Sirens sound in Israel as projectile intercepted from Gaza Strip
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Al Arabiya
13 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Guatemalan town struggles to recover after border shootout
LA MESILLA, Guatemala (AP) – Nearly two months after Mexican police crossed the border into this Guatemalan town in pursuit of alleged criminals, La Mesilla hasn't fully recovered. Like many remote border towns, it lives from commerce—legal and illegal—but locals say things still haven't returned to normal since Mexican state police drove armored vehicles into the downtown and engaged in a daytime shootout in June. On Wednesday, more than 600 Guatemalan police and soldiers carried out nearly two dozen raids in the surrounding areas but managed to seize only two guns without making an arrest, according to the Interior Ministry. A criminal organization tied to Mexico's powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel controls the area, making locals reluctant to talk. A man who sells clothing in La Mesilla said that when he saw the shootout, he used the border much like the criminals do. 'I ran, left everything, it didn't matter, I ran to the Mexican side,' he said. 'We were afraid. When we saw that everything was alright, we returned, we grabbed everything, and left.' That's similar to what led to the shootout on La Mesilla's main drag, steps from the border. Mexican police chased suspects they had engaged with in Mexico who fled into Guatemala. 'People want to forget what happened, but there's still fear,' the young man said. The incident was similar to another border escape a year earlier when hundreds of Mexican citizens fled into Guatemala to escape the violence sparked by the competition to control border crossings between the Jalisco and Sinaloa cartels. Some of those Mexicans spent months in Guatemala as refugees. The cartels want to control the crossing of drugs, migrants, and guns. Another vendor said sales still hadn't returned to normal. 'That Sunday (of the shootout) was the market day, there were a lot of people,' he said. 'Today we feel safer because there are more police, but sales haven't recovered.' The organization that authorities targeted Wednesday had been led by a father-son duo who were both killed previously in a clash with Mexican police. Guatemala's Interior Ministry said Wednesday's operation was carried out in coordination with Mexico to attempt to keep the targets from escaping across the border. It was unknown where they had gone. Lusvin López, chief of the National Civil Police antidrug unit, said Wednesday's operation was in response to the shootout in June. The United States government also provided support, according to the Interior Ministry, which didn't provide details.
Al Arabiya
a day ago
- Al Arabiya
Belgium asks ICC to look at war crimes claims against two Israelis
Belgium said Wednesday it would ask the International Criminal Court (ICC) to look into accusations of war crimes leveled against two Israelis who traveled to a Belgian music festival this month. The pair were briefly held for questioning by prosecutors upon attending the electronic dance music festival near Antwerp, following a complaint filed by pro-Palestinian groups who identified them as Israeli soldiers and accused them of violations in Gaza. Authorities initially said they took action after concluding that Belgian courts had extraterritorial jurisdiction over war crimes cases. But after analyzing the complaints the federal prosecutor's office said on Wednesday that the justice ministry would refer the cases to the ICC, which is already investigating possible violations of humanitarian law in the Palestinian Territories. 'This decision was taken in the interest of the proper administration of justice and in accordance with Belgium's international obligations,' the office said. The two Israelis, who have not been named, were held after traveling to Tomorrowland, one of the world's largest electronic dance music festivals. The Israeli foreign ministry described the pair as 'an Israeli citizen and an IDF soldier.' 'The ministry of foreign affairs and the IDF dealt with this issue and are in touch with the two,' it added in a statement. Both men were released after questioning by the Belgian authorities and their current whereabouts are unclear. The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), a Belgian pro-Palestinian organization which triggered the investigation, welcomed the referrals but argued Belgium 'should have gone further' and prosecuted the pair directly or extradited them to the ICC. 'We now urge the ICC to act without delay,' it said in a statement. The ICC opened an investigation in 2021 into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Palestinian Territories, including in Gaza. In 2024, the court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the campaign against Hamas in Gaza. At the same time, the ICC issued arrest warrants against three senior Hamas leaders over the October 7, 2023 attack that sparked the war. All three have since died. The ICC collects potential evidence for many different sources and under its founding statute, anyone -- individuals, NGOs, institutions or governments -- can submit whatever they like. It is then up to the prosecutor to decide how credible the source and the information is and whether to use it in a potential case.
Al Arabiya
a day ago
- Al Arabiya
Palestine Action wins bid to challenge UK ban under anti-terrorism laws
The co-founder of a pro-Palestinian campaign group on Wednesday won her bid to bring a legal challenge against the British government's decision to ban the group under anti-terrorism laws. Huda Ammori, who helped found Palestine Action in 2020, asked London's High Court to give the go-ahead for a full challenge to the group's proscription, which was made on the grounds it committed or participated in acts of terrorism. Palestine Action has increasingly targeted Israel-linked companies in Britain, often spraying red paint, blocking entrances or damaging equipment. It accuses Britain's government of complicity in what it says are Israeli war crimes in Gaza. Earlier this month, the High Court refused Ammori's application to pause the ban and, following an unsuccessful last-ditch appeal, Palestine Action's proscription came into effect just after midnight on July 5. Proscription makes it a crime to be a member of the group, carrying a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison. Judge Martin Chamberlain granted permission for Ammori to bring a judicial review, saying her case that proscription amounted to a disproportionate interference with her and others' right to freedom of expression was 'reasonably arguable.' Dozens of people have been arrested for holding placards purportedly supporting the group since the ban, and Ammori's lawyers say people expressing support for the Palestinian cause have also been subject to increased scrutiny from police. However, Britain's interior minister Yvette Cooper has said violence and criminal damage have no place in legitimate protest and that Palestine Action's activities – including breaking into a military base and damaging two planes – justify proscription. Israel has repeatedly denied committing abuses in its war in Gaza, which began after Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel from Gaza on October 7, 2023.
