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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed bilateral relations and regional and international issues during a phone call with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, particularly developments in the Gaza Strip and the need to halt the Israeli aggression and ensure the uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid. During the call, President Erdogan stressed the need to stop Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and prevent him from undermining peace in the region, emphasizing that the Israeli occupation government has demonstrated through its actions its lack of intention to achieve peace. Erdogan noted that the current session of the UN General Assembly witnessed significant steps toward implementing the two-state solution, stressing that Türkiye will continue its efforts to ensure the protection of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.

King Felipe VI of Spain has called for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the delivery of humanitarian aid, stressing that there should be no longer silence over the killing and starvation in the enclave. There must be no glossing over the systematic destruction of schools and hospitals, the killing of civilians, and the deliberate infliction of starvation in Gaza, he stressed, addressing the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. He described what is unfolding in the Gaza Strip as a matter that shocks human conscience and constitutes a profound disgrace to the international community, while calling upon the Israeli entity to immediately cease all acts of killing. King Felipe further noted that the international community must assume its responsibility to achieve peace through the two-state solution, averring that the recognition of a Palestinian state should help establish peace and regional stability in the region. He expressed his pushback on the rising voices that claim the end of multilateralism and that the UN has become defanged, calling upon all to recall the circumstances surrounding the establishment of the UN in the aftermath of WWII, and the grim chapter humanity endured during that era. In addition, the King underscored the utmost importance of cooperation and multilateralism to confront the current epochal challenges, stressing that the UN has become instrumental, cannot be dispensed with, and that no alternative can be found for it. He expressed his deep concern over the erosion of democracy and the growing departure from the fundamental values that underpin peaceful coexistence among all peoples, affirming his country's unwavering commitment to continue supporting efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in accordance with the principles of international law. The high-level week of the UN General Assembly continues in full swing, with today featuring remarks from additional heads of state and government during the general debate, a high-level meeting on the situation of Palestinian children, the climate summit, a Security Council meeting on artificial intelligence, and other high-stakes events and dialogues.

At least 11 Palestinians, including aid seekers, were martyred and dozens more injured on Sunday morning as Israeli warplanes and artillery continued strikes on Gaza City and Rafah, according to medical sources and WAFA News. In one of the deadliest attacks, seven civilians were martyred and others injured after an Israeli airstrike targeted a residential building in Al-Hawa neighborhood, in southern Gaza City. Rescue teams continue to search for survivors under the rubble. In a separate incident, four Palestinians were martyred and dozens injured when Israeli forces opened fire on a group of civilians waiting for aid in northern Rafah, in the southern part of the Strip. Israeli forces are intensifying the demolition and destruction of homes in northern Gaza and Gaza City, as part of a continued effort to forcibly displace civilians toward the southern regions of the Strip. The ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza since October 2023 has so far resulted in at least 64,803 martyrs, and over 164,264 injuries.

The 10th Amiri Air Force aircraft arrived in the Afghan capital, Kabul, carrying urgent medical aid provided by the Qatar Fund For Development (QFFD) to support the healthcare sector, as part of the airlift being operated by the State of Qatar to help alleviate the suffering of the brotherly Afghan people following the earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan.The aid includes essential medicines, intravenous fluids, and a number of vital supplies needed to save lives, aimed at strengthening the capacity of hospitals and frontline health facilities to meet urgent needs.The Ministry of Public Health in Afghanistan received the aid to ensure its prompt and effective distribution to the affected communities.These efforts come as part of the State of Qatar's continued support for the Afghan people and reflects the country's firm commitment to humanitarian solidarity and support for those impacted by natural disasters.The State continues its steady approach to providing humanitarian aid, despite the Israeli attack, driven by its ethical responsibility and leading humanitarian role at both regional and international levels.

UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria Dr. Adam Abdelmoula affirmed that nearly 16.5 million people in Syria are in need of humanitarian aid, alongside 2.5 million returnees-both internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees returning from abroad-many of whom have lost their homes. Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) quoted Abdelmoula as saying at a press conference ahead of the conclusion of his mission that displacement remains one of Syria's gravest challenges, with over 6 million people still internally displaced and more than 6 million living as refugees worldwide. He added that about 24% of housing in Syria has been damaged or destroyed in recent years, while UN funding for humanitarian needs remains "extremely scarce." To date, the Humanitarian Response Plan 2025 has received only 14% of the $3.2 billion required, he said.

As part of the efforts made by the Qatar government and humanitarian organisations to support the resilience of the people, institutions, and vital sectors of Syria, a high-level delegation from Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) arrived at Damascus International Airport Sunday. The delegation was headed by QRCS president Yousef bin Ali al-Khater, secretary-general Faisal Mohamed al-Emadi, assistant secretary-general for Relief and International Development Mohamed Bader al-Sada, and assistant secretary-general for Communication and Resource Development Mohamed Ahmed al-Beshri. They were received by Syria's Minister of Health Dr Musaab Nazzal al-Ali, Qatar embassy in Syria charge d'affaires Khalifa Abdullah al-Mahmoud, Syrian Arab Red Crescent Society (SARCS) president Dr Mohamed Hazem Bakleh, Damascus Health Directorate director Dr Wael Dagmash, representative of Syria’s ministry of foreign affairs and staff of the QRCS’s representation office in Türkiye. The purpose of the humanitarian visit was to deliver a new batch of aid from Qatar under the “Take Heart Syria” initiative, containing medical equipment and supplies donated by Sidra Medicine, Al-Tafa’ol Trading Company, United International Trading Company, and Doha Health Care Group, in co-ordination with the QRCS, SARCS, and Syria’s ministry of health. The delegation from Qatar arrived at Damascus International Airport aboard a Qatar Amiri Air Force aircraft, carrying 12 tonnes of critical and sophisticated medical equipment to help Syrian hospitals continue providing quality healthcare services for patients. This airlift was preceded by three land aid convoys. On August 28, a total of 22 aid trucks started to depart from the warehouses of Sidra Medicine and the QRCS in Doha in three batches. The convoys travelled through Saudi Arabia and Jordan, ending in Syria, with 78 tonnes of aid. Thus, the total volume of aid delivered under the initiative totaled 90 tonnes of medical equipment and supplies, at a value of over QR45mn. In his keynote speech during the event, al-Khater, said: "These combined efforts were meant to send a message of solidarity to Syria, helping revitalise the Syrian healthcare sector and strengthening the capacity of its medical institutions to meet the needs of millions of Syrians.” “Over the past years, the QRCS implemented large-scale projects and programmes covering various sectors, including health, shelter, emergency relief, food security, water and sanitation, and livelihoods, with a total value of $160mn,” he added. “More than 13mn people across the country benefited from these interventions”. The QRCS president promised to keep working hard to ensure the delivery of more aid from Qatar to the people of Syria, as well as to intensify support to provide the Syrian health sector with the vital supplies needed for medical facilities. “In the name of the Syrian government and people, I would like to welcome this medical shipment from the State of Qatar, through the QRCS,” said Syrian Health Minister Dr al-Ali. “This humanitarian initiative is not merely equipment and supplies, but rather a message of genuine solidarity, a new lease on life for our patients, and a renewed hope for our medical professionals, who continue to do their job despite the difficulties and challenges.” Al-Mahmoud described the aid as a practical demonstration of Qatar’s unwavering commitment to supporting the Syrian people. The SARCS’s Dr Bakleh said that the generous initiative represents the deep fraternal ties between the peoples of Syria and Qatar and best embodies the spirit of humanitarian solidarity. Al-Emadi revealed that the aid shipment from Qatar contained X-ray, anaesthesia, and dialysis equipment; advanced laboratory testing equipment; vital signs monitoring machines; ventilators; incubators; radiography and laser imaging systems; plasma and biological storage freezers; cardiac and neurological monitoring devices; clinical decision support systems; stretchers; disinfection and protection tools; medical consumables; first-aid kits; and other equipment that covers a wide range of healthcare services, as an essential boost to rehabilitate medical infrastructure in Syria and enable hospitals to resume some of their suspended or limited services.

Nearly a week after an earthquake killed more than 2,200 people in Afghanistan and left tens of thousands homeless, the United States has not taken the first step to authorise emergency aid, and it was unclear if it plans to help at all, two former senior US officials and a source familiar with the situation told Reuters.The lack of response by Washington to one of Afghanistan's deadliest quakes in years underscores how President Donald Trump has forfeited decades of US leadership of global disaster relief with his deep foreign aid cuts and closure of the main US foreign assistance agency, said the source and the former officials.The US Agency for International Development was officially shuttered on Tuesday.The State Department on Monday extended its "heartfelt condolences" to Afghanistan in an X post.As of Friday, however, the State Department had not approved a declaration of humanitarian need, the first step in authorising US emergency relief, said the former officials, both of whom worked at USAID, and the third source, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.Such a declaration is usually issued within 24 hours of a major disaster.The sources said State Department officials had considered recommendations for US disaster aid for Afghanistan. One former senior official said the White House also has considered the issue, but decided against reversing a policy of ending aid to Afghanistan. When asked if the US would provide any emergency aid to Afghanistan following the magnitude 6 quake on Sunday, which was followed by powerful aftershocks on Thursday and Friday, a State Department spokesperson said: "We have nothing further to announce at this time."The United States was, until this year, the largest aid donor to Afghanistan, where it fought a 20-year war that ended with a chaotic US withdrawal and the Taliban's seizure of Kabul in 2021. But in April, the Trump administration ended virtually all aid totaling $562mn — to Afghanistan, citing a US watchdog report that humanitarian groups receiving US funds had paid $10.9mn in taxes, fees, and duties to the Taliban.Asked whether the US would provide emergency relief for earthquake survivors, a White House official said, "President Trump has been consistent in ensuring aid does not land in the hands of the Taliban regime, which continues to wrongfully detain US citizens.”United Nations aid chief Tom Fletcher said the Afghan earthquake was "the latest crisis to expose the cost of shrinking resources on vital humanitarian work.”"Massive funding cuts have already brought essential health and nutrition services for millions to a halt; grounded aircraft, which are often the only lifeline to remote communities; and forced aid agencies to reduce their footprint,” he said in a statement on Thursday.The Trump administration also has yet to respond to a request by the International Rescue Committee humanitarian organisation to send $105,000 worth of US-funded medical supplies following the first earthquake.The materials include stethoscopes, first aid supplies, stretchers, and other essentials, said Kelly Razzouk, vice president of policy and advocacy for the IRC."The stocks are stuck in storage," said Razzouk, who served on former US President Joe Biden’s National Security Council. "In recent memory, I can't remember a time when the US did not respond to a crisis like this."The IRC needs Washington’s permission to send the equipment to Afghanistan because it had been funded by an unrelated US grant that the Trump administration had since canceled."Beyond the loss of life, we have also seen basic infrastructure and livelihoods destroyed," Stephen Rodriguez, the representative in Afghanistan for the UN Development Programme, told reporters on Friday.He said donations of money, goods, and services have come from Britain, South Korea, Australia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkiye, and other countries."Far more is needed."

Aid flotillas like the one preparing to leave for Gaza would not be necessary if governments upheld international law, rights activist Greta Thunberg said Saturday."It should not have to be up to us," said the 22-year-old Swedish campaigner, who will join the flotilla when it sets off from Barcelona today."A mission like this should not have to exist," she added."It is the responsibility of countries, of our governments and elected officials to act to try to uphold international law, to prevent war crimes, to prevent genocide," she said."That is their legal duty to do. And they are failing to do so. And thereby betraying Palestinians but also all of humanity."The latest aid expedition towards Gaza is organised by a group called the Global Sumud Flotilla, which describes itself as an "independent" organisation. Sumud is the Arab word for perseverance."Our aim is to get to Gaza, to deliver the humanitarian aid, announce the opening of a humanitarian corridor and then bring more aid, and then thus also ending, breaking Israel's illegal and inhumane siege on Gaza," said Thunberg.Two attempts by activists to deliver aid by ship to Gaza, in June and July, were blocked by Israel.Troops boarded their vessels and detained the activists, bringing them ashore in Israel before expelling them. Thunberg was among the 12 activists on board the June flotilla and was deported.The organisers of this latest flotilla have not said exactly when they are setting off, nor how many boats will leave from Barcelona.The UN on August 22 declared a famine in Gaza, blaming Israel's "systematic obstruction" of aid, sparking furious denials from the Israeli authorities.