What Does The Ceasefire in Lebanon Entail For Gaza?

On November 27, a ceasefire agreement was agreed upon by officials for Israel, Lebanon, and a host of other mediating parties, including the United States. Yet even with this step towards peace, conflict and suffering continue in Gaza, raising questions of when – or how – a similar outcome can be achieved.

U.S.-Backed Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire Comes Into Effect

A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah comes into effect early on Wednesday morning (November 27). It is hoped that this will mark an end to a 13-month-long period of hostilities between the two parties in Lebanon. News of the ceasefire came from United States President Joe Biden, who made a televised announcement on Tuesday afternoon that an agreement had been reached between the Israeli and Lebanese governments. Biden remarked that the ceasefire was expected to be a “permanent cessation of hostilities” from both sides of the conflict.

Blockages of Aid in Gaza Threatens Survival for 2.2 Million

Following the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) indictment of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for deliberate war crimes committed on the people of Gaza, there has been a considerable surge in hostilities, mostly concentrated in the enclave’s northern regions. The humanitarian crisis is expected to deteriorate as the availability of essential resources, such as water, food, fuel, and electricity has significantly dwindled over the past few weeks due to sustained blockages by Israeli authorities. Additionally, levels of civilian casualties and displacements have reached new peaks.

Now it’s Officially the Israeli-American Genocide in Gaza

As of last week, in the wake of the Nov. 21 issuance by the International Criminal Court (ICC) of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former IDF Defense chief Yoav Gallant, all eyes turned to Washington to see the what the response of Israel’s main backer would be.

International Criminal Court Issues Arrest Warrant for Netanyahu

On November 21, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as the former defense minister Yoav Gallant. In a statement released by the ICC, both Netanyahu and Gallant are wanted for crimes against humanity and war crimes that spanned from at earliest October 8 2023 through May 20 2024. This coincides with Israel’s respective wars with Lebanon and Palestine, for which there have been extensive damage on civilian infrastructure, thousands of civilian casualties, and repeated blockages of humanitarian aid.

Qatar Committed to Achieving Nationally Determined Contributions by 2030

As global leaders gather at COP29 to address the urgent challenges posed by climate change, Saad Abdulla Al-Hitmi, Director of the Climate Change Department at the Government of Qatar, highlighted the nation’s ambitious goals in an interview with IPS, stressing its commitment to balancing environmental stewardship with economic growth.

Human Rights Watch Condemns Israel’s “Deliberate” Military Offensives in Gaza

A new report from Human Rights Watch (HRW) postulates that Israeli military practices in the Gaza Strip constitutes as war crimes. Released on November 14, the new report details the scale of destruction in the Gaza Strip over a 13-month period, during which time the Israeli Defense Forces’ (IDF) undertook a campaign to enact “deliberate, controlled demolitions of homes and civilian infrastructure” that were conducted to drive millions of Gazans out of their homes and inflict as much damage as possible.

‘Ending impunity for violations of Palestinians’ rights would strengthen global norms that protect all humanity’

 
CIVICUS discusses the gender dimensions of genocide in Gaza with Kifaya Khraim, International Advocacy Coordinator at the Women’s Centre for Legal Aid and Counselling (WCLAC). Founded in 1991, WCLAC is a feminist organisation that documents Israeli violations against Palestinian women and uses this evidence for international advocacy.

Bombardments in Lebanon Threaten Civilian Safety, Destroy UNESCO Cultural Heritage Sites

As winter approaches, the ongoing airstrikes and bombardments on Lebanon has threatened the lives and livelihoods of civilians across the country and neighboring regions, which has resulted in skyrocketing death tolls and levels of displacement. Since hostilities escalated in September, Lebanon has seen the destruction of a significant amount of critical infrastructure, including historical sites that are integral to Lebanese history.

Middle East: Ceasefires are the Only Answer

“The shockwaves from Israel’s ongoing and indiscriminate warfare on Gaza and Lebanon are reverberating across this entire region. Neither the horrific assault on Israeli civilians on 7 October 2023, nor the indiscriminate missiles launched by militant groups from Lebanon, can justify the degree of destruction on civilian lives and infrastructure in the region that I have witnessed in recent days.

Israel Alienating Allies and Acquiring Adversaries 

As a result of its policies and actions in response to the 7 October attack, the Israeli government has not only alienated its allies and acquired adversaries but also found itself isolated diplomatically. The consequences of those developments and realignments have occurred across countries, organizations and groups worldwide.

Growing Death and Displacement Devastate Lebanon

The ongoing, escalating violence in Lebanon forces millions of Lebanese civilians to face daily bombardment, repeated orders of evacuation, routine destruction of critical infrastructure, and limited access to basic services. With the death toll and rates of displacement on the rise, humanitarian organizations fear that the upcoming winter season is expected to exacerbate these harsh conditions, making Lebanon almost uninhabitable.

Scorched Earth Colonizing of Gaza is a Horrible Idea

For religious, humanitarian, and scientific reasons, Israel’s increasingly apparent plan for the de facto colonization of the Northern Gaza Strip is a bad idea. When that program was rejected recently by Israel’s own Defense Minister Yoav Galant, he was summarily fired by Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Polio Vaccination Campaign in Gaza Misses Thousands of Children

On November 6, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the second round of polio vaccinations in the Gaza Strip has been completed. A total of 556,744 children under ten years of age received the mOPV2 vaccine along with a dose of vitamin A to ensure immunization. However, due to rampant hostilities from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), the campaign has not been entirely successful, leading to humanitarian organizations fearing that herd immunity has not been achieved.

UN Arms Embargo on Israel: Dead on Arrival

When the United Nations imposes sanctions or penalizes a member state – be it the General Assembly or the Human Rights Council – the resolutions are “non-binding” and often remain unimplemented. But the Security Council resolutions are “binding” – and still openly violated by countries such as North Korea—because all these UN bodies have no means of implementing these resolutions, nor a standing army to forcibly enforce them. But they only carry moral weight.

Israel’s Moves to Ban UNRWA—Signals Uncertainty for Affected Palestinians

The decision of Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, to adopt two laws that would severely limit or outright ban UNRWA has the potential to set a dangerous precedent, where countries can simply implement their own justification to ban the activity of the United Nations, even if it violates their obligations under international humanitarian law. Even with the rest of the world condemning this course of action, for Israel, this has been a long time coming and they are unlikely to back down.

Death Toll in Lebanon Rising From Israeli Bombardment

The eastern region of Baalbek, Lebanon was believed to be a “safe zone” for residents, and refugees who had been displaced by the increased hostilities across the country. That changed on October 29, when an Israeli airstrike on the region resulted in over sixty casualties, including two children.

Has the United Nations Outlived its Usefulness?

The United Nations, established in 1945 at the end of World War II, has sadly virtually outlived its usefulness as it commemorated its 79th anniversary due to its failure to reform itself and adjust to the new world order following the collapse of the Soviet Union, which is significantly different from when the UN was established.

UN Remains Paralyzed as “Rogue Nations” Violate Charter & Escalate War Crimes

The United Nations continues to be virtually paralyzed – and remains politically impotent amidst two raging conflicts—as Russia and Israel keep defying the world body. The killings of civilians and the destruction of cities, particularly by Israel, are devastating and continue despite repeated warnings from the UN, its humanitarian agencies, the International Criminal Court (ICC), UN human right experts and the Security Council.

Hope Springs Eternal—Dashed it’s Deadly

The most solemn and terrifying words ever uttered are those inscribed over the gateway to Hell in Dante’s Inferno: “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here!” Hope is essential for human survival both as individuals and as nations.

Israel’s Ban on UNRWA Threatens the Stability of Palestine

On October 28, the Israeli parliament voted to ban activity from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in Israel. Two bills were passed by the Knesset, Israel’s house of representatives, one that barred all UNRWA efforts, and another that prevents interactions between Israeli authorities and UNRWA personnel. The implications of this amendment are expected to exacerbate dire conditions for millions of Palestinians who were already in the midst of a severe humanitarian crisis.