A Bad Time to Stifle Radio Free Iran
In the first days of the conflict between Iran and Israel, Iranians flocked to Radio Farda and its platform. Traffic surged 344% on the group's Instagram account with 62.5 million video views while website traffic rose 77%, according to RFE. Viewership also spiked in the Middle East and North Africa.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
a minute ago
- CBS News
Pope Leo XIV "once again" calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza
Pope Leo XIV renewed his call on Sunday for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, asking the international community to respect international laws and the obligation to protect civilians. "I once again call for an immediate end to the barbarity of this war and for a peaceful resolution to the conflict," the pontiff said at the end of his Sunday Angelus prayer from his summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo. Pope Leo also expressed his "deep sorrow" for the Israeli attack on the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, which killed three people and wounded 10 others, including the parish priest. "I appeal to the international community to observe humanitarian law and respect the obligation to protect civilians as well as the prohibition of collective punishment, the indiscriminate use of force, and the forced displacement of populations," the pope added. The shelling of the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza also damaged the church compound, where hundreds of Palestinians have been sheltering from the Israel-Hamas war, now in its 21st month. The Vatican said in a statement on Friday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Leo spoke on the phone, and Leo "repeated his appeal for a renewed push for negotiations, a ceasefire and an end to the war." The Vatican said Leo "again expressed his concern about the tragic humanitarian situation of the population in Gaza, whose children, elderly and sick are paying an agonizing price." Israel expressed regret over what it described as an accident and said it was investigating. "We need to dialogue and abandon weapons," the pope said earlier Sunday, after presiding over Mass at the nearby Cathedral of Albano. "The world no longer tolerates war," Leo told reporters waiting for him outside the cathedral.
The Hill
30 minutes ago
- The Hill
73 Palestinians killed waiting for humanitarian aid across Gaza, health ministry says
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — At least 73 people were killed while attempting to access aid at locations across Gaza on Sunday, the health ministry in the Palestinian territory said. The largest toll was in northern Gaza, where at least 67 Palestinians were killed while trying to reach aid entering northern Gaza through the Zikim crossing with Israel, according to the ministry and local hospitals. More than 150 people were wounded, with some of them critical condition, hospitals said. It wasn't immediately clear whether they were killed by the Israeli army or armed gangs or both. But some witnesses said that the Israeli military shot at the crowd. The killings in northern Gaza didn't take place near aid distribution points associated with the Gaza Humanitarian Fund, or GHF, a U.S.- and Israel-backed group that hands out food packages to Palestinians. Witnesses and health workers say hundreds of people have been killed by Israeli fire while trying to access the group's distribution sites. The Israeli military didn't immediately make any comment on Sunday's killings. Meanwhile, the Israeli military published new evacuation warnings for areas of central Gaza on Sunday, in one of the few areas where the military has rarely operated with ground troops. The evacuation cuts access between the city of Deir al-Balah and the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Younis in the narrow enclave. The announcement came as Israel and Hamas have been holding ceasefire talks in Qatar, but international mediators say there have been no breakthroughs. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly stressed that expanding Israel's military operations in Gaza will pressure Hamas to negotiate, but negotiations have been stalled for months. Earlier this month, the Israeli military said that it controlled more than 65% of the Gaza Strip. Cutting off access The area of Gaza under the evacuation order is where many international organizations attempting to distribute aid are located. The United Nations has been in contact with Israeli authorities to clarify whether U.N. facilities in southwestern Deir al-Balah are included in Sunday's evacuation order, according to a U.N. official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak to the media. The official said that in previous instances, U.N. facilities were spared from evacuation orders. The evacuation announcement covers an area stretching from a previously evacuated area all the way to the coast and will severely hamper movement for aid groups and civilians in Gaza. Military spokesman Avichay Adraee warned that the military will attack 'with intensity' against militants. He called for residents, including those sheltering in tents, to head to the Muwasi area, a desolate tent camp on Gaza's southern shore that the Israeli military has designated a humanitarian zone. Gaza's population of more than 2 million Palestinians are in a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. Hamas triggered the 21-month war when militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage. Fifty remain, but fewer than half are thought to be alive. Israel's military offensive that followed has killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which doesn't say how many militants are among the dead but says more than half of the dead have been women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas government but the U.N. and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties. The Hostages Family Forum, a grassroots organization that represents many of the families of hostages, condemned the evacuation announcement and demanded that Netanyahu and the Israeli military explain what they hope to accomplish in the area of central Gaza, accusing Israel of operating without a clear war plan. 'Enough! The Israeli people overwhelmingly want an end to the fighting and a comprehensive agreement that will return all of the hostages,' the forum said. On Saturday night, during the weekly protest, tens of thousands of protesters marched in Tel Aviv to the branch of the U.S. Embassy, demonstrating for an end to the war. Humanitarian disaster grows On Sunday morning, ambulances in front of three major hospitals in Gaza sounded their alarms simultaneously in an urgent appeal to shed light on the hunger crisis in the territory. The health ministry posted pictures on social media of doctors holding paper signs about malnourished children and lack of medication. Zaher al-Wahidi, one of the spokespeople at the health ministry, said that at least nine children under 5 years old have died of malnutrition as of Sunday since the Israel's imposed aid entry blockade in March. He explained that tracking the number of people dying of starvation is hard because some could be suffering from other medical conditions that could be worsened when compounded with severe hunger. In northern Gaza, Shifa Hospital director Abu Selmiyah said that the hospital recorded 79 people who died of malnutrition in the past month. Israeli bombardments continued to pound the Gaza Strip overnight. Large explosions in northern Gaza were visible from Israel as plumes of fire shot into the sky.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Pope Leo's Comments On Israel Striking Gaza's Only Catholic Church Are Going Mega Viral
Yesterday, it was announced that the Holy Family Church — a shelter and place of worship for Catholics in Gaza — was struck by Israel amid the continuing Israel-Palestine conflict. Three people were killed. Related: Soon after, the office of Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement saying, 'Israel deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza's Holy Family Church. Every innocent life lost is a tragedy.' 'Israel is investigating the incident and remains committed to protecting civilians and holy sites,' it continued. Related: Well, as head of the Catholic church, Pope Leo released his own statement about the tragedy on X (formerly known as Twitter.) Twitter: @Pontifex "I am deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury caused by the military attack on the Holy Family Catholic Church in #Gaza," he wrote. "I assure the parish community of my spiritual closeness. I commend the souls of the deceased to the loving mercy of Almighty God, and pray for their families and the injured. I renew my call for an immediate ceasefire. Only dialogue and reconciliation can ensure enduring peace!" Related: The post has been viewed by over five million people. Related: Further, NBC reports that during a Friday morning call between Pope Leo and Netanyahu, the pope relayed the importance of a ceasefire and end to the war in Gaza... ...and expressed that places of worship, worshippers, and citizens on the ground in both Palestine and Israel should be protected. What are your thoughts? Please share in the comments. Also in In the News: Also in In the News: Also in In the News: Solve the daily Crossword
