Israel has lost support of international public

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

World /

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

World /

 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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At least 72 Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes on northern Gaza

World /

At least 72 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahia on Sunday, according to local authorities. Gaza’s government media office said Israeli warplanes targeted several residential buildings and homes in the town in the morning. “The occupation army was aware that dozens of displaced civilians were inside these buildings, and that the majority of them were children and women who had been displaced from their neighborhoods,” it added in a statement. A medical source earlier told Anadolu that Israeli fighter jets hit a five-story building in the Beit Lahia Project area on Sunday, killing about 50 people and leaving several others trapped under the rubble. Witnesses said that over 70 displaced civilians had sheltered inside the targeted building. An Israeli strike targeted another house in the area, killing 15 people and injuring several others, another medical source said. Two more Palestinians were killed when Israeli warplanes struck another residence in Beit Lahia, the source added. Since Oct. 5, Israel has launched a large-scale ground operation in northern Gaza to allegedly prevent Palestinian resistance group Hamas from regrouping. Palestinians, however, accuse Israel of seeking to occupy the area and forcibly displace its residents. Since then, no humanitarian aid, including food, medicine, and fuel, was allowed into the area, leaving most of the population there on the verge of imminent famine. More than 2,000 people have since been killed, according to Palestinian health authorities. The onslaught was the latest episode in a brutal Israeli war on the Gaza Strip since October last year, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire. Nearly 43,800 people have since been killed in Gaza, mostly women and children, and over 103,600 others injured, according to Palestinian health authorities. Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.

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Dutch police arrest 3 suspects over unrest in western Amsterdam

World /

Dutch police arrested three people suspected of causing unrest in Amsterdam following last week’s clashes between Israeli fans and pro-Palestinian demonstrators ahead of a soccer match. Police officers pursued groups of people who lobbed stones at them, the daily Het Parool reported late on Monday. Several parked cars were damaged in the unrest, while some groups launched fireworks, erected barricades, and set fire to an empty tram in the city’s western part. The three suspects were arrested in those areas, Het Parool reported. A wave of violence erupted before and after Maccabi Tel Aviv’s match against Ajax late last Thursday, causing widespread outrage, with reports of Israeli fans fighting bystanders, vandalizing property, and setting a Palestinian flag alight. Videos shared widely on social media depict Maccabi fans not only vandalizing private property but also attacking a local taxi driver and even confronting law enforcement officials. Amsterdam authorities imposed a three-day ban on demonstrations last Friday, with over 60 arrests made.

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Number of journalists killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza rises to 188

World /

The number of journalists killed in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023 has soared to 188, media office in the blockaded enclave said on Saturday. While Israeli forces killed on Saturday two journalists in Gaza City, another two targeted earlier were identified by the authorities, the media office said in a statement. Al-Zahraa Abu Sukheil and Ahmed Abu Sukheil, who worked for the News Media Network, were killed on Saturday in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a school sheltering the displaced in Gaza City. The other two were identified as Mustafa Bahar and Abdulrahman Bahar, who worked for local news agency Ajel Palestine. Mustafa, a reporter was killed on March 31 near the Kuwait Roundabout south of Gaza City, while Abdulrahman, a photographer, was killed on Oct. 6 in the Al-Karama neighborhood, northwest of Gaza City. The media office condemned the targeting of Palestinian journalists, holding Israel fully responsible. It urged the international community to pressure Israel to stop the killing of media personnel. Journalists in Gaza face particularly high risks as they try to cover the conflict, including devastating Israeli airstrikes, famine, displacement of population and destruction of buildings. According to the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists, the Israeli war on Gaza has killed more journalists over the past year than any other conflict over the past three decades. Overall, Israel has killed more than 43,000 people since the Hamas attacks last October, and rendered the enclave almost uninhabitable. It faces charges of genocide at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the territory.

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Turkey: Targeting UNRWA is ‘attack on the general assembly’

Turkey /

Turkey’s envoy to the UN Ahmet Yildiz on Wednesday denounced Israel’s ban on the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), stressing that it “must be viewed as an attack on the General Assembly itself.” Emphasizing the aid agency’s critical role in providing essential support to Palestinian refugees, Yildiz said at a UN General Assembly session that “UNRWA has been a lifeline for millions of Palestinian refugees” since its establishment in 1949. Yildiz condemned Israel’s actions, including recent Israeli legislation banning the agency, which he described as “a direct and imminent threat” to UNRWA’s operations, particularly in the occupied Palestinian territories. “These measures violate Israel’s obligations under the UN charters, the convention on the privileges and immunities of UN, the International Court of Justice’s provision rulings on genocide prevention in Gaza, the General Assembly’s mandate for UNRWA and other binding international legal commitments,” he said. He also condemned attacks on UNRWA staff and facilities, calling them “unacceptable.” “An attack on UNRWA must be viewed as an attack on the General Assembly itself,” he said, adding that “it is now incumbent upon us as member states to stand firmly against any attempts to dismantle UNRWA, a body established by a UN General Assembly resolution and crucial to achieving justice and peace to Palestinian refugees.” Yildiz reaffirmed Turkey’s continued support of UNRWA’s work, both politically and financially, as the chair of the UNRWA financing working group.

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WHO chief calls for cease-fire as Israel attacks hospitals in Gaza

Africa /

 World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed grave concern Monday over Israel’s attacks on hospitals in Gaza, calling for an immediate cease-fire to protect civilians and health workers. “It is appalling that hospitals in Gaza continue to be attacked,” he said on X, adding: “Lives depend on an immediate and unconditional cease-fire. It’s time to silence the gunfire and deliver peace!” The appeal follows a recent WHO-led mission to Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, where the third floor was reportedly struck after the team’s departure, injuring six child patients — one critically. Nearby shelling continued as WHO staff delivered essential supplies including medical kits, 150 units of blood and 20,000 liters of fuel, Tedros said. Despite these risks, the team also facilitated the transfer of 25 patients and 37 companions to Al-Shifa Hospital, he noted. In addition, the WHO reached Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza, where they managed to transfer five patients but were barred from delivering supplies, endangering the hospital’s operations, he added. Tedros condemned the lack of protection for health care workers amid ongoing Israeli bombardments, which have also hindered humanitarian access. Separately, he extended his thanks to Latvia, Slovenia, Türkiye, Northern Macedonia and Luxembourg for pledging $10.8 million to support the WHO Investment Round, noting that “every contribution counts.”

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Rapporteur urges Israel’s UN membership suspension

World /

A UN rapporteur urged the suspension of Israel’s UN membership on Wednesday, citing repeated violations of international law and the occupation of Palestinian territories. “I do believe that the impunity that has been granted to Israel has allowed it to become a serial violator of international law,” Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, said at a news conference. Albanese said she recommends that the General Assembly consider the suspension of Israel’s credential as a member of the UN until it ends violating international laws and withdraws the occupation, which she said is “clearly unlawful.” She said the creation of the Israeli state “came at a huge price for the Palestinians” and it has never been addressed, and that since 1967, Palestinians have been increasingly segregated and repressed. “Israel, in the pursuit of realizing Greater Israel, is attempting to reduce physically or spiritually … the presence of the Palestinian identity in the occupied Palestinian territory,” he said, adding that 75% of Gaza’s population are refugees. “They’re not from Gaza. They’re from modern-day Israel and therefore the presence is a continuous reminder for Israel of what I call its original sin, in fact, that its creation doesn’t matter the justification behind it,” she said. Albanese said Israel has no right to be in the occupied Palestinian territory. “The International Court of Justice has ordered Israel to withdraw, unconditionally, totally, rapidly as possible its military presence, dismantling the colonies, stopping the seizing the exploitation of natural resources on the occupied Palestinian territory and making also reparations,” Albanese added. Albanese issued a report earlier this week that accused Israel of a systematic campaign of forced displacement, destruction and acts of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. In the report submitted to the UN General Assembly, Albanese described the “long-term, intentional, state-organized forced displacement and replacement” of Palestinians, particularly following the escalation of violence after Oct. 7, 2023. The report focused on “genocidal intent, contextualizing the situation within a decades-long process of territorial expansion and ethnic cleansing aimed at liquidating the Palestinian presence in Palestine.” Regarding attacks against Albanese because of the report, she said special rapporteurs get attacked when they scrutinize the human rights records of member states. “What it seems in the case of Israel is (that) there is a cohort who echoes and reverberates what Israel says and does, and there is an army of minions at work to produce, literally — fabrications have one and only one objective, to distract the attention from where it should stay,” she said.

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Turkish UN envoy calls for arms embargo on Israel

Turkey, World /

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UNRWA condemns Israeli ban, calls move ‘dangerous precedent’

World /

 The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) condemned Israel’s decision Monday to ban it from operating in the country, calling the passage of the legislation “unprecedented” and warning of severe repercussions for Palestinians, particularly in Gaza. “The vote by the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) against UNRWA this evening is unprecedented and sets a dangerous precedent. It opposes the UN Charter and violates the State of Israel’s obligations under international law,” Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini wrote on X. Israel’s decision is part of an “ongoing campaign to discredit UNRWA and delegitimize its role towards providing human-development assistance and services to Palestine refugees,” he added, saying the legislation would further devastate Palestinians, who have faced “more than a year of sheer hell.” Lazzarini expressed concern that the ban would deprive over 650,000 Palestinian children in Gaza of an education, threatening “an entire generation.” He called the Knesset’s passage of the bills “collective punishment,” stressing that the legislation would only escalate the challenges Palestinians already face. “Putting an end to UNRWA and its services will not strip the Palestinians of their refugee status,” Lazzarini said, noting that this status is protected under a separate UN General Assembly resolution until a “fair and lasting solution” is reached for Palestinians. He also emphasized the wider impact of the ban, cautioning that if the laws go unchallenged, they could “weaken our common multilateral mechanism established after World War 2.” Earlier, the Israeli Knesset passed a law banning UNRWA from operating in the country, which could affect its work in Gaza.  “The Knesset plenum approved Monday evening in its second and third readings a law to cut official ties with and halt the activity of UNRWA, some of whose operators are suspected of participating in the massacres (by the Palestinian group Hamas) on Oct. 7 (last year),” said a report by Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth daily. The vote saw 92 out of 120 Knesset members in favor of the ban, with 10 opposed. A separate bill from Knesset members Ron Katz, Yulia Malinovsky and Dan Illouz, which was approved by lawmakers in a 87-9 vote, mandates that Israel cut all ties with UNRWA, barring any cooperation or privileges the agency previously held. The legislation will take effect in 90 days. Israel has accused UNRWA employees of complicity in the Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border incursion by Hamas, alleging that the agency’s educational programs “promote terrorism and hatred.” UNRWA, headquartered in East Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, denies the accusations and asserts that it remains neutral, solely focusing on supporting refugees. The Israeli army has continued a devastating offensive on the Gaza Strip since the attack by Hamas last October, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire. Over 43,000 people have since been killed, mostly women and children, and more than 101,100 others injured, according to local health authorities. The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.

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