Latest news with #Amnesty International
France 24
4 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
UN chief blasts 'lack of compassion' for Palestinians in Gaza
"I cannot explain the level of indifference and inaction we see by too many in the international community -- the lack of compassion, the lack of truth, the lack of humanity," Guterres told Amnesty International's global assembly via video link. "This is not just a humanitarian crisis. It is a moral crisis that challenges the global conscience. We will continue to speak out at every opportunity." Aid groups have warned of surging cases of starvation, particularly among children, in war-ravaged Gaza, which Israel placed under an aid blockade in March amid its ongoing war with Hamas. That blockade was partially eased two months later. The trickle of aid since then has been controlled by the Israeli- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, replacing the longstanding UN-led distribution system. International Committee of the Red Cross President Mirjana Spoljaric said Friday "there is no excuse for what is happening in Gaza." "The scale of human suffering and the stripping of human dignity have long exceeded every acceptable standard -- both legal and moral." Spoljaric said the ICRC has more than 350 staff in Gaza, "many of whom are also struggling to find enough food and clean water." Aid groups and the United Nations have refused to work with the GHF, accusing it of aiding Israeli military goals. Guterres said while he had repeatedly condemned the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on southern Israel, which triggered the war in the Palestinian territory, "nothing can justify the explosion of death and destruction since." "The scale and scope is beyond anything we have seen in recent times," he said. "Children speak of wanting to go to heaven, because at least, they say, there is food there. We hold video calls with our own humanitarians who are starving before our eyes... But words don't feed hungry children." Guterres also condemned the killing of more than 1,000 Palestinians trying to access food aid supplies since May 27, when the GHF began operations. "We need action: an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, immediate and unimpeded humanitarian access," Guterres said. He added that the United Nations was ready to "dramatically scale up humanitarian operations" in Gaza should Israel and Hamas reach a ceasefire deal.
Al Arabiya
6 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Amnesty accuses Iran of firing cluster munitions at Israel
Amnesty International said on Thursday that Iran fired widely banned cluster munitions at Israel during a war between the two countries in June, in attacks that endangered civilians. 'Last month, the Iranian forces fired ballistic missiles whose warheads contained submunitions into populated residential areas of Israel,' the human rights group said, citing new research. The organization said it analyzed photos and videos showing cluster munitions that, according to media reports, struck inside the Gush Dan metropolitan area around Tel Aviv on June 19. In addition, the southern city of Beersheba on June 20 and Rishon LeZion, south of Tel Aviv, on June 22 were also 'struck with ordnance that left multiple impact craters consistent with the submunitions seen in Gush Dan,' Amnesty said. 'By using such weapons in or near populated residential areas, Iranian forces endangered civilian lives,' said Erika Guevara Rosas, senior director at Amnesty International. 'Iranian forces' deliberate use of such inherently indiscriminate weapons is a blatant violation of international humanitarian law.' Cluster munitions explode in mid-air and scatter bomblets. Some fail to detonate on impact and can cause casualties over time, particularly among children. Neither Iran nor Israel is among the more than 100 countries that are party to the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits the use, transfer, production, and storage of cluster bombs. Amnesty said international law 'prohibits the use of inherently indiscriminate weapons, and launching indiscriminate attacks that kill or injure civilians constitutes a war crime.' Israel and Iran fought a 12-day war sparked by an Israeli bombing campaign on June 13. Israel said the strikes were aimed at preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon — an ambition Tehran has consistently denied.
France 24
6 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
Amnesty accuses Iran of firing cluster munitions at Israel
"Last month, the Iranian forces fired ballistic missiles whose warheads contained submunitions into populated residential areas of Israel," the human rights group said, citing new research. The organisation said it analysed photos and videos showing cluster munitions that, according to media reports, struck inside the Gush Dan metropolitan area around Tel Aviv on June 19. On top of that, the southern city of Beersheba on June 20 and Rishon LeZion to the south of Tel Aviv on June 22 were also "struck with ordnance that left multiple impact craters consistent with the submunitions seen in Gush Dan", Amnesty said. "By using such weapons in or near populated residential areas, Iranian forces endangered civilian lives," said Erika Guevara Rosas, senior director at Amnesty International. "Iranian forces' deliberate use of such inherently indiscriminate weapons is a blatant violation of international humanitarian law." Cluster munitions explode in mid-air and scatter bomblets. Some of them do not explode on impact and can cause casualties over time, particularly among children. Neither Iran nor Israel is among more than a hundred countries that are party to the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits the use, transfer, production and storage of cluster bombs. Amnesty said international law "prohibits the use of inherently indiscriminate weapons, and launching indiscriminate attacks that kill or injure civilians constitutes a war crime". Israel and Iran fought a 12-day war sparked by an Israeli bombing campaign on June 13. Israel said the strikes were aimed at preventing the Islamic republic from developing a nuclear weapon, an ambition Tehran has consistently denied.
The Guardian
7 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Israel blocking aid from Gaza is creating ‘chaos and death', say 111 humanitarian groups
Humanitarian organizations from around the world are yet again calling for Israel to let humanitarian aid into Gaza in the face of increasing starvation and Israeli military attacks on Palestinians seeking aid. A letter signed by 111 agencies including Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam International, and Amnesty International says that the Israeli government is blocking humanitarian organizations from effectively distributing life-saving aid. 'Just outside Gaza, in warehouses – and even within Gaza itself – tons of food, clean water, medical supplies, shelter items and fuel sit untouched with humanitarian organisations blocked from accessing or delivering them,' the agencies wrote. 'The Government of Israel's restrictions, delays, and fragmentation under its total siege have created chaos, starvation, and death.' The letter comes as attention towards starvation in Gaza and Israeli killing of civilians continues to grow, but the situation on the ground remains largely the same. UN secretary general, António Guterres, described Gaza as a 'horror show' when speaking to the UN Security council. 'Malnourishment is soaring and starvation is knocking on every door in Gaza,' Guterres said. 'And now we are seeing the last gasp of a humanitarian system built on humanitarian principles. That system is being denied the conditions to function. Denied the space to deliver. Denied the safety to save lives.' Aid in Israel is now distributed by the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), whose sites have been described as 'death traps' by UN officials. Previous Guardian reporting chronicled the dangers faced by Palestinians seeking aid from GHF sites. UN officials report that the Israeli military has killed more than 1,000 Palestinians trying to reach food distribution sites since the end of May. Israeli forces killed at least 32 people on Saturday morning that were seeking aid. Israel has killed at least 72 Palestinians in the last 24 hours according to the Gaza health ministry. Israel also attacked World Health Organization facilities in Deir al-Bahah, and canceled the visa of the most senior UN aid official in Gaza. On 21 July, 28 countries including the UK and other Israeli allies, issued a statement calling for an end to the war in Gaza and labeling the Israeli government's 'denial of essential humanitarian assistance' as 'unacceptable'. The statement also spoke against Israeli settler violence in the West Bank, as well as Israeli plans to move Palestinians into a 'humanitarian city'. The statement, while strongly worded, did not threaten sanctions or mention any concrete policy steps that would be taken against the Israeli government if it does not change course. Today's letter from the humanitarian organizations calls for direct action. 'Piecemeal arrangements and symbolic gestures, like airdrops or flawed aid deals, serve as a smokescreen for inaction. They cannot replace states' legal and moral obligations to protect Palestinian civilians and ensure meaningful access at scale,' the letter says. 'States can and must save lives before there are none left to save.' Israel's military said that it 'views the transfer of humanitarian aid into Gaza as a matter of utmost importance', and works to facilitate its entry in coordination with the international community. It has denied accusations it is preventing aid from reaching Gaza and has accused Palestinian group Hamas of stealing food, an allegation Hamas denies.
France 24
22-07-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Amnesty urges probe into Israeli strike on Tehran prison
The strike, confirmed by Israel, killed 79 people, according to a provisional tally by Iranian authorities. It also destroyed part of the administrative building in Evin, a large, heavily fortified complex in the north of Tehran, which rights groups say holds political prisoners and foreign nationals. Amnesty International, an international non-governmental organisation that campaigns to protect human rights, called the Israeli attack "deliberate" and "a serious violation of international humanitarian law". The air strikes should therefore be "criminally investigated as war crimes", it said. "The Israeli military carried out multiple air strikes on Evin prison, killing and injuring scores of civilians and causing extensive damage and destruction in at least six locations across the prison complex," Amnesty said, basing its assessment on what it said were verified video footage, satellite images and witness statements. There was nothing to suggest that Evin prison could justifiably be seen as a "legal military objective", it said. The strike on Evin was part of a bombardment campaign Israel launched on Iranian targets on June 13 with the stated aim of stopping the Islamic republic from acquiring nuclear weapon capabilities. The victims of the June 23 attack included administrative staff, guards, prisoners and visiting relatives, as well as people living nearby. Between 1,500 and 2,000 prisoners were being held at the time in the prison. Among them were Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris, two French nationals arrested three years ago accused of espionage. They were not injured in the attack, their families said, and have since been transferred to a different location. France, and other western governments, consider them and others to be "hostages" taken by the Iranian authorities for leverage in negotiations.
