Israel, Gaza Militants Trade Fire Following West Bank Raid |
Israel carried out air strikes on the Gaza Strip after militants there fired rockets (AP) at the country in retaliation for a West Bank raid that killed at least nine Palestinians (Reuters) yesterday. Two civilians and seven militants were killed in that raid, while no casualties were immediately reported after today’s strikes. The tensions prompted calls for de-escalation from the United States, Egypt, and Qatar, as well as the United Nations.
Yesterday’s raid in the Jenin refugee camp was the deadliest single raid in the West Bank in years. Palestinian officials said that CIA Director William Burns, who is visiting Israel and the West Bank for a trip arranged before the latest violence, is due to meet with Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas tomorrow. The PA said it is suspending security cooperation with Israel as a result of the raid. |
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“These developments cast a shadow on US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to the region on Monday in a tour to Egypt, Israel and the West Bank, where discussions on the situation will be held,” Al Monitor’s Marita Kassis writes.
“Israel’s new right-wing government is facing pressure from the international community, particularly the Americans, not to escalate the situation with the Palestinians,” the Times of Israel’s Emanuel Fabian writes. “The government also has enough on its plate at the moment with widespread public opposition and protests against its legislative plans that critics warn will undermine democracy and the economy.”
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Bloomberg: Japan, Netherlands Poised to Join U.S. Chip Curbs on China |
The Netherlands is set to expand restrictions on Dutch tech company ASML Holding, while Japan will target its Nikon Corporation, Bloomberg reported. The moves are part of joint efforts with the United States that seek to block China from importing components that could strengthen its chip industry. This Backgrounder looks at how chip restrictions fit into the U.S.-China trade relationship.
Taiwan: President Tsai Ing-wen appointed (Nikkei) former Vice President Chen Chien-jen as prime minister and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tsai Ming-yen as intelligence chief in a cabinet shake-up that follows a poor performance by President Tsai’s party in elections last year. |
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Myanmar Junta Tightens Election Rules |
The new rules include increased membership requirements (Bloomberg) for parties seeking to participate in general elections that could take place this year. It will also be easier to dissolve parties if they are suspected of having connections to terrorist groups. Azerbaijan/Iran: Azerbaijan is evacuating staff (AP) at its embassy in Tehran after a gunman killed the embassy’s head of security and injured two others. |
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Middle East and North Africa |
Iraq, France Sign Strategic Partnership Agreement |
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U.S. Military Says It Killed Senior Islamic State Leader in Somalia |
A U.S. operation earlier this week killed leader Bilal al-Sudani (CNN) and ten other members of the self-declared Islamic State in Somalia, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said.
Nigeria: Washington imposed a visa ban (The Guardian) on Nigerians accused of undermining democracy ahead of the country’s February elections, though it did not announce their names.
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Czech Republic Holds Presidential Runoff |
Former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and former North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Military Committee Chairman Petr Pavel are competing (BBC) for the largely ceremonial post in today’s runoff. A polling aggregator shows Pavel with a strong lead (Politico).
Brussels: Seven European Union (EU) countries sent a letter (Reuters) to the European Commission opposing new funding for green industry. The EU will meet on the matter in early February.
For Foreign Affairs, Felicia Wong and Todd N. Tucker discuss how industrial policy in the United States and Europe can turn trade tensions into climate progress.
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Washington Sanctions Paraguayan Vice President, Former President |
The U.S. Treasury Department accused both men (AP) of corruption and ties to Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which the United States designates as a terrorist organization. Paraguayan Vice President Hugo Velázquez Moreno “categorically” rejected the claims. Former President Horacio Cartes Jara did not immediately comment but rejected similar allegations last year.
Haiti: Police officers rioted (BBC) in the capital, Port-au-Prince, yesterday to protest a series of deadly gang attacks on police stations. This video explains the growing instability in Haiti. |
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Five Memphis Police Officers Charged With Second-Degree Murder Over Traffic Stop |
Officials said the Tennessee police officers used excessive force (NYT) after stopping twenty-nine-year-old Tyre Nichols on suspicion of reckless driving earlier this month. Nichols was hospitalized after the encounter and died three days later. |
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Der Spiegel’s review of internal EU documents reconstructs the influence-buying scandal rocking the European Parliament and shows that the problem could go well beyond apparent meddling by Morocco and Qatar. |
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Council on Foreign Relations |
58 East 68th Street — New York, NY 10065 |
1777 F Street, NW — Washington, DC 20006 |
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