Midday News Bulletin 6 July 2025
Israeli officials to send a delegation to Qatar today for Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal talks
Fiji warns the Wallabies against treating today's Test match as a warm-up
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The Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke has condemned the recent attacks in Melbourne, saying hatred and anti-semitism have no place in Australia. In a press conference outside the Melbourne synagogue, Minister Burke says the government stands in solidarity with the community. "There were three attacks that night and none of them belonged in Australia, arson attacks, the chanting calls for deaths, other attacks and graffiti, none of them belong in Australia and they were attacks on Australia. So we've come together today to stand in solidarity with the community here." Last night, Detectives from the Counter Terrorism Security Investigation Unit arrested a 34-year old man from Sydney in Melbourne's CBD over the arson attack on the Melbourne synagogue. Police allege the man, who faces several serious charges, used a flammable liquid to douse the front doors of the building and set it alight. The man is set to appear before the Bail and Remand Court in Melbourne today. Israeli officials say they will be sending a delegation to Qatar today for talks on a possible Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office say the changes requested by Hamas to a ceasefire proposal were unacceptable. Meanwhile, a controversial aid operation for Gaza backed by Israel and the US reveal two of its workers have been injured in an attack while giving out relief. The Gaza Humanitarian says two militants threw grenades at the aid centre in Khan Younis, blaming Hamas for the incident. World Health Organisation representative for the Palestinian Territories, Rik Peeperkorn, says Palestinians are still being killed by Israeli attacks near aid sites. "Life is almost like it's worth one bag of flour or something like that. That's the insane thing what is happening and it's a majority of the casualties directly reported to us by the health workers, but also by the families, was all related to the so-called safe non-UN food distribution sites." Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has made his first public appearance since the start of Iran's conflict with Israel. State television footage shows him greeting worshippers at a mosque during a ceremony a day before the festival of Ashura. Mr Khamenei's last appearance was in a recorded address during the conflict with Israel, which began on 13 June, during which top Iranian commanders and nuclear scientists, as well as hundreds of civilians, were killed. Meanwhile, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei says his Iran can't allow the UN nuclear watchdog inspectors to visit its nuclear sites while Israel and the US are attacking them. "How are we supposed to be able to guarantee the safety and security of IAEA inspectors, while our peaceful nuclear facilities have been attacked last Monday, just five or six days ago." It comes as US President Donald Trump says he expects Iran to open itself to international inspection, to verify that it isn't restarting its nuclear program. Fiji have warned the Wallabies of the danger of treating their Test match as a warm-up for the upcoming British and Irish Lions series as the Pacific islanders look to make history in Newcastle today. After wrecking Australia's World Cup campaign two years ago in France with their first win over the Wallabies in 69 years, Fiji have set their sights on going back-to-back for the first time, as they compete for the Vuvale Bowl. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will host Fijian counterpart Sitiveni Rabuka, a former Test front-rower, to present the trophy in the one-off Rugby Union Test.
Australia has provided $10 million over seven years for the Fijian Drua women's and men's teams in the Super Rugby Pacific and Australia Super W competitions.
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The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said that an armed security team on the ship had returned fire and that the "situation is ongoing". It described the attack as happening 100km southwest of Hodeida, Yemen, which is held by the country's Houthi rebels. "Authorities are investigating," it said. Ambrey, a maritime security firm, issued a warning saying that a merchant ship had been "attacked by eight skiffs while transiting northbound in the Red Sea". It said it believed the attack was ongoing. The US navy's Middle East-based 5th Fleet referred questions to the military's Central Command, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Houthi rebels have been launching missile and drone attacks against commercial and military ships in the region in what the group's leadership has described as an effort to end Israel's offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The group's al-Masirah satellite news channel acknowledged the attack occurred but offered no other comment on it as it aired a speech by its secretive leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi. Between November 2023 and January 2025, the Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two of them and killing four sailors. That has greatly reduced the flow of trade through the Red Sea corridor, which typically has $US1 trillion ($A1.5 trillion) worth of goods move through it annually. The Houthi rebels paused attacks in a self-imposed ceasefire until the US launched a broad assault against the rebels in mid-March. That ended weeks later and the Houthis have not attacked a vessel although they have continued occasional missile attacks targeting Israel. On Sunday, the group claimed launching a missile at Israel which the Israeli military said it intercepted. Pirates from Somalia also have operated in the region although typically they have sought to capture vessels either to rob or ransom their crews. A ship has come under attack in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen by armed men firing guns and launching rocket-propelled grenades, a group overseen by the UK military says. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes as tensions remain high in the Middle East over the Israel-Hamas war and after the Iran-Israel air war and air strikes by the United States targeting Iranian nuclear sites. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre said that an armed security team on the ship had returned fire and that the "situation is ongoing". It described the attack as happening 100km southwest of Hodeida, Yemen, which is held by the country's Houthi rebels. "Authorities are investigating," it said. 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The Advertiser
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Israeli air strikes kill 38 Palestinians in Gaza
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Israel responded with an offensive that has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry, which is under Gaza's Hamas government, does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. The United Nations and other international organisations consider the ministry's figures the most reliable statistics on war casualties. The strikes occurred as efforts to reach a ceasefire deal appeared to gain momentum. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said his government would send a negotiating team to talks in Qatar on Sunday, adding that Hamas was seeking "unacceptable" changes to the proposal. The planned talks in Qatar come ahead of Netanyahu's planned visit to Washington on Monday to meet US President Donald Trump to discuss the deal. It is unclear whether a deal will be reached ahead of Netanyahu's meeting at the White House. Hamas has sought guarantees that the initial truce would lead to a total end to the war and withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Previous negotiations have stalled over Hamas' demands for guarantees that further negotiations would lead to the war's end, while Netanyahu has insisted Israel would resume fighting to ensure the militant group's destruction. Israeli air strikes have killed at least 38 Palestinians in Gaza, hospital officials say, as Israel's military says it has struck more than 100 targets in the embattled enclave in the past day. The strikes came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was preparing to fly to Washington for talks at the White House aimed at pushing forward ceasefire efforts. Separately, an Israeli official said the Israeli security Cabinet on Saturday night approved sending aid into the northern part of Gaza, where civilians are suffering from acute food shortages. The official, who declined to offer more details, spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the decision. In Yemen, a spokesperson for the Houthi rebel group announced on Sunday in a prerecorded message that the group had launched ballistic missiles targeting Ben Gurion airport overnight. The Israeli military said these had been intercepted. President Donald Trump has floated a plan for an initial 60-day ceasefire that would include a partial release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for an increase in humanitarian supplies allowed into Gaza. The proposed truce calls for talks on ending the 21-month war altogether. Twenty people were killed and 25 wounded after Israeli strikes hit two houses in Gaza City, according to Mohammed Abu Selmia, the director of Shifa Hospital. Two families were among the dead, according to the hospital. The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the individual strikes, but said it struck 130 targets across the Gaza Strip in 24 hours. It said the strikes targeted Hamas command and control structures, storage facilities, weapons and launchers, and that they killed a number of militants in northern Gaza. The war began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1200 people and taking 251 others hostage. Israel responded with an offensive that has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry, which is under Gaza's Hamas government, does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. The United Nations and other international organisations consider the ministry's figures the most reliable statistics on war casualties. The strikes occurred as efforts to reach a ceasefire deal appeared to gain momentum. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said his government would send a negotiating team to talks in Qatar on Sunday, adding that Hamas was seeking "unacceptable" changes to the proposal. The planned talks in Qatar come ahead of Netanyahu's planned visit to Washington on Monday to meet US President Donald Trump to discuss the deal. It is unclear whether a deal will be reached ahead of Netanyahu's meeting at the White House. Hamas has sought guarantees that the initial truce would lead to a total end to the war and withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Previous negotiations have stalled over Hamas' demands for guarantees that further negotiations would lead to the war's end, while Netanyahu has insisted Israel would resume fighting to ensure the militant group's destruction. Israeli air strikes have killed at least 38 Palestinians in Gaza, hospital officials say, as Israel's military says it has struck more than 100 targets in the embattled enclave in the past day. The strikes came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was preparing to fly to Washington for talks at the White House aimed at pushing forward ceasefire efforts. Separately, an Israeli official said the Israeli security Cabinet on Saturday night approved sending aid into the northern part of Gaza, where civilians are suffering from acute food shortages. The official, who declined to offer more details, spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the decision. In Yemen, a spokesperson for the Houthi rebel group announced on Sunday in a prerecorded message that the group had launched ballistic missiles targeting Ben Gurion airport overnight. The Israeli military said these had been intercepted. President Donald Trump has floated a plan for an initial 60-day ceasefire that would include a partial release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for an increase in humanitarian supplies allowed into Gaza. The proposed truce calls for talks on ending the 21-month war altogether. Twenty people were killed and 25 wounded after Israeli strikes hit two houses in Gaza City, according to Mohammed Abu Selmia, the director of Shifa Hospital. Two families were among the dead, according to the hospital. The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the individual strikes, but said it struck 130 targets across the Gaza Strip in 24 hours. It said the strikes targeted Hamas command and control structures, storage facilities, weapons and launchers, and that they killed a number of militants in northern Gaza. The war began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1200 people and taking 251 others hostage. Israel responded with an offensive that has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry, which is under Gaza's Hamas government, does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. The United Nations and other international organisations consider the ministry's figures the most reliable statistics on war casualties. The strikes occurred as efforts to reach a ceasefire deal appeared to gain momentum. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said his government would send a negotiating team to talks in Qatar on Sunday, adding that Hamas was seeking "unacceptable" changes to the proposal. The planned talks in Qatar come ahead of Netanyahu's planned visit to Washington on Monday to meet US President Donald Trump to discuss the deal. It is unclear whether a deal will be reached ahead of Netanyahu's meeting at the White House. Hamas has sought guarantees that the initial truce would lead to a total end to the war and withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Previous negotiations have stalled over Hamas' demands for guarantees that further negotiations would lead to the war's end, while Netanyahu has insisted Israel would resume fighting to ensure the militant group's destruction. Israeli air strikes have killed at least 38 Palestinians in Gaza, hospital officials say, as Israel's military says it has struck more than 100 targets in the embattled enclave in the past day. The strikes came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was preparing to fly to Washington for talks at the White House aimed at pushing forward ceasefire efforts. Separately, an Israeli official said the Israeli security Cabinet on Saturday night approved sending aid into the northern part of Gaza, where civilians are suffering from acute food shortages. The official, who declined to offer more details, spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the decision. In Yemen, a spokesperson for the Houthi rebel group announced on Sunday in a prerecorded message that the group had launched ballistic missiles targeting Ben Gurion airport overnight. The Israeli military said these had been intercepted. President Donald Trump has floated a plan for an initial 60-day ceasefire that would include a partial release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for an increase in humanitarian supplies allowed into Gaza. The proposed truce calls for talks on ending the 21-month war altogether. Twenty people were killed and 25 wounded after Israeli strikes hit two houses in Gaza City, according to Mohammed Abu Selmia, the director of Shifa Hospital. Two families were among the dead, according to the hospital. The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the individual strikes, but said it struck 130 targets across the Gaza Strip in 24 hours. It said the strikes targeted Hamas command and control structures, storage facilities, weapons and launchers, and that they killed a number of militants in northern Gaza. The war began when Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1200 people and taking 251 others hostage. Israel responded with an offensive that has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry, which is under Gaza's Hamas government, does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. The United Nations and other international organisations consider the ministry's figures the most reliable statistics on war casualties. The strikes occurred as efforts to reach a ceasefire deal appeared to gain momentum. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said his government would send a negotiating team to talks in Qatar on Sunday, adding that Hamas was seeking "unacceptable" changes to the proposal. The planned talks in Qatar come ahead of Netanyahu's planned visit to Washington on Monday to meet US President Donald Trump to discuss the deal. It is unclear whether a deal will be reached ahead of Netanyahu's meeting at the White House. Hamas has sought guarantees that the initial truce would lead to a total end to the war and withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Previous negotiations have stalled over Hamas' demands for guarantees that further negotiations would lead to the war's end, while Netanyahu has insisted Israel would resume fighting to ensure the militant group's destruction.
Canberra Times
4 hours ago
- Canberra Times
Gunfire hits ship off Yemen: UK maritime agency
The Houthi rebels have been launching missile and drone attacks against commercial and military ships in the region in what the group's leadership has described as an effort to end Israel's offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
