Latest news with #GenocideConvention
Saba Yemen
2 days ago
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
"HASHD" calls for immediate halt to US-Israeli aid distribution mechanism
Gaza – Saba: The International Commission to Support the Rights of the Palestinian People (HASHD) has called for an immediate halt to the US-Israeli aid distribution mechanism and the ongoing killing of starving civilians. During a press conference held on Thursday at Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City, the commission urged international intervention to stop the genocide and ensure the flow of humanitarian aid. In its statement, HASHD addressed the genocide crimes committed against the people of Gaza, particularly the killing of starving civilians who had gathered near US-Israeli aid distribution centers. The statement emphasized that humanity stands at a critical crossroads, witnessing the continuous and grave crimes committed by Israeli occupation forces against Palestinian civilians in Gaza. These crimes have persisted without interruption since October 7, 2023—over 630 days—constituting one of the most horrific genocides in modern history. It highlighted the unprecedented catastrophic conditions in Gaza, where Israel's war machine has systematically destroyed civilian houses, shelters, displacement tents, infrastructure, hospitals, and schools. Israel's suffocating blockade has led to widespread famine, severe shortages of water, medicine, and other basic necessities. The statement stressed that the Israeli occupation is implementing a systematic policy of starvation, control over civilians, and the use of aid as a tool for blackmail, demographic manipulation, and warfare. These actions, it said, constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, representing a blatant violation of international humanitarian law—particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention and the Genocide Convention—as well as the rulings of the International Court of Justice. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print more of (International)
The National
3 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Commons committee sets out 'concerns' over arms exports to Israel
The International Development Committee sent an eight-page letter to Jonathan Reynolds and Foreign Secretary David Lammy over the decision to exempt components for F-35 fighter jets from suspended arms exports to Israel. The committee raised fears that those weapons components could be used in attacks by Israel on aid workers and humanitarian infrastructure on Gaza. Chair Sarah Champion, Labour MP for Rotherham, wrote: 'As the Committee identified in its report, there are a number of avenues for accountability in response to violations of IHL (international humanitarian law), including the suspension of arms export licences. READ MORE: Patrick Harvie and Angus Robertson face-off over Israel divestment 'I remain concerned that there is a real risk that weapon components, manufactured in the UK, could be used in attacks, including those on aid workers or humanitarian infrastructure.' The MP noted that Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty previously claimed that stopping F-35 exports to Israel would require the 'entire programme' to be suspended as it is 'highly integrated'. However, Champion insisted it was 'fundamental' that the UK Government adheres to international law. 'I am concerned by the decision to exempt F-35 components from the suspension of arms export licences, given your assessment that there are 'clear risks' of serious violations of IHL by Israel in Gaza,' she wrote. The MP then noted the UK's obligations under the Genocide Convention, asking if ministers accepted that the duty to prevent genocide has been triggered. She asked: 'If so, at what point was this duty triggered? If not, why not?' Champion also noted the UK Government's obligations under the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) which states that it is 'strictly prohibited' for a state transferring arms where the transfer would 'violate its relevant international obligations under international agreements to which it is a Party'. Exports are also banned if the arms 'would be used in the commission of genocide, crimes against humanity, grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions of 1949, attacks directed against civilian objects or civilians protected as such, or other war crimes,' Champion added. The MP put several questions to ministers, including if it accepts exporting F-35 components is incompatible with its international legal obligations, and if it accepts Israel is using the components to commit war crimes. Another question asks: 'What legal authority does the Government rely upon to support its position that a positive contribution to peace and security is to be balanced against a clear risk of the arms being used to commit serious violations of IHL/IHRL?' READ MORE: YouGov poll predicts result in every Scottish seat – see the full map Champion asked the ministers to reply by July 11. The UK Government has been contacted for comment. It comes as a legal challenge over the UK's arms exports to Israel is currently underway. We told in January how the Labour Government refused to review Israel's access to F-35 parts exported from the UK despite evidence that the planes have been used to bomb 'safe zones' in Gaza. In September 2024, Labour blocked around 30 of 350 UK arms export licences to Israel after accepting that there existed a 'clear risk that they might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law'. However, parts for F-35 fighter jets were specifically excluded – despite media confirmation that the jets had been used by Israel to bomb the Al-Mawasi humanitarian zone in Gaza in July 2024.
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Health
- Express Tribune
Over 40 killed in Sudan hospital strike as conflict escalates: WHO Chief
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO Director-General, delivers his speech after inaugurating the WHO Academy campus, which promotes lifelong learning across the health sector, in Lyon, France December 17, 2024 Photo: REUTERS Listen to article Over 40 people, including children and health care workers, were killed in an attack on a hospital in Sudan at the weekend, the head of the World Health Organization said on Tuesday. Attack on the Al Mujlad Hospital took place in West Kordofan, near the front line between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, who have been fighting each other since the conflict broke out in April 2023. WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for attacks on health infrastructure to stop, without saying who was responsible. Another appalling attack on health in #Sudan, this one in the Al Mujlad Hospital in West Kordofan, causing over 40 civilian deaths, including of children and health workers, and dozens of injuries. We cannot say this louder: attacks on health must stop everywhere! #NotATarget — Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) June 24, 2025 The WHO Sudan office said that six children and five medics were killed in the attack, reporting extensive damage to the facility. Emergency Lawyers, a human rights group, accused an army drone of striking the hospital on Saturday, but in a statement on Sunday, put the death toll at nine. Read: ICJ dismisses Sudan's genocide case against UAE Previously, multiple explosions and fires have been reported in Port Sudan, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The attacks, believed to be drone strikes launched by the RSF, targeted key infrastructure in the city, including fuel depots and a military base near the international airport. Port Sudan, a vital Red Sea port and a refuge for displaced persons, had previously remained largely unaffected by the conflict. However, the recent assaults have raised concerns about the safety of civilians and the potential disruption of humanitarian aid operations. The United Nations and neighboring countries have condemned the attacks, urging all parties to respect international humanitarian law and protect civilian infrastructure. Furthermore, International Court of Justice (ICJ) on May 5 dismissed Sudan's case accusing the United Arab Emirates of fueling genocide in Darfur by supplying weapons to paramilitary forces, saying it lacked jurisdiction. Sudan had argued before the UN's top court last month that the UAE was violating the Genocide Convention by supporting paramilitary forces in Darfur, but the UAE said the case should be thrown out. The court agreed with the UAE's arguments, rejected Sudan's request for emergency measures and ordered the case be removed from its docket. Due to the lack of jurisdiction "the court is precluded by its statute from taking any position on the merits of the claims made by Sudan", a summary of the ruling said. The UAE hailed it as a legal victory. "This decision is a clear and decisive affirmation of the fact that this case was utterly baseless. The Sudanese civil war, which began in April 2023, has resulted in over 12 million displaced persons and widespread food insecurity.
Sinar Daily
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Sinar Daily
I witnessed genocide in the 21st century, and so did you
'Never again.' That was the promise after Rwanda, after Bosnia, after every atrocity that shamed the conscience of the world. And yet, here we are 600 days into Israel's ongoing assault on Gaza and the promise feels hollow. The world is not only watching genocide happen in real time, it's letting it continue. According to Gaza's Health Ministry, at least 54,470 Palestinians have been killed and 124,693 wounded since Oct 7, 2023. The Gaza Government Media Office puts the death toll even higher, more than 61,700, including those still missing and presumed dead under the rubble. Entire families erased. Generations lost. This is not a 'war.' This is genocide, systematic, deliberate and sustained. According to Gaza's Health Ministry, at least 54,470 Palestinians have been killed and 124,693 wounded since Oct 7, 2023. Genocide Isn't Always Gas Chambers The 1948 UN Genocide Convention defines genocide as acts intended to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. It doesn't require gas chambers or death camps. Genocide can look like a 2,000-pound bomb dropped on a refugee camp. It can look like deliberate starvation, as the World Food Programme has documented in northern Gaza, where children are now dying of hunger. It can look like the complete destruction of every university in Gaza. It can sound like a political leader calling an entire people 'human animals.' In January 2024, the International Court of Justice ruled that acts committed by Israel in Gaza 'appear to be capable' of falling under the Genocide Convention. It ordered Israel to take all measures to prevent genocide. Instead, the killing escalated. Hospitals have been bombed. Only 17 out of 36 are still partially functioning. Gaza's health system has collapsed. Doctors are operating without anaesthetics. Women are giving birth in tents. And every day, more civilians are forced to flee, often for the third or fourth time, only to be targeted again. More than 1.7 million people are now displaced. That's 80 percent of Gaza's entire population. A Genocide Streamed Live This may be the most documented genocide in history and the most ignored. Every atrocity is recorded. Every scream is live-streamed. We have voice notes from children trapped under rubble. Journalists broadcasting with trembling hands, not knowing if they'll live to file their next story. Photos of tiny bodies wrapped in white. Names erased, faces unforgettable. We don't need tribunals or commissions to tell us what happened. We saw it. We see it every day. And yet, the world especially the so-called international community remains paralysed. Western governments continue to sell weapons and provide diplomatic cover. UN resolutions are blocked. Human rights organisations like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Médecins Sans Frontières have sounded every possible alarm. But the killing continues. Social media, one of the few platforms where Palestinian voices can reach the world, is being policed and censored. Accounts are shadow banned. Images are flagged. The algorithm, like the institutions of global governance, works against justice. A Global Moral Crisis I write this as one of millions who have watched this genocide unfold, not from a war zone, but from the safety of screens. We donate. We protest. We write. And yet, like many around the world, we are left with a burning sense of helplessness. Why, we ask, can't the world stop this? The truth is painful: it's not that the world doesn't know. It's that those in power don't care. And the rest of us haven't done enough to make them care. That's why history repeats itself. Not because we forget, but because we remember and still do nothing. Neutrality in the face of genocide is complicity. Silence is not safety. It is surrender. You Can Still Choose a Side If you've read this far, it means you care. And caring is a start. But it cannot end there. Speak up. Share the truth. Amplify Palestinian voices especially those in Gaza who are risking everything to document what's happening. Support humanitarian organisations still working to get food, medicine and clean water to survivors. Even small donations can save lives. Think critically about where your money goes. Many corporations are profiting from this genocide through surveillance tech, weapons, or complicity in the occupation. Boycott them. Demand ethical accountability from businesses and institutions. Join protests, online or in the streets. Make your presence felt. Make your outrage visible. And above all, hold your leaders accountable. Write letters. Sign petitions. Demand that your government wherever you are stop sending weapons and start supporting justice. This is not a faraway conflict. This is a global moral crisis. Gaza is a mirror showing us what kind of world we live in. And what kind of people we choose to be. Final Words 600 days have passed. That is 600 days too long. I witnessed genocide in the 21st century. And so did you. The question is: What will we do about it? Palestinian children posing with their pots and pans as they wait at a hot meal distribution point in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip. Photo by Eyad Baba/AFP Revda Selver is Friends of Palestine Public Relation and Media Executive. The views expressed in this article are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Sinar Daily.
Irish Daily Mirror
12-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Daily Mirror
Central Bank governor says question marks over Israel's financial stability
The 'intensity' of the conflict in Gaza 'puts a question mark' over whether the financial viability of Israel 'still remains secure', the Central Bank of Ireland governor has said. The Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) insisted that it cannot 'impose sanctions' on Israel or stop facilitating the sale of so-called 'Israeli war bonds'. It also said that it does not have to consider the Genocide Convention when reviewing or approving prospectuses. The comments were made at the Finance Committee, which was held several hours before the Dáil was due to vote on selling the bonds for the second time in as many weeks. The CBI is the designated authority for the sale of Israeli bonds in the EU. It is responsible for assessing whether a prospectus is in compliance with the requirements of the EU Prospectus Regulation. Gerry Cross, Director of Capital Markets and Funds at CBI, told TDs and senators at the Finance Committee that they must ensure that relevant information is included, such as 'does this disclose the things that an investor needs to know to understand their financial risks' before they invest. Gabriel Makhlouf, Governor of the CBI, confirmed that Israel has yet to contact the bank about renewing the prospectus before it expires in September. Labour's Ged Nash asked Mr Makhlouf the questions and issues the CBI would 'raise with the Israeli State' if they seek to renew the prospectus before it expires in September. The Governor said that he would expect Israel to divulge that its war on Gaza is affecting its financial stability. He said: 'I would expect [the prospectus] to set out any new developments that are relevant. 'It depends at the moment when they actually write to us, but I think the intensity of the conflict in Gaza probably does put a question mark over whether you know the financial viability of the [Israeli] State still remains secure. 'The fact that the European Union has indicated that it's going to look at its cooperation agreement with Israel, I think that's a factor. 'The fact that the Finance Minister [Bezalel Smotrich] has just been sanctioned by a number of countries, that may be a factor. 'We haven't drawn up a list of the things that we'd expect to see. But clearly, you'd expect, in view of what's happened in this conflict, some impact on the financial affairs of the State will be material. 'Now, in the end, it is for the [Israeli] State to make the judgment whether it does affect its financial standing or not. 'We don't make that assessment. I would expect them to address that.' Mr Makhlouf said it is up to Israel to decide who they want to apply to another EU country to be the designated authority for the sale of bonds. In his opening statement, Mr Makhlouf stated that CBI is 'established by law, we are empowered by law, and we must always act within and in line with the law'. He said: 'One of the powers that has been assigned to us is to perform the functions of a competent authority under the European Prospectus Regulation. 'This means that we must approve a prospectus once certain conditions are met.' He insisted that the CBI does not 'issue, sell, trade or list these bonds' and that it does not 'authorise or supervise them' in the case of Israeli sovereign bonds. Mr Makhlouf continued: 'It is for international bodies such as the UN or the EU to determine how to respond to breaches or alleged breaches of international law, including to determine whether sanctions are necessary. 'The Central Bank cannot impose sanctions on Israel – for example, by refusing to approve the Israeli bond prospectus – in circumstances where the EU has not imposed any such sanctions itself.' While he condemned the war in Gaza and the blocking of aid, Mr Makhlouf said the CBI must 'carry out the statutory tasks and functions which have been assigned to us'.
