Gaza’s Marked Neighborhoods, Lessons from COP28, War-Proof Cities and More
This week at Inkstick Media.
Hello, everyone.
The new year may be fast approaching, but 2023 isn’t anywhere near being done throwing calamities our way.
As Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip shows no sign of letting up, Mohammed Ali*, a correspondent who writes for Inkstick under a pseudonym, filed a pair of heart-wrenching dispatches. First, Ali covered the Israeli military’s strategy of block-by-block evacuations, which has plunged Gaza into an even deeper humanitarian crisis.
Ali also penned an important tribute to the late Refaat Alareer, a Palestinian educator, poet and writer who was killed by an Israeli airstrike earlier this month. Despite apparent threats, Alareer, who had long served as one of Gaza’s most influential voices to the outside world, had refused to leave the northern part of the Strip. His death has prompted tributes from people around the world.
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Meanwhile, Jessica Sciarone took a deeper look at the way misogyny often serves as an entry point for far-right radicalism. To understand the role of misogyny and the way these far-right and white supremacist groups use misogyny as a gateway to the far-right, Sciarone argues, one of the first places to start is — surprise, surprise — online. Worse still, the violence far-right misogynists promote often spills over into the real world.
In the United Kingdom, Katy Fallon reports, a controversial conservative plan to deport refugees and migrants to Rwanda has hit several snags — most importantly, despite the money poured into getting the deportation plan off the group, the country still hasn’t been able to deport anyone.
That’s not all, either. We have new pieces from the annual United Nations climate talks and Jordan, among others.
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Here’s what’s new on Inkstick Media this week:
“Marked Neighborhoods: Inside Israel’s Operation in Southern Gaza Strip” by Mohammed Ali* (Dec. 11)
The Israeli military has divided Gaza into blocks and warned residents to flee when instructed. Since. Oct. 7, Israel’s war in Gaza has displaced more than 1.7 million Palestinians, many of whom are unable to navigate the complex evacuation directives, often communicated through leaflets and QR codes linked to online maps.
“Lessons from COP28: Military and Conflict Emissions Must be Addressed” by Ellie Shackleton (Dec. 11)
As the end of annual United Nations climate talks approached, Ellie Shackleton examined the conference’s record when it came to two of the most pressing sources of greenhouse gas emissions: militaries and armed conflicts. COP28 showed signs of a willingness to open a dialogue on military- and conflict-related emissions. But because militaries contribute 5.5% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, baby steps won’t save us.
“UK Migration ‘Theater’: What’s Behind the Controversial Rwanda Deportation Scheme?” by Katy Fallon (Dec. 12)
Long the subject of criticism from migrant rights groups and legal experts, the United Kingdom’s plan to deport refugees and migrants to Rwanda has moved forward, nonetheless. But even as conservative officials ratchet up verbal attacks on lawyers and other advocates, the plan has failed to deport a single person to date.
“Designing War-Proof Cities” by Thomas Brodey (Dec. 12)
The recent conflict in Gaza leaves no doubt: in an increasingly urban and unstable world, cities are no longer safe. The flattening of cities isn’t new, either — think Grozny, Fallujah, Mosul and Mariupol, for instance. But can urban design fortify defense?
“In Remembrance of Refaat Alareer: Palestinian Intellectuals Silenced but Unforgotten” by Mohammed Ali* (Dec. 13)
Refaat Alareer was an influential Palestinian educator, poet and writer who served as one of Gaza’s most prominent voices to the outside world. Even as Israel ordered Palestinians in northern Gaza to move south, he refused. On Dec. 6, an Israeli airstrike killed him and several of his relatives. Mohammed Ali* reflects on Alareer’s legacy.
“Home Is Where the Heat Isn’t” by Emily Tamkin (Dec. 14)
What makes a habitat a home? For North American mammals, a new study says, the answer has to do with how hot it gets — and the impact that hotter climate has on the species in its habitat. The study was conducted by Mahdieh Tourani, Rahel Sollmann, Roland Kays and Daniel S. Karp, for a new report published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In short: If climate conditions make it more difficult for species to exist in certain landscapes, that very fact could impact, and perhaps hinder, conservation efforts.
“Men Hating Women – A Gateway into the Far Right” by Jessica Sciarone (Dec. 14)
As domestic far-right extremism continues to grow as a threat in the US, a troubling recent trend is the upsurge of extreme misogyny. Misogyny is the feeling of resentment or unbiased hatred towards women, and extreme misogyny includes actively advocating for violence against women. Often, extreme misogynistic ideology has at least some overlap with the far right.
“Amid Gaza War, Jordan’s King Faces Legitimacy Crisis at Home” by William Christou (Dec. 15)
As anger over Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip ripples throughout the Middle East, more and more Jordanians have called on their government to cancel a 1994 peace treaty with Israel. Now, the Jordanian government has found itself in a tricky balancing act between the demands of its western supporters and its pro-Palestinian population.
“Perceptions vs. Realities: Discordant Narratives on China's Footprint in Zimbabwe” by Sarah Wozniak and Narayani Sritharan (Dec. 15)
When it comes to China’s economic projects in Africa, much ink has been spilled. But for Zimbabwe, which has enjoyed close ties with China since the 1960s, such interactions are complex. That’s why it’s not enough to read local news, we must listen directly to impacted populations to get a clear picture of public perceptions.