Weekly World News
West Asia/Middle East:
At least 26,257 Gazans have been killed in Israel’s ongoing military assault on the strip, with over 64,000 others injured and thousands more buried under the rubble. A particularly intense assault on the city of Khan Younis has forced thousands to flee south to the border city of Rafah, where many sleep in the open and sewage overflows tent camps, exacerbating unsanitary conditions. Many Gazans face starvation and malnutrition as disease poses a particular threat to weakened immune systems, especially among children and infants.
In the case of South Africa vs. Israel, the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel’s actions in Gaza plausibly violate its responsibilities under the Genocide Convention. The court ruled that Israel must prevent its forces from committing violence that violates the convention, prevent and punish genocidal incitement within the Israeli government, and ensure increased humanitarian aid into the strip. However, the court stopped short of ordering a ceasefire of Israel’s operations in Gaza, instead requiring a report of Israel’s compliance with the court’s mandates after one month
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A drone strike in Jordan killed 3 United States troops, marking the first time US troops have been killed in the Middle East since the beginning of escalations in Gaza in October. A small US outpost in Jordan was the target of the attack that killed three service members and wounded 30 others. US officials blame an unspecified Iranian-backed militia for the attack, and US President Joe Biden vowed the United States “shall respond.
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The United States struck three sites in Iraq that it claimed were used by militias with links to Iran in response to attacks on US forces stationed in Iraq. Yahia Rasool, a spokesperson for the Iraqi commander-in-chief, condemned the strikes, describing them as unacceptable and a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty. Various militant groups have launched a total of 66 attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria since the beginning of escalations in the region in October
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The United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and five other nations suspended funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) following an allegation that several of its workers participated in an October 7th attack on Israel that killed 695 civilians and 373 security forces. The UNRWA is a United Nations organization that has played a significant role in administering humanitarian services and supplies to Gazans amid dire humanitarian conditions and the collapse of the Gaza healthcare system. The UNRWA says it terminated the contracts of those facing the allegations and called the decision to suspend funds “shocking,” as it says 2 million Gazan lives depend on the UNRWA for aid and assistance.
Israeli military forces began a controversial plan to flatten buildings and agricultural land to create a 1-km wide, militarized “buffer zone” on the Gaza border. Hamas officials blasted the plan, and experts pointed out that it would likely constitute an illegal occupation of Palestinian land.
North America:
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he is prepared for a potential conflict with the United States federal government as he instructs the Texas National Guard to secure the southern border with razor wire, despite Homeland Security issuing a deadline for which federal authorities are to remove the wire. The Texas Guard also blocked federal access to several areas of the border, including Shelby Park, where three migrants drowned shortly after. Governor Abbott claims Texas has the constitutional right to self-defense to stop the flow of illegal migration into the State of Texas, and 25 Republican governors have supported his stance.
Former United States President Donald Trump achieved victory in the crucial New Hampshire primary, delivering a blow to opponent Nikki Haley and clearing the path toward the Republican nomination. Analysts pointed to New Hampshire as Nikki Haley’s best chance of challenging Trump’s campaign since polling suggested that Republicans in New Hampshire were more favorable toward Haley than elsewhere in the nation. Despite Trump’s win, Haley has refrained from dropping out of the race, unlike the once promising Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who ended his presidential run shortly before the primary
Sources:
Channel - https://t.me/SputnikInt_unc2
Channel - https://t.me/ukraine_watch
Channel - https://t.me/eyeonpal
Channel - https://t.me/QudsNen
Article - Israel’s war on Gaza: List of key events, day 114
Article - The Importance of the I.C.J. Ruling on Israel | The New Yorker
Article - Live updates: US troops killed in Jordan, Israel-Hamas war, Gaza crisis
Article - 3 US troops killed by Iranian-backed drone strike in Jordan, Biden says - ABC News
Article - Iraq says US ‘blatantly’ violated its sovereignty with strikes on Iran-linked targets | The Hill
Article - UNRWA’s lifesaving aid may end due to funding suspension
Article - U.S. forces carry out series of strikes against Iran-backed militia in Iraq | Reuters
Article - Israeli Forces Flatten Gaza Border Areas to Create Militarized Zone - News From Antiwar.com
Article - Hamas blasts Israel’s plan to create buffer zone in Gaza as a ‘crime’
Article - Texas doubles down in unprecedented border dispute with federal government
Article - US-Mexico border timeline: Texas blocks federal patrol agents at Eagle Pass | CNN
Article - Trump wins New Hampshire primary as rematch with Biden appears increasingly likely
