WORLD BRIEFING: October 21, 2023
What the White House $100 billion national security request is said to look like - as per PBS The Newshour reporting.
Israel-Gaza War
Hamas says in a statement they released U.S. mother & daughter - Judith and Natalie Raanan who were taken hostage by Hamas at Kibbutz Nahal Oz, in southern Israel - 'for humanitarian reasons,' to prove that 'claims made by U.S. President Biden and his fascist administration are false'.’ Two of Judith and Natalie Raanan's family members were murdered, 10 others remain captive - Israel 24
The ICRC said the release of two hostages in Gaza today is a sliver of hope. “We are extremely relieved that they can be reunited with their family after two weeks of agony.” The Geneva-based organization said it helped facilitate this release by transporting the hostages from Gaza to Israel.
Israel's military says more than 20 children under 18 are among 200 hostages being held in Gaza after the Hamas attacks on 7 October. In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces says between 10 and 20 are over 60, and the majority of those being held are alive - BBC
In Egypt, the only country to share a border with Gaza apart from Israel, the authoritarian government has made protests of any kind illegal, but there was a significant one Friday in the very heart of Cairo, in Tahrir Square. Elsewhere in the city, the government has not only allowed pro-Palestinian protests, it's encouraging them, journalist and opposition activist Khaled Dawoud told CBS News on Friday. Asked if he believed the Egyptian government, by allowing the protests, was trying to send a warning that the Hamas-Israel could spread, Dawoud acknowledged that the demonstrations could help leaders in Cairo, who worry an escalation could send thousands of Palestinian refugees pouring over the Gaza border. But, he stressed that he and the other protesters were "not acting by remote control. These feelings are genuine."
The Israel-Hamas war threatened to widen into a regional conflict. The U.S. said drones targeted its bases in Iraq and Syria, and one of its warships intercepted cruise missiles apparently launched at Israel by Houthi forces in Yemen. Israel, meanwhile, evacuated a town near its border with Lebanon, as Washington issued a rare “worldwide caution” alert to its citizens and urged Americans to leave Lebanon as soon as possible. Some experts worry that Hamas could “unveil a deadly surprise” as the war intensifies, potentially using a number of new weapons it is known to have stockpiled: Underwater drones, roadside bombs, and precision-guided munitions - Semafor
Elsewhere
Italy's prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, says she has separated from her long-time partner Andrea Giambruno. She announced the split on social media hours after a TV show broadcast explicit comments made off-air by TV host Giambruno to female colleagues. Ms Meloni said the relationship, "which lasted almost 10 years, ends here. Our paths have been different for some time... it's time to acknowledge it." The couple met in 2015 and they have a daughter aged seven - BBC
On Thursday , the Ukrainian Defense Ministry estimated that 1,380 Russian soldiers were killed or wounded, the highest number in any day of the war.
The EU has officially extended the temporary protection regime for refugees from Ukraine for one year — from March 4, 2024 to March 4, 2025.
The total environmental damage caused by Russian aggression in Ukraine amounts to more than 55.6 billion euros ($58.9 billion), Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said in a speech on Oct. 20, citing figures from the Environmental Protection Ministry. Shymhal said that "half of these losses are due to air pollution from forest fires, missile attacks, and the burning of oil products." - Kyiv Independent
Washington’s concessions to Venezuela could lay the groundwork for real political change in the country. The Biden administration eased sanctions on Caracas this week, allowing it to export oil for the first time since 2019, after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro agreed to make moves towards democratic elections next year. The Venezuelan journalist Luz Mely Reyes wrote in El País that while it is reasonable to doubt Maduro’s commitment — he is a heavy-handed autocrat by inclination — and the situation is fragile, there is now a realistic route towards reform: It “may be a small chance for consensus,” she said, “but just six months ago, it was unthinkable.” - Semafor
A growing chorus of governments, human rights groups, and NGOs have urged Pakistan to reverse its decision to forcibly deport over 1 million Afghans from the country. Islamabad has said the estimated 1.7 million undocumented Afghan refugees and migrants living in Pakistan must leave voluntarily or face deportation by November 1. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HCRP) became the latest organization to criticize the decision, saying it "amounts to forced repatriation, which is not recognized under international law." In its October 18 statement, the HCRP said Pakistan's caretaker government lacked the legal mandate to order the mass expulsions. Around 3.7 million Afghans live in Pakistan, according to the United Nations, including some 700,000 people who arrived after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021.
With thanks to Preeti Bali for her research support
Required reading…
Russia-China military ties will progress slowly - Oxford Analytica
After their meeting yesterday, President Vladimir Putin and President Xi Jinping reaffirmed their view of the need for a new world order. Although Russia and China have been moving towards closer cooperation throughout the post-Soviet era, the trend accelerated after 2014. The China-Russia partnership raises the possibility of two formidable adversaries joining forces to counter the interests of the United States and its allies.
What next
Evidence that Russia and China are advancing their military cooperation will be more significant than further ritual statements at summit meetings. The extent to which China is supplying Russia with military and dual-use technologies and how much real assistance Russia is providing to China through joint projects will give a true sense of how close the two countries are cooperating. Any indication that either side is willing to grant the other long-term access to its military facilities would be a sign of an appreciable advance in cooperation and mutual trust.