2024: The year wars spread to shape a fractured world

Peace in the Russia-Ukraine war remains elusive while the Israel-Gaza war has escalated into a conflict from Hezbollah to Iran and even Yemen

Another year has passed, adding to the timeline of human civilisation. Yet, as 2024 comes to a close, the world is left pondering: has the age of “humane” civilisation advanced alongside it?

This year, though marked by countless events, was overshadowed by the spectre of war. Geopolitical tensions in West Asia deepened uncertainty, with Israel waging four wars in the region. The question lingers—are we truly moving forward?

Israel's war with the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza has escalated from an Israel-Hezbollah war to an Israel-Iran and even Israel-Yemen conflict.

Bashar al-Assad's long-running rule in Syria has collapsed in the face of a sudden attack by Syrian rebels. Sheikh Hasina's 15-year rule in Bangladesh has also ended in the wake of the July uprising.

The Myanmar war situation has deteriorated further. The hope for peace in Ukraine's war with Russia which has dragged on for more than two years still remains elusive.

Amid the surge in conflict, more than 60 countries worldwide have had their elections. Former US President Donald Trump has been re-elected. The Labour Party has come to power in the United Kingdom after 14 years of often tumultuous Conservative government.

Many natural disasters also made headlines this year. The death of numerous people due to extreme heat during Hajj in Makkah has also come to the fore as a significant event.

GAZA WAR

The Gaza war, which began on Oct 7 last year with an unprecedented attack by the Palestinian armed group Hamas on the southern part of Israel bordering the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, has been persistent throughout 2024.

At the beginning of January, the number of Palestinians killed in the Israeli military offensive in Gaza was about 23,000, but by the end of July, the number had neared 40,000.

The toll, however, exceeded 45,000 by the end of December this year. According to UN estimates, most of the victims were civilians, and 56 percent of them were women and children.

In February 2024, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans for a ground operation in Rafah during the fifth month of the war. After the implementation of his plan, nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million residents became refugees, and the entire Gaza Strip was reduced to rubble.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza has become increasingly fragile, almost to the point of famine. This year, Israel killed most of Hamas's top leaders, including Ismail Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, Saleh al-Arouri, and Marwan Issa.

Arouri, the deputy leader of Hamas, was assassinated in Beirut on Jan 2. Arouri is considered one of the masterminds of Israel's surprise Oct 7 attacks.

On Mar 26, Israeli forces killed Issa, the deputy commander of Hamas's military wing. His name was on Israel's "most wanted" list.

On Jul 13, Israel launched an air strike on the town of Khan Younis, targeting Hamas's top military commander Deif.

According to an Israeli military intelligence assessment, Deif was killed along with about 90 Palestinians.

Haniyeh was killed in an attack on the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Jul 31. He lived in exile in the Qatari capital of Doha and served as Hamas's top political leader from there. He was attacked while attending the inauguration of Iran's newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Iran and Hamas have blamed Israel for the attack, but the country has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement.

Months later, Israeli forces in Gaza killed Sinwar, Haniyeh's successor and the mastermind of the Oct 7, 2023, attack that triggered the latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas, brokered by Qatar and Egypt and backed by the United States, have failed to produce a Gaza ceasefire throughout the year. The reason for this is that Israel and Hamas are adamant about their positions and demands. Israel is adamant about continuing the war and maintaining its control over Gaza until Hamas is wiped out, while Hamas is adamant about ending the war and demanding the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

In a Jun 10 report, the United Nations accused both Israel and Hamas of war crimes. On Nov 21, the International Criminal Court, or ICC, issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant. The ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas leader Deif [Ibrahim Al-Masri], who it said had been killed. They were charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity.

ISRAEL-HEZBOLLAH CONFLICT IN LEBANON

The Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah has been carrying out rocket, missile, and explosive drone attacks in Israel's northern border region for nearly a year [since Oct 8, 2023] in support of Hamas in the Gaza war.

Israel responded with air strikes and shelling. But the conflict escalated after 12 children and teenagers were killed in a rocket strike on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on Jul 27 this year.

Israel has vowed to retaliate against Hezbollah for attacks on the Golan Heights. On Jul 30, senior Hezbollah commander Fouad Shokr was killed in an Israeli retaliatory air strike. Israel has blamed the Golan for the attack.

In late August, Hezbollah launched more than 300 rockets and drones into Israel in retaliation for the killing of Shokr. Based on the assessment of the Israeli military that Hezbollah is preparing to launch rockets and missiles into Israel, Israel has previously carried out massive air strikes targeting Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon.

With this, the “first phase" of the retaliation for the killing of commander Shokr has been completed, Hezbollah said. The group said it could take "some more time" to fully respond to Shokr's killing.

Since then, Israel has been preparing for a large-scale military operation against Hezbollah. They withdrew a few divisions of troops from Gaza in the south and began deploying them to the border with Lebanon in the north.

But Israel's military campaign against Hezbollah began with the pager explosions by members of the Iran-backed group. The attacks took place on Sept 17 in the Lebanese capital Beirut and several other cities.

At least 12 people, including a child, were killed and 2,750 others were injured. Most of the dead were Hezbollah fighters. An unspecified number of pagers were detonated in multiple locations in Lebanon. Hezbollah's communication network, which relies on pagers instead of mobile phones, has been largely ineffective.

The following day, on Sept 18, explosives were detonated in walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah. At least 20 people were killed and another 608 were injured. The attack nearly crippled Hezbollah's communications network.

Israeli Defence Minister Gallant said the war was entering a new phase and more assets and military units were now being deployed to the northern border. Since Sept 23, Israel has launched massive air strikes across Lebanon, including in the capital Beirut.

A number of Hezbollah leaders and fighters, including the leader of its missile corps, Ibrahim Muhammad Qubaisi, and the leaders of its drone unit, Mohammad Sarour, and Ibrahim Aqil, were killed in a series of attacks across Lebanon over the past few days.

On Sept 27, a series of airstrikes targeted Hezbollah's command centre in Beirut.

The attacks were aimed at Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. In the first few hours of Sept 28, Israel launched a wave of air strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut, known as the base of Hezbollah.

SAYYED HASSAN NASRALLAH

On Sept 28, Israel claimed that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had been killed. On the same day, Hezbollah confirmed the death of its leader.

Another top Hezbollah leader, Ali Karaki, was also killed in the same attack. Israel has carried out a series of air strikes, destroying Hezbollah's infrastructure and leaders. Throughout this period, a large number of missiles were fired at various cities of Israel, including the commercial capital of Tel Aviv.

On Oct 1, the Israeli army launched a ground offensive in southern Lebanon. Israel launched a ground invasion of Lebanon, with the Israeli army, commandos, and armoured units conducting raids.

On Oct 23, Hezbollah leader Hashem Safieddine, considered the successor to Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli air strike. The group later elected Sheikh Naim Qassem, who had served as Hezbollah's assistant secretary general, as its top leader.

Israel and Lebanon signed a ceasefire deal on Nov 26, brokered by France and the United States, after nearly two months of intense fighting between the two sides. The ceasefire came into effect on Nov 27.

Israel said 56 of its soldiers were killed in the fighting and that it had killed 3,500 Hezbollah fighters. On the other hand, the Lebanese government says Israel has killed 2,720 people in Lebanon, most of them civilians.

WIND OF CHANGE IN SOUTH ASIA

The 15 and a half years of the Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina ended on Aug 5 with an unprecedented mass movement in Bangladesh. Fearing widespread public anger, the former premier had to decide promptly to leave the country.

She had to leave power amid conflict and the death of more than 800 people across the country after the movement started 36 days ago by students demanding reforms in government jobs turned into a protest to topple the government.

The High Court ruled that the decision to cancel the quota in government jobs was illegal on Jun 5. The following day, the students protested the court's decision.

The state later appealed to the High Court for a stay on the verdict, but on Monday [Jul 1], a massive movement by students under the banner of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement was launched.

The situation changed on Jul 14. There was a strong reaction among the protesters over Hasina’s comments on “Razakar” at a press conference. A large number of students had gathered on Dhaka University campus that night to protest against her remarks.

The next day, on Jul 15, pro-government activists, including the Chhatra League, attacked quota activists at Dhaka University. Protests were held across the country on Jul 16.

The call for a complete shutdown programme came from the students on Jul 18. The circumstances deteriorated after several students were killed in clashes in Dhaka’s Badda and Uttara that day. The protesters sometimes pressed an 8-point charter of demand and sometimes a 9-point charter of demand after this.

In the wake of the incident, a “one-point" demand for the fall of the government was made from the rally of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement on Jul 3.

After 11am on Aug 5, millions of people started entering parts of Dhaka, including Shahbagh. Meanwhile, Army chief Gen Waker-uz-Zaman said that Hasina has resigned. She later fled to India.

In this way, the 15 and a half years of the Awami League regime came to an end through a massive uprising. On Aug 8, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took charge as the chief advisor to the interim government.

India's general elections were held in seven phases from Apr 19 to Jun 1. The BJP has lost the majority in the Lok Sabha.

The National Democratic Alliance, or NDA, led by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi won [293] more than the 272 seats needed to form a government, but Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, did not get a single majority as in the previous two terms [2014, 2019], this time it got 240 seats.

The election saw the resurgence of the Congress Party-led coalition, which won 234 seats. Communal riots in the Indian state of Manipur have caused unrest throughout the year and many people have been killed in clashes.

On Jan 30, former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan was sentenced to 10 years in prison for leaking state secrets. In the Feb 8 general elections, members of the banned Pakistan Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI, party, led by Imran Khan, won the most seats by contesting as independent candidates. But they could not form a government.

Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz [PML-N] also claimed victory in the elections.

On Feb 14, the PML-N, Pakistan Peoples Party [PPP] and other allies announced the formation of a coalition government. Shehbaz Sharif was sworn in as Pakistan's prime minister for the second time. In March, Asif Ali Zardari was also elected president for the second term.

MYANMAR JUNTA LOSING ITS GROUND

Myanmar's military took control of the country in February 2021, ousting the elected government led by 1991 Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi. Since then, there has been unrest in Myanmar.

After the junta took control of the anti-coup protests through bloodshed, its opponents took up arms and launched an armed rebellion. In Myanmar, several anti-junta rebel groups are fighting the junta in support of the pro-democracy government. The junta has lost many towns and military outposts to the rebels.

The fight against the pre-existing ethnic rebels as well as the pro-democracy junta triggered a full-scale civil war in the country. The junta agreed to a ceasefire with the Three Brotherhood Alliance, a coalition of rebel groups in the China border region, in early 2024 mediated by China.

Umpired by Chinese officials, the two sides held a meeting in China’s Kunming.

China does not publicly criticise the military leader Min Aung Hlaing’s government, but maintains informal ties with ethnic armed groups to maintain trade and security with Myanmar along the border.

A WORLD OF DISASTERS

The year began with a devastating earthquake of magnitude 7.5 that struck Japan's western coast on the first day of January, resulting in at least 462 deaths and 1,344 injuries.

The next day, a Japanese Coast Guard aircraft collided with a Japan Airlines passenger plane parked at an airport, causing both to burst into flames.

Five people were killed in the incident, but the 379 passengers aboard the aircraft were safely evacuated.

In April, the Gulf region of the Middle East experienced unprecedented heavy rainfall, triggering flash floods that left at least 32 people dead.

Dubai International Airport was submerged, causing significant disruptions to flight operations.

In Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul, severe flooding claimed many lives and displaced thousands.

Meanwhile, in Papua New Guinea, a massive landslide killed between 160 and 2,000 people.

July brought further disaster as a landslide in Ethiopia killed 257 people.

On Jul 30, another catastrophic landslide in India’s Kerala caused at least 334 deaths, left 281 missing, and injured over 200.

In September, Typhoon Yagi wreaked havoc across the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, and Myanmar, resulting in hundreds of deaths due to the storm and its subsequent flooding.

That same month, heavy rainfall led to Europe’s worst flooding since 2010, claiming several lives. Toward the end of the month, Hurricane Helen tore through the US, killing 236 people and leaving 685 missing.

In November, unprecedented rainfall equivalent to a year's total in just eight hours caused sudden flooding in the eastern and southern regions, leading to widespread devastation.

The catastrophe resulted in the deaths of over 200 people amidst massive destruction.

During this year's Hajj in Saudi Arabia, extreme heat proved fatal for at least 550 pilgrims, among them 323 were Egyptian nationals.

Overcrowding and fires in tents have caused tragedies in the past, but this year, the relentless temperatures posed the greatest challenge.

TRUMP’S HISTORIC COMEBACK

Four years after leaving the White House, Donald Trump has stunned the world with an incredible return to the political stage.

Many are calling it the most dramatic political comeback in US history.

Eight years ago, when he first ran for president in 2016, very few believed he could defeat Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

However, in that year, which became known as the “political earthquake”, Trump swept into power, ushering in a new era with the force of a seismic shift.

But his bid for re-election in 2020 ended in a devastating defeat.

After losing to Democrat Joe Biden, Trump refused to accept the results of the election and made desperate attempts to overturn the outcome and remain in the White House.

These events are still under investigation.

Trump has been embroiled in countless scandals, found guilty of criminal offences in court, and has faced condemnation from every corner of the globe.

His first four years in office were marked by "chaos and criticism”, and even within his own party, many lost faith in him.

He faced accusations of inciting the deadly attack on the US Capitol on Jan 6, 2021, a day that became a notorious chapter in American history.

It seemed that his political career might have ended there, with Trump leaving Washington DC as an outcast.

However, four years later, Trump made an astonishing comeback and reappeared on the campaign trail, determined to take back the White House.

The history raised doubts about how far it would allow him to advance in the race for the White House.

Pushing those doubts aside, he managed to escape two assassination attempts and once again took possession of the keys to the White House.

This time, he triumphed in both the Electoral College and the popular vote, proving his physical and mental resilience even at the age of 78.

Although this comeback may seem like a dream, the stain of scandal has not left him.

He is set to make history once again by becoming the first president to be convicted of serious crimes.

Observers believe that if Trump returns to power, Israel will enjoy unparalleled support from a conservative US president in the ongoing multi-front war in Gaza, Lebanon, and the Middle East, which may worsen the situation.

Others say Trump could attempt to strike a deal with Moscow while bypassing Europe and ignoring Kyiv in the ongoing Ukraine conflict.

FINALLY FREE

On Jun 23, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was released from a high-security prison in the United Kingdom after reaching a plea deal with the US Department of Justice.

Assange admitted to violating the US Espionage Act as part of the agreement.

The release marked the end of a prolonged period of confinement for Assange.

He had spent five years in Belmarsh Prison in the UK and the previous seven years in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London under political asylum.

Assange made headlines globally by leaking millions of classified military and diplomatic documents from the Pentagon and the US State Department.

UKRAINE WAR

The Ukraine war, which began in February 2022, entered its third year in 2024.

Throughout the year, the US and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, or NATO, under Washington's leadership, continued to supply Ukraine with advanced weaponry, enabling it to sustain its resistance against Russia.

Iran maintained its supply of military drones to Russia, which, despite international trade sanctions, managed to continue the production of sophisticated military equipment with China's support.

Toward the end of the year, the conflict intensified as North Korean troops were deployed to Russia to fight against Ukraine.

In response, Washington authorised Kyiv to use US-provided long-range missiles to strike deep into Russian territory, significantly increasing the war's intensity.

Between December 2023 and May 2024, Russia increased its drone and missile attacks on Ukraine, deploying less defensible weapons like ballistic missiles.

Ukraine faced a shortage of weapons and ammunition, with its most reliable defence being the American Patriot missile system, which was in limited supply.

According to Ukrainian reports, within a few days, they had taken control of an area of nearly 350 square km.

By Aug 19, they had captured several hundred Russian soldiers in Kursk.

In late October, the US confirmed that North Korea had sent troops to Russia to fight against Ukraine.

Following this, the head of NATO announced that North Korean soldiers had been deployed to the Kursk region.

In November, both the US and South Korea, citing intelligence reports, said North Korean forces had begun fighting against Ukrainian troops. On Nov 5, Trump won the US presidential election.

During his campaign, he had promised to end the Ukraine war within 24 hours through negotiations if he were elected.

After his victory, Trump reiterated that he would fulfill his pledge to end the war.

As the notion grew stronger that the Ukraine war could end under Trump's initiative, President Biden authorised Kyiv to use the long-range missiles supplied by the US to strike deep into Russian territory.

The shift in Washington's policy led analysts to worry that the war could intensify.

Russian policymakers warned that the move could create the risk of a global war.

FRANCE'S NEW PM FRANÇOIS BAYROU

According to French law, no new parliamentary elections can be held for at least a year.

President Emmanuel Macron, currently at the midpoint of his term, appointed François Bayrou as the country’s fourth prime minister this year.

France's political and economic turmoil has become a significant concern, not only for its citizens but also for Europe.

This instability threatens to weaken France's role within the European Union, or EU.

The country is not alone in facing internal political strife. Germany is also grappling with its own challenges, as its governing coalition has collapsed, leading to early general elections scheduled for February.

The instability in both countries is influencing the EU as a whole.

The key question remains whether Europe can show its strength and determination to uphold unity against an expansionist and aggressive Kremlin.

[Writing in English by Akramul Momen and Sheikh Fariha Bristy]