Inside Gaza’s Hospitals and Homes, on the Front Lines in Ukraine, and More
The past two weeks on Inkstick Media.
Happy Friday, and a happy long weekend to those who can get away,
The war in Gaza rages on as calls for a ceasefire grow. So it should be no surprise that much of our coverage this week centers on the conflict. Mohammed Ali, a journalist working in Gaza for a major international newswire, is filing dispatches at Inkstick under a pseudonym to protect his identity. This week he took us to Gaza’s hospitals, where the emergency room “now often serves as a temporary tomb,” and into the homes of its remaining residents struggling to find clean water.
At the same time, Joseph Roche took us to Ukraine, where, with world attention fixed on the war in Gaza, some Ukrainian soldiers fear Russia could escalate its war.
Finally, Taylor Barnes, our field reporter for military affairs and the defense industry, picked up on something remarkable that's gone unsaid in the campaign for a ceasefire: the congresswoman who authored the ceasefire resolution, Rep. Cori Bush of St. Louis, has major Boeing plants producing weapons bound for Israel in and around her district. Barnes called up local labor leaders to get their take: "When the product of our labor is misused, I think we have a special responsibility to speak out.”
A bonus: Our exposé on worker deaths at a Northrop Grumman hypersonic missile plant in Utah is on the cover of the Salt Lake City Weekly.
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Here’s what we’ve been up to the past two weeks on Inkstick Media:
“Ukrainian Soldiers Divided on Fallout of Israel Gaza War,” by Aaron Chamski (Nov. 9)
Nearly a month into the Israel-Hamas War, Ukrainian soldiers are keeping a close eye on the fighting. Some are optimistic, others less so. Many worry that the coverage of the conflict could eclipse international concern for their ongoing struggle. They worry about their legacy, and they worry about the ripple effects between the two wars.
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“Nine Years Later, Yazidis Are Still Looking For Answers,” by Kinga Ewa Nastal (Nov. 9)
Nine years after the atrocities committed against the Yazidis, thousands of Yazidi women and girls remain missing after having been kidnapped and likely trafficked by ISIS in 2014.
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“Gaza’s Water Crisis: Families Struggle for Survival Amidst Conflict,” by Mohammed Ali (Nov. 8)
In a personal essay, Mohammad Ali says that “even before the cacophony of war began to echo through the streets of Gaza last month, the water running beneath the battered ground was crying out for attention — 96% of it is unfit for human consumption.”
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“It Is Time To Debunk the “Nigerian Prince” Stereotype,” by Olatunji Olaigbe (Nov. 7)
Inkstick columnist Olatunji Olaigbe revisits the “Nigerian prince” stereotype. He argues that the term’s use is anything but neutral. Rather, it’s a harmful trope that obfuscates conversations around cybercrime and stigmatizes Nigerians as cybercriminals until proven innocent.
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“NarcoDrones Have Become a Growing Scare Tactic in Mexico’s Drug Wars,” by Gabriel Mondragon Toledo (Nov. 7)
In Mexico, drug cartels are increasingly using drones to smuggle drugs, for surveillance, and more recently, in fights over territory among cartels. Gabriel Mondragon Toledo discusses the impact on local communities.
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“The Digital Frontline of the Israel-Hamas Conflict Could Extend Long After the War,” by Olatunji Olaigbe (Nov. 6)
Often we forget about the consequences of the wars that go unseen. Olatunji Olaigbe reports that in the Israel-Hamas war, “The cyber war may echo long after the bombs fall quiet.”
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“Gaza Hospitals Turn to Graves,” by Mohammed Ali (Nov. 6)
In a haunting dispatch from Gaza, Mohammed Ali visits al-Shifa and al-Najjar hospitals, where one doctor says, “You’re left to triage amid the threnody of wails, deciding who might have a chance when chances are so slim.”
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“Is the Tide Turning on US Cluster Bombs?,” by Heather Brandon-Smith and Ursala Knudsen-Latta (Nov. 3)
Heather Brandon-Smith and Ursala Knudsen-Latta, with the Friends Committee on National Legislation’s (FCNL), argue that the US’ continued support of Ukraine has put the morality of cluster munitions squarely in the spotlight.
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“Anti-Palestinian Misinformation is Spreading Like Wildfire in India,” by Mohd Danish Hussain (Nov. 3)
India’s right wing has seized on anti-Palestinian misinformation to attack the country’s Muslim population.
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“Veterans Demand a Ceasefire in Gaza,” by Jose Vasquez (Nov. 2)
In a personal essay, Jose Vasquez writes that “the horrific attack against Israeli civilians near Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, brought me back to the darkest days of America’s so-called war on terror.”
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“Imagine the War Home: Part II,” by Kelsey Atherton (Nov. 2)
In his final dispatch for Critical State (keep an eye on this space), reporter Kelsey Atherton digs into “War, Revolution, and the Expansion of Women’s Political Representation,” where Aili Mari Tripp looks at how certain ruptures create paths for the expansion of women’s rights, most notably suffrage and representation in national government.
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“When Will India Hold Elections in Disputed Kashmir?,” by Auquib Javeed (Nov. 1)
The region, which is one of the most militarized zones in the world, has been a hotbed for conflict since the Partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. And it’s been without elected representation since 2018.
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“A Panicked Case for Nuclear Weapons Modernization,” by Scott Strgacich (Nov. 1)
Scott Strgachich, with Defense Priorities, writes about the unceremonious debut of the Final Report of the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States. He argues that “far from mollifying the nuclear threat, the proposed buildup may exacerbate it.”
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“Journalists Are in Peril in Gaza,” by Mohammed Ali (Oct. 31)
Mohammed Ali reports that journalists in Gaza are working, “with a target on their backs.”
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“From Gaza to the Pacific, All Oppression Is Connected,” by Van Jackson (Oct. 31)
“How should we relate various forms of oppression to each other? And how should we go about remedying the insecurity we face in the world based on our understanding of connection?” Van Jackson writes that how the US handles Gaza threatens everything from the Biden presidency to the Pacific’s “zone of peace” ambitions.
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“Well, What Do You Know?,” from Things That Go Boom (Oct. 30)
In the final episode of season 8 of our podcast, Things That Go Boom, we open our mailbag and speak with Lauren Kahn, Eleni Manis, and Jeffrey Lewis about drone swarms, facial recognition technology, nuclear testing, and more.
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–From the desk of Laicie Heeley, Editor-in-Chief of Inkstick Media. Keep an eye out for our new managing editor soon!