Conflict and Peace

Just when we thought the news from Gaza could not get bleaker, something new about the Israeli actions in the territory has emerged. Israel is arming “criminal gangs” in the war-torn Gaza Strip. Former Defence Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, revealed this on Thursday (5 June). "Israel transferred assault rifles and light weapons to criminal gangs in Gaza,” Lieberman, leader of the right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu Party, told the public broadcaster KAN. He said the weapons were transferred to the gangs upon orders of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “In my opinion, the Cabinet hasn’t approved the transfer of weapons, but the head of the General Security Service (Shin Bet) was aware,” he added. “We are talking about what is equivalent to ISIS (Daesh) in Gaza. No one guarantees that these weapons will not be directed at Israel. We have no means of monitoring or tracking,” Lieberman said.

On Thursday (5 June), the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) warned that Ukraine is now the most heavily mined country since World War II, with over 139,000 square kilometres of land potentially contaminated by mines and unexploded ordnance. Speaking in New York on Thursday, UNMAS advisor Paul Heslop said that this contamination endangers lives and livelihoods, particularly in farming areas. Over six million people live near these dangerous zones, and more than 800 people have been killed or injured by landmines since 2022.

In the early hours of Friday morning (6 June), Russia launched a missile and drone attack on Kyiv, killing at least four people and injuring 20 others, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Fires broke out in multiple districts, including a high-rise apartment building in the Solomyanskyi district. The city's metro system and railway lines were also damaged, causing service disruptions.

The prominent Swedish climate activist, who is sailing with 11 other activists on an aid ship bound for Gaza, said that she felt she had no choice but to help, as “our governments are failing us”.

US President Donald Trump will attend the NATO summit in The Hague later this month, the White House announced on Tuesday evening (3 June). Trump had previously left it unclear whether he would attend the conference of the Western military alliance in the Netherlands. However, he had informed Prime Minister Dick Schoof (now outgoing) of his attendance, which the Dutch government had previously announced.

Israel has accepted a new U.S. proposal for a temporary ceasefire with Hamas, the White House said on Thursday. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Israel “backed and supported” the new proposal. Hamas officials gave the Israeli-approved draft a cool response, but said they wanted to study the proposal more closely before giving a formal answer.

Israel and Syria are in direct contact and have in recent weeks held face-to-face meetings aimed at calming tensions and preventing conflict in the border region between the two longtime foes, according to an exclusive Reuters report. The contacts mark a significant development in ties between states that have been on opposite sides of conflict in the Middle East for decades, as the U.S. encourages the new Islamist rulers in Damascus to establish relations with Israel and Israel eases its bombardment of Syria.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told the Yerevan Dialogue that “sustainable and lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan is not only possible, but within reach” as he delivered an update on the current status of peace talks to participants of the 2nd annual forum on Monday. Negotiations over a draft agreement were completed in March, and Armenia and Azerbaijan indicated their willingness to sign it.