Ushering in the age of impunity: Venezuela, Palestine, and the end of international law
The recent sound of explosions over Venezuela, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Yemen, and Nigeria are not merely the spasms by a declining U.S. empire. They are something much more terrifying — the dawning of the age of impunity.
BY CRAIG MOKHIBER JANUARY 7, 2026
On January 3, 2026, without provocation, cause, or legal justification, the U.S. bombed Venezuela, invaded its capital, killed dozens of people, and violently abducted the President and First Lady of the country, binding, blindfolding, and spiriting them off to the United States.
Surely, such a blatant violation of a whole raft of international laws, indeed, challenging the very centerpiece of the post-World War II legal framework that prohibits acts of aggression, would be met with universal condemnation.
Instead, it has been followed by equivocal whimpers by several Western leaders, a hyper-cautious response from the UN Secretary-General, rhetorical condemnation by members of the Security Council, but no action whatsoever, and enthusiasticcheerleading by U.S. and Western corporate media.
How could this be?
Simply put, we are witnessing the dawning of the age of impunity.
Slouching towards Bethlehem
The recent sound of explosions over Venezuela, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Yemen, and Nigeria, and over the Red Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Caribbean Sea, is not merely the sound of a momentary imperial spasm by a declining U.S. empire.
It heralds something much more terrifying.
A new world is being birthed (or perhaps, reborn, reminiscent as it is of the horrors of the first half of the 20th Century).
Read the entire article here.
War and Oil: Connecting the dots (and why everyone should boycott Chevron)
from Mazin Qumsiyeh
The U.S. and Israel have had a special arrangement since 1979 under which
the United States would supply oil to Israel if Israel could not secure
enough oil on its own due to shortage or supply disruption even if that
means US citizens get shortage [1]. This pact is unique: No other country
receives a similar guaranteed emergency oil supply from the U.S. and the
agreement has been extended routinely with the last a extension for ten
years! [2]. The US sent refined fuel to Israel to bomb Gaza in 2008/2009
even when gas prices at the pump got higher for US citizens [3]. In 2023,
60% of the crude oil imported by Israel (totals imports $3.23 billion) came
from Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan to Turkish ports through the Caspian
Pipeline Consortium (in which Chevron has the largest stakeholder- Chevron
is also to be the main beneficiary of the attack on Venezuela). The
percentage rose to 70% of crude supply through that pipeline between late
2023 and late 2025 [4]. Refined imports of $1.35 billion worth came mostly
from Russia, Egypt, Turkey, and Romania. The U.S. is the sole documented
supplier of military-grade jet fuel (JP-8) under aid programs during the
war [4] of course paid for by US taxpayers to decimate Gaza and
dramatically increasing greenhouse gases.
In 2020 Chevron completed a major acquisition of U.S.–based Noble Energy,
which had been the lead developer of Israel’s largest offshore natural gas
fields. This deal brought Chevron’s operations directly into Israel’s
energy sector [5]. Chevron integrated into its global portfolio the "Tamar
and Leviathan" offshore gas fields (Most portions of these belong to
Palestine based on UN partition lines) and at least part of the ownership
of the current Gaza strip [6]. In 2025, Egypt signed a deal to import $35
billion in gas from the Chevron operated gas fields (and a new "Nitzana"
pipeline) off the coast of Gaza benefitting the apartheid state and the
rich Chevron. Hence the ethnic cleansing and genocide on Gaza continues to
empty it and allow for money to continue flowing. Here are the biggest
institutional shareholders of Chevron (and people should write to them to
divest): The Vanguard Group, Inc.; State Street Corporation; Berkshire
Hathaway, Inc.; BlackRock Inc. And ofcourse boycott Chevron stations [See
7].
The Venezuelan people and most of the world are fully aware that 1) Trump
consulted with his partners in crime (Chevron CEO and Netanyahu) but not
Congress when he decided to bomb for oil (and rare minerals) , 2) The
market bumbed up Chevron stock price upon hearing the news [8] They are
merely a stepping stone for taking over other countries (Panama, Canada,
Greenland, Cuba)... But the imperial power WILL fail. I leave that to
another analysis. But in the meantime do continue to act and we all need to
work harder to stop the lunatics pushing us to WWIII.
[1]
https://www.energy.senate.gov/services/files/894BE546-C7E6-4BC4-A3F0-9E352549109B
[2] https://www.israelnationalnews.com/flashes/323545
[3] https://wespac.org/2009/01/16/us-taxpayers-spending-over-one-billion/
[4]
https://oilchange.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Israel-Gaza-Fuel-Data-v2.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com
[5] https://israel.chevron.com/en/about
[6]
https://www.timesofisrael.com/chevron-seals-acquisition-of-noble-energy-which-operates-in-israel-gas-fields/
[7] https://bdsmovement.net/chevron https://afsc.org/BoycottChevron
[8]
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/05/market-sees-chevron-the-big-venezuela-winner-but-oil-majors-face-a-long-road.html
“Like the Living Dead” – Gaza’s Children Are Too Hungry and Traumatized To Learn
BY UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
JANUARY 6, 2026
Gaza’s children are losing not just school, but hope, identity, and belief in a future worth reaching.
After more than two years of fighting, many Palestinian children in Gaza are physically exhausted, emotionally traumatized, and unable to take part in everyday activities like learning or playing, according to a new report. The study warns that some children now believe they will be “killed for being Gazans.” Led by the University of Cambridge, the research also presents the first detailed assessment of education in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since October 7, 2023.
Researchers say international funding for education across Palestine is urgently needed, regardless of whether the current ceasefire in Gaza continues. In Gaza, the report finds that ongoing conflict has nearly wiped out children’s access to education and, with it, a key source of identity and stability.
Childhood Disrupted by Hunger and Trauma
Building on a similar study released in 2024, the report documents how war has reshaped nearly every aspect of children’s lives in Gaza. Schools have been destroyed or closed, while violence, hunger, and psychological trauma have eliminated any sense of a normal childhood.
Children described in the study are so depleted that some collapse from exhaustion. Others are told not to play so they can conserve what little energy they have. Before the recent ceasefire, many parents and teachers faced impossible decisions between helping children survive and keeping them in school. Some families were living on as little as a bowl of lentils a day.
Loss of Hope and Faith in the Future
One of the report’s most troubling findings is the erosion of young people’s optimism and trust in global institutions. Witnesses told researchers that children are increasingly angry and losing belief in ideas like peace and human rights. “Students are asking about the reality of those rights. They feel they are killed just for being Gazans,” an international organisation staff member said.
Professor Pauline Rose, Director of the Research for Equitable Access and Learning (REAL) Centre at the University of Cambridge, warned that conditions have sharply worsened. “A year ago we said education was under attack – now children’s lives are on the brink of a complete breakdown,” she said.
Rose added that while Palestinians have shown a strong commitment to education during the war, the growing sense of despair among young people should alarm the international community. “We must do more to support them. We cannot wait.”
A Risk of a Lost Generation
The study was carried out by researchers from the REAL Centre and the Centre for Lebanese Studies, working with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA). It draws on information from UN agencies, charities, and NGOs, as well as interviews with aid workers, officials, teachers, and students.
The authors warn that Gaza faces a serious risk of a “lost” generation due to the combined effects of disrupted education, physical harm, and psychological trauma.
As of 1 October 2025, the UN Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)reported that 18,069 students and 780 education staff had been killed in Gaza, with 26,391 students and 3,211 teachers injured. Save the Children estimates that during the fighting, 15 children suffered life-altering injuries every day.
Teachers interviewed for the study described widespread despair. Some parents asked, “Why should I care about education for my kids if I know they will die from famine?” Focus groups found that children were “afraid of everything,” while another report cited in the study said many felt “like the living dead.”
Years of Learning Already Lost
Researchers estimate that children in Gaza have already missed the equivalent of five full years of education because of repeated school closures since 2020, first due to COVID-19 and later because of war. Although UNRWA and the Palestinian Ministry of Education introduced temporary and remote learning programs, ongoing violence, damaged buildings, and shortages of basic resources have severely limited their reach.
These estimates account for the added impact of trauma and starvation, drawing on established research showing how both interfere with learning. By October 2025, nearly 13,000 children in Gaza had been treated for acute malnutrition, and 147 of them had died.
If schools remain closed until September 2027, the authors calculate that many teenagers could fall as much as ten years behind their expected level of education.
West Bank and East Jerusalem Also Affected
The situation outside Gaza is also severe. In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, 891 students and 28 teachers have been killed or injured by settlers or Israeli forces since October 2023, and hundreds more have been arrested, often for reasons the UN Human Rights Office describes as “arbitrary.” Schools in these areas have faced repeated disruptions, temporary closures, or permanent shutdowns. Children there are estimated to have lost at least 2.5 years of schooling.
Across Palestine, teachers described their profession as deeply demoralized and stretched to a breaking point. One international organisation staff member said educators were “working day and night” to provide any form of learning, with many not taking a single day off in two years.
The Cost of Rebuilding Education
The report estimates that restoring education across Palestine would cost about US$1.38 billion. Yusuf Sayed, Professor of Education at the University of Cambridge, said teachers and counselors continue to show sumood (steadfastness) and dedication to protecting Palestinian identity through education, but warned that the needs are overwhelming. Thousands of additional teachers will be required to replace those lost and to support a full recovery. He stressed that investing in educators is essential to rebuilding the system.
With Gaza’s economy nearly at a standstill, education is expected to rely on foreign aid for the foreseeable future. However, the study points to growing “donor fatigue.” Of the US$230.3 million requested by OCHA for education in 2025, only 5.7% had been received by July, amounting to roughly US$9 per child. Full reconstruction is estimated to require about US$1,155 per person.
Dr. Maha Shuayb, Director of the Centre for Lebanese Studies, emphasized that education must not be sidelined. “Education and children’s services cannot be an afterthought. They are a vital source of stability and care,” she said.
Signs of Hope Amid the Crisis
Despite the bleak findings, the report notes some encouraging developments. During the ceasefire in early 2025, schools reopened quickly, and Tawjihi exams for high school graduates resumed. One teacher described the return of exams and classrooms as “a miracle.”
Photograph of students in a UNRWA temporary school in Gaza, 2025. Credit: UNRWA
Students in a UNRWA temporary school, Gaza 2025. Credit: UNRWA photo