Italian defense minister says Italy is scrambling a naval ship to defend the humanitarian flotilla attacked over night by drones in the Mediterranean, and Israel has been informed. Statement: "Regarding the attack suffered in recent hours by the Sumud Flotilla vessels, which also include Italian citizens, carried out using drones by currently unidentified perpetrators, we can only express the strongest condemnation. In a democracy, even demonstrations and protests must be protected when they are conducted in compliance with international law and without resorting to violence. “To ensure assistance to the Italian citizens on the ‘Flotilla,’ this morning at 3:50 a.m., despite being in Estonia, after a meeting with the Chief of Defence Staff and a quick and summary assessment of the incident, I spoke with the Prime Minister and authorized the immediate intervention of the Italian Navy's multi-purpose frigate Fasan, which was sailing north of Crete as part of Operation Mare Sicuro. The frigate is already en route to the area for possible rescue operations. “The Israeli Military Attaché in Italy, our Ambassador and the Military Attaché in Tel Aviv, and the Crisis Unit of the Farnesina have been informed of this decision.”

The vote by the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) against @UNRWA this evening is unprecedented and sets a dangerous precedent. It opposes the UN Charter and violates the State of Israel’s obligations under international law.  This is the latest in the ongoing campaign to discredit UNRWA and delegitimize its role towards providing human-development assistance and services to #Palestine Refugees. These bills will only deepen the suffering of Palestinians, especially in #Gaza where people have been going through more than a year of sheer hell. It ⁠will deprive over 650,000 girls & boys there from education, putting at risk an entire generation of children. These bills increase the suffering of the Palestinians & are nothing less than collective punishment. Putting an end to UNRWA & its services will not strip the Palestinians from their refugee status. That status is protected by another UN General Assembly resolution until a fair and lasting solution is found to the plight of the Palestinians. Failing to push back these bills will weaken our common multilateral mechanism established after World War 2. This should be a concern to all.

A statement from the editor of New York Times Opinion in response to criticism of a recent guest essay. nytco.com/press/response-to-…

turns out in the rules based international order declaring “if you don’t leave this Evacuation Zone your death is a choice that’s on you” is really all a state needs to either abandon or outright murder you, depending. much more of this to come, no doubt

Veni, Vidi, Vici: Decoding Julius Caesar’s “I Came, I Saw, I Conquered” thecollector.com/i-came-i-sa… Via @romanhistory1

Should you care to, you could vote in the AIA photo contest (once per day until October 1); you might particularly like the second photo, of the Greek temple of the Tavole Palatine at Metaponto under a cloud and rainbow... ;) archaeological.org/photo-con…

Should you care to, you could vote in the AIA photo contest (once per day until October 1); you might particularly like the second photo, of the Greek temple of the Tavole Palatine at Metaponto under a cloud and rainbow... ;) archaeological.org/photo-con…