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Elon Musk, Israel Agree for Use of Starlink in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with businessman Elon Musk during their visit to Kfar Aza kibbutz (dpa)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with businessman Elon Musk during their visit to Kfar Aza kibbutz (dpa)
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Elon Musk, Israel Agree for Use of Starlink in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with businessman Elon Musk during their visit to Kfar Aza kibbutz (dpa)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with businessman Elon Musk during their visit to Kfar Aza kibbutz (dpa)

Israel and Tycoon Elon Musk had agreed in principle that SpaceX's Starlink satellite units can only be operated in Israel with the approval of the Israeli Ministry of Communications, including the Gaza Strip."

Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi issued a statement that seemed a retreat from his opposition last month to Musk's proposal to use Starlink to support communication links in the blackout-hit enclave with "internationally recognized aid organizations."

During his visit to Israel, Musk met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and visited a kibbutz in southern Israel, where Hamas launched its attack on Oct. 7.

Netanyahu told Musk during an interview published on his "X" account at the end of their visit to Kfar Aza that Israel must disarm Gaza after the destruction of Hamas and "eliminate extremism" in the Palestinian territories.

Netanyahu's office released footage showing the two men walking through rubble on the kibbutz.

"We have to demilitarize Gaza after the destruction of Hamas, and we have to deradicalize Gaza ... and then we have to also rebuild Gaza," he said.

Karhi announced a preliminary agreement that Starlink would only operate in Israel and Gaza with the Israeli government's approval.

"Elon Musk, I congratulate you for reaching a principle understanding with the Ministry of Communications under my leadership," Karhi wrote.

"As a result of this significant agreement, Starlink satellite units can only be operated in Israel with the approval of the Israeli Ministry of Communications, including the Gaza Strip."

In statements, Musk declared his support for the campaign launched by Israel against the Hamas movement.

"Those that are intent on murder must be neutralized," Musk added.

"The propaganda must stop that is training people to be murderers in the future. And then making Gaza prosperous. And if that happens, I think it will be a good future."

Reuters indicated that Musk had a direct online discussion with Netanyahu, adding that he asserted: "I'd like to help as well," Musk said

Netanyahu hoped Musk would help, adding that his visit reveals the commitment to secure a better future.

Musk himself was assailed for his endorsement of an anti-Jewish post on Nov. 15.

Musk also watched footage assembled from Hamas bodycams, CCTV, and other sources of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in which Israel says 240 people were taken captive back to Gaza.

Early on Monday, the billionaire tweeted during his Israel visit that "actions speak louder than words."

Later, Musk met families of hostages held in Gaza with Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Herzog said Musk had a huge role in the global fight against antisemitism.

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World

Latest US Military Strike on Alleged Drug Boat Kills 3 in Eastern Pacific

A US strike targets a boat suspected of being used for drug smuggling in the Eastern Pacific (Reuters file)
A US strike targets a boat suspected of being used for drug smuggling in the Eastern Pacific (Reuters file)
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Latest US Military Strike on Alleged Drug Boat Kills 3 in Eastern Pacific

A US strike targets a boat suspected of being used for drug smuggling in the Eastern Pacific (Reuters file)
A US strike targets a boat suspected of being used for drug smuggling in the Eastern Pacific (Reuters file)

The latest US military strike on a boat accused of ferrying drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean killed three people Sunday, according to a social media post by US Southern Command.

The Trump administration's campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters has gone on since early September and killed at least 186 people in total. Other strikes have taken place in the Caribbean Sea.

The military has not provided evidence that any of the vessels were carrying drugs.

After Sunday's attack, Southern Command posted a video on X showing a boat moving swiftly in the water before an explosion left it in flames. It repeated previous statements by saying it had targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes.

The attacks began as the US built up its largest military presence in the region in generations and came months ahead of the raid in January that captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. He was brought to New York to face drug trafficking charges and has pleaded not guilty.

President Donald Trump has said the US is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States.

Critics, meanwhile, have questioned the overall legality of the boat strikes.

World

Russian Drone Attack on Odesa Wounds 10, Officials Say

The site of the Russian strike on the residential area in Odesa, Ukraine, 24 April 2026, amid the Russian invasion. (EPA)
The site of the Russian strike on the residential area in Odesa, Ukraine, 24 April 2026, amid the Russian invasion. (EPA)
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Russian Drone Attack on Odesa Wounds 10, Officials Say

The site of the Russian strike on the residential area in Odesa, Ukraine, 24 April 2026, amid the Russian invasion. (EPA)
The site of the Russian strike on the residential area in Odesa, Ukraine, 24 April 2026, amid the Russian invasion. (EPA)

An ‌overnight Russian drone attack on Ukraine's southern city of Odesa wounded 10 people, including two children, and damaged residential buildings, Ukrainian officials said on Monday.

The strikes caused the biggest damage in ‌the central Prymorskyi ‌district, where ‌residential ⁠buildings, a hotel and facilities ⁠in the center of the city were damaged, said Serhiy Lysak, the head of the local military ⁠administration, on Telegram.

Most of ‌the ‌injured people were located there, ‌Lysak said.

"It was ‌an extremely difficult night," he said, adding that high-rise residential buildings, private homes and ‌vehicles came under attack in two other districts.

Odesa, ⁠a ⁠major Black Sea port and a focal point for Ukrainian exports, has been repeatedly targeted by Russian attacks during more than four years of war, which started with Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.

World

North Korea’s Kim Reaffirms Support for Russia’s ‘Sacred’ Ukraine War

Russia's Defense Minister Andrey Belousov and Russia's State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin clap as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during the opening ceremony of the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats at the Overseas Military Operations honoring North Korean troops killed while fighting for Russia in the war against Ukraine, in Pyongyang, North Korea, April 26, 2026, in this picture released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency. (KCNA via Reuters)
Russia's Defense Minister Andrey Belousov and Russia's State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin clap as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during the opening ceremony of the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats at the Overseas Military Operations honoring North Korean troops killed while fighting for Russia in the war against Ukraine, in Pyongyang, North Korea, April 26, 2026, in this picture released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency. (KCNA via Reuters)
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North Korea’s Kim Reaffirms Support for Russia’s ‘Sacred’ Ukraine War

Russia's Defense Minister Andrey Belousov and Russia's State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin clap as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during the opening ceremony of the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats at the Overseas Military Operations honoring North Korean troops killed while fighting for Russia in the war against Ukraine, in Pyongyang, North Korea, April 26, 2026, in this picture released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency. (KCNA via Reuters)
Russia's Defense Minister Andrey Belousov and Russia's State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin clap as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during the opening ceremony of the Memorial Museum of Combat Feats at the Overseas Military Operations honoring North Korean troops killed while fighting for Russia in the war against Ukraine, in Pyongyang, North Korea, April 26, 2026, in this picture released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency. (KCNA via Reuters)

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reaffirmed Pyongyang's support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, vowing to help Moscow achieve victory in its "sacred" war, state media reported on Monday.

Pyongyang has sent missiles, munitions and thousands of troops to assist Russia in Ukraine, and analysts say Moscow is sending financial aid, military technology, food and energy to the diplomatically isolated country in return.

A string of high-level Russian officials have visited North Korea in recent days, with Defense Minister Andrey Belousov meeting Kim on Sunday, according to official statements.

North Korea "will as ever fully support the policy of the Russian Federation to defend the national sovereignty, territorial integrity and security interests", Kim told Belousov, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Kim expressed "belief that the Russian army and people would surely win a victory in the just sacred war", KCNA reported.

Both sides said their delegations had discussed deeper military ties, with Belousov saying Moscow was ready to sign a cooperation plan covering the period from 2027 to 2031.

Kim, Belousov and Russian parliamentary speaker Vyacheslav Volodin also attended the opening ceremony of a memorial complex honoring North Korean soldiers killed in Ukraine.

In a speech, Kim paid tribute to their "unrivalled bravery, mass heroism, indomitable fighting spirit and noble sacrifice", KCNA said.

He took part in a ceremony to bury the war dead, recalling their "last heroic moments" and covering the remains of a soldier with earth.

The inauguration also included a concert, a fireworks display and an air force flyover, KCNA reported.

The audience were moved by portrayals of "life-and-death bloody battles" and "death-defying hand-to-hand fights and heroic suicidal explosions the young soldiers chose without hesitation", it said.

North Korea and Russia signed a military treaty in 2024, obligating both states to provide military assistance "without delay" in the event of an attack on the other.

- 'Brilliant war results' -

The opening of the memorial coincides with the first anniversary of Moscow's recovery of parts of Kursk, a region in Russia where Ukraine launched a major counteroffensive starting in mid-2024.

North Korean soldiers were deployed in the area to help beat back the Ukrainian advance.

In his meeting with Belousov, Kim hailed the "brilliant war results in liberating Kursk", according to KCNA.

Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the "extraordinary bravery and genuine devotion" of North Korean troops in a letter to Kim that was published by KCNA.

Seoul estimates about 2,000 North Koreans have been killed in the Ukraine war.

North Korean troops are said to have been instructed to kill themselves rather than be captured in battle.

Only two North Korean soldiers have been taken alive and are currently in custody of Ukrainian authorities.

- Olive branch shunned -

In contrast with its ties with Russia, North Korea has called South Korea its "most hostile" adversary despite Seoul's efforts at engagement.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Monday that it was "the destiny of both the South and the North to make the flowers of peace bloom".

He vowed to act "proactively" to restore trust with Pyongyang, adding: "We hope the North will trust the sincerity of our government and respond in kind."

Lee's comments marked the anniversary of the 2018 inter-Korean summit, at which Kim and South Korea's then-president Moon Jae-in memorably crossed into the other country's territory.

The summit yielded a declaration to work towards an official end to the Korean War, but was later suspended as bilateral tensions rose again.