Israel's settlement policy in occupied Palestinian territories is in breach of international law, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled. | The "transfer by Israel of settlers to the West Bank and Jerusalem as well as Israel's maintenance of their presence" is "contrary to article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention", a panel of 15 judges from around the world said. The court said Israel must end the construction of settlements immediately - acts which render "Israel's presence in the occupied Palestinian territory unlawful". Israel's continued presence is "illegal" and should be ended as "rapidly as possible", the ICJ added. It also found that Israel's use of natural resources was "inconsistent" with its obligations under international law as an occupying power. ● Israel did not send a legal team to the hearings. In written comments, however, it said questions put to the court were prejudiced and failed to address its security concerns.

■ ICJ says Israel violates international law in West Bank and must end the occupation (Ynet News)
■ Top UN court declares Israeli settlements illegal (RT.com)
👉 Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem | The Court gives its Advisory Opinion and responds to the questions posed by the General Assembly (ICJ)(.pdf)

Planes have been grounded as several airports are hit by a global IT outage, with Windows PCs shutting down and broadcasters and businesses also taken offline. | Issues in booking NHS appointments at some GP surgeries. Users are experiencing difficulties booking NHS appointments at some GP surgeries in the UK. Error messages such as the ones shown in the images below are appearing when patients attempt to book. One, in Putney, reports a "national internet issue" which is "impacting our core medical management system". We haven't got a official statement from the NHS yet.

■ Global cyber outage grounds flights, hits banks, telecoms, media (Reuters)
■ LIVE | Extraordinary IT outage hits business around the globe (News24)
■ What to know about CrowdStrike, the firm behind the global IT outage (RT.com)

Francesca Albanese, the UN’s special rapporteur on the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, has added her voice to a call for Israel to be unseated from the United Nations. | Albanese said it was “time” to remove Israel from the world body, as she reposted an earlier call on social media for the “unseating” of Israel by the UN’s special rapporteur on the right to adequate housing. ● On Tuesday, the UN rapporteur on housing, Balakrishnan Rajagopal, said that it was “high time” to take action as Israel continued its “criminal attacks” on the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in Gaza “without any consequences”. Israel should be unseated “from the UN, as was done with apartheid South Africa”, Rajagopal said in a post on social media.

Mike Whtney | Clearly, the Biden administration has no interest in Finland other than using it as a forward-operating base in the West’s war on Russia. | Washington’s so-called “enhanced US military presence” in Finland does not serve any national interest or provide any material benefit for the American people. It is a clear provocation designed to intimidate Russia and expand the war beyond Ukraine. Not surprisingly, it replicates the same conditions that triggered the conflict in February 2022, that is, it installs NATO’s military infrastructure in locations that pose an existential threat to Russia’s survival. Russia cannot be expected to live with hostile military bases and missiles on its doorstep any more than an ordinary man can live with a gun pointed to his head. Putin must respond in order to defend his country’s national security.

■ NATO reconnaissance aircraft are active along the southern and northern borders of Russia (Reporter)

The Houthis used a novel UAV dubbed Jaffo which, according to the rebels, is capable of bypassing air defense systems [...] According to a statement published on his Telegram channel, the Houthis carried out a "military operation which involved delivering strikes on one of important targets" in Tel Aviv. The Houthis used a novel UAV dubbed Jaffo which, according to the rebels, is capable of bypassing air defense systems. ● The Houthis noted that Tel Aviv is "no longer safe and will become the main target" of the rebels within the range of their weapons. The rebel movement has determined a number of targets in Israel, "including important military facilities," and will continue to deliver strikes on them in response to Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip, the statement noted.

■ Yemen's Houthis claim deadly drone attack on Tel Aviv (MEE)
■ ‘Suicide drone’ explodes near US consulate in Tel Aviv – reports (RT.com)

Matt Kennard 1 The US military has been flying covert planes to Israel from RAF Akrotiri since the bombing of Gaza began, Declassified has discovered.

 ■ Unmarked planes are being used by US forces to fly from Cyprus to Israel, including as recently as June 26
 ■ The aircraft are believed to be used by highly secretive 427th Special Operations Squadron and the CIA
 ■ Declassified also finds 26 huge US military transport planes have landed at UK base on Cyprus, believed to be carrying weapons for Israel
 ■ Revelations could further implicate British ministers in war crimes

The former [former?] president has reportedly grown “deeply concerned” that the incumbent will lose to Donald Trump | US President Barack Obama is privately telling Democrats that President Joe Biden’s path to reelection has “greatly diminished,” and that the 81-year-old should “seriously consider” ending his campaign, the Washington Post has reported. ● Amid a party-wide effort to convince Biden to drop out of the race, Obama had largely stayed on the sidelines. Other than posting a message of support when the president flubbed his debate with Donald Trump last month, Obama has not weighed in on Biden’s apparent cognitive decline, even though he reportedly chose not to stop his friend, actor George Clooney, from penning an op-ed calling on Biden to quit earlier this month.

■ Biden Wants Voters To Focus on His Record, But It’s Worse Than His Debate Performance (Sputnik)
■ US Senator Rubio Suggests Biden Resign as President if He Drops Out of Race - Reports (Sputnik)
■ Why George Clooney, Peter Welch, And The New York Times, Are Dangerous (Eric Zuesse)