Ukraine has announced its decision to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel landmines, citing national security needs and the ongoing Russian invasion. The move requires parliamentary approval and UN notification. Other Eastern European nations — including Finland, Poland, and the Baltics — are also stepping away from the treaty, citing modern warfare realities. Analysts suggest these countries may begin producing and stockpiling landmines by 2025, further intensifying militarization along NATO’s eastern front.

An Israeli airstrike on a beachfront café in western Gaza on Monday killed at least 39 Palestinians and injured dozens more.
Among the dead were journalist Ismail Abu Hatab, women, and children. The café was known as a gathering spot for journalists and activists. The explosion left a deep crater, and rescue operations are ongoing. Victims have been taken to Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City. Locals have described the attack as a “massacre.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the recent war with Iran has created several strategic opportunities for Israel, including the potential to free hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Speaking during a visit to a Shin Bet security site, he emphasized that rescuing the hostages is now a top priority. Activist groups welcomed the move, noting it's the first time in 20 months the government has prioritized this issue. Israeli officials believe only 20 out of the 50 hostages are still alive.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that a soldier, identified as Israel Natan Rosenfeld, was killed during clashes with Palestinian fighters in northern Gaza’s Kafr Jabalia area. He is the 20th Israeli soldier to die in Gaza operations this month.

According to preliminary reports, Rosenfeld was killed by an improvised explosive device during a military raid. The incident comes just days after seven Israeli soldiers were reported killed in another Gaza confrontation.

Israeli airstrikes on Gaza have killed at least 72 Palestinians, many of whom were waiting at food distribution centers. According to Al Jazeera, heavy bombardments targeted areas such as Zeitoun, Sabra, and the Al-Zawia market, overwhelming hospitals in northern Gaza, particularly Al-Ahli Hospital.

Leaflets dropped in eastern Gaza City urged civilians to move south, but intense air raids followed shortly after, escalating the death toll.

Three people, including a woman, were killed on Saturday in Israeli drone strikes in southern Lebanon, despite an ongoing ceasefire with Iran-backed Hezbollah. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that one person died in Kunin area when a drone targeted a vehicle. Later, two more were killed in the Mahrouna area, including a woman on a motorcycle. Israel denied targeting civilians and claimed the woman was killed in a Hezbollah rocket attack. A day earlier, a similar strike killed another woman and injured at least 25 others.

The Gaza Government Media Office has reported the deaths of at least 66 children due to severe malnutrition, citing the ongoing Israeli blockade as a "deliberate war crime." Authorities described it as a calculated act of slow death, blaming the international community’s silence as a gross negligence of humanitarian values. The statement also held the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Germany partially responsible and urged the United Nations to immediately open all border crossings into Gaza.

At least 81 Palestinians have been killed and over 400 injured in a series of Israeli airstrikes across Gaza in the past 24 hours, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health. Among the casualties were 11 people, including children, who died in a strike near a stadium used as a shelter for displaced civilians. Another 14 individuals, including children, were killed in attacks on an apartment block and a tent in the Al-Mawasi area, hospital sources confirmed.

Russia has launched a hypersonic Kinzhal missile at a Ukrainian military airbase in the Khmelnytskyi region, targeting the Starokostiantyniv base. Alongside the missile, explosive-laden drones were also used in the attack. The Kinzhal, known in the West as the "Dagger," is one of Russia's most powerful ballistic weapons. While Ukraine has not commented on the incident, Russia confirmed six strikes on Ukrainian military sites over the past week. The ongoing conflict began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

Iran’s IRGC has warned that any future attack on the country’s interests will be met with a more devastating response that could hasten the downfall of U.S. dominance. Spokesperson Ramazan Sharif condemned Trump’s recent remarks as a sign of American defeat. Deputy Commander Naqdi warned that any assault on religious leaders would result in deadly consequences for all U.S. personnel in the region. This comes after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear and military sites, which triggered deadly retaliatory attacks by Tehran.

Bangladesh experiences around 3.36 million lightning strikes annually, causing approximately 350 deaths each year, according to RIMES meteorologist Khan Mohammad Golam Rabbani. At a seminar marking International Lightning Safety Day, he highlighted rising lightning incidents—up by 10% recently—and identified Sunamganj, Netrokona, and Sylhet as high-risk districts. April and May are peak months. Disaster management officials aim to expand the Cyclone Preparedness Programme into a full disaster response agency. Safety guidelines during lightning and recommendations for public awareness were also shared at the event.

Gaza’s media office claims that opioid drugs were discovered inside flour bags distributed as aid from a U.S.-Israeli center. The drug, Oxycodone, is highly addictive and potentially lethal. Officials warn that some flour bags had the drug mixed in powdered form. Locals and medical professionals condemned the act as a calculated attempt to harm Gaza's population from within. Images circulating online show the pills inside the aid. Gaza authorities have blamed Israel for using humanitarian aid as a cover for poisoning civilians.

Amid easing Iran-Israel tensions, new focus has shifted to Iran’s secret nuclear facility in Isfahan, buried deep underground and holding about 60% of the country’s enriched uranium. US officials admit their bunker-buster bombs cannot reach the site, making it almost immune to attack. The site was targeted only by submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles. While the US claimed Iran's facilities were destroyed, intelligence reports and experts suggest Iran may have moved uranium beforehand, keeping its nuclear capability intact and secure underground.

Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated his stance that Ukrainians and Russians are one nation, claiming, “From this perspective, all of Ukraine is ours. Wherever Russian troops set foot, it becomes our land.” In response, Ukraine’s foreign minister condemned the remarks, saying, “Wherever Russian troops go, they bring death, destruction, and terror.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also warned that Putin’s ambitions extend beyond Ukraine to Belarus, the Baltic states, Moldova, the Caucasus, and Kazakhstan. Meanwhile, European countries and Canada have pledged to ramp up military aid to Ukraine amid continued delays in U.S. support.

Israeli soldiers reportedly received orders from high-ranking commanders to fire on unarmed Palestinians gathered for food aid in Gaza, according to Haaretz. The incident has prompted Israel to launch a possible war crimes investigation. Gaza officials report over 549 Palestinians killed and more than 4,000 injured while waiting for food. Israeli officials deny wrongdoing, calling the report defamatory. Gaza authorities condemn the actions as a deliberate attack disguised as humanitarian aid, highlighting the dire humanitarian crisis.