Gaza
Hamas and Israel blame each other for breaking an
ambiguously-worded US-brokered three-day ceasefire.
Hamas appears to be copying the tactics that Hezbollah used
against Israel in Lebanon in 2006, with similar effect. In both cases, the
terrorist group used guided anti-tank missiles in ambushes and hit-and-run
attacks to bring the Israeli advance to a halt.
The primary objective of the Israeli military – formerly to
stop Hamas rocket fire into Israel – is now to destroy Hamas’ network of
cross-border tunnels. Many of these tunnels have entrances in civilian
buildings. Airstrikes have been ineffective at accomplishing that objective,
but Israeli ground troops have gotten bogged down in urban combat.
Israel claims – and Hamas denies – that Hamas has captured
an Israeli soldier.
So far, 1,655 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and 65
Israelis, mostly soldiers, have been killed in the fighting. Both sides accuse
each other of attacking UN-run schools that have been used as shelters by
civilians.
The conflict has led to widespread international anti-Israeli
– and even anti-Semitic – protests, especially in Europe. Some of the protests
have been violent.
Ukraine
International investigators have reached the wreckage of
MH17. The wreckage of MH17 lies near the road between the separatist
strongholds of Donetsk and Luhansk; fighting in the area has delayed access to
the site for the last week. The Ukrainian military appears to have now succeeded
in cutting Donetsk off from Luhansk and the Russian border, making it very
likely that that they will recapture the city in the near future.
The US, the EU, and other countries continue to escalate
economic sanctions or Russian companies and individuals. The Russian economy is
currently on the verge of recession. Russia has retaliated by banning the
import of Polish fruit, which appears to have sparked an apple-eating spree in
Poland.
Large numbers of Russian troops are massing on the Ukrainian
border. There is strong evidence that Russian troops have fired across the
border; Russia accuses Ukraine of similar cross-border fire. Open intervention
by Russia would dramatically escalate the war, and probably lead to even
greater international isolation.
The Human Rights Watch has accused Ukraine of using Grad
missile launchers on populated areas; Ukraine denies the charge. The extremely
imprecise Soviet-era weapon has been used by both sides.
There are now claims – and some evidence – that the
separatists are now using child soldiers.
Casualties continue to rise, but exact counts remain
difficult to come by.
Syria
A Sunni tribe has risen up against ISIS and forced the
terrorist group out of three towns in an oil-rich region of Syria. ISIS recently
went beyond their previous mass beheadings and occasional crucifixions to start
raising severed heads on poles.
Just like last week, the Syrian Civil War is still the
bloodiest ongoing conflict. People appear to be dying at a rate of about 160
per day.
Libya
The scale of the violence in Libya appears to be increasing,
with at least 214 people killed and almost a thousand injured since July 12.
Islamist militias are gaining ground against militias loyal to a renegade
general in the east of the country. In western Libya, the fighting is polarized
along broadly Islamist and and-Islamist lines. The Libyan government has so far
been unable to maintain security.
Nigeria
In Nigeria, Boko Haram has begun to use suicide bombings.
Boko Haram – whose name means “Western Education is Sinful” – gained the
international spotlight recently when they kidnapped several hundred
schoolgirls. The Nigerian military has so far been unable to act against them
effectively.
Many of the recent suicide attacks have involved female
bombers, leading to fears that the terrorist group may be using the captured
girls as weapons.
As Boko Haram members frequently wear military uniforms
while conducting attacks, the Nigerian military has announced a shift to a new
uniform to avoid misidentification of the terrorists as their own soldiers.
Iraq
The FAA has asked airlines to fly at higher altitudes over
Iraq, suggesting fears that ISIS may attempt to shoot down a civilian plane
with a surface-to-air missile. Some airlines are now avoiding Iraqi airspace
completely.
Elswhere in the world, fighting is ongoing in Pakistan,
Somalia, Yemen, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, India, and
Afghanistan.
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