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US-Israeli genocide in Gaza 

Israel’s airstrikes and artillery fire keep pounding the besieged Gaza Strip nearly four months into to the regime’s genocidal war. The Palestinian Health Ministry says nearly 150 people were killed and more than 300 injured in over a dozen attacks across the territory in a matter of 24 hours. The attacks included aerial strikes targeting the Maghrebi neighborhood southeast of Gaza City, which killed two Palestinians. In Beit Hanoun, in northern Gaza, Israel’s artillery fire left three civilians dead and several others injured. In the southern city of Rafah, Israeli forces targeted a vehicle, killing four civilians, including a child. According to the Health Ministry, the total death toll has reached 26,900, mostly women and children. The ministry added that nearly all of the hospitals in northern Gaza are operating with minimum medical personnel due to displacement of their staff. Many rights organizations have warned that Israel’s relentless attacks are taking the blockaded territory to a breaking point. 

UNRWA funding cut 

Palestine’s UN ambassador has severely taken to task those countries that have suspended funding to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. Riyad Mansour described efforts to undermine UNRWA as inhumane, cruel and irresponsible. He made the remarks at a UN Security Council meeting on the Israeli onslaught on Gaza. Mansour was referring to the US and several other countries that have paused donations to UNRWA. This, after the Israeli regime alleged a dozen of the agency’s employees had taken part in Hamas’s October 7 operation against Israel. UNRWA then announced that it had fired a number of its staff after Israel provided the agency with information. UNRWA denies wrongdoing, emphasizing its role is only to provide relief aid. During the Security Council’s meeting, UN aid chief Martin Griffiths called on the US and its allies to reverse their decision, saying the whole humanitarian response for Gaza is completely dependent on UNRWA. 

Boycotting pro-Israel companies 

The US-based Starbucks is feeling the pinch from a global boycott campaign against it in protest at the company’s support for the Israeli onslaught on Gaza. Now, the company is cutting its annual sales forecast in the latest sign that global boycotts are taking a toll on pro-Israel firms. The world’s largest chain of coffeehouses says it has seen a significant impact on traffic and sales in West Asia. The impact has been also felt in the US where it has been facing a boycott campaign as well. As a result, Starbucks has cut its yearly sales forecasts and missed market expectations for 2024. The company’s shares are also 11-percent lower compared to a year ago. Starbucks is not the only company to have faced a customer backlash for supporting Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Other brands like McDonald's, KFC, Coke, and Pepsi have also faced intense public boycotts, resulting in substantial financial losses. This week, oil and gas major Chevron also faced new global boycott calls related to its work with Israel. Most of these companies stand accused of providing corporate support for the regime. 

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