Daily News Brief

October 13, 2023

Top of the Agenda

Israel’s military told more than one million people in the northern part of Gaza to evacuate immediately (AP) to the territory’s south ahead of an expected ground invasion targeting the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The United Nations called on Israel to rescind the order, saying it would have “devastating humanitarian consequences.” Gaza’s health ministry said it was impossible to evacuate wounded people from hospitals and that hospital staff would stay put. 

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin are in Israel today (NYT), while U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with the leaders of Jordan and the Palestinian Authority before traveling on to Qatar. Yesterday, the United States and Qatar blocked Iran (NYT) from accessing $6 billion that had recently been unfrozen in a prisoner swap deal.

Analysis

“Washington will need to balance the political needs of its various Arab allies while maintaining its support for Israel and taking what steps it can to contain the humanitarian costs of the war in Gaza. Arab governments cannot ignore their own domestic political pressures, but they share Washington’s interest in keeping the war from spreading,” the Washington Institute for Near East Policy’s Ghaith Al-Omari writes for Foreign Affairs.

“Israel must respond to the criminal attack against it, but not at the price of giving the army a free hand to commit war crimes,” the Haaretz editorial board writes. 

Check out the full suite of Foreign Affairs and CFR.org resources on Israel and the current conflict.

Pacific Rim

European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Josep Borrell arrived in China yesterday where he is due to discuss plans (El País) for a year-end EU-China summit, trade relations, and potential peace talks in Ukraine with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The two are also likely to discuss the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Australia: Australians will vote in a referendum tomorrow (The Guardian) on whether to create an Indigenous body to advise their legislature, a move that would recognize Indigenous people in the country’s constitution.

South and Central Asia

India’s trade secretary announced the end of the plan (Reuters), which aimed to boost local production, after receiving pushback from the tech industry and Washington. A new order on laptop imports is expected to be announced by the end of the month.

Pakistan/Afghanistan: Human Rights Watch urged Pakistan to abandon its threats (HRW) to deport more than one million unauthorized Afghan migrants, saying they “face Taliban persecution and a humanitarian crisis” at home.

Middle East and North Africa

Tunisia’s president said current relations are not based on equality and respect (Bloomberg) as tensions escalate over a previously agreed-upon migration deal. The EU had sent the money to Tunisia in exchange for its cooperation on migration.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Eight South African peacekeepers that had been deployed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo were arrested in connection with alleged sexual exploitation and violence, according to internal documents seen by AFP.

This timeline tracks the legacy of intervention in eastern Congo.

Zambia: The country expects to sign a memorandum of understanding (Reuters) with its creditors on debt restructuring next week, its finance minister said yesterday at the annual meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Morocco. The move would allow Zambia to secure more funding from the IMF.

Europe

Despite the ban, which French officials said was necessary to maintain public order, several hundred pro-Palestinian demonstrators attended a rally in Paris yesterday (Reuters) that was broken up by police. France is home to Europe’s largest Jewish and Muslim communities. 

Russia: The UN Human Rights Council extended the mandate (UN News) of its special rapporteur to investigate human rights inside of Russia. The independent expert, who was appointed in October 2022, said last month that a “systematic crackdown” on civil society is occurring within the country.

Americas

Center-right businessman Daniel Noboa is running against (NYT) leftist Luisa González in an election that was triggered when President Guillermo Lasso dissolved the legislature and moved to end his mandate earlier this year. Crime, employment, and security have dominated the election landscape.

CFR expert Will Freeman looks at how Ecuador is reeling from a surge in crime and violence.

Brazil: Wildfires from the Brazilian Amazon have blanketed (Reuters) the Amazonian city of Manaus in smoke. The fires have been exacerbated by an unusually severe drought and record high temperatures in the region.

This InfoGuide explores deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon.

United States

Representative Steve Scalise (R-LA) exited the race (NYT) yesterday amid a lack of support from hard-right Republicans. While the rules for a speakerless house are untested, the body can likely not conduct votes (Bloomberg) on legislation such as spending bills until a new speaker is chosen.

Friday Editor’s Pick

In this two-part investigation, the Outlaw Ocean Project and the New Yorker explore the human rights abuses committed by China's fishing industry, both on land and at sea.

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