December 14, 2023

*) Israel targets northern and southern Gaza At least 27 Palestinians have been killed early Thursday morning in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa. The Israeli army carried out airstrikes on wide areas in northern and southern Gaza, particularly targeting the cities of Khan Younis and Rafah, the agency cited local sources as saying. The war, now in its third month, began after the October 7 attacks on Israel by Palestinian group Hamas that Israeli officials say killed 1,200 people. US President Joe Biden, whose government has provided Israel with billions of dollars of military aid, on Wednesday gave his sharpest rebuke of the war yet, saying Israel's "indiscriminate bombing" of Gaza was weakening international support. *) Sudan suffering 'one of world's worst humanitarian crisis': UN Nearly 18 million people in Sudan are facing acute hunger because of the ongoing war, an official from the UN food agency says. World Food Program spokeswoman in Sudan, Leni Kinzl said close to 5 million are in emergency levels of food insecurity. Sudan has been mired by fighting between the army, led by General Abdel Fattah al Burhan, head of the ruling Sovereign Council, and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group. At least 12,260 victims have been killed and more than 33,000 injured in the conflict, according to UN figures. *) At least 1 killed, 11 injured in Russian airstrikes on Ukraine At least one person has been killed and 11 others injured in overnight Russian airstrikes on Ukraine's southwestern Odessa and southern Kherson regions. Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said on Telegram that a rocket attack on the Kherson region killed one person and drone attacks on Odessa injured 11 people and damaged residential buildings. In a separate statement, the Ukrainian Air Force claimed that Russia conducted airstrikes “from the temporarily occupied Kherson region in the direction of My-ko-laiv as well as Kherson regions. It further claimed that 41 of the 42 drones launched by Russia were downed by air defence systems, most of which were shot down over the Odessa region. *) Chad votes on new constitution ahead of promised end of military rule Chadians will vote on Sunday on a new constitution, in a key step towards elections promised by the ruling junta and seen as a test of legitimacy for the Deby dynasty's more than 30-year rule. Transitional President General Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, whose junta has governed since 2021, had promised to hand power to civilians and hold elections this year before postponing them to 2024. The "yes" vote is expected to win the constitutional referendum after a well-financed campaign by the ruling junta against a divided opposition, which has faced arrest, intimidation and threats for more than a year. *) EU reaches deal to reform electricity market The European Union has reached an agreement to reform the bloc's electricity market in a bid to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and stabilise consumer prices. The EU's plans are aimed at making the market less vulnerable to volatility and were seen as a response to Russia's military offensive against Ukraine, which sent energy prices spiralling for consumers and businesses last year. The deal will have to be endorsed and adopted by both the Council and the Parliament.