The world welcomes 2024 amidst hope and war, and three ominous signals are worrying
UN Secretary General Guterres: 2024 must be a year of rebuilding trust and reigniting hope.
Today is the first day of 2024, and people from many countries and regions around the world are welcoming the New Year with joy and peace. But there are also some people whose lives will forever remain in 2023.
On the last day of 2023, the world is not peaceful. From Ukraine to the Gaza Strip, from Syria to the Red Sea, missiles fly aimlessly, guns and artillery blind, and life is in dire straits.
In the new year, the world looks forward to seeing more dawn of peace.
Russia Encounters "Deadliest Attack"
On the last day of 2023, ordinary people in Russia and Ukraine seemed to be in even more danger.
According to Xinhua News Agency, on the evening of December 31, 2023, the Ukrainian military launched an attack on the city center of Donetsk on New Year's Eve, resulting in 4 deaths, including a journalist, at least 13 injuries, and damage to a hotel.
Earlier that day, the Russian Ministry of Defense issued a notice stating that in response to the recent attack by the Ukrainian military on the southwestern border city of Belgorod, Russian armed forces have launched strikes on multiple decision-making centers and military facilities located in Kharkiv. Ukrainian officials say that at least 21 people were injured in the Russian military attack.
On the 30th, the Ukrainian military launched an attack on the city of Belgorod in Russia using a multiple rocket system, resulting in at least 21 deaths, including 3 children; 110 people were injured, including 17 children.
A Ukrainian man searched for survival supplies from his destroyed home. Image source: AP
According to Gov. Gladkov of Belgorod, this is one of the "deadliest attacks" on Russian cities since the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The Ukrainian army even used rockets equipped with cluster munitions
At the request of Russia, the United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting. Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Nibianja, called this a "terrorist attack against civilians" and accused Western countries of being equally responsible for the attack. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zakharova directly stated that the UK is the mastermind behind this "terrorist act.".
On December 29th of the previous day, Ukraine also claimed that Russia had launched the "largest scale airstrike" since February last year, launching 158 missile and drone attacks across Ukraine, resulting in at least 40 civilian deaths and 159 injuries.
Behind countless cold numbers, there are lively families. As the second anniversary of the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict approaches, where will the two sides go? Different directions determine whether countless lives can be saved.
Gaza Strip is filled with deaths
The suffering endured by millions struggling to survive in the narrow Gaza Strip is greater than the former.
According to Xinhua News Agency, the Israeli military launched missile attacks on multiple areas of Gaza City, including the vicinity of Al Aqsa University, on December 31, 2023, resulting in at least 68 deaths. In addition, Israeli ground forces, with the cooperation of the air force, destroyed multiple infrastructure of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and killed some armed personnel.
The statement released by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics on the same day stated that a total of 22404 Palestinian people died in conflicts in 2023, making it the year with the highest number of Palestinian deaths due to conflicts since 1948. About 98% of the deceased came from the Gaza Strip.
Children have suffered particularly heavy casualties in this round of the Israeli Palestinian conflict. Image source: Reuters
The exchange of fire in northern Israel is also continuing. According to the Israeli military, on December 31, Hezbollah in Lebanon fired missiles multiple times at Israel, while Israeli warplanes attacked Hezbollah's infrastructure and military buildings in the Ramiya area of southern Lebanon. The Israeli Air Force also discovered targets crossing into Israeli airspace from Syria, and Israeli fighter jets successfully intercepted them.
The Israeli military has launched several airstrikes on Syria under the pretext of preventing Iran from supplying weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon. However, the airstrikes not only failed to stop the war, but also affected a larger area.
On December 31st, the US military base near the Kunuku gas field in Deir Zor province in eastern Syria was suddenly hit by a large-scale rocket attack. In addition, there have been several explosions near the US military base near the Umar oil field in eastern Syria.
The Iraqi Islamic Resistance Organization, which claimed to have launched the attack, stated that as long as the United States continues to support Israel's aggression in Gaza and southern Lebanon, they will continue to launch attacks on US military bases in Syria and Iraq.
On December 31st, a military spokesperson publicly stated that the conflict may last for a whole year. I don't know how many people's hopes of returning to peace will be shattered.
The Red Sea Route Crisis Continues
On the last day of 2023, the constantly evolving crisis of the Red Sea waterway has brought new waves.
According to Xinhua News Agency, Yehya Sareya, spokesperson for the Yemeni Husai armed group, issued a statement on December 31, stating that 10 armed members of the organization were killed by the US military in an operation against a Red Sea merchant ship that day.
Earlier on December 31st, the US Central Command issued a statement stating that a container cargo ship flying the Singapore flag in the Red Sea had sent a distress signal to the US military that morning, stating that four Yemeni Husai armed speedboats were attempting to approach the cargo ship and board it. The US aircraft carrier Eisenhower and the destroyer Graveley dispatched multiple helicopters to assist. The US military helicopter issued a warning to the Husai armed speedboat, and the armed personnel on board fired at the helicopter. The US military immediately opened fire on the speedboats, sinking three of them, and another speedboat fled the scene.
Danish Maersk Shipping Group issued a statement on the same day, confirming that its cargo ship was attacked by armed personnel in the Red Sea and will once again suspend all its cargo ships from passing through the Red Sea for the next 48 hours.
Yemen's armed forces boarded a ship and detained a merchant ship. Image source: GJ
On the same day, the Hussein armed forces stated that they will continue to prevent "Israeli ships" from sailing in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea until Israel stops its military strikes on the Gaza Strip. The armed attack on ships by Hussein has led to several international shipping companies announcing the suspension of the Red Sea route and turning to the southern tip of Africa.
The excessive favoritism of the United States and the West towards Israel is making global shipping and the economy pay for it. The butterfly effect makes us realize that peace in the distance is actually closely related to the well-being of each and every one of us.
As UN Secretary General Guterres said in his New Year's message, 2023 is a year full of suffering, violence, and climate chaos. 2024 must be a year of rebuilding trust and reigniting hope.
However, for these trust and hope, it requires not only ideology, but also joint action from the whole world.
