
Humanitarian organisations fear for lives of people in Gaza as spotlight shifts to Iran
A number of humanitarian organisations have told the British parliament they fear colleagues in Gaza will 'die in the dark' as focus shifts from Gaza to Iran, The Guardian reported on Monday.
Organisations such as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) spoke about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
In the opening session, MP Emily Thornberry said Gaza had "gone off the news and it's not like things aren't happening. It's important that we put information before the public'.
Rohan Talbot, director of advocacy and campaigns at MAP, said, 'This has been the darkest and most terrifying period of the attacks so far'.
Talbot said his colleagues "worry they will die in the dark' after Israel cut the internet in the territory last week.
The field coordinator for MSF, Anna Halford, said they have struggled to understand the situation on the ground because of the communication blackout in north and central Gaza.
Halford said there had been almost 500 community hubs where people could obtain food in Gaza for the first 19 months of the war, but now there are only four.
In addition, the organisation only had four aid trucks enter the territory since 27 May, Halford said.
'There is nothing humanitarian about this system,' she said. 'We are weeks away from having to make choices about quality of care, because there won't be any care to provide.'

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Middle East Eye
6 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Humanitarian organisations fear for lives of people in Gaza as spotlight shifts to Iran
A number of humanitarian organisations have told the British parliament they fear colleagues in Gaza will 'die in the dark' as focus shifts from Gaza to Iran, The Guardian reported on Monday. Organisations such as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) spoke about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. In the opening session, MP Emily Thornberry said Gaza had "gone off the news and it's not like things aren't happening. It's important that we put information before the public'. Rohan Talbot, director of advocacy and campaigns at MAP, said, 'This has been the darkest and most terrifying period of the attacks so far'. Talbot said his colleagues "worry they will die in the dark' after Israel cut the internet in the territory last week. The field coordinator for MSF, Anna Halford, said they have struggled to understand the situation on the ground because of the communication blackout in north and central Gaza. Halford said there had been almost 500 community hubs where people could obtain food in Gaza for the first 19 months of the war, but now there are only four. In addition, the organisation only had four aid trucks enter the territory since 27 May, Halford said. 'There is nothing humanitarian about this system,' she said. 'We are weeks away from having to make choices about quality of care, because there won't be any care to provide.'


Middle East Eye
6 hours ago
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Iran says Israeli attacks 'deal a blow' to nuclear diplomacy
Iran's Foreign Minister and chief nuclear negotiator Abbas Araghchi said Israel's strikes against his country "deal a blow" to diplomacy during a call Monday with his French, British, and German counterparts, AFP reported on Monday. "The Israeli aggression against Iran in the midst of nuclear negotiations with the United States is a blow to diplomacy," Abbas Araghchi said during a call reported by his ministry with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, the United Kingdom's David Lammy, Germany's Johann Wadephul, and the European Union's head of foreign affairs Kaja Kallas. These three countries and the EU, along with China and Russia, signed a nuclear deal with Iran in 2015, but the United States later unilaterally withdrew.


Gulf Today
12 hours ago
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G7 leaders agree on strategy to protect critical mineral supply
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'Recognizing this threat to our economies, as well as various other risks to the resilience of our critical minerals supply chains, we will work together and with partners beyond the G7 to swiftly protect our economic and national security.' This included anticipating critical minerals shortages, coordinating responses to deliberate market disruption, and diversifying mining, processing, manufacturing, and recycling, it said. US President Donald Trump on Monday said that it was a mistake to throw Russia out of the G8 and that he wouldn't mind China joining the G7, in comments he made while attending the Group of Seven summit in Canada. Britain and the United States should finalise 'very soon' the implementation of a trade deal agreed last month, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday ahead of a meeting with US President Donald Trump in Canada. 'I'm certainly seeing President Trump today, and I'm going to discuss with him our trade deal,' Starmer told reporters on the sidelines of a Group of Seven (G7) meeting. 'I'm very pleased that we made that trade deal, and we're in the final stages now of implementation, and I expect that to be completed very soon.' Britain was the first country to agree a deal for lower tariffs from Trump, with the U.S. reducing tariffs on imports of UK cars , aluminium and steel, and Britain agreeing to lower tariffs on U.S. beef and ethanol. But implementation of the deal has been delayed while details were finalised. On steel and aluminium, the US agreed to lower the 25% tariffs on imports from Britain to zero, subject to setting a quota for British steel imports that must meet supply chain requirements. Britain had avoided tariffs of up to 50% on steel and aluminium that the U.S. imposed on other countries earlier this month, but could face elevated tariffs from July 9 unless a deal to implement the tariff reduction is reached. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Monday he believed Group of Seven leaders meeting in Canada were united in wanting de-escalation between Israel and Iran. 'I do think there's a consensus for de-escalation,' Starmer told reporters at the summit in the Canadian Rockies. 'Obviously, what we need to do today is to bring that together and to be clear about how it is to be brought about,' he said. 'But the risk of the conflict escalating is obvious, I think, and the implications -- not just for the region but globally -- are really immense, so the focus has to be on de-escalation,' he said. Starmer said he spoke with most G7 leaders after they arrived Sunday and had spoken by telephone to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Separately, Starmer said he hoped in a meeting in Kananaskis with US President Donald Trump to finalize implementation of a trade deal between the two allies. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Monday he believed Group of Seven leaders meeting in Canada were united in wanting de-escalation between Israel and Iran. 'I do think there's a consensus for de-escalation,' Starmer told reporters at the summit in the Canadian Rockies. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday he believed there was a consensus at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Canada on the need for de-escalation in the Israel-Iran conflict. 'I do think there's a consensus for de-escalation. Obviously, what we need to do today is to bring that together and to be clear about how it is to be brought about,' Starmer told reporters. The draft, which a source said had not yet been approved by U.S. President Donald Trump, also said minerals markets should reflect the real costs of responsible extraction, processing, and trade of critical minerals. Leaders also emphasized the importance of building strategic reserves of key critical minerals to cushion against future supply shocks. By pooling resources and aligning national stockpile strategies, the G7 aims to create a buffer that ensures stability in vital industries, from clean energy to defense, during times of global disruption or geopolitical tension. Agencies