Daily Peace and Crisis Report — Saturday

Compiled: 27 June 2026 | 08:06 AEST (Australia/Sydney) | For the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network

Summary

See below for detail and source

The United States struck Iranian missile, drone, and radar sites on 26 June after Iran attacked a Singapore-flagged cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, threatening the fragile US–Iran ceasefire and pausing IMO ship evacuations; Israel and Lebanon simultaneously signed a US-brokered framework agreement described as a "first step" toward lasting peace.
Ukraine launched one of its heaviest drone bombardments of Russia on 26 June as President Zelenskyy announced a 40-day Security Service operation to "pressure Russia to end the war"; Russia gained another village in a border region and exchanged 160 prisoners of war with Ukraine; Putin reiterated readiness for peace talks on Istanbul-agreement terms, which Kyiv is expected to reject.
In Gaza, Israeli forces continued to violate the October 2025 ceasefire, killing Palestinians in Beit Lahiya and the West Bank village of Sarta; cumulative ceasefire-period deaths in Gaza surpassed 1,031 since 10 October 2025, with total deaths since October 2023 exceeding 73,000.
In Sudan, civil society organisations and the UN Human Rights Council called for urgent action as RSF forces maintained a siege-like encirclement of El Obeid in North Kordofan; drone strikes killed civilians and shut down medical services; the UN warned of an imminent risk of mass atrocities echoing the El Fasher genocide hallmarks of 2025.
In Myanmar, resistance forces destroyed a junta Mi-17 helicopter in Magway Region using suicide drones; OHCHR reported over 700 civilian deaths in Myanmar in the first six months of 2026; nearly 700,000 Myanmar nationals fled to Thailand in four months due to conflict and conscription.

Middle East

Gaza Strip

Israeli forces continued to violate the ceasefire that formally took effect on 10 October 2025. On 25 June, Israeli troops opened fire in the al-Atatra area of Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, killing one Palestinian, whose body was transferred to al-Shifa Medical Complex. A separate drone strike hit pedestrians near the Italian Complex in Gaza City's Nassr neighbourhood, wounding two people, one critically. Al Jazeera

Gaza's Health Ministry reported that Israeli violations of the ceasefire have killed 1,031 Palestinians and injured 3,309 others since 10 October 2025. In total, since Israel's military campaign began in October 2023, more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza. Al Jazeera

The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains catastrophic. The UN Secretary-General has warned that the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is "rapidly deteriorating." The OCHA Flash Appeal for 2026 requires US$4.1 billion, of which only 24.8 per cent has been funded. OCHA oPt

West Bank

Israeli forces killed 32-year-old Mustafa Taha Mustafa al-Khatib at dawn on 25 June after storming his home in the village of Sarta, west of Salfit. His family described the killing as a "cold-blooded execution," stating that troops forced their way in without giving him time to open the door. Relatives reported that Israeli soldiers prevented ambulances from reaching al-Khatib for nearly two hours. The Israeli military claimed its troops fired at someone "throwing objects" during a raid. Al Jazeera

The Palestinian health ministry said al-Khatib's death brought the number of Palestinians killed in the West Bank since the beginning of 2026 to 72, including 17 children, five women, and two elderly people. Separately, settler violence in Halhul, north of Hebron, saw approximately 35 masked settlers throwing stones at Palestinian homes and attempting to start fires following the dismantling of a nearby outpost. Al Jazeera

OCHA reported on 26 June that displacement in the West Bank has now surpassed 3,000 Palestinians in 2026, with most cases linked to settler violence. Since 7 October 2023, Israeli forces and settlers have killed at least 1,025 Palestinians in the West Bank, including more than 206 children. In 2026 to date, 749 structures have been demolished and 1,005 Palestinians displaced. OCHA oPt

Lebanon and the Iran–US Diplomatic Situation

On 26 June, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon following four days of US-mediated talks in Washington, DC. The deal was signed by Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh. Rubio described it as "the beginning of the beginning" and "a first step" toward lasting peace. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a "great achievement," emphasising that Israel would maintain its security zone in southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed. Al Jazeera; BBC

Hezbollah was not a party to the negotiations, and it remains unclear whether the group will agree to withdraw from the South Litani area. Previous ceasefires between Israel and Lebanon have been repeatedly violated, with both sides accusing the other of breaches. Lebanon was drawn into the broader conflict on 2 March when Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel in retaliation for an Israeli strike that killed Iran's supreme leader; Israel responded with an air campaign across Lebanon and a ground invasion in the south. BBC

The US–Iran diplomatic situation deteriorated sharply on 26 June when US Central Command conducted strikes against Iranian missile and drone storage locations and coastal radar sites in response to an Iranian drone attack on a Singapore-flagged cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz the previous day. President Trump called Iran's action a "foolish violation" of the ceasefire. The International Maritime Organization, which had been conducting an evacuation of approximately 600 ships and 11,000 sailors from the strait, suspended operations following the attack. About 115 vessels and 2,500 sailors had been evacuated since Tuesday before the suspension. AP

The US and Iran are still negotiating the terms of a permanent deal under a 60-day window established by their interim memorandum of understanding signed on 17 June. Key outstanding issues include control of the Strait of Hormuz and the disposition of Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium. AP

Eastern Europe

Russia–Ukraine Conflict

On 25 June, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced he had approved a 40-day Security Service (SBU) operation to "influence the aggressor state in order to press for an end to the war." The announcement came as Ukraine unleashed one of its heaviest drone bombardments of Russia, striking two oil refineries in Ufa (1,500 km from the frontline), an oil depot in Krasnodar region, and Russia's fourth-largest oil refinery, Norsi in Nizhny Novgorod, which suspended operations after a drone attack damaged a primary refining unit. The Guardian; Reuters

Ukrainian strikes also blacked out Sevastopol, Crimea's largest city, with Russian-occupied Crimea imposing further power outages. Power was fully or partially cut across the Russian-held part of Kherson region bordering Crimea. Ukrainian intelligence confirmed that Russian relay stations in Belarus used for attacks on Ukraine had been switched off following Zelenskyy's ultimatum to Lukashenko. The Guardian

Russia, according to RT, gained control of another village in a key border region and reported the interception of 660 long-range kamikaze aircraft over eight hours. Russia and Ukraine exchanged 160 prisoners of war. RT (Rus)

Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated on 23 June that Russia is "ready for peace talks with Ukraine on the basis of the Istanbul agreements" worked out in 2022. Analysts widely assess that Putin is seeking to buy time rather than pursue genuine negotiations. "For the first time since the autumn of 2022 Ukraine has a chance to win the war," according to Nikolay Mitrokhin, a Moscow-born researcher at Germany's Bremen University. Al Jazeera

Russia attacked three rail locomotives across Ukraine, killing one driver, and struck petrol stations in Zaporizhzhia and Sumy. An air raid alert was declared for Kyiv late on 25 June with missiles intercepted. The Ukraine Recovery Conference was held in Gdańsk, Poland on 25–26 June, mobilising international support for Ukraine's reconstruction. The Guardian

According to OHCHR's April 2026 monthly report, at least 238 civilians were killed and 1,404 injured in Ukraine in April 2026, the highest monthly civilian casualty toll since July 2025. This represents an 18 per cent increase compared with April 2025. Attacks with long-range weapons (missiles and drones) were the primary cause, accounting for 43 per cent of total casualties. The vast majority (96 per cent) of civilian casualties occurred in areas under the control of the Government of Ukraine. OHCHR

Belarus

President Lukashenko on 25 June accused Ukraine rather than Russia of trying to drag Belarus into the war, while simultaneously declaring he "stands with Russia" and calling for a "substantive" agreement. The Institute for the Study of War assessed that Lukashenko "continues to stall and deflect the Kremlin's intensified attempts to drag Belarus into the war in Ukraine while maintaining relatively neutral rhetoric towards Ukraine." Ukrainian military officials ordered a mandatory evacuation for approximately 1,000 people still in the Chernihiv region bordering Russia and Belarus, effective 1 July. The Guardian

Africa

Sudan

The humanitarian and security situation in Sudan deteriorated further this week as Rapid Support Forces (RSF) maintained a siege-like encirclement of El Obeid, the capital of North Kordofan state, home to approximately 500,000 civilians. On 26 June, Human Rights Watch and 37 other civil society organisations issued a joint letter to the UN Human Rights Council calling for an urgent debate or special session on the situation, citing the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk's "stark warning" of 18 June that "an imminent offensive risked fresh commission of serious international crimes." Human Rights Watch

OCHA reported that between 19 and 22 June, drone attacks targeted multiple locations in El Obeid, including a power substation and a fuel station, forcing the closure of several medical facilities including a dialysis centre, and shutting down water stations. On 25 June, RSF drone strikes killed two civilians at a fuel station in Rabak, White Nile state. UN News; Sudan Tribune

The UN Security Council adopted a statement on 20 June expressing concern over the "imminent risk of mass atrocities" and demanding that the RSF immediately halt its assault on El Obeid. The UN's Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan has previously concluded that RSF massacres in El Fasher in 2025 bore the "hallmarks of genocide." Civil society organisations have called on the international community to condemn the role of the United Arab Emirates in fuelling the conflict through military support to the RSF. Human Rights Watch

Sudan's civil war, now in its fourth year, has created the world's largest humanitarian crisis. More than 30 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance. A cholera outbreak in West Kordofan state continues to worsen, with 700 cases and 60 associated deaths as of 16 June. The UN has estimated that 825,000 children under five face severe acute malnutrition in 2026. UN News; ReliefWeb / OCHA

Asia

Myanmar

Resistance forces in Myanmar continued offensive operations against the military junta. In Myaing Township of Magway Region, the Magway People's Defence Force (PDF) successfully attacked a junta Mi-17 helicopter using two suicide drones, destroying the aircraft as it landed at a Pyusawti Militia-controlled village. Following the strike, the junta army carried out retaliatory airstrikes in the area. In Chauk Township of Magway Region, an alliance of local PDFs conducted a mine attack on a junta convoy on the No. 3 Union Road, reportedly killing seven junta soldiers. Mizzima

The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that over 700 civilians had lost their lives in Myanmar in the first six months of 2026, with most deaths occurring in the middle part of the country and Rakhine State. The International Organization for Migration reported that nearly 700,000 Myanmar nationals had left for Thailand within four months due to conflicts and military conscription. The European Union designated Myanmar as one of its nine top global crises requiring priority humanitarian efforts. Mizzima

In Ayeyarwady Region, the Arakan Army gained complete control over the junta's 188 Camp in Yekyi Township. In Kachin State, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) Brigade 11 warned local residents and business people in Shweku District not to associate with the military junta. More than 5,300 people remain trapped in online scam centres near Myanmar's Thai border, more than a year after thousands were freed during a multinational crackdown. Mizzima

An analysis published on 26 June in War on the Rocks cautioned against misreading the junta's recent gains, arguing that "so long as the Spring Revolution remains in the field and holds substantial territory, prematurely discounting the resistance and treating the junta as victorious would be a strategic error."

Statistics

Table 1 — Casualties (Killed / Wounded)

Conflict/Crisis	Key Statistic	Source	Killed	Wounded
Gaza Strip	Since 7 Oct 2023 (cumulative)	Al Jazeera / Gaza MoH	73,000+	173,000+
	Since Oct 2025 ceasefire (violations)	Al Jazeera / Gaza MoH	1,031	3,309
West Bank	Since 7 Oct 2023 (cumulative)	OCHA oPt	1,025+	—
	2026 to date (Israeli forces & settlers)	OCHA oPt	45	1,089
Sudan	Since Apr 2023 (est. range)	ReliefWeb / OCHA / ACLED	150,000–400,000 (est.)	—
Ukraine	Civilians, Govt-controlled territory (April 2026)	OHCHR	238	1,404
	Civilians, Russian-occupied territory (April 2026)	OHCHR (access denied)	Unverified*	Unverified*
Myanmar	Civilians killed, Jan–Jun 2026	Mizzima / OHCHR	700+	—

* OHCHR access is denied to Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine; figures for civilians in occupied territory cannot be independently verified. The vast majority (96%) of verified civilian casualties occur in Government-controlled areas.

Table 2 — Numbers (non-casualty figures)

Conflict/Crisis	Key Statistic	Figure	Source
Gaza Strip	OCHA Flash Appeal 2026 funding gap	US$3.1 billion unmet (24.8% funded)	OCHA oPt
West Bank	Palestinians displaced in 2026	3,000+ (surpassed as of 26 Jun 2026)	OCHA oPt
	Structures demolished in 2026	749	OCHA oPt
Sudan	People in need of humanitarian assistance	30 million+	UN News / OCHA
	Children under 5 at risk of severe acute malnutrition in 2026	825,000	UNICEF
	Cholera cases in West Kordofan (as of 16 Jun 2026)	700 cases; 60 deaths	UN News
Strait of Hormuz	Ships evacuated via IMO operation (suspended 26 Jun)	115 vessels; ~2,500 seafarers	AP / IMO
	Ships remaining in area (approx.)	~500	AP / IMO
Myanmar	Nationals who fled to Thailand in 4 months (conflict/conscription)	~700,000	Mizzima / IOM
Ukraine	Civilian casualties Jan–Apr 2026 (21% higher than same period 2025)	815 killed; 4,174 injured	OHCHR

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