Al Mayadeen – October 18, 2024
Hamas announces martyrdom of leader Yahya Sinwar
Islamic Resistance movement Hamas officially announces the martyrdom of Political Bureau leader Yahya Sinwar in confrontations against the Israeli occupation forces.
Islamic Resistance movement Hamas announced Friday the martyrdom of its Political Bureau chief and commander of Operation al-Aqsa Flood, Yahya Sinwar.
In a statement, Hamas paid tribute to Sinwar, describing him as one of the most honorable and courageous men who dedicated his life to the Palestinian cause and sacrificed his soul for the liberation of Palestine. "He believed in God, and God was truthful with him, choosing him as a martyr alongside his brothers who preceded him," Hamas' statement said.
Hamas mourned Sinwar as a national leader and a distinguished freedom fighter, noting that he attained martyrdom while engaging in combat, standing firm on the frontlines, and confronting Israeli forces.
"We mourn the great national leader, freedom fighter and martyr Yahya Sinwar (Abu Ibrahim), the head of the Political Bureau of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), and the commander of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. He rose as a brave martyr, advancing and not retreating, with his weapon in hand, confronting the occupation army on the frontlines. He moved between combat positions, steadfast and firm on the land of Gaza, defending the soil of Palestine and its holy sites, inspiring resilience, patience, and the spirit of resistance," the statement read.
Al-Hayya mourns Sinwar
Senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya affirmed that Sinwar stood firm on Gaza's soil until his very last breath. He highlighted how Sinwar's leadership fueled the spirit of resistance and resilience, and further emphasized that Sinwar had overcome the hardships of Israeli imprisonment and continued his contributions to the cause until he achieved the highest honor of martyrdom.
Al-Hayya stated that the blood of martyrs like Sinwar would only drive further resistance, ensuring that Hamas remains steadfast on the path toward full liberation. He added that the martyrdom of Sinwar and other leaders would only increase the strength and determination of the movement and its fighters.
Addressing the issue of Israeli captives held by Hamas, al-Hayya remarked that these prisoners would only be released if the Israeli aggression ceased, the occupation withdrew from Gaza, and Palestinian prisoners were freed.
Al-Hayya concluded by honoring Sinwar's legacy, saying Sinwar would go down in history as the leader who wrote the first chapter in the war for liberation and the end of the Israeli occupation.
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who became the leader of the movement's Political Bureau in August following the assassination of former leader Ismail Haniyeh, was martyred on Wednesday during confrontations with the Israeli occupation forces.
Sinwar, contrary to the Israeli claims that he was hiding in tunnels and using captives as human shields, was in a house with several other fighters, himself donning military attire, including a vest, grenades, ammunition, and an assault rifle.
He was confronting Israeli forces in Rafah's Tel al-Sultan refugee camp, firing at them, engaging them, and tossing grenades at them to halt their advance. As he succeeded, the Israeli occupation forces backed away and fired a tank shell at the house he was sheltering himself in as part of the ongoing confrontation.
They then sent a drone to inspect the area, and he could be seen severely wounded, covered in dust, and donning the Palestinian koufiyyeh to conceal his identity. With nothing but a stick in hand, sitting on a sofa, he attempted to throw it at the Israeli drone, which then backed away before the house he was in was bombarded once again, leading to his martyrdom. He died as a warrior, holding on until the very last breath.
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/hamas-announces-martyrdom-of-leader-yahya-sinwar
Al Mayadeen – October 18, 2024
Regional Resistance movements mourn Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar
A number of regional Resistance movements mourn and laud the late Hamas leader, martyr Yahya al-Sinwar, who fought against the Israeli occupation until his last breath.
The Islamic Resistance Movement in Palestine, Hamas, and its allies across the Arab and Islamic world are mourning the martyrdom of Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas' political bureau and commander of Operation al-Aqsa Flood, whose martyrdom marks a profound moment for the Axis of Resistance, whose leaders have praised Sinwar's sacrifices and leadership.
Hezbollah
Hezbollah extended its condolences to the Palestinian people, the Islamic Resistance Movement, and the broader Arab and Islamic nations. The Lebanese Resistance movement emphasized the significance of Sinwar's leadership, particularly his role in continuing the legacy of resistance inherited from Ismail Haniyeh.
Hezbollah noted that Sinwar led the battle against the American and Zionist projects, ultimately offering his blood and life for the cause, achieving martyrdom and the highest honor in the resistance. "This great martyr [...] leaves behind a legacy of Resistance that will guide future generations of fighters and defenders of Palestine."
In its statement, Hezbollah reaffirmed its unwavering support for the Palestinian people and the Resistance, expressing confidence in divine victory for those who stand firm. The Resistance movement emphasized that Sinwar's martyrdom would only strengthen the resolve of the Resistance, encouraging steadfastness and hope among fighters and leaders. "His blood, along with the blood of martyrs from Palestine and Lebanon, will continue to light the path toward victory and liberation."
Al-Qassam Brigades
Similarly, the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, lauded the martyrdom of Sinwar. "Our commander Yahya Sinwar, who led with courage and wisdom, now ascends to the highest ranks of martyrdom, his blood fueling the revolution until the final liberation."
Al-Qassam highlighted his bravery in leading the Resistance in Gaza, where he ascended in combat, defending al-Aqsa Mosque and the Palestinian people's legitimate rights, emphasizing the pride they take in offering their leaders before their soldiers, with Sinwar leading from the front in the face of Israeli aggression.
Sinwar's journey as a Resistance leader was described as one of immense sacrifice, dedication, and relentless pursuit of Palestinian liberation, the al-Qassam Brigades said.
He was a founding member of Hamas and its military and security structures, and he endured more than two decades of imprisonment in Israeli jails. His release in the Loyalty of the Free prisoner swap deal only further fueled his commitment to the cause, as he resumed his leadership roles in Gaza and beyond, culminating in his command during Operation al-Aqsa Flood, the statement added.
Under his leadership, Hamas saw significant advancements in its military, political, and strategic efforts, including the unification of Resistance fronts in the struggle for al-Quds. After the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, Sinwar took charge of the movement both inside and outside of Gaza, the statement concluded.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) also extended its condolences, praising the Palestinian leader. The movement honored him as a towering figure of the Palestinian national struggle and the leader of Hamas's political bureau.
Sinwar's life was marked by his tireless dedication to the Resistance, whether in prison, on the battlefield, or in the leadership of his people. His commitment to al-Quds and the al-Aqsa Mosque remained central throughout his years of service, culminating in Operation al-Aqsa Flood.
Islamic Jihad underscored that Sinwar's martyrdom, like that of other key figures such as Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, Fathi Shaqaqi, and Ismail Haniyeh, would only strengthen the Resistance. "The martyrdom of Commander Yahya Sinwar will only increase the Resistance in Palestine and the region in strength, resilience, and determination."
The group reaffirmed that the Palestinian people's resolve would remain unshaken and that the fight to end the Zionist occupation would continue. The martyrdom of leaders like Sinwar, they emphasized, would only accelerate "Israel's" defeat. "We are confident that this martyrdom will fuel our people's determination to achieve victory and defeat the aggression."
Al-Nakhalah
Ziyad al-Nakhalah, Secretary General of the PIJ, issued a statement lamenting the loss of a great leader who never hesitated to lead from the front. "He fought on the frontlines, never wavering in his commitment to our cause, and his sacrifice is a badge of honor for all of Palestine."
He described Sinwar as a pivotal figure in the history of Palestinian Resistance, noting that his role in Operation al-Aqsa Flood would forever stand as a testament to his courage and sacrifice. "The martyrdom of Commander Yahya Sinwar is a pivotal moment in Palestinian history, marking a new chapter of resistance and steadfastness," he said.
Al-Nakhalah emphasized that the Palestinian people and the resistance would carry on Sinwar's legacy, honoring his memory by continuing the fight for Jerusalem and Palestine.
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades
The Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, the military wing of Fatah, also expressed their condolences, hailing Sinwar as a heroic leader and former prisoner who dedicated his life to resisting the Israeli occupation. They highlighted his pivotal role in confronting Israeli forces on the frontlines and his commitment to humiliating and undermining the Zionist regime.
The Brigades reaffirmed their rejection of Israel's policy of targeted assassinations, stating that such tactics would not break the Palestinian people's determination to achieve their national rights.
"The policy of assassinations against our leaders and fighters will not break the will of our people to attain their national rights," the Resistance movement said.
They emphasized that the martyrdom of Sinwar and other leaders serves as an inspiration, motivating further unity in the pursuit of independence and the establishment of a Palestinian state with al-Quds as its capital. The group also called on the Palestinian people to strengthen their resilience, stand together against the occupation, and reject any attempts to divide Gaza, the West Bank, and al-Quds, stressing the importance of maintaining unity in these critical times.
"We derive from the martyrdom of heroic leaders the motivation to continue on the path of struggle and national unity until the final victory," the statement concluded.
PFLP
The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) also paid tribute to Sinwar, describing him as a national hero and a symbol of Palestinian resistance. "The martyrdom of Yahya Sinwar, the heroic commander, immortalizes him in the memory of the nation as an undefeated leader," the statement read.
In a statement issued by its General Secretary and his deputy, the PFLP mourned the loss of a steadfast fighter who never retreated in his defense of the Palestinian cause. Sinwar's leadership of the Operation al-Aqsa Flood and the Battle of Seif al-Quds cemented his legacy as a symbol of unwavering resistance against the Zionist occupation, the PFLP added.
The Resistance movement highlighted that Sinwar's life of sacrifice and leadership had left an indelible mark on Palestine and the broader Arab world. His martyrdom in Rafah, alongside fellow fighters, immortalized him as a leader who not only commanded but also fought on the frontlines. His unyielding stance and resistance to oppression, even during his long imprisonment, made him a symbol of strength and determination in the struggle for Palestinian liberation, "embodying the unity of the struggle against the occupation."
Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades
The Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the military wing of the PFLP, echoed this sentiment, honoring Sinwar as a fearless warrior who gave his life in the heat of battle.
They described his final moments, fighting in Rafah, as a testament to his lifelong commitment to the Palestinian cause and the defense of Arab dignity. Despite the deep pain of his loss, the Brigades vowed to continue on the path of resistance, affirming that Sinwar's sacrifice would fuel their determination to liberate Palestine "from the river to the sea and reclaim all occupied Arab lands."
DFLP
Similarly, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) issued a statement lauding Sinwar's dedication to his people and his unwavering leadership in the face of Israeli aggression. "He remained faithful to his people and their dignity, rejecting surrender and compromise, and kept the banner of resistance high until the last moment," the statement read.
The DFLP emphasized that Sinwar's refusal to surrender or compromise, even in his final moments, embodied the spirit of resistance, underlining that Sinwar, "The great national leader, was a man of action who earned his place at the helm of the al-Aqsa Flood and among the world's freedom fighters."
Mujahideen movement
The Palestinian Mujahideen Movement and its military wing, the Mujahideen Brigades, praised Sinwar, describing him as a steadfast national leader and fighter. The statement emphasized his heroic sacrifice during a direct confrontation with Israeli forces in Rafah, Gaza, where he was martyred.
"Today, we bid farewell to Commander Yahya Sinwar, who embodied courage, sacrifice, and heroism, after a long journey of resistance against the Zionist occupation," the movement stressed.
The Mujahideen Movement lauded Sinwar for embodying the spirit of courage and selflessness, having dedicated his life to resisting the Israeli occupation and defending the rights of the Palestinian people. His martyrdom in Operation al-Aqsa Flood was seen as part of the larger struggle for al-Quds and the liberation of Palestine.
They honored Sinwar alongside other notable martyrs, including Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, Ismail Haniyeh, Fathi Shaqaqi, and Abu Ali Mustafa, whose blood, they said, lit the path toward victory and freedom. They also underlined that "the martyrdom of our leaders and the cowardly Zionist assassinations will only strengthen our resolve and determination to continue the path of resistance until every inch of our land is liberated."
Al Mayadeen – October 18, 2024
Day 378 of aggression on Gaza: 42,500 martyrs, 99,546 injuries
As the siege on northern Gaza continues for the 14th consecutive day, tragedies continue to unfold across the Strip as residents are deprived of access to basic needs for survival.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza has released its daily report, marking the 378th day of ongoing Israeli aggression in the strip.
In the past 24 hours alone, the Israeli occupation has carried out four massacres against families in Gaza, resulting in 62 martyrs and 300 injuries.
Many victims remain trapped under rubble as Israeli forces continue to bombard affected areas, preventing ambulances and Civil Defense teams from reach them.
Since the war began over a year ago, the total number of martyrs has now reached 42,500, with injuries totaling 99,546.
'Israel' shelled northern Gaza throughout the night
Earlier on Friday, Al Mayadeen's correspondent in the Strip reported that the Israeli occupation heavily shelled various parts of northern Gaza throughout the night.
Our correspondent stressed that the occupation forces were preventing essential aid trucks and deliveries from entering the North, as well as impeding rescue and medical operations for Palestinians injured in the aggression.
As the siege on northern Gaza continues for the 14th consecutive day, tragedies continue to unfold across the Strip, during which residents are deprived of access to basic needs for survival.
'Israel' blocking much-needed aid to North Gaza, as siege continues
Al Mayadeen's correspondent stressed Friday that the occupation forces were preventing much-neededﾠaid trucks and deliveries fromﾠentering the North, as well as impeding rescue and medical operations for Palestinians injured in the aggression.
In the al-Shati refugee camp in westernmost Gaza City, two Palestinians were killed and several others injured after Israeli warplanes targeted and bombarded a civilian home.
Gaza's Civil Defense announced that the bodies of several children were pulled out after another home was struck in al-Nasr Street, west Gaza City.
In southernmost Gaza City, Israeli tanks opened fire on the northern part of the al-Zaytoun neighborhood.
On Thursday morning, the occupation forces’ boats opened fire on the western areas of the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza. Artillery fire also targeted northern al-Bureij.
In southern Gaza, a Palestinian was killed on Friday morning in an Israeli drone attack in east Rafah.
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/day-378-of-aggression-on-gaza--42-500-martyrs--99-546-injuri
Hamas leader’s killing won’t end or ease Gaza war
Yahya Sinwar’s assassination is a defining moment but the Israel-Hamas conflict will rage on without him
By Ian Parmeter
The death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, one of the masterminds behind the group’s horrific October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, is no doubt a consequential moment in Israel’s year-long war against Hamas.
But is it a turning point? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sinwar’s killing – long a major objective of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) – would signal the “beginning of the end” of the war. But he made clear the war is not over.
In fact, Benny Gantz, a former defense minister and member of the war cabinet, said the IDF would continue to operate in Gaza “for years to come.” So, what exactly will be the impact of Sinwar’s death?
Sinwar’s death does change at least one aspect of the war. He was an iconic figure, for better or worse, for Palestinians. He was seen as someone who was taking the fight to Israel. With Sinwar still alive and Hamas hitting back at Israel’s war in Gaza, the group was actually increasing in popularity.
Opinion polling in late May showed support for Hamas among Palestinians in the Occupied Territories had reached 40%, a six-point increase from three months earlier. Support for the Palestinian Authority, which controls the West Bank, was about half that.
Sinwar’s demise changes the face of Hamas. It could be a major turning point if Hamas is unable to replace him with a leader as strong as he was.
One of the names being discussed is Khaled Mashal, the former head of Hamas’ political office, who still remains influential in the organization.
This moment offers an opportunity for a new Hamas leader to seek a ceasefire with Israel and an end to the horrific conditions in which Gazans are living. But there’s still the question of whether Sinwar’s death achieves Israel’s war objectives.
What would constitute a victory for Netanyahu?
The main issue is that Netanyahu’s war aims have not yet been achieved:
the elimination of Hamas as a fighting force and a danger to Israel
the freeing of the roughly 100 Israeli hostages still believed to be held in Gaza, as many as half of whom may now be dead
the re-establishment of deterrence with Hezbollah in Lebanon to allow the 60,000 Israelis who have been evacuated from northern Israel to return home.
Although the killing of Sinwar is a major step towards restricting Hamas’ ability to maintain its war against the IDF in Gaza, Israeli soldiers still face some very significant problems there.
Over the past year, Hamas has morphed from an organized fighting force into guerrilla mode, which makes its fighters much more difficult to eliminate completely.
The classic methodology for dealing with a guerrilla force is “clear, hold and build.” This means you clear an area of the enemy, put troops in to hold the area, and then build an environment in which the enemy can’t re-establish itself.
Israel can certainly do the “clearing” and “holding”, but has not been able to build an environment in which Hamas can no longer operate.
Israeli journalists who have been embedded with Israeli forces have made the point that Hamas operatives are returning to areas that were previously cleared by the IDF, in part due to the group’s extensive tunnel network.
Another issue for Netanyahu is that right-wing members of his cabinet have threatened to resign from his governing coalition if he agrees to a ceasefire before Hamas is destroyed as a fighting force. They believe Hamas could use a ceasefire to regroup and re-establish itself as a serious threat to Israel.
At the same time, Netanyahu is also facing increasing pressure over the fate of the hostages. If there isn’t a ceasefire and negotiations to release them, their families and supporters will continue the large demonstrations they have been staging in Israel in recent months. They are desperate to get back any hostages who may still be alive and the remains of those who have died.
Netanyahu is also still weighing Israel’s promised retaliation against Iran for its missile attack against the Jewish state in early October.
If Israel does launch a major strike, what does Iran do in response? Iran’s problem is that it had always relied on a strong Hezbollah in Lebanon to be able to respond to Israel militarily on its behalf. And now it seems to have lost that as Hezbollah has been significantly weakened in recent weeks…..
Ian Parmeter is research scholar of Middle East studies, Australian National University
Israel’s War on the World
Each new week brings new calamities for people in the countries neighboring Israel, as its leaders try to bomb their way to the promised land of an ever-expanding Greater Israel.
By Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J. S. Davies
In Gaza, Israel appears to be launching its “Generalsﾒ Plan” to drive the most devastated and traumatized 2.2 million people in the world into the southern half of their open-air prison. Under this plan, Israel would hand the northern half over to greedy developers and settlers who, after decades of U.S. encouragement, have become a dominant force in Israeli politics and society. The redoubled slaughter of those who cannot move or refuse to move south has already begun.
In Lebanon, millions are fleeing for their lives and thousands are being blown to pieces in a repeat of the first phase of the genocide in Gaza. For Israel’s leaders, every person killed or forced to flee and every demolished building in a neighboring country opens the way for future Israeli settlements. The people of Iran, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia ask themselves which of them will be next.
Israel is not only attacking its neighbors. It is at war with the entire world. Israel is especially threatened when the governments of the world come together at the United Nations and in international courts to try to enforce the rule of international law, under which Israel is legally bound by the same rules that all countries have signed up to in the UN Charter and the Geneva Conventions.
In July, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 1967 is illegal, and that it must withdraw its military forces and settlers from all those territories. In September, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution giving Israel one year to complete that withdrawal. If, as expected, Israel fails to comply, the UN Security Council or the General Assembly may take stronger measures, such as an international arms embargo, economic sanctions or even the use of force.
Now, amid the escalating violence of Israel’s latest bombing and invasion of Lebanon, Israel is attacking the UNIFIL UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, whose thankless job is to monitor and mitigate the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
On October 10 and 11, Israeli forces fired on three UNIFIL positions in Lebanon. At least five peacekeepers were injured. UNIFIL also accused Israeli soldiers of deliberately firing at and disabling the monitoring cameras at its headquarters, before two Israeli tanks later drove through and destroyed its gates. On October 15th, an Israeli tank fired at a UNIFIL watchtower in what it described as “direct and apparently deliberate fire on a UNIFIL position.” Deliberately targeting UN missions is a war crime.
This is far from the first time the soldiers of UNIFIL have come under attack by Israel. Since UNIFIL took up its positions in southern Lebanon in 1978, Israel has killed blue-helmeted UN peacekeepers from Ireland, Norway, Nepal, France, Finland, Austria and China.
The South Lebanon Army, Israel’s Christian militia proxy in Lebanon from 1984 to 2000, killed many more, and other Palestinian and Lebanese groups have also killed peacekeepers. Three hundred and thirty-seven UN peacekeepers from all over the world have given their lives trying to keep the peace in southern Lebanon, which is sovereign Lebanese territory and should not be subject to repeated invasions by Israel in the first place. UNIFIL has the worst death toll of any of the 52 peacekeeping missions conducted by the UN around the world since 1948.
Fifty countries currently contribute to the 10,000-strong UNIFIL peacekeeping mission, anchored by battalions from France, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Italy, Nepal and Spain. All those governments have strongly and unanimously condemned Israel’s latest attacks, and insisted that “such actions must stop immediately and should be adequately investigated.”
Israel’s assault on UN agencies is not confined to attacking its peacekeepers in Lebanon. The even more vulnerable, unarmed, civilian agency, UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency), is under even more vicious assault by Israel in Gaza. In the past year alone, Israel has killed a horrifying number of UNRWA workers, about 230, as it has bombed and fired at UNRWA schools, warehouses, aid convoys and UN personnel.
UNRWA was created in 1949 by the UN General Assembly to provide reliefﾠto some 700,000 Palestinian refugees after the 1948 “Nakba,” or catastrophe. The Zionist militias that later became the Israeli army violently expelled over 700,000 Palestinians from their homes and homeland, ignoring the UN partition plan and seizing by force much of the land the UN plan had allocated to form a Palestinian state.
When the UN recognized all that Zionist-occupied territory as the new state of Israel in 1949, Israel’s most aggressive and racist leaders concluded that they could get away with making and remaking their own borders by force, and that the world would not lift a finger to stop them. Emboldened by its growing military and diplomatic alliance with the United States, Israel has only expanded its territorial ambitions.
Netanyahu now brazenly stands before the whole world and displays maps of a Greater Israel that includes all the land it illegally occupies, while Israelis openly talk of annexing parts of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
Dismantling UNRWA has been a long-standing Israeli goal. In 2017, Netanyahu accusedﾠthe agency of inciting anti-Israeli sentiment. He blamed UNRWA for “perpetuating the Palestinian refugee problem” instead of solving it and called for it to be eliminated.
After October 7, 2023, Israel accused 12 of UNRWA’s 13,000 staff of being involved in Hamas’s attack on Israel. UNRWA immediately suspended those workers, and many countries suspended their funding of UNRWA. Since a UN report found that Israeli authorities had not provided “any supporting evidence” to back up their allegations, every country that funds UNRWA has restored its funding, with the sole exception of the United States.
Israel’s assault on the refugee agency has only continued. There are now three anti-UNRWA billsﾠin the Israeli Knesset: one to ban the organization from operating in Israel; another to strip UNRWA’s staff of legal protections afforded to UN workers under Israeli law; and a third that would brand the agency as a terrorist organization. In addition, Israeli members of parliament are proposing legislation to confiscate UNRWAﾒs headquarters in Jerusalem and use the land for new settlements.
UN Secretary-General Guterres warned that, if these bills become law and UNRWA is unable to deliver aid to the people of Gaza, “it would be a catastrophe in what is already an unmitigated disaster.”
Israel’s relationship with the UN and the rest of the world is at a breaking point. When Netanyahu addressed the General Assembly in New York in September, he called the UN a “swamp of antisemitic bile.” But the UN is not an alien body from another planet. It is simply the nations of the world coming together to try to solve our most serious common problems, including the endless crisis that Israel is causing for its neighbors and, increasingly, for the whole world.
Now Israel wants to ban the secretary general of the UN from even entering the country. On October 1st, Israel invaded Lebanon, and Iran launched 180 missiles at Israel, in response to a whole series of Israeli attacks and assassinations. Secretary General Antonio Guterres put out a statement deploring the “broadening conflict in the Middle East,” but did not specifically mention Iran. Israel responded by declaring the UN Secretary General persona non grata in Israel, a new low in relations between Israel and UN officials.
Over the years, the U.S. has partnered with Israel in its attacks on the UN, using its veto in the Security Council 40 times to obstruct the world’s efforts to force Israel to comply with international law.
American obstruction offers no solution to this crisis. It can only fuel it, as the violence and chaos grows and spreads and the United States’ unconditional support for Israel gradually draws it into a more direct role in the conflict.
The rest of the world is looking on in horror, and many world leaders are making sincere efforts to activate the collective mechanisms of the UN system. These mechanisms were built, with American leadership, after the Second World War ended in 1945, so that the world would “never again” be consumed by world war and genocide.
A US arms embargo against Israel and an end to U.S. obstruction in the UN Security Council could tip the political balance of power in favor of the world’s collective efforts to resolve the crisis.
Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J. S. Davies are the authors of War in Ukraine: Making Sense of a Senseless Conflict, with a new, updated edition due out in February 2025.
Medea Benjamin is the co-founder ofﾠCODEPINK for Peace, and the author of several books, includingﾠInside Iran: The Real History and Politics of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Nicolas J. S. Davies is an independent journalist, a researcher for CODEPINK and the author ofﾠBlood on Our Hands: The American Invasion and Destruction of Iraq.
https://www.pressenza.com/2024/10/israels-war-on-the-world/
The World Socialist Web Site October 18, 2024
Global public debt to hit $100 trillion
Nick Beams
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has forecast that global public debt will reach over $100 trillion by the end of this year, equivalent to 93 percent of global GDP, and hit 100 percent by the end of this decade.
The forecast, set out in a summary of the Fiscal Monitor Report prepared for meetings of the IMF and World Bank next week, made clear that stabilising debt levels in the countries where it is growing fastest will require reductions in government spending on a scale larger than anything seen in the past.
The rise in debt levels is accelerating, having increased by 10 percentage points relative to global GDP since 2019, before the pandemic hit.
While the summary noted that in some countries debt levels were stabilising, about two thirds of the total, they would nevertheless remain “well above levels seen before the pandemic.”
But pointing to the scope of the problem it continued: “Countries where debt is not predicted to stabilise account for more than half of global debt and about two thirds of global GDP.”
These include the US, the UK, Brazil, France, Italy and South Africa. It called for immediate action saying any delay “will make the required adjustment even larger.”
While it was not dealt with directly in the summary of the report, this crisis is centred in the US where government debt is rapidly approaching $36 trillion and one dollar in every seven is used just to pay interest on past debts.
The IMF has called for urgent action.
“Waiting is risky: country experiences show that high debt can trigger adverse market reactions and constrains room for budgetary manoeuvre in the face of negative shocks.”
In short, the longer there is a delay in what the IMF considers to be necessary action, the greater the danger of a financial crisis.
The scale of the reduction it has advocated is unprecedented.
“Cumulative fiscal adjustment”—a euphemism for continuous cuts in government spending—amounting to 3.0-4.5 percent of GDP would be needed to stabilise or reduce debt, it said.
“The magnitude of the required fiscal adjustment is higher than that currently projected, and almost twice the size of past adjustments, especially in countries where debt is not projected to stabilise.”
In other words, the kind of cuts in government spending which the IMF says must now be caried out will put into the shade the previous cuts made in vital social services, such as health, education and income support.
As is often the case, the IMF report tried to cover its prescriptions with window-dressing references to the need for the maintenance of social safety needs and the safeguarding of public investment to limit the negative impact on output.
It referred to gradual but sustained adjustment that would “strike a balance between debt vulnerabilities and maintaining the strength of private demand” and warned that “fast-track consolidation” would require “politically unfeasible hikes in tax rates as well as spending cuts.”
However, the very next sentence in the report contradicted this assessment of a gradual reduction.
It said that “economies with high risk of debt distress,” that is some of the largest economies in the world, and “those that have lost market access,” that is some of the poorest where at present interest payments alone already outweigh spending on items such as health and education, needed “front-loaded adjustment.”
In other words, debt adjustments had to begin with a frontal assault on spending.
The issuing of the summary of the report well in advance of the meeting convening, somewhat contrary to normal practice at the twice-yearly conferences, is an indication that the IMF regards the issue of government debt as a central priority.
This is highlighted by the headline of an IMF Blog posting on the report, which read “Global public debt is probably worse than it looks.”
It noted that “past experience suggests that debt projections tend to underestimate actual outcomes by a sizable margin. Realised debt-to-GDP ratios five years ahead can be 10 percentage points of GDP higher than projected on average.”
The IMF said that a new “debt at risk” model showed that “in a severely adverse scenario global public debt could reach 115 percent of GDP in three years—nearly 20 percentage points higher than currently projected.”
And to underscore the demand for urgent action, he blog post said that if public debt is actually higher than it looks, “current fiscal efforts are likely smaller than needed.”
This point was emphasised in the summary which said that “risks to the debt outlook are heavily tilted to the downside and much larger fiscal adjustments than currently planned are required.”
Risk factors identified by the IMF include weaker economic growth, tighter financing conditions, economic and political uncertainty and spillover effects from “greater policy uncertainty in systematically important countries, such as the United States.”
The report also pointed to “sizable unidentified debt” arising from losses in state-owned ventures which increased sharply during periods of financial stress.
The crisis in government debt is part of a process stretching across the entire economy and its financial system which has been created by the ability of banks and finance houses to gorge on the ultra-cheap money provided by the world’s major central banks from 2008 to 2022 when interest rates were lifted.
In a comment piece published in the Financial Times yesterday under the headline “The great wall of debt,” Michael Howell, the managing director at the London-based firm Crossborder Capital, wrote that “we are already walking into the foothills of another crisis.”
Next year and in 2026, he said, investors would have to confront the problem of refinancing debt taken out when interest rates were at rock bottom.
“Similar refinancing tensions have helped trigger several past financial meltdowns such as the 1997‒98 Asian crisis and the 2008‒2009 financial crisis.”
Howell challenged what he called the “standard textbook argument” that viewed capital markets as mechanisms for financing productive capital spending. That was not the case and “under the current weight of world debt, estimated by the Institute of International Finance to be $335 trillion in the first quarter, they have turned into huge debt refinancing mechanisms.”
In a world dominated by debt refinancing, he continued, around three out of four trades in financial markets simply refinance existing debts. This means that “a whopping near $50 trillion of global debt must be rolled over on average each year.”
The debt numbers—public and private—have vast economic and political implications. They signify a deepening crisis of global capitalism for which the ruling classes have no solution other than war for markets and profits combined with ever deepening assaults on the working class carried out with the force of the capitalist state.
For the working class this crisis underscores the imperative of a political struggle for socialism, that is the struggle to take political power in its own hands in order to carry out the complete reorganisation of the economy.
