World Briefing: October 13, 2024
Gaza's Hamas-run civil defence agency says 30 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on Friday, according to the AFP news agency. A senior UN official told the BBC that the organization has recorded about 300 “armed incidents” in northern Gaza over the past three days, making it the most violent period in the area since the war began. The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry estimates at least 42,175 people in Gaza have been killed since 7 October last year. In Israel, the IDF says it has intercepted a number of launches from Lebanon, and earlier reported that two drones were detected from Lebanon and another from Syria. Lebanon's prime minister says 22 people were killed in two Israeli attacks in central Beirut on Thursday, which came with no warning, and were all civilians - BBC
Secret documents show Hamas tried to persuade Iran to join its Oct. 7 attack: for more than two years, Yahya Sinwar huddled with his top Hamas commanders and plotted what they hoped would be the most devastating and destabilizing attack on Israel in the militant group’s four-decade history. Minutes of Hamas’s secret meetings, seized by the Israeli military and obtained by The New York Times, provide a detailed record of the planning for the Oct. 7 terrorist attack, as well as Mr. Sinwar’s determination to persuade Hamas’s allies, Iran and Hezbollah, to join the assault or at least commit to a broader fight with Israel if Hamas staged a surprise cross-border raid. The documents, which represent a breakthrough in understanding Hamas, also show extensive efforts to deceive Israel about its intentions as the group laid the groundwork for a bold assault and a regional conflagration that Mr. Sinwar hoped would cause Israel to “collapse.” - NYT
India has become the top supplier of restricted critical technologies to Russia, US and European officials said, highlighting the challenge in efforts to choke off exports fueling President Vladimir Putin’s war machine. Indian exports of restricted items such as microchips, circuits and machine tools surpassed $60 million in both April and May, about double from earlier months this year, and leaped to $95 million in July, according to the officials, who asked not to be identified discussing private assessments. India is exceeded only by China - Bloomberg
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has announced plans to temporarily suspend the right to asylum as part of a new migration strategy to combat irregular migration. He said people smugglers - aided by Belarus and Russia - were abusing the right to asylum. Since 2021, Poland has seen a huge increase in the number of people, mainly from the Middle East, Africa and Asia, crossing into the country illegally from Belarus. Warsaw has accused Belarus and Russia of “hybrid warfare”, directing the flow of migrants towards the European Union in a bid to destabilise the bloc. Both countries deny this. Under international law, countries are obliged to offer people the right to claim asylum. Tusk did not say how he would justify the move to his EU partners. - BBC
Polish general Rajmund Andrzejczak had some strong words of warning for Russian President Vladimir Putin that’s making the rounds on social media: "If Russia attacks even an inch of Lithuanian territory, the response will come immediately. Not on the first day, but in the first minute. We will hit all strategic targets within a radius of 300 km. We will attack St. Petersburg directly". He said it in the context of a possible defeat of Ukraine: “[in case] of a Russian victory in Ukraine, we would have a Russian division in Lviv, one in Brest, and one in Grodno...Poland and Lithuania would then be surrounded by Russian forces...Russia must realise that an attack on Poland or the Baltic countries will also be its end"
Journalist Andrey Kuznechyk of RFE/RL's Belarusian Service, known locally as Radio Svaboda, on August 21 marked his 1,000th day in prison on charges, he, his employer, and human rights organizations call politically motivated. Kuznechyk, a father of two, was arrested on November 25, 2021, and initially sentenced to 10 days in jail on hooliganism charges that he rejected. After serving that penalty, Kuznechyk was kept in jail and was subsequently charged with creating an extremist group, a move that officials withheld from Kuznechyk's relatives and colleagues for months. On June 8, 2022, the Mahilyou regional court in the country's east found Kuznechyk guilty and sentenced him to six years in prison. The trial lasted just one day. Human rights groups in Belarus have recognized Kuznechyk as a political prisoner. - RFE/RL
New research suggests the lasting damage from storms like Hurricane Milton could result in thousands of additional deaths in future years, particularly among the most vulnerable in society. "A state might see between 7,000 and 11,000 deaths for as long as 15 years afterward. And it's because of the disruption that the hurricane causes to the health system, the economy, to people's social networks and to their mental health," Washington Post climate reporter Sarah Kaplan says
Thailand has set an ambitious goal to attract 40 million foreign tourists in 2025, matching its pre-pandemic record, and generate 3.4 trillion baht (US$102.5 billion) in tourism revenue. The government plans to launch a campaign promoting Thai culture, lesser-known tourist destinations, and a variety of must-do activities, Jirayu Houngsub, adviser to the prime minister, said as quoted by Bangkok Post. So far in 2024, Thailand has welcomed nearly 27 million foreign visitors and is on track to reach its target of 36 million by the end of the year. China remains the largest source of tourists, although the numbers are only about 65% of pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, Thailand experienced a record 40 million foreign arrivals, generating 1.91 trillion baht in revenue. Though visitors are noticing rising prices due to a strengthening Thai currency and a lack of new attractions.
