Evening Brief: Trump Administration Releases FBI’s Surveillance Files on Martin Luther King Jr, Russia Launches Massive Air Assault on Kyiv Ahead of NATO Weapons Talks

· Guy D. McCardle

MLK delivers his “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial during the 1963 March on Washington. (Wikimedia Commons)

Tensions escalated across multiple fronts this Monday evening, July 21, 2025. Israeli ground forces advanced into central Gaza, triggering fresh global condemnation and deepening the humanitarian crisis. In Syria, fragile ceasefires face new tests as evacuations begin in war-torn Sweida. Meanwhile, Russia rains drones on Kyiv ahead of NATO arms talks, a deadly jet crash rocks Dhaka, and the US confronts its past with newly released FBI files on MLK. Here’s what’s moving tonight in the world of conflict, crisis, and consequence.

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Israeli Forces Enter Deir al-Balah as Gaza Aid Crisis Worsens and Hostage Tensions Rise

Israeli ground forces pushed into central Gaza’s Deir al-Balah on Monday for the first time in the war, targeting the last major city untouched by ground operations.

The incursion, part of a broader effort to carve military corridors through Gaza, alarmed humanitarian groups based in the area and sparked backlash from hostage families who fear for captives’ safety.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum condemned the move, warning that Israeli leadership would be held responsible for endangering the remaining 50 hostages, fewer than half of whom are believed to be alive. Israel has maintained that territorial seizures increase pressure on Hamas to release hostages, a key sticking point in ongoing ceasefire talks.

The Israeli military dropped evacuation orders on Deir al-Balah before tanks and bulldozers moved in, flattening buildings. United Nations guesthouses were damaged in the assault, and officials said nearly 90% of Gaza is now under evacuation or military restriction, displacing over 2 million Palestinians into a fraction of the territory where basic services have collapsed.

Meanwhile, international condemnation intensified following a deadly incident Sunday in northern Gaza, where the World Food Program (WFP) accused Israeli forces of opening fire on a crowd surrounding an aid convoy.

The WFP said “countless lives” were lost. The Gaza Health Ministry reported at least 80 dead, while a photographer counted 51 bodies in hospitals. Israel said it fired warning shots to address an “immediate threat” and disputed the casualty figures.

Separate Israeli strikes on Sunday and Monday killed at least 18 more Palestinians, including women and children. Gaza officials also reported the killing of journalist Tamer al-Zaanein and the detention of Health Ministry spokesperson Dr. Marwan al-Hams near a Red Cross field hospital. The Red Cross expressed “very serious concern” over the situation.

The war’s death toll has now surpassed 59,000, with over half of the dead reported to be women and children. The UN and humanitarian agencies continue to cite the Gaza Health Ministry’s figures as the most reliable available.

Beyond Gaza, Israel launched new airstrikes on Yemen’s Hodeidah port early Monday, targeting Houthi-controlled areas allegedly used to import Iranian arms.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned the Houthis would “pay heavy prices” for ongoing missile attacks on Israel. The regional fallout underscores the widening scope of the conflict, now in its tenth month.

 

25 Nations Demand Immediate End to Gaza War as Civilian Toll Mounts

Twenty-five countries, including the UN, Japan, Australia, and several European nations, issued a joint statement Monday demanding an immediate end to the Gaza war, marking a sharp escalation in international pressure on Israel.

The foreign ministers condemned the worsening humanitarian crisis and criticized Israel’s restrictive aid policies and civilian casualty toll.

“The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths,” the statement read, calling Israel’s aid delivery model “dangerous” and accusing it of “inhumane killing of civilians” seeking food and water. The group cited the deaths of over 800 Palestinians killed while seeking aid, based on figures from Gaza’s Health Ministry and the UN.

The statement notably excluded the US and Germany. However, Germany’s foreign minister expressed “greatest concern” in a separate call with his Israeli counterpart.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy added that “there is no military solution” and declared, “the next ceasefire must be the last ceasefire.”

Israel has dismissed the criticism, claiming it complies with international law and blames Hamas for civilian casualties due to its presence in populated areas. The government also accuses Hamas of diverting aid, a claim the UN says lacks evidence.

Since May, Israel has funneled most aid through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-linked group. Hundreds of Palestinians have reportedly been killed by Israeli fire while approaching its aid sites.

With more than 59,000 Palestinians killed and over 2 million displaced during 21 months of war, the international community’s patience appears to be wearing thin. Yet ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas remain deadlocked, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to push military pressure as the path to a negotiated settlement.

 

Syria Begins Evacuating Bedouin Families from Sweida Amid Fragile Ceasefire

The Syrian government on Monday began evacuating Bedouin families trapped in the southern city of Sweida, following a deadly week of sectarian clashes between Druze militias and Sunni Muslim Bedouin fighters.

Hundreds have been killed in the violence, which displaced over 128,000 people and threatened Syria’s postwar transition.

The United Nations and Syrian Arab Red Crescent coordinated humanitarian efforts as fighting subsided under a ceasefire.

Syrian Interior Ministry officials said 1,500 Bedouins were being relocated to neighboring Daraa province, while Druze civilians remained in temporary shelters awaiting their own evacuation.

The government established a security cordon around the city to prevent further clashes and facilitate reconciliation.

The conflict escalated after Syrian forces, which initially intervened to restore order, were accused of siding with Bedouin fighters and participating in sectarian attacks on Druze civilians.

Israel responded with dozens of airstrikes in Druze-majority areas, targeting government convoys, further complicating regional stability.

US Special Envoy Tom Barrack condemned the violence and called for accountability on both sides. Talks continue in Jordan to secure a long-term truce.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that 2,500 lightly armed Syrian government troops would be allowed into Sweida to maintain peace.

Aid convoys have reached Sweida, but humanitarian conditions remain dire. Displaced Bedouin families in Daraa struggle with food and water shortages, while Druze families sheltering in nearby villages report kidnappings and a lack of basic supplies.

Distrust of Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa is deepening within the Druze community. Many now question his leadership and ability to protect minorities, especially amid growing tensions with factions loyal to Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri.

While the Druze had initially supported Assad’s fall and hoped for a diplomatic transition, recent violence has fueled skepticism about peaceful coexistence under the new government.

 

US Envoy Backs Syria’s New Government, Criticizes Israeli Strikes Amid Sectarian Clashes

US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack reaffirmed Washington’s support for Syria’s new interim government on Monday, stating “there is no Plan B” and calling for unity in a country still fractured by civil war and sectarian violence.

Speaking to The Associated Press in Beirut, Barrack also condemned Israel’s recent military intervention in Syria’s southern Sweida province, calling the strikes “poorly timed” and destabilizing.

Israel launched dozens of airstrikes on Syrian government forces last week in response to attacks against the Druze minority in Sweida, a group that Israel views as closely tied to its own Druze population. Barrack, while acknowledging the atrocities in Sweida, said Israel’s actions undermined ongoing regional stabilization efforts and hinted that Tel Aviv may prefer a weakened, divided Syria over a unified central government.

The ceasefire Barrack brokered between Israel and Syria applies only to the Sweida conflict. He clarified it does not address Israel’s demands for a demilitarized zone south of Damascus.

Barrack noted that despite sectarian unrest, US-backed talks between Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces remain on track. He predicted progress within weeks on integrating Kurdish forces into the national army.

Turkey has offered defense assistance to Syria, though Barrack said the US has “no position” on a potential pact between the two.

On Lebanon, Barrack said the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah “didn’t work,” as Israeli airstrikes continue and Hezbollah refuses to disarm. He insisted disarmament is Lebanon’s internal issue and stated the US cannot force Israel to halt operations. His remarks underscored Washington’s limited leverage amid rising regional instability.

 

Trump Administration Releases FBI’s Surveillance Files on Martin Luther King Jr

The Trump administration has released over 240,000 pages of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) surveillance records on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK), drawing criticism from his surviving children and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

The files, long sealed under court order since 1977, reveal extensive government efforts to monitor and discredit King, including wiretaps, hotel room bugs, and informant networks orchestrated under J. Edgar Hoover’s COINTELPRO program.

The release fulfills Trump’s executive order aimed at declassifying documents related to major assassinations, including those of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and MLK. Justice Department lawyers requested early unsealing of the King records, originally set for 2027, despite opposition from King’s family and civil rights groups.

King’s children, Martin III and Bernice King, acknowledged the public interest but urged respectful engagement with the documents, citing their father’s deeply personal legacy. They called the FBI’s campaign “predatory” and said it sought to “dismantle and destroy” both King and the civil rights movement.

The files are expected to fuel further scrutiny into King’s assassination, still clouded by doubt despite James Earl Ray’s 1969 guilty plea, which he later recanted. A 1998 Justice Department review upheld Ray’s conviction, though King’s family has continued to question the official narrative.

The release also comes as Trump faces backlash over his handling of sealed records in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, raising questions about the political timing of the document dumps.

The administration declared the release part of a broader effort toward transparency, though critics view it as reopening old wounds tied to decades of government misconduct.

 

Ecuadorian Gang Leader ‘Fito’ Pleads Not Guilty to US Drug and Weapons Charges

José Adolfo “Fito” Macías Villamar, the alleged leader of Ecuador’s notorious Los Choneros gang, pleaded not guilty Monday to federal drug and weapons charges in a Brooklyn courtroom.

Extradited from Ecuador just one day earlier, Macías faces multiple counts including international cocaine trafficking and conspiracy to illegally purchase firearms.

US prosecutors accuse Macías of using extreme violence—through hitmen, military-grade weapons, and widespread corruption—to run a transnational criminal enterprise.

Los Choneros allegedly partnered with Mexican cartels to smuggle cocaine from Colombia through Ecuador and Central America to the US, while also funneling firearms from the US back to South America.

A federal judge ordered Macías held without bail, citing his escape from prison in January and history of high-level violence. He was recaptured last month in an underground bunker after fleeing a 34-year sentence for murder and drug trafficking. An updated federal indictment returned in June includes seven charges. If convicted, he faces 20 years to life.

Macías, who has led Los Choneros since 2020, gained a cult-like reputation in Ecuador, even releasing propaganda videos and hosting prison parties while incarcerated. His next court appearance is scheduled for September 19.

US Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. called him “an extraordinary danger” and vowed accountability for flooding American streets with drugs and violence.

 

Colombian Rebels Kill 3 Soldiers in Drone Attack

Rebels from Colombia’s National Liberation Army (ELN) used a drone to attack a military patrol Sunday near El Carmen in the volatile Catatumbo region, killing three soldiers and injuring eight others, the Colombian military confirmed.

Authorities say the ELN, which has waged an insurgency since the 1960s, is behind the assault—one of the deadliest drone strikes recorded in the country.

Rebel groups in Colombia have increasingly turned to commercial drones rigged with explosives to target military units and rival factions.

Colombia’s Defense Ministry recorded 115 drone attacks by armed groups in 2023, highlighting a growing threat in areas plagued by drug trafficking and illegal mining.

The government suspended peace talks with the ELN in January after a surge in violence in Catatumbo that killed at least 80 people and displaced over 50,000.

Since the 2016 peace deal with the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army), smaller armed groups and narco-gangs have battled for control of former rebel strongholds, undermining Colombia’s fragile security gains in rural regions.

 

Russia Launches Massive Air Assault on Kyiv Ahead of NATO Weapons Talks

Russia carried out one of its largest aerial attacks on Ukraine in recent months early Monday, killing two and wounding 15 just hours before a high-level NATO-led meeting on arming Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said drone and missile strikes struck a subway station in Kyiv’s Shevchenkivskyi district and ignited fires at a kindergarten, supermarket, and warehouse in Darnytskyi.

The attack, which included 426 Shahed drones and 24 missiles, highlighted Ukraine’s urgent need for air defense systems. Ukraine’s Air Force reported intercepting 200 drones and jamming 203 others. Meanwhile, Russia claimed to have struck military-industrial targets using Kinzhal hypersonic missiles.

Western defense chiefs from the UK, Germany, US, and NATO convened virtually for a Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting. They discussed US President Donald Trump’s plan for European allies to deliver US-made weapons — including Patriot missile systems — to Ukraine from existing stockpiles or through new purchases.

Zelenskyy and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, who visited Kyiv, also discussed French companies producing drones in Ukraine.

Ukraine’s new Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal urged faster weapon deliveries and full financing support from European partners. Trump’s plan includes a 50-day deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire or face harsher sanctions, marking a tougher stance toward Moscow.

While Ukraine awaits Patriot systems, NATO is coordinating interim aid such as ammunition and artillery. Switzerland may redirect five US-bound Patriot units to Ukraine, and Germany has pledged to fund two more.

Separately, Ukraine launched drone attacks on Russia, with 74 intercepted overnight — including 23 near Moscow.

Zelenskyy announced another round of ceasefire talks with Russia set for Wednesday in Istanbul, though prior rounds have yielded only prisoner exchanges.

 

Bangladesh Air Force Jet Crashes into Dhaka School

A Bangladesh Air Force F-7 BGI training jet crashed into Milestone School and College in Dhaka’s Uttara neighborhood Monday afternoon, killing at least 19 people—including the pilot.

The aircraft suffered a “technical malfunction” shortly after takeoff from A.K. Khandaker air base at 1:06 p.m. local time, according to the military.

Flight Lt. Mohammed Toukir Islam attempted to divert the aircraft away from the densely populated area before it slammed into the two-story school building. The impact sparked a massive fire that injured at least 171 students. Dozens of children with burns were rushed to hospitals by helicopter, rickshaw, and on foot.

Panic unfolded as families frantically searched for loved ones amid smoke and debris. Witnesses described loud explosions and buildings shaking before the blaze. Rescue operations continued into the evening, with a crane deployed to sift through wreckage.

The crash marks the deadliest aviation disaster in Dhaka in recent memory. Bangladesh declared a National Day of Mourning for Tuesday, with flags to be flown at half-staff. Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus pledged a full investigation, while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences and offered assistance.

Doctors said more than 60 students, many aged 12 to 16, were transferred to specialized burn treatment facilities.

The school serves around 2,000 students from elementary through high school.

 

Sources: News Agencies