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SvennoJ on 22 February 2024
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European diplomats warn of dire humanitarian consequences of Rafah assault

In a joint statement co-signed by the foreign ministers of 26 European countries, officials expressed concern that an Israeli assault on Rafah, where more than one million displaced Palestinians are hemmed in with nowhere to go, would “worsen an already catastrophic humanitarian situation and prevent the urgently needed provision of basic services and humanitarian assistance”.

”This requires an immediate humanitarian pause that would lead to a sustainable cease-fire, the unconditional release of all hostages and the provision of humanitarian assistance,” says the statement, released by Sweden today.

Incidents of anti-Muslim hate more than tripled in the UK: Monitor group

The group Tell MAMA, which monitors incidents of anti-Muslim hate in the United Kingdom, has said the uptick has occurred since the outbreak of the war on Gaza. The group says it recorded 2,010 cases in the four months after October 7, up from 600 incidents during the same period in 2022-2023, or a rise of 335 percent.

“We are deeply concerned about the impacts that the Israel and Gaza war are having on hate crimes and on social cohesion in the UK,” Tell MAMA director Iman Atta said in a statement. “This rise in anti-Muslim hate is unacceptable and we hope that political leaders speak out to send a clear message that anti-Muslim hate, like anti-Semitism, is unacceptable in our country.”

UN trade body says Suez Canal container traffic has dropped by two-thirds

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has reported that weekly container ship traffic through the Suez Canal has dropped by 67 percent from peak levels, following a campaign of Houthi raids in the Red Sea that have pushed shipping companies to seek other routes. The Yemen-based group says the attacks are a means of exerting pressure to end the war in Gaza.

Overall traffic through the Suez, a source of important revenue for Egypt, has fallen by 42 percent. UNCTAD says that the disruptions have also impacted countries such as Djibouti, Kenya and Tanzania, which benefit from the transportation of goods through the canal. Neither ongoing air strikes by the United States and United Kingdom on Houthi positions inside Yemen nor a US-led maritime coalition to protect commercial shipping appear to have boosted trade traffic through the Suez Canal.

Gaza remains focus at G20 summit in Brazil


People take part in a pro-Palestinian demonstration, amid a meeting of foreign ministers as part of Brazil’s presidency of the G20, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Palestine continues to loom large at the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Brazil, with the host nation calling for reforms to the UN Security Council (UNSC), citing the body’s lack of action on the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine.

“Brazil’s Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira was very critical of the United Nations Security Council’s ‘paralysis’,” Al Jazeera correspondent Teresa Bo reported from Rio De Janeiro, with a group of protesters marching in solidarity with Palestine in the background. “He said the UNSC has failed to act on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine because of Russia’s veto power, and has also failed to address or call for a ceasefire in Gaza because of the US veto power.”


Irish solidarity with Palestinians will continue ‘as long as necessary’: Ireland politician

Daithi Doolan, a Sinn Fein legislator in Dublin, asserts that the Republic of Ireland’s enduring support for the Palestinians stems from its shared experience of suffering from “colonisation” and “imperialism” in its own history. “Our deep solidarity with the Palestinian people will continue long into the future as long as necessary, until there is a united Ireland and a free, united Palestine,” he told Al Jazeera.

“We were proud to stand shoulder to shoulder against apartheid in South Africa. And once again, we are going to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Palestinian people,” he noted, adding that support for Palestinians in Ireland goes back decades.

Moreover, the Irish legislator called on his government to take several actions immediately: a ban on all exports from illegal settlements, joining South Africa in its genocide case against Israel and recognising the state of Palestine. “I am surprised that they [three steps] haven’t been taken yet by the government. I think they’re not controversial,” Doolan added.

“We are telling them to get in line with the Irish people. They are tone deaf not only to the people in Gaza … but the Irish people, too.”


‘Many in Gaza survive on just one meal a day, others find none’: UNICEF

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has highlighted the hunger crisis in Gaza, noting that drinking water has also been scarce in the territory. “Over 4 months of violence in Gaza have led to a humanitarian crisis,” UNICEF said in a social media post. “Children need ceasefire now!”