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☆ Here’s What to Know About the Hunger Crisis in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Matthew Mpoke Bigg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Six months into the Israel-Hamas war, the people of Gaza are facing a hunger crisis that the United Nations says borders on famine. The crisis in Gaza is entirely human-made, a result of Israel’s war on Hamas and a near-complete siege of the territory, aid experts say. Here’s a look at how Gaza reached this point. The food shortages in Gaza have been created by Israel’s blockade and military operations. For years before the latest war, Gaza was subject to an Israeli blockade, backed by Egypt.

Persons: ”, Jens Laerke Organizations: Hamas Locations: Israel, Gaza, United Nations, Sudan, Somalia, Egypt, Gaza’s

400,000 Men at each age 200,000 Age: 15 25 35 45 55 65 75 85 95Can Ukraine Find New Soldiers Without Decimating a Whole Generation? Healthy men under age 30, the backbone of most militaries, are part of the smallest generation in Ukraine’s modern history. Mr. Zelensky’s decision to draft men starting at age 25 risks further diminishing this small generation of Ukrainians. But the lower draft age risks shrinking a small generation even more. And in occupied areas of the country Russia is conscripting Ukrainian men to fight against Ukraine, starting at age 18.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, birthrates, thein, —, Oleksandr Gladun, it’s, ”, Serhiy Hrabsky, Gladun, “ Organizations: Boys, United Nations, Ptukha, Social Studies, European Union, Eurostat, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, United States, Soviet Union, Russia, Europe

☆ Middle East Crisis Famine Has Begun in Northern Gaza, U.S. Official Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Liam Stack | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

Facing international condemnation after an Israeli airstrike killed seven workers for an international aid group, Israel said last week that it would reopen the Erez crossing between Israel and northern Gaza for aid delivery. A spokeswoman for the defense minister, Yoav Gallant, said on Wednesday that another crossing into northern Gaza, near Zikim, a kibbutz, would open instead, and not the one near Erez. ISRAEL Erez crossing GAZA Damage Road to Gaza City Erez crossing Gaza City Damage Damage GAZA STRIP Rubble from destroyed building ISRAEL Erez crossing GAZA Damage Road to Gaza City Damage Damage Erez crossing Rubble from destroyed building GAZA STRIPMr. Gallant told reporters that the government had approved a new border crossing and the use of the port of Ashdod, around 20 miles northeast of Gaza, for aid shipments, but he did not offer a time frame for either. U.N. figures show that an average of about 110 aid trucks have entered each day since Oct. 7. Credit... Mahmoud Essa/Associated PressBy contrast, U.N. data shows that a total of 533 aid trucks entered Gaza in the three days after Saturday.

Persons: Israel, Erez, Yoav Gallant, ISRAEL Erez, Gallant, Mahmoud Essa, Jens Laerke, Trucks, Laerke, COGAT, ”, Kerem Shalom, Aaron Boxerman Organizations: United Nations, Oxfam, Aid, Associated, U.S, UNRWA Locations: Gaza, Israel, Zikim, Erez, GAZA, ISRAEL, Ashdod, ”, Gaza . Credit, Kerem

☆ Opinion | Where Is America’s ‘Rules-Based Order’ Now?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Spencer Ackerman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Israel, unwilling to accept a U.N. mandate, continued bombing the overcrowded southern city of Rafah and besieging Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Shortly after the vote, Biden administration officials called the resolution, No. 2728, “nonbinding,” in what appeared to be an attempt to deny its status as international law. It was a confounding approach from an administration that allowed the resolution to go through with an abstention after vetoing three earlier ones. But it’s just as obvious what entity can make Israel stop, and isn’t: the United States.

Persons: “, Matthew Miller, it’s, Israel, Biden, ” Organizations: United Nations Security, Shifa, Biden, State Department, . Security Locations: Gaza, United States, Israel, Rafah, Al, Gaza City

Germany on Tuesday defended itself against accusations that its arms sales to Israel were abetting genocide in Gaza, arguing at the International Court of Justice that most of the equipment it has supplied since Oct. 7 was nonlethal and that it has also been one of the largest donors of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. Debate over Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip has been muted in Germany, whose leadership calls support for Israel a “Staatsräson,” a national reason for existence, and where people have historically been reluctant to question that support publicly. But the mounting death toll and humanitarian crisis in Gaza have led some German officials to ask whether that unwavering backing has gone too far. Lawyers for Germany said Tuesday that the allegations brought by Nicaragua had “no basis in fact or law” and rested on an assessment of military conduct by Israel, which is not a party to the case. Tania von Uslar-Gleichen, an official at Germany’s Foreign Ministry and lead counsel in the case, told the 15-judge bench that Nicaragua had “rushed this case to court on the basis of the flimsiest evidence.”

Persons: ”, Tania von Uslar, “ Organizations: International Court of Justice, Hamas, Israel, Lawyers, Germany’s Foreign Ministry Locations: Germany, Israel, Gaza, The Hague, Nicaragua, ”

☆ Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin rejects accusations Israel has committed genocide in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Rebecca Shabad | Mosheh Gains | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testifies before a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on President Biden's proposed budget request for the Department of Defense on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 9, 2024. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday said the U.S. has seen no evidence that Israel has committed genocide during its military operations against Hamas in Gaza. Asked by Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., whether that means Israel is not committing genocide in Gaza, Austin said again, "We don't have evidence of that." Earlier in the hearing, Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., had asked the defense secretary if Hamas' attack on Israel on Oct. 7 should be considered an act of genocide. "What we witnessed on Oct. 7, senator, was a horrific terrorist attack by Hamas," Austin said, adding it "certainly is a war crime."

Persons: Lloyd Austin, Biden's, Israel, Austin, Joe Biden's, Sen, Tom Cotton, Roger Wicker Organizations: Defense, Armed Services, Department of Defense, Capitol, Israel Defense Forces, Gaza Ministry of Health, United Nations, International Court of Justice, General Assembly Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, Gaza, Israel, South Africa

☆ At U.N. Court, Germany Fights Allegations of Aiding Genocide
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Marlise Simons | Erika Solomon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Germany on Tuesday began defending itself at the International Court of Justice against allegations that it is furthering genocide in Gaza by supplying arms to Israel. Nicaragua brought the case against Germany to the court in The Hague. Berlin has denied violating the Genocide Convention or international humanitarian law, and sent a delegation of international lawyers, including some from Britain and Italy, to the U.N. court. Germany is Israel’s second-largest arms supplier after the United States and a nation whose leadership calls support for the country a “Staatsräson,” a national reason for existence, as a way of atoning for the Holocaust. But the mounting death toll in Gaza and humanitarian crisis in the enclave have led some German officials to ask whether that backing has gone too far.

Organizations: Tuesday, International Court of, Convention Locations: Germany, Gaza, Israel, Nicaragua, The Hague, Berlin, Britain, Italy, United States, ”, atoning

☆ Middle East Crisis As Ramadan Nears Its End, Relief Remains Elusive in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Victoria Kim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Israeli airstrikes a week ago killed seven aid workers who had been delivering food in Gaza, renewing the international focus on the hunger crisis there. But UNRWA, the primary United Nations agency aiding Palestinians, said that 103 aid trucks crossed into Gaza on Sunday. Until now, almost all aid for Gaza has entered through two southern border crossings, at Rafah and Kerem Shalom. Before the conflict, around 500 commercial and aid trucks entered Gaza each day. Juliette Touma, a spokeswoman for UNRWA, said that Gaza needs 500 trucks of aid each day, for weeks and months, to remedy the crisis.

Persons: Israel, Biden, COGAT, Matthew Miller, Miller, Benjamin Netanyahu, Juliette Touma, Michael Crowley Organizations: UNRWA, United, State Department, Israel, Food, United States Central Command Locations: Gaza, COGAT, United Nations, Rafah, Kerem Shalom, Israel, Ashdod, United States

☆ Big oil is racing to scale up carbon capture to slash emissions but the challenges are immense
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-06 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

Some climate activists accuse the industry of simply investing in carbon capture as way to extend the use of oil and gas. The technology typically uses chemical absorption to capture carbon dioxide emitted from the chimney of an industrial plant. "The economic viability of carbon capture and sequestration is a challenge today because the cost of building most plants in order to capture carbon dioxide are very significant," the executive said. About two-thirds of the industry's carbon dioxide emissions come from chemical reactions that occur when breaking down limestone. SLB this month announced a nearly $400 million investment in Aker Carbon Capture, a pure-play carbon capture company based in Norway, in an effort to accelerate deployment of the technology at commercial scale.

Persons: Chin Lee, Biden, SLB, Fred Majkut, Majkut, Adam Miklos, Miklos, Baker Hughes, Olivier Le Peuch, Alessandro Bresciani, Jeff Gustavson, Gustavson, steelmaker Nucor, Linde, Dan Ammann, Ammann, Fatih Birol, We're, SLB's Majkut Organizations: Chevron, Houston Chronicle, Hearst Newspapers, Department of Energy, RTI International, International Energy Agency, Exxon, Rystad Energy, Clean Investment Monitor, United Nations ., Gulf Coast, CF Industries, Talos Energy, Carbonvert, IEA Locations: Winnie, Mississippi, Vicksburg, Schlumberger, United States, Paris, Chevron, United Kingdom, U.S, Aker, Norway, Houston, Port Arthur , Texas, Gulf, Louisiana, Beaumont , Texas, Mississippi , Louisiana, Texas, Bayou, Port Arthur

☆ Middle East Crisis Amid Fears of Expanded War, U.S. Renews Push for Hostage and Cease-Fire Deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-06 | by ( Peter Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Since the start of the war in Gaza in October, the aid group said, it had delivered more than 43 million meals there. Mr. Al-Asaad knows many people relied on meals from World Central Kitchen, which often consisted of rice and beans and sometimes meat or chicken. His family rarely got the meals “because the demand was more than the supply,” Mr. Al-Asaad said in an interview on Friday. “Eggs cost more than gold,” Mr. Al-Asaad, 45, wrote in the caption. The World Food Program, an arm of the United Nations, says that famine is imminent in northern Gaza.

Persons: Suhail Al, Asaad, José Andrés, Mr, Biden, Israel, ”, Mohammad al, Masri, doesn’t Organizations: Mr, Food Program, United Nations, World Health Organization Locations: Gaza City, Rafah, Gaza, WhatsApp

☆ McDonald's will buy all 225 restaurants from Israel franchise following pro-Palestinian boycott fallout
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

McDonald's signed a deal to purchase all 225 of the restaurants that comprise its Israel franchise, the American fast-food chain announced, following months of dramatically lower sales due to pro-Palestinian boycott action amid the Israel-Hamas war. "An agreement to sell Alonyal to McDonald's Corporation has been signed," the McDonald's statement said Thursday. "Upon completion of the transaction, McDonald's Corporation will own Alonyal Limited's restaurants and operations, and employees will be retained on equivalent terms." "We are dismayed by the disinformation and inaccurate reports regarding our position in response to the conflict in the Middle East," McDonald's Corp. said in a November statement. "McDonald's Corporation is not funding or supporting any governments involved in this conflict, and any actions from our local Developmental Licensee business partners were made independently without McDonalds' content or approval."

Persons: McDonald's, Omri Padan, Israel —, —, Chris Kempczinski Organizations: Israel, Alonyal Ltd, McDonald's Corporation, McDonald's, Consumers, Gaza, enclave's Health Ministry, World Health Organization, McDonalds Locations: Israel, East, Malaysia, Indonesia

☆ C.I.A. Director Is Heading to Cairo for New Truce Talks
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Julian E. Barnes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +14 min

During a 30-minute call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, President Biden went further than ever in pressing for change in the military operation. Credit... Fatima Shbair/Associated PressBy the middle of the night in Jerusalem, Israel made its first gestures to Mr. Biden. The reported agreement came as American officials held out the prospect of consequences if Mr. Netanyahu resisted. But Mr. Kirby would not outline specific metrics for judging Israel’s response or what Mr. Biden would do if not satisfied. Mr. Biden called himself “outraged and heartbroken” over the incident and made a point of calling Mr. Andrés to express his condolences.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, President Biden, Biden, Biden’s, “, Netanyahu, ”, Fatima Shbair, Mr, Antony J, Blinken, ” Mr, Chris Coons, Coons, Kamala Harris, Jake Sullivan, Biden “, William J, Burns, Mohammed Saber, John F, Kirby, emboldening, John Hannah, José Andrés, Andrés, Zomi Frankcom, Damian Soból, Barack Obama, Bibi, ” Ben Rhodes, Obama, ” Jon Favreau, doesn’t, ‘, ’, aggravation, Jill Biden, Joe, ” Julian E, Barnes, Katie Rogers, David E, Sanger, Lara Jakes Organizations: Israel, Hamas, Credit, Associated, U.S . National Security Council, NATO, Democratic, CNN, Republican, American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Iran, Central Kitchen, Shutterstock, Jewish Institute for National Security of America, Biden, Mr, Israel Defense Forces, White Locations: Gaza, Israel, Rafah, Jerusalem, Ashdod, Jordan, Brussels, Michigan, Washington, Delaware, Iran, Syria, United States, Cairo, “ Hamas, Haiti, Cyprus, U.S, “

☆ Biden Chides Netanyahu, Threatening to Pivot U.S. Policy
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Cassandra Vinograd | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +13 min

During a 30-minute call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, President Biden went further than ever in pressing for change in the military operation. “President Biden emphasized that the strikes on humanitarian workers and the overall humanitarian situation are unacceptable,” according to a White House summary of the call. But Mr. Kirby would not outline specific metrics for judging Israel’s response or what Mr. Biden would do if not satisfied. Mr. Biden called himself “outraged and heartbroken” over the incident and made a point of calling Mr. Andrés to express his condolences. Bibi obviously doesn’t care what the U.S. says, its about what the U.S. does.”Jon Favreau, a former chief speechwriter for Mr. Obama, was even more derisive of Mr. Biden.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, President Biden, Biden, “, Netanyahu, ”, Fatima Shbair, Antony J, Blinken, ” Mr, Biden’s, Chris Coons, Mr, Coons, Kamala Harris, Jake Sullivan, Biden “, Mohammed Saber, John F, Kirby, emboldening, John Hannah, José Andrés, Andrés, Zomi Frankcom, Damian Soból, Barack Obama, Bibi, ” Ben Rhodes, Obama, ” Jon Favreau, doesn’t, ‘, ’, aggravation, Jill Biden, Joe, Katie Rogers, David E, Sanger, Lara Jakes Organizations: Israel, Hamas, Credit, Associated, NATO, Democratic, CNN, Republican, American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Iran, Central Kitchen, Shutterstock, Jewish Institute for National Security of America, Biden, Mr, Israel Defense Forces, White Locations: Gaza, Israel, Rafah, Brussels, Michigan, Washington, Delaware, Jerusalem, Iran, Syria, United States, “ Hamas, Haiti, Cyprus, U.S, “

☆ Food Aid for Gazans Was Sent Back to Cyprus
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Matthew Cullen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

World Central Kitchen, the charity group that paused its operations in Gaza this week after seven of its workers were killed in an Israeli strike, sent three ships with hundreds of tons of food meant for Gazans back to port in Cyprus. At least one other aid group also announced it was suspending its operations in the enclave, and the U.N.’s World Food Program stopped its overnight work while it evaluated security. The halting of the maritime aid organized by World Central Kitchen will probably be felt most in northern Gaza, where food shortages are most dire. The ships were intended to supplement the roughly 117 aid trucks that enter Gaza each day — a tally that is less than half what the U.N. estimates is needed to meet basic food needs. Here is an account of the strike and its aftermath.

Organizations: Food Program, Central Locations: Gaza, Cyprus, Israel

☆ Middle East Crisis Israeli Military Takes Responsibility for Strike That Killed 7 Aid Workers
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Ben Shpigel | Cassandra Vinograd | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

A car used by World Central Kitchen that was hit by a strike in Deir al Balah in the central Gaza Strip. The Israeli military had been informed of the aid workers’ movements, the charity said. The World Central Kitchen logo could be seen on items inside the charred interiors of the northernmost and southernmost cars. Mr. Abutaha and other World Central Kitchen workers were thrilled to have the opportunity to unload the desperately needed food aid. The World Central Kitchen aid ship is headed back to Cyprus.

Persons: Deir al Balah, José Andrés, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, ”, Erin Gore, Anthony Albanese, Zomi, Penny Wong, Damian Sobol, Wojciech Bakun, Zomi Frankcom, Associated Press David Cameron, John Chapman, James Henderson, James Kirby, Chapman, Henderson, Jacob Flickinger, Saif Abutaha, Abutaha, Shadi, “, Cameron, Israel “, Jamie McGoldrick, Haitham Imad, Mr, Netanyahu, ” Mr, Herzi Halevi, Daniel Hagari, Jennifer, Theodoros Gotsis, Gotsis, Patrick Kingsley, Rawan Sheikh Ahmad, Gabby Sobelman, Matina, Lauren Leatherby, Nader Ibrahim, Kim Severson Organizations: Central Kitchen, The New York Times, ”, ., Free Place Foundation, Associated Press, BBC, James Kirby . Local, Royal Marines, Palestine Red Crescent Society, Central, West Bank, Najjar, United Nations, Agence France, Cypriot Locations: Deir al, Gaza, Spanish, Deir al Balah, Al, Rashid, Palestinian, United States, Canada, Australia, Britain, Poland, Australian, Polish, Przemysl, British, James Kirby . Local British, Palestine, Egypt, Israel, Rafah, Cyprus, Cypriot, Larnaca

☆ From Miami to Melbourne, a quiet revolution is underway to fend off a silent and invisible killer
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Sam Meredith | In Samuelmeredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Javier Torres | Afp | Getty ImagesA quiet revolution is underway to address a widely underestimated climate challenge: extreme heat. Myrivili said she believes that extreme heat is often overlooked because it lacks the visible drama of roofs being ripped from homes or streets being turned into rivers. Most people wouldn't know that in Australia, extreme heat kills more people than bushfires and floods and storms. Tiffany Crawford Co-chief heat officer of Melbourne, AustraliaThe CDC defines extreme heat as summertime temperatures that are significantly hotter and/or more humid than average. Melbourne, AustraliaTiffany Crawford, co-CHO of Melbourne, told CNBC that extreme heat kills more people in Australia than bushfires, floods and storms.

Persons: Javier Torres, Eleni Myrivili, CHO, Myrivili, Tiffany Crawford Co, Jane Gilbert, We've, Gilbert, Giorgio Viera, Afreen, Dhaka North's CHO, Bushra, Australia Tiffany Crawford, Crawford, Krista Milne, Diego Fedele Organizations: Afp, Getty, CNBC, Centers for Disease Control, CDC, Dade, Dhaka North, Dhaka North's, Nurphoto, Environmental, Station Locations: Quilpue comune, Valparaiso region, Chile, Athens, U.S, Australia, Melbourne, Miami, Miami , Florida, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Australian

☆ 7 Aid Workers Killed in Gaza Were Known for a Passion for Helping Others
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Gaya Gupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

They are the latest casualties in the growing toll of aid workers killed in Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, and they are among more than a dozen workers who have been killed while doing their jobs. Gaza has been the deadliest place for aid workers since the Oct. 7 attacks. According to the Aid Worker Security Database, a compilation of data on attacks funded by the United States Agency for International Development, 203 aid workers have been killed in Gaza since the war started. All were Palestinian, except for six of the World Central Kitchen workers most recently killed, who were citizens of Australia, the United States, Canada, Poland and Britain. As of Monday, 176 workers from UNRWA, the U.N. agency dedicated to Palestinians, have been killed, according to the group.

Persons: humanitarians Organizations: Central Kitchen, Aid Worker Security, United States Agency for International Development, Central Locations: Gaza, Palestinian, Deir al Balah, Australia, United States, Canada, Poland, Britain

BEIRUT (AP) — Four United Nations military observers were wounded Saturday while patrolling the southern Lebanese border after a shell exploded near them, the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon said. The military observers are part of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization, which supports the U.N. peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL. Local Lebanese media, citing security officials, said an Israeli drone strike targeted the observers in the southern village of Wadi Katmoun near the border town of Rmeich. Hezbollah-run television station Al-Manar said the drone strike wounded three officers from Australia, Chile, and Norway, as well as a Lebanese interpreter. UNIFIL was created to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon after Israel’s 1978 invasion.

Persons: Manar, Andrea Tenenti, ” Tenenti Organizations: United Nations, United Nations Truce, Organization, Local, IDF, Associated Press Locations: BEIRUT, Lebanese, Lebanon, UNIFIL, Local Lebanese, Israeli, Wadi Katmoun, Rmeich, Australia, Chile, Norway, Israel, Gaza

☆ Canada to Train Troops From Caribbean Nations for Haiti Mission
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada has sent around 70 soldiers to Jamaica to train troops from Caribbean nations who are due to take part in a U.N.-authorized mission to Haiti, the Canadian defense ministry said on Saturday. The initiative has been tied up in Kenyan court challenges ever since, effectively putting the mission on hold. The Canadian troops, from the predominantly French-speaking province of Quebec, will provide training on core peace-keeping skills and combat first aid, the defense ministry said in a statement. The troops are due to stay in Jamaica for an initial period of a month and will train around 330 troops from Jamaica, Belize and the Bahamas. Canada said last month it would give C$80.5 million to support the deployment of the Kenyan-led mission.

Persons: David Ljunggren, Chizu Nomiyama Organizations: OTTAWA, Kenya, Kenyan Locations: Canada, Jamaica, Caribbean, Haiti, Quebec, Belize, Bahamas

☆ Hundreds of trucks full of aid sit idle near border with Gaza as crisis deepens
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Charlene Gubash | Doha Madani | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Israeli officials have been imposing an opaque and cumbersome process and worsening the dire humanitarian crisis in the strip, Nossair and other aid officials charge. Israeli officials have repeatedly denied obstructing aid from entering Gaza, and instead blame the U.N. for acute shortages of lifesaving supplies in the strip — particularly the north. (Aid agencies and the U.N. say Gaza needs between 500 and 600 trucks a day carrying both humanitarian aid and commercial goods.) COGAT has said it places "no limit" on the amount of aid entering Gaza but subjects some items to higher security scrutiny. Israeli officials have also blamed the U.N.'s Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) for a failure to distribute aid.

Persons: Mohamed Nossair, Nossair, COGAT, Kerem, Israel Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, NBC News, United Nations, NBC, UNRWA Locations: Israeli, Kerem, Gaza, Israel, Rafah, Ismailia, Territories, Kerem Shalom, Egypt, COGAT

☆ U.N. Peacekeepers Injured in Lebanon Blast as Tensions Rise
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Aaron Boxerman | Euan Ward | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

The Israeli authorities have denied blocking UNRWA, but Israel and the aid agency have been locked in a dispute over not only responsibility for the crisis, but also the status of UNRWA itself. UNRWA suspended the staff members and opened an investigation, but some of its biggest donors have since suspended funding. U.N. officials and international aid groups have reported severe and deadly malnutrition in Gaza and have blamed Israel, which inspects every truckload aid. In some cases, crowds of people have swarmed the trucks, stripping them of supplies. The World Food Program said that only 11 of its convoys carrying food had reached the north since the start of the year.

Persons: Philippe Lazzarini, Israel, Lazzarini, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr, Natalia Kanem, “ Organizations: Nations, International Court of Justice, United Nations, UNRWA, “, Food Program Locations: Israel, Gaza, The Hague

☆ Three UN military observers, a Lebanese interpreter wounded in blast while patrolling southern border
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Three United Nations military observers and a Lebanese interpreter were wounded Saturday while patrolling the southern Lebanese border after a shell exploded near them, the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon said. The military observers are part of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization, which supports the UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL. The three military observers, from Chile, Australia, and Norway, were unarmed, he said. The blast came as clashes between the Israeli military and Hezbollah militants escalated in recent weeks. Local Lebanese media, citing security officials, said an Israeli drone strike targeted the observers in the southern village of Wadi Katmoun near the border town of Rmeich.

Persons: Andrea Tenenti, Tenenti, Najib Mikat Organizations: United Nations Headquarters, Security, Three United Nations, United Nations Truce, Organization, UN, Associated Press, UNIFIL, Local, IDF Locations: Israel, Gaza, New York, U.S, Lebanese, Lebanon, UNIFIL, Chile, Australia, Norway, Local Lebanese, Israeli, Wadi Katmoun, Rmeich

☆ Russian veto points to 'grim future' for North Korea sanctions enforcement
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during their meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Amur region on Sept. 13, 2023. Russia's move to effectively disband the panel of experts monitoring longstanding United Nations sanctions against North Korea points to a "grim future" for the sanctions enforcement, three former members of the panel told Reuters. Russia vetoed the annual renewal of the multinational panel of experts on Thursday, which has spent the last 15 years monitoring U.N. sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. Beijing and Moscow have denied breaking sanctions but have blocked new measures at the UN Security Council and advocated lifting some existing sanctions on North Korea, blaming the West and its allies for exacerbating tensions. "Russia's vote, along with its blatant violation of sanctions by buying conventional arms from North Korea, years long history of ignoring their obligations, and at least tacit support from China suggest that the future is grim for the DPRK sanctions regime," he said, using the initials of North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Russia's, Aaron Arnold Organizations: North, Vostochny, United Nations, Reuters, UN Security Council, West, Diplomats, Korean, Britain's Royal United Services Institute, Democratic People's Locations: Amur, North Korea, Russia, China, North, Beijing, Moscow, Pyongyang, Ukraine, DPRK, Democratic People's Republic of Korea

☆ Malaysia Arrests Armed Man Suspected of Being an Israeli Spy
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia has arrested an armed man at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur, its top police official said, describing the 36-year-old as a suspected Israeli spy. The suspect turned over an Israeli passport upon questioning by police, Razarudin said. Razarudin said police was investigating the possibility that the man could be a member of Israeli intelligence, though the suspect told authorities he had entered Malaysia to hunt down another Israeli citizen due to a family dispute. Police were also investigating how the suspect obtained the weapons, which were purchased in Malaysia and paid for with cryptocurrency, Razarudin said. Malaysia, a majority-Muslim country, is a staunch supporter of the Palestinians and has criticised Israel's actions in the Gaza war.

Persons: Police Razarudin Husain, Razarudin, Anwar Ibrahim, Rozanna Latiff, Himani Sarkar Organizations: Reuters, United Arab Emirates, Police, Malaysia . Police, Authorities, Israel Locations: KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Israel, Gaza, Palestinian, Malaysian

☆ Why Russia Is Protecting North Korea From Nuclear Monitors
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( David E. Sanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Through the most tense encounters with President Vladimir V. Putin’s Russia over the past decade, there has been one project in which Washington and Moscow have claimed common cause: keeping North Korea from expanding its arsenal of nuclear weapons. On Thursday, Russia used its veto power in the United Nations Security Council to kill off a U.N. panel of experts that has been monitoring North Korea’s efforts to evade sanctions over its nuclear program for the past 15 years. Moscow once welcomed the panel’s detailed reports about sanctions violations and considered Pyongyang’s nuclear program to be a threat to global security. But more recently, the panel has provided vivid evidence of how Russia is keeping the North brimming with fuel and other goods, presumably in return for the artillery shells and missiles that the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, is shipping to Russia for use against Ukraine. The group has produced satellite images of ship-to-ship transfers of oil, showing how the war in Ukraine has proved to be a bonanza for the North.

Persons: Vladimir V, Kim Jong Organizations: Putin’s, United Nations Security Council, North Korean, Ukraine Locations: Putin’s Russia, Washington, Moscow, North Korea, Russia, Ukraine

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