WORLD BRIEFING: October 22, 2023
Israel-Gaza War
UN agencies warn “time is running out before mortality rates could skyrocket due to disease outbreaks and lack of health-care capacity” in Gaza. They said that as 20 lorries crossed today but described it as “only a small beginning and far from enough” for the 1.6 million+ people in critical need of aid.
Leaders, foreign ministers and diplomats from dozens of Arab, European, African and other countries gathered in Cairo on Saturday for a “peace summit” aimed at de-escalating the violence in Gaza. But after hours of speeches, they had little to show for the trip other than a gaping divide, as Arab leaders castigated Western countries for their silence on Israel’s airstrikes on Palestinian civilians in Gaza. European leaders arrived in Cairo knowing they could not sign Egypt’s draft declaration, which did not mention Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas, according to European diplomats and officials involved in the summit preparations. In much of the Muslim world, the Western response has sparked criticism of hypocrisy and double standards for its failure to condemn the siege and Israel’s airstrikes on civilians in Gaza — which critics said was the same sort of violence Western countries readily described as a “war crime” when Russia invaded Ukraine - NYT
Among the most articulate world leaders to speak at the summit was Jordan’s King Abdullah II: “I am outraged and grieved by those acts of violence waged against innocent civilians in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel. The relentless bombing campaign underway in Gaza is cruel and unconscionable on every level. It’s collective punishment of a besieged and helpless people. It’s a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law; it is a war crime….
“Anywhere else attacking civilian infrastructure and deliberately starving an entire population of food, water, electricity and basic necessities would be condemned. Accountability would be enforced - immediately and unequivocally. And it has been done before, recently in another conflict (Ukraine). But not in Gaza. It’s been two weeks…and still global silence.
“The message the Arab world is hearing is loud and clear: Palestinian lives matter less than Israeli ones. Our lives matter less than other lives. The application of international law is optional. And human rights have boundaries. They stop at borders. They stop at races. And they stop at religions.
“That is a very, very dangerous message. As the consequences of continuous apathy and inaction will be catastrophic on us all.”
Elsewhere
Finnish police have said a Chinese ship whose movement coincided with the time and place of the suspected sabotage of a pipeline between Finland and Estonia that was damaged this month is now the focus of their investigation. After a leak led to the shutdown of the Balticconnector pipeline on 8 October, Finnish authorities have been investigating the damage they say was caused by “external” activity. On Friday, they said their focus was on the Newnew Polar Bear, a cargo ship that reportedly came under Chinese ownership this year. Between 2017 and 2022 it was known as the Baltic Fulmar, the Finnish broadcaster YLE reported. “The movements of the vessel Newnew Polar Bear flying the flag of Hong Kong coincide with the time and place of the gas pipeline damage,” Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation said. DS Risto Lohi said: “We will cooperate with Chinese authorities in order to establish the role of the said vessel.” - The Guardian
A United Nations investigation has found further evidence that Russian forces committed “indiscriminate attacks” and war crimes in Ukraine, including rape and the deportation of children to Russia. “The collected evidence further shows that Russian authorities have committed the war crimes of wilful killing, torture, rape and other sexual violence, and the deportation of children to the Russian Federation,” a United Nations commission of inquiry on Ukraine said in a report submitted to the UN general assembly. “The commission has recently documented attacks that affected civilian objects, such as residential buildings, a railway station, shops, and a warehouse for civilian use, leading to numerous casualties.” - The Guardian
An Iranian court on October 22 sentenced two female journalists to prison for their coverage of the 2022 death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. The state IRNA news agency reported that Niloofar Hamedi, 31, had been sentenced to seven years in prison, while Elahah Mohammadi, 36, was given a six-year sentence for "collaborating with the hostile U.S. government." In addition, each was sentenced to five years for "acting against national security" and one year for "propaganda against the system," with those sentences to run concurrently with the longer terms. Lawyers for the journalists said their clients rejected the allegations - RFE/RL
The U.S. State Department is offering a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest of a leading figure in militant group al-Shabab amid a growing terror threat in East Africa and Washington’s renewed concern about the safety of Americans overseas - Semafor
With thanks to Preeti Bali for her research support