Morning Star editor BEN CHACKO reports from the start of Kunming’s Belt and Road media forum, where 200 journalists from 71 countries celebrated a new openness and optimism, forged by China’s enormous contribution to global development
From Gaza to the West Bank: Israel's unyielding war machine
Will 2025 be a year of combat for Israel, as promised by the new IDF chief of staff, wonders RAMZY BAROUD
Residents of the al-Far’a Camp, West Bank, evacuate their homes as the Israeli military continues its operation in the area, Saturday February 8 2025
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“A YEAR of combat” — this is how Israel’s new chief of staff, Eyal Zamir, described 2025 at a conference organised by the Israeli Ministry of Defence.
The exact sentence, translated from Hebrew, was: “The year 2025 will continue to be a year of combat.” The word “continue” is crucial, suggesting that Israel will resume its wars, despite ceasefire agreements signed with the Lebanese government in November and Palestinian groups in January. In other words, it seems that Zamir is signalling that Israel will reopen these two fronts, even in the face of ceasefire deals.
Despite Israel’s insatiable appetite for war, it is hard to imagine what the Israeli army could achieve through renewed violence when it has already failed to accomplish its objectives in nearly 14 months in Lebanon and over 15 months in Gaza.
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