China voices concern for diplomatic security after Israeli troops gunfire in West Bank
China also urged relevant parties, particularly Israel, not to take 'escalatory moves,' spokesperson Mao Ning told a regular press conference, saying that China was closely monitoring the incident.
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Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
How global unity can end Israel's Gaza genocide
The consequences of the Israeli genocide in Gaza will be dire. An event of this barbarity, sustained by an international conspiracy of moral inertia and silence, will not be relegated to history as just another conflict or a mere tragedy. The Gaza genocide will be a catalyst for major events to come. Israel and its benefactors are acutely aware of this reality. This is why Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in a race against time, desperately trying to ensure his country remains relevant, if not standing, in the coming era. He is pursuing this through territorial expansion in Syria, relentless aggression against Lebanon and, of course, the desire to annex all the Palestinian territories it occupies. But history cannot be controlled with such precision. However clever he may think he is, Netanyahu has already lost the ability to influence the outcome. He has been unable to set a clear agenda in Gaza, let alone achieve any strategic goals in a 365 sq. km expanse of destroyed concrete and ashes. The Gazans have proven that their collective 'sumud' (steadfastness) can defeat one of the world's best-equipped armies. History has taught us that changes of great magnitude are inevitable. The true heartbreak is that such change is not happening fast enough to save a starving population in Gaza and that the growing pro-Palestinian sentiment is not expanding at the rate needed to achieve a decisive political outcome. Our confidence in this inevitable change is rooted in history. The First World War was not just a 'Great War' but a cataclysmic event that shattered the geopolitical order of its time. Four empires were fundamentally reshuffled; some, like the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman, were erased from existence. However clever he may think he is, Netanyahu has already lost the ability to influence the outcome. Dr. Ramzy Baroud The new world order resulting from the First World War was short-lived. The international system we have today is a direct outcome of the Second World War. This includes the UN and all the Western-centric economic, legal and political institutions that were forged at Bretton Woods in 1944, such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and, ultimately, NATO, thus sowing the seeds of yet more global conflict. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 was heralded as the event that would resolve the lingering conflicts of the post-Second World War geopolitical struggle. It supposedly ushered in a new and permanent global realignment — or, to some, the 'end of history.' History, however, had other plans. Not even the horrific Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and the subsequent US-led wars could reinvent the global order in a way that was consistent with US-Western interests and priorities. Gaza is infinitely small when judged by its geography, economic worth or political import. Yet, it has proven to be the most significant global event in terms of defining this generation's political consciousness. The fact that the self-proclaimed guardians of the post-Second World War order are the very entities that are violently and brazenly violating every international and humanitarian law is enough to fundamentally alter our relationship with the 'rules-based order' championed by the West. This may not seem significant now, but it will have profound, long-term consequences. It has largely compromised and, in fact, delegitimized the moral authority imposed, often through violence, by the West over the rest of the world for decades, especially in the Global South. Gaza has proven to be the most significant global event in terms of defining this generation's political consciousness. Dr. Ramzy Baroud This self-imposed delegitimization will also impact the very idea of democracy, which has been under siege in many countries, including in the West. This is only natural, considering that most of the planet feels strongly that Israel must end its genocide and that its leaders must be held accountable. Yet, little to no action has been taken. The shift in Western public opinion in favor of Palestinians is astounding when considered against the backdrop of the media's dehumanization of the Palestinian people and various governments' blind allegiance to Israel. More shocking is that this shift is largely the result of the work of ordinary people on social media, activists mobilizing in the streets and independent journalists, mostly in Gaza, working under extreme duress and with minimal resources. The left is problematic in its own way. While not a monolith and while many on the left have championed the global protests against the genocide, others remain splintered and unable to form a unified front, even temporarily. Some leftists are still chasing their own tail, crippled by the worry that being anti-Zionist will earn them the label of being antisemitic. For this group, self-policing and self-censorship are preventing them from taking decisive action. History does not take its cues from Israel or the Western powers. Gaza will result in the kind of global shifts that will affect us all, far beyond the Middle East. For now, however, it is most urgent that we use our collective will and actions to influence a single historical event: ending the genocide and famine in Gaza. The rest will be left to history and to those who wish to be relevant when the world changes again. • Dr. Ramzy Baroud is a journalist, author and the editor of The Palestine Chronicle. His latest book, 'Before the Flood,' will be published by Seven Stories Press. His website is X: @RamzyBaroud
Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Netanyahu's Gaza City plan a high-stakes risk
When anyone looks at the jungle of rubble, twisted metal and collapsed buildings that constitute the graveyard of Palestinian existence in the small but overcrowded strip of land called Gaza, one has to wonder who would want to resurrect it. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced last week that, against the advice of the Israeli military, including its chief of staff, his revised objective is the complete occupation of Gaza, even though Israel has always been the legal occupier. The security Cabinet approved a plan to take control of Gaza City. Israel's occupation of the city may take up to six months, meaning this operation will likely last into 2026. This can only be seen as a precursor to the annexation of all or large parts of the territory. Until October 2023, anyone in Israel advocating the reoccupation of Gaza would have seen their credibility smashed in seconds. Why would Israel burden itself with this overcrowded hellhole and take on the responsibility of 2.3 million Palestinians? But ambitions have changed and, for the 'Greater Israel' fan club, opportunities have arisen. For this extremist far-right Israeli government, the genocide it is enacting has created the opportunity to empty Gaza either through expulsion or extermination. Forced displacement has been used on a massive scale and Netanyahu's plan envisages emptying Gaza City itself. About 800,000 Palestinians will no doubt be forcibly displaced from the enclave's largest city to the so-called safe area at Al-Mawasi further south. All this highlights how the Israeli military operations, which resumed in March when Israel broke the ceasefire, have utterly failed. Hostages have not been released and some of them killed. Hamas has not surrendered. Israel's occupation of the city may take up to six months, meaning this operation will likely last into 2026. Chris Doyle The Israeli government will carry out this operation knowing it does not have the support of the military leadership, notably Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir. Serious questions abound as to whether the plan is workable. The number of divisions required is significant and calling up further reserves is incredibly politically sensitive within Israel. In addition, an ever-increasing segment of Israeli society is prepared to protest against this. So, what is Netanyahu's game plan? He always has one. Is this all intimidation, an attempt to bully Hamas into releasing the hostages, as well as surrendering its foothold in Gaza prior to leaving it once and for all? Perhaps. But there are those on the Israeli right who cherish the dream of taking Gaza and bringing about Donald Trump's riviera plan, but with one major difference. It would be run by Israel and Israeli companies, not American ones. Is this a strategic decision by Netanyahu or a gambit to put pressure on Hamas to surrender and disarm? Surrender and hand over the hostages, or else Israel annexes the territory. The answer perhaps is that it could be a bit of both. And Netanyahu is betting on both options to ensure he wins either way. Reoccupying the whole of Gaza and emptying Gaza City would placate his base and maintain his coalition. A collapse in Hamas, leading to a situation of surrender, would allow him to claim a historic victory that few would have foreseen. Netanyahu will then claim to have smashed both Hamas and Hezbollah, knocked Iran back and brought down the Assad regime. All these are questionable claims, but they are conceivably sellable in any Israeli election season, Netanyahu's top priority being to win elections and stay in power. Is this a strategic decision by Netanyahu or a gambit to put pressure on Hamas to surrender and disarm? Chris Doyle To achieve this, the prime minister will have to sweet talk Trump, the only person who could single-handedly throw a spanner in the genocidal works. The trick so far has been to keep telling the Americans that there is just one more stage needed before Israel can bring a halt to its operations in Gaza. This same game has been played so many times. In the past, it was to invade Rafah. Most recently, it was Deir Al-Balah in the middle. Now it is Gaza City. Netanyahu tried to be convincing, saying: 'The minute you collapse the center of gravity, the last true fortress left to Hamas in Gaza, Hamas falls apart.' There is always one more target to take out before this elusive victory is achieved. Who knows if this will work. Trump has a well-known aversion to losers, so Netanyahu will have to maintain an aura of invincibility and political success. This may be tougher as he loses friends at home and abroad, but there is no sign of a breakdown in relations just yet. But even if the White House were to become disenchanted with the Israeli premier, that does not mean it would leap to the aid of the Palestinians or the hostages. This operation is a high-stakes risk for Netanyahu, but whichever way it pans out, the Palestinians in Gaza will be denied any winning move. The debate within Israel is largely focused on how fast and hard to hit. As for peace and security in the region, these are just fantasies at present. • Chris Doyle is director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding in London. X: @Doylech
Argaam
an hour ago
- Argaam
Trump pauses US-China tariff truce another 90 days
US Donald Trump has once again delayed implementing sweeping tariffs on China, announcing another 90-day pause just hours before the last agreement between the world's two largest economies was due to expire. On Monday, Trump signed an executive order extending the deadline for higher tariffs on China until Nov. 9, CNBC reported, citing White House officials. 'We'll see what happens,' Trump told reporters at the White House. 'They've been dealing quite nicely – the relationship is very good with President Xi and myself.'
