Israele ritira parte delle truppe dal sud di Gaza 🗞️ Rassegna del 09/04/2024

Israele

Israele:

(New York Times) Israel withdraws a division of troops from southern Gaza.

• Israel has significantly reduced the number of troops it has on the ground in Gaza over the past several months. Only a fraction of the soldiers that it had deployed in the territory earlier in the war remain.
• The army said that the 98th Division had left Khan Younis in southern Gaza in order “to recuperate and prepare for future operations.” Israeli news media reported that the withdrawal of the 98th meant there were no Israeli troops actively maneuvering in southern Gaza.
• The Biden administration has warned that a ground invasion of Rafah would be catastrophic and has pressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pursue alternatives. But Mr. Netanyahu insisted on Sunday that Israel was determined to “complete the elimination of Hamas in all of the Gaza Strip, including Rafah.”
• The departure of the 98th came about four months after Israeli forces invaded southern Gaza. Since the start of the war, the army has returned to areas of Gaza that its forces had previously left, especially in the north. Military officials have said that Hamas has tried to re-establish itself in parts of the north in the wake of Israel’s withdrawals

(New York Times) Cease-fire talks are expected to resume in Cairo

• International mediators were set to gather in Cairo on Sunday to pick up negotiations aimed at brokering a temporary cease-fire in Gaza and the release of hostages held in the enclave after six months of war.
• Officials from the United States, Egypt and Qatar were expected in Cairo, along with delegations from Israel and from Hamas. President Biden is pressing participants to make a deal, but it is not clear whether new proposals will be on the table.
• The outlines of a possible agreement have been clear for months but the details have proven divisive. The terms would include a temporary cease-fire, the release of hostages kidnapped by Hamas during the Oct. 7 assault on Israel and the release of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. Among other points of dispute, according to American officials, are the ratio of prisoners to hostages, the sequence of the releases and the return of Palestinian civilians to northern Gaza.
• Mr. Netanyahu reiterated that there would be no cease-fire without the return of Israel’s hostages.
• Hamas said on Saturday that a delegation of its leadership would be in Cairo, but that it was sticking to an earlier proposal that it submitted in mid-March, including total Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, which Israeli officials have vehemently rejected.

(Reuters) Gaza truce talks still deadlocked, Netanyahu sets date for offensive

• Hamas rejected an Israeli ceasefire proposal made at talks in Cairo, a senior Hamas official said on Monday, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a date was set for an invasion of Rafah, Gaza's last refuge for displaced Palestinians.
• Israel and Hamas sent teams to Egypt on Sunday for talks that included Qatari and Egyptian mediators as well as CIA Director William Burns.
• Burn's presence underlined rising pressure from Israel's main ally the U.S. for a deal that would free Israeli hostages held in Gaza and get aid to Palestinian civilians left destitute by six months of conflict.

(Reuters) Israel opposition leader, in Washington, calls hostage deal hard but 'doable'

• A deal to release hostages held in Gaza is difficult but "doable", Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said on Monday after he and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the need for Israel and Hamas to resolve their conflict.
• "It is a difficult deal. This is a deal we might not like, but it's doable, and therefore needs to be made," Lapid said. Talks have been held in Egypt on a deal for freeing hostages and calling a temporary ceasefire.
• Lapid, who will also meet White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, is visiting Washington as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces pressure at home and aboard over the war in Gaza. Some families of hostages have demanded his government do more to bring home hostages captured by Hamas.

(New York Times) The recovery of a hostage’s body in Gaza fuels anger at weekly protests in Tel Aviv

• The Israeli military said on Saturday that it had retrieved the body of Elad Katzir, 47, in Khan Younis and repatriated him. The militant group Islamic Jihad took Mr. Katzir from the Nir Oz Kibbutz. He had twice appeared in videos during his captivity, and died in January at the hands of his captors, according to the Israeli military, an assertion that could not be verified.
• The news came on the eve of the war’s six-month anniversary on Sunday, when thousands are expected to gather in Israel for more protests.
• Nearby, in Democracy Square, thousands of antigovernment protesters called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bring home the more than 130 hostages still missing after Oct. 7.
• As the protest was wrapping up, a car drove through the crowd of demonstrators in violation of police orders, wounding several people, according to a statement from police on Telegram.It wasn’t clear why the driver drove the car into the crowd, but the driver ignored police orders to stop and passengers in the car could be seen yelling at protesters in video posted on social media.
• Families of the abductees have organized rallies in a public plaza near the Israeli military headquarters in Tel Aviv every Saturday to pressure the government to make a deal for their relatives’ return. The gatherings have often converged with antigovernment protests.

Israele-Libano:

(Reuters) Israeli military says it has increased its readiness for war in north

• The Israeli military said on Sunday that it had completed another step in preparing for a possible war along its northern front, where it has been trading fire with the Lebanese militia Hezbollah for six months.
• The commanders of the regular and reserve units are prepared to summon and equip all the required soldiers in just a few hours and transport them to the front line for defensive and offensive missions," the military said.

Israele-Iran:

(Reuters) Israel prepared to handle any Iran scenario, defence chief says

• Israel is ready to handle any scenario that may arise with Iran, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on Sunday, after [...] Iran has threatened to respond to the suspected Israeli strike in Damascus last week that killed seven Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps members, among them a senior commander.
• A senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader, Yahya Rahim Safavi, said on Sunday that none of Israel's embassies were safe anymore and that Tehran viewed confrontation with Israel as a "legitimate and legal right".
• Iran's semi-official ISNA news agency published a graphic on Sunday that it said showcased nine different types of Iranian missiles it says can hit Israel.
• Israel has not confirmed it was behind the strike on Damascus. Its leaders have said in more general terms that they are operating against Iran, which backs militant groups Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, both of which have been in combat with Israel for the past six months.

Gaza:

(Reuters) UK sends Royal Navy ship to boost aid for Gaza and set up a new maritime corridor

• A British Royal Navy ship will supply aid to Gaza as part of an international effort to help set up a new humanitarian maritime corridor in early May, the foreign office and ministry of defence said on Saturday.
• The initiative will see aid pre-screened in Cyprus and delivered directly to Gaza, through the new U.S. temporary pier being constructed off the coast or via Ashdod Port after Israel agreed to open it, the foreign ministry said.
• British defence minister Grant Shapps said the new temporary pier on the coast of Gaza will host cargo ships to deliver aid by sea.
• The government said British military teams had been embedded with planning teams in the U.S. operational headquarters in Tampa, Florida, as well as in Cyprus for several weeks to develop the safest and most effective maritime route.

Ucraina

(New York Times) Russia Pounds Kharkiv in Deadly Barrage, Straining Ukraine’s Defenses

• Russian rockets slammed into residential buildings in Kharkiv before dawn on Saturday, Ukrainian officials said, killing at least seven people and injuring at least 11 more in the latest assault on Ukraine’s second-largest city.
• The use of the modified bombs represents a new and potentially deadly development against which Ukraine has little defense, Ukrainian officials and military analysts said.
• There are a number of variations of the weapons, known as glide bombs, but essentially they are powerful gravity bombs modified with a set of wings and guidance systems to allow them to be dropped by fighter-bombers out of the range of Ukrainian air-defense systems.
• In the most recent overnight attack, Russia hit residential neighborhoods with a barrage of S-300 missiles, which were fired from Russian territory and can reach Kharkiv in under a minute, Ukrainian officials said.
• The attack came less than 48 hours after Russian drone strikes in Kharkiv on Thursday killed four civilians, including three emergency workers.
• The bombardments have coincided with a propaganda campaign by the Kremlin aimed at stoking panic in the city.

Russia

(Reuters) Russian nuclear company reports attack on Zaporizhzhia plant

• Russia's nuclear power corporation, Rosatom, accused Ukraine's military on Sunday of launching a series of attacks on the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station and the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog called for such incidents to cease immediately.
• Rosatom said three people were hurt, one seriously. Russia urged world leaders to denounce the incidents. Both Russian officials and the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency said radiation levels were normal and damage not severe.
• A Ukrainian intelligence official said Kyiv had nothing to do with any strikes on the station, the largest in Europe, and suggested they were the work of Russians themselves.
• Within a half hour, it said, a drone had attacked a cargo loading area and another drone subsequently struck the dome of the sixth reactor.
• "Damage at unit 6 has not compromised nuclear safety, but this is a serious incident w/ potential to undermine integrity of the reactor's containment system," the IAEA said.

(Reuters) Russia says Ukraine tried to strike nuclear power plant again with drone

• Russia said on Monday that Ukraine had endangered European nuclear security by attacking the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station with a drone which was shot down over a reactor.
• Ukraine has denied it is behind a series of drone attacks on the plant over the past 48 hours, including three drone attacks on Sunday, which the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said had endangered nuclear safety.

Europa

Slovacchia:

(Bloomberg)Politics Ally of Russia-Friendly Leader Wins Presidential Election in Slovakia

• Peter Pellegrini was elected Slovakia’s president in a boost to Russia-friendly Prime Minister Robert Fico, who has been a staunch opponent of military aid to Ukraine.
• Pellegrini, parliament speaker and a member of Fico’s ruling coalition, won 53.1% of the vote, beating pro-European Union diplomat Ivan Korcok, according to official results published on Sunday.
• The presidential victory will strengthen forces within the EU that oppose sending more weapons for Kyiv at the time when it appears increasingly outgunned by Russia following two years of fighting.
• During the campaign, Pellegrini accused Korcok, who advocated supporting Ukraine, of wanting to drag the country into war. The new head of state will now represent Slovakia at the meetings of leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Politica internazionale

Nord America

USA:

(Reuters) US will not accept Chinese imports decimating new industries, Yellen says

• U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned China on Monday that Washington will not accept new industries being decimated by Chinese imports, as she wrapped up four days of meetings to press her case for Beijing to rein in excess industrial capacity.
• Yellen told a press conference that U.S. President Joe Biden would not allow a repeat of the "China shock" of the early 2000s, when a flood of Chinese imports destroyed about 2 million American manufacturing jobs.
• She did not, however, threaten new tariffs or other trade actions should Beijing continue its massive state support for electric vehicles (EVs), batteries, solar panels and other green energy goods.
• Yellen used her second trip to China in nine months to complain that Beijing's overinvestment has built factory capacity far exceeding domestic demand, while fast-growing exports of these products threaten companies in the U.S. and other countries.

America Latina

Ecuador:

(Reuters) Latin American governments rally around Mexico after embassy raid in Ecuador 

• Latin American governments, including regional heavyweight Brazil, rallied around Mexico on Saturday after its embassy in Ecuador was raided to arrest a controversial politician who had been granted asylum by Mexican authorities.
• The late Friday night seizure of Jorge Glas, Ecuador's former vice president who was detained on graft charges, triggered a suspension of relations with Quito by Mexico City, with the government of Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador blasting the unusual diplomatic incursion and arrest as an "authoritarian" act as well as a breach of international law and Mexico's sovereignty.
• The government of Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa had argued asylum protections were illegal because of the corruption charges Glas is facing.
• On Saturday, governments across the political spectrum in Latin America - including Brazil and Colombia on the left, and Argentina and Uruguay on the right - sharply criticized the arrest of Glas, who had sought refuge in the embassy since December.

(Reuters) Ecuador armed forces to continue anti-crime operations with police

• Ecuador's armed forces will continue carrying out joint anti-crime operations with the police under a presidential decree announced at midnight on Monday, the government said.
• The operations were first allowed under a 90-day state of emergency declared in January by President Daniel Noboa and meant to stem a wave of crime and violence blamed on drug-trafficking gangs.
• Noboa, 36, took power in November and has been touting his "Phoenix Plan" to combat crime and violence, which has included the murders of public officials and an explosion of unrest in January, when gunmen stormed a live television broadcast and scores of prison staff were taken hostage.
• Noboa has called the violence a war, arguing it requires extraordinary measures to fight.

Asia e Pacifico

Giappone:

(Reuters) US, UK, Australia consider Japan's cooperation in AUKUS security pact

• Britain, the U.S. and Australia said on Monday they are considering working with Japan through their AUKUS security pact, despite U.S. export-control restrictions that challenge the existing partners' efforts to counter China's power in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Britain said consultations on future cooperation between the three AUKUS partners and other nations including Japan were set to begin this year.
• A summit in Washington between U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday is expected to address Japan's possible future involvement in AUKUS "advanced capabilities" projects, but officials and experts say obstacles remain given the need for Japan to introduce better cyber defenses and stricter rules for guarding secrets.
• AUKUS, formed by the three countries in 2021, is part of efforts to push back against China's growing influence.

Africa

Gambia:

(Reuters) Gambia MP defends bid to legalise female genital mutilation

• Gambian lawmaker Almaneh Gibba started his campaign to overturn a 2015 ban on female genital mutilation after the West African country imposed its first fines on those found guilty of the practice last year.
• Despite concerns about the leniency of the sentences - a $220 fine for three women accused of cutting eight infant girls - anti-FGM activists welcomed the ruling as a rare victory against a culture of impunity that typically shields offenders in countries where such mutilations occur.
• But the convictions also prompted a backlash among Gambia religious leaders and inspired Gibba's push to overturn the 8-year ban on what he calls female circumcision.
• Parliament is now considering a bill proposed by Gibba to the alarm of advocacy groups who say it represents a step backwards in efforts to end a practice that can cause myriad health issues.
• Around 180 civil society organisations signed an open letter in October urging Gambia's government to uphold the anti-FGM law.