Trump, Iran each claim advantage after 3-day lull in fighting; Hundreds of protesters hold vigil in LA for people killed in ICE actions – July 27, 2026

org. Good evening. It's Monday, July 27th. This is the Pacifica evening news. I'm Lauren Schmidt. In tonight's news, U.S. Iran strikes pause as Trump claims Tehran is seeking talks. And we're talking right now. You know, they wanted to talk. Their people said, please don't drop, don't shoot last night the night before, two nights. Don't do it. You know, we're having good talks. The United Nations documents 10 West Bank deaths amid major escalation in settler violence. Settlers set fires to cars and houses in Sarra, and the IDF raided a hospital in Nablos, kidnapping several Palestinians from there. And hundreds of protests held nationwide to honor two immigrants killed by ICE. Not one more! Now is the time to stand up. If you do not stand up now, you will find yourself looking at back with regret and heartbreak. These stories and more coming up from the studios of KPFA in Berkeley. This is the Pacifica Evening News. I'm Lauren Schmidt.

Mediators say they've made progress in efforts to bring the United States and Iran back to negotiations and prevent an all-out war in the Middle East. But scattered attacks by armed groups across the region underscore the lingering tensions. Neither the U.S. nor Iran have claimed any strikes for three days. Mediators led by Qatar and Pakistan are working to bridge the gap between Washington and Tehran. The U.S. has paused attacks after targeting Iranian areas in response to Iran firing at ships in the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump says the war is going well, that Iran is begging to negotiate and that the U.S. has plenty of missiles. He also says Iran's money, controlled by the U.S., will pay for damages from the war. While the fighting has currently stopped, Iran is claiming a victory, while Trump says he is ready to negotiate or go back to fighting. KPFAs Christopher Martinez has more. After nearly two weeks of nightly tit-for-tat strikes by Iran and the U.S., both countries have halted their strikes over the weekend. That lull in the fighting, three days and counting, is a welcome sign, but what it really means is far from clear. A spokesperson for the Islamic Republic of Iran, Brigadier General Mohamed Akramina, says Iran's strikes over the last couple weeks were retaliatory deterrence, meant to, in his words, bring the United States back into line. These attacks continued until two nights ago. However, over the past two nights, the Americans stopped their attacks. Since, as I said, our strategy was fundamentally retaliatory, we also halted our retaliatory operations. Speaking on Iranian State TV Sunday, Akraminia framed the lull as yet another victory for Iran. As for negotiations, Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Bakiahi says, at present, we are not engaged in any negotiations with the United States. But back in the U.S., the official word is quite different. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, says the U.S. pause on strikes is meant to give some space for negotiations. President Donald Trump elaborated, speaking to reporters on board an Air Force One flight to Michigan. And we're talking right now. You know, they wanted to talk. Their people said, please don't drop, don't shoot last night, the night before, two nights. Don't do it. You know, we're having good talks. So we'll see what happens. I think there's a good chance that something could happen. And if it does good, if it does it, we go back to doing what we were doing two days ago.

Many commentators have suggested that the U.S. decision to halt its strikes on Iran came about because Trump was growing frustrated about the failure to bring about a surrender, together with worries about the economic impacts in the U.S. ahead of the mid-term elections. But Trump has long insisted that the war is going well for the U.S. and that it's Iran that was begging for negotiations, while Trump is not really worried. He doubled down on that when a reporter asked how much patience he has. I have a lot of patience. I have plenty of time. Plenty of time. Their whole chore lines wiped out. The strait is in very good shape. It's not clear what Trump meant by saying that the Strait of Hormuz is in good shape, since most shipping there has been halted and hundreds of vessels remain trapped in the strait. Meanwhile, an analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies says the war has depleted U.S. stockpiles of missiles and air defense systems. Trump dismissed those concerns, at the same time seeming to lay blame on Biden, Obama, and Ukraine. We have a lot. I'd like to have more, to be honest, but so much was given to Ukraine by Biden. When I left, the cupboards were full. When I came here with Obama, he didn't buy ammunition. We had very little, and I got it built. Now... As soon as I left, they gave a lot of it to Ukraine. I mean, I mean numbers that nobody's ever seen before. As it happens, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to meet with Trump Tuesday. Before the visit, Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia has been offering Iran satellite images of U.S. bases in the Gulf region. Trump promised to investigate. Well, we'll find out of that. I'll ask Vladimir Putin about it. We'll find out. He dismissed the issue with a comparison to his military operation against Venezuela. Look, you know, they gave Venezuela a lot of equipment. Venezuela had all Russian equipment. How did that work out? Not too good. So they may be giving, but if they are, it hasn't worked out because they have no army, they have no air force, they have no navy, they have no nothing. So it hasn't worked out well. I don't think they've been doing it certainly not at a high level. And if they have it, it has been very unimpactful. Volodymyr Zelensky will get to make his case when he meets with Trump Tuesday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will also meet Trump Tuesday with Iran at the top of his agenda. Benjamin Netanyahu has also objected to Trump's plan to sell F-16 fighter jets to Turkey. Trump says Turkey is, in his words, not a big fan of Israel or Benjamin Netanyahu, but he says Turkey is a very powerful country with a very big military. Turkey's been a great ally for me. I think he's done a very good job. He's a good job with Syria. He's a friend of mine, and nobody tells me what we should be selling it. While Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu may have a few issues to work through in their meeting, Benjamin Netanyahu has a new ally on his side, Boy George, a singer-songwriter who came to fame in the 1980s. He released a new song on social media called Od Nikrod, We Will Dance Again. You say genocide, I say war. When you're tight, it's what the army's for.

On the other hand, singer-songwriter Katie Perry says she's deeply appalled and angry at the use of her 2010 song Firework in a video on Iran. The official White House TikTok account posted a video showing U.S. strikes with the lyrics, Boom, Boom, Boom, Synced to footage of explosions. Perry says her lyrics were meant to bring people together not to celebrate warfare. In any event, as Trump meets with Volodymyr Zelensky and Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington Tuesday, negotiations between Iran and the U.S. will either, depending on who you believe, continue or continue not happening. And the ongoing fallout from the war will continue around the globe. But Trump is assuring Americans that the war will be paid for by the war. Again, he made a comparison to the case of Venezuela. We're taking in a lot of money, billions and billions of dollars from Venezuela. That'll happen with Iran too. He says that money will also pay for damages to ships caught in the Hormuz attacks. We're going to use Iran's money to pay for the damage they did. In other words, the Iran money that we control will be used to pay for damages. Sound good? Not bad, right? Reporting for Pacifica Radio News, KPFA, I'm Christopher Martinez. Four Palestinians and two Israeli reserve soldiers were killed Friday during a confrontation in the occupied West Bank. Several other people were injured. The circumstances of the violence near the city of Nablis remains disputed. The Palestinian Health Ministry in Ramallah said the four Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces. However, the Israeli military said soldiers responded to reports of an attack on Israeli civilians who had entered an area near the settlement of Kavad, west of Nablus. The military would impose what it called a temporary cordon or security perimeter, restricting movement around Nablus and the nearby Palestinian village of Tel. Walid Zedan is the head of the Tell Village Council. The Israeli narrative claims that a settler's weapon was seized and fired at the settler or the army. We don't know. This is the Israeli narrative, and we do not confirm it. Zedon said those killed included two brothers and their two cousins. He said some of the same settlers had entered the area and burned a house the previous week. Disputing claims that the Israelis were there to hike in a nature outing.

What happened around 8 to 9 in the morning, a group of settlers, approximately 20 settlers entered the southern area of the Tale village. People went to the area because it is a residential area to protect the citizens there. What happened is that the settlers, under the protection of the army, attack the people. When somebody sees his brother being beaten, what will he do? Or if a settler shoots at him, what will he do? As a reaction, he will defend him. According to the Israeli military, a Palestinian seized a weapon from the security officer and opened fire, killing 32-year-old Benayahu Mellet, who served as a security guard for a nearby settlement. But Russian-Israeli independent journalist and activist Andrei Ilyic Kazarrenovsky, also known as Andrei X, posted his account of the incident on social media. Israeli settler terrorists launched an attack on the village of TEL in West Bank. During the attack, Sheikh Faruq Ramadan, one of the residents of the village, managed to overpower one of the attackers. He grabbed his weapon and shot and killed two of the Settler terrorists. In response, the Israeli army who were standing by and watching the settlers attack the Palestinians massacred four of the residents of the village, including Farouk himself. The Israeli government and media quickly jumped on this, framing the victims of the attack as terrorists. and the settlers and the army immediately launched a wave of pogroms across the West Bank. Another Palestinian man was killed near Kalkilia. Settlers set fires to cars and houses in Sarra, and the IDF raided a hospital in Nablos, kidnapping several Palestinians from there. Two mosques in the occupied West Bank were set on fire early this Sunday morning in apparent settler attacks following the weekend's deadly violence. Security footage obtained by the Associated Press showed three people dressed in civilian clothing, setting off an explosion in the middle of the night. The Israeli military said it was working with police to investigate the arson and condemned the attacks. However, Israeli authorities frequently announce investigations into violence against Palestinians, while arrests and prosecutions of settlers remain rare. Local resident Amen Abu Muhammad said he awoke to find the mosque on fire and called for help.

Today at 3 a.m. I live over there in that house. I heard a strange sound. I went out onto the balcony and there was fire here, a very large fire. I couldn't put it out alone. I called the head of the council and then called my brother who lives over there. He is a neighbor. They dispersed the people and put out the fire. Earlier, the settlers stole five goats from my brother. and a water tank. It was a drinking water tank. They stole it a month ago, and today they torched this mosque. We put it out and the military arrived here, saw with their own eyes, and then left. The mosques located in the northern West Bank villages of Kusra and Kor sustained extensive damage. Hebrew graffiti left at one mosque read, quote, Revenge Ben Ayahu, a reference to one of the Israeli reserve soldiers killed Friday. The towns and villages surrounding Nablus are located in one of the most violent parts of the occupied West Bank. Palestinians and human rights organizations have increasingly documented armed Israeli settlers entering villages in the area. Livestock theft, arson, and vandalism of mosques are routinely reported. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, 87 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank this year. Three Israelis have been killed in attacks during the same period, including two reserve soldiers killed Friday. As a result, the Associated Press reports that Israeli soldiers and police fanned out across the West Bank after the confrontation, closing major roads and blocking access to a hospital, where the military alleged that militants were hiding. Hafiz Abu Sabra, a journalist with Roya, was covering the Israeli operation in Nablus. He shared a video of his live report on social media, showing Israeli soldiers aiming their weapons at him. The soldiers are not pointing laser beams at us. The laser is on my chest. I do not know what the message is. We are a group of journalists who arrive in the area to document the closure of this checkpoint to the movement of Palestinian citizens as a part of a lockdown and the imposition of a security cordon around the city of Annapolis. Israeli checkpoints in the West Bank are closing their iron Bill Gates to Palestinians and confining them inside their villages, towns and cities. Over the past two days in villages surrounding the Nabilis governorate, Doctors Without Borders said two Palestinian women gave birth to their babies inside a vehicle under unsuitable conditions because Palestinian ambulances were unable to transport them to the city of Nabilis. The Israeli operation also resulted in the arrest of more than 70 Palestinians over the weekend.

Palestinians in the West Bank have faced increasing violence as Israel's hardline government, dominated by settler leaders and their supporters, has overseen a surge in settlement construction over the past four years. Those leaders include Israeli finance minister Bezal Smotrich. The enemy has been raising its head recently in Judea and Samaria, and a sharp-determined and unequivocal military action is required here and now. These villages need to look exactly like the refugee camps in Naples and Tulkaram. It is necessary to evacuate the population there for their protection and to clear these villages of terrorist infrastructure. I intend to demand from the Prime Minister to allow the establishment of a settlement at the SILA outpost near the site of this morning's severe attack, requires transferring this area from Area B to Area C, taking responsibility for it and allowing a settlement to be established there. This is our appropriate Zionist response to terrorists and terrorism.

The village Smotrich was referring to is off limits to Israelis under the Jon Ossoff Accords. Since 1967, the West Bank has remained under Israeli military occupation, with more than 700,000 Israeli settlers living in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. Land that is considered a crucial peace in establishing a future independent Palestinian state. The international community overwhelmingly considers Israeli settlements illegal under international law and an obstacle to peace. Farin Hawke, a deputy spokesperson for the UN Secretary General Antonio Gutierrez, responded to Smotrit's comments. The Secretary General is deeply concerned at the recent announcement by the Israeli authorities of a series of measures in response to recent attacks, including reports of an accelerated process to legalize farm outposts and establish new ones in the occupied West Bank. The Secretary General reiterates that all settlements, including outposts, have no legal validity and constitute a flagrant violation of international law. Such settlements remain a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-state solution and a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace. The United Nations is calling for order and raising the alarm following the wave of violence. Our colleagues with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs expressed their deep alarm concerning the escalation of violence across the West Bank in recent days. Since Thursday, at least eight Palestinians, including one child, as well as two Israelis, have been killed. Many others have been injured. Homes, mosques, trees, and agricultural structures have been set on fire or otherwise vandalized, and in some cases destroyed. At least 10 Palestinian families have been displaced in the course of the latest violence. In parallel, Israeli forces have tightened their restrictions on Palestinian movements and access across many areas of the West Bank, preventing thousands of people from reaching essential services, such as emergency medical care and the sources of their livelihoods. Palestinians and members of the Israeli opposition accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hardline government of turning a blind eye to settler attacks against Palestinians. Violence that is not new, but appears to be escalating and threatening to ignite broader unrest across the occupied territory. Since the beginning of this year, Ocha has documented more than 1,330 incidents involving Israeli settlers that resulted in casualties, property damage, or both. As of Saturday, 77 Palestinians, including 18 children, have been killed by Israeli forces or Israeli settlers in 2006. During the same period, three Israelis have been killed by Palestinians.

The humanitarian community continues to call for the urgent protection of civilians and strict respect for international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Perpetrators must be held to account. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet this weekend that he had instructed Israeli forces to enter villages, conduct searches, seize weapons, and make arrests. And said he was prepared to act more broadly against what he called, quote, nests of terror, close quote. The crackdown comes as Benjamin Netanyahu arrives in Washington, D.C. to attend the funeral of... South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who he described as, quote, one of the best friends Israel ever had, close quote. Benjamin Netanyahu has not visited the White House since the war in Iran began. But according to Politico, he had been seeking an invitation since at least April, with Graham's funeral providing an opening. Politico reports that Benjamin Netanyahu is eager to consult with Trump about the escalation with Iran, as well as the potential U.S. nuclear agreement with Saudi Arabia. But activists say the Trump administration is also culpable in the escalating violence in the West Bank. Absolutely. That was Mohamed Sheikh, an organizing director with A-Rock, the Arab Resource and Organizing Center. This is a systemically sanctioned action, and it is fully backed by the entire apparatus of the apartheid zoo. Sheik spoke ahead of the first anniversary of the death of Aura Hataline, a Palestinian peace activist teacher and father who was shot and killed by an Israeli settler in July 2025. Just one day before Hataline was killed, he spoke with Al Jazeera. The life here is not alive anymore. Honestly, it's not alive. It's just like you are ready for, you know, like something going to happen and you don't know it. Hotline's killing was captured on video, showing violent Israeli settler, Yonone Levi, opening fire towards members of the community. Levy had previously been sanctioned by the Biden administration for repeated violence against Palestinians. President Donald Trump, however, would lift those restrictions. Hataline was a teacher and community leader from Ulmaka Hare in the occupied West Bank. He was fatally shot while filming the destruction of trees in his village.

Hataline documented life under Israeli occupation and served as a consultant on the Oscar-winning documentary, no other land. One month before his death, Hataline and his cousin were denied entry at the San Francisco International Airport and deported, preventing them from participating in a planned Bay Area Speaking Tour. The Trump administration denied him entry, and it was the Trump administration that lifted the sanctions against the settler who murdered him. And even beyond that, the Trump administration has continued to arm and fund the Israeli occupation, this Israeli genocide, that is contributing not just to the murder of Odei. There's been over a thousand Palestinians that have been killed in the West Bank. Hataline was a friend too many in the region, including Seth Morrison with face-to-face, Jewish reparations for Palestinians. Man, I won't say the name. I can't say the name. Who killed my friend Outa is one of the most violent provocateurs. The individual who shot out of him is just one of many. I mean, this group is the KKK. This group is every right-wing fundamentalist, terrorist, that you can think of. They are either exonerated or released or, gee, there's no evidence, so I couldn't convict them. This is an elaborate framework of lies. Morrison accused Levy and settlers of ethnic cleansing. Following Hotline's killing, Levy was briefly detained and put on house arrest. However, he would be released days later and is not currently in custody. Morrison said Levy was not acting alone. He accused Israeli forces of working with violent settlers, comparing the relationship to that between the Ku Klux Klan and the police in the Jim Crow South. Notably, after Silicon Valley Congressman Ro Khanna's recent encounter with settlers, Ro Khanna identified Levy as one of those accused of perpetrating violence against his delegation after his convoy was detained. The prime minister needs to open an investigation. on these violent settlers who are connected to Yanone Levy, who has destroyed Zanuta's village and is a known person who has killed Palestinians, and these settlers were connected to him. They need to be prosecuted, including Yanone Levy. Their outpost needs to be investigated, and he needs to have an investigation on these four IDF officers. Security cameras can see that they were involved in the detention of American citizens. How dare they? Mohamed Sheik said Ro Khanna got a glimpse of daily life for Palestinians in the West Bank and hopes other lawmakers will use the first anniversary of Hataline's death to raise awareness about escalating settler violence and the conditions Palestinians face under occupation. If Israeli settlers are able to do this to confront a...

sitting U.S. Congressperson while armed with assault rifles and feel empowered to do that with impunity. Just imagine what they feel empowered to do and to subject Palestinians to on a day-to-day basis. And we're calling on our elected leaders to heed the demands and the public opinion of the majority of American voters in saying, we do not want our government providing military aid or funding to Israel. That needs to stop. A Bay Area Memorial will honor the Palestinian peace activist Aura Hataline on Tuesday, July 28th, the first anniversary of his killing. Seth Morrison, the Jewish peace activist with face-to-face, is organizing the memorial. The best way to honor Outis memory is to be in the streets, to work for true freedom for Palestine. The gathering will be held at the Cahillah Community Synagogue in Piedmont. A morning tent will open at 6 p.m. and the event is also available online. This is the Pacifica Evening News. I'm your host, Lauren Schmidt, and this is the final week of our Fund Drive, and we are determined to reach our goal. Thanks to your support, we've actually made our goal every night alongside guest host Mitch Jeserich, who will be joining us again tomorrow and the rest of the week. But tonight, I have the task of raising a $1,000 matching challenge made possible. by two generous listeners, Evelyn in El Cerrito and Jonathan in Oakland, who both contributed $500 towards this match during the Pacific Evening News Hour. which means every dollar you donate during this hour will be matched. So we have a chance to double our bucks here. A donation of $25 becomes 50. A donation of 50 becomes 100, so on and so forth. But any amount helps us move closer to that goal. So we are asking you support independent journalism by calling 1-800. Hey, KPFA, that's 800-439-5732. or donate online at kpfa.org. If you're in Los Angeles, you can donate at kpfk.org. We are hoping to unlock the entire $1,000 match and keep KPFA's independent news on the air. And I'm currently joined by one of our YouthWorks interns. Hi, Lily. Hi, Lily here. I'm a 15-year-old YouthWorks intern at KPFA, and this is my first job.

I'm breaking in to ask for your support. Please help us keep KPFA in this important newscast on the air. You can donate by calling 1-800-Hey-KPFA, that's 1-800-439-5732. You can also give online at kpFA.org. For our listeners in Los Angeles, visit kpfk.org. We have a $1,000 matching gift online during this news hour, which means your donation will be matched dollar for dollar. Any amount helps us reach that goal. Every donation makes a difference. My favorite part about working at KPFA is learning more and more about our world and stories that I would never have known before working here. Here at KPFA, we bring you unfiltered voices from Gaza in the occupied Palestinian territories. We hold those in power accountable, uplift community voices, and cover stories that other news outlets often overlook. Later in this newscast, you'll hear a story that is especially important to me, an update on the investigation into the death of Nolan Wells. These are the kinds of stories that could disappear without listener support. KPFA has no corporate sponsors and no government lease. We answer to you, our listeners. Your donations keep the signal alive, independent, and fearless. Please call 1-800-439-5732 or donate at kpFA.org. Any amount helps. Thank you for supporting independent journalism and for giving young people like me the opportunity to learn how to tell important stories. Well, thank you, Lily, Amina, and Pearl, our fantastic YouthWorks interns. If I talk about it too much, I'll start to cry because I am so proud of our YouthWorks interns here on KPFA, who you will continue to hear later in this broadcast. So folks, please help us support this work. Again, you can call 1-800. 439-5732. That's 1-800. Hey, KPFA or online at KPFA.org. Or if you're listening on KPFK in Los Angeles, that's KPFK.org. We have this match. Donate now so we can thank you on the air, and we'll get back to the newscast. In Gaza, civil defense crews are searching through the rubble for an estimated 10,000 Palestinians who remain missing. Recovery teams say severe shortages of heavy machinery and fuel are limiting their ability to locate and recover the dead. KPFA's Rami Almagari reports from Gaza.

Here in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City, the Civil Defense Service has begun searching for the remains of members of Abu Sharia and Hussainah families. Between the two families, hundreds of relatives were killed. Using heavy equipment, crews hoped to recover the remains of 300 people, including dozens of women, children and elderly people. Mahmoud al-Shobaki is Eastern Gaza Chief with the Civil Defense Service in Gaza. Here, we are told that 94 people had been killed. Over the past five days, we have recovered 45 bodies. The greatest obstacle we face, are the lack of equipment and basic safety gear for civil defense crews. We do not have the heavy machinery or bulldozers needed to recover bodies from beneath the rubble. The continued restrictions on the entry of equipment and spare parts place an enormous burden on our crews. As you can see, This rescue vehicle urgently needs extensive maintenance. It serves the entire Gaza government, but we cannot repair it here. We also lack fuel and engine oil. Because we do not have heavy equipment, civil defense crews are forced to carry out most of this work by hand.

Mahmoud says several defense crews can conduct these search operations properly only with help from the victim's families. Whenever civil defense crews begin searching a destroyed home, we coordinate with the families to make the operation faster and more effective. We asked relatives where in the home the victims were most likely to have been when it was struck and where their bodies might be found. We have only 400 hours of heavy equipment operations funded by the international community of the Red Cross. We cannot afford to use all that limited time searching just one or two homes. Information from the families saves us time and effort, allowing us to search other homes and help other families. We appeal to international organizations, including human rights groups, to help secure the entry of heavy machinery, fuel and engine oil so that we can continue serving the people of Gaza. The two grieving families whose relatives have remained beneath the rubble for an extended period are assisting Muhammad Abu Shariah as representing both the Abu Shariah and Hussainah families.

Frankly, the situation is extremely difficult. We have very little equipment and only one bulldozer. The victim's belongings have become scattered and mixed together in the rubble. We have recovered only a few personal items including a ring, a watch, a wallet, and a cell phone. but we have been unable to determine whom each item belonged to. Muhammad recalled the day in October 2023, when Israeli strikes killed hundreds of members of his extended family. The situation speaks for itself. Israeli drones struck the family's gathering hall, where relatives and guests were staying. Two missiles hit the hall. causing panic and forcing everyone inside to flee toward a nearby home, about two houses away. As they moved, the drones appeared to detect activity on the ground. At the time, this area was heavily covered with trees. The drones then fired two more missiles. There were 308 people gathered at the hall. We have recovered many of their bodies, but we estimate that 154 remain beneath the rubble. They include more than 44 children, 38 women, seven elderly people and nine people with disabilities. Local authorities in Gaza estimate that around 10,000 Palestinians remain missing during Israel's war on Gaza. Recovering bodies from beneath the rubble remains extremely difficult, despite the U.S. brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect in October 2025. Several defense crews continue to face several shortages of heavy equipment and machinery. Their work has been further complicated by the Israeli military's seizure and continued expansion of nearly 65% of the Gaza Strip within Israel's so-called yellow line. For Pacific Radio, KPFA, I am Rami al-Migari in Gaza. The United Nations held an emergency meeting today on the recent Russian-intensified bombardment of Ukrainian civilian areas. Max Pringle reports. Today's meeting came at the request of the Ukrainian delegation to the United Nations. It featured a report from the UN's Kayoko Goto. She is the director of the Europe and Central Asia Division in the UN Departments of Political and Peace Building Affairs and Peace Operations. She said that Russian aerial bombardments have not subsided since the last security briefing on Ukraine at the UN.

In fact, she said, since we last briefed this council on 9 July, more than 170 civilians have reportedly been killed and 128 injured across Ukraine as a result of intensified aerial attacks by the Russian Federation. Gota said civilian areas appear to be Russia's primary targets. Residential buildings. playgrounds, gas stations, markets and logistical warehouses have been hit. Keith has remained under constant bombardment. Just yesterday, the 8th major missile attack on the city this month struck the residential building. Three people were reportedly injured. The UN says this month alone, at least 56 civilians reportedly have been killed and 232 injured in the capital Keeve. Through an interpreter, Russian deputy ambassador to the UN, Anna Estegneva, answered the charges against her country by running through a list of Ukrainian strikes on Russia. On the night of July 24th, 25th, the Ukrainian UAVs hit a tourist base in the Zaporosia region as a result of which 12 people were killed, five of whom are children. 19 people were injured. On the same day, as a result of a rocket attack on one of the enterprises in the city of Kirov, six people were killed and 26 were injured. But Ukrainian representative Volodymyr Pavlachinko said there would be no hostilities if Russia hadn't launched a full-scale invasion of his country in February 2022 in the first place and maintained an illegal occupation of parts of Ukraine. since 2014. Such rhetoric once again exposes the true nature of the Kremlin regime. One built on lies, violence. and imperial ambition. Thus, we call on our partners to put all efforts into real steps, which will restore comprehensive, just, and lost in peace. Pavlachenko called on allies to continue to support Ukraine's military effort to resist Russia's invasion and to continue to pressure Moscow to return to the negotiating table to find a diplomatic end to the conflict. For KPFA News, I'm Max Pringle. Cringe is one word that comes to mind when describing what unfolded as President Trump returned to the correspondence dinner.

Hi y'all. Amina Gordon here, a YouthWorks intern at KPFA. I'm breaking into the newscast for a moment to ask for your support. We're still a little short of unlocking our $1,000 matching gift and reaching our goal for this news hour. But your donation can help us get there. Whether you give us $5 or $50, every contribution matters. That's what collective action is all about, people giving what they can to keep independent, community-based journalism on the air. Your support also gives young people like me the opportunity to gain hands-on experience and learn how to tell important stories. Personally, my favorite part about working at KPFA is knowing I'm helping and spreading the word about the most important topics of our time. Please call 1-800 Hey KPFA. That's 1-800-439-5732 or donate online at kpFA.org. Hundreds of protests across the country took place this weekend from silent vigils to noisy demonstrations to honor to longtime immigrants who were killed by ICE. KPFA's Vanessa Tate has more. Lorenzo Zedgado Arajo of Houston, Texas, and Juan Sebastian Guerrero of Biddeford, Maine, as well as others who were killed by or died in the custody of federal immigration agents. Demands included independent investigations and the removal of ICE agents from local streets. In Fairfax, Virginia, hundreds gathered with signs and chance, including local resident Rita Arsenal and David Miller. I just feel really strongly about how badly everyone's being treated and what's been happening to our country. I think that there's a moral obligation for us to speak up about our values. These values are not being represented well by this administration and certainly not by the way that ICE has been acting in our communities. In Chico, California, in what activists called a vigil for the disappeared, demonstrators enrolled a 40-foot-long banner with the names of over 2,000 people, whom they said had been taken off the streets and sometimes out of their own homes by ICE agents. Calling upon our leaders to reveal where these people are, to reunite them with their families, to heal the wound that is festering in our country. Outside a Home Depot in Pasadena, California, with rows of white crosses for those killed in ICE custody.

People held a vigil Marlon Portillo of the National Day Labor's Organizing Network. No more dead, no more. They want us to forget not to protest. We will not stay silent. We will not forget. None of these human beings deserved to die at the hands of ice and their killing instincts. They are victims of the assassination deportation machine that is called ICE. the machine assassina of deportation. There are. In Vermont, about 30 people blocked the doors of an ICE enforcement surveillance office in the town of Williston on Friday. 13 were arrested after they went limp and refused to move. The building houses, ICE's national criminal analysis and targeting center, where data is gathered from social media and other sources, according to federal records cited by the Vermont Digger, a local news site. In Milwaukee, a memorial bike ride of hundreds marked the six-month anniversary of Alex Preti's killing by ICE agents in Minneapolis. Preti was a Veterans Administration nurse and an avid cyclist. On the anniversary, Preti's mother posted on social media about her enduring sadness, writing that no one has been held accountable for her son's death, and that her family has never even received an apology or a single phone call from government or police officials. She also expressed thanks to the community for their support and urged people to continue the fight to protect their name. Organizers say they logged over 330 actions across the U.S., which were jointly sponsored by Indivisible 5051, Public Citizen, the National Day Labor Organizing Network, and other organizations. In Los Angeles, where aggressive ice enforcement tactics rolled out last year, demonstrators came out in the troves to honor the lives lost by immigration and custom enforcement, operations, and detention. Amina Gordon has more.

Honor the dead and fight for the living. That's what one participant says is the thesis statement for the rally in which more than 300 people dressed in black and gathered in front of LA's City Hall on Saturday evening. The protesters were there to hold vigil for the 75 deaths they attribute to immigration and customs enforcement or ICE in the past year. The demonstrators formed a somber procession of pallbearers carrying cardboard coffins to represent each of the lives lost. The event was planned by more than 40 local grassroots coalitions who say they are fully united under the belief that ICE is acting unlawfully throughout the country, and lives are being lost because of it. Michelle Arkin, lead organizer for No Concentration Camps, California, says that these incidents are, quote, not isolated tragedies. They are the direct outcome of an agency that operates with total impunity and zero accountability. End quote. However, the 75 lives honored did not just include those who have been shot on the street by ice. Mary Linda Moss of Northeast Los Angeles Alliance for Democracy speaks to the conditions sustained in privatized ICE detention centers, which have led to numerous deaths. Worst private prisons, they are being treated horrifically. Like the man who died from a toothache because they did not treat him and he got sepsis. The demonstration comes with four demands from the organizers, transparency, independent investigations, corporate responsibility, and safety instead of surveillance. Nicole Edry of Democracy Action Network urges Americans to not lose hope and to stand up in this time of turbulence. you might be afraid. We're all afraid right now, and I think that there's this hesitancy to get involved. We've all seen the reports, we've seen the news, we know what it's like, but now is the time to stand up. Because unless you are standing up and taking direct action, now you are part of the problem. The protest also included a variety of singing and chanting, with one led by Nancy Meza of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network. Today, we are here to mourn, to honor these lives, and to demand justice. And to say, not one more, ni one more.

For KPFA, I'm Amina Gordon. In Mississippi, the death of a black teenager, Nolan Wells, remains under investigation after he disappeared during a 4th of July trip to an island with friends. An independent autopsy was released last week and raises new questions about what happened at the majority white gathering. KPFA YouthWorks intern, Lily Owen, has more. An independent autopsy commissioned by the family of Nolan Xavier Wells found the 18-year-olds cause and manner of death to be undetermined, pending further investigation. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who was representing the Wells family, announced the preliminary findings Wednesday in front of a standing room-only crowd at the annual NAACP National Convention in Chicago. Crump said the autopsy report showed no evidence of fractures or deep tissue injuries, but described in quote, red discoloration in the back of Wells' skull as inconclusive, which he said merited further investigation. This pathologist cannot rule out if any intervening non-accidental factors contributed to or caused the death of Nolan Wells. Understand, he's saying based on the examination of the body, he cannot rule out foul play. Wells had traveled to an island off the Gulf Coast of Mississippi on July 4th with a group of friends who later returned to the mainland without him. His body was discovered floating in the water two days later. In the autopsy report, the pathologist pointed to several challenges, including the decomposition of the body. The circumstances of Wells' death has sparked controversy. Ramped online speculation and prompted calls from black leaders for transparency from local authorities. Wells, who was black, had traveled to the island with a group of high school friends, all of whom are white. In his eulogy, civil rights leader Reverend Al Sharpton highlighted the inconsistencies in unanswered questions that placed a dark cloud over the grieving family. He questioned why Wells' friends had left him behind, taken his phone and keys, and failed to report him missing. And he suggested local investigators had spoken prematurely in statements to the news media indicating no crime was suspected.

Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said initial interview suggested Wells chose to stay on the island and that his friends believed he would get a ride with someone else. One of Nolan's friends who was with him the day of his disappearance recently spoke to ABC News about what he said happened the fourth. We did no wrong here and we don't understand how we're getting so much hate behind it. We all cared and loved Nolan and nobody wanted to see Nolan. Die. Nobody wanted to see his life be taken so short. Tristan Shepard claimed to be Nolan's best friend, but his mother said that nor she or Nolan's father had ever heard about or met the teenager. Wells' death has galvanized the black community. Actor and producer Tyler Perry is helping pay for Wells' funeral. Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick is helping pay for his independent autopsy. And filmmaker Spike Lee attended a news conference last week in support of Wells family. Wells' mother, Christine Wansley. We will miss everything about him from his quiet nature to the John Cornyn jokes, his gentle smile. The way he made everyone around him feel comfortable, loved, and at ease. Your absence has left an emptiness. They said they will work with a local prosecutor's office to inspect the contents of Nolan's cell phone, as the investigation into his death continues. Wells, who would have been 19 next month, attended Southwest Mississippi Community College, where he played wide receiver on the football team. For KPFA News, I'm Lily Owen, YouthWorks intern. Thank you to Lily Owen and Amina Gordon, our youth works interns who were featured on tonight's news. Folks, we have about two minutes left of this broadcast. You have about seven minutes left to donate to help us unlock this $1,000 match. Keep this broadcast, this newscast, this station here to exist for generations to come. Your support keeps independent journalism on the air and helps us train the next generation of reporters like we heard tonight from Lily Owen who wanted to highlight unanswered questions in a young man's death. It was really important to her and we're so glad we were giving her the tools to highlight this story. But folks, we need your support. We have about $400 more to go in this goal. So that could be one listener pledging $30 a month. It could be two people giving $200 a month or $200 at one time each are four listeners giving away $100 or $8 people donating $50. Either way.

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