Weekly World News
West Asia/Middle East:
Amidst its assault on the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces conducted a number of deadly strikes in the densely populated city of Rafah. One strike on a refugee camp in Rafah killed upwards of 40 people and left scores injured. Graphic video of the bombing showed badly burned bodies as well as children without their heads. The Gaza Ministry of Health reports 35,984 people killed by the Israeli assault since October 7th. However, thousands of Gazans buried under the rubble remain unreported, and deaths from starvation, malnutrition, and disease are not counted in the official death toll. Hamas forces continue to engage in intense urban warfare with Israeli forces throughout various parts of the strip.
Karim Khan, the top prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), has filed applications for arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and 3 Hamas leaders of both the political and military wings. While the warrants still must be approved by a panel of judges, the decision is a heavily significant legal action undertaken against 2 of the most prominent figures in the Israeli government. The decision was welcomed by nations such as South Africa and Belgium, while heavily criticized by nations such as the United States and the United Kingdom. Other governments such as Norway and Germany acknowledged the authority of the court and confirmed they would act to arrest the wanted persons as per their obligations.
The European nations of Spain, Ireland, and Norway moved to officially recognize the State of Palestine within the next week. While 140 countries already recognize a Palestinian state, the majority of those which do not are found in Western Europe. The decision from the 3 governments, which said the move will contribute toward a lasting peace, is a heavy blow to connections between Europe and the state of Israel, which recalled its ambassadors from the 3 countries in protest. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the countries had recognized a “terror state.”
Oceania:
A devastating landslide in the nation of Papua New Guinea killed an estimated 670 people as nearly an entire village was buried under the mud and rock. Rescue and response efforts have been hampered by treacherous conditions and tribal violence.
Europe:
The United States and partners of the G7 alliance have committed to redirecting frozen Russian assets to Ukraine. Some $300 billion of Russian assets are frozen abroad by Western financers. The G7 nations plan to impose a windfall tax to indirectly collect revenues from the assets, which are then meant to be given to Ukraine.
Sources:
Channel - https://t.me/geopolitics_live
Channel - https://t.me/ukraine_watch
Channel - https://t.me/eyeonpal
Channel - https://t.me/QudsNen
Article - https://www.aljazeera.com/news/longform/2023/10/9/israel-hamas-war-in-maps-and-charts-live-tracker
Article - https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/05/22/middleeast/palestinian-statehood-spain-norway-ireland-intl