An 'abomination' and a 'death trap': Papers denounce Israel's food aid system in Gaza

Press Review

PRESS REVIEW – Wednesday, June 25: International papers criticise Israel's "genocidal" food distribution system in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Russia is planning to train Chinese troops, according to an exclusive report. Next, Bulgarian papers worry about a black leopard that's roaming free. Finally, inflatable crocodiles threaten the wedding of billionaire Jeff Bezos in Venice.

In Gaza, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli army since the new food aid distribution system was set up. Many papers are denouncing the system. French Communist paper L’Humanité writes "Gaza, we are not forgetting you", over a photograph of a little girl standing in the rubble. The paper calls Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's policies "genocidal", saying that food distribution in the enclave is turning into a death trap. Italian communist newspaper Il Manifesto describes what's happening as "Hunger games". The paper denounces "the Israeli trap" against the starving Palestinians and what it calls the "murderous food distribution system" in the enclave – the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Spanish centre-left daily El Pais reports that the UN agency for Palestinian refugees has called the Gaza aid system an "abomination", citing UNRWA's head Philippe Lazzarini, who calls for a return to the previous practices of aid delivery. Finally, an illustration in the left-wing British daily The Guardian by Ben Jennings shows a single bag of food aid, surrounded by dozens of body bags.

We turn next to Russia and an exclusive article in The Kyiv Post. The Ukrainian paper reports that Russia is planning to train Chinese troops to counter NATO weapons, according to an unnamed Ukrainian intelligence source. The source shared that Moscow will host some 600 Chinese military personnel this year. Staying in Russia, President Vladimir Putin has signed a law on the creation of a national digital service, the financial daily Vedomosti reports. The service will combine the functions of a messaging app and a government service, where Russians will be able to prove their identity through digital ID, for instance. The article doesn't mention anything about privacy concerns or how the data would be stored.

In Bulgaria, local papers are worried about an animal on the loose. A town in eastern Bulgaria called Shumen is on its toes because of a wild animal – but not one that is usually seen in the Balkans. It's a black leopard and according to Bulgarian officials, it’s been roaming free for more than two months now, as Bulgarian daily Off News reports. Police forces are still trying to catch the animal that they say didn't escape from a zoo, but is privately owned. Balkan Insight reports that the "fugitive black leopard is going viral" with numerous memes circulating online. An AI-generated meme relayed by Euronews portrays the leopard enjoying a traditional Bulgarian meal.

Finally, we end with the inflatable crocodiles that are threatening the wedding of a well-known billionaire. Jeff Bezos's Venice wedding plans have had to be altered, the Guardian reports. The couple had to move their wedding venue after activists threatened to fill the Venice canals with inflatable crocodiles and block the guests from joining the festivities. The wedding has received huge backlash as activists warn that the event could turn the World Heritage Site into a "playground for the rich".

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