Dec 15, 2025 #ABCNewsIndepth #ABCNewsAustralia
Australia is in shock following the terror attack at Bondi Beach that left 15 people dead. In an extended program of 7.30, we look at how the attack unfolded, hear from community leaders and people who were there. Plus, Sarah Ferguson interviews the Prime Minister and NSW Premier.
Archiv: validations / auditing / oversight / probes / investigations / inquiries / and criminal investigations by state authorities
Admiral ousted by Hegseth talks privately to lawmakers
(December 9, 2025)
Adm. Alvin Holsey, who was pushed out of his post as the top U.S. military commander overseeing operations in Latin America, spoke privately with several lawmakers on Tuesday, according to three people familiar with the meeting — an indication that Congress is quietly pursuing a bipartisan inquiry into the Sept. 2 boat strike in the Caribbean Sea.
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Also on Tuesday, House and Senate leaders known as the „Gang of Eight“ are hearing separately from President Donald Trump‘s national security team: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Pete Hegseth faces deepening scrutiny from Congress over boat strikes
Trump, a Republican, has largely stood by his defense secretary, among the most important Cabinet-level positions. But the decisions by Wicker, alongside House Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers of Alabama and the top Democrats on the committees, to open investigations provide a rare moment of Congress asserting itself and its authority to conduct oversight of the Trump administration.
Donald Trump Faces Growing Republican Backlash Over Foreign Policy Moves
Some conservative and libertarian-minded Republicans have broken with Trump over his approach to Venezuela. Many Republicans have embraced an “America First” view of foreign policy and oppose regime change in other countries if they do not believe it benefits Americans.
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Trump’s proposal for a peace deal on the Russia-Ukraine war has also drawn scrutiny. Critics have raised concerns that the deal may be too favorable to Russia, pointing to proposals that Ukraine would give up the eastern Donbas region and shrink its army to end a war started by Russia more than three years ago.
Boat Strike Revelations Draw Bipartisan Outrage, Spurring Push for Hearings as Soon as ‘Next Week’
Lawmakers from both parties were raising the term “war crime” on Monday, as pressure mounts on the Trump Administration to release military video evidence and explain the legal basis for its escalating campaign in the Caribbean.
In the Senate, the calls for oversight were coalescing around Senator Roger Wicker, the Mississippi Republican who is chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and has already directed an inquiry to the Pentagon and pledged “vigorous oversight to determine the facts related to these circumstances.” Several Senate Democrats told TIME on Monday that they have confidence in Wicker leading the investigation into the strike, but urged him to move quickly.
US official says shooting suspect was vetted by intel agencies and “clean on all checks”
At the time, the CIA would have done its own vetting of him through a variety of databases, including the National Counterterrorism Center database, to see if he had any known ties to terrorist groups. The CIA did its own vetting before he started working with them and kept the identities of those they worked with secret, the official said.
NCTC would have vetted him again during Operation Allies Welcome in 2021 for any ties to terrorism before he was allowed into the US. He was clean then as well and did not show any ties to terror organizations, per the senior US official.
In clash with Zamir, Katz orders re-evaluation of external probe of IDF’s Oct.7 investigations
Additionally, Katz says that his position, whereby officers who served in the Southern Command on October 7 will not be promoted, “remains unchanged.” This comes after Zamir ruled that there was no issue with the promotion of three senior officers, whose promotions were previously held up or canceled by Katz.
Israel’s army chief dismisses officers for ‘failure to prevent’ 7 October attack
(November 23, 2025)
Israeli chief of staff Eyal Zamir on Sunday dismissed senior officers in the military over „failure to prevent“ the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas, local media reported.
Zamir ended the service of several retired generals, including the former Military Intelligence chief Aharon Haliva, former Southern Command chief Yaron Finkelman, and former Operations Directorate chief Oded Basyuk, according to the public broadcaster KAN.
The report said that Zamir also dismissed Gaza Division reserve commander Avi Rosenfeld, while the division’s intelligence officer was expelled from the army altogether.
Protesters in Tel Aviv, including opposition leaders, demand Oct. 7 state inquiry
(November 22, 2025)
The protest was organized for the second straight week by the October Council, which is made up of families who lost loved ones in the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack and are demanding a state probe.
In attendance was former prime minister Naftali Bennett, who is considered the most credible challenger to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Also at the protest were Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, and MKs Benny Gantz, Gadi Eisenkot and Yair Golan, all of whom lead centrist or left-wing parties opposed to Netanyahu.
To uncover the truth: Bereaved families establish the ‚October Council‘
(November 5, 2025)
„This issue is not political.“ I am a Zionist. We are a people who study and grapple with the truth. To this day, Jews sit in pairs every day and seek answers. Even to the most difficult questions. There is no disagreement here; we all want to learn from our experience of October 7th. I join the 85% of Israeli citizens who are calling for the establishment of an immediate and proper state commission of inquiry to investigate everything and everyone.
High Court orders government to explain why it’s not launching Oct. 7 state inquiry
The court demanded to know why the government is not exercising its authority to establish such a commission, which could “examine in an independent, professional, and impartial manner” the events surrounding the October 7 attacks.
Preliminary orders switch the burden of proof from the petitioner, in this case several liberal watchdog groups, to the respondent — the government — and indicate that the court is taking the petitions very seriously.
The government has until January 4 to respond.
Legal team presents new evidence of torture of Palestinian prisoners to ICC
New evidence regarding the torture of Palestinian prisoners whose mutilated bodies were returned by Israel was presented at the International Criminal Court by a legal team representing the victims of the genocide in Gaza.
Al Jazeera Arabic reported that evidence regarding the targeting of journalists was added to the ongoing series of legal efforts to prosecute Israel in the International court since 2008.
According to the report, documented medical evidence was presented by doctors and forensic experts through detailed reports, photos, videos, and family testimonies.
Clear evidence of brutal torture: Condition of Palestinian bodies released from Israeli prisons demands urgent int’l investigation
(October 16, 2025)
Euro-Med Monitor’s field team monitored the Israeli authorities’ handover of the bodies of 120 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), delivered in three consecutive batches: 45 on Tuesday, 45 on Wednesday, and 30 on Thursday, including dozens of unidentified remains.
Medical examinations, forensic reports, and observations by the field team revealed conclusive evidence that many victims were killed after being detained. Their bodies bore clear marks of hanging, rope imprints around their necks, injuries from close-range gunfire, bound hands and feet with plastic restraints, and blindfolds. Some bodies were crushed under tank tracks, while others showed severe signs of physical torture, fractures, burns, and deep wounds.
Dr. Munir Al-Bursh, Director General of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, said: “The bodies we received were bound like animals, blindfolded, and bore horrific signs of torture and burns that reveal the extent of the crimes committed in secret. They did not die naturally; they were executed after being restrained. These people were not buried underground, they were kept in the occupation’s refrigerators for long months.”
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US appoints Steven Fagin as ‚civilian lead‘ for Gaza ceasefire oversight body
US State Department said on Friday that Steve Fagin, a career diplomat, will work alongside US Army Lieutenant General Patrick Frank, the military head already appointed to the hub set up after the October 10 ceasefire.
Some 200 US troops were sent to the centre, set up in a rented warehouse, where they work with soldiers from Israel and European countries, representatives of the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, and personnel from the United Nations and aid groups.
Hamas delegation to meet Qatari, Egyptian officials in Cairo
A Hamas delegation is set to meet Qatari and Egyptian officials in Cairo on Monday to discuss the Gaza ceasefire, AFP reported.
The reports said the delegation, headed by Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya, will discuss „the dozens of air strikes that killed dozens in the Gaza Strip“ on Sunday.
US Vice President Vance to arrive in Israel on Tuesday, Israel Airports Authority says
Today, 1:49 pm
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Israel Airports Authority says traffic disruptions around the airport are expected between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. local time and that some flights are scheduled to be moved to another terminal.
Neither the White House nor the Prime Minister’s Office has confirmed the trip.
Witkoff, Kushner land in Israel amid push to safeguard Gaza ceasefire
Today, 10:34 am
US special envoy Steve Witkoff and top White House advisor Jared Kushner land in Israel, the US Embassy tells The Times of Israel.
Their visit is part of a concerted US push to keep the fledgling ceasefire in Gaza from fraying further, a day after two IDF troops were killed in a Hamas attack and Israel responded with airstrikes across the Strip.
Exclusive: Met Police appoint prosecutor to ‚urgently review‘ application for Israeli president‘s arrest
On Tuesday morning pro-Palestine campaign group Friends of Al-Aqsa (FOA) instructed a legal team to apply for an arrest warrant to be issued for Herzog on „charges of aiding, abetting or procuring direct and indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian objects“.
The Met responded to FOA that afternoon in an email seen by MEE.
In the email, officers confirmed that „the Counter Terrorism Division received the papers relating to your request in respect of Mr Herzog.
2022 missile explosion in Poland
On 15 November 2022, a missile struck Polish territory, in the village of Przewodów near the border with Ukraine, killing two people.[1][2][3] The incident occurred during attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure by Russia.[4][5] It was the first incident of a foreign missile (as opposed to prior UAV incursion) hitting NATO territory during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[6][7] Initially Ukraine accused Russia of striking Poland,[8] while United States claimed that the missile was likely to have been an air defence missile fired by Ukrainian forces at an incoming Russian missile.[9][10][11] This was later confirmed in September 2023 by the Polish Prosecutor‘s Office, which stated that the explosion was caused by an out of control air-defence S-300 missile.
Corbyn-led tribunal accuses UK of complicity in Gaza genocide
On June 4, Corbyn tabled a bill in the House of Commons calling for an independent inquiry into the UK’s involvement in Israeli military operations in Gaza, including the supply of weapons, surveillance aircraft and the use of Royal Air Force bases. That bill, backed by dozens of MPs and supported by more than 20 aid groups, was ultimately blocked by the ruling Labour Party.
“If the government won’t organise a public open inquiry, if Parliament won’t effectively inquire into what’s going on, it remains for us to do it,” said Corbyn. “This [event] will strengthen our arguments both in Parliament and outside … An awful lot of what’s going on is completely illegal and shouldn’t be hidden from.”
The Gaza Tribunal: Inquiry into British Complicity
Find out more about the inquiry into Britain‘s role in Israeli war crimes in Gaza.
IAGS Resolution on the Situation in Gaza
Therefore, the International Association of Genocide Scholars:
Declares that Israel’s policies and actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide in Article II of the United Nations Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948);
Declares that Israel’s policies and actions in Gaza constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity as defined in international humanitarian law and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court;
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Calls upon the state parties of the International Criminal Court to comply with their obligations, cooperate with the Court, and surrender any individual subject to an arrest warrant;
Calls upon all states to actively pursue policies to ensure respect for their obligations under international law, including under the Genocide Convention, the Arms Trade Treaty and international humanitarian law, with regards to Israel and Palestine
Leading genocide scholars organization says Israeli action in Gaza is genocide
The determination by the International Association of Genocide Scholars — which has around 500 members worldwide, including a number of Holocaust experts — could serve to further isolate Israel in global public opinion and adds to a growing chorus of organizations that have used the term for Israel’s actions in Gaza. Israel has repeatedly rejected the accusation.
Israel’s Policies and Actions in Gaza ‘Meet Legal Definition of Genocide,’ Says Association of Scholars
The International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) has passed a resolution stating that Israel’s “policies and actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide.”
Citing “Article II of the United Nations Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide” within its findings, the resolution argues that Israel‘s actions in response to the terrorist attack committed by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, have not only been directed against Hamas “but have also targeted the entire Gazan population.”
Membership: Committee on Enforced Disappearances
Current members
Name of Member Nationality Term expires (30 June)
Mr. Juan Pablo ALBAN ALENCASTRO (Rapporteur) Ecuador 2029
Mr. Yakouma Jean de Dieu BAMBARA Burkina Faso 2029
Ms. Marija DEFINIS Croatia 2029
Mr. Matar DIOP (Vice Chair) Senegal 2027
Mr. Olivier de FROUVILLE (Chair) France 2027
Mr. Fidelis KANYONGOLO Malawi 2027
Ms. Barbara LOCHBIHLER Germany 2027
Mr. Elías Ricardo SOLÍS GONZÁLEZ Panama 2029
Mr. Paulo de TARSO VANNUCHI Brazil 2029
Ms. Carmen Rosa VILLA QUINTANA
Members: Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances
Ms Aua Balde (Guinea-Bissau), appointed in 2020
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Ms. Gabriella Citroni (Italy), Chairperson, appointed in 2021
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Ms. Grażyna Baranowska (Poland), Vice-Chairperson, appointed in 2022
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Ms. Ana Lorena Delgadillo Perez (Mexico), appointed in 2023
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Mr. Mohammed Al-Obaidi (Iraq), appointed in 2024
UN experts decry ‚enforced disappearances‘ of Gazans at food aid sites
(today)
Israel’s military was reportedly “directly involved in the enforced disappearances of people seeking aid”, said the statement signed by the five members of the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, along with Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on rights in the Palestinian territories, and her counterpart on the right to food, Michael Fakhri.
Palestinians distraught over relatives missing at deadly Gaza aid sites
(August 4, 2025)
Many families face an agonising wait to find out why their loved ones never returned from distribution sites run by the notorious GHF.
UN Urged to Act as Palestinians Vanish at US-Israeli Backed Aid Sites in Gaza
(August 5, 2025)
Three of the five individuals are confirmed to have been taken by Israeli forces, the groups report, while the Israeli military denies involvement in the other two cases, including that of a 16-year-old student. The army said it would only launch an investigation if official ID numbers for the individuals were provided.
„These disappearances are just the beginning,“ the groups said in a joint statement. „We fear this is only the tip of the iceberg.“