UN to consider criminal action against Palestinian agency workers, tells donors not to pause funding
Since the October 7 attacks, which killed 1,200 people in Israel, most of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have become reliant on the aid UNRWA provides, including about one million who have fled Israeli bombardments sheltering in its facilities.
Senior Biden official reveals US-engineered deal to pause war and free Israeli hostages is near
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed to continue the offensive until complete victory over Hamas is achieved. Netanyahu has faced increasing pressure from the families of many hostages who are demanding a deal to win their loved ones’ release.
Spotlight turns on possible complicity of UN workers in Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7
Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy accused UNRWA of announcing the news while the world’s attention was focused on the World Court ordering Israel to prevent acts of genocide against Palestinians and do more to help civilians in Gaza.
Gaza war: UN top court vague on core issue of whether Israeli military offensive is genocide
The UN world court on Friday came down hard on Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip, calling on Israel to “take all measures” to prevent a genocide of the Palestinians. But it stopped short of demanding an immediate ceasefire as the South African sponsors of the case had...
World Court concurs with South Africa Israeli military attacks in Gaza are genocidal
Israel had sought to have the case thrown out when it was brought to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) earlier this month. South Africa accused Israel of state-led genocide in its offensive, begun after Hamas militants stormed into Israel killing 1,200 and kidnapping more than 240.
Grumbling aside in US, China and Russia critics agree South Africa’s genocide case is a diplomatic win
Grumble they might, but they can scarcely afford to alienate Africa’s industrial and diplomatic heavyweight – especially with the United States’ main superpower rival, China, wooing the continent with money, railways and tech transfers.
All eyes on The Hague as world awaits UN top court’s verdict on South Africa’s case against Israel
An Israeli official said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu huddled with top legal, diplomatic and security officials on Thursday in anticipation of the ruling. He said Israel is confident in its case but discussed “all scenarios.” Israel’s war cabinet was meeting later on Thursday as well.
Ethnic cleansing is not a crime on its own, but a general description of a string of crimes
To name just a few recent examples, ethnic cleansing has been used to describe: Israel’s mass displacement of Palestinians in Gaza; the flight of nearly the entire ethnic Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan seized control of the contested enclave; the killing of civilians in Darfur in Sudan’s on-going civil war; and the Ethiopian military’s forced expulsion of people from the country’s Tigray region.
China warns Iran to rein in Houthi attacks in Red Sea or risk business relations with Beijing
Chinese officials have asked their Iranian counterparts to help rein in attacks on ships in the Red Sea by the Iran-backed Houthis or risk harming business relations with Beijing, four Iranian sources and a diplomat familiar with the matter said. The discussions about the attacks and trade between China and...
Changing Saudi Arabia set to permit alcohol sales in capital Riyadh as it relaxes social codes
Saudi Arabia, which was relatively closed off for decades, has in recent years relaxed strict social codes, such as segregating men and women in public places and requiring women to wear all-covering black robes or abayas.
