Gaza

UN Rapporteur: France’s Netanyahu immunity claim has no legal validity

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The UN special rapporteur on Palestine on Thursday rejected France’s immunity claims regarding the arrest warrants issued against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant by the International Criminal Court (ICC), arguing such immunity has “no” legal validity. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Wednesday that certain leaders could have immunity under the Rome Statute, the treaty establishing the International Criminal Court (ICC). Barrot highlighted that the Rome Statute “deals with questions of immunity for certain leaders,” adding that such matters ultimately rest with judicial authorities. Meanwhile, France’s Foreign Ministry in a statement emphasized the country’s dedication to honoring international commitments under the Rome Statute, stating: “France will respect its international obligations, understanding that the Rome Statute requires full cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC).” The statement also pointed out that “a state cannot be required to act in a manner inconsistent with its obligations under international law regarding the immunities of states that are not parties to the ICC.” Asked by Anadolu in an interview whether this claim has any legal validity, Francesca Albanese said: “No, because it’s been already resolved by the court in the case of Omar al-Bashir in the past, and no one (argued).” Al-Bashir is a Sudanese former military officer and former head of state who was indicted by the ICC in 2009 and 2010 for war crimes and crimes against humanity against civilians in Darfur. “The argument of the state immunity cannot be made. The court has already said it,” Albanese said. She underlined that hindering the enforcement of an ICC arrest warrant could be considered a violation of Article 70 of the Rome Statute. “I want to point to the fact that obstructing the execution of an ICC arrest warrant could be seen as a breach of Article 70, an obstruction to the administration of justice, which is an offense, a criminal offense in itself,” she said. She also described France’s contradictory approaches toward the warrant against Netanyahu and the one issued against Russia’s President Vladimir Putin back in March 2023 – a non-party state – as “double standards.” Last week, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.

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U.S. vetoes U.N. resolution calling for immediate Gaza ceasefire

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The United States vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution on Wednesday that called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza conflict. The resolution, which was supported by 14 of the council’s 15 members, including U.S. allies Britain and France, was blocked because it demanded the immediate release of hostages held by Palestinian militant groups, a condition the U.S. opposed. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood stated that the U.S. could not support a resolution that did not prioritize the release of hostages, particularly given the situation of over 100 hostages from 20 countries. He emphasized that allowing Hamas to continue holding hostages without consequence would reward its tactics. The Palestinian deputy ambassador, Majed Bamya, expressed anger at the veto, highlighting the ongoing death toll of Palestinians, which the Gaza Health Ministry reports at over 43,000, and called for a ceasefire to protect all lives. Algerian Ambassador Amar Bendjama condemned the veto, accusing Israel of carrying out genocide and promising that the council’s elected members would push for stronger action. Israel’s U.N. Ambassador, Danny Danon, defended the U.S. veto, stating that the resolution would have led to more violence, not peace. Hamas condemned the veto, accusing the U.S. of complicity in the destruction of Gaza. The U.S. veto highlights ongoing tensions within the Security Council regarding the conflict, with Russia and China having previously vetoed U.S.-sponsored resolutions. Despite the veto, the elected members of the council reaffirmed their commitment to ending the conflict, securing the release of hostages, and delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza.

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Gaza genocide highlights need for UN reform: Former official

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 Israel’s genocide in Gaza, now in its second year, coupled with the United Nations’ failure to take decisive action or implement effective measures has underscored once again the urgent need for comprehensive reform within the global body, according to a former UN official. Speaking to Anadolu, Hans von Sponeck, a former UN assistant secretary-general and UN humanitarian coordinator for Iraq, highlighted the need to revise the veto system in the UN Security Council and to expand global representation. “Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq and the brutal above-evil situation that has evolved in Palestine could have been avoided if the permanent members had pulled at the same end of the rope,” Sponeck said. “That hasn’t happened. Unilateral approaches didn’t work,” he added. Sponeck condemned the ongoing atrocities in Gaza, saying: “Every day, every evening, when we see the screens, we see not only killing and death in Palestine, we see a blatant ignoring of international law. The UN plays no role there.” He also emphasized the imbalance in representation within the Security Council’s permanent membership. “We have three Western nations that are permanent members — the UK, the US and France. We have Russia as representing Eastern Europe, and we have Asia represented,” said Sponeck. “Africa, with 54 countries, is not represented at all in the P5 group,” he said, stressing that the region must have a permanent seat. “Latin America, likewise, is not represented, and Asia is totally underrepresented,” he pointed out. Sponeck also underlined the need to reform the relationship between the Security Council and the UN General Assembly. “You have, year after year, a General Assembly that passes resolutions; a majority votes for decolonization, votes for disarmament, votes for a new economic order, votes for more human rights. And then a minority does what they want,” he said. Israel has launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas in October last year, killing nearly 44,000 people, most of them women and children, and injuring over 104,000. The second year of genocide in Gaza has drawn increasing international recognition, with figures and institutions labeling the events as a deliberate attempt to destroy a population. The conflict has also spread to Lebanon, with Israel launching deadly strikes across the country, killing nearly 3,500 people and injuring over 14,000 since October last year. Israel expanded the conflict by launching a ground assault into southern Lebanon on Oct. 1 this year.

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US Senator says he will support measures blocking arms to Israel

Africa /

Democratic US Sen. Chris Van Hollen said Monday that he will support measures blocking certain offensive arms sales to Israel amid its ongoing wars on the besieged Gaza Strip and Lebanon. Van Hollen said he has chosen to support the joint resolutions of disapproval because Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly violated US laws governing the provision of lethal aid “only to be rewarded by President (Joe) Biden.” The lawmaker from the US state of Maryland said the pattern of Israeli conduct over the course of the past year “undermines the credibility of the United States and should not persist.” “Recipients of security assistance must facilitate and not arbitrarily restrict the delivery of humanitarian assistance into war zones where US weapons are being used, and American-supplied weapons must be used in accordance with international humanitarian law. The Netanyahu government is violating both of these requirements in Gaza,” he said in a lengthy statement. “President Biden has failed to hold Netanyahu accountable – ignoring US law and undercutting his own stated policies as well as America’s interests and values. Doing so undermines American global leadership and is a disservice to the American people, the people of Israel, and people throughout the Middle East,” he added. Van Hollen circulated a letter to his Senate colleagues, asking them to join him in support of the joint resolutions. The Senate is slated to consider them Wednesday after they were announced last week by Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders. Sen. Elizabeth Warren announced last week that she would endorse the joint resolutions. “There is no longer any doubt that Netanyahu’s extremist government is in clear violation of US and international law as it wages a barbaric war against the Palestinian people in Gaza. Out of a population of 2.2 million, over 43,000 Palestinians have been killed and 102,000 injured – sixty percent of whom are women, children, or elderly people,” said Sanders. “The United States cannot continue to be complicit in this war by supplying more military aid and weaponry to the Netanyahu government. Congress must act to block these arms sales,” he added.

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