CAIRO – 26 November 2024: Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Badr Abdelatty reiterated Monday in a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken the importance of empowering Lebanese state institutions, mainly the army so it would control the south.
Archiv: besser viel zu spät als nie / wie...JETZT schon?? / the better-late-than-nevers / what? NOW already??
Situation in the State of Palestine: ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I rejects the State of Israel’s challenges to jurisdiction and issues warrants of arrest for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant
Today, on 21 November 2024, Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (‘Court’), in its composition for the Situation in the State of Palestine, unanimously issued two decisions rejecting challenges by the State of Israel (‘Israel’) brought under articles 18 and 19 of the Rome Statute (the ‘Statute’). It also issued warrants of arrest for Mr Benjamin Netanyahu and Mr Yoav Gallant.
Situation in the State of Palestine: ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I issues warrant of arrest for Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri (Deif)
Today, on 21 November 2024, Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (‘Court’), in its composition for the Situation in the State of Palestine, unanimously issued a warrant of arrest for Mr Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri, commonly known as ‘Deif’, for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes committed on the territory of the State of Israel and the State of Palestine from at least 7 October 2023.
The Prosecution had initially filed applications for warrants of arrest for two other senior leaders of Hamas, namely Mr Ismail Haniyeh and Mr Yahya Sinwar. Following confirmation of their deaths, the Chamber granted the withdrawal of the applications on 9 August 2024 and 25 October 2024, respectively. With respect to Mr Deif, the Prosecution indicated that it would continue to gather information with respect to his reported death.
UNESCO Calls Emergency Session for Lebanese Heritage Sites Imperiled by Israeli Bombing
UNESCO’s Special Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property will hold an emergency session on November 18 dedicated to heritage sites in Lebanon as Israel intensifies its bombing of Baalbek, a historic city in eastern Lebanon home to one of the world’s best-preserved Roman ruins.
Malaysia part of group working on UN draft resolution mulling removal of Israel’s UN membership, says Anwar
The proposal, said Anwar, will be made at the Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Nov 11, which he will be attending.
“Malaysia intends to use this meeting to get support from Arab and Muslim nations on this initiative and to prevent the implementation of the Oct 28 decision of the Israeli Parliament to wipe out UNRWA and worsen the humanitarian situation in northern Gaza which has been ridden by famine since basic aid has been cut off,” Anwar said.
Malaysia proposes UN Resolution to address Israel’s membership amid Palestine conflict
Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced this development in the Dewan Rakyat (Parliament) on 4 November stating that the draft resolution is currently undergoing negotiation and is expected to be tabled at the UNGA for approval soon.
On 31 October 2024, Malaysia joined a Core Group tasked with preparing a resolution requesting an Advisory Opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), according to Anwar.
Jordan calls for UN Security Council to impose arms embargo on Israel
Jordan has called on the UN Security Council to impose a total arms embargo on Israel, citing its attacks on Palestinian and Lebanese civilians, UN peacekeepers, journalists, humanitarian workers, and Lebanese soldiers.
„Countries that truly want an end to the dangerous regional escalation and seek peace and security in the Middle East must immediately stop supplying Israel with the weapons it is using in its aggressions,“ Jordan‘s foreign minister Ayman Safadi wrote on X.
Nicaragua breaks diplomatic relations with Israel
Nicaragua is breaking off diplomatic relations with Israel, the Central American nation said on Friday, calling the Israeli government „fascist“ and „genocidal.“
Macron urges halt to arms deliveries to Israel for use in Gaza
Macron reiterated his concern over the conflict in Gaza that is continuing despite repeated calls for a ceasefire. „I think we are not being heard,“ he said. „I think it is a mistake, including for the security of Israel,“ he said, adding that the conflict was leading to „hatred.“ Macron also said avoiding an escalation in Lebanon was a „priority.“ „Lebanon cannot become a new Gaza,“ he added.
Lebanon Army Fires at Israel in First After Soldier’s Death
A military official, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, told AFP this was the first response to Israeli fire since last October because the post had been “directly” hit.
It was the third such killing of a Lebanese soldier since the start of the escalation between the Iran-backed group and Israel on September 23.
Iraq requests urgent Arab League meeting on Lebanon
Qahtan Al-Janabi, Iraq’s permanent representative to the League, told the official Iraqi News Agency (INA) yesterday: “Iraq has requested an urgent meeting at the level of permanent representatives in the Arab League.”
“The meeting will address the situation in Lebanon, particularly concerning the displaced and refugees, and providing assistance to the country.”
Earlier yesterday, the Ministry of Migration announced that 144 Lebanese citizens had entered Iraq via the Al-Qa’im border crossing with Syria, including some wounded.
UN General Assembly demands Israel end ‘unlawful presence’ in Occupied Palestinian Territory
Click here for the full text of the resolution and here for our live coverage of the meeting.
As U.S. readies last cease-fire push, Netanyahu digs in on border demands
As he fights for his political survival, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s insistence on keeping troops on a narrow strip of land along the Gaza-Egypt border has become the main obstacle to a cease-fire and hostage-release agreement with Hamas, according to current and former officials from mediating countries.
After many months of inconclusive talks, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris discussed with advisers on Monday how to move forward with a final “take it or leave it” proposal to present to Israel and Hamas, potentially as soon as this week.
Biden, Harris to huddle with US negotiators for Gaza deal push after hostage killings
(2 September 2024)
US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were scheduled to hold a meeting Monday with hostage negotiators, …
National labor union announces one-day strike: ‘A deal is more important than anything else’
Histadrut Labor Federation chief Arnon Bar-David announces a general strike set for tomorrow over the failure to release hostages held in Gaza, stating that “a deal is more important than anything else.”
Dear High Representative / Vice-President Borrell and Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis,
(August 26, 2024)
Our organizations are writing to request that the European Union take action against the Israeli authorities’ unprecedented killing of journalists and other violations of media freedom, in contravention of Israel’s human rights and international humanitarian law (IHL) obligations. These are part of widespread and systematic abuses committed by Israeli authorities in Gaza, the West Bank, Israel, and elsewhere, as documented or acknowledged by Israeli, Palestinian and international NGOs, UN experts, the International Court of Justice, and in a request for arrest warrants by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. These violations should trigger the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and further EU targeted
sanctions against those responsible. Regrettably, the EU 27 governments are yet to unanimously acknowledge, attribute, and condemn the Israeli forces’ crimes in Gaza.
RSF and 59 other organisations call on EU to suspend Association Agreement with Israel
“It is time to move from verbal condemnations to action. Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement stipulates that their relations are based on an essential component, which is respect for human rights and democratic principles. The Israeli government is clearly trampling on this article. The EU, which is Israel’s leading trade partner, must draw the necessary conclusions from this and must do everything to ensure that the Netanyahu government stops massacring journalists and respects the right to information and press freedom by opening media access to Gaza. The credibility of the EU is at stake.“
Dozens of media associations call on EU to suspend treaty with Israel
„In response to the unprecedented number of journalists killed and other repeated press freedom violations by the Israeli authorities since the start of the war with Hamas, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and 59 other organisations are calling on the European Union to suspend its Association Agreement with Israel and to adopt targeted sanctions against those responsible“, the groups said in a joint statement.
The call came ahead of a meeting by EU foreign ministers in Brussels on 29 August.
60 organizations urge EU action against Israel’s attacks on press freedom
In an urgent appeal, 60 global press freedom and human rights organizations, including the International Press Institute (IPI), are calling on the European Union to take decisive action against Israel for its escalating violations of media freedom and killing of journalists. In a letter addressed to EU leaders, the signatories urge the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and the imposition of targeted sanctions on responsible Israeli officials.
Palestinians want UN General Assembly to seek reconsideration of full membership
General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding — as Security Council resolutions are — but they are a reflection of global opinion.
The United States is scheduled to defend its veto of the widely backed Security Council resolution Wednesday morning in the General Assembly. It would have paved the way for Palestine to become the 194th member of the United Nations.
It began with defiance at Columbia. Now students nationwide are upping their Gaza war protests
What began last week when Columbia University students refused to end their protest against Israel’s war with Hamas had turned into a much larger movement by Tuesday as students across the nation set up encampments, occupied buildings and ignored demands to leave.
UN Security Council to vote Friday on Palestinian UN membership
Council member Algeria, which put forward the draft resolution, had requested a vote for Thursday afternoon to coincide with a Security Council meeting on the Middle East, which is due to be attended by several ministers.
Germany launches new Ukraine air defense initiative, appeals to EU and NATO allies
Berlin has already appealed to EU and NATO partners as well as other unspecified countries, as Russia‘s intensifying aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities continue to highlight the growing shortage of sufficient air defense systems.
A Russian missile attack on the city of Chernihiv on the morning of April 17 killed at least 17 people.
„This would not have happened if Ukraine had received enough air defense equipment and if the world‘s determination to counter Russian terror was also sufficient,“ President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Telegram.
Bundesregierung startet Initiative für mehr Flugabwehr
Die Bundesregierung startet eine neue Initiative, um der Ukraine weiteres Gerät zur Flugabwehr bereitzustellen. Dazu hätten sich Außenministerin Annalena Baerbock und Verteidigungsminister Boris Pistorius an Partner gewandt, teilten Sprecher beider Ministerien mit. Die Adressaten seien Partner bei NATO und Europäischer Union sowie auch Drittstaaten, sagt ein Sprecher des Auswärtigen Amts, ohne dabei konkreter werden zu wollen.
Human Rights Council Adopts Five Resolutions, including a Text Calling for an Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza, Urging States to Prevent the Continued Forcible Transfer of Palestinians Within or From Gaza, and Calling on States to Cease the Sale or Transfer of Arms to Israel
In a resolution (A/HRC/55/L.30) on the Human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and the obligation to ensure accountability and justice, adopted by a vote of 28 in favour, 6 against and 13 abstentions (as orally revised), the Council demands that Israel, the occupying power, end its occupation of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem; also demands that Israel immediately lift its blockade on the Gaza Strip and all other forms of collective punishment; calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, for immediate emergency humanitarian access and assistance, and for the urgent restoration of basic necessities to the Palestinian population in Gaza; calls upon all States to take immediate action to prevent the continued forcible transfer of Palestinians within or from Gaza; calls upon all States to cease the sale, transfer and diversion of arms, munitions and other military equipment to Israel; urges all States to continue to provide emergency assistance to the Palestinian people and calls upon all States to ensure that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East receives predictable sustained and sufficient funding to fulfil its mandate; invites the General Assembly to recommend that the Government of Switzerland promptly convene the Conference of High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Convention on measures to enforce the Convention in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem; requests the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel to report on both the direct and indirect transfer or sale of arms, munitions, parts, components and dual use items to Israel, the occupying power, and to analyse the legal consequences of these transfers, and to present its report to the Council at its fifty-ninth session; requests the Secretary-General to ensure the availability of all additional resources, including through voluntary resources, necessary to enable the Commission of Inquiry to carry out its mandate; requests the Office of the High Commissioner to deploy the additional necessary personnel, expertise and logistics to the occupied Palestinian territory country office to document and pursue accountability for violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law committed in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem; and requests the High Commissioner for Human Rights to report on the implementation of the present resolution to the Council at its fifty-eighth session, to be followed by an interactive dialogue; and decides to remain seized of the matter.
The results of the vote are as follows:
In favour (28): Algeria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Burundi, Chile, China, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Eritrea, Finland, Gambia, Ghana, Honduras, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Morocco, Qatar, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, and Viet Nam.
Against(6): Argentina, Bulgaria, Germany, Malawi, Paraguay and United States.
Abstentions (13): Albania, Benin, Cameroon, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, France, Georgia, India, Japan, Lithuania, Montenegro, Netherlands, and Romania.
Gaza: Human Rights Council resolution urges arms embargo on Israel
(05.04.2024)
The UN’s top human rights body adopted a resolution on Friday condemning the alleged “use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare in Gaza”, while also calling for an arms embargo on Israel.
Hostage Families Unite With Anti-Government Protests, Demanding Action
Tens of thousands of Israelis took to the streets on Saturday night, marking a significant shift in the ongoing protests led by the families of hostages held by Hamas. In an announcement, Eli Albag, whose daughter Liri is among those captured, declared the end of separate gatherings at Hostages’ Square in Tel Aviv. Instead, he urged everyone to merge with the broader anti-government protests, signaling a new phase of intensified demonstrations, a representation of the frustration felt among the families and supporters of the hostages following the government’s inability to secure their release since the outbreak of hostilities on October 7.
Schumer calls for new elections in Israel, warns Netanyahu has ‚lost his way‘
(14.03.2024)
„As a lifelong supporter of Israel, it has become clear to me: The Netanyahu coalition no longer fits the needs of Israel after October 7. The world has changed — radically — since then, and the Israeli people are being stifled right now by a governing vision that is stuck in the past,“ he said.
„At this critical juncture, I believe a new election is the only way to allow for a healthy and open decision-making process about the future of Israel, at a time when so many Israelis have lost their confidence in the vision and direction of their government,“ he said.
(…)
He also called for a two-state solution.
(…)
Schumer also called on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to step aside.
Recognizing Palestinian state is a ‘just cause’ – Spanish PM
“I will propose granting Spain’s recognition to the Palestinian state,” Sanchez said on Saturday at a conference in Bilbao, Spain. “I do this out of moral conviction, for a just cause, and because it is the only way that the two states – Israel and Palestine – can live together in peace.”
Nicaragua files case at World Court against Germany for aiding Israel
Nicaragua has filed a case at the International Court of Justice against Germany for giving financial and military aid to Israel and for defunding the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), the U.N.‘s top court said on Friday.
Nicaragua asked the ICJ, also known as the World Court, to issue emergency measures requiring Berlin to stop its military aid to Israel and reverse its decision to stop funding UNRWA.
Arms exports to Israel must stop immediately: UN experts
(23.02.2024)
“The need for an arms embargo on Israel is heightened by the International Court of Justice’s ruling on 26 January 2024 that there is a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza and the continuing serious harm to civilians since then”, the experts said. The Genocide Convention of 1948 requires States parties to employ all means reasonably available to them to prevent genocide in another state as far as possible. “This necessitates halting arms exports in the present circumstances”, the experts said.
The experts welcomed the suspension of arms transfers to Israel by Belgium, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and the Japanese company Itochu Corporation. The European Union also recently discouraged arms exports to Israel.
The experts urged other States to immediately halt arms transfers to Israel, including export licenses and military aid. The United States and Germany are by far the largest arms exporters and shipments have increased since 7 October 2023.
World Court holds hearings on Israel‘s occupation of Palestinian territories
A record 52 states will present arguments about the legal consequences of Israel‘s occupation of the Palestinian territories at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the U.N.‘s highest legal body
France Says 42 People Evacuated From Gaza
France on Monday evacuated 42 people from Gaza including French nationals and staff of the French cultural institute, the foreign ministry said.
„After a request from France, 42 people today left the Gaza Strip through the Rafa border crossing,“ the ministry said in a statement. It added that more than 200 people have now left the stricken territory following official French requests.
UK slaps sanctions on West Bank settlers for ‘egregious’ violence, following US move
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said the four targeted Israeli settlers, one of whom was also included in the US sanctions, were involved in “egregious abuses of human rights.”
“Extremist Israeli settlers are threatening Palestinians, often at gunpoint, and forcing them off land that is rightfully theirs,” he added. “This behavior is illegal and unacceptable.”
Nicaragua taking Germany, Canada, UK, Netherlands to ICJ for genocide
The executive authority in Nicaragua published an official statement in which it revealed that it warned the governments of said Western powers that they might be jointly complicit in the „flagrant and systemic violations“ of the Convention on Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and international humanitarian law in the Gaza Strip.
Nicaragua, South Africa Pressure Gov’ts Through International Courts
Nicaragua could move to take Germany, Canada, the U.K. and the Netherlands to the International Court of Justice over their role in aiding Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Nicaragua called on the four nations to immediately stop providing arms, munitions and technology to the Israeli army.
Executive Order on Imposing Certain Sanctions on Persons Undermining Peace, Security, and Stability in the West Bank
I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, find that the situation in the West Bank — in particular high levels of extremist settler violence, forced displacement of people and villages, and property destruction — has reached intolerable levels and constitutes a serious threat to the peace, security, and stability of the West Bank and Gaza, Israel, and the broader Middle East region. These actions undermine the foreign policy objectives of the United States, including the viability of a two-state solution and ensuring Israelis and Palestinians can attain equal measures of security, prosperity, and freedom. They also undermine the security of Israel and have the potential to lead to broader regional destabilization across the Middle East, threatening United States personnel and interests. For these reasons, these actions constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. I hereby declare a national emergency to deal with that threat. Accordingly, I hereby order:
Section 1. All property and interests in property that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of any United States person, including any foreign branch, of the following persons are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in:
(a) any foreign person determined by the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, or the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State:
(i) to be responsible for or complicit in, or to have directly or indirectly engaged or attempted to engage in, any of the following:
(A) actions — including directing, enacting, implementing, enforcing, or failing to enforce policies — that threaten the peace, security, or stability of the West Bank; or
(B) planning, ordering, otherwise directing, or participating in any of the following actions affecting the West Bank:
(1) an act of violence or threat of violence targeting civilians;
(2) efforts to place civilians in reasonable fear of violence with the purpose or effect of necessitating a change of residence to avoid such violence;
(3) property destruction; or
(4) seizure or dispossession of property by private actors;
(ii) to be or have been a leader or official of:
(A) an entity, including any government entity, that has engaged in, or whose members have engaged in, any of the activities described in subsections (a) or (b) of this section related to the leader’s or official’s tenure; or
(B) an entity whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order as a result of activities relating to the leader’s or official’s tenure;
(iii) to have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, any person blocked pursuant to this order; or
(iv) to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person blocked pursuant to this order; or
(b) any foreign person determined by the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury:
(i) to have committed or have attempted to commit, to pose a significant risk of committing, or to have participated in training to commit acts of terrorism affecting the West Bank; or
(ii) to be a leader or official of an entity sanctioned pursuant to subsection (b)(i) of this section.
Biden issues executive order targeting violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank
The order targets four individuals accused of directly perpetrating violence or intimidation in the West Bank, a senior administration official said, including people accused of initiating and leading a riot; setting buildings, fields and vehicles on fire; assaulting civilians and damaging property.
The State Department announced the names of the Israelis targeted by the executive order, which blocks their financial assets and bars them from coming to the US. They are David Chai Chasdai, Einan Tanjil, Shalom Zicherman and Yinon Levi.