; (xv) risks related to regulatory review, and approval and commercial development; (xvi) risks associated with intellectual property protection; (xvii) Medera's limited operating history and risk that it may never successfully commercialise its products; (xviii) Medera expects to continue to incur significant losses and may never achieve or maintain profitability; and (xix) the risk that additional financing in connection with the Transaction may not be raised on favorable terms. The foregoing list is not exhaustive, and there may be additional risks that neither KVAC nor Medera presently knows or that KVAC and Medera currently believe are immaterial. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors, any other factors discussed in this press release and the other risks and uncertainties described in the "Risk Factors" section of KVAC's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, which was filed with the SEC on March 29, 2024, the risks to be described in the registration statement, which will include a preliminary proxy statement/prospectus, and those discussed and identified in filings made with the SEC by KVAC from time to time. Medera and KVAC caution you against placing undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect current beliefs and are based on information currently available as of the date a forward-looking statement is made. Forward-looking statements set forth in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. Neither Medera nor KVAC undertakes any obligation to revise forward-looking statements to reflect future events, changes in circumstances, or changes in beliefs. In the event that any forward-looking statement is updated, no inference should be made that Medera or KVAC will make additional updates with respect to that statement, related matters, or any other forward-looking statements. Any corrections or revisions and other important assumptions and factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements, including discussions of significant risk factors, may appear, up to the consummation of the Transaction, in KVAC's public filings with the SEC, and which you are advised to review carefully. Important Information for Investors and Shareholders In connection with the Transaction, KVAC and Medera filed a registration statement with the SEC, which includes a prospectus with respect to the securities to be issued in connection with the Transaction and a proxy statement to be distributed to holders of KVAC's ordinary shares in connection with KVAC's solicitation of proxies for the vote by KVAC's shareholders with respect to the Transaction and other matters to be described in the Registration Statement (the "Proxy Statement"). After the SEC declares the registration statement effective, KVAC plans to mail copies to shareholders of KVAC as of a record date to be established for voting on the Transaction. This press release does not contain all the information that should be considered concerning the Transaction and is not a substitute for the registration statement, Proxy Statement or for any other document that KVAC may file with the SEC. Before making any investment or voting decision, investors and security holders of KVAC are urged to read the registration statement and the Proxy Statement, and any amendments or supplements thereto, as well as all other relevant materials filed or that will be filed with the SEC in connection with the Transaction as they become available because they will contain important information about, Medera, KVAC and the Transaction. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the registration statement, the Proxy Statement and all other relevant documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC by KVAC through the website maintained by the SEC at In addition, the documents filed by KVAC may be obtained free of charge from KVAC's website at or by directing a request to info@ The information contained on, or that may be accessed through, the websites referenced in this press release is not incorporated by reference into, and is not a part of, this press release. Participants in the Solicitation KVAC, Medera and their respective directors, executive officers and other members of management and employees may, under the rules of the SEC, be deemed to be participants in the solicitations of proxies in connection with the Transaction. For more information about the names, affiliations and interests of KVAC's directors and executive officers, please refer to KVAC's annual report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 29, 2024, which can be found at and registration statement, Proxy Statement and other relevant materials filed with the SEC in connection with the Transaction when they become available. Additional information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, which may, in some cases, be different than those of KVAC's shareholders generally, will be included in the registration statement and the Proxy Statement and other relevant materials when they are filed with the SEC when they become available. Shareholders, potential investors and other interested persons should read the registration statement and the Proxy Statement and other such documents carefully, when they become available, before making any voting or investment decisions. You may obtain free copies of these documents from the sources indicated above. No Offer or Solicitation This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities in the Transaction shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Contacts: Keen Vision Acquisition CorporationAlex DavidkhanianChief Financial OfficerEmail: MederaInvestor RelationsStephanie CarringtonICR 277-1282 Media RelationsSean LeousICR 866-4012
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Israeli Health Ministry Raises Alert Level to Highest for Hospitals
Israel's ministry of health says its director-general has instructed all hospitals to raise their alert level to the highest possible, move to protected areas, and descend to protected underground complexes. The ministry asks the public to avoid coming to hospitals in non-urgent cases.
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Here's how the House GOP's proposed Medicaid cuts could impact Minnesota
Thousands of protestors gathered at the Minnesota State Capitol as part of the nationwide "Hands Off" protests condemning several actions of the Trump administration Saturday, April 5, 2025. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer) Minnesota could lose up the half a billion dollars annually if a GOP-backed tax bill becomes federal law, Minnesota's Medicaid director warned Thursday. That could mean fewer services or tighter restrictions on eligibility, affecting health care for hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans and the hospitals and other providers that treat them. The bill, which has already passed the U.S. House on a 215-214 vote, is still far off from becoming law; Senate Republicans are drafting their own version, and the GOP remains deeply split over how to pay for tax cuts, which is their ultimate goal. For now, the House legislation is the most detailed public plan for how Republicans will fund an extension of President Donald Trump's 2017 tax cuts, plus a bunch more. The tax cuts passed by the House would decrease federal revenue by about $3.7 trillion over the next ten years, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. To offset the loss of income, Republicans want to cut spending by $1.3 trillion, mostly by targeting Medicaid and SNAP, which helps low-income people buy food. (The $2.4 trillion gap between the revenue and spending cuts would be added to the federal debt, which will in turn increase what taxpayers must shell out in interest payments, which have surpassed $1 trillion annually.) Medicaid pays for health care for the elderly, low-income and disabled. The cost is shared between states and the federal government; last year, Minnesota spent $18 billion on Medical Assistance, which is Minnesota's version of Medicaid. The federal government covered $11 billion of that. More than 1.2 million Minnesotans rely on Medical Assistance, and deep cuts would cause 'serious harm' to Minnesotans, said John Connolly, Minnesota's Medicaid director. 'Our position at the Minnesota Department of Human Services is that the bill currently on the table is inefficient, ineffective and fundamentally unfair,' Connolly said during a press briefing. Minnesota is already grappling with how to pay for care for an aging population as health care costs continue to rise. The state Legislature made $270 million in cuts to Medical Assistance this year, as spending on the program has risen faster than tax revenues. DHS estimates that if the U.S. House tax bill were to become law, the state would lose out on $500 million per year. The bill would cause between 152,000 and 253,000 Minnesotans to lose health insurance, according to Kaiser Family Foundation. It would also push costs onto state and local governments, Connolly said, by requiring county and tribal governments to verify participants' eligibility twice as often as they do now, and increasing the administrative burden for the state. The largest chunk of the possible cuts to Minnesota comes from a provision that would reduce Medicaid reimbursements for states that subsidize health insurance for undocumented people. The Legislature voted this week to remove eligibility of undocumented adults for MinnesotaCare, a state- and federally-funded health insurance program for the working poor that is separate from Medical Assistance. As long as undocumented children remain eligible for MinnesotaCare — and if the House language becomes law — Minnesota would still have its federal funding cut by about $330 million, according to DHS. Senate Republicans are wary of deep Medicaid cuts, and are instead expected to target SNAP, the New York Times reported Thursday. The Senate has not yet introduced its version of the tax bill. A proposal to shift 25% of federal SNAP benefit costs onto states would shift up to $220 million annual cost to Minnesota, according to the state Department of Youth and Family Services. More than 440,000 Minnesotans rely on SNAP benefits, according to DCYF. More than one-third are children, 18% are seniors and 14% are adults with a disability. If these federal cost shifts and cuts become law, the Minnesota Legislature would likely be forced to return to St. Paul for a special session to either raise taxes, cut services or move money around to fulfill lawmakers' constitutional obligation to balance the budget.
