Senato USA approva pacchetto aiuti a Ucraina, ora tocca alla Camera 🗞️ Rassegna del 14/02/2024

Israele

(Reuters) Gaza truce talks end inconclusively as Rafah braces for Israeli assault

• Talks involving the U.S., Egypt, Israel and Qatar on a Gaza truce ended without a breakthrough on Tuesday as calls grew for Israel to hold back on a planned assault on the southern end of the enclave, crammed with over a million displaced people.
• Israel says it wants to flush out Hamas militants from hideouts in Rafah and free Israeli hostages being held there. Its military is making plans to evacuate Palestinian civilians. But no plan has been forthcoming and aid agencies say the displaced have nowhere else to go in the shattered territory.
• Rafah neighbours Egypt, but Cairo has made clear it will not allow a refugee exodus over the border.

Stati Uniti:

(BBC) Biden says Israel must protect vulnerable in Rafah

• US President Joe Biden has called on Israel to ensure the safety of over one million Palestinians sheltering in Rafah during the Israeli offensive.
• There are concerns about the heavy Israeli air strikes in Rafah, with casualties reported and a Palestinian doctor highlighting the fear among the people.
• Multiple countries and international organizations, including the UK and Saudi Arabia, have warned against the planned offensive in Rafah

Sud Africa:

(Associated Press) South Africa has launched an ‘urgent request’ with top UN court over Israel’s targeting of Rafah

• South Africa has lodged an urgent request with the International Court of Justice to determine whether Israel's military operations in Gaza breach provisional orders against genocide.
• South Africa is asking the court to consider provisional measures against Israel due to its planned ground offensive in Rafah, which South Africa believes will breach the rights of Palestinians.
• Israel denies committing genocide, stating it targets Hamas militants, but its assault has resulted in significant destruction and displacement in Gaza.

(National Post) Al Jazeera journalist outed as Hamas commander by IDF

• The Israel Defense Forces discovered a laptop belonging to Al-Jazeera journalist Muhammad Washah, which allegedly contained photos linking him to the Hamas terrorist organization.
• The photos on the laptop showed Washah working as a journalist for Al-Jazeera but also involved in Hamas activities, including anti-tank missiles and aerial weapons research and development.
• The IDF raised concerns about journalists being active participants in creating conflicts and hinted at the possibility of revealing more terrorists in journalistic garb in the future.

Ucraina

(Euronews) Russian forces may have assembled 30 km barrier in Donetsk region

• Russian forces appear to have constructed a 30-kilometre-long barrier dubbed the “tsar train” in occupied Donetsk region, possibly to serve as a defensive line against future Ukrainian assaults.
• The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) says satellite imagery shows that Russian forces constructed a long line of train cars (2,100 freight cars) stretching from occupied Olenivka to Volnovakha over the past nine months.

(Kyiv Independent) Military: Ukraine reinforcing Avdiivka as Russia continues its offensive

• Ukraine is reinforcing its troops fighting in Donetsk Oblast's Avdiivka, and some units of the 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade were withdrawn from the city for rotation for the first time in almost two years (since March 2022), the brigade's spokesman Ivan Siekach said on Feb. 13.
• The 110th Separate Mechanized Brigade "no longer has sufficient capabilities to hold the city" on its own, but "reinforcement is coming," Siekach told the Ukrainian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
• Intense fighting continues in the eastern city, with Russian forces trying to cut Ukraine's main supply route, according to Siekach.
• "They (Russian forces) have a complete advantage in aviation. We can not in any way influence their air raids, the bombing of the city, and our positions," he added.

(Tagesschau ARD) Più di 340 siti culturali danneggiati dalla guerra in Ucraina

• Dall'inizio della guerra di aggressione della Russia contro l'Ucraina, nel Paese dell'Europa orientale sono stati danneggiati 341 siti culturali. L'UNESCO ha affermato che uno degli edifici più gravemente danneggiati è stata la Cattedrale della Trasfigurazione nel centro storico di Odessa, che è patrimonio dell'umanità. La cattedrale fu distrutta nel 1936 sotto il sovrano sovietico Josef Stalin e ricostruita fedele all'originale tra il 2000 e il 2002. Non è stato possibile quantificare i danni ai 341 siti. Nel complesso, tuttavia, il danno totale alle strutture culturali e turistiche dall’inizio della guerra, il 24 febbraio 2022, è stimato a circa 3,5 miliardi di dollari.

Russia

(Associated Press) Russia puts the leader of NATO member Estonia on a wanted list over the removal of Soviet-era monuments

• Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has been put on Russia's wanted list, marking the first time a foreign leader has been included. The exact charges against Kallas are unspecified.
• Kallas, known for supporting Ukraine and advocating for the removal of Soviet monuments, has angered Moscow. The move reflects Moscow's attempt to counter pressure from NATO allies amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
• The inclusion of Kallas on the wanted list may be a response to the arrest warrant issued against Russian President Vladimir Putin by the International Criminal Court last year.

Europa

(Euronews) Poland, France and Germany vow to make Europe stronger as fears grow over Russia and Trump

• DONALD TUSK:
  • “There is no reason why we should be so clearly militarily weaker than Russia, and therefore increasing production and intensifying our cooperation are absolutely indisputable priorities,” Tusk said in arguing for the European Union to become “a military power” in its own right.
  • Tusk also urged European nations to invest more in military projects in order "to achieve as quickly as possible... in the next dozen or so months, much greater air defense capabilities, much greater production capabilities in terms of ammunition."
• OLAF SCHOLZ:
  • German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also blasted Trump’s comments. “NATO’s promise of protection is unrestricted, ‘all for one and one for all,’” Scholz said without mentioning the former president by name. “No one can play, or ‘deal,’ with Europe’s security,” the chancellor added.
• EMMANUEL MACRON:
  • Macron, speaking alongside Tusk in Paris, said Europe’s will “to further supply and meet Ukrainian needs is crucial”. This “will enable us to make from Europe a security and defense power that is both complementary to NATO and a pillar of the Atlantic alliance, Macron said.

Politica internazionale

Nord America

Stati Uniti:

(Associated Press) Senate passes a $95.3 billion aid package for Ukraine and Israel, but fate in the House is uncertain

• The Senate passed a $95.3 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, with 22 Republicans joining almost all Democrats to support it.
• The bill's passage was seen as a positive sign for Ukraine, but its future in the Republican-controlled House is uncertain due to opposition from hardline Republicans aligned with former President Donald Trump.
• Supporters argue that abandoning Ukraine could embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin and threaten national security worldwide.

Africa

Senegal:

(Deutsche Welle) Authorities ban protest march and suspend internet

• Senegalese authorities have suspended mobile internet and banned a march against the delay of the presidential poll, leading to violent protests and three deaths.
• The United Nations has voiced concern about the tensions in Senegal and called for authorities to uphold democracy and human rights amid reports of excessive force and restrictions on civic space.
• The opposition has criticized the delay of the election as a "constitutional coup" and suspects it is a move by the presidential camp to avoid defeat.