Firm in Black Hawk fiasco awarded military airbase calibration job, say sources

FMT:

Firm in Black Hawk fiasco awarded military airbase calibration job, say sources


3 hours ago
K. Parkaran


Aerotree had its RM187 million Black Hawk lease contract cancelled last year after it failed to deliver despite three postponements

Last November, the defence ministry cancelled a lease of four Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawk helicopters from Aerotree Defence and Services Sdn Bhd after the company failed to deliver the aircraft. (Aerotree Defence and Services pic)

PETALING JAYA: Questions have been raised over the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s (RMAF) decision to award a new contract to a company which failed to deliver four Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawk helicopters barely eight months ago.

According to a letter, Aerotree Defence and Services Sdn Bhd was awarded a contract to calibrate the instrument landing system equipment for fixed-wing aircraft at three military air bases recently.

Last November, the defence ministry cancelled a RM187 million Black Hawk lease contract it signed with Aerotree after the company failed to deliver the aircraft despite three date revisions.


The four helicopters, leased for five years, were intended to serve as a platform for the army’s Air Team Nucleus, supporting both training and operational flight missions.

One source expressed “shock” upon learning of the award, barely eight months after the
Black Hawk “fiasco”.


“The defence ministry must explain how this is possible as we understand that another firm was initially awarded the calibration contract but lost it suddenly,” the source told FMT.

FMT is withholding the name of the second company, pending a comment.

Seven months ago, defence minister Khaled Nordin said the government’s deal with Aerotree was called off after the company failed to meet its October delivery deadline.

FMT has reached out to Aerotree CEO Halim Othman and RMAF for comment.


Foreign-registered aircraft and crew

Meanwhile, another source questioned the identity of the aircraft and air crew attending to the calibration of airfields at Labuan, Butterworth and Gong Kedak.

The source also questioned whether Aerotree or the UK-based calibration company were in possession of a Malaysian air operation certificate (AOC) issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM).

He said RMAF was obliged to clarify the matter, including whether the air crew possess valid work permits to carry out the work in the country.


According to the source, the assurances sought were necessary as the entry and exit of foreigners from Malaysian air bases would pose a security risk.

He claimed the calibration flights started on June 16 and are expected to be completed by today.

***

kt comments:

Uniformed division of RMAF has nothing to do with award of contracts - check the civilian civil servants. Seems Aerotree has VERY strong cables, wakakaka - Malaysia Bolih lah!

Syed Saddiq freed of graft, money laundering charges

FMT:

Syed Saddiq freed of graft, money laundering charges


2 hours ago
V Anbalagan


Court of Appeal rules that there was a serious misdirection by the trial judge which warranted appellate intervention

Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman ahead of his acquittal by the Court of Appeal today.

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal has unanimously acquitted Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman of his corruption and money laundering charges.

In allowing the former youth and sports minister’s appeal, Justice Noorin Badaruddin said the appellant should have been acquitted without a defence being called during the trial.

Reading her judgment before a packed courtroom, she said the prosecution had failed to prove the ingredients of the predicate charges of abetting in criminal breach of trust (CBT) and dishonest misappropriation.


Noorin also said that the trial judge failed to appreciate Syed Saddiq’s defence and had treated it as a bare denial and afterthought.

“There was a serious misdirection by the trial judge which warranted appellate intervention,” she said.


Justices Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim and Azman Abdullah also heard the appeal.

Syed Saddiq was found guilty in November 2023 of abetting in CBT involving more than RM1 million belonging to Bersatu Youth, and another count of dishonestly misappropriating property totalling more than RM120,000 also belonging to the wing.

The former Bersatu Youth chief was also convicted on two counts of money laundering for transferring a total of RM100,000 to his personal account from a company linked to the youth wing, Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise.

He was sentenced to three years’ jail and one stroke of the rotan on the CBT charge, two years and another stroke of the cane on the misappropriation charge, and another two-year jail term for each of the money laundering offences.


The Muda founder was also fined RM10 million.


The High Court had ordered that his jail terms for CBT and misappropriation run consecutively, and for those handed down for money laundering to run concurrently.

This meant that Syed Saddiq, the former Muda president, would have served seven years in jail. His sentence was stayed pending his appeal.

Satan-yahu returns attention to offering Gazan child sacrifices (olah) to his god

Israel shifts focus back to Gaza as 46 more killed at aid sites, UN slams ‘abomination’ of US-backed system



Palestinians walk back, carrying parcels collected from a food aid distribution point set up by the privately-run Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) on the Salaheddin road, at the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on June 24, 2025. — AFP pic

Wednesday, 25 Jun 2025 9:17 AM MYT


GAZA CITY, June 25 — Gaza’s civil defence agency said Israeli forces killed another 46 people waiting for aid in the Palestinian territory on Tuesday as rights groups and UN agencies slammed the US-backed food distribution system.

Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that 21 people were killed and around 150 wounded by Israeli fire near an aid point in central Gaza early Tuesday, and that another 25 were killed in a separate incident in south Gaza.



“Every day we face this scenario: martyrs, injuries, in unbearable numbers,” paramedic Ziad Farhat told AFP at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza.

“Hospitals cannot accommodate the number of casualties arriving,” he said.


Israel’s opposition leader and the families of Israeli hostages being held in Gaza called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to widen a ceasefire with Iran to include the Palestinian territory.



But the country’s military chief later warned that Israel would now refocus on its campaign to crush the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in the territory.

“Now the focus shifts back to Gaza — to bring the hostages home and to dismantle the Hamas regime,” chief of staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said in a statement shared by the army.


Aid distribution tensions

Pressure grew Tuesday on the US- and Israeli-backed privately run aid group Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which was brought into the Palestinian territory at the end of May to replace United Nations agencies.

The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) called the system an “abomination” while a spokesman for the UN human rights office, Thameen Al-Kheetan, condemned the “weaponisation of food” in Gaza.

According to figures issued on Tuesday by the health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, at least 516 people have been killed and nearly 3,800 wounded by Israeli fire while seeking rations since late May.

The territory of more than two million people is suffering from famine-like conditions after Israel blocked all supplies from early March to the end of May and continues to impose restrictions, according to rights groups.

Writing in the Guardian newspaper, spokesman for the UN children’s agency UNICEF James Elder said 400 aid distribution points had dwindled to four under GHF while supplies in “jampacked” warehouses outside Gaza could not be brought in.

‘Tank shells’

Gaza civil defence spokesman Bassal reported a first deadly shooting Tuesday “with bullets and tank shells” near the Netzarim corridor in central Gaza where thousands of Palestinians gather each night for rations near a GHF site.

The Israeli military said that a crowd had been identified in an area “adjacent” to its troops.

Witness Ribhi Al-Qassas told AFP that troops had “opened fire randomly” at a crowd he estimated at 50,000 people.

The second incident took place in south Gaza about two kilometres from another GHF centre in Rafah governorate, Bassal said.

“Israeli forces targeted civilian gatherings near Al-Alam and Al-Shakoush areas with bullets and tank shells”, he told AFP.

Israeli restrictions on media in the Gaza Strip and difficulties in accessing some areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by rescuers and witnesses.

UN agencies and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with GHF over concerns it was designed to cater to Israeli military objectives.

GHF has denied responsibility for deaths near its aid points.

On Monday, more than a dozen human rights organisations called on the organisation to cease its operations, warning of possible complicity in war crimes.

Ceasefire calls

After Israel agreed to a ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday after a 12-day war, Netanyahu faced renewed calls to agree a ceasefire with Hamas after more than 20 months of war in Gaza.

“It’s time to finish it there too. Bring back the hostages, end the war,” opposition leader Yair Lapid of the centre-right Yesh Atid party wrote on X.

Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel’s war against Iran was “contributing to the successes in Gaza, but it will still take a bit more time”.

The October 2023 attack on Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas that sparked the Gaza war resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Of the 251 hostages seized by Palestinian militants in October 2023, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.

Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 56,077 people, also mostly civilians, according to the Gaza health ministry. The United Nations considers its figures reliable. — AFP

Tony Pua returns to DAP leadership as disciplinary chief; Guan Eng joins Pakatan presidential council

 

Tony Pua returns to DAP leadership as disciplinary chief; Guan Eng joins Pakatan presidential council



Lim Guan Eng speaks to the media during the 18th DAP National Congress at Ideal Convention Centre (IDCC) in Shah Alam on March 16, 2025. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

Tuesday, 24 Jun 2025 6:37 PM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, June 24 — DAP national adviser Lim Guan Eng is among eight party representatives appointed to the Pakatan Harapan (PH) Presidential Council, secretary-general Loke Siew Fook announced today.

Loke said the appointments were decided after the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting yesterday.


The DAP party election in March saw a significant shift, with Lim, the incumbent chairman at the time, securing a CEC spot by a narrow margin, finishing 26th out of 30 available positions.

Besides Lim, the other DAP representatives appointed to the PH Presidential Council are Loke, Gobind Singh Deo, Nga Kor Ming, Chong Chieng Jen, Syahredzan Johan, Teo Nie Ching, and Woo Kah Leong.


Loke also announced that the CEC endorsed ten DAP members to be co-opted into the party’s highest decision-making body.



These co-opted members include Deputy Finance Minister Lim Hui Ying, former Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar, Bandar Kuching MP Dr. Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen, Kota Kemuning assemblyman V. Papparaidu, Buntong assemblyman M. Thulsi Thivani, and Stulang assemblyman Chen Kah Eng.

Also appointed to the CEC are Penang Port Commission chairman Yeoh Soon Hin, former Paloh assemblyman Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali, Kuala Lumpur DAP Youth chief Yap Yee Vonne, and former CEC member Wu Him Ven.


The CEC also agreed to appoint former Damansara MP Tony Pua as DAP’s disciplinary committee chairman and Ramkarpal Singh as the party’s legal bureau chairman.

Pua’s new role marks his return to the party’s central leadership after he failed to secure a spot in the CEC in 2022 and subsequently sat out the 15th general election.

Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai was appointed the party’s second adviser, following Lim Guan Eng, while Chong Chieng Jen was named DAP’s parliamentary leader.

An American bomber plane, a sense of nationhood and Tunku Abdul Rahman: Muzium Negara’s origin story

 

An American bomber plane, a sense of nationhood and Tunku Abdul Rahman: Muzium Negara’s origin story



Visitors arrive at the National Museum in Kuala Lumpur May 18, 2025, in conjunction with International Museum Day 2025. — Bernama pic

Wednesday, 25 Jun 2025 7:00 AM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 — The story of how Muzium Negara came to be is pretty dramatic as it involves an American Boeing B-29 bomber plane in 1945.

In March of that year, the American bomber was aiming for the railway yards in then-Japanese occupied Kuala Lumpur but missed and struck the Selangor Museum instead.

That bombing during World War II destroyed the original museum built in 1907 .What followed was nearly a decade of cultural “void.”

“There was only a temporary structure after that, just one small building put up in 1953,” said Nor Hanisah Ahmad, deputy director of Muzium Negara.


“We didn’t have a proper museum until after Merdeka,” she added.



A combination photo shows aerial views of Muzium Negara, past and present. — Picture courtesy of Jabatan Muzium Malaysia



After independence in 1957, then-Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman believed the young nation needed a national museum — not just to house artefacts but to tell the story of the country.


That vision was brought to life by two key figures: Mervyn Sheppard — an Irish-born cultural adviser who later embraced Islam, became a Malayan citizen and took the name Mubin Sheppard — and Ho Kok Hoe, a Singapore-based architect.

In his book titled “Taman Budiman: Memoirs of an Unorthodox Civil Servant,” Sheppard recalled how an early government sketch for the museum looked “nothing Malayan” and how his protest to the British architect was ignored.

Tunku Abdul Rahman agreed with Sheppard and asked him to find someone who could design a museum with a Malaysian soul.

Sheppard turned to Ho.

“One evening in 1958, the late Tan Sri Mubin Sheppard came to my office and asked if I wanted to design a Muzium Negara for Kuala Lumpur,” Ho recalled back in 2003. “I said, ‘Of course, I’d love to.’ Within two days, I was flown to KL to meet Tunku.”

“Tunku reminded me that Malayan architecture must form the basis of the new museum’s design,” Ho also said.

Tunku was deeply involved in shaping that vision.



Temporary museum after Muzium Selangor mistakenly bombed by an American B 29 bomber. — Picture courtesy of Jabatan Muzium Malaysia



During the museum’s official opening on August 31, 1963, he explained why it mattered.

“Before Merdeka, we only had a small museum in Kuala Lumpur,” he said in his speech.

“After we achieved independence, we thought it was right to take pride in our historical artefacts and cultural heritage, and that these should be displayed properly. So, it became clear that we needed a new national museum,” he explained.

He had personally instructed preparations to begin in September 1958.

“This building is a source of pride, not just for me but for the people of this nation,” he said.

To ensure authenticity, Tunku sent Ho to Alor Setar, Kedah to study the Balai Besar, one of the few remaining traditional Malay palaces.

“He created a majestic building, the kind you would not find in London or New York, but only here in Malaya,” Tunku said about Ho.

“The museum itself contains elements of Malay craftsmanship, inside and out.”

Together, both Ho and Sheppard toured royal towns and buildings in Kedah and the East Coast, drawing inspiration from carved timber palaces and traditional Malay forms.

The result was a bold design grounded in local heritage, with a structure inspired by the Balai Besar and adorned with traditional motifs.

Construction began in 1959 and was completed in 1963, on the very site of the old Selangor Museum — a symbolic decision.



The old Selangor museum before the bombing in 1945. — Picture courtesy of Jabatan Muzium Malaysia



“It was the border between Kuala Lumpur and Selangor at the time, so it was seen as a great location,” said Nor Hanisah.

Funding, however, remained a challenge — especially for the striking front-facing murals.

Tunku acknowledged the many private and international contributions that made the project possible.

Among them was Tan Sri Lee Kong Chian who donated the massive mosaic murals made in Venice, Italy.

“These murals were made from Italian glass mosaics and are a beautiful gift. It adds grandeur to the building,” Tunku said.

He also noted contributions from the government of Pakistan, which donated the mosaic flooring in the museum’s main hall, and Singaporean businessman Aw Cheng Chye who donated the terrazzo tiles flanking the museum’s staircase.

Even a 900-year-old bronze statue discovered in a tin mine in Sungai Siput was gifted by “Towkay” The Seng Chew.

“His gift was warmly received and deeply appreciated,” said Tunku.

Nor Hanisah noted that the murals remain one of the museum’s most recognisable features.

“People know Muzium Negara not only for its architecture, but also for the mural at the front of the building,” she said.

“It depicts the heritage and history of our nation,” she added.

The museum also became a canvas for local talent.

Kelantan-born artist Nik Zainal Abidin Nik Salleh was commissioned to design traditional motifs throughout the interior, from decorative screens and wooden beams to a now-iconic emblem bearing the words “Muzium Negara” in Arabic script framed by hibiscus leaves.

Tunku expressed hope that the museum would be more than just a structure. He wanted it to become a place of learning, pride, and cultural advancement.

“It is my hope that positions in this museum will attract highly qualified individuals,” he said.

“This museum must be given sufficient funding so it can serve education, research, and progress,” he added.

A commemorative book published for its 60th anniversary in 2023 described Muzium Negara as a “symbol of unity” in post-independence Malaysia, a project shaped by donations from ordinary Malaysians, royalty, private companies, and foreign governments.

“Many came forward with donations and contributions... with great pride,” the book noted, a collective spirit that turned a national dream into concrete and tile.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim once described Muzium Negara as more than just a repository of artefacts — he saw it as a potential centre for knowledge and learning.

“Transforming museums into centres of learning might be a new concept for our country, but in more developed nations, they serve as vital hubs of knowledge,” Anwar said in 1984, during his tenure as Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports.

Today, Muzium Negara stands as one of the few remaining post-Merdeka landmarks to wear its cultural identity on its walls — literally and architecturally.

Its story, born of war, vision, and community spirit, remains etched in glass, concrete, and memory.



Muzium Negara Deputy Director Nor Hanisah Ahmad. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa



Nor Hanisah said the Muzium Negara will always remain relevant to Malaysia as it is a place to learn from the past.

“Because nowadays, everyone is chasing things that are in the future, things that lie ahead, like technology or whatever we envision for the future,” she said.

“But actually, we cannot abandon our history. We have to look at our history, we have to understand it, how else can we prove our origins, defend our rights, and so on?”

“And that’s why we need museums because with museums, people can see real, tangible evidence,” she concluded.

The racist S-Whole-ness of PAS

PAS leader uses news of first Chinese Lt General to paint racist dystopia


Published: Jun 25, 2025 9:42 AM
Updated: 12:03 PM


Summary

• PAS leader Zaharuddin Muhammad sparks outrage after using Lt Gen Johnny Lim’s promotion to craft a fictional “future” where a Chinese prime minister emerges via foreign-born lineage.

• He claims the screenshot of Lim’s promotion, attached to the hypothetical narrative on Facebook, was “merely decorative.”

• DAP MP Syahredzan Johan condemns the post as divisive and urges all parties to reject such politics.

A PAS figure has courted backlash over his social media post, appearing to take issue with the appointment of Malaysia’s first Chinese lieutenant general.

Taking to Facebook yesterday, Sungai Buloh PAS division chief Zaharuddin Muhammad penned a brief news report from the future to supposedly illustrate his stance against the milestone.

In his hypothetical scenario set in 2058, Zaharuddin, who is also PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s son-in-law, wrote of a Chinese individual from Kampung Sungai Baru - now a Malay enclave - being appointed as Malaysia’s 50th prime minister.

He also detailed that the imaginary individual’s parents had secured citizenship through the Malaysia My Second Home scheme.

“It’s not impossible that news like this will come out and be neutral in 30, 40 years from now,” he added.

Zaharuddin also attached a screenshot of a news article dated yesterday regarding the armed forces’ promotion of Johnny Lim Eng Seng from major general to the rank of lieutenant general.

Sungai Buloh PAS division chief Zaharuddin Muhammad


However, Zaharuddin insisted that the appointment is not linked with the fabricated possibility he had come up with, saying: “The (screenshot) is merely decorative. No connection with the news above.”


Creating division

In response, DAP lawmaker Syahredzan Johan lambasted Zaharuddin for apparently using Malacca-born Lim’s promotion to create divides among the rakyat.

“What is wrong with a Chinese Malaysian being promoted to the rank of lieutenant general in the armed forces?

“Isn’t he also a child of Malaysia?” the Bangi MP said in a Facebook post last night.

He highlighted that the honour given to Lim should be a source of pride for the people who can also benefit from the value of unity in diversity.

“Unfortunately, it has been turned into a point of divisive polemic like this, which will only further fracture our society.

“This kind of politics and polemic must have no place in the Malaysia we love,” Syahredzan stressed.

At least 40 more Palestinians killed seeking Wankee-Shailok food-aid death traps in Gaza

Guardian:

At least 40 more Palestinians killed seeking aid in Gaza, say medics and officials

Shootings by Israeli forces raise death toll of such incidents in Gaza in last two weeks to more than 500

Jason Burke and Malak A Tantesh A Tantesh in Gaza

Wed 25 Jun 2025 03.18 AEST

A Palestinian woman carries a bag of food delivered by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip. Photograph: Abdel Kareem Hana/AP

At least 40 Palestinians seeking aid in Gaza have died in new shootings by Israeli forces, local medics and officials said, raising the total killed in the last two weeks in such incidents in the devastated territory to more than 500.

Though the fragile ceasefire declared between Israel and Iran has boosted hopes in Gaza that the 20-month-long war in the territory may end soon, there were further Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday and reports of at least two incidents involving Israeli troops opening fire on civilians seeking humanitarian assistance.

Hatim Abu Rajliya, 24, said he had been waiting since 5am for food to be distributed from one of the new hubs set up near what is left of the southern city of Rafah by a secretive private organisation called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which started operating in the territory last month with Israeli and US backing.

“There is a sheltered place where we stay and take cover from bullets and shrapnel near the hub in Shakoush [a former neighbourhood of Rafah]. Some people there warned us not to move forward … Shortly after, Israeli military vehicles advanced toward us and began firing bullets and shells directly at the civilians waiting for aid. Many people around us and in nearby areas were wounded. We tried to pull them into our shelter, some were already dead, others were bleeding out,” Abu Tajliya said.

“Among those we pulled in was my cousin, he had been shot in the head, the bullet tore his skull open. We carried him in an empty flour sack, running under gunfire. We eventually found a [three-wheeled motorised cart] and got him to the Red Cross hospital. They told us he should be transferred to Nasser medical complex [in Khan Younis] where his condition is now stable.”

The exact details of the shootings on Tuesday are unclear. Mahmud Bassal, a civil defence spokesperson, told AFP that 25 people were killed and dozens wounded when Israeli forces targeted civilian gatherings near the neighbourhoods of al-Alam and al-Shakoush with bullets and tank shells as they attempted to reach an aid centre in north-west Rafah, about 2km from a US-backed aid distribution point.

Medics in Gaza said they had received casualties from a second incident near the Netzarim corridor, a strategic road that separates the northern third of the territory and is partially held by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Palestinians collect food and humanitarian aid packages in Rafah. Photograph: Abdel Kareem Hana/AP


Dr Marwan Abu Nasser, director of al-Awda hospital in Jabaliya, said 18 dead and 146 injured civilians were brought in from 11pm to midnight on Monday , with more following during the early hours of Tuesday. All had been waiting for aid near the Netzarim corridor, he told the Guardian.

“The condition of the wounded is extremely critical – around 100 cases are in very serious condition. Almost all of the injuries were caused by gunfire, with bullets striking various parts of the body, especially in the trunk,” Abu Nasser said.

Dr Khalil al-Daqran, spokesperson for al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in Deir al-Balah, said dozens of injured civilians had been brought in, with nine dead.

Israel’s military said that a gathering overnight was identified adjacent to forces operating in Gaza’s central Netzarim corridor, and it was reviewing reports of casualties.

The GHF said in an email that there had been “nothing” near their aid site south of the Netzarim corridor, nor any reports of casualties near its Rafah hubs.

Food has become extremely scarce in Gaza since a tight blockade on all supplies was imposed by Israel throughout March and April, threatening many of the 2.3 million people who live there with a “critical risk of famine”.

Since the blockade was partly lifted last month, the UN has tried to bring in aid but has faced major obstacles, including rubble-choked roads, Israeli military restrictions, continuing airstrikes and growing anarchy.

There have been multiple incidents in recent weeks in which crowds have been fired on after gathering in the hope of getting aid from one of the dozens of trucks being brought into Gaza by UN agencies each day.

On Monday, 79 trucks from aid organisations and the international community containing food, medical supplies and medications were transferred into Gaza after undergoing thorough security inspections, Israeli authorities said.

The IDF had no immediate comment on the reported shootings in Rafah.

Separately, 10 people were killed by an Israeli airstrike on a house in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City, while 11 were killed by Israeli gunfire in the southern city of Khan Younis, medics said.


Gaza slides into lethal chaos as desperate Palestinians fight to survive


Israel says militants use built-up residential areas for operating cover. Hamas denies this.

Israel hopes the GHF will replace the previous comprehensive aid distribution system run by the UN, which Israeli officials claim allowed Hamas to steal and sell aid. UN agencies and major aid groups, which have delivered humanitarian aid across Gaza since the start of the 20-month-long war, have rejected the new system, saying it is impractical, inadequate and unethical. They deny there is widespread theft of aid by Hamas.

Israel launched its campaign to destroy Hamas after the group’s 7 October 2023 attack, during which militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took another 251 hostage. The militants still hold 53 hostages, fewer than half of them alive, after most were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.

The death toll in Gaza since the war broke out has reached 56,000, according to the health ministry.

In a statement on Tuesday, the GHF said it had distributed 42m meals in Gaza and that aid distribution at all sites “proceeded without incident”. The group has however formally complained to the IDF “regarding instances of possible harassment by Israeli soldiers directed at its convoys”.

The IDF said its “operational conduct … is accompanied by systematic learning processes” and that it was looking into safety measures such as fences and road signs to guide those seeking to get aid but say troops have only fired at “suspects” who are believed to pose a threat to them.

Trump Warns Israel ‘Do Not Drop Those Bombs’ as Iran Cease-Fire Gets Off to Shaky Start

Thanks 'MF':

GBPH

@GhostofBPH

Trump warns Israel that they better not go out this morning and drop more bombs. "They don't know what the fuck they're doing."

0:50

Quote

GBPH

@GhostofBPH

·

5h

"These guys gotta calm down. It's ridiculous. I didn't like plenty of things I saw yesterday. I'm not happy that Israel unloaded right after we made the deal. They didn't have to unload. Now I hear that Israel just went out because they felt violated by one rocket that didn't x.com/GhostofBPH/sta…

Show more

0:01 / 0:52

9:39 pm · 24 Jun 2025

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14.7K

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Time Magazine:

Updated: Jun 25, 2025 2:03 AM AET

Trump Warns Israel ‘Do Not Drop Those Bombs’ as Iran Cease-Fire Gets Off to Shaky Start


by
Callum Sutherland
Reporter


President Donald Trump issued a stern, public warning to Israel on Tuesday morning, instructing the country not to bomb Iran as the cease-fire he announced just hours before hung in the balance. Israel had accused Iran of violating the cease-fire and vowed retaliation, but Iran denied firing further missiles.

"ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME," Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social.

In a follow-up post, Trump announced a reprieve in the tensions, saying: "Israel is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly 'plane wave' to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the cease-fire is in effect."

Doubling down on his previous statements, whereby he said that U.S. strikes had "obliterated" three key Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend, Trump added: "Iran will never rebuild their nuclear facilities!"

The intervention from Trump appears to have eased the escalating threats from both sides, with the shaky cease-fire remaining in place, for now.

"Both Israel and Iran wanted to stop the war, equally! It was my great honor to destroy all nuclear facilities and capability, and then, stop the war," Trump said.

Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shared a call early Tuesday. Upon confirming a conversation had taken place, Netanyahu’s office said that Israeli forces had destroyed a radar installation near Tehran in response to Iranian missile launches. They announced an intention to stand down from further military action.

“Pursuant to the conversation between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, Israel has refrained from additional attacks,” the office confirmed.


Read More: What Is the Strait of Hormuz and What Impact Could It Have on International Trade If Iran Closes It?


Trump, who has travelled to The Hague in the Netherlands to attend a NATO Summit, had earlier aired his frustrations, claiming both countries had violated the cease-fire. Talking to reporters outside the White House, he said he didn't like the fact that "Israel unloaded right after we made the deal."

Taking aim at Israel and Iran, Trump said: "We have two countries that have been fighting for so long and so hard, that they don't know what the f-ck they're doing."

Trump's stern assessment came after tensions between the two Middle Eastern countries erupted once more overnight, as Israel accused Iran of violating the preliminary terms of the cease-fire. Iran denied firing any further missiles toward Israel, and said it would respond to any Israeli assaults.

Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz maintained that a violation had taken place, and said he had instructed the Israel Defense Forces to "respond forcefully."

"I have instructed the IDF, in coordination with the Prime Minister, to respond forcefully to the violation of the cease-fire by Iran through intense strikes against regime targets in the heart of Tehran," he said. "The Iranian regime has severely violated the cease-fire declared by the President of the United States and launched missiles toward Israel, and in accordance with the government's policy as determined—we will respond forcefully to any violation."

Amid the back-and-forth discourse, Iranian state media claimed that the cease-fire had been "imposed" due to Iran’s “steadfast defense and crushing retaliatory strikes against the Israeli regime” that “forced the enemy to feel remorse, confess defeat and, approve the unilateral cessation of the onslaught against Iran.”

As tensions simmered down, Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he does not want to push through a regime change in Iran, after all, seemingly backtracking after he shared his keenness to "Make Iran Great Again" in a social media post on Sunday.

“I'd like to see everything calm down as quickly as possible… Regime change takes chaos, and ideally we don't want to see so much chaos,” Trump said on Tuesday.

The cease-fire was announced late Monday, after Iran had launched missiles at U.S. military targets at the Al Udeid airbase in Qatar. The strikes were intercepted by the U.S., and no casualties were reported. The military action was retaliatory, a direct response to the U.S. strikes on nuclear facilities over the weekend, which marked a significant turn in the conflict with the U.S. becoming an active participant in the Israel-Iran combat.

Now in its second week, the conflict—which started when Israel targeted nuclear and military sites on June 13, amid growing concerns over Iran's nuclear capabilities—has resulted in significant losses on both sides. Israel has reported 24 deaths and over 1,361 injuries. The Human Rights Activists News Agency has reported 974 deaths and 3,458 injuries in Iran. Trump had been vocal in his encouragement of a cease-fire to end the "death and destruction."


Read More: Even Iranians Beaten and Imprisoned by an Unforgiving Regime Condemn Foreign Interference. Here’s Why

Meanwhile, after the threat of cease-fire violations abated, Trump returned to social media on Tuesday to share a message seemingly sent to him by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who praised the U.S. for its intervention in the Middle East.

“Congratulations and thank you for your decisive action in Iran, that was truly extraordinary, and something no one else dared to do. It makes us all safe," Rutte said.“You are flying into another big success in The Hague this evening. It was not easy but we’ve got them all signed onto 5%!”

The 5% GDP defense spending target is expected to be announced by all NATO members at Tuesday’s summit. The United Kingdom has already confirmed its commitment to reach the spending target by 2035.

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kt notes:

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has joined the ranks of Carrot Head Clown's 'guli carriers'. 😂😂😂