As Americans, it is valuable to stay up to date with conflicts happening outside of our border in which our country is involved. Just because the fighting is not in our town does not mean that we are separated from the events. 

President Joe Biden’s proposed package of $110 billion to supply more aid for the Ukraine, Israel and other issues deemed national security needs is currently stalled because of disagreements between Congress and the White House, according to the Associated Press. 

The UN orders Israel to submit humanitarian report; Famine rises in Gaza

The International Court of Justice, the United Nations’ top court, issued six provisional measures to Israel to protect the Palestinians in Gaza from genocide on Jan. 26, according to the Associated Press. Each ruling was voted by at least a 15 of the 27 judges, according to Reuters. 

The first court-ordered measure from the U.N. was for Israel to work to prevent killing, causing serious bodily or mental harm, inflicting conditions of life intended for physical destruction and imposing conditions intended to prevent births within the group. 

The second measure was for Israel to ensure with immediate effect that its military does not commit any acts described in the first measure. 

The third measure was for Israel to prevent and punish the direct and public urging to commit genocide related to members of the Palestinian group in the Gaza Strip. 

The fourth measure was for Israel to enable basic, needed services and humanitarian assistance to help the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. 

The fifth measure was for Israel to not destroy but preserve evidence related to the allegations of genocide. 

Finally, the U.N. ordered for Israel to submit a report on all said measures within one month of their starting as proof of their compliance with the ruling. 

In the meantime, Gaza needs more aid as famine and disease is becoming widespread among the population, according to the Associated Press. It is increasing difficult to get aid to the Gaza Strip, specifically the north and center, as those areas have received the worst of the fighting, according to Reuters. 

Data from the World Food Programme indicates that over one in four households in Gaza face extreme hunger. The entire population of Gaza, which is about 2.2 million people, is in crisis levels or worse for food insecurity. A report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) indicated that the entire Gaza Strip is in a state of food emergency, with three locations in the north and south at risk of famine. 

This war is approaching four months of open violence, having started on Oct. 7, 2023, as an escalation of decades of conflicts. 

Plane crashes is latest development in war in Ukraine

In a border region near Ukraine, a Russian military transport plane crashed on Wednesday with 74 people on board, according to the Associated Press. Of those people, 65 were Ukrainian prisoners of war en route for a prisoner exchange, according to a statement from the Russian Defense Ministry. Ukrainian military intelligence confirmed that a swap was intended to happen but had no information as to who was on the plane. 

Russia accused Ukraine of shooting the aircraft down, but offered no evidence, and Ukraine did not confirm or deny the allegation, according to the Associated Press. 

Over 8,000 Ukrainians, both military and civilian, are being held by Russia, according to Ukraine’s Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. While the 930-mile front line of the war has remained mostly static during the second winter of the war, long-range strikes have still been occurring, according to the Associated Press. 

The Biden Administration has provided Ukraine with $111 billion in humanitarian assistance, weapons, equipment and other supplies since the war began, according to the Associated Press. 

This war is approaching two years of fighting, having started on Feb. 24, 2022, as an escalation of a decade of conflicts sparked by the Russian annexation of Crimea.    

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