This week, Israel and Iran reach a ceasefire. WHO speaks out against attack on hospital in Sudan. Violence against Christians threatens possibility of peace in Syria. DRC and Rwanda to sign peace deal hosted by Trump.
Israel and Iran Reach a Ceasefire
Israel and Iran managed to reach a ceasefire following 12 days of conflict over Iran’s nuclear facilities. The ceasefire agreement began to develop on June 22, after the US military struck and damaged Iran’s nuclear sites. US President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he should not expect further US military offensive action, and that it was time to return to diplomatic negotiation with Iran, The Associated Press reported.
Meanwhile, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to return to negotiations because Iran had seen what the US military was capable of, and that it could do much more. Less than two days later, Trump announced on social media that a “Complete and Total CEASEFIRE” had been achieved. Israeli and Iranian leaders, however, were slower to confirm their commitment to the ceasefire, and both sides accused each other of violating it. Nevertheless, the ceasefire now appears to be holding, and Trump said that US and Iranian officials would talk next week.
The conflict between Israel and Iran has killed at least 974 people and wounded 3,458 others in Iran, according to the Washington-based group Human Rights Activists. Meanwhile, the conflict killed 28 people and injured over 3,000 people in Israel, according to Israeli medical officials.
WHO Speaks Out Against Attack on Hospital in Sudan
The World Health Organization (WHO) is speaking out against a strike on a hospital in Sudan’s West Kordofan state on June 22. The attack on Al-Mujlad Hospital killed 40 people, including six children and five healthcare workers. Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF)—which has been determined by the US to have committed a genocide—as well as two civil society groups blamed the Sudanese army for the attack. The Sudanese army has not yet commented on the accusation.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on June 24 posted on X, “Another appalling attack on health in #Sudan, this one in the Al Mujlad Hospital in West Kordofan, causing over 40 civilian deaths, including of children and health workers, and dozens of injuries. We cannot say this louder: attacks on health must stop everywhere! #NotATarget.”
Violence Against Christians Threatens Possibility of Peace in Syria
Recent violence against Christians in Syria threatens the possibility of peace in the country. The attack on Mar Elias Church in Damascus in Damascus on June 22, which was claimed by a group called Saraya Ansar al-Sunna, killed 25 people and injured 63.
Christian leaders in the region have said the attack aimed to impact Syrian society as a whole. The head of the Beirut office of Germany’s Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Michael Bauer, told DW “The latest attack, as terrible as it is, is therefore not directed solely against Christians, but against the social fabric of the entire country as well as the transition process.” Meanwhile, Syrian government officials said the attack was meant to foil their work to establish a state after the fall of dictator Bashar Al-Assad in December 2024.
After the fall of Assad, a new president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, came to power in Syria, promising to enforce minority rights and build an inclusive country. However, attacks such as this have left doubts in the minds of many religious minorities, with some minorities even seeking to leave the country.
DRC and Rwanda to Sign Peace Deal Hosted By Trump
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda plan to sign a peace deal in Washington hosted by US President Donald Trump on June 27. This development comes after the two countries last week agreed to a draft peace deal.
The conflict between DRC and Rwanda reignited violently earlier this year when the M23 rebel group, allegedly backed by between 3,000 and 12,000 Rwandan soldiers, captured strategic cities including Goma and Bukavu in January and February 2025. These gains compounded a humanitarian emergency across eastern DRC, where hundreds of thousands were displaced and around 7,000 people were killed in early 2025. To read Peace News Network (PNN)’s full article on the context leading to the upcoming deal, click here.
Keywords: Israel, Iran, Sudan, Syria, DRC, Congo, Rwanda, Democratic of Republic of the Congo, conflict, conflict resolution, peace
Tara Abhasakun
Tara Abhasakun is Peace News Network (PNN)'s managing editor. She is journalist based in Christchurch, New Zealand, and formerly in Bangkok, Thailand. She has reported on a range of human rights issues involving youth protests in Thailand, as well as arts and culture. Tara's work has appeared in several outlets, including Al Jazeera and South China Morning Post.
