Human Rights Watch

Ahead of Netanyahu visit, Human Rights Watch urges Hungary to arrest Israeli premier

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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

Protesters gathered outside the White House to demonstrate against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, DC, on February 11, 2026. [Celal Güneş – Anadolu Agency]

On the eve of a planned visit, Human Rights Watch on Friday has called on Hungarian authorities to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he enters the country, Anadolu reports.

The visit, set to start Saturday, comes weeks before Hungary’s April 12 general elections.

“Despite its move to leave the ICC (International Criminal Court), Hungary is still a member country and is still obligated to arrest and surrender individuals wanted by the court,” said Alice Autin, international justice researcher at Human Rights Watch.

“By flouting this obligation, for the second time in less than a year, Hungary would further entrench impunity for serious crimes in Palestine and once again betray victims who have been denied justice for far too long,” she added.

The call comes after the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in 2024 over alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza since October 2023.

Both remain fugitives from the ICC.

Netanyahu previously visited Hungary in April 2025 without being arrested. Hungary has formally announced its intention to withdraw from the ICC treaty, effective this June 2, sparking criticism from international lawyers and civil society.

READ: Israeli reservist detained over alleged leak of Iron Dome secrets to Iran

Human Rights Watch also decried ongoing Israeli military operations in Lebanon, Gaza, and against Iran, stressing the “urgent need to respect the rule of law and support credible avenues for justice.”

The organization also called on EU and ICC member states to press Hungary to reverse its withdrawal and cooperate with the court.

“(Prime Minister Viktor) Orban’s government is about to roll out the red carpet again for Netanyahu, when it is obligated to arrest him,” Autin said. “Silence and persistent inaction from the EU risks sending a dangerous message of acquiescence as the Israeli government continues to be responsible for atrocities.”

Israel in October 2024 launched a two-year war on the Gaza Strip, killing more than 71,000 people, injuring over 172,000, and destroying about 90% of the enclave’s civilian infrastructure, with reconstruction costs estimated by the UN at around $70 billion.

Despite an October 2025 truce, Israel has continued its daily attacks, killing at least 677 Palestinians and injuring 1,813 others since the ceasefire, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying only 9 days ago that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying only 9 days ago that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won.
Donald Trump warns against following the https://onaquietday.org blog, says that it's easy atm, she only needs to report war crimes supporting Israel's genocidal expansion.
Donald Trump warns against following the https://onaquietday.org blog, says that it’s easy atm, she only needs to report war crimes supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion.
Continue ReadingAhead of Netanyahu visit, Human Rights Watch urges Hungary to arrest Israeli premier

Netherlands, Iceland Join Genocide Case Against Israel at International Court of Justice

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

Muslims gathered at Dam Square for a street Ramadan Iftar, breaking their fast together and showing solidarity with Palestine on February 28, 2026 in Amsterdam. (Photo by Mouneb Taim/Anadolu via Getty Images)

With the intervention of two more nations, 18 have now joined in support of the case, initially brought by South Africa.

The Netherlands and Iceland have joined the case before the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza.

On Wednesday, both nations filed declarations under Article 63 of the ICJ statute, which allows parties to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide to intervene in cases involving the interpretation of that convention.

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The case was filed in 2023 by South Africa, which cited numerous instances of Israeli leaders using genocidal rhetoric amid an onslaught of attacks against civilians.

Since October 2023, official estimates from the Gaza Ministry of Health have found that more than 72,000 people have been killed, though independent reviews have placed the death toll much higher.

Several independent humanitarian organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the Israel-based organization B’Tselem, have concurred with the intervening parties that Israel’s conduct has constituted “genocide.”

Article II of the 1948 Genocide Convention defines “genocide” as acts “committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.” Among these acts are killing, inflicting serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions of life to bring about their destruction, imposing measures to prevent births, or forcibly transferring their children to other groups.

In its filing before the ICJ, the Netherlands—home to The Hague, where the ICJ is located—argued that Israel’s forcible displacement of more than 1 million civilians, killing of more than 20,000 children according to official estimates, and blocking humanitarian aid to use starvation as a weapon of war, are all acts that, when paired with statements from Israeli officials, imply genocidal intent.

The Dutch urged judges on the court to “take account of starvation or the deliberate withholding of humanitarian aid for the purpose of establishing specific intent, in particular when this occurs on the basis of a concerted plan of a consistent pattern of conduct.”

Iceland in particular emphasized Israel’s conduct toward the children of Gaza, saying that “attacks on children, including killing and causing serious bodily or mental harm, require special scrutiny as they are particularly indicative of intent to destroy the group.”

The pair of European nations brought the total of countries participating in the proceedings up to 18—among them are Belgium, Brazil, Belize, Colombia, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, and Turkey.

The United States, under the Trump administration, meanwhile, has cut off foreign aid to South Africa for its role in launching the case against Israel, which receives billions of dollars in US military assistance annually.

Iceland’s intervention in the genocide case marks the first time it has participated in a substantive case before the ICJ, according to the Icelandic news outlet RÚV.

“With Iceland’s participation in South Africa’s case before the International Court of Justice, we are using our voice in support of international law and human rights,” said its minister for foreign affairs, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir. “And we can be proud of that.”

While its decisions are legally binding and could require Israel to cease violations of the Genocide Convention, the ICJ is not a criminal court.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant have each been issued arrest warrants as part of separate war crimes proceedings by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which have thus far not been enforced.

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

Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Experiencing issues with this image not appearing. I suspect because it's so critical of Zionist Keir Starmer's support of and complicity in Israel's genocides.
Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpA

Continue ReadingNetherlands, Iceland Join Genocide Case Against Israel at International Court of Justice

Attacks on right to protest ‘fraying the fabric of democracy,’ major reports warn

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/attacks-right-protest-fraying-fabric-democracy-major-reports-warn

Metropolitan Police officers form a cordon at Parliament Square to prevent protesters reaching Westminster Bridge during a Free Palestine Coalition demonstration in central London, January 6, 2024

THE right to protest is facing an “unprecedented crisis” in England and Wales with legal reforms in the past years “fraying the fabric of democracy itself,” two major reports said today.

Law reform organisation Justice and Human Rights Watch called for the changes to be repealed and proposals for more curbs halted.

Justice chief executive Fiona Rutherford said: “Year by year, we see police powers grow, as our fundamental right to protest is treated more like a privilege.

“The law in this area has become dangerously unbalanced, empowering the state to silence voices it should be safeguarding. 

“Reversing this trend is essential to restoring trust, protecting rights and preserving a healthy democracy.”

Human Rights Watch senior researcher Lydia Gall said: “The UK is now adopting protest-control tactics imposed in countries where democratic safeguards are collapsing. 

“The UK should oppose such measures, not replicate and endorse them.”

…

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/attacks-right-protest-fraying-fabric-democracy-major-reports-warn

Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Palestine Action joke that appeared in the UK satirical magazine 'Private Eye'.
Palestine Action joke that appeared in the UK satirical magazine ‘Private Eye’.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Continue ReadingAttacks on right to protest ‘fraying the fabric of democracy,’ major reports warn

ICC Slams New US Sanctions on Judges as ‘Flagrant Attack’ on Rule of Law

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

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks while President Donald Trump looks on during a December 2, 2025 Cabinet meeting in the White House in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

“When judicial actors are threatened for applying the law, it is the international legal order itself that is placed at risk,” the court said.

The International Criminal Court and human rights groups on Thursday condemned new US sanctions on two more of the tribunal’s judges, which brought the total number of sanctioned ICC jurists to 11 amid the Trump administration’s escalating campaign of retaliation against people and institutions seeking to hold Israel and the United States accountable for their alleged crimes.

“Today, I am designating two International Criminal Court (ICC) judges, Gocha Lordkipanidze of Georgia and Erdenebalsuren Damdin of Mongolia, pursuant to Executive Order 14203, ‘Imposing Sanctions on the International Criminal Court,’” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement, referring to President Donald Trump’s February edict.

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“These individuals have directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute Israeli nationals, without Israel’s consent, including voting with the majority in favor of the ICC’s ruling against Israel’s appeal on December 15,” Rubio added, referencing Monday’s rejection of an Israeli bid to block a probe into alleged war crimes committed during the genocidal two-year war on Gaza.

Although Israel and the US are not ICC members and do not recognize the Hague-based tribunal’s jurisdiction, Palestine is a state party to the Rome Statute governing the court. The treaty says that individuals from nonsignatory nations can be held liable for crimes committed in the territory of a member state.

Last year, the ICC issued warrants for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza, including murder and forced starvation in a war that has left more than 250,000 Palestinians dead, wounded, or missing.

The Trump administration had previously sanctioned nine other ICC jurists: Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan (United Kingdom), Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan (Fiji), Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang (Senegal), Judge Solomy Balungi Bossa (Uganda), Judge Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza (Peru), Judge Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini-Gansou (Benin), Judge Beti Hohler (Slovenia), Judge Nicolas Yann Guillou (France), and Judge Kimberly Prost (Canada).

The affected judges have recently described how the US sanctions have left them and their families—who are also blacklisted—“wiped out economically and socially.”

Responding to the new US punitive measures, the ICC said Thursday that “these sanctions are a flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution which operates pursuant to the mandate conferred by its states parties from across regions.”

“Such measures targeting judges and prosecutors who were elected by the states parties undermine the rule of law,” the court continued. “When judicial actors are threatened for applying the law, it is the international legal order itself that is placed at risk.”

“As previously stated, the court stands firmly behind its personnel and behind victims of unimaginable atrocities,” the ICC added. “It will continue to carry out its mandate with independence and impartiality, in full accordance with the Rome Statute and in the interest of victims of international crimes.”

Human Rights Watch also slammed the new US sanctions, which the group called “the latest attempt by the Trump administration to blatantly interfere with independent justice.”

The US government has imposed sanctions on two additional ICC judges in order to shield Israeli officials from charges of grave international crimes.These sanctions are the latest attempt by the Trump administration to blatantly interfere with independent justice.

— Human Rights Watch (@hrw.org) 2025-12-18T20:01:41.893084605Z

Amnesty International’s Center for International Justice lamented that “once again, the US administration is attacking international justice—sanctioning two ICC judges. This cannot be normalized.””States must firmly oppose US threats and sanctions and uphold the court’s ability to pursue accountability,” the group added, “even against the most powerful perpetrators.”

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

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Orcas discuss how Trump was re-elected and him being an obviously insane, xenophobic Fascist.
Continue ReadingICC Slams New US Sanctions on Judges as ‘Flagrant Attack’ on Rule of Law

UN Approval of Gaza ‘Stabilization Force’ Slammed as ‘Denial of Palestinian Self-Determination’

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

US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz raises his hand to vote in favor of a draft resolution to authorize a so-called international stabilization force in Gaza, on November 17, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Adam Gray/Getty Images)

CodePink said the plan “will leave Palestine in the hands of a puppet administration, assigning the United States, which shares complicity in the genocide, as the new manager of the open-air prison.”

Palestine defenders decried Monday’s approval by the United Nations Security Council of a US plan authorizing a so-called international stabilization force for Gaza—a plan decried by one peace group as a denial of Palestinian self-determination.

Thirteen UNSC members voted for the resolution, while no nation voted against the proposal. China abstained, as did Russia, which submitted a rival draft resolution.

While US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz hailed the approval of what he called a “historic and constructive resolution,” Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, rejected what it said “imposes an international guardianship mechanism on the Gaza Strip, which our people and their factions reject.”

“Assigning the international force with tasks and roles inside the Gaza Strip, including disarming the resistance, strips it of its neutrality, and turns it into a party to the conflict in favor of the occupation,” added Hamas, which the US labels a terrorist organization.

After waging war on Gaza for over two years, Israeli officials also rejected the resolution for opening the door to Palestinian statehood—which is officially recognized by around 150 nations but is vehemently opposed by Israel—with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling such an outcome “unacceptable.”

The approved stabilization force will be tasked with securing Gaza’s borders, protecting civilians, facilitating humanitarian assistance, supporting a redeployed Palestinian police force, and supervising disarmament of Hamas and other militant resistance groups. Under the plan, Israeli occupation forces would fully withdraw from Gaza after the stabilization force achieves security and operational control of the Palestinian exclave.

Then, a transitional governing body—the so-called Board of Peace led by US President Donald Trump—would be established to coordinate security, humanitarian aid, and reconstruction. The plan, which builds on Trump’s 20-point peace proposal adopted in last month’s tenuous ceasefire, dangles the carrot of a pathway toward Palestinian self-determination and statehood under a reformed Palestinian governing authority.

Human Rights Watch criticized the vote in an X post stating that “the fact that the words ‘human rights’ don’t appear in the resolution adopted by the Security Council today speaks volumes.”

https://twitter.com/loucharbon/status/1990542026279170150?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1990542026279170150%7Ctwgr%5Ee83ee79814745f07cf98b519e9053b133175e65f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2Fgaza-stabilization-force

X: “Sorry, this content could not be embedded.”

The US-based peace group CodePink said in a statement that “the resolution, while disguised as a peaceful and humanitarian proposal, is in reality a blueprint for the internationalization of the Israeli occupation and a complete denial of Palestinian self-determination.”

CodePink continued:

The resolution imposes a two-year mandate to “secure borders,” “protect civilians,” and “decommission weapons,” with the stated goal of disarming Palestinian resistance. However, it does nothing to address and end the root cause of the violence: Israel’s ongoing siege, occupation, and ethnic cleansing. The United States, which armed and shielded the Israeli government unconditionally as it killed and displaced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, should not be considered a neutral actor of good faith. A military force that answers to a “Board of Peace” chaired by the US president is an extension of US and Israeli interests, plain and simple.

“The establishment of a ‘technocratic Palestinian administration’ that answers to a US-led board will strip the Palestinian people of political agency,” CodePink added. “Essentially, it will leave Palestine in the hands of a puppet administration, assigning the United States, which shares complicity in the genocide, as the new manager of the open-air prison that Israel has already established.”

Members of the New York branch of the Palestine Youth Movement led a demonstration outside the US mission to the UN in Manhattan to protest the resolution.

https://twitter.com/samhusseini/status/1990565799245861222?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1990565799245861222%7Ctwgr%5Ee83ee79814745f07cf98b519e9053b133175e65f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2Fgaza-stabilization-force

X: “Sorry, this content could not be embedded.”

“We see through this thinly veiled attempt to strip the Palestinian people of their sovereignty, self-determination, and right of return,” the group said on Instagram. “The people reject any and all occupation plans for Gaza. Our movement will continue to struggle against Zionism and imperialism until Palestine is free, from the river to the sea.”

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

Experiencing issues with this image not appearing. I suspect because it's so critical of Zionist Keir Starmer's support of and complicity in Israel's genocides.
Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpA
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Continue ReadingUN Approval of Gaza ‘Stabilization Force’ Slammed as ‘Denial of Palestinian Self-Determination’