Trump projected to defeat Nikki Haley in New Hampshire primary – National & International News – TUE 23Jan2023

Trump projected to defeat Nikki Haley in New Hampshire.

“Ceasefire” write-in campaign in Democratic primary.

Israel says 24 IDF soldiers killed in Gaza during demolition.

NATIONAL NEWS

Trump projected to defeat Nikki Haley in New Hampshire

Last week, former Pres. Donald Trump won with a commanding lead in the Iowa Caucuses. One of his main challengers, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has now dropped out of the race and endorsed Trump. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie are also out. That just leaves Nikki Haley, a former Governor of South Carolina who served as US ambassador to the UN during Trump’s administration. Haley was banking on a strong showing in New Hampshire, but it doesn’t look as though that will materialize. She has vowed to stay in the race no matter what tonight’s result is.

“Ceasefire” write-in campaign in Democratic primary

President Biden is not on the New Hampshire primary ballot, having snubbed the Granite State to push the first official Democratic Primary to South Carolina. Biden’s win in South Carolina helped secure his nomination victory in 2020.

Despite not agreeing to be on the ballot, Biden has pushed for voters to write in his name to show their support. However, Biden may have a competitor for some write-in votes in New Hampshire. Pro-Palestine activists in the state have called for Democratic primary voters to write in “Ceasefire” to send a message to Biden. Activists want Biden to know that his unconditional support for Israel, as it perpetrates what many consider a genocide in Gaza, will not be forgotten during this election cycle. Since Oct. 7, Biden’s support among young voters and Muslim and Arab voters (a key Democratic voting block in Michigan and other swing states) has dropped precipitously.

Biden also has two challengers who are on the ballot in New Hampshire, Marianne Williamson and Rep. Dean Phillips (MN).

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Israel says 24 IDF soldiers killed in Gaza during demolition

The Israeli Defense Forces announced today that 24 of its soldiers were killed today in Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza, the largest single-day loss for the IDF since it began its current ground operation in Gaza. By Israel’s official count, that makes a total of 221 IDF soldiers killed in Gaza.

Maghazi is the same refugee camp where over 100 people were killed on Christmas Eve when the IDF dropped several huge bombs. Later that week, the IDF said it “regretted” the loss of life in the camp, saying an “incorrect munition” had been used. That apology came just a few hours before the IDF bombed the camp again.

According to reports, the casualties were mostly IDF civil engineers who had rigged two buildings in the camp for demolition. As they were working, a Hamas fighter fired a rocket-propelled grenade into one of the buildings, bringing both down on the soldiers inside. Demolition crews are a frequent target for Hamas fighters. Since the war began, the IDF has systematically demolished homes, schools, government buildings and entire university blocks. These are controlled demolitions which require soldiers to enter the building and place explosives.

The IDF claims these demolitions are part of its security operations and that the buildings were hideouts for Hamas. However it seems unlikely they could undertake the painstaking demolition work if the buildings were crawling with Hamas fighters. Statements from Israeli officials point to another likely reason for the demolitions, namely that right-wing elements in the government hope to build more illegal Jewish settlements in the territory after the war.

Gaza’s Health Ministry says that about 200 Palestinian civilians have been killed in Gaza in the last 24 hours. As of 19 January, over 32,246 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7 – 6,860 of them women and 12,660 of them children.

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