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Tag: Yoav Gallant

  • European countries concerned about new US sanctions on ICC judges

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

    European Union flags are seen waving outside the EU Commission Building in Brussels, Belgium. [Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu Agency]

    Several European countries voiced concern Friday about new US sanctions imposed on two judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC), reaffirming their support for the Court’s independence and ability to carry out its judicial mandate without political pressure, Anadolu reports.

    The Finnish Foreign Ministry said on US social media platform X that it “deeply regrets” the US decision to sanction the judges, stressing that the court must be able to function freely.

    In a statement, the French Foreign Ministry said Paris had taken note of the new sanctions targeting, as it urged Washington to withdraw all measures taken against the Court.

    “France condemns all forms of threats and coercive measures against the ICC, its staff and civil society organizations supporting the court,” it said, warning that the sanctions amount to an attack on the institution and the 125 states party to the Rome Statute.

    Belgium expressed concern about the decision, with Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot saying the sanctions “further undermine judicial independence and efforts to fight impunity.”

    READ: ICC rejects Israel’s appeal as arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant remain in force

    “Belgium strongly regrets the new additional sanctions of the US against two judges of the @IntlCrimCourt,” Prevot wrote on X, adding that Brussels would continue to support the Court in carrying out its mandate independently and impartially.

    Denmark echoed similar concerns, with the Foreign Affairs Ministry saying Copenhagen “deeply regrets” the US decision and reaffirmed its unwavering support for the ICC as an independent and impartial judicial institution.

    Other European countries, including Spain, the Netherlands and Norway, have also voiced concern about the sanctions and reiterated their support for the Court’s independence.

    US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions Thursday against ICC judges Gocha Lordkipanidze of Georgia and Erdenebalsuren Damdin of Mongolia, accusing them of being “directly engaged” in “the illegitimate targeting of Israel.”

    In response, the ICC said it “strongly rejects” the sanctions and labelled the move a “flagrant attack” against the independence of an impartial judicial institution.

    The latest measures follow previous US sanctions imposed on ICC officials involved in authorizing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant — warrants accusing both officials of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip.

    Israel has killed more than 70,600 victims, mostly women and children, and injured over 171,100 people in attacks in Gaza since October 2023, which have continued despite a truce being signed in October.

    READ: US sanctions 2 International Criminal Court judges over rejecting Israel’s appeal of war crimes arrest warrants

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

    UK Foreign Minister David Lammy confirms that UK government and military are active participants in Israel’s genocides and that the F-35 parts that they suspended from supplying to Israel are instead simply diverted via the United States. He says see https://youtu.be/QILgUHrdWRE
    UK Foreign Minister David Lammy confirms that UK government and military are active participants in Israel’s genocides and that the F-35 parts that they suspended from supplying to Israel are instead simply diverted via the United States. He says see https://youtu.be/QILgUHrdWRE
    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.

  • 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).

    Elon Musk urges you to be a Fascist like him, says that you can ignore facts and reality then.
    Elon Musk urges you to be a Fascist like him, says that you can ignore facts and reality then.
    Orcas discuss how Trump was re-elected and him being an obviously insane, xenophobic Fascist.
    Orcas discuss how Trump was re-elected and him being an obviously insane, xenophobic Fascist.

  • Dozens arrested at London protest in support of Palestine Action

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    Police officers detain protesters during the “Lift the Ban” demonstration organized by the civil action and campaign group Defend Our Juries ahead of a judicial review into the decision to designate the Palestine Action group as a terrorist organization at Tavistock Square in London, United Kingdom, on November 22, 2025. [Raşid Necati Aslım – Anadolu Agency]

    At least 90 protesters were arrested at a London demonstration in support of the banned activist group, Palestine Action, police said Saturday, Anadolu reports.

    The arrests as of 1800GMT are in relation to the protest organized by Defend Our Juries in support of the “proscribed terrorist organisation Palestine Action,” Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

    It added that the protest concluded and those involved have left the area.

    Protesters gathered in Tavistock Square, where demonstrators carried Palestinian flags and signs while chanting pro-Palestine slogans.

    Some of the banners read: “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action.”

    The Defend Our Juries group wrote on the US social media platform X that police instantly started arresting protestors for silently holding signs that it said opposed genocide and the Palestine Action ban.

    READ: Hundreds in Sweden protest Israeli attacks on Gaza despite ceasefire

    “Today’s protest is happening in Tavistock Square, London — known as the peace gardens with anti-war memorials. Lift the ban,” it added.

    Palestine Action was banned in July under the UK’s Terrorism Act, a decision that has led to the arrests of hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters for holding signs or showing support for the group.

    The new protests come ahead of and during the judicial review set to be heard from Nov. 25 to 27, which may see Palestine Action’s proscription as a terror organization overturned.

    Since October 2023, the Israeli army has killed nearly 70,000 victims in Gaza, primarily women and children, injured more than 170,800, and reduced the enclave to rubble. The onslaught came to a halt under a ceasefire deal that took effect Oct. 10.

    The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

    Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on Gaza.

    READ: UK premier says rising incidents related to ‘abhorrent’ anti-Muslim hate must be addressed

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

    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.
    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.
    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 and the UK government and military's active participation in 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 and the UK government and military’s active participation in genocide.

  • Ben-Gvir threatens coalition crisis over death penalty for Palestinian prisoners

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    Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir stands at the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, ahead of an address by the US president in Jerusalem on October 13, 2025. [Chip Somodevilla / POOL / AFP/ Getty Images]

    Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir warned on Monday that his far-right Otzma Yehudit party will suspend support for all coalition legislation unless Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government advances a bill imposing the death penalty on Palestinian prisoners within the next three weeks.

    Speaking during a meeting of his party’s Knesset faction, Ben-Gvir accused Netanyahu’s Likud party of violating the coalition agreement, which, he claimed, included a commitment to pass a death penalty law during the current Knesset term.“If the death penalty law is not brought to a vote within three weeks, Otzma Yehudit will not participate in votes on coalition bills,” Ben-Gvir declared. He criticised the government for what he called a series of “excuses” to delay the legislation—first before the war, and later during it. “After the war began, they said the law might endanger the kidnapped soldiers,” Ben-Gvir said. “But now, with the return of the living captives, that excuse is no longer valid.”

    Ben-Gvir argued that enacting the death penalty would serve as “a significant lever of pressure on Hamas” and should be part of Israel’s “toolbox” in its war on the group. The minister also renewed calls for an escalation in the military campaign, saying Israel should move from limited strikes to full-scale operations.

    “We are not in another round of fighting but in a war of revival,” he said. “The goal is not to exact a price from Hamas—it is to annihilate it. The time has come for renewed, intense fighting until that goal is achieved.”

    The ultimatum highlights growing tensions within Israel’s ruling coalition, as far-right ministers push for harsher measures against Palestinians while Netanyahu faces both domestic and international pressure over the conduct of the war in Gaza.

    Gaza’s silent generation: Psychological toll of Israel’s genocide strips children of speech

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

    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.
    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
    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.

  • Canadian PM: We will arrest Netanyahu if he arrives in our country

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

    Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks during a press conference after a Cabinet meeting to discuss both trade negotiations with the US and the situation in the Middle East, at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on July 30, 2025. [DAVE CHAN/AFP via Getty Images]

    Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed on Monday that he would uphold the decision of his predecessor, Justin Trudeau, to enforce the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, should he enter Canadian territory.

    In a brief press statement, Carney said his government “respects international law and the principle of accountability,” stressing that Canada “will treat the ICC’s warrant as it does any binding international judicial order.”

    He added that his country would carry out the arrest if Netanyahu enters Canada, in fulfilment of its international obligations.

    The International Criminal Court in The Hague had earlier issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during the recent war in Gaza.

    Canada is one of the signatories to the Rome Statute, which established the ICC, and is therefore legally required to execute arrest warrants issued by the court.

    READ: Netanyahu says 153 tons of bombs dropped on Gaza, admits breach of ceasefire deal

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

    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.
    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
    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.