The U.S. and Iran say they have reached a deal, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) not a ceasefire. As details of the agreement to end the war start to emerge, both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal have refered to the deal as a defeat for the US. Republican senators are divided. Lindsey Graham stated he believes the MoU will be "beneficial for the US," while Ted Cruz said, "Giving billions of dollars to theocratic lunatics who want to murder us is a bad idea." Trump has repeatedly said that preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon was the primary reason for the military campaign. CIA Director John Ratcliffe told President Trump that evidence gathered by U.S. intelligence agencies raises serious doubts about Iran's willingness to make the nuclear concession
There are zero substantive enforceable commitments from the Islamic Republic in the MoU https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-06-16/read-the-14-point-draft-memorandum-between-the-us-and-iran
Israel Must Bear the Brunt of Fighting Iran Alone https://www.meforum.org/mef-online/israel-must-bear-the-brunt-of-fighting-iran-alone
Trump secretly approved Qatar-Iran cash deal - under which billions of dollars were paid to Tehran in exchange for free passage for Qatari tankers and ships https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/06/15/trump-secretly-approved-qatar-iran-cash-deal/
Taliban Open Fire on Afghan Women's Rights Protest https://ground.news/article/9e29b8ea-0cd4-4d65-ad03-c82ecf17aa6b
France 24: One Story, Two Languages, Two Different Realities - France 24's Spanish and English reporting are at odds with each other. https://www.camera.org/article/france-24-one-story-two-languages-two-different-realities/
The City Council of Paris has officially granted honorary citizenship to Palestinian civilian populations
Italian authorities canceled Kanye West's planned concert in Reggio Emilia. The decision followed advocacy from local Jewish leaders and demonstrated that antisemitism should not be ignored or normalized
European Parliament hosted a “Justice for Palestine” concert in Strasbourg on Tuesday headlined by French rapper Médine, notorious for a long record of antisemitic statements.
A day after Trump signed the MoU, Hezbollah launched a large missile attack on northern Israel
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun's Dramatic Declarations Of Sovereignty: Lebanon Belongs To The Lebanese, Not To Iran; We Want To Live In Peace And Not Die In Iran's Wars, https://www.memri.org/reports/lebanese-president-joseph-aouns-dramatic-declarations-sovereignty-lebanon-belongs-lebanese
I'm not sure how Israel and Lebanon are going to get anywhere in ceasefire negotiations as long as 'The Anti-Normalization Laws' are still on the books.The statute explicitly criminalizes any agreements, financial dealings, or contact with Israeli nationals or entities. Even casual online interactions or expressing public sympathy toward Israel carry significant legal risks. A day after Trump signed the MOU the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC) faced new threats from Hezbollah warning of “consequences” unless it tones down criticism of the armed group and stops broadcasting Israeli voices. Israel has said the talks are ultimately aimed at securing a full peace deal while Lebanon has said they are only focused on de-escalation.
Palestinian Activists Call for "Day of Rage" [June 26] Protests Against Hamas Control in Gaza Hamas moves to quash planned protests https://peacecomms.substack.com/p/hamas-moves-to-quash-planned-protestsClans repel Hamas assault near Gaza’s “yellow line” https://peacecomms.substack.com/p/clans-repel-hamas-assault-near-gazasGaza Board of Peace to Continue Rehabilitation in Areas Not Controlled by Hamas - (Jerusalem Post) Hamas's refusal to disarm "constitutes a serious breach of the agreement. As long as this remains the situation, the BoP is not able to invest in long-term infrastructure or housing projects in areas under Hamas."The world may not like Trump’s Gaza plan — but there is no alternative -https://www.ft.com/content/2472e584-758b-4a3f-83d1-9fba042a9312U.S. Building Military Base on Gaza Border - (Israel Hayom) Hamas members executed and maimed dozens of Palestinians in Gaza, UN report saysHamas Turns Gaza Hospitals and Schools Into Torture Chambers as It Reestablishes Police State: Gazans Describe Horrific Interrogations, Beatings$3–4 billion raised in Gaza’s name over three years. stolen by Hamas.Fatah angry at Iran for not destroying Israel https://palwatch.org/page/42266Diplomatic immunity of outgoing UNRWA commissioner-general Philippe Lazzarini ends on June 31st. On July 1st, UN Watch will be demanding his indictment for complicity in terrorism, war crimes, etc
After October 7th, Dr. Alice Jill Edwards, the UN Special Rapporteur on torture, funded her own trip to Israel to witness and document the horrors of Hamas's massacre. Other rapporteurs whitewashed Hamas atrocities. https://www.thejc.com/news/world/i-documented-the-horrors-of-october-7-but-colleagues-watered-it-down-claims-un-torture-rapporteur-vk9f8mqh
USA
PAC and big money in politics remain in the news. The Justice Dept. claims anti-Israel sentiment drove perps to plan an attack on the WhiteHouse. TracKAIPAC was used to create a kill list. The rise of anti-Israel extremists on the Left are being funded by both anti-Israel tech-investors and a GOP front group.
Smith College’s Advisory Committee on Investor Responsibility (ACIR) has officially rejected the divestment proposal advanced by Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and Smith Alums for Justice in Palestine
Stanford grads walk out on Google CEO Sundar Pichai Around 200 students, some waving Palestinian flags and carrying banners reading "ICE Spies With Google AI" and "Genocide Runs on Google," walked out of Stanford University's commencement ceremony on Sunday as Google CEO Sundar Pichai took the stage to deliver the keynote address. https://ground.news/article/1a2c3698-468c-4e53-bf02-04a8a24ae249
