Thembisa Fakude, Senior research fellow at Africa-Asia Dialogues weighs in on the bombardment of Lebanon by Israel.
President Cyril Ramaphosa was the first African leader to address the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, where he spoke on several issues, including the country’s ongoing case against Israel’s military operation in Gaza at the International Court of Justice.
Little hope for an Israel-Hamas truce as the war between the two enters its 12th month. Hamas, whose October 7 attack on Israel sparked the war, is demanding a complete Israeli withdrawal but, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists that troops must remain on a key strip of land along the Gaza-Egypt border. The recent strike targeted a tent camp in Gaza and included intense bombing with witnesses saying people were thrown in the air. Lerato Mbele speaks to Thembisa Fakude, Senior Researcher and Director at Africa Asia Dialogues and, Ofer Neiman, member of "Boycott from Within- Israeli Citizens for Boycott, Divestments and Sanctions".
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Thembisa Fakude (Israel declares “state of war” as fierce fighting continues in several areas across southern Israel, a day after Hamas’s surprise attack)
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Israel has formally declared war on Hamas, signalling a major military operation in Gaza amid ongoing violence within Israel. It has been reported that Saturday marked one of Israel's deadliest days in decades, capping months of escalating tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. At present, Hamas claims to hold "over 100" Israeli hostages, including high-ranking officers, and continues launching rockets into Israel. Another Palestinian group, Islamic Jihad, says it has at least 30 hostages in Gaza. Israel's formal declaration of war on Hamas has set the stage for a major military operation in Gaza amid heightened violence, with significant casualties and hostages involved. This escalation is said to be raising concerns about the security and intelligence apparatus in Israel. Senior Research Fellow at Africa-Asia Dialogue Thembisa Fakude speaks to Morio Sanyane about the recent developments.