Gaza
With the story of right-wing American podcaster and provocateur Charlie Kirk dominating global news, Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza City is slipping from the top headlines. Francesca Albanese, the top U.N. expert on Palestinian rights, today accused Israel of trying to make the city, the biggest urban population center in Gaza, uninhabitable. "Israel is bombing using unconventional weapons ... it is trying to forcibly evacuate Palestinians. Why? This is the last piece of Gaza that needs to be rendered unliveable before advancing the ethnic cleansing of that piece of land," Albanese said.
More from Anadolu here.
Syria
Several recent Proximities entries have centered on sectarian violence in Syria. And today, Reuters published a compelling and detailed analysis of the pressures President Ahmed al-Sharaa faces as he tries to unite the country since seizing power nine months ago. The news agency reported from across the country’s Druze, Alawite, and Christian regions to paint one of the most comprehensive pictures I’ve seen of the current moment. It’s well worth your time.
More from Reuters here.
Zambia
A court in Zambia has sentenced two men to two years of hard labor for plotting to kill President Hakainde Hichilema using witchcraft. The men were arrested at a hotel in the capital, Lusaka, with items including a live chameleon, an animal tail, and 12 bottles of concoctions. Prosecutors said they planned to curse the president and were hired by a relative of a former MP. They were charged under the country’s 1914 witchcraft law, which forbids pretending to have supernatural powers. About 80% of Zambians believe in witchcraft, according to a 2018 study.
More from the Independent here.