NATO deepens support for Ukraine
NATO's support for Ukraine remains "unwavering" and "continually growing," NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Friday during a visit to Kiev.
After meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Rutte announced that new funds from NATO are planned to guarantee "continuous supplies of American weapons to Ukraine."
He added that after the multilateral meeting at the White House on Monday, US President Donald Trump had made it clear that "the United States will be involved in ensuring the security of Ukraine."
Israel warns of destruction of Gaza if ceasefire not reached
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned on Friday that Gaza City could be completely destroyed if Hamas does not accept Israel's conditions for ending the war.
This statement comes a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would give final approval for the occupation of Gaza City, while in parallel he would begin negotiations with Hamas for the release of hostages and an end to the war that has been going on for almost two years, but only "on terms acceptable to Israel."
Earlier this week, Hamas accepted a ceasefire proposal brokered by Egypt and Qatar. Egyptian and Hamas officials said the proposal was almost identical to one Israel had previously accepted before talks stalled last month.
Extreme hunger situation confirmed in Gaza
The world's leading authority on the food crisis said on Friday that the largest city in the Gaza Strip is facing famine and that the situation could worsen unless a ceasefire is reached and restrictions on humanitarian aid are eased.
The Integrated Food Security Classification (IPC) confirmed that Gaza City, home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, is facing famine, and that this could spread south to the Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis areas by the end of next month.
This is the first time the IPC has officially declared a famine in the Middle East, a development that is expected to increase international pressure on Israel, which has been at war with Hamas since 2023.
Murder of Dutch teenager shocks public opinion
The brutal murder of 17-year-old Dutch teenager Lisa, who was cycling home after a night out with friends, has caused widespread outrage in the Netherlands and Belgium.
A poem written by Dutch actress and author Nienke 's Gravemade has been widely shared on social media. In it, she emphasizes that women have the right to feel safe and move freely at night.
"The red bag. I can't get the red bag out of my mind. How it swung from the handlebars of the bike as she walked through the night. A night that belonged to her too, because we all have 24 hours in a day. 24 hours that we are free to live how and where we want," the author writes on Instagram.
Lisa left central Amsterdam at around 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday to return home to the town of Abcoude. She had called the national emergency number after noticing someone was following her.
Unfortunately, she was found murdered.
