Israel Continues Bombing Lebanon, Killing Hundreds; Rejects Ceasefire Proposal
In the past week, Israel has launched the heaviest airstrikes against Lebanon since 2006, killing over 600 people and displacing some 500,000 people as months of cross-border fire with Hezbollah threatens to spiral into an all-out regional war, analysts say. This bombardment comes immediately following a two-day Israeli attack on Lebanon and Syria where pager explosions killed at least 25 people, including children, and injured around 600. On Thursday, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz rejected a U.S.- and French-led proposal calling for a 21-day ceasefire which was signed by Australia, Canada, the E.U., Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar. A Thursday statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, who left Israel on Thursday to address the U.N., says the prime minister has “not even responded to the proposal,” but stated that Netanyahu “has ordered the IDF to continue fighting [in Lebanon] with full force.”
India Reports First Mpox Case in Current Global Outbreak
India reported its first case of a deadlier strain of mpox Monday, raising alarms among health officials who have been tracking its rapid spread around the globe. It was confirmed in the southern state of Kerala after being detected last week in a 38-year-old man who recently traveled to the United Arab Emirates. Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral disease that spreads easily between humans, from infected animals, and through close contact or contaminated items, according to the WHO. Unlike COVID-19, there is no evidence that it spreads through air. Mpox is broken into two distinct clades: clade I (subclades Ia and Ib) and clade II (subclades IIa and IIb). Clades are broad genetic groupings of viruses that evolve over decades. Starting in 2022, a global mpox outbreak was caused by the IIb strain. Clade I—the clade currently spreading—has more severe symptoms and a fatality rate of 3.6 percent. The outbreak of the clade Ib strain originated in the Democratic Republic of Congo and was declared a global health emergency by the WHO last month after it spread to four new African countries. India is the first South Asian country to report an mpox case and one of three countries outside Africa (the others being Sweden and Thailand).
“Zombie” Hurricane John Ravages Mexico’s Southwestern Coast, Killing Five
Hurricane John strengthened on Thursday once again as it smashed along Mexico’s Southern Pacific coast which is dotted by cargo ship ports and tourist hotspots. It hit Mexico’s Guerrero state as a Category 3 hurricane on Monday night, triggering flooding and landslides that uprooted trees, caused power outages for around 60,000 people, and triggered deadly mudslides that crushed houses and killed at least five. John is considered a “zombie” storm, a term referring to systems that dissipate before strengthening back into storms. John weakened into a tropical storm on Tuesday as it moved along the coast, bringing torrential rainfall as it traveled, but strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane on Thursday and is expected to continue across Mexico’s southwestern coast through at least Saturday, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.
Putin Issues Nuclear Warning to West Over Ukraine; Zelenskyy Warns U.N. of ‘Nuclear Disaster’
On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Russia would consider using nuclear weapons if attacked by any state using conventional weapons. These remarks came during a Russian security council meeting where he also announced changes to the country’s nuclear doctrine. “It is proposed that aggression against Russia by any non-nuclear state, but with the participation or support of a nuclear state, be considered as their joint attack on the Russian Federation,” Putin said, adding that Moscow would also consider such a move if it received “reliable information” about the start of a massive launch of missiles, aircrafts, or drones against it. For months, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been urging its Western allies to allow Ukraine to use British and American-made missiles to launch deep strikes in Russian territory. Zelenskyy warned the U.N. on Wednesday of a potential “nuclear disaster” should Ukraine not be allowed to use the missiles.
U.S. Announces Aid Packages for Sudan, Israel, and Ukraine
At the U.N. General Assembly meeting Wednesday, the U.S. announced $424 million in humanitarian aid for displaced and starving Sudanese civilians impacted by the war in Sudan. “Everyone should feel a sense of shame and embarrassment that this is happening on our watch,” U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield said. This humanitarian catastrophe is a man-made one brought about by a senseless war.” On Thursday, Israel said it had secured an $8.7 billion aid package from the U.S., including “$3.5 billion for essential wartime procurement … and $5.2 billion designated for air defense systems including the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and an advanced laser system,” in a statement from the defense ministry. Also on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with members of the Biden administration to discuss a “victory plan” that has largely been kept secret. Before the meeting, President Biden announced more than $8 billion in military aid to Kyiv but did not grant Ukraine’s request for permission to use long-range missiles. Zelenskyy faces an uphill battle as U.S. officials worry about providing Russia with pretext to further escalate the conflict and the upcoming presidential election. “I’m unimpressed. There’s not much new there,” a U.S. senior official told The Wall Street Journal.
