In today’s newsletter: The legal protections once considered foundational in conflict are now routinely bypassed, with healthcare personnel treated as legitimate targets
Good morning. While you were asleep, Donald Trump claimed a deal had been reached for the “complete disarmament of Hamas” in Gaza. His announcement, characteristically, does not seem watertight, with briefings from both sides revealing points of contention, and as such is being treated with caution by some world leaders.
As anyone paying attention knows, the conflict has seen Israel and Hamas accused of war crimes, and two years ago, the international criminal court issued an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu. Elsewhere in the region, the Israel-US military operation in Iran has been repeatedly declared as “illegal”. That label now feels almost obsolete on the global stage, as laws are ignored, norms tossed aside, and multinational institutions degraded.
England news | Hundreds of people have been evacuated and a major incident declared after a wildfire spread over more than 80 hectares (200 acres) on the coast of Suffolk, just a few miles from the Sizewell B nuclear power station.
UK politics | Labour has accused Reform UK of being “up to its neck in sleaze” as it called on the Electoral Commission to urgently investigate substantial donations made to the party by the mother of a convicted fraudster.
Middle East | Donald Trump has said a deal has been reached for Hamas to disarm and for Israel to withdraw its forces from Gaza, however briefings from both sides exposed disputes over its implementation that could prove difficult to overcome.
Europe | The Spanish government is deploying extra troops and police officers to its north African enclave of Ceuta after thousands of people swam and waded into the tiny territory from neighbouring Morocco in a matter of hours.
UK news | The co-founder of Palestine Action has won permission to challenge the ban against the group at the UK’s highest court.
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