5 vital stories to know this week [8/4]
From two more journalists being killed by Israeli airstrikes to growing fears of a war in the Middle East, here are five vital stories to know this week.
2 Al Jazeera staffers killed in Gaza bring journalist deaths to 113 since the Israel-Hamas war started
Al Jazeera reporter Ismail al-Ghoul and photographer Rami al-Refee were killed by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza, becoming at least the 112th and 113th journalist or media worker to be killed since the war between Israel and Hamas began, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. A Palestinian boy passing by on a bicycle, Khalid Shawa, was also killed.
A harrowing video shared on social media showed Ismail al-Ghoul’s decapitated body after the Israeli military said they army targeted him in his car in Gaza City on Wednesday.
“Ismail was conveying the suffering of the displaced Palestinians and the suffering of the wounded and the massacres committed by the [Israeli] occupation against the innocent people in Gaza,” said Al Jazeera’s Anas al-Sharif, who was at the hospital where the bodies of his two colleagues were brought. “The feeling – no words can describe what happened.”
Ismail and Rami were wearing media vests and there were identifying signs on their car when they were attacked. They had last contacted their Al Jazeera news desk 15 minutes before the strike.
The Israeli military said Ismail was killed because documents showed he allegedly was a member of Hamas and contributed to the Oct. 7 attacks.
Al Jazeera and other media organizations rejected Israel’s claim as “dangerous propaganda” as Ismail’s social media presence was wildly popular among the Palestinian diaspora.
'Is she Indian or Black?' Trump questions Harris' identity at Black journalists' convention
Former President Donald Trump falsely claimed that Vice President Kamala Harris, “happened to turn Black” a few years ago, saying that “all of a sudden, she made a turn” in her identity at a gathering of the National Association of Black Journalists. The question came when an interviewer asked him whether he agreed with rhetoric from Congressional Republicans that characterized Harris as a “DEI hire.” Trump responded by questioning Harris’ heritage, sparking outrage from communities of color.
“She was always of Indian heritage, and she was only promoting Indian heritage. I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago, when she happened to turn Black, and now she wants to be known as Black. So I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black?” the former president said.
Fears of Middle East war grow after Hamas leader's killing
Last Saturday the Israeli military killed Hamas’ political leader in Iran, hours after they assassinated the military chief of Hezbollah, in Beirut, Lebanon, sparking fears of a full war in the Middle East. The killings have triggered Iran to declare vows of vengeance on the so-called "axis of resistance."
In response, the United States said it would move warships and fighter jets to the region, while other Western governments have called on their citizens to leave Lebanon, where the powerful Iran-backed Hezbollah movement is based, and airlines canceled flights.
Others fear the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, who was leading the peace resolutions on behalf of Hamas, will further delay a ceasefire deal to release the Israeli hostages held by Hamas and end the war in Gaza, which is now reaching its 10th month.
The Shameful Controversy Over Olympic Boxer Imane Khelif
Algerian boxer Imane Khelif easily won her first match of the 2024 Paris Olympics when her opponent, Angela Carini of Italy, quit after taking several blows to the face in the opening seconds of the match.
After her victory, anti-trans activists on social media, including Elon Musk and J.K. Rowling took to X to declare Khelif a “trans woman,” while also attacking the trans community’s participation in sports. However, this was a complete lie as Khelif and her family said she was born a woman and has been competing at the Olympics for years with no concerns from the Olympic board, which doesn’t allow trans women to compete.
Despite the gruesome degree of hate from right-wing activists online, Khelif persevered and secured at least a bronze medal in the Olympics for her country.
“I dedicate this medal to the world, and to all the Arabs and I tell you, ‘Long live Algeria! I want to tell the entire world that I am a female, and I will remain a female,” she told reporters after the match.
Tropical Storm Debby is likely to strengthen quickly into a Hurricane before making landfall in Florida
Floridans will need to prepare for severe rain and flooding this week as Tropical Storm Debby will likely become a hurricane, according to weather forecasters. By Sunday morning, the storm's center was about 130 miles southwest of Tampa, Florida, with maximum sustained winds at 65 mph, per the National Hurricane Center. It is expected to strengthen rapidly before landfall in the Big Bend region, posing a "danger of life-threatening storm.”
Hurricane season: Forecasters at NOAA predict that the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which spans from June 1 to November 30, will have an 85% chance of an above-normal season.