Israel uncovers major Hamas command center in Gaza City as cease-fire talks gain momentum

The Israeli military on Wednesday said it had uncovered a major Hamas command center in the heart of Gaza City, inflicting what it described as a serious blow to the Islamic militant group as pressure grows on Israel to scale back its devastating military offensive in the coastal enclave.

The army said it had exposed the center of a vast underground network used by Hamas to move weapons, militants and supplies throughout the Gaza Strip. Israel has said destroying the tunnels is a major objective of the offensive.

The announcement came as Hamas’ top leader arrived in Egypt for talks aimed at brokering a temporary cease-fire and a new deal for Hamas to swap Israeli hostages for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

Israeli leaders have vowed to press ahead with the two-month-old offensive, launched in response to a bloody cross-border attack by Hamas in October that killed some 1,200 people and saw 240 others taken hostage.

The offensive has devastated much of northern Gaza, killed nearly 20,000 Palestinians, and driven some 1.9 million people — nearly 85% of the population — from their homes. The widespread destruction and heavy civilian death toll has drawn increasing international calls for a cease-fire.

Hamas militants have put up stiff resistance lately against Israeli ground troops, and its forces appear to remain largely intact in southern Gaza. It also continues to fire rockets into Israel every day.

The United States, Israel’s closest ally, has continued to support Israel’s right to defend itself while also urging greater effort to protect Gaza’s civilians.

But in some of the toughest American language yet, Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday called on Israel to scale back its operation.

“It’s clear that the conflict will move and needs to move to a lower intensity phase,” Blinken said. He said the U.S. wants to see “more targeted operations” with smaller levels of forces focused on specific targets, such as Hamas’ leaders and the group’s tunnel network.

“As that happens, I think you’ll see as well, the harm done to civilians also decrease significantly,” he said.

His comments were more pointed than statements by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who in a visit to Israel this week said the U.S. would not dictate any timeframes to its ally.

TUNNEL NETWORK

The Israeli military escorted Israeli reporters into Palestine Square in the heart of Gaza City to show off what it described as the center of Hamas’ tunnel network.

Military commanders boasted that they had uncovered offices, tunnels and elevators used by Hamas’ top leaders. The military released videos of underground offices and claimed to have found a wheelchair belonging to Hamas’ shadowy military commander, Mohammed Deif, who has not been seen in public in years.

The army’s chief spokesman, Daniel Hagari, said the army had located a vast underground complex. “They all used this infrastructure routinely, during emergencies and also at the beginning of the war on Oct. 7,” he said. He said the tunnels stretched across Gaza and into major hospitals. The claims could not be independently verified.

Hagari also indicated that Israel was winding down its operations in northern Gaza, including Gaza City, where it has been battling Hamas militants for weeks. He said the army had moved into a final remaining Hamas stronghold, the Gaza City neighborhood of Tufah.

But the army also acknowledged a significant misstep. An investigation into its soldiers’ mistaken shooting of three Israelis held hostage in Gaza found that, five days before the shooting, a military search dog with a body camera had captured audio of them shouting for help in Hebrew.

Hagari said the recording was not reviewed until after the hostages were killed while trying to make themselves known to Israeli forces.

The incident has sparked an uproar in Israel and put pressure on the government to reach a new deal with Hamas. The military chief has said the shooting was against its rules of engagement.

The Israeli military campaign now is largely focused on southern Gaza, where it says Hamas’ leaders are hiding.

“We will continue the war until the end. It will continue until Hamas is destroyed, until victory,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement. “Whoever thinks we will stop is detached from reality.”

CEASE-FIRE TALKS GAIN MOMENTUM

As Netanyahu vowed to continue the war, there were new signs of progress in cease-fire talks.

Hamas’ top leader, Ismail Haniyeh, traveled to Cairo for talks on the war, part of a flurry of diplomacy. In recent days, top Israeli, American and Qatari officials have also held cease-fire talks.

“These are very serious discussions and negotiations, and we hope that they lead somewhere,” the White House’s national security spokesman, John Kirby, said aboard Air Force One while traveling with President Joe Biden to Wisconsin.

Biden, however, indicated a deal was still a ways off. “There’s no expectation at this point, but we are pushing,” he said. Asked about the rising death toll in Gaza, Biden said: It’s tragic.”

Hamas says no more hostages will be released until the war ends. It is insisting on the release of large numbers of Palestinian prisoners, including high-level militants convicted in deadly attacks, for remaining captives.

Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official in Beirut, said the efforts right now are focused on how to “stop this aggression, especially that our enemy now knows that it cannot achieve any of its goals.”

Israel has rejected Hamas’ demands for a mass prisoner release so far. But it has a history of lopsided exchanges for captive Israelis, and the government is under heavy public pressure to bring the hostages home safely.

Egypt, along with Qatar and the U.S., helped mediate a weeklong cease-fire in November in which Hamas freed over 100 hostages in exchange for Israel’s release of 240 Palestinian prisoners. Hamas and other militants are still holding an estimated 129 captives, though roughly 20 are believed to have died in captivity.

U.N. Security Council members are negotiating an Arab-sponsored resolution to halt the fighting in some way to allow for an increase in desperately needed humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza.

A vote on the resolution, first scheduled for Monday, was pushed back again on Wednesday in the hopes of getting the U.S. to support it or allow it to pass after it vetoed an earlier cease-fire call.

HUMANITARIAN CRISIS

Mobile phone and internet service was down across Gaza again on Wednesday. The outage could complicate efforts to communicate with Hamas leaders inside the territory who went into hiding after Oct. 7.

The war has led to a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Tens of thousands of people are crammed into shelters and tent camps amid shortages of food, medicine and other basic supplies. Israel’s foreign minister traveled to Cyprus to discuss the possibility of establishing a maritime corridor that would allow the delivery of large amounts of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

At least 46 people were killed and more than 100 wounded early Wednesday after Israel bombarded the urban Jabaliya refugee camp near Gaza City, according to Munir al-Bursh, a senior Health Ministry official.

At least five people were killed and dozens injured in another strike that hit three residential homes and a mosque in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah Wednesday, health officials said.

The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Tuesday the death toll since the start of the war had risen to more than 19,600. It does not distinguish between civilian and combatant deaths.

Israel’s military says 134 of its soldiers have been killed in the Gaza ground offensive. Israel says it has killed some 7,000 militants, without providing evidence. It blames civilian deaths in Gaza on Hamas, saying it uses them as human shields when it fights in residential areas.

AP

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukrainian army proposal to call up more civilians gets mixed reaction in Kyiv

A Ukrainian army proposal to conscript up to 500,000 more civilians has produced mixed feelings in Kyiv, with many people saying more troops are needed to fight Russia but some suggesting it is pointless unless they get more weapons.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced the army's proposal on Tuesday but said he had not yet decided whether to back it.

Such a move would be intended to help replenish exhausted Ukrainian forces nearly two years of Russia's full-scale invasion, but could risk a backlash from those who oppose it.

Ukraine does not provide details of current troop numbers but has previously said it had around 1 million people under arms. Russia has expanded its army since its invasion of Ukraine last year, and said it plans to increase it to 1.5 million.

Anton Hrushetskyi, executive director of the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, said closed polling data showed more than 65% of Ukrainians would strongly support or rather support a significant further mobilisation.

But he told Reuters the figure could be skewed by people wanting to give a "socially desirable" response in wartime.

Oleksandr, 27, a serviceman who declined to give his surname, welcomed the idea of a big mobilisation, saying frontline positions were thinly defended.

He told Reuters the army reserves should be strengthened as people fear being conscripted, assuming they would automatically be sent to hotspots.

"Most people are afraid now because they don't understand (the situation). They think they will join the forces and be killed instantly or tortured. Nothing of the sort goes on," he said on Wednesday in the Ukrainian capital.

QUESTIONS OVER MORALE, FOREIGN ASSISTANCE

Ukraine, which imposed martial law after Russia invaded, has been regularly drafting people into the army throughout the war.

The process is done largely out of view although some social media videos have shown draft officers handing out call-up papers on the street, at metro stations or at gyms, and in some cases using force against those who resist.

Rafael, a 40-year-old sculptor who declined to give his surname, said forcibly conducting a large-scale mobilisation could badly affect morale on the front lines.

"People's motivation is dying. If some are forced to fight against their will, our army won't be as (motivated) to fight," he said.

Tetiana, a 37-year-old office worker, said a more important matter than manpower was securing more military and financial assistance from abroad.

"I think (mobilising people) won't be enough (to win the war). We need the support of the West, the United States. Our soldiers will not suffice," she said.

Assistance packages totalling more than $100 billion from the United States and European Union have been held up by political concerns abroad.

"This (mobilisation) won't help the cause. There is no point in mobilising huge amounts of people, and then leaving them without equipment," said serviceman Denys, 21.

He said Ukrainian authorities were not spending enough money on weapons.

The military has not commented on Zelenskiy's statement about mobilisation. The military and government have been discussing ways to improve mobilisation for weeks.

On Monday, army chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi criticised a decision by Zelenskiy to fire the heads of the regional military draft offices this summer, describing them as "professionals" who were now gone.

He said the mobilisation programme did not need to be strengthened, but should be returned to the model that worked for the first phase of the war.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russian paratroopers take Ukrainian armed forces stronghold near Artyomovsk

Russian paratroopers stormed a Ukrainian military stronghold north-west of Artyomovsk in the Peoples Republic of Donetsk, the Russian Ministry of Defense told TASS.

"In the Donetsk direction, assault units of Ivanovo paratroopers from the Battlegroup South, continued to improve the situation along the front line and with the support of artillery fire stormed another strong point northwest of Artyomovsk," the statement said.

During aerial reconnaissance of the Ukrainian armed forces' positions, the paratroopers discovered the enemy's main fire weapons and control points. Subsequently, the artillery of the formation suppressed the main fire weapons of the Ukrainian armed forces, disrupting their control system. Newly identified targets were destroyed by FPV drone crews.

Next, paratroopers from several directions captured the positions of the Ukrainian armed forces, after which they carried out a complete clearing of the stronghold. The enemy fled, leaving behind their wounded and dead.

Reuters/Tass

Stories of godfathers and godsons falling out in Nigerian politics are tales as old as Nigeria’s democratic time; there is no new angle to them. They all follow the same plot: a monied godfather sponsors a godson to political power; godson gets into power and resents being kept on a puppet string; godson triggers a showdown; both godfather and godson disgrace themselves in public until someone either gives or both exhaust themselves. The latest of such public dramas, between the immediate former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, and the stooge he thought he appointed to office, Siminalayi Fubara, has not quite departed from the standard fare. Wike, presumably old enough to know how arrangement between godfather and godson typically ends within the Nigerian democratic history, thought he could succeed where others have stumbled.

After being treated to what seemed like a battle of attrition between Wike and Fubara, the situation reached its climax when the presidency summoned the parties to the Presidential Villa to settle their matters. Like how the presidency supposedly resolved the Ondo situation by placing one of the key actors on a leash, beleaguered Fubara too had to sign an eight-point agreement to guarantee his survival. Some of the points the warring parties had to agree on to move forward are issues that should have been worked out through democratic processes, but those means were—once again—usurped by a president that seems to fancy itself as deus ex machina.

Going by the comments of presidential aide Ajuri Ngelale, Bola Tinubu will, from now on, be making a habit of resolving tense political situations in every part of the country. Ngelale said, “If he (Tinubu, that is) sees that peace is breaking down in any part of the country…(the) president…will take action…Nigerians are going to see that the difference between what we have seen from this president as against previous presidents of the past 24 years is that when something is wrong—whether it involves a political party or not in any part of the country—as the father of the nation, he is going to call everybody to the table and he is going to get everybody to a common resolution in the interest of the Nigerian people.” There you have it.

If you thought you voted for a president who would be devoting his energies to weighty national matters that should set the nation on the path of stability, development, and prosperity, you thought wrong. His priority now is micromanaging disputes, even if his mediation merely imposes solutions that contradict existing legal provisions and good judgment. For instance, why should the lawmakers who defected to the All Progressives Congress continue in office? They should have known better than to play a self-own card. Also, why should the commissioners in Rivers State who—of their own volition—resigned from their duty be reinstated? There is no possibility of them returning to work with the governor in good faith. Everything that has gone down in the past months will not only stand between them, but also impede their ability to work together for the good of the state. Rivers State deserves far better than being served by bile-filled politicians.

That brings me to another point: what are the uncounted material and moral costs of these political crises to the people? When crises like the one that unfolded in Rivers erupt, most of the attention is—understandably—focused on the main actors engaging in a contest of political wills. But what about the people? For the case of Rivers, the grass that suffers from two elephants fighting extends beyond the state precincts all the way to the Federal Capital Territory. Both sites have their respective administrators distracted from their official duties, which is unfair to those whose lives will need to be on hold while these men engage in a rope-measuring contest.

It is unfortunate that the people of the FCT were saddled with the proverbial dog that presumes that having enough ferocity qualifies it to guard two houses simultaneously. Wike is a politician whose two legs stand in two different political parties. He is presently in the FCT, working as a minister for one political party while maintaining a hold on another in his home state. Even by the incredibly shallow standards of our “home-grown” Nigerian democracy, his ideological cross-dressing is ridiculous. This is no longer the case of someone who wants to have his cake and eat it, but one who wants to hold the bakery hostage!

While Wike is busy running up and down scheming how to assert himself in Rivers State against the governor, we can safely conclude that the job he was given in the FCT is the last thing on his mind. Ask him what his vision for the FCT looks like and await an answer. You should not be surprised that he has not thought about it. Earlier in the year, when he was first appointed as the FCT minister, he—in his characteristic loud and extravagant manner—declared he was going on a demolition spree. A man of vision would not have stopped there but would have also gone further to highlight what he would build. Not Wike. The height of his imagination is the sadism of watching people’s sweat go down into rubble. Any fool can bring down buildings for any reason, justifiable or otherwise, but it takes a thinker to build, improve, and create. Wike has not given himself away as that man. He is where he is today, not because he articulated any significant idea that qualified him for FCT stewardship, but because he needed to be paid for his services.

For him to remain an APC darling and maybe even move higher in rank by 2026 when his services will be needed for the next general election, he must first survive. Once his paymasters find out that he no longer has the political network through which he came through for them in February, he will devalue faster than the Naira. In the Nigerian political economy, not having the political “structure” to deliver winning votes for your principal is the equivalent of a social death. His entire instincts are geared towards survival. While I almost understand his anxiety, I do not care if he survives. My sympathy rests with the residents of the FCT who bear the brunt of a distracted administrator.

The people of Rivers State do not have it better either. The affairs of their state must now be on hold while their governor slugs it out with a man of unmatchable buffoonery. Even if Fubara survives the contest, the trauma of fighting for survival will affect his administration of the state. Resolution or not, all his energies will remain fully channelled towards preempting another crisis by strategising, attacking, defending, and just surviving every successive day. There will be no mischief devious enough that will be posed to him now that he will not accommodate if it helps him defeat his archenemy. A government that can demolish the House of Assembly building will stop at nothing. Yes, I am aware they tried to justify their action as necessary because the structure had been compromised in the wake of an earlier fire incident, but the timing is too convenient. Unfortunately, it is the people of the state whose sweat and blood will be drawn to rebuild that structure.

Imagine going to the person who could do that to discuss issues of security in the state or asking him what his plans are regarding the rising cost of living. He will—at best—hear only with half an ear. He wants to survive, and he will, even if it comes at the expense of everything under his watch that also needs to live and thrive.

Punch

We’ve all had those moments when we wonder if we’re doing something that’s secretly annoying to others.

Ever thought about the habits you might have that people judge you for?

In this article, I’ve got a list of 11 things that might be causing hidden eye rolls.

So, let’s dig into these common public faux pas.

1. Loud Phone Conversations

We get it, your call could be important. But when you’re in a public space like a bus or a café, no one around you really wants to hear about your weekend plans or what you’re having for dinner.

Having a loud phone conversation can be really distracting and even annoying for some people.

So, next time you pick up your phone, maybe step outside or lower your voice. Trust us, the people around you will thank you!

2. Not Covering Your Mouth While Coughing or Sneezing

Especially in these times of heightened health awareness, not covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze can be seen as a major public offense.

People around you don’t want to risk getting sick because of your germs flying around.

Remember the elbow trick: when you feel a sneeze or cough coming on, do it into your elbow. It’s a simple gesture that shows respect for others’ health.

3. Listening to Music Without Headphones

I remember this one time, I was sitting in a park, trying to enjoy the peaceful scenery.

Suddenly, someone nearby started playing their music out loud. It was so distracting, I couldn’t concentrate on my book anymore.

And it wasn’t just me – I could see other people around looking a bit annoyed too.

We all have diverse music tastes, and what you jam to might not be someone else’s cup of tea.

Whenever you feel like listening to your favorite tunes in public, please pop in those headphones. It’ll keep your groove from being someone else’s gripe!

4. Littering

Tossing your empty coffee cup or snack wrapper on the ground might not seem like a big deal to you, but it’s a habit that really irks others.

Not only does it make our public spaces look messy, it’s also bad for the environment.

According to National Geographic, 91% of plastic waste isn’t recycled. This is a staggering number and a lot of this waste ends up in our oceans, harming wildlife and ecosystems.

When you have some trash, hold onto it until you can find a proper bin. It’s a small action that can make a big difference. 

5. Ignoring Those In Need

Seeing someone struggling with a heavy door or a mom with a stroller trying to navigate a flight of stairs and not offering to help, can be seen as quite heartless by others around you.

It doesn’t take much time or effort to lend a helping hand, but it can mean the world to the person in need.

We all have our struggles and challenges, and a little kindness can go a long way in making someone’s day better.

When you see someone in need, don’t hesitate to offer your help. After all, we’re all in this together.

6. Blocking the Sidewalk

This one takes me back. I was rushing to an important meeting one day, but got stuck behind a group of people who were walking very slowly and taking up the entire sidewalk.

I tried to get around them, but there was no space. It made me late and, honestly, a little frustrated.

When we’re out and about, it’s easy to forget that the sidewalk is a shared space. We might be enjoying a leisurely stroll, but there could be someone behind us who’s in a hurry.

So, try to stick to one side when you’re walking in a group or stop off to the side if you need to check your phone.

It keeps the way clear for others and helps keep the sidewalk traffic flowing smoothly. 

7. Cutting in Line

Cutting in line? Not cool, my friend. We’ve all been there – standing patiently in line, waiting our turn, and then someone just waltzes in and tries to sneak ahead.

It’s frustrating, right? It feels like they’re saying their time is more important than yours, and that just doesn’t sit right.

Here’s a simple rule: wait your turn. Whether you’re lining up for a coffee, waiting at the bus stop, or queuing for the restroom, don’t cut in. Respect the unwritten rules of the queue.

We’re all in a hurry, we all have places to be. But fairness is fairness. Let’s keep it civil out there. 

8. Not Cleaning Up After Your Pet

We all love our furry friends, but not everyone loves what they leave behind.

When you’re out and about with your pet and they do their business, it’s your job to clean up after them.

Leaving it behind is not just  rude, it’s also unsanitary.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, pet waste is classified as a harmful pollutant, in the same category as oil and toxic chemicals!

The waste can contaminate water bodies and even spread diseases.

So, always carry a bag with you when you walk your pet – the environment and your neighbors will thank you. 

9. Taking Up Extra Seats With Your Bags

I remember once I was on a crowded train, and I had been on my feet all day. All I wanted was to sit down for a bit.

As I looked around, I spotted an empty seat! But as I got closer, I saw it was occupied by someone’s bag.

The owner was too engrossed in their book to notice my tired eyes staring at the seat.

We’ve all been in situations where public transportation is packed, and every seat counts.

If you place your bag on the seat next to you, it might seem like you’re trying to avoid having someone sit next to you.

It’s always better to keep your belongings on your lap or under your seat, freeing up space for others.

After all, we’re all just trying to get where we’re going, right?

10. Taking Forever to Order

We’ve all been there, standing in line, stomach rumbling, waiting to order our food. Then someone steps up to the counter and takes an eternity to make a decision. It’s not a life-altering choice, folks!

A little consideration for the people in line behind you wouldn’t hurt.

Next time you’re queuing up, try to have your order ready before you reach the counter. It keeps the line moving and earns you points for being considerate!

11. Not Saying ‘Thank You’

This one might seem trivial, but it’s amazing how much a simple ‘thank you’ can mean.

Whether it’s to the barista who made your coffee or the stranger who held the door for you, acknowledging their effort goes a long way.

It’s not about being overly formal, it’s about showing basic human decency.

So don’t forget those two little words – they can make someone’s day!

Ideapod

Naira dropped to a record low against the dollar on the official market on Tuesday in thin trading, swinging widely to levels seen on the unofficial parallel market, where the currency trades freely.

The naira fell as low as 1,248 to the dollar, during mid-day trading, LSEG data showed after it opened at 927 naira on Tuesday. It later recovered to 845 naira.

Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Olayemi Cardoso has said he would allow market forces to determine exchange rates while setting clear, transparent and harmonised rules governing market operations.

The comments and chronic dollar shortages on the official market have prompted the naira's official exchange rate to drift towards the parallel market level.

The currency sold at around 1,225 naira on the parallel market on Tuesday, while it was quoted at 1,002.50 naira on the one month non-deliverable forwards market.

Reuters

Some gunmen have reportedly abducted Joy Unwana, a high court judge, and her driver in Oron LGA of Akwa Ibom state.

The judge was said to have been kidnapped on her way back from a court sitting.

During the incident, which took place on Monday along Uyo-Okobo road in Oron town, the police officer assigned to the judge was killed.

Confirming the incident on Monday, Torosco Eyene, chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Oron branch, said the association has scheduled a meeting with the state commissioner of police and the Department of State Services (DSS) on Wednesday.

“Yes, the sitting judge in Oron was kidnapped on Monday on her way back to Uyo after a court sitting,” Eyene said.

“By Wednesday, we are moving down to Uyo to meet with the commissioner of police, Olatoye Durusinmi, and the DSS on the issue.”

The Cable

Israel keeps pounding Gaza, Houthis vow more Red Sea attacks

Israeli forces pounded the shattered Gaza Strip on Tuesday while Yemen's Houthis vowed to defy a U.S.-led naval mission and keep targeting Red Sea shipping in support of the Palestinian enclave's ruling Hamas movement.

Israel's campaign to eradicate Hamas militants behind an Oct. 7 massacre has left the coastal enclave in ruins, brought widespread hunger and homelessness, and killed nearly 20,000 Gazans, according to the Palestinian enclave's health ministry.

Under foreign pressure to avoid killing innocents, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the war will not stop until a remaining 129 hostages are freed and Hamas is obliterated after its fighters' slaying of 1,200 Israelis.

The conflict has spread beyond Gaza, including into the Red Sea where Iran-aligned Houthi forces have been attacking vessels with missiles and drones. That has prompted the creation of a multinational naval operation to protect commerce in the area, but the Houthis said they would carry on anyway, possibly with a sea operation every 12 hours.

"Our position will not change in the direction of the Palestinian issue, whether a naval alliance is established or not," Houthi official Mohammed Abdulsalam told Reuters, saying only Israeli ships or those going to Israel would be targeted.

"Our position in support of Palestine and the Gaza Strip will remain until the end of the siege, the entry of food and medicine, and our support for the oppressed Palestinian people will remain continuous."

Announcing the naval operation, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in Bahrain that joint patrols would be held in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which encompass a major East-West global shipping route.

"This is an international challenge that demands collective action," Austin said.

British maritime security firm Ambrey said on Tuesday it received information of a potential boarding attempt west of Yemen's Aden port city, adding that the attack was unsuccessful and all crew were safe.

Some shippers are re-routing around Africa.

Attacks by Yemen's Houthi militants on ships in the Red Sea are disrupting maritime trade through the Suez Canal, with some vessels re-routing to a much longer East-West route via the southern tip of Africa.

DEATHS MOUNT

In Gaza, Israeli latest missiles hit the southern Rafah area, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees have amassed in recent weeks, killing at least 20 people and wounding dozens as they slept at home, local health officials said.

Residents said they had to dig in the rubble with bare hands. "This is a barbarian act," said Mohammed Zurub, whose family lost 11 people in the attack.

In the north, another strike killed 13 people and wounded about 75 in the Jabalia refugee camp, the health ministry said.

Local Palestinians reported intensifying Israeli aerial and tank bombardment of Jabalia as darkness descended later on Tuesday.

Israel says it warns of strikes in advance so civilians can escape, and accuses Hamas fighters of hunkering down in residential areas and using hospitals and schools as cover, which the Islamist group denies.

Israeli military officials told reporters in a briefing on Tuesday that heavy civilian casualties are the cost of Israel's intense campaign to destroy Hamas and the militants' urban warfare strategy, despite global alarm at the huge human toll.

One official, a military legal adviser, said the air force was carrying out "thousands and thousands of attacks and often attacks that require heavy firepower" to break through Hamas' underground tunnel network.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had told Israeli leaders on a visit on Monday that protecting civilians in Gaza was both "a moral duty and a strategic imperative", warning that excessive violence bred resentment that would benefit Hamas and make peaceful coexistence even harder in the long term.

OVER 90% OF POPULATION HOMELESS

The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA said more than 60% of Gaza's infrastructure was destroyed or damaged, with more than 90% of the 2.3 million population uprooted.

In the ground war, where Israel has lost 132 soldiers, tanks advanced further into the southern city of Khan Younis and shelled a market area but met heavy resistance, residents said.

Thousands of Hamas fighters, based in tunnels, are waging guerrilla-style war against Israeli forces.

"The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) is continuing to operate against Hamas terrorist infrastructure and operatives in the Gaza Strip," the military said in a statement.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog signalled readiness on the part of the country on Tuesday to enter another foreign-mediated "humanitarian pause" in fighting to recover more hostages held by Hamas and enable more aid to reach besieged Gaza.

A truce in late November mediated by Qatari and U.S. diplomats lasted for a week before collapsing and yielded the release of 110 hostages by Hamas in exchange for 240 Palestinian women and children from Israeli prisons.

Basem Naem, a senior Hamas official based outside Gaza, ruled out further negotiations on exchanging prisoners while the war continued, but said Hamas was open to any initiative to end it and bring relief to Gaza Palestinians.

A source briefed on diplomatic efforts told Reuters on Tuesday that Qatar's prime minister and the heads of the U.S. and Israeli intelligence services had held "positive" talks in Warsaw, Poland to explore ways of reviving negotiations. But a deal was not expected imminently, the source added.

Reuters

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine conflict exposed truth about Western military equipment – Putin

Ukraine is facing significant battlefield losses, and its counteroffensive has failed to impress the country's foreign backers, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Speaking during a Defense Ministry Board meeting on Tuesday in Moscow, he pointed out that Kiev’s forces are having these problems despite receiving high-grade Western military equipment.

Kiev has lost over 14,000 tanks and infantry fighting vehicles since the start of Russia’s military operation in the country, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said during the meeting.

“The myth of the invulnerability of Western military equipment has collapsed,” said Putin.

Throughout the Ukraine conflict, countries like the US, Germany, France, and the UK have supplied Kiev with hundreds of pieces of state-of-the-art Western-made heavy military equipment such as Leopard 2, Abrams and Challenger tanks, Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, and more.

Russian forces, however, have repeatedly reported either destroying or capturing this hardware, which had often been touted in Western media as superior to anything Russia has to offer.

Earlier this month, Russian soldiers in Ukraine reportedly seized yet another batch of US and German-made heavy equipment. In a video posted by Russian journalist Vladimir Soloviev, the Russian troops could be seen approaching a Leopard 2A4 tank, which had apparently been abandoned by its Ukrainian operators as there were no signs of any damage to the tank.

In August, Russia’s Defense Ministry even organized an exhibition of captured Western weaponry near Moscow, displaying everything from American M-113 armored personnel carriers and Swedish CV90-40s to French wheeled AMX-10RCR tanks and Australian Bushmaster armored vehicles. In total, the exhibition featured over 870 types of armaments seized by Russian forces, including examples of Soviet and Ukrainian-made equipment.

In July, President Putin also stated that captured Western weaponry would be “reverse-engineered” to adopt any technology that might turn out to be useful for Russian forces.

** Russia starts to leverage assault units, drone forces in military strategy shift — Shoigu

Russia has made a big adjustment to its military tactics, starting to favor deploying assault teams and drone crews, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said.

"We have readjusted our approach to how we use troops in modern warfare. The tactics of general combat have been tweaked. Assault units and drone crews have been formed and deployed," Russia’s defense chief said.

In addition, the importance of reserves was stressed, and now, "every army has its own reserve regiment," Shoigu added.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Russia launches air assault on Kyiv for fifth time in December -Ukraine

Russia late on Tuesday launched its fifth air attack this month targeting Kyiv, with Ukraine's air defence systems destroying all weapons on approach to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv's military said early on Wednesday.

"According to preliminary information, there were no casualties or destruction in the capital," Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv's military administration, said on the Telegram messaging app.

The full scale of the attack was not immediately clear. Reuters could not independently verify the reports. There was no immediate comment from Russia.

Russia started carrying out strikes on Ukraine's energy, military and transport infrastructure in regions far from the front line in October 2022, six months after Moscow troops failed to take over Kyiv and withdrew to Ukraine's east and south.

Most of southeastern Ukraine remained under air raid alerts at 2300 GMT, with Ukraine's air force saying that the Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Kirovohrad regions were under threat of Russian ballistic missile attacks.

** Ukraine considers proposal by army to mobilise another 500,000 for war

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday the military had proposed mobilising 450,000-500,000 more Ukrainians into the armed forces in what would mark a dramatic step up of Kyiv's war with Russia.

The Ukrainian leader told his end-of-year news conference it was a "highly sensitive" issue that the military and government would discuss before deciding whether to send the proposal to parliament.

Zelenskiy said he wanted to hear more arguments in favour of mobilising the additional people before backing such a move.

"This is a very serious number," he said.

Ukraine has been at war with Russian troops since February 2022. Both sides treat their casualty numbers as a state secret, but U.S. officials estimate that hundreds of thousands have been killed and wounded.

Ukraine's troop numbers are not known, but it has said in the past it has around 1 million people under arms. Russia has been expanding its army during the war and said on Tuesday it planned to boost its ranks to 1.5 million service members.

"I said I would need more arguments to support this move. Because first of all, it's a question of people, secondly, it's a question of fairness, it's a question of defence capability, and it's a question of finances," Zelenskiy said.

Ukraine, which initially saw tens of thousands of volunteer fighters queuing up to defend their country from Russia's invasion, is now trying to conscript more men to replace those currently at the front.

There have been discussions behind closed doors for weeks on how to improve the draft process. Some Ukrainians have reacted angrily to social media videos showing draft officers handing out call-up papers at gyms and resorts.

Zelenskiy said an additional 500 billion hryvnias ($13.5 billion) would be needed to support the army's mobilization proposal and he wants further details on how the troops would be used to fight Russia.

There has been tension between Zelenskiy and the head of the army.

This week, army chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi criticised a decision, made by Zelenskiy, to fire the heads of the regional military draft offices amid a crackdown on corruption this summer.

RT/Tass/Reuters

Nigeria is about to enter into a new phase in its history. Scarcity will soon become the word most commonly used by us starting from 2024.

We already have scarcity of cash in banks, foreign exchange scarcity, rice scarcity and job scarcity is about to kick in with several multinational companies voting with their feet. Procter & Gamble, P&G, being the latest to shut its gates and send Nigerian hopes of rapid industrialisation crashing at the dawn of Renewed Hope.

Unilever, formerly Lever Brothers Nigeria Limited, was the first company to establish large-scale manufacturing in Nigeria on April 11, 1923. A century after, the company, which is still expanding globally, diversifying and evolving into new areas of consumer products, has started winding down its business in Nigeria.

Scarcity of some of its products has started to show in supermarkets and open markets. Prices, subsequently, have skyrocketed of

VASELINE, LUX etc. We are lurching gradually back into 1984/85. Those old enough to remember, would recall that those were the years the term Essential Commodities, Essenco, entered our national vocabulary. People, mostly women, had to go on queues to buy ordinary bath soap, detergents, even milk for babies, sugar, sardine, etc.

Buhari’s soldiers were waiting for them. Women, including grandmothers were brutally whipped by Buhari’s young recruits in the most heartless manner imaginable. General Buhari was proud of the carnage too!!!

It has been necessary to remind those alive then and those too young to know that Buhari’s brutality resulted from acute scarcity of almost everything; and that we are closer to another round of inhuman treatment of citizens
than we think. Let me discuss them one at a time because of the ultimate implications.

ANOTHER ROUND OF CASH SCARCITY

“Banks ration cash as naira scarcity worsens.” Vanguard, December 12, 2023. Other Nigerians might have been surprised that cash scarcity has returned so soon.

VANGUARD’s Editorial staff were not. As far back as March this year, while the rest of the nation was reeling under
the assault of the first cash scarcity, we warned the nation that another round would occur any time soon. The nation is in it now.
Furthermore, this second round of cash scarcity will trigger several more in 2024.

Permit me not to elaborate now on why 2024 promises to be a year of cash scarcity – unless the FG and CBN rethink their strategies on monetary and fiscal policies. Right now, we are heading for another bleak Christmas and New Year.

FOREX SCARCITY AND THE DISASTERS AHEAD

“$792M TRAPPED FUNDS: Foreign airlines at breaking point, may exit Nigeria’s airspace.” Report, December 11, 2023. “Manufacturing s e c t o r bleeds as forex loss rises 400% to N466bn.”

Report, December 11, 2023. Try as the FG and CBN might, the present and the short term prospects for Nigeria are bleak.

Tinubu can be airborne 365 days in 2024; meet with Presidents and Prime ministers promising to help Nigeria. It will be in the national interest and his, if it is understood that not all politicians’ promises are ever redeemed. And, he is running around with a beggar’s bowl;

meeting other politicians like himself. The solution to our forex debacle is not outside but inside Nigeria. A nation lacking sufficient foreign exchange to drive the vital sectors of its economy has no business sending 422 or 1,141 delegates to COP28.

DIVESTMENT AND SCARCITY OF JOBS AND PRODUCTS “GSK, P&G:

Over 20,000 direct jobs lost to divestment, NECA cries out”. Re port, December 10, 2023.

My e x p e r i e n c e working in a manufacturing drug company, BOOTS COMPANY NIGERIA LTD, which was the darling of investors in the Stock Exchange in the 1970s; and with NORTH BREWERY LTD , Kano, proved beyond reasonable doubt that the closure of a manufacturing and marketing company results in more job losses than many people realise.

The loss of income by people is even more staggering. For instance, given Nigeria’s high dependency ratio, meaning one worker supports at least five jobless or non-working individuals, the 20,000 job losses will lead to loss of income by at least 120,000 directly.

The numbers increase as we add the losses suffered by contractors, suppliers and others associated with the company closing down.

The closure of BCN, after I left the company, was an eye-opener. I was there when we started local manufacturing of some brands.

We signed on suppliers of chemicals, packaging materials (bottles, caps, blister packs, etc), transporters and advertising agency.
They, in turn, relied on suppliers of inputs. Everybody was happy until Boots UK decided to pull out of the Nigerian market.

Manufacturing came to a halt first; and all the calamities associated with it. One printer supplied all the body labels; and he drove a Mercedes Benz. Boots’ business was enough for him; the orders flowed in. In one day, his business crashed – when he was called by the Purchasing Manager to be told the bad news. He was not alone.

The lives ruined by Boots closure were less than those demolished when NBL(K) ground to a halt. At least 1,500 big, small and microenterprises, domestic and international, are linked to a brewery. Thus, each time a brewery went down in Nigeria, uncountable number of jobs vanished. P&G and GSK represent the sort of foreign manufacturing companies a country is fortunate to have.

Incidentally, I also worked for SmithKline and French, SKF, in Nigeria, before the merger with Glaxo to form GSK. Drug manufacturers, with several products are divine gifts to domestic suppliers of raw materials, spare parts, components, packaging materials, fuel, vehicles, banking services, etc. They provide many jobs directly and indirectly. The challenge nations have increasingly is keeping them.

The unfortunate thing for a country experiencing mass exit by foreign manufacturers is the domino effect of such departures.

As everybody knows from experience, by the time you notice three-bed bugs, several hundreds are in the room. By the same token, by the time three big multinationals pack their bags, others are probably seriously considering the same decision or have already
reached the same conclusion: “time to go”. OTHERS TOO…

“Nigeria’s oil sector hit by exodus of foreign companies.” Financial Times. Thus, the announced departure of some companies in the manufacturing sector is occurring against the background of our nation’s increasing loss of economic competitiveness and hostile operating climate. Capital is always a coward. When demand and profits in constant dollars are shrinking; profits cannot be repatriated at will and there is no definite date for the transfer, then the exit door looks extremely inviting.

Today, foreign companies which are required to source a certain percentage of their inputs locally are stuck three ways. They cannot find forex to import inputs, they cannot find sufficient local raw materials e.g food and beverage sector and they can’t get their money out. What are they doing here?

Vanguard

That text message about your package could be a scam. 

One of the biggest scams you need to watch out for is coming from your phone. 

In “smishing” ― a term that combines “SMS” and “phishing” ― bad actors try to get your personal and banking information through unsolicited text messages on mobile devices. They do it by pretending to be government agencies, companies that you might have done business with, or a package delivery service. They’ll say something to get your urgent attention like a text about a free gift that you have to pay a small “shipping fee” to receive or they will send a warning about suspicious activity on your account.

“We see a lot of it with people posturing banks, saying ‘This is Chase Bank, there is a hold on your account due to a security breach, click here to verify your information,’” said Amy Nofziger, the director of fraud victim support with AARP. 

The Federal Trade Commission reports that Americans lost $330 million from smishing scams in 2022, with a median loss of $1,000. 

These kind of texting scams have an easier time at fooling us because our phones train us to pay attention to them. “We have our devices with us, 24/7. And when we hear that little ‘Ding!’ we automatically look at it. Whereas we don’t do that as much with our email anymore,” Nofziger said. 

In package smishing scams, the suspicious message can seem innocuous and read: “USPS: Since your package address does not have a house number, we are unable to arrange home delivery for you. Please update online,” the FTC shared as an example. But once you click, you’ll be asked to pay a “redelivery fee” to trick you into giving up your credit card information.

“Especially around the holidays and this time of the year, we are, on a more frequent basis, ordering packages. So it might not be out of the norm to get an email from a shipping company saying that there’s a delay,” Nofziger said. That’s why she advises consumers to get into the habit of writing down what you ordered, where you ordered it from, and what company will be the package delivery service. 

When in doubt, call the source instead of relying on a text message. “If you do think that there’s a problem with your shipping, your package, your item, your bank account ― just call the company at the number you have for them. And just check that way,” Nofziger said. 

“It is better to contact the company from their original website or phone number than to provide account information and login and password information from a bogus link,” said Stephanie Benoit-Kurtz, lead cybersecurity faculty at University of Phoenix College of Business and Information Technology.

How To Spot A ‘Smishing’ Message

A “smishing” message can seem like any other text message, but there are a few telltale signs that will warn you that something’s off. Here’s what to keep an eye on:

Look to see how many people also received your text. 

If your text about a free gift or suspicious activity was also sent to multiple people, be suspicious. “That’s an immediate red flag, and you should absolutely delete it and block that number right away,” Nofziger said.

Be wary of unsolicited messages that ask for your information. 

A regular solicitation will tell you information that you signed up to receive, while a spam message is more likely to ask for it, Nofziger said. “When they are then asking you to go off of that platform or asking you for personal information, that should be your No. 1 red flag. Nothing is as important as your personal and financial information,” she said. 

Be suspicious of any action you have to do right away.

Bad actors want you to not have time to think, so make sure to take a breath and really think about what you are being asked to do. “The sense of urgency is ‘right now,’ and they are looking for you to wire a check, purchase and provide information from gift cards, or log in to an account from this link,” Benoit-Kurtz said. 

What You Can Do To Block ‘Smishing’ Messages

Once you spot a “smishing” message, don’t just leave it in your messages folder. Take these actions to prevent future issues:

Block or filter unsolicited messages.

You can filter messages from unknown senders on Apple phones by going to Settings, then Messages. Scroll down until you see Filter Unknown Senders and select it.

On Android phones, go to Settings, then Blocked numbers. Turn on the Unknown option to block private or unidentified numbers from contacting you. 

Nofziger said that filtering out these messages is “a great tool that people can use to give yourself a little red flag ... ‘Well this person is not my contacts list, because it didn’t come in my regular folder. So let me take a moment, calm down, pay attention to what this message is asking.’”

Report smishing. 

USPS advises attaching a screenshot of the text message showing the phone number of the sender and the date sent, and sending that to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For unsolicited messages on iPhones that are not in your contacts, tap the Report Junk option that will appear, then tap Delete and Report Junk. On Android phones, click the person you want to block, then click More options, From there select “Block & report spam.”

In general, you can forward the suspicious message to 7726 (SPAM). That way, your wireless provider can learn to block similar spam messages for you. You can also report it to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

What If I’ve Already Been ‘Smished’?

If you fell for the “smishing” scam, don’t panic. There are still steps you can take to mitigate losses.

If you click a link you think is suspicious, get your computer immediately checked for malware, Nofziger said. And ignore any follow-up texts the person may be sending you, even if they seem friendly.

“Stop the communication, because at some point, they’re going to ask you to go to a link or to help you with your device,” Nofziger said.

And make sure to call your bank about fraudulent transactions or security breaches, so they can investigate.

“If you think you are a victim of a scam, make sure to report it to the financial institution or the organization right away. You can also contact the state attorney general’s office to report the issue,” Benoit-Kurtz said. 

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