(October 29, 2024)
Delays in the Palestine investigation trace back to 2015 when former ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda initiated a preliminary examination. Although the investigation met the necessary criteria in 2019, it was postponed due to jurisdiction debates over Palestinian territories. The formal investigation began in March 2021, yet no meaningful progress has been made, further delaying requests against Netanyahu and Gallant.
(May 28, 2024)
Thanks to their comprehensive access to Palestinian telecoms infrastructure, the sources said, intelligence operatives could capture the calls without installing spyware on the ICC official’s devices.
“If Fatou Bensouda spoke to any person in the West Bank or Gaza, then that phone call would enter [intercept] systems,” one source said. Another said there was no hesitation internally over spying on the prosecutor, adding: “With Bensouda, she’s black and African, so who cares?”
The surveillance system did not capture calls between ICC officials and anyone outside Palestine. However, multiple sources said the system required the active selection of the overseas phone numbers of ICC officials whose calls Israeli intelligence agencies decided to listen to.
According to one Israeli source, a large whiteboard in an Israeli intelligence department contained the names of about 60 people under surveillance – half of them Palestinians and half from other countries, including UN officials and ICC personnel.
In The Hague, Bensouda and her senior staff were alerted by security advisers and via diplomatic channels that Israel was monitoring their work.
(May 28, 2024)
Die Haftbefehle für Benjamin Netanyahu und Yoav Gallant, die der internationale Strafgerichtshof (IStGH) letzte Woche ausgeschrieben hatte, beziehen sich zwar auf Verbrechen, die die israelische Führung während des neuen Gaza-Krieges begangen haben soll, die Untersuchungen begannen aber bereits 2015.
Damals eröffnete die damalige Chefanklägerin des Internationalen Strafgerichtshofs, Fatou Bensouda, die Überprüfung von Vorwürfen gegen Einzelpersonen im Gazastreifen, im Westjordanland und in Ostjerusalem.
(May 28, 2024)
The former head of the Mossad, Israel’s foreign intelligence agency, allegedly threatened a chief prosecutor of the international criminal court in a series of secret meetings in which he tried to pressure her into abandoning a war crimes investigation, the Guardian can reveal.
Yossi Cohen’s covert contacts with the ICC’s then prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, took place in the years leading up to her decision to open a formal investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in occupied Palestinian territories.
That investigation, launched in 2021, culminated last week when Bensouda’s successor, Karim Khan, announced that he was seeking an arrest warrant for the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, over the country’s conduct in its war in Gaza.
(…)
After the surprise meeting with Kabila and Bensouda in New York, Cohen repeatedly phoned the chief prosecutor and sought meetings with her, three sources recalled. According to two people familiar with the situation, at one stage Bensouda asked Cohen how he had obtained her phone number, to which he replied: “Did you forget what I do for a living?”
A Knesset committee session on a controversial bill that proposes deporting relatives of terrorists erupted into a heated altercation, involving shouting and personal insults. The session escalated after MK Ofer Cassif opposed the bill, leading to a tense exchange with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who labeled Cassif a “terrorist.”
The bill would give authority to the interior minister, after holding an arraignment, to expel the family member “to the territory of the Gaza Strip, or a different expulsion destination, depending on the circumstances.” The expulsion would apply for seven to 15 years for an Israeli citizen and 10 to 20 years for a noncitizen. According to the bill, the Israel Police has “all of the authorities given to it by law, including the authority to enter any place, remove from it any person, and use reasonable force to do so.”
The debate before the vote was heated, as far-right MKs who supported the bill accused MK Ofer Cassif (Hadash), who opposed the bill, of being a “terrorism supporter.” At one point, Knesset ushers had to physically stand between Cassif and MK Almog Cohen (Otzma Yehudit) who brutally attacked the Communist lawmaker.
As Cassif entered the hearing, a woman told the Cassif that he should be “ashamed of his position,” and far-right lawmakers began shouting at Cassif, with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir calling him a “terrorist.” As Cassif addressed the committee, which he called a “gathering of fascists,” lawmakers screamed at him to leave and called on chairman Ofir Katz (Likud) to have him removed from the room. “Lucky you didn’t bring your pager,” one MK quipped, referring to the mass attack attributed to Israel that saw thousands of Hezbollah pagers explode on the men carrying them.”
Auch Bundesinnenministerin Nancy Faeser (SPD) warnte vor den zunehmenden Gefahren durch russische Geheimdienst-Aktivitäten in Deutschland. „Wir sehen, dass Putins Regime immer aggressiver agiert“, sagte Faeser dem „Handelsblatt“. Der CDU-Politiker Roderich Kiesewetter warnte in diesem Zusammenhang auch vor Gewalttaten: „Sabotage und gezielte Mordanschläge sind deshalb wahrscheinlich“, sagte er ebenfalls dem „Handelsblatt“.
Nach Informationen der Nachrichtenagentur dpa bestand der glückliche Zufall darin, dass der Weiterflug des aus dem Baltikum stammenden Frachtpakets sich in Leipzig verzögerte. Das Paket hatte einen Brandsatz enthalten, der dort zündete und einen Frachtcontainer in Brand setzte. In Sicherheitskreisen wird davon ausgegangen, dass der Vorfall im Zusammenhang mit russischer Sabotage steht.
„Der Kreml sieht den Westen und damit auch Deutschland als Gegner“, warnte auch Bruno Kahl, Präsident des Bundesnachrichtendienstes (BND), mit Hinweis auf den Ukraine-Krieg.
(…)
Alle drei Geheimdienst-Spitzen mahnten, dass die Sicherheitsdienste mit den nötigen Kompetenzen ausgestattet werden müssten, um die Gefahren abwehren zu können. Rosenberg sagte, sie hoffe auf „eine Realitätsanpassung der Gesetzeslage, um unseren Auftrag bestmöglich erfüllen zu können“.
Am Freitag hatte Nordkorea behauptet, dass Südkorea in diesem Monat dreimal Drohnen für Flugblattaktionen in den Luftraum über der Hauptstadt geschickt habe. Zudem bekräftigte das Regime seine Bereitschaft, auf jede ernsthafte politische oder militärische Provokation des Südens mit voller militärischer Stärke zu reagieren.
Der Vereinigte Generalstab (JCS) in Seoul erklärte daraufhin, die Behauptungen Nordkoreas nicht bestätigen zu können.
According to the Mission, at about 04:30 (local time), while peacekeepers were in shelters, two IDF Merkava tanks destroyed the main gate and entered the position.
“They requested multiple times that the base turn out its lights,” UNIFIL said in a statement.
The tanks left about 45 minutes later after the Mission protested through its liaison mechanism, saying that IDF presence was putting peacekeepers in danger.
At around 06:40, peacekeepers at the same position reported the firing of several rounds 100 metres (about 110 yards) north, which emitted smoke.
“Despite putting on protective masks, fifteen peacekeepers suffered effects, including skin irritation and gastrointestinal reactions, after the smoke entered the camp,” UNIFIL reported.
The affected peacekeepers are receiving treatment.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday called on the United Nations to immediately pull its peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon from areas where Israel is battling Hezbollah, saying that the terror group is using the international troops as “human shields.”
Netanyahu’s comments came as the UN peacekeeping force said two Israel Defense Forces tanks had entered a United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon position Sunday.
An Israeli strike hit an industrial area 500 metres from Beirut airport buildings, a security source told Reuters, saying it was the closest strike yet to the airport.
The source said the area hit was full of car repair garages.
The boss of Lebanon‘s national carrier Middle East Airlines Mohammad al-Hout said the airport was operating normally.
The Israeli army on Saturday hacked into the control tower of Beirut‘s Rafic Hariri International Airport, issuing threats against an Iranian civilian aircraft attempting to land, according to official sources.
The Lebanese Ministry of Transport instructed airport authorities to prevent the Iranian plane from entering Lebanese airspace following Israeli threats to target the aircraft if it landed at the airport.
CNN Senior International Correspondent Ben Wedeman reacts to Israeli jets flying over Beirut, Lebanon, as Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah delivered an address in response to a wave of explosions across the country.
(September 5, 2024)
“You cannot allow an attack on the court,” Khan said. “Then you have no rules-based system.”*
https://aje.io/7u2xai?update=3158140
* Which is exactly what Russia Israel & US want; hence the „Hague Invasion Act“
#US #Russia #Israel #ICC ..
The Israeli Likud Party Knesset Member Revital Gotliv requested the death sentence or life imprisonment for Yuli Novak, the executive director of the Israeli rights group B’Tselem, for what she labeled as “the suspected serious crime of assistance to the enemy in war,” the Anadolu news agency reported.
Gotliv reportedly made her request in a letter addressed to the Israeli Chief Police Commissioner Daniel Levy, in which she demanded the detention and interrogation of Novak.
The move followed a speech delivered by Novak on September 4 at the United Nations Security Council.
“You cannot allow an attack on the court,” Khan said. “Then you have no rules-based system.”*
https://aje.io/7u2xai?update=3158140
* Which is exactly what Russia Israel & US want; hence the „Hague Invasion Act“
#US #Russia #Israel #ICC ..
Though several months have passed since Khan‘s application, ICC judges have not issued any arrest warrants.
Speaking to the BBC, Khan said it was important to show the court would hold all nations to the same standard in relation to alleged war crimes. He also welcomed the new UK government‘s recent decision to drop its opposition to the arrest warrants.
Khan pointed out that the same political leaders who had applauded the court’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin had condemned the same being done for the Israeli leadership.
“We need to apply the law in a way that is equal, because if we don’t, and importantly if we’re not seen to, we’re going to lose all the architecture, not just the ICC, that has been built on human suffering since Nuremberg.”
Der Chefankläger des Internationalen Strafgerichtshofs (IStGH) hat die beantragten Haftbefehle gegen Israels Regierungschef Benjamin Netanjahu und Verteidigungsminister Joav Galant verteidigt. Ihm sei von mehreren führenden Politikern und anderen von dem Schritt abgeraten worden, sagte Karim Khan in einem BBC-Interview. Es sei aber wichtig zu zeigen, dass für alle Länder die gleichen Maßstäbe gälten, wenn es um mutmaßliche Kriegsverbrechen gehe.
(18-04-2024)
“If the Zionist regime (Israel) wants to take action against our nuclear centres and facilities, it will definitely and surely face our reaction,” the official news agency IRNA quoted Haghtalab as saying.
“For the counterattack, the nuclear facilities of the (Israeli) regime will be targeted and operated upon with advanced weaponry.”
Das Problem allerdings sind die russischen Soldaten, von denen laut dem britischen Verteidigungsministerium schätzungsweise 70’000 getötet und 250’000 verwundet worden sind. Viele Russen befürchten daher eine neue Mobilmachung. «Putin weiss zwar um die gesellschaftlichen Risiken einer solch unpopulären Massnahme, dennoch ist eine neue Teilmobilmachung in den nächsten Monaten wahrscheinlich», meint Schmid. Hunderttausende von Reservisten könnten eingezogen und an die Front in der Ukraine geschickt werden.
Racist National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir appears to threaten Hadash MK Ayman Odeh with impeachment, tweeting out a picture of him with the message “next in line.” The photo shared by Ben Gvir shows Odeh holding the arm of Khalida Jarrar, a legislator and senior figure in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, as she flashes a victory sign following her release from prison in September 2021. On last December 27, Jarrar was arrested again by occupation forces.
The far-right leader’s message comes hours after members of the Knesset House Committee overwhelmingly supported a motion to expel Hadash-Ta’al party lawmaker Ofer Cassif, voting 14-2 to advance his impeachment to the Knesset plenum following two days of contentious debate. During Tuesday’s debate on Cassif’s impeachment, Hadash-Ta’al MK Ahmad Tibi warned the Communist lawmaker’s ouster would “set a precedent” allowing for the impeachment of “all the Arab MKs in the Knesset.” “This is a black day for the Knesset,” Tibi declares following the vote.
„No more deaths, no more bombs …free Gaza,“ state Greens MP Gabrielle de Vietri told the crowd.
„A temporary ceasefire is just the bare minimum of what must happen, and the Greens have been unequivocal in their calls not only for a ceasefire but for a lasting and just peace for Palestine.“
One of the speakers, Independent senator Lidia Thorpe, spoke of how she had been in police protection in recent weeks and had been trapped in her home for five months.
#Lebanon calls it the most dangerous chapter of Israeli attacks on its sovereignty as it hit a crowded residential area of its capital and says pressure must be put on Israel „in order to prevent the conflict from escalating and plunging the entire region into a comprehensive and destructive war that will be difficult to contain.“ The letter adds that „this is a matter of concern because it may lead to an expansion of the conflict and destabilize regional peace and security. Once again, Israel provides clear evidence of its commitment to pursuing a policy of aggression and violence in resolving conflicts“ which is contrary with the principles of the UN Charter. The letter also notes continuing threats by Israeli officials that they could destroy Lebanon.
“The judiciary views very severely the leak of parts of draft rulings that have not been completed,” acting Supreme Court President Uzi Vogelman said of the leak. “The attempt to influence pending proceedings and to harm public trust in the judiciary and its dedicated judges and employees will not succeed.” The final ruling is expected to arrive midway through January.
The report drew immediate, heated reactions, with coalition members chastising the expected decision and casting it as undermining the national unity being displayed during the ongoing war against Hamas. The group that petitioned for the law to be nullified claimed the leak was an attempt to intimidate the justices and push them to change their ruling and not void the legislation.
Palestinian terror group Hamas has a “clear presence” in all Gaza hospitals, said Maj. Gen. Yaron Finkelman, head of the IDF Southern Command, on Friday.
Finkelman carried out an assessment at al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, telling troops, “We see the presence of Hamas in all hospitals, it is a clear presence. They make cynical use of the hospitals, like here in the heart of Shifa.”
The vicinities of Shifa and Al Quds hospitals in Gaza city and of the Indonesian hospital in northern Gaza, have been bombarded over the weekend, UN humanitarian affairs coordination office OCHA said.
This followed renewed calls by the Israeli military to evacuate these facilities immediately,” OCHA added.
“Palestinian and Israeli civilians have suffered enough”, UN relief chief Martin Griffiths wrote on social platform X on Monday. He revealed that he is in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory and “will be discussing with the leadership of both parties how we can ramp up the humanitarian response”.
(28.10.2023)
Reports of bombardment near the Indonesia and Al Shifa hospitals are gravely concerning. WHO reiterates that it is impossible to evacuate patients without endangering their lives. Hospitals across Gaza are already operating at maximum capacity due to the injuries sustained in weeks of unrelenting bombardment, and are unable to absorb a dramatic rise in the number of patients, while sheltering thousands of civilians.
Der SWR bekam eine Droh-Mail, wie sie laut Polizeiangaben wortgleich auch an viele andere Einrichtungen am Dienstag gegangen ist. Die E-Mail war kurz und allgemein formuliert, ohne eine persönliche Anrede. Außerdem war die Drohung nicht auf Deutsch verfasst, sondern in einer anderen Sprache.
The Israeli military has informed Palestinians in Gaza that they would be identified as „a partner in a terrorist organisation“ if they didn‘t follow forced displacement orders and move south.
The threatening leaflets, which were dropped by drones on Saturday, come after Israel ordered 1.1 million residents in the northern part of the Gaza Strip to move to the south, with no guarantee of safety or return.
He is the only ultra-Orthodox journalist in the country who considers non-Jews to be human, hence he must be silenced