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Israel Hamas war: European Parliament calls for 'permanent ceasefire'

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Israel Hamas war: European Parliament calls for 'permanent ceasefire'

The European Parliament has for the first time called for a “permanent ceasefire” in Gaza and the start of political efforts to find a solution to the war between Israel and Hamas.

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The resolution, which is purely symbolic and carries no legal weight, was approved with 312 votes in favour, 131 against and 72 abstentions in Strasbourg’s plenary chamber on Thursday after a compromise was made to appease centre-right lawmakers.

The ceasefire plea represents a significant shift in the Parliament’s previous position, agreed in October, which called for a humanitarian “pause” to step up the flow of aid reaching Gaza’s civilians. That vote in October had passed with 500 votes in favour, 21 against and 24 abstentions.

Thursday’s sharpened call comes as the Gaza death toll tops 24,000, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, since the start of the Israeli offensive.

While the hemicycle’s left-leaning and centrist groups had openly backed the ceasefire call, members of the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), the largest group in the chamber, had expressed reservations.

An amendment specifying that the ceasefire should be conditional on the release of all hostages held in Gaza and the “dismantling” of Hamas, which is designated a terrorist organisation in the EU, secured the backing of EPP lawmakers.

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“Sustainable peace cannot exist as long as Hamas and other terrorist groups hijack the Palestinian cause and threaten the existence of Israel, the only democracy in the region,” Antonio López-Istúriz, an EPP lawmaker, said at the plenary.

Responding to the resolution, a representative of the Israeli mission to the EU told Euronews that it shows the Parliament “has an understanding of the cause of the war and the means to end it.”

“We are pleased that the resolution states clearly that a ceasefire is provided upon the unconditional release of all hostages and the dismantling of the terrorist organization Hamas,” the representative added.

EU lawmakers also condemned Israel’s “disproportionate” military response in Gaza and supported a European initiative to resume the so-called two-state solution, a long-term diplomatic solution which would secure statehood for the Palestinians.

Several versions of the text and dozens of amendments were filed in anticipation of the vote, reflecting the variety of viewpoints across the hemicycle.

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In a sign of the difficult political wrangling that was needed to get the resolution over the line, Hilde Vautmans, a Belgian MEP for the liberal Renew Europe group, urged the hemicycle to find unity after hours of negotiations over the past few days.

She said ahead of the vote that the EU’s “international credibility” was at stake.

Bruno Lété, senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund, told Euronews that although purely symbolic, calls from EU and world leaders can have an effect.

“We’ve seen (…) some EU leaders, leaders in the Arab world, and even close allies of Israel such as the United States, calling on Israel to show more restraint in its actions in Gaza,” Lété explained. “I think partially it works. We’ve seen Israel now withdrawing partially from the Gaza Strip.”

But, Lété added, the condition of eradicating Hamas from the Gaza Strip will be difficult to fulfil, and that both warring parties would need to comply with a ceasefire agreement.

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“We’ve already seen statements by Israeli officials saying that (…) we are satisfied with the level of eradication of the network in Gaza,” he said. “But we also see reports, showing that Hamas is actually returning to some of the areas that Israel supposedly had under control.”

“If Hamas doesn’t comply, it leaves little choice to Israel then to return to to its action. So both parties have to show a certain willingness to work towards a ceasefire,” he went on.

The European Council, which represents the bloc’s 27 member states, has not yet unanimously agreed to call for a ceasefire, despite pleas from countries such as Belgium, Ireland and Spain. So far, their official line is “humanitarian pauses and corridors,” a wording that implies a temporary, rather than continued, interruption of hostilities.

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A European Council summit in December ended with no new conclusions on Gaza, despite seventeen EU member states, a majority of the bloc, backing a United Nations General Assembly resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire just days earlier.

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Map: 6.0-Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Off Mexico’s Coast

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Map: 6.0-Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Off Mexico’s Coast

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Note: Map shows the area with a shake intensity of 3 or greater, which U.S.G.S. defines as “weak,” though the earthquake may be felt outside the areas shown.  All times on the map are Mountain time. The New York Times

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A strong, 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck in the Gulf of California on Tuesday, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The temblor happened at 1:45 p.m. Mountain time about 47 miles southwest of El Progreso, Mexico, data from the agency shows.

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As seismologists review available data, they may revise the earthquake’s reported magnitude. Additional information collected about the earthquake may also prompt U.S.G.S. scientists to update the shake-severity map.

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Aftershocks detected

Subsequent quakes have been reported in the same area. Such temblors are typically aftershocks caused by minor adjustments along the portion of a fault that slipped at the time of the initial earthquake.

Quakes and aftershocks within 100 miles

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Aftershocks can occur days, weeks or even years after the first earthquake. These events can be of equal or larger magnitude to the initial earthquake, and they can continue to affect already damaged locations.

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When quakes and aftershocks occurred

 All times are Mountain time. The New York Times

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Sources: United States Geological Survey (epicenter, aftershocks, shake intensity); LandScan via Oak Ridge National Laboratory (population density) | Notes: Shaking categories are based on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale. When aftershock data is available, the corresponding maps and charts include earthquakes within 100 miles and seven days of the initial quake. All times above are Mountain time. Shake data is as of Tuesday, June 30 at 2:02 p.m. Mountain time. Aftershocks data is as of Tuesday, June 30 at 6:01 p.m. Mountain time.

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Boy, 2, pulled alive from rubble six days after Venezuela’s devastating twin earthquakes

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Boy, 2, pulled alive from rubble six days after Venezuela’s devastating twin earthquakes

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Emergency workers in Venezuela on Tuesday rescued a 2-year-old boy who had been trapped beneath the rubble for six days, marking the only reported rescue of a survivor on the sixth day of operations following last week’s devastating earthquakes.

Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez said in a Telegram post that Jordanian emergency workers pulled the child from a collapsed building in La Guaira, an area hit the hardest by last week’s earthquakes.

The child, identified by authorities as Klieber Moran, was rescued after spending six days trapped beneath the rubble, Rodríguez said.

Moran was taken to a hospital for treatment, she added.

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TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PLEDGES $150M IN AID, DEPLOYS NAVY WARSHIPS AFTER DEADLY VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKES

A Jordanian team works to rescue a child trapped under rubble following earthquakes in Venezuela, in a location given as Caracas, Venezuela. (Jordan Public Security/Handout via REUTERS)

National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez said in a televised address Tuesday that officials remain hopeful more survivors will be found.

“We ⁠must hold onto the hope of continuing to find people alive beneath the rubble,” Jorge said. “Early this morning, a 2-year-old boy was rescued and is currently ​receiving care at ​a health ⁠center in Caracas.”

Rescue efforts have continued since magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes struck Venezuela’s northern coast last Wednesday.

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DEATH TOLL FROM VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKES RISES TO AT LEAST 235, WITH THOUSANDS REPORTED MISSING

Emergency workers rescued a 2-year-old boy after he spent six days trapped beneath the rubble following last week’s earthquakes in Venezuela. (Jordan Public Security/Handout via REUTERS)

The death toll from the twin earthquakes rose to 1,943 on Tuesday, with more than 10,500 people injured, according to Venezuelan officials. On Monday, the death toll stood at 1,719.

Tuesday’s rescue marked another glimmer of hope amid the disaster that has devastated the South American country.

On Saturday, the U.S. State Department shared video showing American search-and-rescue teams pulling an infant alive from beneath the rubble in Venezuela.

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EX-MLB PLAYER SAYS WIFE DIED IN DEVASTATING VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKES

A child receives emergency medical attention after being rescued by a Jordanian team from under rubble following earthquakes in Venezuela. (Jordan Public Security/Handout via REUTERS)

The infant, who is 9 months old, was rescued along with her mother, the State Department told Fox News Digital. Both suffered only minor injuries, according to the rescue team.

“Against impossible odds, hope endures,” the State Department posted on X.

On Tuesday, a shipment from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) containing 47 metric tons of humanitarian supplies arrived in Venezuela.

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FORMER METS PITCHER NARROWLY ESCAPES DEATH IN VENEZUELA EARTHQUAKES THANKS TO ELEVATOR MALFUNCTION

Emergency workers rescued 2-year-old Klieber Moran from beneath the rubble of a collapsed building in Venezuela six days after the country’s devastating earthquakes, according to Venezuelan officials. (Jordan Public Security/Handout via REUTERS)

The shipment includes emergency health kits for urgent medical care, including supplies for safe births, newborn care, disease prevention and treatment, according to the United Nations.

Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams from Virginia, California and Florida were dispatched to Venezuela on Friday to help search collapsed buildings.

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According to the State Department, the three USAR teams include 312 personnel and 18 canine teams, made up of firefighters, physicians, structural engineers and canine search specialists, and deployed with more than 200,000 pounds of specialized rescue equipment.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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World’s oceans experience hottest June ever, scientists say more heat ahead

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World’s oceans experience hottest June ever, scientists say more heat ahead

European Union monitors say the first half of 2026 was ‘marked by sustained and exceptional ocean warmth’ and forecast more to come.

The world’s oceans experienced their “warmest June ever observed” and could see further record-breaking highs in the months ahead as El Niño and climate change push temperatures higher, according to a new report.

The European Union’s Copernicus Marine Service said on Wednesday that “record global sea surface temperatures” of 21.0 degrees Celsius (69.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in June beat the previous records in the same month in 2023 and 2024.

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“The first six months of 2026 were characterised by persistently elevated sea-surface temperatures and widespread marine heatwaves across much of the global ocean,” the EU’s marine environment monitor said in a statement.

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“Marine heatwaves expanded steadily throughout the period, ultimately affecting around 82 percent of the global ocean,” said Simon van Gennip, lead oceanographer for the Copernicus Marine Service.

“The Mediterranean, the central North Atlantic and the equatorial Pacific all emerged as hotspots, and these regional signals paint a consistent picture of an ocean under sustained thermal stress,” Van Gennip said in a statement.

The onset of a potentially powerful El Nino weather pattern could boost global heat in the oceans and atmosphere even further in 2026, and into next year, according to scientists.

“Current conditions could indicate the beginning of a new phase, leading, once more, to uncharted territory,” said Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, the EU’s climate monitor.

“With ocean temperatures at these levels and El Nino on the horizon, we are likely to see more temperature records fall in the coming months,” Buontempo said in a statement.

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El Nino is marked by unusually warm waters in parts of the Pacific Ocean, releasing more heat into the atmosphere and influencing wind, cloud and weather patterns around the globe. This can raise the risk of weather extremes, ranging from floods in Peru to droughts in parts of Africa and wildfires in Australia.

Land and sea temperatures reached an all-time high in 2024 at the tail end of the last El Nino, and 2026 could be among the warmest years recorded with the onset of the next El Nino this year.

The Copernicus report follows a warning issued in a major UN scientific assessment last month, which declared that the world’s oceans were in a “deepening crisis” as seas were warming and rising faster.

Oceans are a key regulator of Earth’s climate because they absorb some 90 percent of the excess heat caused by humanity’s release of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide.

Warmer oceans increase moisture in the atmosphere, providing fuel for tropical cyclones and destructive rainfall.

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Hotter seas also directly contribute to sea-level rise – water expands when it warms up – and create unbearable conditions for tropical reefs, whose corals can bleach and die during prolonged marine heatwaves.

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