Weekly World News

May 06, 2024

West Asia/Middle East:

Israel’s continued assault on the Gaza Strip has killed at least 34,683 people while tens of thousands more remain buried under the rubble or simply unreported due to a collapse of Gaza’s healthcare and humanitarian system. Widespread starvation and malnutrition are leading to an increasing fatality rate among children, infants, and those with medical conditions. Israel’s aggressive military campaign continues to devastate civilian infrastructure and cause high numbers of casualties. A number of strikes targeted the refugee city of Rafah this week, leading to the deaths of dozens among 1.4 million Gazans seeking shelter in the border city, where Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has promised to launch a ground assault. Strikes this week spanned across the strip, in cities such as Beit Hanoun, Johr al Dik, and others, causing high numbers of casualties including 28 or more within 24 hours. Israel closed the Karem Abu Salem border crossing on Sunday, one of few entry points for humanitarian aid, in response to a rocket attack carried out by Hamas in the area of the border crossing that killed 3 Israeli soldiers. The incident hindered current ceasefire negotiations in the Egyptian capital of Cairo, where Hamas and Israel have failed to agree on terms for a ceasefire deal. Hamas seeks to stop an Israeli assault on Rafah, while the Israeli delegation refuses to accept Hamas’s terms for a deal.

Turkey announced it would be halting all trade with the state of Israel until a permanent ceasefire is achieved in Gaza and humanitarian aid is allowed freely into the besieged strip. Turkey has been one of Israel’s key economic partners in the region, with the trade between the two countries valued at $7 billion annually. The move was praised by Hamas, the governing party in Gaza, and criticized by Israel, which described the decision as dictatorial. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been a strong vocal critic of Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip and has faced increasing pressure to take further actions against the Israeli state.

Caucasus:

Large crowds of protestors in Georgia gathered at the nation’s capital, clashing with police and storming the parliamentary building. Protestors rallied in opposition to a “foreign agents” bill in Georgia’s parliament that would require all organizations that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register with the government as foreign agents. Opponents of the bill claim it resembles a law passed in Russia and could be used to crack down on the freedoms of independent groups. The ruling party claims the bill aligns with Western governments’ standards, which have similar requirements for foreign-affiliated organizations.

North America:

Canadian authorities arrested and charged three Indian nationals allegedly part of a hit squad tasked by the Indian government to murder Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was fatally shot in June of 2023. The incident and subsequent accusations led to significant tensions between the governments of Canada and India, who claimed to have no role in the assassination. A similar assassination attempt was foiled by United States authorities last year, which US officials claim was linked to India’s spy agency. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought to combat the increasingly popular Sikh separatist movement, which seeks the sovereignty of the state of Khalistan in the northern Punjab region.

United States Congressman Henry Cuellar was indicted along with his wife for accepting $600,000 in bribes to influence his decisions and promote the interests of a Mexican bank and an Azerbaijani energy company. The indictment includes evidence that Cuellar, a Democrat and a representative from the state of Texas, gave a pro-Azerbaijan speech on the floor of the House of Representatives. Cuellar and his wife denied any wrongdoing.

South America:

The South American nation of Columbia is set to cut diplomatic ties with the state of Israel, announced Columbian President Gustavo Petro, who has repeatedly criticized Israel’s actions against the Gaza population. Speaking to a crowd in Bogota, Petro announced, “If Palestine dies, humanity dies.”

Sources:

Channel - https://t.me/geopolitics_live