Author: ALJAZEERA

Deir el-Balah, Gaza Strip — As we bid farewell to 2023 and welcome 2024, the tragic scenes of ongoing war persist in Gaza. Who could have anticipated such widespread devastation, loss of life, pain and tears? Who could have foreseen the displacement, expulsion, intimidation and suffering? Who could have predicted the hunger, thirst, poverty and drought? Since the beginning of the war on October 7, all the horrors and nightmares seem to have converged on our lives in the Gaza Strip. Every day, while reporting from Al-Aqsa Hospital alongside my brother who accompanies me, we’ve struggled to find fitting names…

Buenos Aires, Argentina – Poverty through the roof. Out-of-control inflation. Overwhelming debt. Javier Milei painted the grimmest of pictures when he delivered his inaugural address as president of Argentina earlier this month. “There is no money,” he said in a grave voice. “There is no alternative to tightening our belt. There is no alternative to a shock.” It was not the sort of message you would expect to elicit cheers from a society battered by economic recession. But the roar from the crowd demonstrated the extent to which Milei – a relative newcomer to the world of politics – had…

At least four Palestinians detained and 17 others injured from Israeli drone strikes on Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarem.Israeli forces have arrested at least four Palestinians and wounded 17 others after conducting nightlong raids in the occupied West Bank cities during which they fired drones, according to Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim. Two overnight drone attacks on the Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarem caused the injuries, said Ibrahim, reporting from Ramallah, citing medical sources. During the raids, Israeli forces also blocked the entrance to two hospitals in the area, delaying many of the wounded from receiving treatment. It was…

David Frum, writer for The Atlantic magazine and pro-Israel commentator, says Palestinian statehood is not the solution.David Frum, staff writer for The Atlantic magazine and a pro-Israel supporter, tells host Steve Clemons that Israel and the United States should “avoid solution-ism” for the Palestinians and focus on day-to-day necessities, like food and water. The way Israel has responded to the Hamas attack of October 7 was “inevitable”, Frum says, adding that “Israel has never been allowed this much scope to act”, by the US, United Kingdom and European Union. Join this wide-ranging conversation on the internal debates within Israeli society,…

“[T]he reality of concentration camps resembles nothing so much as medieval pictures of Hell.” – Hanna Arendt   In February 2008, Matan Vilnai, then Israel’s deputy defence minister, threatened the Palestinians of Gaza with a “holocaust”. “They will bring upon themselves a bigger shoah because we will use all our might to defend ourselves,” he said in an interview for the Israeli army radio station, using the Hebrew word for holocaust. It is important to recall this statement today as activists and analysts are being berated for comparing what is happening now to the people of Gaza to what European…

Exploring how Instagram and TikTok influencers shape narratives in Israel’s war on Gaza.Social media has revolutionised our understanding and perception of wars and conflicts. Platforms like Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, with their real-time, unfiltered content, offer a new perspective that’s immediate and often raw. These platforms enable users worldwide to witness conflicts like the war on Gaza as they unfold, offering a variety of viewpoints that traditional media may not cover. This shift has led to a more multifaceted and grassroots-level narrative, one which we will explore as influencers Nicole Jenes and Rathbone talk to Al Jazeera. Source link

An Israeli official on Thursday acknowledged that the country’s military had used inappropriate munitions during an attack on the Maghazi refugee camp that killed at least 90 people earlier this week. The official said that Israel’s military would investigate what happened. But while little is known about the specific munitions used in Maghazi, this is far from the first time that Israel’s army has faced criticism over the alleged or confirmed use of controversial weapons in its war on Gaza. Israel has said its goal is to “completely eliminate” Hamas, which attacked southern Israel on October 7, but the reality…

The arrests were made across 37 provinces amid drive by Turkey’s security forces ahead of New Year celebrations.Turkey has announced it has arrested 189 people suspected of having ties to the ISIL (ISIS) armed group as the government continues to detain people across the country. Turkey’s interior minister, Ali Yerlikaya, said on social media platform X on Saturday that the suspects were arrested as part of “Operation Heroes-38”, which took place simultaneously in 37 provinces. The detentions come amid a drive by Turkey’s security forces ahead of New Year festivities, although some also view it as part of a political…

Istanbul rival teams Galatasaray and Fenerbahce were scheduled to play in Riyadh on Friday.The Turkish Super Cup final between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce scheduled to be played in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh was called off over an apparent disagreement about the players’ jerseys. The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) and the two teams – who returned to Istanbul on Saturday after Friday’s postponed match – said the decision was made because of “some problems” in the event’s organisation. Haberturk television and other Turkish media said players from both Istanbul football teams wanted to wear T-shirts that featured an image of Mustafa Kemal…

The administration of United States President Joe Biden has once again bypassed Congress to greenlight an emergency weapons sale to Israel, which has only intensified and broadened its attacks on the Gaza Strip despite growing international outrage. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Congress that he had made a second emergency determination in less than a month, covering a $147.5m sale of equipment to Israel, the State Department said on Friday. “Given the urgency of Israel’s defensive needs, the secretary notified Congress that he had exercised his delegated authority to determine an emergency existed necessitating the immediate approval of…