WORLD BRIEFING: November 7, 2023
Israel-Hamas War
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday that the protection of civilians "must be paramount" in the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas, warning that the Gaza Strip was becoming "a graveyard for children." He said clear violations of international humanitarian law were being committed.
The heads of several major United Nations bodies on Monday made a united call for a humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza as Israeli strikes intensify nearly one month into the conflict. The 18 signatories include Volker Turk, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, the head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths. "An entire population is besieged and under attack, denied access to the essentials for survival, bombed in their homes, shelters, hospitals and places of worship. This is unacceptable," they said in a joint statement. "We need an immediate humanitarian cease-fire. It's been 30 days. Enough is enough. This must stop now."
Meanwhile, the White House said U.S. President Joe Biden discussed the need for a humanitarian pause in a call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. John Kirby told reporters that the U.S. was monitoring the humanitarian aid being delivered to Gaza and that it was not enough. He said Biden and Netanyahu also discussed the situation on the West Bank. Extremist settlers were involved in a growing number of violent incidents targeting Palestinians during the olive harvest - Ynet
Netanyahu isn’t the solution, but the problem. He has legitimized Jewish supremacists and the far right. During his years in power, Israel has grown more extreme, and people who used to be loathsome pariahs are now senior ministers - Haaretz Editorial
The European continent is in danger if Israel fails in its war against Iran and its proxies, including Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Monday, as he attempted to place the Gaza war within the global context - Jerusalem Post
Hundreds of activists staged a sit-in at the Statue of Liberty on Monday afternoon, demanding an immediate end to the Israel-Hamas war. Dressed uniformly in black, the protesters with Jewish Voice for Peace gathered on the pedestal shortly before 1 p.m. when they dropped massive banners with calls for a cease-fire and other slogans, such as “The Whole World Is Watching” and “Never Again for Anyone.” The group sang “Cease-fire now” and occupied the national monument for about 20 minutes before dispersing. The protest, which the group said included more than 500 people, continued on a ferry headed back to Manhattan - New York Magazine
“We need an immediate humanitarian cease-fire. It’s been 30 days. Enough is enough. This must stop now”
Elsewhere
Ukraine declared a large-scale air-raid alert on Monday, instructing citizens to take shelter amid indications of a possible fresh wave of Russian strikes. The alert in midafternoon came after Russia earlier in the day struck Odesa, Ukraine's main Black Sea port, with missiles and drones, wounding at least eight people and causing extensive damage to a renowned art museum and residential buildings in the city's historic center, while drone debris set grain warehouses on fire. Regional Governor Oleh Kiper put the final number of wounded people at eight after initially saying five residents had been injured in the attack - RFE/RL
Vladimir Putin has decided to run in the March presidential election, a move that will keep him in power until least 2030, as the Kremlin chief feels he must steer Russia through the most perilous period in decades, six sources told Reuters. "The decision has been made - he will run," said one of the sources who has knowledge of the planning. Another source, also acquainted with the Kremlin's thinking, confirmed that a decision has been made and that Putin's advisers were preparing for his participation. Three other sources said the decision to run in the March 2024 presidential election had been taken.
Donald Trump complained of unfair treatment in a defiant and rambling performance on the witness stand on Monday, prompting the judge overseeing his New York civil business fraud trial to threaten to cut his testimony short.
Two people have been killed, and two hospitalized after an explosion, fire at the Canadian High Commission in Abuja Nigeria. It was first reported that a tanker exploded inside a generator building. The High Commission is just up the road from where a terrorist attack in 2011 took place on the UN HQ, killing 23