Impending Israeli Invasion of Rafah
Despite pressure from Israel’s allies to refrain from invading Rafah, the city in southern Gaza housing a million displaced Palestinians, Israel seems to be hinting at an inevitable assault.
An Israeli military official mentioned on Monday the possibility of relocating civilians to a safe zone along the coast in case of an invasion. The bombing of Rafah by Israel has raised concerns among civilians about a potential ground assault.
Israel justifies the push into Rafah as necessary to eliminate militants hiding in tunnels beneath the city, capture or eliminate Hamas leaders believed to be present, and secure the release of remaining hostages taken during the Hamas-led attacks on October 7.
However, the invasion would have devastating consequences for civilians, as the designated humanitarian zone is already overcrowded with displaced individuals.
UNRWA: Following a report discrediting Israel’s claims of terrorists within the organization, Germany has pledged to restore its funding for the U.N. agency for Palestinians, being the second-largest donor after the U.S.
Hostages: Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli American injured in the October 7 attacks, appeared in a Hamas video criticizing Israel’s Prime Minister and claiming to have been held hostage for approximately 200 days.
U.S. Aid to Ukraine
President Biden recently signed a foreign aid package providing nearly $61 billion in assistance to Ukraine, with weapons shipments set to commence shortly.
The aid includes munitions that could enable Ukraine to strike deep into Russian-held territory.
The U.S. discreetly delivered a new long-range missile system, ATACMS, to Ukraine last week, which was used to target a Russian military airfield and troops in Berdiansk. Additional long-range missiles are part of the new aid package.
The Pentagon plans to expedite the delivery of weapons, including Stinger surface-to-air missiles, air defense munitions, shells, anti-tank guided missiles, cluster munitions, and battlefield vehicles.
NATO: Approximately 90,000 troops from NATO countries have been training in Europe to deter Russia from advancing beyond Ukraine.
Kharkiv: Russia has been bombarding Ukraine’s second-largest city with powerful guided bombs known as glide bombs since March.
Myanmar’s Junta Regains Control
The military junta has recaptured Myawaddy, a crucial trading hub on the Thai border, after rebels had briefly seized it. This marks a significant victory for the junta following the 2021 coup.
Recent Developments: In recent months, resistance…