Latest news with #YuliNovak
Daily Tribune
9 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Tribune
Israeli rights groups brand Gaza campaign ‘genocide'
Rights groups B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel said on Monday that they had concluded the war in Gaza amounts to a 'genocide' against Palestinians, a first for Israeli NGOs. Both organisations are frequent critics of Israeli government policies, but the language in their reports issued on Monday was their most stark yet. 'Nothing prepares you for the realisation that you are part of a society committing genocide. This is a deeply painful moment for us,' B'Tselem executive director Yuli Novak told a news conference unveiling the two reports. 'As Israelis and Palestinians who live here and witness the reality every day, we have a duty to speak the truth as clearly as possible,' she said. 'Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians.' A spokesman from the Israeli prime minister's office, David Mencer, denounced the allegation. 'We have free speech here in Israel but we strongly reject the accusation,' he said. 'Our defence forces target terrorists and never civilians. Hamas is responsible for the suffering in Gaza.' Israel's war in Gaza for the past 21 months began in response to an unprecedented attack by Palestinian group Hamas on October 7, 2023. The Israeli assault has left much of the Gaza Strip, home to more than two million Palestinians, in ruins, and according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry has killed at least 59,921 people, most of them civilians. All Gazans have been driven from their homes at least once since the start of the war, and UN agencies warn that residents face a growing threat of famine and malnutrition. The International Court of Justice, in an interim ruling in early 2024 in a case lodged by South Africa, found it 'plausible' that the Israeli offensive had violated the UN Genocide Convention. The Israeli government, backed by the United States, fiercely denies the charge and says it is fighting to defeat Hamas and to bring back Israeli hostages still held inGaza. The reports from B'Tselem-- one of Israel's best-knownrights groups -- and Physiciansfor Human Rights Israel argue that the war's objectives gofurther. B'Tselem's report cites statements from senior politicians toillustrate that Israel 'is takingcoordinated action to intentionally destroy Palestinian society inthe Gaza Strip'. Physicians for Human RightsIsrael's report documents whatthe group says is 'the deliberate and systematic destruction ofGaza's healthcare system'. Gaza civil defence says Israeli fire kills 16 Gaza's civil defence agency said16 people were killed by Israelifire Monday in the Palestinianterritory devastated by more than21 months of war. Agency spokesman MahmudBassal told AFP the dead includedfive people killed in an overnightstrike on a residential buildingin the southern Gaza district ofAl-Mawasi. A pregnant woman was amongthose killed, the Palestinian RedCrescent said, adding its teamssaved the woman's foetus by performing a Caesarean section in afield hospital. Israel designated Al-Mawasi, acoastal area west of the southerncity of Khan Yunis, as a humanitarian zone in the early monthsof the war. Despite that designation, it hascontinued to be hit by air strikesand now shelters a large share ofGaza's displaced people.
Jordan News
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Jordan News
Two Israeli Organizations Accuse Tel Aviv of Committing Genocide in Gaza - Jordan News
Two Israeli human rights organizations declared on Monday that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, becoming the first major voices from within Israeli society to make such a strong accusation, which Tel Aviv continues to deny. اضافة اعلان The organizations — B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights–Israel (PHRI) — issued their reports during a press conference in Jerusalem, stating that Israel is engaged in a coordinated and deliberate effort to destroy Palestinian society in Gaza. Yuli Novak, Executive Director of B'Tselem, said: 'The report we are publishing today is one we never imagined we would have to write.' He added: 'The residents of Gaza have been displaced, bombed, starved, and stripped entirely of their humanity and their rights.' PHRI's report focused on the destruction of the healthcare system in Gaza, stating that: 'Israel's actions have systematically and deliberately dismantled Gaza's healthcare infrastructure.' Israel has denied accusations of genocide since the start of the war on Gaza, including those raised in the case brought by South Africa at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the charges as 'outrageous.' Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer described the accusations from the two organizations as 'baseless.' The Israeli military also rejected the findings, claiming they are unfounded and insisting it adheres to international law and takes unprecedented measures to avoid harming civilians, according to its statement. Genocide accusations carry significant weight in Israel, especially given the historical trauma of the Holocaust. Israeli officials have previously claimed that applying the term 'genocide' to Israel constitutes defamation and antisemitism. When Amnesty International declared in December that Israel had committed acts of genocide, the Israeli Foreign Ministry labeled the organization as 'biased and bigoted.' The 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, drafted after the Nazi extermination of Jews, defines genocide as: 'Acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.' International concern over the situation in Gaza has grown significantly in recent weeks, as UN agencies report severe shortages of food for the 2.2 million residents of the strip. Since early March, Israel blocked all supplies into Gaza, before allowing limited aid access in May under new restrictions. While Israel claims to comply with international law, it says it must prevent militants from diverting aid. Despite these claims, Israeli forces have killed hundreds of civilians attempting to reach food distribution points, according to the United Nations. In recent days, Israel has announced measures to increase aid, including localized ceasefires, airdrop deliveries, and safer humanitarian corridors. Throughout the conflict, Israeli media has focused primarily on the plight of Israeli hostages in Gaza. Footage of destruction and civilian casualties in Gaza, widely broadcast internationally, is rarely shown on Israeli television. However, genocide allegations are not expected to dramatically shift public opinion in Israel. As quoted by Reuters: 'The Israeli perception remains: What do you want from us? This is Hamas' fault. If they laid down their arms and released the hostages, all of this would be over.'
Dubai Eye
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Dubai Eye
Two Israeli rights groups accuse Israel of genocide
Two Israeli human rights organisations said on Monday Israel was committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, the first major voices in Israeli society to level the strongest possible accusation against the state, which vehemently denies it. Rights group B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel released their reports at a press conference in Jerusalem, saying Israel was carrying out "coordinated, deliberate action to destroy Palestinian society in the Gaza strip". "The report we are publishing today is one we never imagined we would have to write," said Yuli Novak, B'Tselem's executive director. "The people of Gaza have been displaced, bombed and starved, left completely stripped of their humanity and rights." Physicians for Human Rights Israel focused on damage to Gaza's healthcare system, saying: "Israel's actions have destroyed Gaza's healthcare infrastructure in a manner that is both calculated and systematic". Israel has fended off accusations of genocide since the early days of the Gaza war, including a case brought by South Africa at the International Court of Justice in the Hague that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned as "outrageous". Israel has consistently said its actions are justified as self-defence, and Hamas is to blame for harm to civilians, for refusing to release hostages and surrender, and for operating in civilian areas, which the militant group denies. A spokesperson for the Israeli government called the allegation made by the rights groups on Monday "baseless". "There is no intent, (which is) key for the charge of genocide ... it simply doesn't make sense for a country to send in 1.9 million tons of aid, most of that being food, if there is an intent of genocide," said spokesperson David Mencer. Israel's military also rejected the reports' findings as "baseless". It said it abides by international law and takes unprecedented measures to prevent harm to civilians while Hamas uses them as "human shields". Israel launched its war in Gaza after Hamas-led fighters attacked Israeli communities across the border on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza. Israel has often described that attack, the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust, as genocidal. Since then, Israel's offensive has killed nearly 60,000 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to Gaza health officials, reduced much of the enclave to ruins, and displaced nearly the entire population of more than two million.
New Straits Times
10 hours ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Two rights groups are first Israeli voices to accuse Israel of genocide
TEL AVIV: Two Israeli human rights organisations said on Monday Israel was committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, the first major voices in Israeli society to level the strongest possible accusation against the state. Rights group B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel released their reports at a press conference in Jerusalem, saying Israel was carrying out "coordinated, deliberate action to destroy Palestinian society in the Gaza strip." "The report we are publishing today is one we never imagined we would have to write," said Yuli Novak, B'Tselem's executive director. "The people of Gaza have been displaced, bombed and starved, left completely stripped of their humanity and rights." Physicians for Human Rights Israel focused on damage to Gaza's healthcare system, saying: "Israel's actions have destroyed Gaza's healthcare infrastructure in a manner that is both calculated and systematic." Israel has fended off accusations of genocide since the early days of the Gaza war, including a case brought by South Africa at the International Court of Justice in the Hague that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned as "outrageous." A spokesperson for the Israeli government called the allegation made by the rights groups on Monday "baseless." "There is no intent, (which is) key for the charge of genocide ... it simply doesn't make sense for a country to send in 1.9 million tons of aid most of that being food, if there is an intent of genocide," said spokesperson David Mencer. A spokesperson for Israel's military did not immediately respond to request for comment. Accusations of genocide have particular gravity in Israel because of the origins of the concept in the work of Jewish legal scholars in the wake of the Nazi Holocaust. Israeli officials have in the past said using the word against Israel was libellous and antisemitic. When Amnesty International said in December that Israel had committed genocidal acts, Israel's foreign ministry called the global rights group a "deplorable and fanatical organisation." The 1948 Genocide Convention, adopted globally after the mass murder of Jews by the Nazis, defines genocide as "acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group." Israel launched its war in Gaza after Hamas-led fighters attacked Israeli communities across the border on October 7 2023, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza. Since then, Israel's offensive has killed nearly 60,000 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to Gaza health officials, reduced much of the enclave to ruins, and displaced nearly the entire population of more than two million. International attention to the plight of the Palestinians in Gaza has intensified in recent weeks, with UN agencies saying the territory is running out of food for its 2.2 million people. Israel shut off all supplies into Gaza in March for nearly three months, reopening the territory in May but with new restrictions it says are needed to prevent aid from ending up in the hands of fighters. Since then, its forces have shot dead hundreds of Gazans trying to reach food distribution sites. Israel has announced measures in recent days to increase aid supplies, including pausing fighting in some locations, allowing airlifts of food and safer corridors for aid. Throughout the conflict, Israeli media have tended to focus mainly on the plight of Israeli hostages in Gaza, with less attention given to Palestinian civilians. Footage widely broadcast in other countries of destruction and casualties in Gaza is rarely shown on Israeli TV. That has been changing, with recent images of starving children having a little more impact, said Oren Persico from The Seventh Eye, a group that tracks trends in Israeli media. "It's very slowly evolving," he said. "You see cracks." But he did not expect the genocide allegation would spark a major shift in attitudes: "The Israeli perception is: 'what do you want from us? It's Hamas' fault, if it would only put down its weapons and (release) the hostages this could all be over'." In an editorial on the mainstream news site Ynet last Monday, journalist Sever Plotzker said images of Palestinians rejoicing over the October 7 attacks and abusing hostages had made Israelis "blind to Gaza." The Israeli public "now interprets the destruction and killing in Gaza as a deterrent retaliation and therefore also morally legitimate." In a comment in the Jerusalem Post on Sunday, Dani Dayan, the chairman of Israel's Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, said it was not accurate to accuse Israel of committing genocide. "But that does not mean we should not acknowledge the suffering of civilians in Gaza. There are many men, women, and children with no connection to terrorism who are experiencing devastation, displacement, and loss," he wrote. "Their anguish is real, and our moral tradition obligates us not to turn away from it."
TimesLIVE
11 hours ago
- Health
- TimesLIVE
Two rights groups are first Israeli voices to accuse Israel of genocide
Two Israeli human rights organisations said on Monday Israel was committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, the first major voices in Israeli society to level the strongest possible accusation against the state, which vehemently denies it. Rights group B'Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights Israel released their reports at a press conference in Jerusalem, saying Israel was carrying out 'coordinated, deliberate action to destroy Palestinian society in the Gaza strip'. 'The report we are publishing today is one we never imagined we would have to write,' said Yuli Novak, B'Tselem's executive director. 'The people of Gaza have been displaced, bombed and starved, left completely stripped of their humanity and rights.' Physicians for Human Rights Israel focused on damage to Gaza's healthcare system, saying: 'Israel's actions have destroyed Gaza's healthcare infrastructure in a manner that is calculated and systematic'. Israel has fended off accusations of genocide since the early days of the Gaza war, including a case brought by South Africa at the International Court of Justice in The Hague that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned as 'outrageous'.
