Latest news with #humanitarianLaw
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pope Leo decries ‘shameful' disregard for international law
Pope Leo XIV has lamented what he described as the rise of blunt power over the rules of international law as conflicts rage around the world and global institutions continue to fail to end abuses and war crimes. 'It is disheartening to see today that the strength of international law and humanitarian law no longer seems binding, replaced by the presumed right to overpower others,' the pontiff said in a social media post on Thursday. 'This is unworthy and shameful for humanity and for the leaders of nations.' Leo did not elaborate on his remarks, but his statement comes amid growing calls for ending the Israeli assault on Gaza, which leading rights advocates and United Nations experts have described as a genocide. Israel has faced growing accusations of violating international humanitarian law, a set of rules meant to protect civilians in conflict, during its conflict with Palestinians. Backed by the United States, the Israeli military has levelled large parts of Gaza, displaced nearly its entire population and killed at least 56,156 in the territory, according to health officials. Earlier this month, former US Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller, who spearheaded Washington's defence of Israel's conduct during the Joe Biden administration, acknowledged that the Israeli military has 'without a doubt' committed war crimes in stands in defiance of several international resolutions, including rulings by the International Criminal Court, the top UN tribunal, against the Israeli blockade and killings in Gaza. Last year, the ICJ also declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory – East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza – unlawful and called for its end 'as rapidly as possible'. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over possible war crimes in Gaza, including using starvation as a weapon of war. But most members of the ICC, especially in Europe, have maintained their deep trade and military ties to Israel despite the charges. After succeeding the late Pope Francis in May, becoming the first pontiff from the US, Leo pleaded for an end to the war on Gaza. 'Ceasefire now,' Leo, the top spiritual authority for about 1.4 billion Catholics around the world, said in May. 'From the Gaza Strip, we hear rising ever more insistently to the heavens, the cries of mothers and fathers who clutch the lifeless bodies of their children, and who are continually forced to move about in search of a little food and water and safer shelter from bombardments.' As the war in Gaza continues, deadly conflicts and reports of abuses in Sudan and Ukraine have also persisted.
Al Jazeera
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Pope Leo decries ‘shameful' disregard for international law
Pope Leo XIV has lamented what he described as the rise of blunt power over the rules of international law as conflicts rage around the world and global institutions continue to fail to end abuses and war crimes. 'It is disheartening to see today that the strength of international law and humanitarian law no longer seems binding, replaced by the presumed right to overpower others,' the pontiff said in a social media post on Thursday. 'This is unworthy and shameful for humanity and for the leaders of nations.' Leo did not elaborate on his remarks, but his statement comes amid growing calls for ending the Israeli assault on Gaza, which leading rights advocates and United Nations experts have described as a genocide. Israel has faced growing accusations of violating international humanitarian law, a set of rules meant to protect civilians in conflict, during its conflict with Palestinians. Backed by the United States, the Israeli military has levelled large parts of Gaza, displaced nearly its entire population and killed at least 56,156 in the territory, according to health officials. Earlier this month, former US Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller, who spearheaded Washington's defence of Israel's conduct during the Joe Biden administration, acknowledged that the Israeli military has 'without a doubt' committed war crimes in Gaza. Israel stands in defiance of several international resolutions, including rulings by the International Criminal Court, the top UN tribunal, against the Israeli blockade and killings in Gaza. Last year, the ICJ also declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory – East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza – unlawful and called for its end 'as rapidly as possible'. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over possible war crimes in Gaza, including using starvation as a weapon of war. But most members of the ICC, especially in Europe, have maintained their deep trade and military ties to Israel despite the charges. After succeeding the late Pope Francis in May, becoming the first pontiff from the US, Leo pleaded for an end to the war on Gaza. 'Ceasefire now,' Leo, the top spiritual authority for about 1.4 billion Catholics around the world, said in May. 'From the Gaza Strip, we hear rising ever more insistently to the heavens, the cries of mothers and fathers who clutch the lifeless bodies of their children, and who are continually forced to move about in search of a little food and water and safer shelter from bombardments.' As the war in Gaza continues, deadly conflicts and reports of abuses in Sudan and Ukraine have also persisted.
Asharq Al-Awsat
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Strike on Iran Prison Represents Breach of International Law, UN Rights Office Says
An airstrike on Iran's Evin prison containing political prisoners on Monday represents a grave violation of international humanitarian law, the UN human rights office said. "Evin prison is not a military objective, and targeting it constitutes a grave breach of international humanitarian law," UN human rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday, without naming Israel. He said that his office has received reports of fires inside the facility and an unspecified number of injuries.
LBCI
23-06-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Israeli strikes on Iran may have violated international law: UN mission
A fact-finding mission mandated by the United Nations said on Monday that some of Israel's strikes on Iran may have broken international humanitarian law, citing the killing of civilians in an apartment block and three aid workers in Tehran. Israel began airstrikes on Iran in a surprise attack on June 13 that killed many of Iran's top commanders and has intensified attacks since, prompting an exodus from the capital. The United States joined on Sunday by hitting Iran's underground nuclear sites. "Among those killed in Tehran were dozens of residents of an apartment complex and three humanitarian workers from the Iranian Red Cross, while damaged sites included a clinic for children with autism and a hospital in Kermanshah," the investigative body said in a statement to journalists, referring to the Israeli strikes. "This, and the reported lack of effective advance warning by Israel, which may affect the population's ability to reach safety, raise serious concerns in relation to the principles of proportionality, distinction, and precaution under international humanitarian law." The mission said that millions had so far fled the capital and that a lack of warning systems, adequate shelters and internet restrictions had increased the dangers.
The National
20-06-2025
- Politics
- The National
Germans and Italians want arms ban on Israel, poll shows
Germans and Italians overwhelmingly back ending arms sales to Israel if humanitarian law is not respected in Gaza, an opinion poll suggests. The research carried out by advocacy group Eko also reveals that citizens of the two countries believe the EU-Israel Association Agreement should be suspended if Israel fails to uphold human rights and democratic principles, as required under Article 2 of the agreement. The poll was taken ahead of Monday's EU Foreign Affairs Council, where ministers will debate the EU-Israel Association Agreement. A review of Israel's actions in Gaza found it may have breached the agreement, according to a leaked document seen by Politico. 'On the basis of the assessments made by the independent international institutions … there are indications that Israel would be in breach of its human rights obligations under Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement,' the European External Action Service concluded. According to the new poll, about 74 per cent of Germans and 92 per cent of Italians support ending arms exports to Israel if it doesn't respect humanitarian law. German arms exports to Israel include engines for the Merkava tank, although these appear to have slowed down. Similarly, 77 per cent of Germans and 89 per cent of Italians believe the EU-Israel Association Agreement should be suspended. Both the final results exclude those who didn't express an opinion. Suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement requires a qualified majority vote among EU member states. Eko says that means the support of major countries like Germany and Italy is essential if that is to happen. 'For months we've called on the EU to use its power to stop this horror,' said Eoin Dubsky, senior campaigner at Eko. 'We now have the people, the momentum, and the legal justification to act. Suspending the trade deal and arms sales isn't just a political option - it's a legal and moral obligation.' An initial request filed by Ireland and Spain in February 2024 to review the agreement was ignored by the EU Commission – the EU's executive arm. But a recent call for a review filed by the Netherlands and sparked by Israel's blockade of aid into Gaza has gained momentum. The Dutch initiative has been supported by Finland, Portugal, Sweden and France. After the US, Germany was once the second-biggest supplier of arms sales to Israel and sold it $354.4 million worth of equipment last year, a ten-fold increase from 2022. But this has dwindled since the early weeks of the war in Gaza and the latest figures show sales to Israel do not feature in the top 10 importers of German hardware. In response to a recent parliamentary question last year, the ministry revealed only $16 million worth of exports were approved from January to August, with only $35,812 in actual weapons for fighting.
