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Palestinian children are seen under dire humanitarian conditions despite the ceasefire signed with Israel in Khan Yunis, Palestine on April 03, 2026. [Doaa Albaz – Anadolu Agency]
On Palestinian Children’s Day, the reality for children in Gaza reflects a profound humanitarian crisis, with tens of thousands growing up without parents amid ongoing war and devastation.
Recent data indicates that the number of orphans in the Gaza Strip has reached approximately 64,616 children, most of whom have lost one or both parents during the latest Israeli aggression. The figure underscores the scale of the social catastrophe affecting an entire generation and is expected to rise as the consequences of the war continue to unfold.
Before the war, the number of orphans in Gaza did not exceed 22,000, highlighting the unprecedented increase in a short period.
Amid ongoing destruction, children in Gaza face a daily reality marked by loss, displacement, and deprivation. In shelters and displacement camps, many are seen waiting in aid lines or sitting silently among the ruins of their homes, having lost the families that once provided stability and protection.
The crisis extends beyond immediate humanitarian needs, posing a long-term societal challenge that requires not only relief efforts but also sustained support to rebuild lives and communities.
For many children in Gaza, orphanhood is not only the loss of a parent, but also the loss of security, stability, and a sense of normal childhood, with lasting psychological and social consequences.
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Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
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World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Geneva on 27 May, 2024 [FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images]
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned of catastrophic consequences following the targeting of Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, amid escalating conflict in the region.
In a statement posted on X, the Director-General of the World Health Organisation said he shares the concerns of the International Atomic Energy Agency regarding the safety of nuclear facilities in Iran.
He stressed that any attack on a nuclear site could trigger a nuclear accident, warning that such an event would have long-term and far-reaching health consequences.
“The recent attack on the Bushehr nuclear plant is a stark reminder,” Tedros said, adding that the risks are increasing with each passing day of the ongoing war.
He called for urgent de-escalation, stating that peace remains “the best medicine” to prevent further deterioration.
The Bushehr facility was reportedly targeted on Saturday, marking the fourth such attack since the start of the US-Israeli offensive against Iran on 28th February.
Since then, Israel and the United States have been waging a war against Iran that has resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries, while Tehran has responded by launching missiles and drones toward Israeli-controlled areas.
Iran has also targeted what it describes as American sites and interests in Arab countries; however, some of these attacks have caused deaths, injuries, and damage to civilian infrastructure, drawing condemnation from the affected states.
The escalation comes despite reports that Iran had been making progress in negotiations with Washington regarding its nuclear program, with mediation efforts involving Oman.
The United States and Israel accuse Iran of pursuing nuclear and missile programs that threaten regional security, while Tehran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful and not intended for weapons development.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Fuel taxes would rise, whilst parking spaces would be steadily reduced and frequent driving tests mandated in accordance with the plans.
New plans from the Green Party show measures to significantly reduce motorway speed limits from 70mph down to just 55mph.
The move has sparked criticism from the Conservatives, who said Green leader Zack Polanski is waging a “war on drivers”.
Other Green Party measures proposed for motorists would see taxes on driving “increased incrementally”, whilst parking spaces would be “steadily reduced” to discourage their use.
According to reports, drivers would also be expected to re-take their driving test every five years, with driving considered “not a right, but a privilege”.
The reported plans would see speed limits on motorways and dual carriageways reduced to 55mph, down from their current 70mph. Picture: Alamy
The official Green Party transport policy reads: “On major roads outside built up areas, the maximum speed limit allowed would be 55mph, to maximise the efficiency of fuel use as well as improving safety.”
They add that the speed limits on motorways and dual carriageways would be dropped by 15mph, and 20mph limits would be imposed on all built up areas.
A demonstrator holds a sign reading, “Trump is the threat” while participating in a protest in Washington, DC on March 7, 2026. Photo by Probal Rashid/LightRocket via Getty Images
“Trump is being driven insane by his inability to defeat Iran,” said a UK journalist. “This is a threat to commit unspeakable war crimes.”
Following President Donald Trump’s Sunday morning Truth Social post detailing his intent to further break international law by bombing Iran’s power plants and civilian infrastructure, the message sent by numerous critics to White House officials, the US Congress, and US allies was the same: “Act now to stop this lawless war.”
That demand was made by Just Security editor and Rutgers University law professor Adil Haque of the international community after Trump announced on social media that this coming Tuesday “will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran.”
“There will be nothing like it!!!” the missive continued. “Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
The threat was one of Trump’s most blatant yet regarding his plans to bomb Iran’s power plants and other civilian infrastructure in retaliation for Iran’s de facto blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for global oil and other imports. Iran announced a deal with Iraq on Saturday to allow its shipments through the waterway and was in talks with Oman on Sunday, but about 3,000 vessels carrying shipments have been stranded in the strait since the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Iran began imposing heavy restrictions in retaliation for the US-Israeli invasion of the country.
Attacking power plants “could amount to a war crime,” Amnesty Internationalsaid late last month as Trump ramped up threats against the critical facilities, because they are “essential for meeting the basic needs and livelihoods of tens of millions of civilians.”
“When power plants collapse, horrific consequences cascade instantly,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Amnesty International’s senior director of research, advocacy, policy, and campaigns last month. “Water pumping stations would stop functioning, clean water would become scarce, and preventable diseases would spread. Hospitals would lose electricity and fuel, forcing surgeries to be canceled and life-support machines to shut down. Food production and distribution networks would collapse, deepening hunger and causing widespread food scarcity. Many businesses would also shut down with devastating economic consequences including mass unemployment.”
On Sunday, Amnesty Secretary General Agnes Callamard said she was “running out of language to denounce and condemn” Trump’s escalating threats and called the Truth Social post a “revolting statement.”
“Iranian civilians will be the first to suffer from the destruction of power plants and bridges,” she said. “No heat, no electricity, no water, no capacity to move or to flee, and all that it means for their right to life.”
Quel message revoltant. Les civils Iraniens seront les premiers a souffrir de la destruction des centrales electriques et des ponts: plus d’electricite, de chauffage, d’eau; incapable de fuir les attaques. Des crimes de guerre potentiels en cascade. C’est Donald Trump, le… pic.twitter.com/9tS4cNfLlY
Trump has also threatened Iran’s water desalination plants, which could lead the country to retaliate with similar attacks across the region, impacting the water supply of millions of people across Gulf Arab states. On Saturday, Kuwait blamed Iran for an airstrike that hit a power and desalination plant, while Iranian officials blamed Israel for the attack.
Political analyst Omar Baddar warned that “Iranian civilians will pay the biggest and most immediate price of his madness, but the ripple effect will not spare much of the world.” He was among those who commented that Trump’s latest remarks on the war sounded “exceedingly desperate” as news reports pointed to mounting evidence that the US is not succeeding at Trump’s goal of defeating Iran’s military—despite the president and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s persistent claims that “we are punching them while they’re down.”
As The New York Timesreported Friday, US intelligence has found that Iran is swiftly returning its missile bunkers to operation following US and Israeli bombings. The country’s exact capability is unclear because the IRGC “is deploying significant numbers of decoys, and the United States is not sure how many of the apparent launchers it has destroyed were real,” the Times reported. Iran is also reportedly using a new air defense system.
“Trump is being driven insane by his inability to defeat Iran,” said UK journalist Owen Jones of Trump’s Sunday post. “This is a threat to commit unspeakable war crimes.”
On Saturday, The Wall Street Journal reported that top White House aides and officials, including Hegseth, have been advising Trump that “Iran’s power-generating facilities and bridges are legitimate military targets because destroying them could cripple the country’s missile and nuclear program.”
This isn't legal analysis. It's idiocy:
"A White House official added that electric plants are legitimate military targets because destroying them could foment civil unrest, complicating Tehran’s path to a nuclear device"
“There are no ‘legitimate military targets,’” said Charles Idelson, former communications director of National Nurses United. “Just war crimes, in an illegitimate war started without justification, following deliberate lies about the state of negotiations, and [that] has featured multiple attacks on civilians beginning with blowing up a girls’ elementary school.”
Trump threatened to escalate attacks against power plants a day after Israel attacked Iran’s largest petrochemical hub in Mahshahr—an assault that had previously been reported to have injured five people. Late on Saturday, The New York Times reported that five people had been killed and 170 had been injured in the attack on the sprawling complex, which helps provide electricity to 500,000 people and produces materials including chemicals and polymers.
Reports have pointed to people in the Mahshahr area suffering from the impact of the strike as “chemical pollution from the petrochemical explosions has spread through the city in such a way that breathing is impossible,” as one person with family in the city said.
As Trump warned of further assaults on critical infrastructure, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called on the US Congress to end its spring recess in order “to reconvene and to reassert their authority over matters of war and peace and to ensure that no president can unilaterally drag our nation into war.”
“Congress must not remain on vacation while the president openly promises to commit war crimes that could trigger even more regional and global conflict,” said the group, which also condemned Trump’s “deranged mocking of Islam.”
President Trump’s deranged mocking of Islam and his threats to attack civilian infrastructure in Iran are reckless, dangerous, and indicative of a mindset that shows indifference to human life and contempt for religious beliefs.
In his latest conflicting statement on the state of the war, Trump told Fox News Sunday that a deal could be reached with Iran on Monday but warned that he was “considering blowing everything up” if an agreement was not reached.
US Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) urged top White House officials to take action by spending Easter Sunday “calling constitutional lawyers about the 25th Amendment,” which empowers a presidential Cabinet to declare that a president is unable to perform their duties.
“This is completely, utterly unhinged,” said Murphy. “He’s already killed thousands. He’s going to kill thousands more.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) repeated CAIR’s demand, saying Trump’s remarks were “the ravings of a dangerous and mentally unbalanced individual.”
“Congress has got to act NOW,” said Sanders. “End this war.”
Orcas discuss rotting brain. Front Orca says “Wish someone would lock him up”.Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.Donald Trump warns against following the https://onaquietday.org blog, says that it’s easy atm, she only needs to report war crimes supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion.
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A view of wreckage and remains of the downed F-15 fighter jet is seen in Iran on April 05, 2026. [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – Anadolu Agency]
Clashes broke out between Iranian forces and US troops during a rescue operation of an American pilot in which a US C-130 support aircraft was reportedly downed, Iranian media claimed Sunday, Anadolu reports.
According to Defa Press Agency, Iranian law enforcement special units destroyed several US assets, including a special operations aircraft HC-130, two Black Hawk helicopters, and multiple drones.
Following the clashes, fighting reportedly continued on the ground between Iranian units and surviving or supporting US personnel, it added.
Earlier in the day, Iran claimed that it had shot down a US C-130 support aircraft in southern Isfahan.
Fox News also reported that several US service members were injured during a mission to extract the second crew member of an F-15 fighter jet downed over Iran.
No official statement has yet been issued by the US regarding the Iranian claims.
Regional tensions have escalated since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,340 people to date, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, as well as Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets. Iran has also restricted the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
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Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.Donald Trump warns against following the Onaquietday.org blog, says that he’s heard that she’s a which with a black cat and a dangerous kitchen.