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Jakob is a student of History and Public Policy at New York University who joined the Worldcrunch team during his semester abroad in Paris. Jakob has interned at uPolitics in New York City where he covered U.S. politics, and is a regular writer for several outlets through his university. He loves spending time in the mountains.
The victory of Geert Wilders' far-right party in this week's elections in the Netherlands shows that politics in Europe, at both the national and European Union level, has fundamentally failed to overcome its contradictions.
Updated Nov. 28, 2023 at 6:15 p.m.
-Analysis-
PARIS — For a long time, Geert Wilders, recognizable by his peroxide hair, was an eccentric, disconcerting and yet mostly marginal figure in Dutch politics. He was known for his public outbursts against Muslims, particularly Moroccans who are prevalent in the Netherlands, which once led to a court convicting him for the collective insulting of a nationality.
Consistently ranking third or fourth in poll results, this time he emerged as the leader in Wednesday's national elections. The shock is commensurate with his success: 37 seats out of 150, twice as many as in the previous legislature.
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The recipe is the same everywhere: a robustly anti-immigration agenda that capitalizes on fears. Wilders' victory in the Netherlands reflects a prevailing trend across the continent, from Sweden to Portugal, Italy and France.
We must first see if Wilders manages to put together the coalition needed to govern. Already the first roadblock came this week with the loss of one of his top allies scouting for coalition partners from other parties: Gom van Strien, a senator in Wilders’ Freedom Party (PVV) was forced to resign from his role after accusations of fraud resurfaced in Dutch media.
Nonetheless, at least three lessons can be drawn from Wilders' far-right breakthrough in one of the founding countries of the European Union.
Traditional party failure
Firstly, traditional parties, both on the right and left, have failed to find the right tone and ideas on migration to counter the discourse of fear and closure propagated by the far-right. The right believes that mimicking the far-right will prevent its electorate from gravitating towards it; but in doing so, it opens the way for the views to go mainstream.
The Europe Union was the right place to address the issue.
Meanwhile, part of the left too has begun to seek refuge in the realm of discrimination. In Germany, a left-wing anti-immigration party has even emerged. When the far-right is confronted with the issue, as in Italy, it can't actually formulate a coherent response. The Europe Union was the right place to address the issue, but has not succeeded so far in overcoming national contradictions.
The second lesson is the failure of traditional parties to renew themselves, paving the way for extremes. The share of major parties has significantly diminished, with France and Italy being good examples. The result is the formation of baroque coalitions or unstable experiments. The far-right, on the other hand, lacks a track record — and can argue, as Giorgia Meloni did in Italy last year, that it has not yet been tested.
Rally against ''dictate of European Union'' with, from left to right: Gerolf Annemans, chairman of the Europe of Nations and Freedom EP group, leader of French National Rally Marine Le Pen, leader of Dutch Party for Freedom Geert Wilders and Czech extreme-right Freedom and Direct Democracy head Tomio Okamura
The third lesson concerns the state of Europe, and it is troubling. We are at a turning point in the world's balance of power, with wars and rivalries multiplying. We may soon see the return in the United States of Donald Trump, who will not be any more generous to the Europeans than during his first term.
The strategic logic would be to strengthen Europe to face this redefinition of global power dynamics. However, the confusion of opinions, the mediocrity of political ambitions, and manipulations of all kinds on social networks have the opposite effect. Nationalists advocate for national solutions when the challenges are of a different magnitude and scale.
We thought Europeans had been inoculated to disintegration after Brexit provided a live suicide playing out in the United Kingdom for everyone to see. Now, seven years later, the Dutch elect a proponent of "Nexit." This sets the tone for the upcoming European elections in June, which is now looking grimmer than ever.
The agreement for a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was shaped by the political situation in Israel and the Palestinian territories. But now, the politics on the ground could change moving forward.
-Analysis-
PARIS — If the terms of the hostage-for-prisoners agreement between Israel and Hamas are strictly adhered to, we're set to witness scenes filled with emotion on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides.
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There is obviously nothing in common between civilians, sometimes very young children, taken hostage on October 7 on Israeli territory, and prisoners convicted for activities, sometimes violent, related to the Palestinian nationalist movement.
What's shared instead is the central place these scenes are bound to occupy in the collective imagination of both peoples and, therefore, the political impact it will carry.
Netanyahu's calculation
The contexts are also very different. The fate of the approximately 240 hostages in the hands of Hamas weighed heavily in the Israeli government's decision to accept a pause in its massive retaliations on the Gaza Strip. The families of the hostages marched on Jerusalem, mobilizing Israelis in the streets and in the media. Surveys show that they succeeded in rallying a majority behind their demand to prioritize the release of hostages over the government's military objectives.
All the political benefits of these releases will undoubtedly go to Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reluctantly agreed to the terms of the deal when he realized the extent of the phenomenon. It took him time to meet the families, and he rejected an initial agreement offer a week earlier. Persisting would have been a mistake; Israelis, who already blamed him for the October 7 fiasco, would not have forgiven him.
With his choice to strike a deal for the hostages, Netanyahu changed the course of this war. Whatever happens, it will no longer be the same.
At a demonstration in Sacramento, California, U.S.
On the Palestinian side, it's a different story. Prisoners are a central element of their cause, a strong link between families beyond political factions. There are 7,200 political prisoners in Israeli prisons, and virtually every family has had one of its members detained at some point. The release of at least 150 prisoners will, therefore, have a significant impact on Palestinian society.
All the political benefits of these releases will undoubtedly go to Hamas, which orchestrated them. And that's the trap into which the Islamist movement lured Israel with its October 7 attack. Israel did not make a mistake in banning any celebration in East Jerusalem and the West Bank upon the release of the prisoners. Typically, the return of a prisoner is celebrated by an entire community, but Israel wants to avoid anything that would appear as a success for the Islamists.
Indeed, Hamas would probably win elections in the West Bank if they were held tomorrow. This highlights the challenge facing Western powers that want to revive the Palestinian Authority — "revitalize" in Joe Biden's words. Mahmoud Abbas, its president, appears powerless against Israel when Hamas secures the release of prisoners, a cruel contrast.
Beyond the significant human aspect, there is a strong political stake in this hostage-for-prisoners exchange. It will weigh heavily in the continuation of a war that is asymmetric by definition.
In the last 20 years, Turkish Airlines’ rapid development has shocked its competitors. The carrier is generating substantial profits, while serving the interests of the Turkish state.
ISTANBUL — A young pilot takes off in a biplane reminiscent of the interwar period. He lands on an asphalt runway and parks alongside Boeing 737s. On the tarmac, another pilot in a contemporary uniform greets him and escorts him into a gleaming airport lined with Asian stewardesses and passengers.
A screen announces a departure for Lusaka (Zambia). "All these nationalities and destinations..." marvels the young pilot, scanning a flight display panel. "Of course, we're the airline that flies to the largest number of countries in the world," replies the proud modern-day pilot.
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This scene, taken from a commercial broadcast last June, celebrates the 90th anniversary of Turkish Airlines, the country's national carrier. Founded in 1933, the airline's history is, in many respects, remarkable. With service to 129 countries, it is the carrier with the most international connections in the world, 9 countries ahead of second-placed Air France-KLM.
In the span of 20 years, Turkish Airlines has become a major player in the global airline industry, with seemingly unstoppable expansion. Having extended its network to the European, North American, Middle Eastern and African markets, the Turkish carrier has set its sights on India and Asia.
In addition to the flights it already offers to South and East Asia, it signed a code-share partnership with Indian low-cost carrier IndiGo at the beginning of the year, expanding its access to the growing Indian market. Over the summer, it signed similar agreements with Vietnam Airlines and Thai Airways, further consolidating its position in Southeast Asia.
71.8 million passengers
“Between 2009 and 2019, Turkish Airlines has nearly tripled its annual passenger count, seeing passenger traffic increase from 21.5 million to 74.3 million” notes Richard Malsen, the head of analysis at the Capa Center for Aviation in Sydney Australia. “After a drop in activity due to COVID-19, it transported 71.8 million passengers in 2022, making it the sixth largest airline in Europe in terms of passengers,” he continued.
While these figures are still lower than other major American and European carriers, such as Air France-KLM (83 million passengers) and Lufthansa (101.8 million passengers), Turkish Airlines has essentially recovered from the pandemic which, with the exception of Qatar Airlines, is not the case for most of the world’s major carriers.
The airlines takes advantage of Istanbul's ideal geographical position.
Turkish Airlines also outperforms the major Western airlines in terms of profitability. In 2022, it made a profit of $2.7 billion, less than the $2.9 billion generated by Emirates, but far more than the nearly $1.3 billion recorded by Delta and Lufthansa, for example.
Furthermore, Turkish Airlines continues to invest heavily in its fleet, acquiring modern aircrafts such as the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787. Last May, Ahmet Bolat, Chairman of the Board of Directors, announced plans to add 600 aircraft to the company's existing fleet of 429 by 2033. The strategic objective, he declared, was to reach 170 million passengers by then.
Turkish Airline planes at the Atatürk airport in Istanbul, Turkey.
“These investments have enabled Turkish Airlines to face the competition from major European carriers, as well as other carriers such as Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways and Ethiopian Airlines," claims Olivier Ponti of ForwardKeys, a consulting group that specializes in travel and tourism. “Despite this extremely competitive environment, Turkish Airlines has managed to gain significant market share."
Faced with competition from the Turkish carrier, some European airlines have reduced the number of flights they offer to Istanbul. Such is the case of Air France-KLM, which in 2016 discontinued a daily rotation from Paris and Amsterdam.
Behind the airline's success: an ultimate hub that takes advantage of Istanbul's ideal geographical position, as the megalopolis is located at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The mammoth Istanbul airport, inaugurated in October 2018 by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has since risen to become Europe's busiest airport.
"The growth in transit traffic has enabled Turkish Airlines to fill its planes," notes Julien Lebel, a geopolitics expert and author of a doctoral thesis on the strategic influence of Turkish Airlines, Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways.
But unlike the Gulf carriers, which rely heavily on connecting flights, the Turkish carrier can also count on traffic with the final destination being Turkey itself.
"The airline relies on the fact that it is a very popular leisure destination, particularly with travelers from Germany, the UK and France," suggests Olivier Ponti of ForwardKeys.
As a result, Turkish Airlines has been able to respond rapidly and effectively to global shifts in demand by leveraging its extensive route network. "During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, the airline redirected its flights to routes where demand was higher, and adapted more effectively to changes in travel restrictions," continues Olivier Ponti.
Low operating costs
The Turkish Carrier does not hesitate to adjust quickly to the changing geopolitical context, a versatility seen starkly in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “As Russia found itself cut off from the West, Turkish Airlines quickly expanded access to this market, flying more and larger aircraft to meet the demand of Russian tourists and businessmen,” observes aviation specialist Seth Miller, head of the PaxEx.Aero website.
This business model is based on relatively low operating costs. While its labor costs are expressed in Turkish lira, the company's revenues are typically calculated in euros or dollars. This works to the carrier’s advantage, as Turkish lira has been plummeting for the past five years.
The key to Turkish Airlines' success is, above all, the support of the Turkish government
Furthermore, Turkish Airlines prefers to use single-aisle aircraft rather than wide-body jets. Although these aircraft only have a six-hour non-stop flight capacity, they enable the company to operate most of its routes to Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
But the key to Turkish Airlines' success is, above all, the support of the Turkish government. Although the state privatized the company in 2004 and 2006, reducing its stake to 49%, it remains closely involved in its affairs and enjoys special prerogatives in its management. "The Turkish government's approval is required for many strategic decisions concerning the company's development, which is not necessarily the case for the other shareholders," explains Julien Lebel.
By negotiating airspace rights with foreign countries, the Turkish government has assisted Turkish Airlines in its expansion into new markets. This expansion has been carried out in line with the interests of the state. "Turkish Airlines' operations are coordinated with Turkey's foreign policy," sums up Orçun Selçuk, a political scientist at Luther College, who wrote his doctoral thesis on the airline's political role.
A tool for soft power
“This is particularly visible in Africa, where the opening of Turkish embassies are frequently paired with new Turkish Airlines routes. Delegations of Turkish businessmen close to the AKP, Erdagon’s political party, have been active in forging economic ties with the countries involved,” adds Julien Lebel.
As well as helping to consolidate Ankara's diplomatic and economic clout, the company is a "soft power" tool at the service of the nation. With its global presence and top-quality service, Turkish Airlines raises Turkey's profile and conveys a positive international image.
Its management regularly boasts of the carrier's performance in Skytrax rankings, which are based on customer satisfaction levels. Last year, for the eighth year running, Turkish Airlines was named "Best European Airline".
To build its reputation, Turkish Airlines has not skimped on its marketing strategy, paying top-dollar for collaborations with sports and film icons. After the American basketball player Kobe Bryant and the Argentine footballer Lionel Messi in 2012, the company hired American actor Morgan Freeman for an advertising video in 2022.
Despite Erdoğan's expressed wish to rename the company to its Turkish name, "Turk Hava Yollari," in June 2022, the "Turkish Airlines" brand has not changed its label, and today enjoys a strong reputation abroad. And that's not without flattering national pride.
As columnist Ragip Kutay Karaca wrote in the Turkish business newspaper Dunya last May, "When I hear foreigners praising the company, it makes me proud," he confessed. “Turkish Airlines makes me feel a comforting sense of ease: that of a global brand that begins with the adjective 'Turkish'".
Launching a ground invasion in the south of Gaza, where residents have been forced to flee, will be virtually impossible for the Biden Administration to accept.
-Analysis-
In five weeks of bombings followed by a ground invasion, the Israeli army has effectively taken control of the northern third of the Gaza Strip. Much of the population has been forced to seek refuge in the south, while those who've stayed are in an extremely difficult position: almost all hospitals have ceased to function, and military operations continue non-stop.
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Now, Israel has given the first sign of its intention to push its offensive against Hamas into southern Gaza, precisely where it had said it was safe to go. Leaflets were dropped in four localities around the vast Khan Yunis refugee camp in the south, asking residents to evacuate.
But where to go? Gaza already has the highest population density in the world, and the influx of hundreds of thousands of displaced people from north to south, in a war-torn environment, without water, sanitation, or medicine, creates a dramatic humanitarian situation.
International community rejects Israeli "safe zone" proposal
Israel advocates for the creation of a "safe zone" in the southwest corner of the small territory along the Mediterranean. However, United Nations agencies, in an exceptional joint statement Thursday, rejected this proposal and refused to participate.
UN specialized agencies argue that "no safe zone is safe if declared unilaterally or imposed by armed force." A safe zone must be negotiated, argues these organizations, while the UN has lost over 100 of its employees in Israeli bombings.
This standoff between respected organizations like UNICEF or the World Health Organization and a warring army is exceptional and reveals a growing divide caused by the type of war being waged.
November 17, 2023, Gaza: Israeli troops conducting military operations in western Gaza City.
U.S. President Joe Biden declared on Wednesday that he would not call for a ceasefire until Israel had neutralized the military capacity of Hamas. At the same time, he is urging the Israeli army to spare civilians, which is impossible in the type of war being waged.
Israel has so far waged its war without concern for international reactions.
The expansion of the war to the south is the issue that could put Israel at odds with its American ally. An Israeli leader estimated that the Jewish state had three weeks before unbearable pressures would arrive. If it decides to advance in the south, the timeframe could be even shorter.
Israel has so far waged its war without concern for international reactions, driven by a population united by the horrors of October 7. A ground incursion in the south carries as much political as military risk: with the labyrinthine alleys of Khan Yunis, overpopulation due to displaced people from the north, and deteriorating humanitarian conditions, Israel is taking risks — with no guarantee of truly destroying Hamas.
The leaflets dropped in the south seem to indicate that the Israeli government has made its decision: it puts its Western allies in a situation that could quickly become untenable. This will be the moment of truth for a war that is shaking the entire world.
The highly anticipated face-to-face between Joe Biden and Xi Jinping is about more than just global trade, it's about putting the brakes on humanity sliding into total chaos and conflict.
-Analysis-
PARIS — The stakes at this summit couldn't be higher: Can the two superpowers of our time come together to prevent the world from descending into chaos? Currently, there are two major conflicts, Ukraine and Gaza, along with numerous other disputes, all happening within the context of a Sino-American strategic rivalry that threatens to escalate at any moment.
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Joe Biden and Xi Jinping will take advantage of an APEC summit bringing together Asia-Pacific nations, held this year in San Francisco, California, for an exceptional face-to-face encounter. The last time they met was a year ago, on the sidelines of the G20 in Bali, where the two leaders agreed on a "deconfliction" agenda, as military professionals would phrase it.
However, the incident involving a Chinese spy balloon spotted over the United States earlier this year has derailed progress, necessitating a fresh start.
The mere fact that this meeting is taking place is positive in itself. Xi did not attend the G20 in India in September; the timing was not right. This time, he is attending, and Chinese official media have shifted their tone towards the United States, preparing public opinion for a positive summit.
A new red phone
Even if Beijing and Washington will not just make peace and part as friends, they will establish the rules of engagement to disagree without necessarily going to war. This is significant.
Unlike the communication channels established during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviets, there is a lack of communication between China and the United States, particularly between their respective militaries. This absence of direct communication channels poses a risk, especially given the frequent close encounters in the South China Sea or the Taiwan Strait. The establishment of a modern-day "red phone" would be a prudent measure to prevent minor incidents from escalating due to a lack of communication.
On the military front, the two countries are working on a declaration committing both not to develop autonomous weapons, those equipped with artificial intelligence capable of making firing decisions. This is a substantial issue as well.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives at San Francisco International Airport for a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden
Will it help in the current conflicts? Not directly, as Xi is unlikely to abandon his ally Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine, and his influence is limited in the Middle East. Nevertheless, an agreement between the United States and China for a peaceful rivalry will help avoid the looming scenario of a Russia-China-North Korea-Iran alliance against the West.
This will not change the nature of their systemic rivalry
China has no interest in worsening the global situation, given its slowing economy and the need for open markets. The technological war between the two giants will persist; the United States aims to reduce risks, while China dreams of self-sufficiency. However, a reduction in tensions would benefit everyone.
This summit will not solve all the problems, and more importantly, it will not change the nature of their systemic rivalry. Yet, by adding predictability to their behaviors, the two leaders will make the world less dangerous.
This is crucial as Taiwan approaches its January elections, a delicate moment for Beijing, and as the United States faces its own election challenges. And, yes, if Donald Trump is elected, it will undoubtedly be a different story one year from now.
A ghost state, an economy in ruins ... Lebanon has still not recovered from the explosion at the port of Beirut a little over three years ago. With war looming on its southern border, the country teeters near total collapse.
BEIRUT — “Go to Place de l’Etoile, you'll find me there.” At the appointed time that morning, the square where the Lebanese Parliament is located is deserted. The silence of an abandoned city reigns, like in a Hitchcock scene, broken only by the raspy meows of two furious cats. Since the explosion at the port of Beirut on August 8, 2020, the surroundings of the building have been the image of a ghostly power. Vacant.
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On the facades of elegant buildings reminiscent of a Lebanon glowing with activity, the windows without panes are like open vents revealing only darkness inside, with electricity long cut off. On the corner, the Häagen-Dazs window is a pile of glass. A mess of overturned chairs suggests the hasty departure of customers, who haven't returned for three years.
“Look, there’s no one here! Our political class is barricading itself, it is afraid of the people!," declares Melhem Khalaf. This member of Parliament from Beirut receives people seated at a small table that he set up himself on the sidewalk, a stone's throw from the steps of Parliament.
It looks like another movie scene. At the end of the lifeless artery, one of the Lebanese army's roadblocks filters the rare entries into this protected enclave in the heart of the capital.
Khalaf is one of the dozen deputies elected during the May 2022 legislative elections without being affiliated with one of the religious communities that have long hung over Lebanese political life. With a group of lawyers, this president of the national bar association is fighting so that the investigation into the port explosion, so disturbing for Hezbollah, the militia party in control of the area, will one day be properly carried out.
Who still believes in justice, in politics, in the rule of law in this Lebanon shattered by decades of civil war and crisis?
“I have come here every day since my election 269 days ago,” declares the deputy. "It’s a constitutional duty."
It's rare that anyone listens to his speeches. A meticulous jurist, this Don Quixote lists the articles requiring deputies to sit continuously until a president has been elected, provisions that only one other deputy respected until finally throwing in the towel as well recently.
Khalaf is the last one to cling to the shreds of the Lebanese Constitution …
Druze history
This political theater would be a farce if the very existence of the country were not threatened. “The war is upon us, Lebanon risks disappearing,” sighs Walid Jumblatt, the venerable Druze leader who receives visitors at his home in Beirut, a large residence camouflaged at the end of a small street lined with trees and blocked by 10 heavily armed militiamen.
How would Beirut cope with an influx of the same magnitude?
At the invitation of a suspicious butler, we walk through a series of majestic, elegantly furnished rooms to arrive at a home library with modern shelves climbing up to the ceiling, filled with works in Arabic and English.
“For 50 years, I have had the impression of having always known war," Jumblatt says. "But there, with the explosion of the port and the financial crisis, the Lebanese are really at the end of their rope.”
On the wall hang portraits of him and his father Kamal, assassinated in 1977 by the Syrian secret services. “We would not recover from a new war like in 2006.”
At the time, the 30-day conflict in the south of the country between Hezbollah and the Israeli army had pushed nearly one million inhabitants to find refuge further north. But today all wonder how the country and Beirut in particular would cope with an influx of the same magnitude .
Because since then, the decline of the State has worsened considerably, the coffers are empty and the leaders are avoiding their responsibilities. On October 31, it was exactly one year since the end of the six-year term of President Michel Aoun (a leader of the country's Christian community), but Parliament has still not agreed on the name of a successor.
Aged 90, the outgoing president, officially commander in chief of the armed forces, deserted the presidential palace of Baabda, on the heights of Beirut. Only two soldiers who nonchalantly monitor the access road maintain a functioning state fiction.
While 20,000 inhabitants have already started to flee the south of the country , the government of Prime Minister Nagib Mikati (a Sunni politician) is handling current affairs. Some of his ministers no longer even bother to show up, but are carefully holding on to their seats: “The Constitution gives them total immunity, no one can prosecute them for anything,” noted a senior Treasury official.
What remains of legitimate power is in the hands of the President of Parliament, Nabih Berry (a Shiite), incapable of resolving the situation to the point that one wonders if he really wants to.
Dreams of revolution
The spark had been a “WhatsApp tax” that the government wanted to introduce on communications. He could not have found anything better to unite the Lebanese, all faiths combined! “Everyone was in the street, it was crazy,” says a young theater actress of Shiite faith who hides from her mother that she is in a relationship with a woman. "There were people from Hezbollah mixed with Christian students or NGO activists…”
This communion did not last long and the hopes of a turning point quickly faded. “We believed it for two weeks,” admits Charbel Nahas, a major intellectual figure from Beirut involved in politics. In his spacious office cluttered with old books, smoking cigarette after cigarette, this university professor says that “Lebanon is a 'community non-state'. And the communities certainly do not want to call this into question. However, the October 17 movement represented a threat to the system. The five or six community leaders who dominate the country nipped the protest in the bud to save the status quo and preserve their interests..."
In such a system where everyone agrees to defend their own interests, few people are left who believe in politics. Neemat Frem is one of them. In his stronghold of Jounieh, one of the most beautiful bays in the Mediterranean, this boss of a large industrial group employing nearly 12,000 people explains why he decided to run for the presidency. “I can no longer bear to see the country I love in such a state. The boat has a hole. I'm entering politics to prevent it from sinking.”
Clashes in the wake of anti-government protests in Beirut in October 2019
“The State no longer exists, it’s lamentable,” said Omar Sabra, a young entrepreneur who dreams of revolution and devotes his free time to trying to unite all those who can no longer stand the “system.”
If Beirut is bombed, I would rather have him with me than on the other side of the city
He said he's busy creating unions of students, engineers, doctors, lawyers: “So that civil society mobilizes.”
Founded by his sister, the start-up where he works, a sort of Lebanese Amazon, is a hive of 20 and 30-somethings, who speak three languages, Arabic, English and French. Lebanon in all its glory!
The raw concrete premises open onto a generous central room where an open kitchen and relaxation areas have been fitted out. On the corner, an office has been transformed into a nursery with playmats to accommodate the employees' eight babies, including that of the founder, a 14-month-old boy.
“If Beirut is bombed, I would rather have him with me than on the other side of the city,” she says.
Omar adds: “We all dream of a normal life, of a country without corruption, without schemes, regardless of religion.” Many like him believed in “thawra”, a movement born on October 17, 2019 when hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to protest against a discredited political class. That day, Place de l'Etoile was packed with people and the doors of Parliament shook. The whiff of revolution... Which is part of why the neighborhood has been sealed off ever since.
The temptation of exodus
His chances of being elected are slim, but unlike the other contenders, he has drawn up a detailed program to turn the country around. And the success of the family business he runs gives him certain credit. After the Beirut port explosion, Frem resigned from his post as deputy to protest against the corruption of the political class who he views as responsible for the disaster. “The Lebanese state is dying, but that’s a good thing. We have to rebuild everything!”
Not a single one of my students wants to stay in Lebanon
“Too late,” responded many Lebanese who prefer to try their luck elsewhere. A loss of hundreds of thousands emigrants, while 80% of the population who remain now lives below the poverty line. “Not a single one of my students wants to stay in Lebanon,” regrets Charbel Nahas.
A young soldier on duty in front of a building in the center of the capital says it in his own way: “As soon as I can, I'm going to the Gulf,” he says. "Because here, there's nothing left to gain. Even the army doesn't pay."
He says that in this great chaos that Lebanon has become: “there are always people who take advantage.” And they only want one thing: to maintain the status quo.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s military wing, the al-Quds Brigades, has said it is prepared to release two hostages held in Gaza if conditions on the ground permit.
A spokesperson for the al-Quds Brigades said it is ready to release two Israeli hostages, a woman and a boy, for humanitarian and medical reasons. He added that the initiative would take place once measures are met.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted Thursday that there would be "no ceasefire" without the release of all hostages held by Hamas.
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Still, Israel will begin implementing four-hour pauses in fighting each day in northern Gaza, according to the White House.
Negotiations are still underway to reach a three-day humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza in exchange for the release of about a dozen hostages held by Hamas, according to two officials from Egypt, one from the United Nations and a Western diplomat.
A trilateral meeting with Qatari officials and the intelligence chiefs of Israel and the U.S. was held in Doha on Thursday to discuss hostage releases in exchange for a humanitarian pause and aid entry to Gaza.
The meeting, which included CIA Director William Burns, Mossad head David Barnea and Qatari officials, discussed a proposed plan to release between 10 to 20 civilian hostages in return for a three-day pause in fighting and the entry of further aid, plus enabling Hamas to hand over a list of hostages being held in Gaza.
One Israeli official said Israel was “ready for a pause” if there could be certainty that Hamas was “serious about releasing hostages.”
French President Emmanuel Macron also called for a “ceasefire” for the first time on Thursday, as he inaugurated an international humanitarian conference for Gaza in Paris. He added that the protection of civilians in Gaza is "not negotiable”.
IDF Conducts Large-Scale Raids in West Bank
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) began conducting large-scale raids in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank on Thursday, as the occupied Palestinian territory continues to be described by analysts as a “powder keg.” According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, 15 Palestinians have been killed so far Thursday — however, the number could grow as reports suggest the raid is intensifying as explosions are being witnessed more frequently.
The IDF has dropped leaflets in Jenin suggesting that the raids would continue and grow more severe, according to Al Jazeera.
Hamas has condemned the attack in Jenin, and claimed that Israel will not succeed in “breaking the will of [the Palestinian] people from Gaza to the West Bank. Islamic Jihad, another armed militia group based in Gaza, called the attack “barbaric and brutal,” adding that the Jenin raids were an attempt by Israel to “cover up its failure to achieve any gain on the ground” in Gaza.
Jenin, in the northern West Bank, is one of the poorest of the 19 refugee camps inside the territory and has long been at the center of Palestinian resistance movements. In 2002, during the Second Intifada, the IDF launched a wide-scale assault into the refugee camp killing 52 Palestinains — as many as half were civilians. Israel lost 23 soldiers.
The Palestinian Health Ministry says that at least 164 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since October 7, with more than 2,100 injured.
Israel has reported that some 50,000 Palestinians fled northern Gaza on Wednesday during an evacuation window for Gazans to follow IDF orders and leave the upper half of the enclave. While these numbers could not be verified, a CNN journalist at the scene said that vast numbers were leaving by foot, and was far larger than the day before.
The UN office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs said Wednesday that about 15,000 people fled on Tuesday, compared to 5,000 on Monday and 2,000 on Sunday, suggesting the number of people attempting to evacuate has been increasing as northern Gaza continues to be bombarded and Israeli troops carry out ground operations there.
The IDF announced on Wednesday that a four-hour window was in place for Gazans to evacuate down Salah Eddin Street, which serves as one of the two primary highways in Gaza, linking the north to the south.
Eylon Levy, an Israeli government spokesperson, told Sky News in the UK on Wednesday that only 100,000 civilians remained in northern Gaza out of the population of 1.1 million.
Lack of fuel has led to the shutting down of desalination plants, significantly increasing the risk of bacterial infections as people consume contaminated water.
The situation is particularly concerning for the almost 1.5 million displaced people across Gaza, especially those living in overcrowded shelters with little to no access to hygiene facilities and safe water, increasing risk of infectious diseases transmission.
Meanwhile, the majority of Gazan hospitals have now stopped functioning, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah. The ministry said Thursday that 71% of all primary-care facilities in Gaza have closed due to damage amid Israel's bombardment or a lack of fuel, saying that hospitals that remain open are limited in what they can provide and are gradually shutting down their wards.
Israel calls for investigation into alleged embedding of journalists with Hamas on October 7
מחבלים בתחפושת של עיתונאים? דרשתי הבהרות מיידיות מגופי התקשורת הבינ"ל שפורסמו בתחקיר. כל מי שהשתתף, תמך או שמר על קשר של שתיקה ואיפשר את הטבח בעוטף, דינו כמו כל מחבל בעזה.@CNN@Rueters@nytimes@APpic.twitter.com/WQ3kq3dTg1
The National Information System in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has called for an immediate action regarding “photographers in the service of Hamas”.
The Israeli government has issued a response to a report by Honest Reporting, which has raised alarming concerns about journalists in Gaza potentially being embedded with Hamas during the deadly attacks on Israel on October 7.
In an urgent letter to major international media outlets, including CNN, The New York Times, AP, and Reuters, Dr. Shlomo Karhi, the Minister of Communications, emphasized the gravity of the situation and urged a thorough investigation into the possible actions and/or collusion of their employees with the terrorist organization Hamas.
Honest Reporting's examination of images from the October 7 massacre raised specific concerns about coordination with Hamas, approval by wire services, and notifications to media outlets by freelance photojournalists.
CNN responded to the report, acknowledging awareness of the article and photo concerning Hassan Eslaiah, a freelance photojournalist whose work was used by the network. CNN decided to suspend all ties with Eslaiah in light of the information.
The Associated Press responded to the allegations saying it had no knowledge of the Ocober. 7 attacks before they happened. In a statement, the AP said, "The first pictures AP received from any freelancer show they were taken more than an hour after the attacks began. No AP staff were at the border at the time of the attacks, nor did any AP staffer cross the border at any time. We are no longer working with Hassan Eslaiah, who had been an occasional freelancer for AP and other international news organizations in Gaza."
The state of the Ukraine War was growing fragile even before Oct. 7, but the conflict in the Middle East has changed the equation in Moscow's favor. It's not just a shift in attention and resources, but an undermining of the values and rationale behind Kyiv's cause.
-Analysis-
PARIS — Ukraine needed some good news, and it arrived from Brussels. The European Commission decided Wednesday to open accession talks with Kyiv to become an EU member. It came as no surprise — Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen had traveled to Kyiv a few days earlier to inform Volodymyr Zelensky.
This does not mean that Ukraine will soon become the 28th member of the European Union, it's a long road, with a number of steps to take. Still, the decision, which also included the same status for Moldova, is important.
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For Ukrainian, Brussels' announcement is reassuring: its European allies are not forgetting them, even though the war against Russia has largely disappeared for the past month, overshadowed by the massive crisis between Israel and Hamas.
But this is hardly the only issue facing Ukraine's leaders.
The lack of success of the Ukrainian counteroffensive this summer is a big problem, having failed to break through Russian defensive lines and reach the Sea of Azov before winter, as it had hoped. The front has become static, and the war is likely to go on for a long time.
But Kyiv is also increasingly worried about the divisions that are emerging in the United States, and to a lesser extent in Europe, over support for Ukraine, which will only deepen as the U.S. elections approach. They're calling it "Ukraine fatigue", as if the countries that are supporting the war without actually waging it had the right to grow tired. It's not a good look, but it's reality.
No one, so far, is realizing Kyiv's worst fear: a public push to Ukraine to stop fighting and negotiate with Russia. The West is multiplying its pledges to remain true to its promise to support Ukraine until the end. G7 foreign ministers also reaffirmed this earlier in the week at their meeting in Japan.
Ukrainian soldiers capture a Russian position in the Zaporizhzhia region of southeastern Ukraine
And then there's the "competition" — another bad look — with the Middle East. In addition to the military support the United States provides to Ukraine and Israel, and the diplomatic energy deployed, there is the political equation.
The West's unconditional support for Israel after the attack on October 7 is now confronted by the images of destruction and death caused by the Israeli response in Gaza. Much of the world is loudly expressing its support for the Palestinian cause; and blames the West for doing nothing to stop the tragedy of Gazan civilians. Humanitarianism is not enough.
All the rhetoric about international law on which Westerners based their defense of Ukraine collapses in the face of the decades-long plight of the Palestinians. The American veto at the UN reinforces the accusations of “double standards" that we hear coming from the global South.
Indeed, this inconsistency harms Ukraine's cause, and benefits Vladimir Putin: the Russian aggressor poses as a defender of the bombed-out Palestinians. Ukraine thus runs the risk of becoming another collateral victim of Israeli missiles.
Death count rises above 100 in the West Bank, as sources reports weapons flooding in through Iran.
Massive protests materialized around the West Bank on Friday, and were particularly potent in Ramallah, the administrative capital of the Palestinian Authority, according to Al Jazeera journalist Hoda Abdel-Hamid who is reporting from the ground. The protestors are reportedly chanting in support of Hamas.
“You must not underestimate the amount of anxiety and fear that exists across the occupied West Bank,” said Abdel-Hamid. “I’ve been reporting for weeks now about the nightly Israeli raids and detentions. There is also the settler violence – an average of eight attacks a day and they are increasing.”
Weapons are “flooding” into the occupied West Bank through a complex network organized by Iran and its allies, mainly in Iraq and Syria, according to the Wall Street Journal. Israeli settlers are reportedly being armed by Israel’s government, at the direction of its far-right national security advisor Itamar Ben-Gvir.
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The Palestinian Health Ministry reported on Thursday that Israeli forces shot and killed a 17-year-old boy near Ramallah, bringing the total death count since October 7 in the West Bank to 105, according to Turkish state-run outlet Anadolu Agency.
Many of those deaths are attacks on Palestinians by Jewish settlers, which U.S. President Biden has denounced as “pouring gasoline on the fire.”
“The army has said it is ‘taking off its gloves’. So people are afraid,” said Abdel-Hamid.
Many have described the situation as a “powder keg.”
In a raid on the Jenin Refugee camp on Friday, Israeli army bulldozers destroyed a monument of the late Al Jazeera journalist, Shireen Abu-Akleh. She was shot in the head by Israeli gunfire while reporting on a raid in Jenin during May 2022.
Many fear that the war, which as of now remains largely contained inside Gaza, could expand to other parts of the region, starting with the West Bank. Analysts are also closely watching Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Palestinian militant group in southern Lebanon, as it continues to trade fire with IDF positions in Northern Israel.
"Free Marwan Barghouti, a symbol of peace"
Left-wing French daily L’Humanité dedicates its front page to Marwan Barghouti, considered the most popular Palestinian leader who has been in Israeli prison for over 20 years. Some believe he could be the key to resolving the conflict, while Israel is content with the political stalemate created by the presence of Hamas in Gaza, and the powerlessness of a discredited Palestinian Authority.
Poll shows nearly half of Israelis support delaying ground offensive
IDF fighter jets carried out a precise air strike based on IDF and ISA intelligence and eliminated the Commander of Hamas' Northern Khan Yunis Rockets Array, Hassan Al-Abdullah. pic.twitter.com/HrDD4DXAU2
Forty-nine percent of Israelis respond that “it would be better to wait” before launching a full-scale ground invasion of Gaza, according to a poll published on Friday in Israel’s Maariv daily. Only 29% of Israelis believed that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) should “immediately” escalate to a ground offensive, while 22% were unsure.
It is unclear what has delayed the seemingly imminent ground offensive that Israeli officials have promised. Small-scale IDF raids into Gaza have occurred the past two nights, but the main operation is clearly being held up.
U.S. officials have reportedly expressed concern that Israel’s primary objective, to completely destroy Hamas, may not be achievable in the short term given the brutal counterinsurgency urban combat and complex tunnel system that awaits the IDF.
The support inside of Israel is down 16 percent from an October 19 poll that found 65 percent support for a major-ground offensive.
Macron proposes humanitarian coalition for Gaza, with Cyprus as hub
French President Emmanuel Macron says several European countries are looking to build a “humanitarian coalition” for Gaza.
Macron’s comments came after an EU summit in Brussels where he said that talks were being held with Cyprus and Greece over how to deliver the aid. “Cyprus could serve as a base for humanitarian operations,” Macron added.
In a press conference in Jerusalem on Friday, he continued: “The current system in place is geared to fail. What is needed is meaningful and uninterrupted aid flow. And to succeed, we need a humanitarian ceasefire to ensure this aid reaches those in need.”
Earlier this week, Israel insisted it will not allow fuel in, arguing that Hamas had stolen fuel from the UN to use for military purposes. Lazzarini denied that Hamas had stolen fuel from the UN. “It pains me that humanitarian aid, a very basic right for people, is constantly questioned, while at the same time despair is live streamed on our watch.”
Hamas rules out hostages being released without ceasefire
Senior Hamas officials Hamas Bassem Naïm (left) and Moussa Abou Marzouk with Russian deputy Foreign Minister Mikhaïl Bogdanov
via Hamas
Hamas announced Friday that it has officially ruled out the release of hostages without having first secured a ceasefire with Israel. The announcement was made from Moscow, where the militant group held meetings Thursday with Russian officials. Russian officials assured reporters that their talks with Hamas were strictly concerning hostages, according to French daily Le Monde.
According to the Times of Israel, the total number of hostages that Hamas is holding is 233, five more from the estimated 228 a day earlier. Four women have been released so far.
Since October 7, Russia has appeared to distance itself from Israel, likely in an attempt to weaken the West. Israeli officials denounced Russia’s invitation to the Hamas delegation as “support” of terrorism and Hamas’ October 7 attack.
Hamas has dug an enormous network of tunnels under Gaza that may turn out to be the biggest challenge for the impending Israeli ground offensive.
TEL AVIV — They call it the "Gaza Métro."
The sprawling myriad of tunnels that Hamas has been building for years underneath the Palestinian enclave is an impressive labyrinth. There are no fewer than 1,300 tunnels, with an estimated total length of 500 kilometers (311 miles) underground, with some as long as 70 meters.
Built to withstand Israel's continuing aerial bombardment, Hamas views the tunnels as their decisive weapon in what is expected to be the intense urban guerrilla warfare once Israel launches its ground offensive. Generally constructed at two meters high and two meters wide, they can be used, for example, to launch attacks of unsuspecting enemy soldiers venturing into towns, or to store weapons, ammunition, fuel and motorcycles.
The tunnel system also serve as hideouts for the Islamist organization's political and military leaders, whom Israel has promised to eliminate, as well as places of detention for the estimated 220 Israeli and foreign hostages held by Hamas since its bloody infiltration of southern Israel on October 7, which left 1,400 dead.
Spider's web
One of the four hostages who has been released, 85-year-old Israeli Yocheved Lifshitz, described being held with other fellow captives in one of these tunnels "where it was very humid." She compared the network of tunnels to a "spider's web," while an Israeli military spokesman spoke of an underground "city of terror."
The tunnels are very well equipped with electricity, generators, water and food supplies. Some have rails for heavier loads.
"Some of the tunnels are built under schools, mosques and clinics, to use the civilian population as human shields and complicate bombing raids," adds the Israeli military official."
Hamas has acquired extensive experience underground since taking power in Gaza in 2007.
To avoid detection by spyware - an "Israeli speciality" - which enables eavesdropping and tracking of cell phones and hacking into computers, Hamas uses an autonomous telephone network specially designed for its tunnels.
Palestinians attend an exhibition of weapons, missiles, and tunnels belonging to the military wing of Hamas, in the Maghazi camp in central Gaza.
Facing this unique challenge, the Israeli army has yet to find the perfect response. It does, however, have radar systems, special sensors to measure the magnetic, thermal and acoustic imprints emitted in the tunnels, as well as robots that can be used as tunnel scouts, and aerial surveillance missions to spot possible mounds of earth.
But experts admit that these techniques, however sophisticated, may not be sufficiently effective if the Israeli army —which has been amassing troops near the Gaza border the past two weeks — decides to launch a vast ground operation into Gaza.
Hamas has acquired extensive experience underground since taking power in Gaza in 2007. Initially, the Islamist movement dug hundreds of tunnels under the border with Egypt, enabling a flourishing traffic in weapons and goods of all kinds.
The system also allowed the Islamists to fill their coffers with "customs" duties levied on the Palestinian contractors who had built the tunnels. These imports reached such a volume that the Egyptians put an end to everything by flooding the tunnels.
Infiltration, comings and goings
Hamas first used the tunnels to infiltrate commandos into Israel. In 2006, one of them was used to kidnap the French-Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, exchanged five years later for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.
On this front, however, Israel has managed to plug the gap. A billion-dollar electronic fence has been installed underground at great expense all along the Gaza Strip. So far, this defense has proven its worth, preventing Islamist commandos from infiltrating.
The only problem is that the Israeli army has tended to rely too much on this technological success and let its guard down. The 2,000 or so Islamists who attacked on October 7 used much more "primitive" means, such as cars and tractors, to break through the fence and find themselves on Israeli soil in broad daylight.
A Hamas delegation arrived in Russia, as Putin warns Israel that the war could spread beyond the Middle East.
Updated Oct. 27, 12:00 p.m.
The arrival of a Hamas delegation in Moscow on Thursday has sparked prompt criticism from both Israel and the United States. Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Lior Haiat condemned the Russian government for inviting the envoys, led by senior Hamas leader Moussa Abu Marzook, calling it an "act of support of terrorism" that "legitimizes the atrocities of Hamas terrorists."
When U.S. National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby was asked about the Moscow meeting Thursday, he responded that "this is not a time to be supporting Hamas' ability to continue to kill Israelis."
Hamas released a statement after the arrival, saying that it “highly appreciated the position of Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as the efforts of active Russian diplomacy.”
According to several sources, Abu Marzook, who is believed to be based in Qatar, is currently the No. 2 official of Hamas.
Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas is also set to visit Moscow in the coming days, according to Russian news agency TASS, although Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to specify the exact date.
TASS also reported that the Russian Ambassador to Israel, Anatoly Viktorov, mentioned that three people with both Russian and Israeli citizenship may have been taken hostage by Hamas militants.
Meanwhile Putin on Wednesday warned that Israel’s war in Gaza could spread beyond the Middle East, criticizing Israel for the rising numbers of civilian casualties in Gaza.
“Our task today, our main task, is to stop the bloodshed and violence,” Putin said at a Kremlin meeting with Russian religious leaders, according to a Kremlin transcript.
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Russia has ties to both Israel and the various Palestinian factions, though Putin has previously blamed that the current crisis on “the failure of United States policy in the Middle East,” and that American leaders have neglected the Palestinians and their wish for an independent state.
Russia has criticized the United States’ decision to veto a United Nations Security Council Resolution last week which aimed for a humanitarian pause in the fighting.
Meanwhile, Russia’s own war in Eastern Ukraine rages on, as the Kremlin’s counterparts in Kyiv have staunchly backed Israel.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has offered Israel unconditional support, according to Spanish Daily El País. Zelensky, many analysts note, is hoping to prevent the world’s attention from shifting towards Israel, and neglecting his country’s war against Russia.
Israel has remained ambiguous on the Russia-Ukraine War however, as roughly 30% of Israelis are of Russian origin. Israel also maintains a strategic relationship with Russia to retain access to Syrian airspace, which is largely under Russian control, in order to launch air-strikes on Iranian militias in the country. While Israel condemned the initial Russian invasion, it has refused to enact sanctions on Russia or supply weapons to Kyiv.
U.S. Strikes Iranian Targets in Eastern Syria
The United States launched airstrikes against Iranian facilities in Eastern Syria Friday morning, after announcing that 19 U.S. troops had suffered “traumatic” brain injuries last week — due to attacks by Tehran-backed militants in Iraq and Syria. In a press conference, Pentagon Spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder confirmed that there have been at least 12 drone or rocket strikes on US forces in Iraq and four in Syria by Iranian-backed Militias since October 17.
Ryder said there are currently some 2,500 U.S. servicemen in Iraq and 900 in Syria, primarily to assist local forces countering ISIS. The Pentagon has significantly increased its presence in the region since the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, looking to dissuade Iran’s militias in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and most potently, Lebanon, from spreading the war to other countries. American Troop counts have been increased throughout the Middle East, and the US has expanded its naval presence in both the Mediterranean and Red Seas.
Could this be the beginning of Israel's ground offensive?
Screenshot of a video posted by the IDF showing a ground incursion into Gaza
Israeli troops conducted “targeted raids” inside Gaza for a second consecutive night before withdrawing, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in statement Friday.
Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari said the ground raids into Gaza will continue in the coming days to prepare for the next stages of war. He said the IDF continues its strikes against Gaza from air and sea, and is focusing on killing senior Hamas commanders and destroying Hamas infrastructure.
"There will be more," vowed Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant at a news briefing Thursday. Gallant's comments echoed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address on Wednesday, during which he said Israel is "raining down hellfire on Hamas" and "preparing for a ground incursion."
Israeli troops carried out another “targeted raid” early Thursday with tanks rolling into northern Gaza, before withdrawing hours later from the enclave.
A video published by the Israel Defense Forces showed tanks and armored vehicles, including a bulldozer, moving on a road near a fence. The tanks fired artillery, and some destruction could be seen nearby.
In a statement, the IDF said the operation was “preparation for the next stages of combat.”
Meanwhile, a report by local radio described the raid as a “relatively large” ground incursion, suggesting it was the biggest since Israel started massing forces on the border of Gaza in preparation for a full-scale ground invasion.
Indeed on Wednesday night, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed for the first time that Israel was “preparing a ground invasion” of Gaza that would be aimed at destroying Hamas.
Netanyahu’s statement and Thursday’s incursion come amid rising debate in Israel over the timing of the ground war.
Earlier this week, Daniel Hagari told reporters that the military was “ready and determined” for the next stage in the war, and was awaiting political instruction.
But according to The Times of Israel, the Israel Defense Forces believes that in order to attain the government’s objectives in the war against Hamas, the military must begin its ground offensive in Gaza “sooner rather than later.”
Israel’s allies including the U.S. have urged Israel to delay the ground offensive in order to allow humanitarian aid to pass into Gaza and provide time to win the release of the more than 200 hostages Hamas is holding.
Raphael Cohen, the director of the Strategy and Doctrine Program of RAND Project AIR FORCE, says one possible factor delaying the ground offensive is the fact that Israel has mobilized 350,000 reservists without them being trained. “It is important to know that that mobilization has tripled the size of the Israeli Defense Forces,” Cohen told Al Arabiya. “Now if you’re going to do that, so … you want to get them retrained.”
The army has brushed off such concerns, insisting that the ground offensive is ready to be launched, questioning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to hold off the assault.
According to French daily Les Echos, an Israeli government minister quoted anonymously by several media described Netanyahu as a "coward" for postponing the ground offensive.
Hagari, the army spokesman, stressed that the army had completed its preparations and was ready for action as soon as the government gave the order. IDF has told the government that it is fully prepared to enter Gaza, even at the risk of heavy casualties to soldiers, and amid ongoing attacks by Hezbollah in northern Israel that risk expanding the war to another front. The IDF has already heavily reinforced the Lebanon border, but most forces remain near Gaza, ahead of the expected ground offensive.
One of Netanyahu’s closest confidants, retired army general Itzhak Brik, is openly opposed to an invasion of Gaza, which he deems ultimately pointless and dangerous. He advocates destroying Hamas's network of dozens of kilometers of tunnels by aerial bombardment, rather than endangering the lives of soldiers.
According to a poll this week, Israelis are fully behind the soldiers and reservists: 87% say they have confidence in the army, which is 2% more than before the war. The government's credibility, on the other hand, has hit an unprecedented low score of 18%, compared with 43% in June.
All acknowledge the weight of the decision to take the war to the next level with a ground invasion. As one senior government official told NBC News, Netanyahu has not settled on an exit plan for how and when Israelis would leave Gaza after the invasion, which could shape the state of the region for the foreseeable future.
“That’s a huge added dose of anxiety and tension into what is already a tense and anxious, and what is a politically fraught, moment,” said Robert Satloff, the Howard P. Berkowitz chair in U.S. Middle East policy at the Washington Institute for Near East Studies “Add it all up and they haven’t made a decision to go in yet.”
Netanyahu’s statement and Thursday’s incursion come amid rising debate in Israel over the timing of the ground war.
Earlier this week, Daniel Hagari told reporters that the military was “ready and determined” for the next stage in the war, and was awaiting political instruction.
But according to The Times of Israel, the Israel Defense Forces believes that in order to attain the government’s objectives in the war against Hamas, the military must begin its ground offensive in Gaza “sooner rather than later.”
Israel’s allies including the U.S. have urged Israel to delay the ground offensive in order to allow humanitarian aid to pass into Gaza and provide time to win the release of the more than 200 hostages Hamas is holding.
Raphael Cohen, the director of the Strategy and Doctrine Program of RAND Project AIR FORCE, says one possible factor delaying the ground offensive is the fact that Israel has mobilized 350,000 reservists without them being trained. “It is important to know that that mobilization has tripled the size of the Israeli Defense Forces,” Cohen told Al Arabiya. “Now if you’re going to do that, so … you want to get them retrained.”
China to send humanitarian aid to Gaza
China plans to provide 15 million yuan ($2.05 million) worth of humanitarian aid to Gaza, according to Reuters. The aid is said to primarily consist of food and medicine.
China has remained relatively neutral in its stance on the Israel-Hamas war, calling itself “a friend to both Israel and Palestine, according to The Washington Post. China has looked to contrast itself from the United States and other Western countries that are the largest backers of Israel, and have lost trust in the Arab world.
Last week, China called for an “immediate” cease-fire and expressed “deep disappointment” when the United States vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for a humanitarian pause in the fighting.
Other notable countries that have announced new aid packages since the war began are India, Turkey, the United States and the European Union (much less than the amount promised to Israel), Morocco, and of course Egypt.
Prominent Al Jazeera Journalist’s family killed in Israeli air raid
Al Jazeera condemns the killing of its journalist Wael Al-Dahdouh's family in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/EYJShQt6J9
Most of the family of Wael Dahdouh, Al Jazeera Arabic’s bureau chief in Gaza, has been killed in an Israeli air strike, according to the Qatari state-sponsored news agency. The death of Dahdough’s wife, son, daughter and grandson took place in central Gaza’s Nuseirat Refugee Camp, where the family had evacuated to.
“We had our doubts that the Israeli occupation would not let these people go without punishing them. And sadly, that is what happened. This is the ‘safe’ area that the occupation army spoke of,” uttered Dahdough, speaking to Al Jazeera upon leaving the hospital where his family members’ bodies were brought to.
Al Jazeera has become a prominent news agency in the Middle East over the past several decades, and its coverage during conflicts such as these is widely considered to be representative of the Palestinian perspective.
At least 24 journalists have been killed since the outbreak of the war in the Middle East, including 20 Palestinians, three Israelis and one Lebanese, according to the non-profit Committee to Protect Journalists.
"I'm not going to Israel"
“I’m not going to Israel,” titles Istanbul-based daily Hürriyet, quoting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who called off a planned visit to Israel and lambasted Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza. The leader condemned the “inhumane” war in Gaza and said he viewed Hamas as “liberators” fighting for their own land.
Brazil's Lula Calls Middle East War “Genocide”
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula de Silva said the war in the Middle East constituted a “genocide,” according to Brazilian public news stationAgência Brazil. Though he did not cite Israel explicitly, the words appear to be the strongest condemnation of the Israeli military's response in Gaza from a major world leader.
“It’s not a war, it’s a genocide that has killed nearly two thousand children who have nothing to do with this war, they are victims of this war," Lula said. "And frankly, I don’t know how a human being is capable of war knowing that the result of that war is the death of innocent children.”
Brazil has called for the release of the Israeli hostages and avoiding civilian casualties in Gaza. “What is currently happening in the Middle East is serious, and it's not a question of discussing who is right or who is wrong, who fired the first shot and who fired the second,” he added.
Erdogan says "Hamas is not a terrorist organization"
Israel wholeheartedly rejects the Turkish President’s harsh words about the terrorist organization Hamas. Hamas is a despicable terrorist organization worse than ISIS that brutally and intentionally murders babies, children, women and the elderly, takes civilians hostage and uses… pic.twitter.com/LU4mJGz18v
Israel on Wednesday rejected Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s assertion that the Palestinian militant group Hamas was “not a terrorist organization.” Erdogan said in a speech on Wednesday that "Hamas is a group for liberation and of mujahideen fighting to protect their land and citizens.”
Israel’s foreign ministry spokesperson Lior Haiat wrote on social media “Israel wholeheartedly rejects the Turkish president’s harsh words about the terrorist organization Hamas."
Speaking earlier to a group of his party’s MPs, Erdogan also said Israel “can view Hamas as a terrorist organization along with the West. The West owes you a lot. But Turkey does not owe you anything.” He urged Israel to stop attacking Gaza, saying that Israel’s actions were one of the “bloodiest, most disgusting and most savage attacks in history”.
Erdogan also announced that he had cancelled a planned trip to Israel, saying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had “misused our goodwill”.
Hezbollah chief meets leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad
Hezbollah’s longtime leader, Hassan Nasrallah, met top officials from Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad on Wednesday to coordinate their actions in the current conflict against Israel. According to a Hezbollah statement, Nasrallah met Hamas deputy chief Saleh Al-Arouri, and the secretary general of Palestinian Islamic Jihad Ziad Nakhla. There was no indication of where the meeting took place.
“An assessment was made of…what the parties of the resistance axis must do at this sensitive stage to achieve a real victory for the resistance in Gaza and Palestine and to stop the treacherous and brutal aggression against our people,” the statement said.
The Hezbollah press office also released a handwritten letter by Nasrallah commending those who have died fighting Israel, his first statement since the start of the war.
Hezbollah, which has its main base on the Israel-Lebanon border, could become involved in the Hamas-Israel war. In Lebanon, Hezbollah is officially considered a “resistance” group tasked with confronting Israel, which Beirut classifies as an enemy state. Much of the Western world classifies it, along with Hamas and Islamic Jihad, as terrorist organizations.
Israel has lashed at UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ harsh criticism of its attacks on Gaza, demanding his resignation Wednesday and refusing a visa to UN humanitarian affairs chief Martin Griffiths.
On Tuesday, Guterres said that the “appalling attacks” by Hamas against Israel on October 7 cannot justify the “collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”
The UN chief demanded an immediate cease-fire, and called out “the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza.”
Guterres added: “Nothing can justify the deliberate killing, injuring and kidnapping of civilians – or the launching of rockets against civilian targets. All hostages must be treated humanely and released immediately and without conditions.”
Addressing the UN, the secretary-general then went on to say the attack on Israel did not happen “in a vacuum” and followed “56 years of suffocating occupation” for the Palestinian people by Israel.
“They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence,” Guterres said of the Palestinian people. They’ve seen “their economy stifled; their people displaced and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing.”
Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, said Guterres should resign, calling the speech “shocking”, saying that the secretary general “views the massacre committed by Nazi Hamas terrorists in a distorted and immoral manner.”
Relief operations in Gaza may be forced to stop by Wednesday night if no fuel is delivered to the territory, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Vital fuel supplies needed to run hospitals and provide clean water are on the verge of running out, with the main aid agency in Gaza warning the deep humanitarian crisis is getting worse by the hour.
Without fuel, water cannot be pumped or desalinated, which has left people in Gaza forced to drink dirty, salty water. Generators that power hospitals will also come to a stop.
Six hospitals in Gaza have already been forced to close due to a lack of fuel since the start of Israel's full siege of the territory two weeks ago, according to the World Health Organization.
Only eight out of the 20 aid trucks that were originally scheduled to enter Gaza through the Rafah crossing went through on Tuesday. Part of the convoy that did pass through delivered five trucks loaded with water, two trucks loaded with food and one truck loaded with medicine, said the Palestine Red Crescent.
Meanwhile, nearly 600,000 internally displaced people are sheltering in 150 facilities of the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) in Gaza, while at least 40 UNRWA installations have been affected, the UN agency said.
“Our shelters are four times over their capacities. Many people are sleeping on the streets as current facilities are overwhelmed,” the agency said in a post shared on X.
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, at least 5,791 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza. More than 1,400 people have been killed in Israel since October 7.
Queen of Jordan calls out “glaring double standard”
Queen Rania of Jordan has accused Western leaders of a “glaring double standard” for failing to condemn the deaths of civilians under Israeli bombardment in Gaza, as Israel’s war on Hamas threatens to destabilize relations between U.S. and Arab leaders.
Speaking to CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Rania said, “The people all around the Middle East, including in Jordan, we are just shocked and disappointed by the world’s reaction to this catastrophe that is unfolding. In the last couple of weeks, we have seen a glaring double standard in the world.”
“When October 7 happened, the world immediately and unequivocally stood by Israel and its right to defend itself and condemned the attack that happened … but what we’re seeing in the last couple of weeks, we’re seeing silence in the world,” she told CNN.
War in Gaza costing Israel about $246 million daily
Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich puts the direct cost of the war at about 1 billion shekels ($246 million) a day to the country.
Israeli media Ynet news, reported that Smotrich did not have an assessment of the indirect costs on an economy partly paralyzed by the mass mobilization of military reservists and Palestinian armed groups’ rocket attacks.
He also commented on S&P Global’s downgrade of Israel’s outlook to “negative” from “stable”, saying that the revision was “alarmist” and that he did not anticipate major Israeli deficits despite the crisis.
The growing rift between Israel and the United Nations, since Secretary-General António Guterres' statement that the Oct. 7 Hamas attack did not happen in a "vacuum."
-Analysis-
UN Secretary-General António Guterres is known for having an amicable and non-controversial personality. But by Wednesday, the Israeli government was calling for his resignation and taking retaliatory measures against the the United Nations.
This unlikely frontal clash reflects the current atmosphere in the war-torn Middle East.
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The spark for the ongoing dispute was Guterres' statement before the UN Security Council on Tuesday, when he argued that the Hamas terrorist attack on Oct. 7 did not occur in a "vacuum" but within the context of a "suffocating occupation" that has lasted for 56 years.
He took great care to add that "the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the horrific attacks by Hamas." He also noted that "these terrible attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people."
Israel's strong response
Every word was carefully chosen, and in no way did the UN Secretary-General excuse the actions of Hamas, as Israel has accused him of doing. A reminder of context is different from a justification.
But it's clear that Guterres, speaking on behalf of the international organization rather than a Western country, expressed himself more candidly than all the European or American leaders, who have been more reserved in their statements since Oct. 7.
Even war has rules.
The severe response from Israel, which is demanding the Secretary-General's resignation, is of course explained by the magnitude of the trauma Israeli society suffered on Oct. 7. Israelis are still in shock, and not ready to hear criticisms perceived as justifications for terrorism.
But that's not the only explanation. The UN Secretary-General did not stop at analyzing the past; he denounced the present, namely the way Israel is conducting its war in Gaza.
"Even war has rules," he said, demanding that all parties, especially Israel, adhere to international humanitarian law.
Though politically powerless, the United Nations is particularly well-placed to assess the humanitarian impact: their specialized agency, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), has been providing vital assistance to around 5 million Palestinians, including those in neighboring countries since 1948.
In Gaza, 600,000 displaced civilians are under UNRWA protection, and 35 of its staff members have died during airstrikes in the past two weeks.
The UN is largely out of the picture in the search for solutions in the Middle East.
Yesterday, Israel announced that it had refused to grant a visa to the head of the UN's humanitarian branch, Martin Griffith. "It's time to teach them a lesson," said Israel's ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan.
Again, this crisis does not happen out of the blue. Relations between the UNRWA and Israel have been dismal for years. The UN is an uncomfortable witness to the accelerated occupation of the West Bank. At Israel's request, the Trump administration decided in 2018 to cut funding to the UNRWA, a total of $200 million per year, endangering schools, hospitals, and social services.
The UN is largely out of the picture in the search for solutions in the Middle East, but they still have a role in calling for the adherence to international law. This is of crucial importance if the worldwide organization wants to maintain its standing, and if we want to retain some hope amidst these horrors.
“I’m not going to Israel,” titles Istanbul-based daily 
