Amnesty International

With Israel’s Move to Ban UNRWA, ‘A New Way Has Been Found to Kill Children’

Spread the love

Original article by Jake Johnson republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). 

Palestinian children sit with pots near makeshift tents as they wait to receive food aid in Khan Younis, Gaza on October 28, 2024. (Photo: Doaa Albaz/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“It’ll likely see the collapse of the humanitarian system in Gaza,” warned a spokesperson for the U.N. Children’s Fund.

Humanitarian groups and United Nations officials issued dire warnings Tuesday about the potentially catastrophic consequences of Israeli lawmakers’ vote to ban the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, the body primarily responsible for delivering lifesaving aid to the people of Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

James Elder, a spokesperson for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), said Tuesday that if the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is unable to operate due to the measures passed overwhelmingly by the Israeli Knesset on Monday, “it’ll likely see the collapse of the humanitarian system in Gaza.”

“So a decision such as this suddenly means that a new way has been found to kill children,” said Elder.

The legislation that Israeli lawmakers passed in a 92-10 vote bars UNRWA—a frequent target of Israeli smear campaigns and military attacks—from operating or providing “any service” within “in the sovereign territory of the state of Israel.”

Israeli lawmakers also passed a measure declaring UNRWA a “terror” group, barring Israeli officials from engaging in any contact with the agency.

The Guardian noted that the newly passed measures—which are set to be implemented within 90 days—are “expected to lead to the closure of UNRWA’s East Jerusalem headquarters and would effectively block the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza via Rafah.”

“The severing of diplomatic relations would preclude Israel from issuing entry and work permits to foreign UNRWA staff and prevent coordination with the Israeli military to permit aid shipments,” the newspaper added.

“Humanitarian actors rely on coordination with UNWRA to deliver aid and alleviate suffering. UNWRA cannot be replaced by NGOs.”

Agnès Callamard, the secretary-general of Amnesty International, warned in a statement Tuesday that the measures represent “an outright attack on the rights of Palestinian refugees.”

“It is clearly designed to make it impossible for the agency to operate in the occupied Palestinian territory by forcing the closure of the UNRWA headquarters in East Jerusalem and ending visas for its staff,” said Callamard. “It amounts to the criminalization of humanitarian aid and will worsen an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis.”

“This appalling, inhumane law will only exacerbate the suffering of Palestinians, who have endured unimaginable hardship since the horrific attacks by Hamas and other armed groups in southern Israel one year ago, and whose need for global support is greater than ever. The international community must be quick to condemn it in the strongest possible terms and exert any influence they have on the Israeli government to repeal it.”

The U.N. General Assembly established UNRWA in the aftermath of the 1948 Nakba, and the agency is central to humanitarian operations in the famine-stricken Gaza Strip—a role that aid groups described as necessary and irreplaceable. According to a World Health Organization official, roughly a third of the healthcare workers assisting the polio vaccination campaign in Gaza work with UNRWA.

“UNRWA plays a critical role in serving civilians in desperate need in Gaza,” the International Rescue Committee (IRC) said Tuesday. “Humanitarian actors rely on coordination with UNRWA to deliver aid and alleviate suffering. UNRWA cannot be replaced by NGOs like IRC.”

“The bill passed in the Israeli parliament is an unprecedented attack on a U.N. agency and, if implemented, would only worsen the humanitarian catastrophe,” IRC added. “We strongly urge that this legislation is not applied. We continue to advocate for an immediate ceasefire to get aid in, to release the hostages, and to meet the growing and dire needs of the civilian population.”

Sam Rose, deputy director of UNRWA affairs in Gaza, said in a CNN interview that “the entire humanitarian system” in the Palestinian enclave “relies every minute of every day on UNRWA to deliver services to 2 million people living in the worst possible conditions.”

Implementation of the ban, Rose warned, “would be devastating for us, devastating for other aid agencies—but more importantly, for the population here that’s suffering so much.”

Original article by Jake Johnson republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). 

Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that his active support and that of UK's air force has been essential in Israel's mass-murdering genocide.
Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that his active support and that of UK’s air force has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide.
Continue ReadingWith Israel’s Move to Ban UNRWA, ‘A New Way Has Been Found to Kill Children’

Protests erupt against rising extrajudicial killings in Pakistan

Spread the love

Original article by Abdul Rahman republished from peoples dispatch under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license.

Protesters during a rally against extrajudicial killings on September 25, Sindh. Source: Atif Tauqeer/X

Progressive and left movements in Pakistan are voicing alarm over the increasing collaboration between the state and extremist forces, which they say is undermining citizens’ rights to life and religious freedom

Hundreds of people gathered in Umerkot on Wednesday, September 25, to protest the rising instances of extrajudicial killings in Pakistan’s Sindh province. Protesters voiced concern over the growing collaboration between the state and religious extremist forces and demanded justice for the victims.

The protest was organized by a Joint Action Committee made up of civil society groups and left organizations in Sindh, following the extrajudicial killing of Dr. Shahnawaz Kunbhar, a medical doctor, by the provincial police in what was allegedly a staged encounter last week.

Dr. Kunbhar’s daughter also attended the protest, where demonstrators accused the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)-led provincial government of protecting extremist forces and the policemen involved. Protesters questioned the PPP leadership’s secular credentials, according to Dawn.

On September 18, the physician had been arrested under Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy law which prohibits insulting Islam or Islamic figures and can result in the death penalty. His home was raided by Sindh police and just a few hours later he was killed, with the police reporting it as in the context of a shoot out. When the police attempted to return his body to the family for cremation, a mob reportedly snatched the body and later burned it, motivated by the blasphemy accusations.

In response, protesters have demanded an immediate ban on extremist religious preachers and the arrest of individuals who incited the violence through social media posts. They also called for immediate action against the police officers responsible for Dr. Kunbhar’s killing.

Commending the protesters in Umerkot, Haqooq-e-Khalq party leader Ammar Ali Jan said in a post on X that while the state surrenders to extremists, people are showing “unparalleled bravery to defend humanity.”

Lynchings on the rise

Pakistan has seen a rise in mob lynchings related to blasphemy accusations. On September 12, a policeman shot dead a person accused of blasphemy while in custody in Quetta, Balochistan province. Afterwards, state officials reportedly pressured the family of the victim to “pardon” the accused policeman.

According to reports in Pakistani media, at least four people have been killed in mob violence related to blasphemy since May, including members of minority communities. In all cases, the role of police and local authorities has come under scrutiny.

Dr. Kunbhar’s extrajudicial killing has drawn strong condemnation from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). In a statement on X, the HRCP called this pattern of violence “an alarming trend,” especially given the alleged involvement of law enforcement.

The HRCP called upon the state to react to the rise in religious extremism, claiming that it has “historically sponsored” such hate. The commission urged Pakistani authorities to act swiftly to “counter the rising radicalization that triggers such incidents.”

Several civil society movements and human rights groups echoed these concerns, demanding immediate action to curb religious extremism in Pakistan and protect citizens’ rights to life and religious freedom. Amnesty International stated: “The horrific spate of extrajudicial killings of people accused of blasphemy highlights the government’s ongoing failure to uphold their obligation to respect and protect human rights, including the right to life, freedom of religion or belief, and prohibition of discrimination.”

Original article by Abdul Rahman republished from peoples dispatch under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-SA) license.

Continue ReadingProtests erupt against rising extrajudicial killings in Pakistan

‘Far too little, far too late’

Spread the love

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/far-too-little-far-too-late

Ali Abdel Rahman Zorout, (5), who was wounded by an Israeli air strike, poses for a picture at the Alaaeddine Hospital in Sarafand, south Lebanon, September 26, 2024

Britain’s call for temporary Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire not enough, campaigners say

BRITAIN came under increased pressure to stop arms sales to Israel today after the Western-backed state snubbed international calls for a 21-day temporary ceasefire and unleashed a “fresh wave of horror” across Lebanon.

Amnesty International UK warned Israel could be committing more war crimes as it raised “deep alarm” over the staggering death toll since it launched an intense series of air strikes that began earlier this week, displacing half a million people.

The Stop the War Coalition (StWC) and former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn MP were also among the peace campaigners calling for urgent action to prevent an all-out regional war in the Middle East.

Fifty-one people were killed in Israeli air strikes on Wednesday, Lebanon’s Health Ministry says, with more than 90,000 people displaced across the country since Monday, according to the UN.

Amnesty International UK decried the latest onslaught on Lebanon, warning that using explosive weapons with “wide-area effects in the vicinity of densely populated residential areas is likely to violate the prohibition of indiscriminate attacks and can also lead to disproportionate attacks.”

…

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/far-too-little-far-too-late

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy says that UK is suspeding 30 of 350 arms licences to Isreal. He also confirms the UK government's support for Israel's Gaza genocide.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy says that UK is suspeding 30 of 350 arms licences to Israel. He also confirms the UK government’s support for Israel’s Gaza genocide.
Vote For Genocide Vote Labour.
Vote For Genocide Vote Labour.
Continue Reading‘Far too little, far too late’

Britain shows ‘complete disregard’ for Palestinians after abstaining on UN vote

Spread the love

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/britain-shows-complete-disregard-palestinians-after-abstaining-un-vote

The UN general assembly meeting in New York

THE British government faces a backlash for showing a “complete disregard” for Palestinian suffering by abstaining from a key UN vote on ending Israeli occupation.

The UN general assembly resolution passed last night demanded that Israel end its “unlawful presence” in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip within a year.

An overwhelming majority of 124 countries voted in favour of the resolution. Britain was one of 43 countries to abstain. Just 14 countries, including the US, voted against it.

Amnesty International’s secretary-general Agnes Callamard said that governments, including Israel’s allies, must ensure that the country complies with the resolution.

…

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/britain-shows-complete-disregard-palestinians-after-abstaining-un-vote

Continue ReadingBritain shows ‘complete disregard’ for Palestinians after abstaining on UN vote

Amnesty War Crimes Probe Exposes Israel’s ‘Wanton Destruction’ in Gaza

Spread the love

Original article by Brett Wilkins republished from Common Dreams under a CC licence.

A Palestinian woman surveys the destruction by Israeli forces of her home and neighborhood in Khuza’a, which is located near Gaza’s border with Israel, on November 25, 2023. (Photo: Mustafa Hassona/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“The creation of any ‘buffer zone’ must not amount to the collective punishment of the Palestinian civilians who lived in these neighborhoods,” warned one Amnesty campaigner.

Amnesty International said Thursday that the Israeli military should be investigated for the “war crimes of wanton destruction and of collective punishment” over its destruction of entire communities along Gaza’s border with Israel.

“Using bulldozers and manually laid explosives, the Israeli military has unlawfully destroyed agricultural land and civilian buildings, razing entire neighborhoods, including homes, schools, and mosques,” the London-based rights group said in a new investigation.

Amnesty analyzed satellite imagery, as well as photos and videos posted online by invading Israel Defense Forces troops between October and May, and found that the IDF has cleared wide swathes of land up to 1.2 miles (1.8 km) wide along Gaza’s eastern border.

“In some videos, Israeli soldiers are seen posing for pictures or toasting in celebration as buildings are demolished in the background,” the report states.

Israeli forces laid waste to much of Khuza’a in Khan Younis governate, under the pretext that Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel from the town on October 7.

Salem Qudeih, a teacher who lived in Khuza’a about a mile from the border, told Amnesty that “around my family home we had a three dunam (0.7 acre) orchard full of fruit trees. They were all destroyed. Only an apple tree and a rose were left.”

“I had bees and produced honey. All of it is gone now,” he added. “Out of the 222 houses of my relatives in the area, only about a dozen remain. My home—where I lived with my wife, my five daughters, and one son—was completely destroyed.”

Erika Guevara-Rosas, Amnesty’s senior director for research, advocacy, policy, and campaigns, said in a statement: “The Israeli military’s relentless campaign of ruin in Gaza is one of wanton destruction. Our research has shown how Israeli forces have obliterated residential buildings, forced thousands of families from their homes, and rendered their land uninhabitable.”

“Our analysis reveals a pattern along the eastern perimeter of Gaza that is consistent with the systematic destruction of an entire area,” she continued. “These homes were not destroyed as the result of intense fighting. Rather, the Israeli military deliberately razed the land after they had taken control of the area.”

“The creation of any ‘buffer zone’ must not amount to the collective punishment of the Palestinian civilians who lived in these neighborhoods,” Guevara-Rosas added. “Israel’s measures to protect Israelis from attacks from Gaza must be carried out in conformity with its obligations under international law, including the prohibition of wanton destruction and of collective punishment.”

“The Israeli military deliberately razed the land after they had taken control of the area.”

Other experts—including United Nations officials and scholars—have previously highlighted what Robert Pape, a U.S. military historian and University of Chicago professor, described as “one of the most intense civilian punishment campaigns in history.”

In the 335 days since October 7, Israeli forces have killed or maimed more than 145,000 Palestinians in Gaza while forcibly displacing almost all of the embattled strip’s 2.3 million people and destroying hundreds of thousands of homes and other structures, according to Palestinian and international officials. Rebuilding after Israel’s obliteration of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure is expected to cost over $18.5 billion, or nearly Palestine’s entire annual gross domestic product.

Israel is currently on trial for genocide at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Meanwhile, International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan has applied for warrants to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leaders for alleged war crimes including extermination.

“International humanitarian law, which applies in situations of armed conflict, including during military occupation, is comprised of rules whose central purpose is to limit, to the maximum extent feasible, human suffering in times of armed conflict,” Amnesty explained Thursday.

The group noted that under the Fourth Geneva Convention, “extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly,” is a war crime.

Additionally, the treaty bans collective punishment of civilians, stating that “no protected person may be punished for an offense he or she has not personally committed.”

Amnesty has repeatedly accused Israel of committing war crimes in Gaza and has urged the ICC to open investigations into multiple “indiscriminate” and “disproportionate” IDF massacres, as well as torture and other alleged human rights violations.

Original article by Brett Wilkins republished from Common Dreams under a CC licence.

Continue ReadingAmnesty War Crimes Probe Exposes Israel’s ‘Wanton Destruction’ in Gaza