UN rights office says Israeli settlement plan breaks international law
Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Thursday vowed to press on a long-delayed settlement project, saying the move would "bury" the idea of a Palestinian state.
The U.N. rights office spokesperson said the plan would break the West Bank into isolated enclaves and that it was "a war crime for an occupying power to transfer its own civilian population into the territory it occupies".
About 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israel annexed East Jerusalem in 1980, a move not recognised by most countries, but has not formally extended sovereignty over the West Bank.
Most world powers say settlement expansion erodes the viability of a two-state solution by breaking up territory the Palestinians seek as part of a future independent state.
The two-state plan envisages a Palestinian state in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, existing side by side with Israel, which captured all three territories in the 1967 Middle East war.
Israel cites historical and biblical ties to the area and says the settlements provide strategic depth and security and that the West Bank is "disputed" not "occupied".
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Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Human rights watchdog warns police to rethink 'heavy-handed' Palestine protest clampdown amid fears it could have a 'chilling' effect on free speech
Britain's human rights watchdog has warned against the 'heavy-handed policing' of Palestine protests amid fears it could have a 'chilling' effect on free speech. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has written to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Met Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley to remind them that the 'right to protest is a cornerstone of any healthy democracy'. The letter, from EHRC chairwoman Baroness Kishwer Falkner, said the notion that a peaceful demonstration could attract disproportionate police attention 'undermines confidence in our human rights protections'. Baroness Falkner said any interference with protest rights 'must be lawful and assessed case-by-case'. She added: 'Heavy-handed policing or blanket approaches risk creating a chilling effect, deterring citizens from exercising their fundamental rights to freedom of expression and assembly through fear of possible consequences. 'This concern extends beyond those directly affected by police engagement to the broader health of our democracy, because the perception that peaceful protest may attract disproportionate police attention undermines confidence in our human rights protections.' The letter, from EHRC chairwoman Baroness Kishwer Falkner, said the notion that a peaceful demonstration could attract disproportionate police attention 'undermines confidence in our human rights protections' Baroness Falkner also raised concerns about 'reports of police engagement with individuals participating in forms of protest that are not linked to any proscribed organisation'. The commission referenced a report by the Guardian newspaper about a woman said to have been threatened with arrest under the Terrorism Act for holding a Palestinian flag and signs saying 'Free Gaza' and 'Israel is committing genocide'. The woman was reportedly told by police that her demonstration in Canterbury, Kent, in July expressed views supportive of Palestine Action, an organisation which has been banned by the Government. The woman said neither of her signs mentioned Palestine Action and that she had told police she did not support any proscribed organisations. Kent Police confirmed it had 'received correspondence from a legal firm representing a person spoken to by officers in Canterbury on July 14 2025' after the Guardian reported the woman is taking legal action against the force. The EHRC said Government and police authorities must 'ensure that all officers receive clear and consistent guidance on their human rights obligations' when it comes to protests. 'This guidance should ensure that the appropriate balance is maintained between public safety and the protection of essential human rights,' Baroness Falkner added. Palestine Action was proscribed by the UK Government in July, with the ban meaning that membership of, or support for, the group is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison, under the Terrorism Act 2000. More than 500 people were arrested last weekend on suspicion of displaying an item in support of a proscribed group, as demonstrations took place in central London. Downing Street has described Palestine Action as 'violent' and said it has committed 'significant injury' as well as criminal damage, adding that evidence and security assessments shared in closed court supported its proscription. Palestine Action said Downing Street's accusations were 'false and defamatory' and 'disproven by the Government's own intelligence assessment'. Asked for their response to the EHRC letter, the Home Office referred to Ms Cooper's previous statement about last week's march, in which she said: 'The right to protest is one we protect fiercely but this is very different from displaying support for this one specific and narrow, proscribed organisation.' The Metropolitan Police declined to comment when asked for their response to the letter. It comes after a chaotic London march last Saturday saw more than a staggering 500 activists arrested - bringing the total to over 700 since July 7, when the group was proscribed. During a day of mayhem and farce, Left-wing protesters swamped London's Parliament Square on August 9 in support of the organisation, which was proscribed by the Government last month as a terrorist group. Hundreds held placards declaring 'I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action' in deliberate 'idiotic' acts of law-breaking designed to overwhelm police resources and the courts. Later that day, the Metropolitan Police announced more than 360 people had been detained following the scenes of disorder - at an estimated cost of about £3million. However, in an update on August 10, the Met said the number of total arrests had skyrocketed to 532 - with 522 of these being for people allegedly displaying placards supporting the proscribed terror group. Protesters were accused of a 'colossal' waste of millions of pounds of taxpayers' money after seemingly getting deliberately arrested by officers. Yesterday, the Metropolitan Police announced that a further 60 people will be prosecuted for 'showing support for the proscribed terrorist group Palestine Action. Stephen Parkinson, Director of Public Prosecutions, said: 'The decisions that we have announced today are the first significant numbers to come out of the recent protests, and many more can be expected in the next few weeks. We are ready to make swift decisions in all cases where arrests have been made. The public has a democratic right to protest peacefully in this country, and I understand the depth of feeling around the horrific scenes in Gaza. 'However, Palestine Action is now a proscribed terrorist organisation and those who have chosen to break the law will be subject to criminal proceedings under the Terrorism Act. 'When protest conduct crosses the line from lawful activity into criminality, we have a duty to enforce the law. 'People should be clear about the real-life consequences for anyone choosing to support Palestine Action. A terrorism conviction can severely impact your life and career – it can restrict your ability to travel overseas and work in certain professions. 'I urge people to think very carefully about their actions at protests. Anyone who chooses to disobey the law will have to face the consequences.'
Telegraph
6 hours ago
- Telegraph
Israeli minister taunts imprisoned Palestinian leader not seen in years
Israel's national security minister visited a prominent Palestinian leader in jail and told him: 'You will not win,' footage shows. Marwan Barghouti, a leading member of the Palestinian Fatah party, has spent more than 20 years behind bars after being sentenced for his role in anti-Israeli attacks in the early 2000s. Itamar Ben-Gvir, the ultra-nationalist minister, visited him in his cell and shared footage of the encounter on X. It is the first time Barghouti has been seen publicly in years. In the clip, the minister and two other individuals, including a prison guard, surround Barghouti in a corner of his cell. 'You will not defeat us. Whoever harms the people of Israel, whoever kills children, whoever kills women... we will erase them,' Mr Ben-Gvir says in Hebrew. Barghouti, known by his supporters as 'the Palestinian Mandela', tries to respond but is interrupted by Ben Gvir, who says: 'No, you know this. And it's been the case throughout history.' The video does not specify where Barghouti is currently being held. Sources told AFP the meeting took place 'by chance' at the Ganot prison in southern Israel during a ministerial visit. 'This morning I read that various 'senior officials' in the Palestinian Authority didn't quite like what I said to arch-terrorist Marwan Barghouti – may his name be erased,' Mr Ben-Gvir said in the post accompanying the video on Friday morning. 'So I will repeat it again and again, without apology – whoever messes with the people of Israel, whoever murders our children, whoever murders our women, we will wipe them out. With God's help.' Solitary confinement Barghouti, who is now in his 60s, was arrested by Israel in 2002 and sentenced to life on murder charges in 2004. Israel considers him a terrorist and convicted him over his role in the second intifada, or uprising, from 2000-2005. He often tops opinion polls of popular Palestinian leaders. Rights groups say Barghouti has been held in solitary confinement since Oct 7 2023, the day Hamas launched its deadly attacks on Israel. Palestinian supporters have accused guards of 'brutally assaulting' him, which the Israeli prison service has denied. Arab Barghouti, his son, told AFP he was shocked by the video, both at the state of his father, whom he had not seen in three years, and at what he called the 'blatantly arrogant' minister. 'He's lost a lot of weight, and he looks old,' he said of his father. 'They will not break his image in the eyes of the Palestinian people.' In a statement released by Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency, the Palestinian Authority's foreign ministry denounced the confrontation as 'an unprecedented provocation'. Responding to the video in a post on X, the Palestinian mission to the United Nations said Barghouti was 'enduring extremely harsh humanitarian conditions in his solitary confinement cell'. It added that he had 'lost more than half his weight due to deliberate medical neglect and mistreatment'. 'At the same time, extremist Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir continues to directly threaten him in an attempt to break his will and resilience,' it said. It is understood Hamas have sought to exchange Barghouti for the remaining Israeli hostages it holds, but Israel is unlikely to free him.
The Guardian
6 hours ago
- The Guardian
UK rights watchdog warns against ‘heavy-handed' policing of Gaza protests
The UK's official human rights watchdog has written to ministers and police expressing concern at a potentially 'heavy-handed' approach to protests about Gaza and urging clearer guidance for officers in enforcing the law. In the letter to Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, and Mark Rowley, the head of the Metropolitan police, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said the perception that peaceful protest could attract disproportionate police attention 'undermines confidence in our human rights protections'. Kishwer Falkner, the EHRC chair, wrote that it was vital that any policing of protests was both proportionate and based on clear legal tests. The letter raised concerns about 'reports of police engagement with individuals participating in forms of protest that are not linked to any proscribed organisation'. It cited as an example the case of Laura Murton, first revealed by the Guardian. Keny police threatened her with arrest under the Terrorism Act for holding a Palestinian flag and having signs saying 'Free Gaza' and 'Israel is committing genocide'. Murton filmed police telling her that even such general statements 'all come under proscribed groups, which are terror groups that have been dictated by the government'. During the exchange, one officer said the phrase 'Free Gaza' was 'supportive of Palestine Action', that it was illegal 'to express an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organisation', and that she had committed that offence with her signs. Falkner wrote: 'Whilst we acknowledge police expertise in assessing security risks, we want to emphasise that any interference with protest rights must be lawful and assessed case by case. 'Heavy-handed policing or blanket approaches risk creating a chilling effect, deterring citizens from exercising their fundamental rights to freedom of expression and assembly through fear of possible consequences. 'This concern extends beyond those directly affected by police engagement to the broader health of our democracy, because the perception that peaceful protest may attract disproportionate police attention undermines confidence in our human rights protections.' Falkner urged ministers and police to make sure all officers were given 'clear and consistent guidance on their human rights obligations in relation to protest', which should 'ensure that the appropriate balance is maintained between public safety and the protection of essential human rights'. Murton told the Guardian last week that her solicitors had issued a letter of claim on her behalf to the chief constable of Kent police, in what was also said to be a move to remind other police forces of their responsibilities towards peaceful protests. Falkner said in a statement: 'The right to peaceful protest is fundamental to our democracy and must be protected even when dealing with complex and sensitive issues. 'We recognise the genuine challenges the police face in maintaining public safety, but we are concerned that some recent responses may not strike the right balance between security and fundamental rights. 'Our role as the national human rights institution is to uphold the laws that safeguard everyone's right to fairness, dignity and respect. When we see reports of people being questioned or prevented from peaceful protests that don't support proscribed organisations, we have a duty to speak out.' The Liberal Democrats called on Cooper to act swiftly. Lisa Smart, the party's home affairs spokesperson, said: 'The lack of clarity that has been given to police officers has led to confusion, increasing tensions and risks creating a chilling effect on freedom of speech. 'The home secretary needs to step in and give officers, often dealing with incredibly complex and sensitive situations, clear direction as to what is expected of them at protests. 'Without that officers will be left exposed and those exercising their democratic rights worried about the consequences.' The warning comes in the context of wider police operations targeting protesters who, unlike Murton, appear to directly express support for Palestine Action, which is illegal given the group's banned status. Membership of, or support for, the group is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison under the Terrorism Act. The group was proscribed last month after incidents including one in which four people were arrested over damaged caused to two Voyager aircraft at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. In the latest of a series of mass protests against the decision, more than 500 people were arrested in London last Saturday, almost all for displaying placards or signs allegedly supportive of Palestine Action. Half of those arrested were aged 60 or above, according to police figures. On Friday night the Metropolitan poice said a further 60 people would be prosecuted for 'showing support for the proscribed terrorist group Palestine Action'. Amnesty International UK said that while it welcomed the EHRC letter, the watchdog had 'failed to acknowledge the hundreds of people unfairly arrested for peacefully exercising their right to free expression'. Sacha Deshmukh, the organisation's chief executive, said: 'This isn't just about the chilling effect on freedom of speech for people 'not linked to any proscribed organisation', as the EHRC states, it's also about the excessive policing of citizens' right to protest against a decision made by their elected government. 'Under international human rights law, protest speech should only be criminalised if it incites violence, hatred or discrimination. Holding a placard and peacefully stating opposition to a government decision to proscribe an organisation cannot realistically be treated as an example of incitement.' Downing Street has justified the ban on Palestine Action by saying it is 'a violent organisation that has committed violence, significant injury, extensive criminal damage', a description one of its co-founders has said is false and defamatory. The Home Office said the issues the EHRC had raised were an operational matter for the police. The Met referred the query to the Home Office.
