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Geopolitics & Foreign Policy

Israel and Hamas agreed on the first truce, 50 hostages to go free in the swap.

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On Wednesday, Israel and Hamas reached an agreement to put an end to the fighting in Gaza for at least four days, to allow humanitarian supplies to enter the territory, and to free at least 50 hostages taken by militants in return for at least 150 Palestinians now being held in Israeli jails.

The first ceasefire in a bloody conflict that has lasted for nearly seven weeks and was brokered by Qatar has been celebrated all around the globe as a positive step forward that has the potential to alleviate the suffering of Gaza’s inhabitants and bring more Israeli prisoners back home. Israel has indicated that the truce might be maintained for a more extended period, provided that further captives are released.

On October 7, gunmen rampaged through various villages in southern Israel, capturing around 240 captives for Hamas and other affiliated groups. Before this, Hamas had only issued a total of four.

It is anticipated that the formal beginning time for the truce will be declared within 24 hours and that the first captives will be released on Thursday.

In a statement, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that at least ten women and children will be released each day over the next four days, bringing the total number of people freed to fifty. After that point, the ceasefire may be prolonged so long as an additional ten hostages are freed every day of the extension.

The release of Palestinian inmates was not mentioned anywhere in the document; nevertheless, the Israeli justice ministry did publish a list of 300 names of Palestinian prisoners who had the potential to be released.

“The Israeli government is dedicated to bringing all of the captives back to their homes. According to a statement released by the administration tonight, “it approved the proposed deal tonight as a first stage to achieving this goal.”

Hamas has stated that the first fifty hostages will be freed in exchange for the release of one hundred fifty Palestinian women and children now imprisoned in Israeli jails. According to the statement, Israel will stop all air flights over southern Gaza and maintain a daily six-hour daylight no-fly window in the north. At the same time, hundreds of trucks carrying humanitarian goods, medical supplies, and gasoline will enter Gaza. Additionally, Israel will stop all air sorties over the northern part of Gaza.

Since the invasion by Hamas, which, according to Israeli counts, killed 1,200 people, the majority of whom were civilians, Israel has placed Gaza under blockade and has been relentlessly bombarding the area. Since then, more than 14,000 people have been murdered in Gaza; over forty percent of them were youngsters, according to medical professionals in the region that Hamas administers. The United Nations considers these numbers to be trustworthy.

According to Mohammed Al-Khulaifi, Minister of State at the Foreign Ministry of Qatar, who was the key negotiator for Qatar in the ceasefire discussions, the truce meant that there would be “no attack whatsoever. No military maneuvers, no territorial expansion, and absolutely nothing.”

Qatar has high expectations that this accord will serve as a stepping stone to more extensive negotiations and a lasting cessation of hostilities. And that is our goal in mind,” he stated.

Fighting continued without letup while the start of the ceasefire was still in the future. Live video from the other side of the barrier during the early morning hours showed smoke from explosions rising above northern Gaza.

The Israeli military announced that it had carried out air strikes and published footage showing soldiers firing in confined spaces such as alleys. The government’s “forces continue to operate within the Strip’s territory to destroy terrorist infrastructure, eliminate terrorists, and locate weaponry,” according to reports.

“WHAT TRUE CAN THERE BE?” they asked.
The ceasefire agreement is a first step toward peace amid the most intense turbulence of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which has lasted for 75 years. The suffering of civilians on both sides has stunned the world over the past seven weeks, beginning with the slaughter of Israeli families inside their homes and continuing with the damage that has been rained down on Gaza, which is home to 2.3 million people. This conflict has shaken the world.

“How can there possibly be a truce after everything that’s happened to us? A lady in Gaza named Mona, whose nieces and nephews were among those murdered by an Israeli air attack that destroyed the home of the Seyam family was overheard saying, “We are all dead people.” The target of the strike was the Seyam family’s home. “This will not bring back what we lost, heal our hearts, or make up for the tears we shed.”

It is thought that Gali Tarashansky, age 13, is being kept captive in Gaza. Her grandmother, Kamelia Hoter Ishay, stated that she would not trust stories of a deal until she received a phone call informing her that the kid had been released.

“And then I’ll know that it’s really over and I can breathe a sigh of relief and say that’s it, it’s over,” according to her.

Both Israel and Hamas have said that the truce would not stop them from pursuing their larger aims, saying something along the lines of, “We are at war, and we will continue the war until we achieve all of our goals.” In a taped statement, Netanyahu stated that the goals of the operation were to “destroy Hamas, return all of our hostages, and ensure that no entity in Gaza can threaten Israel.”

Hamas stated in its prepared statement: “As we announce the striking of a truce agreement, we affirm that our fingers remain on the trigger, and our victorious fighters will remain on the look-out to defend our people and defeat the occupation.”

Hopefully, this may be a turning point toward more widespread peace.

“We hope the truce will happen and there will be good solutions, and we hope people will live peacefully and return to their homes and workplaces with stability,” said Abu Jihad Shameya, a displaced man from north Gaza who had taken sanctuary in the central southern city of Khan Younis. “We hope the truce will happen and there will be good solutions,” he said. “We hope people will live peacefully and return to their homes and workplaces with stability.”

“May God make an end to this suffering quickly.”

FOREIGNERS ARE INCLUDED AMONG THOSE WHO WILL BE SET FREE.

Joe Biden, the United States Vice President, was one of the many world leaders who praised the agreement. According to a senior source from the United States, three American captives are anticipated to be among those to be freed, including a young girl of three years old whose parents were murdered in the attack carried out by Hamas on October 7.

Israel has said that more than half of the captives had foreign citizenship or dual citizenship from roughly 40 different countries.

According to reports in Israeli media, the implementation of the arrangement would have to wait for one day to provide Israeli people with the opportunity to petition the Supreme Court to prevent the release of Palestinian detainees.

Around 85 women and 350 children are among the more than 7,800 Palestinians that Israel is detaining, according to Qadura Fares, the director of the Commission for Prisoners’ Affairs at the Palestinian Authority’s Ramallah-based Commission for Prisoners’ Affairs.

Late on Tuesday night, the armed branch of the Palestinian terrorist organization Islamic Jihad, which had collaborated with Hamas in the operation that took place on October 7, said that one of the Israeli hostages it had been holding since the operation had passed away.

Geopolitics & Foreign Policy

Despair in Gaza as fighting intensifies despite Israel’s promise to scale back the war.

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Israeli bombings in southern and central Gaza escalated on Wednesday, despite a commitment by Israel that it would withdraw some forces and transition to a more focused assault, as well as a beg from its partner Washington to decrease the number of civilian fatalities.

The Houthi movement in Yemen, which claims it is acting to help Gaza, launched the most significant strike to date against United States and British warships in the Red Sea. This is the most recent indication that the war, which has been going on for three months, is spreading. Both Washington and London have reported that they were successful in shooting down 21 missiles and drones that were intended for maritime channels. Nobody was wounded in the incident.

Following weeks of pressure from the United States to reduce its operations and transition to what Washington considers to be a more focused campaign, Israel said this week that it intended to begin bringing down forces, at least from the northern portion of Gaza.

However, it seems that the combat is as ferocious as it has ever been, particularly in the southern and central regions, which are the places where Israeli troops made ground gains a month ago.

In response to security concerns, the World Health Organization (WHO) decided to cancel a scheduled medical aid mission to Gaza. This is the sixth time in the past two weeks that such a mission has been canceled.

When an Israeli attack occurred on the major road near Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Red Crescent reported that four of its employees were murdered. The strike occurred on the ambulance that they were riding in. The ambulance was carrying two people who were injured and eventually passed away.

More than 23,000 Palestinians have been murdered in Gaza since Israel began its effort to eliminate the Hamas terrorist group that rules the territory. This comes after Hamas members carried out a rampage on October 7 that resulted in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis and the abduction of 240 captives who were held captive.

Gaza’s health officials have calculated that almost forty percent of those who were murdered were under the age of eighteen.

Having lost their family home in an air attack that resulted in the death of their father, Laila al-Sultan, who is seven years old, and her brother Khaled, who is four years old, are currently residing in a tent shanty town in the southern region of Gaza.

“The house collapsed on us, and Daddy went to heaven, and he is very happy,” Khaled remarked as he bounced up and down on Laila’s lap. “The house collapsed on us.”

WARNING FROM HOUTHI

Antony Blinken, the Secretary of State of the United States of America, made his fourth trip to the area since the beginning of the conflict. On Wednesday, he traveled to Ramallah and met with Palestinian officials, including Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority (PA), in the West Bank, which is under Israeli occupation.

Even though it recognizes Israel’s right to exist and exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority (PA) lost control of Gaza in 2007. Hamas, which is committed to the destruction of Israel, took control of Gaza.

Blinken reportedly voiced his support for the establishment of a Palestinian state, emphasized the efforts being made to safeguard and assist people in Gaza, and advocated for “administrative reforms” to be implemented by the Palestinian Authority.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) said that Abbas advised Blinken that no Palestinians should be relocated from Gaza or the West Bank.

Furthermore, Blinken has spoken with officials from Israel and traveled to Arab governments in the vicinity to hunt for a potential settlement for the Gaza Strip and its population of 2.3 million people.

The meeting between Jordan’s King Abdullah and Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi occurred in Aqaba on Wednesday. During the meeting, Jordan and Egypt issued a warning against any reoccupation of the Gaza Strip by Israel and made a request that inhabitants who had been uprooted be allowed to return to their homes.

Washington is concerned that the conflict in Gaza might spread bloodshed throughout the region, with armed organizations supported by Iran, Israel’s most opposed nation, unleashing strikes in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen in sympathy with Israel.

The Houthis, who control the majority of Yemen, have been bombing one of the busiest shipping routes in the world, which is located at the mouth of the Red Sea. As a result, the United States government has been forced to send warships to provide security.

According to a spokesman for the Houthi military, the group fired a large number of missiles and drones at a United States ship that was providing support to Israel. The spokesman referred to the attack as a “preliminary response” to an incident that occurred on New Year’s Eve, in which United States helicopters sank three boats carrying Houthi fighters who attempted to board a commercial vessel.

According to Blinken, who made this statement when he was in Bahrain, which was the next stop on his journey, there would be repercussions for ongoing attacks on commercial vessels.

“We’ve also repeatedly tried to make clear to Iran, as other countries have, that the support that they’re providing to the Houthis, including for these actions, needs to stop,” he said to reporters.

The no-let-up

Despite Israel’s public declarations since the New Year that it is reducing the intensity of the battle, the inhabitants of Gaza claim that they have not witnessed any reduction in the conflict. There has been at least one instance of the whole community being evicted from their houses, with many people being relocated many times as Israeli soldiers continue to advance.

The bodies of fifteen members of the Nofal family were laid out at a hospital morgue in Rafah, which is located on the southern fringe of the enclave. After an Israeli air strike overnight destroyed their home, the victims were there. Relatives wailed as they stared at the bodies.

The majority of the white shrouds were tiny, and they contained children. Um Ahmed, a mother of five now taking refuge in a tent near Rafah, stated that Gazans had anticipated Blinken’s presence would signal they would be allowed to return to their homes.

It is comparable to words written in butter, since it vanished as soon as the sun rose in the sky. She said, “Those were Blinken’s words, and they were fake.”

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Geopolitics & Foreign Policy

The Maldives upgrades ties with China amid pivot from India.

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The Maldives upgraded ties with China amid a pivot from India. Following a campaign in which he painted China’s regional rival India as a danger to sovereignty, newly elected President Mohamed Muizzu of the Maldives boosted ties with China on Wednesday on his first state visit to Beijing.

Speaking at the Great Hall of the People, Chinese President Xi Jinping referred to Muizzu as “an old friend” as the Asian behemoth agreed to a “comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership,” opening the door for more investment in the Indian Ocean archipelago.

Xi told Muizzu, “China and the Maldives’ relations are facing a historic opportunity to carry forward the past and forge ahead into the future,” according to Chinese official media.

After winning on his “India Out” platform, whereby he described New Delhi’s enormous influence as a danger to sovereignty, Muizzu assumed office in November. Despite being deeply indebted to Beijing, his administration has recently requested hundreds of Indian military troops stationed locally to leave while promoting opportunities for Chinese businesses.

Following a military skirmish in the western Himalayas in June 2020 that claimed the lives of 20 Indian and 4 Chinese soldiers, ties between the two countries plummeted.

China is paving the way for more investment in a region where India has already witnessed another neighbor, Sri Lanka, move closer to China by strengthening its relations with the Maldives.

Following the meeting, his presidential office said that “20 key agreements between the two countries” had been signed. “During the talks, President Dr. Muizzu expressed gratitude for China’s significant role in the Maldives’ economic success and infrastructure development,” the statement said.

According to World Bank data, the Maldives owes China $1.37 billion, or around 20% of its public debt, which puts Beijing ahead of Saudi Arabia and India, which owe $124 million and $123 million, respectively, as its largest bilateral creditors.

According to statistics from the American Enterprise Institute think tank, since the Maldives decided to join the Belt and Road Initiative in 2014, Chinese companies have made additional investments in the country totaling $1.37 billion.

According to official media, Xi stated, “China firmly supports the Maldives in safeguarding its national sovereignty, independence, and national dignity.” Plus, according to Xinhua, Beijing would be open to “exchanging experience of state governance” with Male.

Before meeting with Xi, Muizzu was shown a video on X, formerly known as Twitter, via his presidential office account. The video showed him touring the Chinese Communist Party Museum in Beijing.

In an October development assessment on the Maldives, the World Bank cautioned that further cozying up to China may be problematic since there was a “lack of domestic investment opportunities” and a “build-up of sovereign exposure” during the epidemic.

Xi stated that he supported more direct flights between the two nations, which might benefit the Maldives’ travel and tourist industry, which the Asian Development Bank estimates would account for 79% of the country’s economic development in 2022.

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Ecuador’s president says the country is at war as gangs hold prison staff hostage.

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Daniel Noboa, the president of Ecuador, declared on Wednesday that his nation was “at war” with criminal gangs that had over 130 jail guards and other employees as hostages. He momentarily took over a TV station via live broadcast and detonated explosives in a wave of violence that has left significant streets desolate.

On Tuesday, Noboa designated 22 gangs as terrorist groups, designating them as recognized military targets. Upon assuming office in November, the president committed to addressing the escalating security issue stemming from an increase in drug-trafficking organizations smuggling cocaine via Ecuador.

Noboa declared on Wednesday, “We are at war and we cannot cede in the face of these terrorist groups.” Noboa declared a 60-day state of emergency in response to the hostage-takings, which started in the small hours of Monday, and the alleged weekend escape of Los Choneros gang boss Adolfo Macias from jail.

On Tuesday, following a string of explosions around the nation and a spectacular live-streamed takeover of a TV station by gunmen, he tightened the edict.

The government claims that Noboa’s proposal to construct two new, high-security prisons for gang leaders is the reason for the violence, and Noboa informed the radio station that the designs for the two new institutions will be revealed to the public tomorrow.

Noboa declared, “We are doing everything in our power to free all of the hostages,” adding that the military had assumed control of the rescue operation. “We are doing everything possible, and the impossible, to get them safe and sound.”

According to the SNAI prisons agency, 125 captives are guards, while the remaining 14 are administrative employees. It stated that eleven individuals were let go on Tuesday.

Social media users posted videos of prison staff members being shot and hanged, among other acts of horrific cruelty. Reuters could not immediately confirm the validity of the films. According to Noboa, the nation will start deporting foreign inmates this week, particularly those from Colombia, to lower the jail population and costs.

Approximately 1,500 individuals from Colombia are incarcerated in Ecuador, according to Noboa, who also stated that 90% of foreign inmates are from Colombia, Peru, and Venezuela.

Colombian legislation requires that repatriations be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and predicated on inmates’ petitions. Despite this, Colombia’s justice minister stated on local radio on Tuesday that he was eager to negotiate with Ecuador.

Like many other Latin American nations, Colombia has supported the Ecuadorian government. On Wednesday, the country said it would strengthen its military presence and control along their shared border, which spans over 600 kilometers (370 miles).

PERMANENT VIOLENCE

Noboa told the radio station that ensuring the rule of law and enhancing security would be the best ways to protect the economy and foreign investment.

On Tuesday, lawmakers endorsed Noboa’s initiatives and supported the armed forces. After his party formed alliances with a Christian party and the socialist movement of former President Rafael Correa, Noboa now leads a majority coalition in Congress.

Noboa stated, “I have asked for their support, but I don’t need their approval right now for what we are doing,” about the decrees. On Wednesday morning, Noboa also had a meeting in Quito with ambassadors to Ecuador.

The police reported on Wednesday that since Monday, there have been 70 arrests about various incidents, including the seizure of the TV station.

Four police officers are still being detained after criminals allegedly abducted them between Monday and Tuesday. Late on Tuesday, three more cops were released. The police were identifying the three victims found in a burned-out car overnight south of the capital and adding that there was still violence in Guayaquil, the country’s largest city.

On Tuesday, armed individuals killed two police officers in the province of Guayas, where Guayaquil is located. The cops did not offer any more information. On Wednesday morning, many shops were closed, leaving the streets of Quito and Guayaquil quiet.

A major Chinese investor in Ecuador said that the Chinese embassy and consulates would be temporarily shuttered. All around the country, schools were closed, but courses continued digitally. Locals reported feeling as though pandemic lockdowns were again in place.

“The streets are very empty; it’s horrible,” forty-year-old Rodolfo Tuaz, a security guard in Guayaquil, said. “It’s a frigid environment, as if there were a new COVID.”

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