Weekly World News

Nov 06, 2023

West Asia/Middle East:

Israel continued and intensified its bombing campaign on the Gaza Strip during the last seven days, most notably striking the densely packed Jabalia Refugee Camp multiple times. Gaza’s Government Media Office reported that the strikes on the camp killed at least 195 people, with 120 missing and 777 injured. Following a Hamas attack that reportedly killed 1,400 Israelis, Israel’s intense bombardment of the Gaza Strip has killed 9,770 people, including over 4,000 children, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Only limited humanitarian aid has been able to enter the strip, which has been under Israeli blockade since 2007. The United Nations has accused Israel of committing war crimes in its actions against Gaza, citing the evidence of collective punishment, forced displacement, and disregard for civilian casualties.

Israeli forces conducted offensive actions within the Gaza Strip, claiming the complete encirclement of Northern Gaza. The Israeli Defense Force confirmed the deaths of 19 Israeli soldiers, while the number of casualties inflicted on Hamas is unknown. Hamas has claimed the destruction of Israeli tanks and equipment, and both sides have posted videos of the intense urban fighting.

At least 320 foreign nationals and up to 81 critically injured people were able to evacuate Gaza through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt under a Qatar-brokered deal. The deal allows for the evacuation of up to 7,500 foreign passport holders in 2 weeks.

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid a visit to Israel in an apparent attempt to appeal for humanitarian pauses, a proposal which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected. He stated the release of all hostages as a precondition for a humanitarian pause. Blinken also traveled to the West Bank to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in an effort to assure him that the United States is committed to aiding civilians in Gaza.

North America:

Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of the FTX crypto company, was found guilty of two counts of fraud and five counts of conspiracy related to the stealing of billions of dollars from customers. A co-founder of FTX testified that Bankman-Fried had commanded the creation of a back door in the exchange’s code that made way for his other company, Alameda Research, to borrow large amounts of funds. He reportedly used the stolen funds for his own purposes, including campaign donations, charitable donations, research funding, and even financing his lavish lifestyle in the Bahamas, where he was arrested in December of 2022.

Europe:

A deadly Russian strike that inflicted heavy casualties on Ukrainian forces has prompted a criminal investigation within Ukraine’s military. Ukrainian President Vlodymir Zelenskyy said that the strike “could have been avoided” and announced the initiation of criminal proceedings. The strike killed more than 20 Ukrainian soldiers during an award ceremony in the Zaporizhzhia Region, on the southern part of the line of contact.

Sources:

Channel - https://t.me/SputnikInt_unc2

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