Category World News

Al Jazeera’s journalists risk everything to report on Israel’s war on Gaza, enduring adversity, displacement, and the deaths of their colleagues and families.

Beirut, Lebanon – An Israeli air strike on southern Lebanon has killed one person and wounded another, Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health says, as Israel ramps up its cross-border attacks in defiance of a ceasefire.

The ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that an “Israeli enemy raid” struck a car in the town of Burj Rahal in the southern district of Tyre.

“The attack resulted in the martyrdom of one citizen and the injury of another”, the statement read, without identifying the dead.

Lebanon’s National News Agency said the attack happened near a school, triggering panic among students and prompting parents to rush to collect their children amid scenes of fear and chaos.

Ceasefire under strain

The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strike, which was the latest in a series of its attacks across southern Lebanon, despite a ceasefire signed on November 27, 2024.

Israeli forces remain deployed in at least five areas of Lebanon’s south as they carry out near-daily air raids that Israel says target Hezbollah fighters and infrastructure.

On Monday, two people were killed and seven wounded in separate attacks in southern Lebanon. A day earlier, Israeli raids in Nabatieh killed four people, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.

Inside Lebanon, the continued bombardment has heightened fears of a renewed war, as Israeli and United States officials press the Lebanese government to force Hezbollah to disarm.

Israeli military intelligence has claimed in recent days that Hezbollah is attempting to rebuild its military capabilities. A Hezbollah spokesperson denied reports of expanded military activity or attempts to restore its elite units.

“Israel fabricates stories and claims to justify its attacks”, the spokesperson told Lebanon’s L’Orient Today newspaper on Monday.

Hezbollah was severely weakened after the Israeli escalation in September 2024, which killed its longtime leader, Hassan Nasrallah. Since the November ceasefire, the group has responded to Israeli attacks only once.

Hezbollah officials have repeatedly said the group will not disarm, saying that relinquishing its weapons would leave southern Lebanon exposed to an Israeli invasion.

Baalbek still under fire

Nearly a year after Israel’s wide-scale bombing campaign across Lebanon, residents in the eastern Bekaa Valley say they are still living under persistent Israeli threats.

In Baalbek, a city known for its Roman ruins and considered part of Hezbollah’s heartland, Israeli strikes continue to target what the Israeli military describes as Hezbollah’s “logistical and operational base”.

But many civilians also remain under constant bombardment.

“What is happening now isn’t short of a war. It is a war”, Abu Ali, a resident of Baalbek, told Al Jazeera. “There is so much talk about targeting Baalbek, and this is scaring people away”, added another resident, Ali Chokair.

Much of the Bekaa region remains scarred by last year’s Israeli strikes, leaving one of Lebanon’s poorest areas struggling to rebuild.

Lebanon under pressure to negotiate

Israeli and US officials are pressing for Hezbollah’s disarmament, with US ambassador Tom Barrack urging the armed group to begin a dialogue with Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Sunday that the army would “act as necessary” if Lebanon failed to ensure Hezbollah handed over its weapons.

“We expect the Lebanese government to fulfil its commitment – to disarm Hezbollah – but it is clear we will exercise our right of self-defence under the terms of the ceasefire”, he said.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has said the country has “no choice but to negotiate” with Israel to avoid a wider conflict. But many in Baalbek and southern Lebanon oppose any talks that could lead to Hezbollah’s disarmament,

Hussein Osman, who runs a restaurant in Baalbek, refused to flee when the Israeli army ordered residents to leave during last year’s war. Like many Hezbollah supporters, he questions Lebanon’s decision to negotiate with Israel, which is attacking the region almost every day.

“We would support any negotiation that works for the benefit of the resistance”, he said. “But any negotiation that involves disarming the resistance is not accepted … These weapons protect us and allowed us to stay in our homes”.

Republicans were hurt by the shutdown of the federal government, according to US President Donald Trump, who argued that eliminating the Senate filibuster would help his party avoid further losses.

In central Philippines, Typhoon Kalmaegi has claimed the lives of dozens of people and destroyed thousands of homes. As rescue efforts continue, floodwaters have caused tens of thousands of people’s displacement and submerged entire towns.

Zohran Mamdani, 34, has been elected the 111th mayor of New York City. The left-wing state assemblyman has pledged to reshape the global finance capital by making the city more affordable for its working-class residents and pushing back against the policies of President Donald Trump.

In the mayoral election, Democrat Mamdani stood as the candidate for both the Democratic Party and the Working Families Party. He has also been a member of the Democratic Socialists of America since 2017 and describes himself as a democratic socialist.

With his win, he has made history as the city’s first Muslim mayor, as well as the first of South Asian descent – and the first to be born in an African country (Uganda). He will also be New York City’s youngest mayor for more than a century when he takes office on January 1.

“Tonight, against all odds, we made it happen,” the mayor-elect told a crowd of jubilant supporters. “New York, you’ve delivered a mandate for change, for a new politics, and for a city we can actually afford,” he said.

Mamdani’s unexpected rise underscores arguments from left-wing Democrats who advocate for more progressive policies to win over voters who have drifted away from the party. But what vision of the US do the Democratic Socialists of America have?

Who are the Democratic Socialists of America?

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is the largest socialist organisation in the US. It has nearly 100,000 members and seeks to democratise society by “collectively own[ing] the key economic drivers that dominate our lives”, according to its website.

Unlike a traditional political party, the DSA operates as a decentralised grassroots network. It has hundreds of country-wide “chapters” (local community action groups) which engage in political organising – from labour campaigns to mutual aid projects.

In its modern form, the DSA was founded in 1982 by the political activist Michael Harrington. It gained prominence during the 2016 presidential campaign of Bernie Sanders, who electrified a generation of Americans disillusioned with persistent social inequality.

According to a report published by Oxfam on November 3, the richest 1 percent of households in the US have accumulated almost 1,000 times more wealth than the poorest 20 percent since the early 1990s.

At its core, the DSA advocates for a society where people, not profit, govern economic activity. Its members advocate for policies such as universal healthcare, affordable housing, strong unions and aggressive climate action through public investment.

The DSA does not call for the abolition of free markets, but rather for a more egalitarian society in which the public assumes greater control of resources and institutions, thereby watering down corporate power.

In many ways, the DSA are jockeying for something that already exists across the Atlantic: European-style welfare programmes. European governments – whether in Scandinavia, Germany or France – have long operated universal healthcare schemes, for example.

In Europe, populations have come to expect high-quality public healthcare, which is usually free at the point of delivery, decent housing and education. While DSA proposals may sound radical in a US context, advocating for a mixed economy is fairly routine in Europe.

When it comes to elections, the DSA gives its endorsement to progressive mainstream political candidates who align with its values – figures such as Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

This strategy reflects the DSA’s dual ambition: to contest power within existing institutions of power to try and reform them.

Who is associated with the Democratic Socialists of America?

A foundational figure: Bernie Sanders

While he is not a formal DSA member, Bernie Sanders has long identified as a democratic socialist. In 2016, he was close to securing the Democratic Party’s nomination for presidential candidate, but eventually lost out to Hillary Clinton.

Sanders received 13.2 million votes during the presidential primaries, amounting to roughly 45 percent of the ballot. Clinton, meanwhile, received 16.9 million votes, and then subsequently lost the presidential election to Donald Trump.

In spite of his loss, the 84-year-old Vermont senator has remained the poster boy for disillusionment with the political status quo.

While Sanders identifies as an independent – meaning he has no formal relationship with the Democratic Party – he continues to receive popular support for his views on free universal healthcare and free university tuition.

The DSA website references Sanders’ political revolution as part of its guiding ideology. As such, he is less a member politician and more a symbolic anchor for the DSA movement.

Trailblazers: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib

These two members of Congress, both Democrats, helped to bring DSA-style politics to the mainstream in the US. Ocasio-Cortez, who represents parts of the Bronx and Queens in New York, burst onto the scene in 2018 when she defeated incumbent Joseph Crowley.

Rashida Tlaib, representing Michigan, is the first Palestinian-American woman in Congress and a self-identified democratic socialist. Also elected in 2018, she is a champion of universal healthcare. She is also a firm backer of the idea that unions should negotiate wage contracts.

The electoral success of both these politicians has meant socialists are no longer entirely “fringe” in the US electoral system.

Both Ocasio-Cortez and Tlaib are part of an informal group, which includes Ilhan Omar and Ayanna Pressley, of progressive congressional leaders known as the “Squad”.

In 2019, Trump said of the group, “Why don’t they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came?”

Mid-career grass-roots influencer: Greg Casar

Greg Casar, a Democrat from Texas, was elected to the US House of Representatives in 2022 after serving on the Austin City Council.

He came from a local activist background, calling for workers’ rights, paid sick leave and raising the minimum wage, before shifting to a national platform.

At the same time, Casar illustrates the tensions within DSA affiliation. His local chapter withdrew formal support for him in 2022 after he supported the continuation of federal aid for Israel.

Casar is at once a socialist-aligned elected official while also attempting to navigate the practical and strategic trade-offs of being left-of-centre within the Democratic Party.

In 2019, Nanci Pelosi – the erstwhile Democratic speaker of the House and then symbol of the party – told CBS: “I do reject socialism,” adding “that [socialism] is not the view of the Democratic Party.”

Rising stars: Zohran Mamdani and contemporaries

In recent years, a new wave of left-wing politicians has secured public posts on DSA-style pledges. Zohran Mamdani, who is also affiliated with the Working Families Party and will take over as New York City mayor in January next year, is the most prominent example.

His platform, which argues in favour of rent freezes, fare-free buses and higher taxes on the wealthy, is at the more ambitious end of DSA’s playbook, and is focused on addressing New York City’s affordability crisis. Median rents in the city are $3,400 a month. According to the latest available data from the US Census Bureau, the median monthly income for New York City households is $6,640.

But Mamdani is not the only rising star in the DSA movement; Democrat Sarahana Shrestha was elected a New York State Assembly member in 2022.