Russia and North Korea sign defense pledge
Yesterday, President Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un reaffirmed Cold War-era mutual defense commitments between Russia and North Korea.
They pledged to “provide mutual assistance in the event of aggression,” but it is unclear whether that assistance would mean full military intervention, as provided for in the now-defunct 1961 treaty.
But Putin said that under the new agreement, Russia “does not rule out developing military and technical cooperation with North Korea.” He also promised unspecified technical assistance. If it includes some of the key technologies Kim Jong Un seeks to perfect, it could help North Korea better target its adversaries, starting with the United States
Putin also appears tired of years of efforts to help curb North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. “Pyongyang has the right to take reasonable measures to strengthen its defense capabilities and ensure national security and sovereignty,” he said yesterday, but he did not mention whether this would include further developing North Korea’s nuclear weapons.
What’s blocking aid to Gaza?
Humanitarian organizations are ready to deliver thousands of tons of food, fuel and medicine to Gaza, but much of it is inaccessible.
Some of the problems are typical of war zones. Aid groups want to protect their workers from bombs and gunfire. Roads and warehouses were destroyed, making the terrain difficult to navigate. But there’s a bigger problem: Israel has imposed opaque rules that deny aid trucks, citing security concerns. Egypt has blocked aid in protest against Israeli military action. Hamas steals or attempts to steal aid for itself.
In other words, those responsible for allowing aid into Gaza put their own interests ahead of helping the Palestinians. In doing so, they have repeatedly made decisions that humanitarian organizations have been unable to overcome.
Israel’s concerns
Israel typically cites two reasons for blocking aid: It wants to stop any supplies that could help Hamas, and it wants to ensure the safety of aid workers.
The first reason is more controversial. U.S. officials and humanitarian groups argue that the shipments intercepted by Hamas are small. Critics say Israel is being too cautious with overblown threats, or worse, is using aid as a weapon against the Palestinians. “They are trying to provide a plausible excuse for collective punishment,” said Jeremy Konyndyk, president of the humanitarian group Refugees International.
But Hamas intercepted Some Israel says its precautions prevent the group from receiving more aid.
Other Hamas tactics also make Israel more cautious. The group often hides behind civilians by placing its operatives in hospitals and hiding weapons in schools. Israel fears Hamas may also be hiding behind humanitarian groups and workers, requiring aid groups to report its activities. For example, it signs off on specific routes, in part to ensure that these are indeed humanitarian missions and not covert enemy operations.
However, these checks may fail. In April, Israel killed seven World Central Kitchen workers, although the group said the mission was coordinated with the military. Israel called the attack a mistake and apologized for the killings. It fired two officers involved and reprimanded others.
“That was a turning point,” said my Jerusalem-based colleague Adam Rasgon. After the killings, Israel opened more crossings to allow aid into Gaza. The Israeli military also announced this week that it would halt operations in parts of southern Gaza during daylight hours; the pause in fighting could help deliver more aid to the Palestinians.
Because Israel controls what goes in and out of Gaza, it bears much of the responsibility for the crisis there. But it’s not the only country to stop providing supplies to the Palestinians.
After Israel entered the southern city of Rafah last month, Egypt protested the incursion by blocking aid deliveries. It does not want to appear to accept Israeli control of the Rafah crossing and is uncomfortable with Israeli operations so close to the Egyptian border. (Think: Egypt once occupied Gaza but lost control in the 1967 war with Israel.)
Egypt has since started allowing some aid to flow through the Kerem Shalom crossing on its border with Israel. Still, the amount of aid entering Gaza has dropped by nearly two-thirds since Israel began operations in Rafah, according to the United Nations. “They know Egypt is very important to their operations and are extremely resistant to public criticism,” Adam told me.
In addition, Palestinians have looted some goods out of hunger and desperation or sold them on Gaza’s black market.
Israeli far-right activists also intercepted aid trucks heading from Jordan to Gaza and destroyed their supplies. Activists believe the Palestinians should not receive aid until Hamas returns the Israeli hostages. The United States last week imposed sanctions on Tsav 9, one of the groups involved in the attacks.
a choice
Aid workers often argue that all of these problems ultimately lie with Israel: The people of Gaza are starving because Israel has launched a military campaign in the area; It has the power to stop wars.
But destroying Hamas does serve Israel’s national security interests. It wants to ensure that the attack on October 7 does not happen again. To do this, Israeli leaders believe they must fight across Gaza. In this sense, Israel is prioritizing the safety of Israelis over the safety of Gazans—a predictable, albeit controversial, choice for war.
North Macedonia claims sovereignty over Alexander the Great and other historical figures in a push to build a national identity. Greece and Bulgaria are not happy. They believe the new nation, born 33 years ago, has swallowed up their heritage and heroes.
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In Memory of Willie Mays
Giants center fielder Willie Mays, considered by many to be the greatest all-around baseball player in history, has died at age 93. beat.
But Mays was more than just an all-around player, he was one of the most charismatic figures in the sport and in America. He captured the passion of baseball fans at a time when black players were still making their mark in the major leagues and segregation still loomed over his native South.
“Numbers and accolades tell only part of his story,” my colleague Curt Streeter wrote. “Because that’s how The way Mays played – he used his smarts, speed, style and power to break the boundaries of baseball – is what made him the most beloved star.
