Weekly World News

Mar 04, 2024

West Asia/Middle East:

The Israeli government is facing scrutiny from foreign nations and allies for an incident in which Israeli forces fired on a crowd of Gazans surrounding an aid truck, killing at least 115 and injuring 700 others. Thousands of hungry Gazans filled Al-Rashid street in preparation for aid trucks said to be carrying flour. According to footage and eyewitness reports, Israeli soldiers and tanks then unleashed shells and gunfire on the crowd, then advanced with their tanks, crushing those who remained on the street. While the Israeli government at first claimed the casualties were the result of a crowd crush, they later admitted that their forces indeed opened fire, claiming to do so in self-defense. Due to the collapse of the healthcare system, no ambulances were able to arrive on site, so the injured were transported to hospitals by donkey. However, Gaza’s remaining hospitals operate with minimal fuel and resources, severely hindering their ability to treat the wounded. Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip has killed and injured over 100,000 Gazans and created a humanitarian crisis throughout the strip. A limited number of aid trucks have been able to enter the territory, and many cannot reach northern areas, where conditions are particularly severe and food is especially scarce. Nations such as Jordan, France, and the United States have begun the process of airdropping aid deliveries to Gaza to counter the growing risk of widespread famine.

Israel is reportedly boycotting ongoing ceasefire negotiations in the Egyptian capital of Cairo after Hamas rejected a demand to provide a list of the remaining living captives it took during its October 7th attack. Israeli delegates were absent from the mediations facilitated by the United States to achieve a ceasefire before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Neither Hamas nor Israel has yet agreed to the terms set by the other, despite US President Joe Biden expressing hopes that a ceasefire will be achieved in the coming week.

Caribbean:

Armed groups overtook the largest prison in the Caribbean nation of Haiti, which is enduring a critical crisis as the government struggles to deal with gang violence. Only about 3% of the prison’s 3,800 inmates remained after the assault, which quickly overwhelmed police and led to the deaths of at least 12 people. Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry is attempting to rally support among international partners for a joint police force, which Kenya has agreed to lead.

Africa:

At least 67,000 Tanzanians were forced to flee from Cabo Delgado, which faces an increase in insurgent attacks. In previous years, Islamic State (IS) attacks have delayed the construction of a $20 billion liquefied natural gas terminal, which was scheduled to restart in the coming months. Insurgent attacks have continued against the African nation of Tanzania despite attempts by government forces to crack down on increasing violence.

Sources:

Channel - https://t.me/SputnikInt_unc2