US must stop reprisals on ICC judges, says UN human rights office
GENEVA — The United Nations on Thursday urged the United States to end its rounds of reprisals after Washington imposed further sanctions on International Criminal Court judges.
The US imposed sanctions on two more ICC judges and two prosecutors on Wednesday, including from allies France and Canada, in a new effort to hobble the tribunal, particularly over its actions against Israel.
The ICC last year issued warrants of arrest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant over Israel's bombardment and blockade of Gaza. At the same time, it issued an arrest warrant against Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri.
"The relentless intensification of US reprisals against international institutions and their personnel must stop," UN human rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement.
Turk said sanctioning ICC staff who were fulfilling their mandates was "an assault on the rule of law and corrodes justice" and called for all the measures to be withdrawn.
"In the meantime, I call on states to take immediate steps to protect all of [the sanctioned individuals], including by taking measures to encourage corporations operating within their jurisdiction not to implement the sanctions," he said.
"States need to step up to defend the institutions they have created to uphold and defend human rights and the rule of law. Those working to document, investigate and prosecute serious violations of international law should not have to work in fear." — Agence France-Presse
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US must stop reprisals on ICC judges, says UN human rights office
"The relentless intensification of US reprisals against international institutions and their personnel must stop," UN human rights chief Volker Turk said. REUTERS/ Denis Balibouse/ File photo GENEVA — The United Nations on Thursday urged the United States to end its rounds of reprisals after Washington imposed further sanctions on International Criminal Court judges. The US imposed sanctions on two more ICC judges and two prosecutors on Wednesday, including from allies France and Canada, in a new effort to hobble the tribunal, particularly over its actions against Israel. The ICC last year issued warrants of arrest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant over Israel's bombardment and blockade of Gaza. At the same time, it issued an arrest warrant against Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri. "The relentless intensification of US reprisals against international institutions and their personnel must stop," UN human rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement. Turk said sanctioning ICC staff who were fulfilling their mandates was "an assault on the rule of law and corrodes justice" and called for all the measures to be withdrawn. "In the meantime, I call on states to take immediate steps to protect all of [the sanctioned individuals], including by taking measures to encourage corporations operating within their jurisdiction not to implement the sanctions," he said. "States need to step up to defend the institutions they have created to uphold and defend human rights and the rule of law. Those working to document, investigate and prosecute serious violations of international law should not have to work in fear." — Agence France-Presse
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Israel bombards Gaza City ahead of planned offensive
A man carries a poster as Palestinians wave their national flag in Gaza City on August 21, 2025, during a demonstration ahead of Israel's planned offensive against the city. Omar Al-Qattaa/ AFP CAIRO/JERUSALEM — The Israeli military maintained its pressure on Gaza City with heavy bombardments overnight, residents said, ahead of a Thursday meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his ministers on plans to seize the enclave's largest city. The military a day earlier called up 60,000 reservists in a sign that the government was pressing ahead with the plan, despite international condemnation. However, one military official said that most reservists would not serve in combat and that the strategy to take Gaza City had not yet been finalised. 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"This is for a clear message: words are finished, and the time has come for action to stop the military operations, to stop the genocide against our people and to stop the massacres taking place daily," said Palestinian journalist Tawfik Abu Jarad during the protest. The Gaza health ministry said at least 70 people had been killed in Israeli fire in the enclave in the past 24 hours, including eight people in a house in Sabra suburb in Gaza City. A statement from the Palestinian Fatah movement said one of those killed in Sabra was a Fatah leader and former militant, along with seven members of his family. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Gaza City seizure The plan to seize Gaza City was approved this month by the security cabinet, which Netanyahu chairs, even though many of Israel's closest allies have urged the government to reconsider. Netanyahu will hold a meeting on Thursday to approve operational plans, according to a source close to the prime minister. 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Putin is prepared to meet Zelenskiy if key issues are worked through first, Lavrov says
Asked by reporters if Putin was willing to meet Zelenskiy, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters: "Our president has repeatedly said that he is ready to meet, including with Mr. Zelenskiy." Maxim Shipenkov/ Pool/ AFP/ File photo MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin is prepared to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy but all issues need to be worked through first and there's a question about Zelenskiy's authority to sign a deal, Putin's foreign minister said on Thursday. Putin and US President Donald Trump met on Friday in Alaska for the first Russia-US summit in more than four years and the two leaders discussed how to end the deadliest war in Europe since World War Two. Following his summit talks in Alaska, Trump said on Monday he had begun arranging a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders, to be followed by a trilateral summit with Trump. Asked by reporters if Putin was willing to meet Zelenskiy, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters: "Our president has repeatedly said that he is ready to meet, including with Mr. Zelenskiy." Lavrov, though, added a caveat: "With the understanding that all issues that require consideration at the highest level will be well worked out, and experts and ministers will prepare appropriate recommendations. "And, of course, with the understanding that when and if—hopefully, when—it comes to signing future agreements, the issue of the legitimacy of the person who signs these agreements from the Ukrainian side will be resolved," Lavrov said. Putin has repeatedly raised doubts about Zelenskiy's legitimacy as his term in office was due to expire in May 2024 but the war means no new presidential election has yet been held. Kyiv says Zelenskiy remains the legitimate president. Russian officials say they are worried that if Zelenskiy signs the deal then a future leader of Ukraine could contest it on the basis that Zelenskiy's term had technically expired. Lavrov said that the best option for a security guarantee for Ukraine would be based on discussions that took place between Moscow and Kyiv in 2022. Under a draft of that document which Reuters has seen, Ukraine was asked to agree to permanent neutrality in return for international security guarantees from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council: Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States. Any attempts to depart from the failed Istanbul discussions would be hopeless, Lavrov said, accusing European leaders of trying to undermine progress made at the Alaska summit. — Reuters
