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Gaza ceasefire ends as Israel kills 400 overnight

News Briefing

Israel heavily attacked the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, resulting in over 400 Palestinian deaths, including many women and children. These strikes mark the end of a two-month ceasefire that began in January.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the operation, saying it was justified Hamas refused to release hostages or extend the ceasefire.

The Israeli Defense Forces claim it has targeted Hamas leadership and infrastructure across multiple locations in Gaza, including Rafah, Khan Younis, and Gaza City. 

Germany set to vote on historic increase in defence spending

EU

Germany’s Bundestag is poised to vote on a significant fiscal package that proposes amendments to longstanding debt policies, aiming to facilitate increased defence spending and establish a €500 billion infrastructure and climate fund.

The vote is seen as a response to Russia’s advances in Ukraine as the United States makes clear Europe can no longer rely on US protection from Russia.

Supporters of lifting the debt restrictions to boost defence spending say it’s essential for European security but there is also opposition. The decision could influence broader European defence initiatives, like the EU’s proposed €800 billion ReArm Europe fund.

Net Zero by 2050 is a fantasy says Kemi Badenoch

Climate Change

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has said the UK’s 2050 net zero target, a legally binding commitment established by a previous Conservative government, is “impossible.” Badenoch argued that achieving net zero by 2050 would necessitate “a serious drop in our living standards or by bankrupting us,” but did not offer an alternative plan.