Israel-Hamas War

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at Israel’s second ground raid into Gaza, escalating airstrikes between the U.S. and Iranian-backed proxies, the death of former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, and Malaysia’s new king.

Israeli forces launched a second overnight ground assault into Gaza on Friday to continue preparing the battlefield for a possible larger ground offensive. This followed similar efforts the day before in northern Gaza. Israel’s war cabinet has not yet released a timeline for starting its wider invasion. Late Friday also saw the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carry out an exceptionally heavy barrage of airstrikes on northern Gaza, and reports indicate that the territory has come under a near-total communication blackout, including the loss of internet and cell service.

That same day, the IDF carried out a raid in a West Bank refugee camp, killing three people and arresting around 70 others. A fourth person was killed later that day. According to the IDF, a Palestinian Islamic Jihad commander was among the four Palestinians killed; one Israeli soldier was also killed.

As the Israel-Hamas war intensifies, fears are rising that the conflict could spill over into the rest of the region. On Thursday, the United States executed airstrikes against two Iranian-backed militant targets in eastern Syria. According to the U.S. Defense Department, two F-16 fighter jets targeted a weapons and ammunition storage facility funded by Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The attack was a direct retaliation for recent strikes against U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed groups, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said, and was separate from Washington’s efforts to support Israel. But Iran has a long history of funding and training Hamas as well as other militant groups in Gaza, Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria, and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Thursday that the United States “will not be spared from this fire” if the Israel-Hamas war continues.

To further worry regional experts, drone strikes hit two Egyptian Red Sea towns near the Israeli border on Thursday. At least six people were injured. Although no group has claimed responsibility, the IDF blamed an “aerial threat” in the Red Sea region, potentially pointing to Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthis. Last week, U.S. Navy forces intercepted a Houthi-launched missile that some military officials feared was aimed at Israel. And on Wednesday, Hamas targeted the Israeli village of Eilat, located near one of the Egyptian towns attacked on Thursday—signaling the longest-range Palestinian attack since the war began on Oct. 7.

“Israel will work with Egypt and the U.S., and will bolster regional defenses in the area,” IDF spokesperson Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari said regarding the overnight strikes. Cairo has a long history of involvement in Gaza, including helping the IDF impose a 17-year blockade on the region and organizing aid deliveries into Gaza in the past few days. On Friday alone, Egypt transported a medical team and 10 trucks carrying food, water, and medicine into southern Gaza through its Rafah border crossing.

• How the End of Nagorno-Karabakh Will Reshape Geopolitics by Samuel Ramani
• Israel’s Military Tech Fetish Is a Failed Strategy by Franz-Stefan Gady
• Saudi Arabia Is Mysteriously Absent in the Israel-Hamas War by Steven A. Cook

In memoriam. Former Chinese Premier Li Keqiang died on Friday from a heart attack. He was 68 years old. The No. 2 leader was known for warning against Beijing’s economic decline, particularly during the country’s strict zero-COVID lockdown era, despite government efforts to put a positive spin on China’s worsening economic situation. However, under President Xi Jinping, Li lost much of his power and finally left office in March of this year.

Numerous global leaders expressed their condolences for Li’s death, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the Japanese Embassy in China. However, Xi remained noticeably silent following his death, directing all questions to the country’s state media outlet and Li’s official obituary.

A new monarch. Malaysia’s royal families selected Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, the ruler of Malaysia’s southernmost state, to be the country’s next king. Sultan Ibrahim is known for his vast personal wealth, varied business interests, and strong relationship with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. He will begin his five-year term as head of state on Jan. 31.

Although Malaysia’s monarchs have historically served an exclusively symbolic role, outgoing King Al-Sultan Abdullah utilized the office’s few powers by picking the country’s past three prime ministers when parliamentary elections failed to achieve a majority. It is likely that Sultan Ibrahim will follow in his footsteps, considering that the incoming leader has expressed interest in politics in the past.

Qatar death sentences. Qatar sentenced eight Indian former naval officers to death on Thursday for allegedly spying on the country’s submarine program for Israel. The suspects were arrested in August 2022 and will be allowed to appeal their death sentence. Indian government officials said they were“deeply shocked” over the conviction and noted that all legal avenues will be explored.

Qatar has toed a fine line in the region by facilitating hostage negotiations between Israel and Hamas. Only four people of more than 200 hostages have been released thus far. Doha does not have formal ties with Israel, and the Israeli government has not yet issued a statement regarding the sentencing of eight alleged spies. India, on the other hand, has strong economic relations with Qatar that could be fractured over these new accusations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asserted on Tuesday that, thanks to gains made during Kyiv’s recent counteroffensive, which element of the Russian military was no longer safe to operate in Ukrainian territory?

A. Ground Forces
B. Navy
C. Special Operations Forces
D. Aerospace Forces

When I tried to draw on my bedroom walls as a kid, my mother was far from thrilled. But when Italian Renaissance artist extraordinaire Michelangelo did it, it was cause for a whole new museum exhibit. Next month, the Medici Chapels Museum will allow visitors to enter a secret room with walls covered with drawings likely made by the Italian artist nearly 500 years ago. Historians believe that Michelangelo hid in the so-called stanza segreta (secret room) after backing a plot to overthrow the ruling Medici family. Glad he found ways to entertain himself during those few months.

B. Navy

Analysis of Ukraine’s counteroffensive has focused too much on the land war with Russia, argue Oz Katerji and Vladislav Davidzon. But Ukraine has made progress in Crimea and the Black Sea.

To take the rest of FP’s weekly international news quiz, click here, or sign up to be alerted when a new one is published.