Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, has voiced strong opposition to past allegations accusing Israel of purposefully starving the population of Gaza. He argued that recent data showing a notable decrease in child malnutrition in Gaza effectively counters these wartime accusations. The ambassador described such claims as a “blood libel” propagated by figures linked to Hamas.

Danon’s comments coincide with the release of a U.N.-backed survey revealing that severe malnutrition among young children in Gaza has significantly declined. The current figures indicate a situation that is on par with, or even better than, the conditions before the Israel-Hamas conflict erupted.

“Throughout the Gaza conflict, numerous countries and several U.N. officials accused Israel of intentionally starving Gaza’s residents,” Danon remarked to News Media. “Such allegations were nothing short of a blood libel. When we sought evidence for these claims, we discovered that they were primarily based on reports from Hamas.”

Danon further contended that the latest U.N.-backed data discredits the earlier accounts of starvation. He claimed that the previous statistics, often linked to Hamas, were fabricated.

“For the future, we shouldn’t count on a terrorist organization. We are a reliable country, we share data, we share concerns regarding humanitarian issues, and we should not collaborate with terrorists,” he said.

The Gaza SMART nutrition survey — coordinated by the UNICEF-led Nutrition Cluster and presented by the State of Palestine Nutrition Cluster on July 22, 2026 — evaluated 1,335 children under age 5, covering regions home to approximately 83% of Gaza’s population.

About 17% of the population could not be surveyed due to security and operational constraints.

The survey found acute malnutrition rates between 0.2% and 0.8% using weight-for-height (WHZ) measurements (estimated globally at 0.5%) and 1.3% using mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC).

Evaluators concluded there was “no widespread acute malnutrition at population level,” noting that rates are significantly lower than those in neighboring countries, though lingering challenges like stunting, poor diet diversity and illness remain.

Danon pointed directly to past statements made by senior international officials, including U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher.

During a 2025 BBC interview about border access, Fletcher said 14,000 babies were at risk of dying within 48 hours without immediate nutritional aid. The figure was later clarified as referring to an 11-month projection involving children at risk of severe malnutrition.

“That was false and did not happen. Using starvation and babies to spread blood libels against Israel is outrageous,” Danon said of Fletcher’s comments.

“We care about babies in Gaza more than those making these allegations against us.”

The ambassador emphasized that Israel kept records of food supplies moving into the enclave throughout the conflict.

“In terms of the food coming into Gaza, that was very easy for us to prove because we control the checkpoints and count the number of trucks coming in,” Danon explained.

“We know what they carry. Thus, we know there is no lack of food entering Gaza, and we always ensure sufficient supplies are brought in. Looking at recent reports, the situation is much better than expected, and we are glad for that. We do not want to see famine anywhere in the world, and certainly not in our backyard.”

Danon also accused Hamas of hijacking aid distribution networks for financial gain.

“We know for a fact that Hamas took the aid and sold it in the market, taking advantage of the situation with inflated prices,” he said. “That is why we are trying to work with NGOs that are not infiltrated by Hamas. We want NGOs to be able to deliver aid and food without Hamas gaining control over it.”

Israel withdrew its military and civilian presence from the Gaza Strip in 2005.

The war broke out following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on southern Israel and continued for two years until a ceasefire agreement took effect on Oct. 10, 2025.

Now, the region continues to face military strikes as talks over a proposed 15-point U.S. peace and disarmament plan appear stalled.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the proposal, saying Israeli forces will not withdraw until Hamas is fully disarmed.

“Unfortunately, Hamas took over and turned it into a terror state,” Danon said.

“Our vision remains unchanged: we have no desire to control Gaza. However, for progress to occur, Hamas must disarm and not move weapons from one warehouse to another.”

“Regarding the food situation, we see improvement on the ground,” Danon concluded. “The prices in the markets in Gaza have gone down dramatically, which serves as the clearest indicator that there is no food shortage.”

In a controversial move, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signaled his intent to withdraw state funding from two prominent Texas airports, citing their provisions for Islamic religious accommodations. This decision has already influenced officials at one major airport, leading them to abandon plans for a Muslim foot-washing station.

Governor Abbott declared on Friday that state authorities would commence a thorough evaluation of grants at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport. This scrutiny could result in the cancellation of existing funds and block any future financial support.

Moreover, Abbott has escalated the matter by referring both airports to the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration, urging a formal investigation.

“Government-owned airports cannot favor one religion over all others,” the Governor, a Republican, asserted in a post on social media platform X, announcing the funding review process.

Targeting specifically a proposal at Dallas-Fort Worth to install ablution facilities—used by Muslims for cleansing rituals prior to prayer—Abbott labeled the initiative as “illegal.”

‘Texas will not allow illegal religious discrimination at taxpayer-funded facilities,’ Abbott declared.

The governor, who has renewed calls for lawmakers to ban Sharia law in the state, made similar arguments in his letter to North Texas Airport’s CEO Christopher McLaughlin.

He argued that the ablution facilities ‘appear designed to single out one subset of the population for special treatment based on religion,’ noting that the wash station at George Bush Intercontinental Airport connects to a prayer room that includes copies of the Quran, prayer rugs, prayer beads and a turban.

‘I am unaware of either airport installing standalone facilities to meet the particular needs of the many other religious groups represented across Texas,’ he noted. 

‘Both the federal and state constitutions prohibit government from facilitating this sort of discrimination,’ Abbott continued. ‘Just as the government cannot favor the secular over the sacred, it also cannot favor one religious view over all others.’

He also noted that the airports are owned by the government.

‘It was unlawful to use city-owned property to publicly advertise a Muslim-only event at a waterpark,’ Abbott wrote, referring to a canceled plan in the city of Grand Prairie to host an Eid Al-Adha event at a city-owned waterpark.

‘It is also unlawful to use city-owned property to publicly advertise a Muslim-only washing station,’ he added, noting that recipients of state grants must certify compliance with laws prohibiting discrimination.

In a separate letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Abbott asked the DOT and the FAA to ‘take appropriate corrective action.’

‘I look forward to working with you to ensure that these airports conform their facilities to constitutional requirements,’ the governor wrote.

But just hours after receiving the letter, officials at Dallas-Fort Worth announced they were scrapping their plan to install an ablution facility at Terminal D.

‘DFW was in the process of evaluating an internal proposal to add a set of ablution washing stations on the pre-security side of Terminal D, the international terminal,’ a spokesperson for the airport told Fox News.

‘Like all proposed projects, the airport ultimately considers the operational benefits, customer service impacts, operation of risks and costs before approving them,’ the spokesperson said.

‘While that evaluation was planned, the airport accelerated its review due to elevated public interest this week and has determined not to proceed with the project as it would not deliver the originally anticipated operational benefits.’

The project had been officially registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation on July 31.

The filing initially listed the project as being privately-funded, estimated its cost at $300,000 and indicated construction on the facility would be completed by the end of the year.

But airport officials have since claimed those details were the result of administrative errors by the airport’s outside design firm, as they stressed that the project had not received a final approval.

‘While the estimate noted was $300,000, that was a preliminary high estimate, and we expect the project, if it were approved to proceed, would cost closer to $120,000,’ a spokesperson previously told Fox.

They then went on to claim that the design firm mistakenly selected ‘private funding’ when submitting the regulatory filing.

‘That was an error and it should have indicated that airport funds would be used to pay for the work like all our projects,’ the spokesperson said, noting that the airport does not use taxpayer dollars for airport operations – and instead relies on revenue streams, including parking and concessions.

Under the proposal for the washing stations at Dallas-Fort Worth, airport officials would provide a dedicated space in the public airport bathrooms for Muslims to wash their feet before prayer, an Islamic tradition known as Wudu. 

The project was also intended to prevent airport passengers from using regular sinks for the same purpose, which had led to complaints of unhygienic conditions and water on the floor. 

George Bush Intercontinental Airport has had an ablution facility since 2024, when airport officials said ‘the calming and welcoming prayer room provides another option for passengers of all faiths and beliefs.’

Washing facilities and interfaith spaces also exist at other major US airports, including Chicago O’Hare.

The Daily Mail has reached out to officials at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, the Houston Airport System and the DOT for comment.

In a landmark ruling, a Syrian court has issued death sentences in absentia to former Syrian President Bashar Assad and his younger brother, holding them accountable for crimes against humanity and war crimes spanning the country’s brutal 14-year conflict. The long-standing turmoil has tragically claimed approximately half a million lives.

This consequential verdict was delivered by the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus. Marking a pivotal moment in Syria’s history, these are the initial sentences against Assad or his tight-knit circle since the end of the Assad family’s half-century reign, which concluded 20 months ago.

During a live broadcast on state television, Judge Fakhareddine al-Aryan resolutely stated, “Bashar Assad utilized state institutions to perpetrate war crimes and crimes against humanity,” underscoring the gravity of the charges.

The court also handed down a death sentence to Assad’s maternal cousin, Atef Najib. Najib was found guilty for his role in orchestrating the harsh suppression in Daraa, which ignited the uprising that eventually escalated into a devastating civil war.

Amid tight security, Najib stood inside a cage wearing a prisoner’s uniform as the judge read the sentence. A crowd of people gathered outside the courthouse in central Damascus to hear the verdict.

Assad and his brother Maher fled to Russia after the government’s fall in December 2024 and received political asylum. Syria’s new rulers have asked Russia to hand the Assads over.

Najib, who was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury in April 2011, was later detained and is one of the highest-ranking officials to be put on trial.

Najib is a former Syrian army brigadier general who was head of the Political Security Branch in southern Syria’s Daraa province under Assad in 2011.

During his tenure, more than a dozen teenagers who scrawled anti-government graffiti on a school wall in Daraa were arrested and tortured. The case became a catalyst for mass protests against the repressive policies of Assad’s security forces.

The protests were met by a brutal government crackdown and spiraled into a 14-year civil war that ended with Assad’s ouster in a lightning rebel offensive.

Maher Assad was a former commander of the Syrian military’s 4th Armored Division — which Syrian opposition activists have accused of killings, torture, extortion and drug trafficking, in addition to running its own detention centers.

No shoes, no shirts, no teens—no issues in sight.

A beach town on the Jersey Shore has taken a bold step to curb nighttime chaos by barring all unaccompanied minors from evening activities. This decisive measure aims to squelch the rise in hazardous gatherings, brawls, and underage drinking that have plagued the area.

Cape May City Council has made its stance clear through a unanimous vote to enforce strict curfews. The newly passed ordinances prevent anyone under the age of 18 from accessing the beaches past 8 p.m. without an accompanying adult and prohibit them from being in any public spaces in the city after 10:30 p.m.

“The Cape May Police Department would like to remind residents, visitors, and families about several new city ordinances designed to help keep our beaches, promenade, and community safe,” officials announced on Thursday.

These regulations are crafted to ensure a secure and enjoyable environment for both residents and tourists, particularly during the bustling summer months, city officials emphasized.

The new orders set up two curfews for the adultless youngsters to thwart any rowdiness or out-of-control partying in the beach resort town.

Cape May Mayor Zachary Mullock said the ordinances are to stop troublemakers from other parts of the Jersey Shore making their way to the popular vacation hotspot after hours.

“We really wanted to make sure we didn’t become the afterparty to some of the other towns that have already made this move,” Mullock said, according to WPVI.

“After 10:30, we all know it’s not normally the best stuff that happens then, so to me, honest as a parent myself, I think there’s a good thing,” he added.

Late-night beachgoers will also face restrictions as the new rules prohibit backpacks and other bags from the beach and the city’s famed promenade between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.

The restricted accessories include book bags, cinch bags, duffel bags, luggage, computer bags, camera bags, and similar bags and containers larger than eight inches in height, width, or depth.

Bags carrying medical devices, supplies and other equipment needed for the immediate care of a person were made an exception to the ban.

“We ask parents and guardians to please be familiar with these requirements and plan accordingly,” the police department said. “Thank you for doing your part to keep Cape May safe!”

Several arrests have been made in recent months due to fighting and underage drinking that have occurred in the overnight hours of the city, the outlet reported.

The two-term Democratic mayor, who is running to unseat incumbent Rep. Jeff Van Drew (NJ-2) in the US House of Representatives, praised the ordinances after they took effect Thursday night.

“Frankly, last night, they were out here and the reports I received is that it worked and we just had families out here enjoying a pleasant evening,” Mullock said.

Tourists to the city had no problem with the orders, calling it a proactive measure.

“I think that’s smart. That’s planning ahead,” Staten Islander John Christiansen told WPVI. “It’s really just a few bad kids that cause trouble, so once everyone finds out what they need to do then it’s good. What happened to game night?”

Other portions of the Shore have been inundated by out-of-control youngsters as part of the viral “teen takeover” trends that have led to mass brawls and chaos in the streets.

Just before Memorial Day Weekend, six people were arrested by Long Branch police after a large mass of teens converged on Pier Village for an unauthorized “pop-up” event.

The crowd allegedly began fighting and jumping on cars as they took over the city’s boardwalk and surrounding streets.