At least 188 people have been killed and hundreds injured after back-to-back earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck northern Venezuela Wednesday evening. The tremors, centered near Montalbán and Morón, are among the strongest to hit the country in over a century, causing widespread building collapses in Caracas and the state of La Guaira, which officials described as a "disaster zone." Tremors were felt in Colombia and Brazil.

The U.S. Geological Survey warned that fatalities could eventually exceed 10,000 due to the scale of destruction. President Donald Trump declared the U.S. "ready, willing, and able to help," instructing all federal agencies to mobilize quickly for what he called a "devastating" event.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the immediate deployment of U.S. search-and-rescue teams, medical supplies, and humanitarian aid, noting that the War Department would provide logistical support to bypass damaged infrastructure like the closed Simón Bolívar International Airport.

This rapid response marks a significant diplomatic shift following the U.S. military's January intervention that removed former leader Nicolás Maduro and installed acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who has thanked the U.S. and accepted aid from nations including Brazil, China, and Qatar.

Srinivasan Muralidhar, chair of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, released a report on Tuesday, concluding that Israel is committing genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes by deliberately targeting Palestinian children.

The inquiry found that between October 7, 2023, and October 7, 2025, at least 20,179 children were killed and 44,143 injured in Gaza, representing approximately 30% of the total death toll.

The commission determined that this deliberate targeting, which continued even after the October 2025 ceasefire, establishes genocidal intent to destroy the Palestinian group in Gaza.

The report cites evidence of Israeli security forces using precision weapons, including snipers and quadcopters, to shoot children in the head and upper body, as well as the destruction of critical infrastructure like schools, hospitals, and neonatal care units. Additionally, the commission documented war crimes in the West Bank, including the torture, sexual violence, and starvation of detained Palestinian children.

Beyond direct killings, the inquiry highlighted irreversible harm to Palestinian children’s health, education, and psychological development, describing the destruction of childhood as a systematic campaign eroding the foundations of Palestinian society.

The commission stated that targeting children is a key element establishing Israel’s intent to destroy the Palestinian group, noting that the proportion of child fatalities is higher than in previous Gaza conflicts (where it was ~24%).

The report identified specific Israeli military units responsible for these killings, including the Kfir Brigade, 162nd Division, 98th and 99th Divisions, and the Refa’im (Ghost) Unit.

Israel dismissed the report as a "libelous sham" and "defamatory advocacy report," asserting that it ignored Hamas tactics and that every child deserves protection.

This report builds on a September 2025 conclusion by the same commission that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, which also implicated senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.