Headlines in This News Package:

• Israel Massacres Over 150 Palestinians in Gaza in 24 Hours

• Israel Continues Its Efforts to Undermine UNRWA

• Daniel Noboa is Building an Anti-Worker Economic and Political Project, says Ecuadorian Activist

• What is AMLO’s Judicial Reform and Why Is the Mexican Right Uniting to Try and Stop It?

[NEWS ITEM TEXT]

Israel Massacres Over 150 Palestinians in Gaza in 24 Hours

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At least 90 Palestinians were killed and 300 others injured in an Israeli airstrike on Al-Mawasi refugee camp, in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza on July 13. Director-General of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that many people are still missing under the rubble.

The Israeli Occupation Forces targeted Al-Mawasi despite it being designated as a humanitarian safe zone. Israel claimed that the airstrike targeted the head of Hamas’s military wing Al-Qassam Brigades, Mohammed ِAl-Deif, and the commander of Khan Younis Brigade, Rafe Salamah. While some Israeli media outlets reported the killing of Salamah, Hamas rejected the Israeli claim and said in a statement that the Israeli claims are “unfounded” and “come to cover up the scale of the horrific massacre the Israeli occupation has committed.”

Hamas Deputy Chief Khalil al-Hayya stated during an interview with Al Jazeera on July 13 that Al-Deif was not killed. Al-Deif, considered Israel’s most wanted for nearly three decades, is said to have survived seven assassination attempts by Israel including this one.

Meanwhile, conflicting news reports came out on July 14, alleging that Hamas has withdrawn from ceasefire talks due to Israel’s attacks across Gaza and lack of seriousness in terms of negotiations. However, a statement from senior Hamas leader Izzat El-Reshiq denied those claims and highlighted that these massacres committed by Israel are an attempt to “obstruct reaching an agreement to stop the aggression against our people.”

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Israel Continues Its Efforts to Undermine UNRWA

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The Commissioner-General of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini warned that efforts are underway to dismantle the agency and change the established parameters for peace in occupied Palestine. He was speaking at the opening of the Pledging Conference of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) on July 12.

In his statement, Lazzarini pointed out that the agency has been staggering under the weight of relentless attacks and has paid a terrible price during the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip. Since October 7, 195 UNRWA staff members have been killed, while nearly 190 of its installations have been either damaged or destroyed, killing more than 500 people who were seeking the United Nations’ protection.

Furthermore, Lazzarini mentioned the restriction of movement that humanitarian workers have been subjected to in the West Bank and the violent protests outside UNRWA’s premises in East Jerusalem that culminated in arson attacks by Israeli residents.

In May, UNRWA temporarily closed its East Jerusalem headquarters after being under attacks by Israelis for weeks. “Israeli residents set fire twice to the perimeter of the UNRWA headquarters in occupied East Jerusalem,” Lazzarini posted on X, “This took place while UNRWA and other UN Agencies’ staff were on the compound.” The UNRWA head then remarked that the crowd, who attacked the premises were accompanied by armed men and chanted, “Burn down the United Nations.”

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Daniel Noboa Is Building an Anti-Worker Economic and Political Project, says Ecuadorian Activist

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Earlier in July, thousands of people marched in several cities of Ecuador to demand that the right-wing government of Daniel Noboa repeal Decree 308, which eliminated a gasoline subsidy in the country. According to the demonstrators, the decision will provoke dangerous inflation that will increase the economic and security crisis that the country is already going through.

The protests were organized by several unions, teachers’ and students’ associations, and left political parties, such as Popular Unity (Unidad Popular), and Workers Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario de los Trabajadores), among others. There was a small confrontation with the police in Quito and two people were arrested.

Peoples Dispatch spoke with Natasha Rojas, political analyst, social activist, and National Coordinator of Popular Unity about these protests and how the left is organizing against Noboa’s pro-business, anti-people policies.

“We consider that the government of President Daniel Noboa is part of the large economic and business groups of our country that seek to implement a neoliberal policy at the expense of the rights of the people of Ecuador,” said Rojas.

“It is a government that has implemented countless economic measures that make the situation of the workers more critical. A pro-imperialist government. A government that fully complies with all the prescriptions of the International Monetary Fund. A government that lies to the people… President Daniel Noboa, instead of worrying about the next distracting TikTok video, should be thinking about how to reactivate the productive sector, about how to solve the problems of employment, insecurity, education, [and] health.”

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What is AMLO’s Judicial Reform and Why Is the Mexican Right Uniting to Try and Stop It?

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Since the beginning of 2024, the government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) has promoted a set of legal reforms aimed at transforming Mexico’s judicial system. These reforms are in addition to 20 others that the government of his party, MORENA, has sought to approve since February 2024. AMLO’s proposal rests on four fundamental pillars.

The first pillar is the government’s proposal to elect judges and magistrates by popular vote as of 2025. Candidates will be proposed by the three branches of government and will not be able to use public or private financing to promote their campaigns, except through time allocated equally on television and radio.

The second pillar of judicial reform consists of the replacement of the Judiciary Council by two institutions: the Judicial Discipline Tribunal and the Judicial Administration Body. [WHAT WILL THIS DO?]

The third pillar of the reform consists of reducing the number of members of the Supreme Court and shortening their term of office. If the proposal is approved as it stands, instead of 11 members, the Supreme Court will be composed of nine. In addition, their term in office would no longer be 15 years, but 12.

The fourth pillar of the judicial reform consists of establishing new rules for judicial proceedings, such as establishing a maximum term of six months for the resolution of tax matters and one year for criminal proceedings; and the prohibition of “suspensions against the effects of laws in protections, constitutional controversies, and unconstitutional actions.”