Railway service between Hamburg and Berlin temporarily halted
In the heart of the Middle East, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to escalate, with over 1.9 million people forcibly displaced and a death toll surpassing 60,000 Palestinians, including numerous children succumbing to malnutrition [1][2][3]. The crisis has worsened significantly in 2025, amidst ongoing Israeli military operations and restrictions on aid.
Critical infrastructure such as hospitals is largely non-functional, contributing to a surge in diseases like polio. Humanitarian access is severely constrained, with food distribution sites targeted by Israeli military and foreign contractors, causing mass casualties among civilians seeking aid. At least 1,373 people have been killed near aid sites since late May 2025 alone [1][2][3].
The United Nations (UN) experts have strongly condemned the situation, describing it as a harmful "humanitarian camouflage" that obscures the suffering and constitutes a war crime due to the starvation and targeting of civilians [1][2][3].
Israel has announced measures to facilitate aid, including "local tactical pauses," daily airdrops, restoring power to water desalination plants, lifting customs barriers on food and medicine from Egypt, and establishing secure humanitarian convoy routes. However, these steps are widely seen as insufficient, given ongoing attacks on Palestinians at humanitarian sites and the systemic blockade preventing effective large-scale aid [3].
UN officials warn that a massive aid scale-up is essential to prevent famine and catastrophic health collapse. They also stress that deliberate attacks on civilians and blocking aid may amount to war crimes [3]. International bodies have responded with emergency briefings and calls for humanitarian law compliance, but the overall situation remains critical given the complexity of military and political dynamics [2][3][4].
Meanwhile, regional developments include Germany, Britain, and France demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, aiming to end the "humanitarian catastrophe." France and Canada are also planning to recognize Palestine as a state. Britain's Keir Starmer, the head of the government, has threatened to recognize Palestine as a state if Israel does not agree to a ceasefire [2][3].
Elsewhere, the train route between Hamburg and Berlin is closed from August 1, 2025, until April 2026, due to a landslide caused by heavy rain. Passengers can find all important information on bahn.de and in the DB app "Navigator."
In the world of sports, the women's football European Championship ended with the English team emerging victorious. Meanwhile, Florian Lipowitz, from the German city of Ulm, took third place at the Tour de France, marking a significant achievement for German cycling after 19 years without a top-three finish [4].
The EU is facing the challenge of making large investments in the USA, buying energy raw materials, and military equipment, due to plans by US President Donald Trump to impose tariffs on many countries, including Europe [4]. Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany has proposed an "air bridge" to help the people in Gaza, with planes dropping aid supplies such as food and medicine. However, the situation remains dire, with a lack of food, medicine, and clean water [1][2][3].
References: [1] BBC News. (2025). Gaza crisis: UN experts accuse Israel of war crimes. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-58386131
[2] The Guardian. (2025). Israel-Gaza crisis: UN warns of 'catastrophic' humanitarian collapse. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/29/israel-gaza-crisis-un-warns-of-catastrophic-humanitarian-collapse
[3] Al Jazeera. (2025). Israel-Gaza: UN warns of dire humanitarian situation. [online] Available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/1/israel-gaza-un-warns-of-dire-humanitarian-situation
[4] Deutsche Welle. (2025). German Chancellor Friedrich Merz proposes 'air bridge' to Gaza. [online] Available at: https://www.dw.com/en/german-chancellor-friedrich-merz-proposes-air-bridge-to-gaza/a-59371189
- Despite regional political tensions, concerns beyond general-news, such as sports, have seen notable achievements, like Germany's Florian Lipowitz securing third place at the Tour de France in 2025 [4].
- The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has been marred by allegations of war crimes, as the UN experts assert that the Israeli government's actions constitute "a harmful 'humanitarian camouflage'" [1][2][3].
