Latest news with #FrancescaAlbanese
Daily Maverick
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Bogotá Summit was an important new chapter in Global South diplomacy
Last week the Emergency Conference to Halt Genocide in Gaza was held in Bogotá, Colombia. Convened by The Hague Group, and co-hosted by Colombia and South Africa, the meeting was attended by 32 countries. Although the meeting was widely covered in the international media, it was, bizarrely, largely ignored in the South African media. The Hague Group was formed in January this year as an alliance of Global South countries working together to uphold international law and challenge impunity, especially in the context of Israel's actions in Gaza. The group rejects selective enforcement of international law and affirms that legal norms must apply equally to all states. It has served as a platform for coordinated legal and diplomatic action aimed at reinforcing rulings by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC). The nine countries that formed the group were Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia, Senegal and South Africa. Belize later withdrew. The Bogotá meeting was convened in response to growing frustration with the failure of powerful states of the Global North to enforce existing international legal rulings on Israel's conduct in Gaza. This time 32 countries attended the meeting, including Spain, Ireland and Slovenia from the periphery of the Global North. The concrete measures announced in Bogotá were far reaching. Signatory states committed to preventing arms transfers, fuel and dual-use equipment from reaching Israel; banning vessels carrying military material from docking or being serviced in their ports; reviewing public contracts to ensure no state-linked resources are financing occupation; and reaffirming their commitment to universal jurisdiction, enabling legal action for international crimes regardless of where they occur. Crucially, they pledged to uphold ICC and ICJ obligations, including arrest warrants and provisional measures, and to take coordinated diplomatic and legal steps to end the era of impunity. Twelve countries formally adopted these measures: Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Indonesia, Iraq, Libya, Malaysia, Namibia, Nicaragua, Oman, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and South Africa. An additional eighteen attendees expressed interest but held off formal endorsement pending domestic consultations. A number of other countries that did not have representatives in Bogotá are considering endorsing the measures. Outcomes welcomed Palestinian organisations — both in the occupied territories and across the diaspora — widely welcomed the outcomes of the Bogotá summit. The declaration was described by a spokesperson for the Palestinian BDS National Committee as a 'breakthrough in coordinated Global South action against Israeli impunity'. Across Palestinian civil society, the measures announced were viewed as long overdue and a powerful signal that solidarity was being transformed into concrete, enforceable policy. UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, herself sanctioned by the US for pro‑Palestinian advocacy, called the summit 'the most significant political development in the past 20 months'. Al Jazeera characterised the Bogotá outcome as 'the most ambitious, multilateral plan since the beginning of Israel's war in Gaza 21 months ago'. Middle East Eye described it as a declaration of 'unprecedented measures to halt the Gaza genocide'. Inevitably the US responded with hostility. The US State Department spokesperson condemned what it referred to as 'efforts by so‑called 'multilateral blocs' to weaponise international law as a tool to advance radical anti‑Western agendas', and urged countries not to undermine Israel or US allies through coordinated 'legal and diplomatic warfare'. Israel's foreign ministry dismissed the conference as a 'show of hostility' and accused participating states of 'coordinated lawfare' designed to delegitimise Israel's right to self-defence. Both governments characterised the measures endorsed at the summit — including arms embargoes and support for ICC arrest warrants — as biased and legally unfounded. The essence of The Hague Group's position is that international law should apply to all without fear or favour. The fact that the US and Israel can condemn this position is a crystal-clear demonstration that they openly seek impunity from international law. For years the most powerful countries in the West told us that they guaranteed a 'rules-based international order'. It could not be more clear that for the US and Israel, as well as their backers in countries like the UK and Germany, these 'rules' were never intended to apply to the dominant powers in the West. Huge step forward The Bogotá meeting will not stop the genocide. Israel's ongoing war crimes and its genocide continue to enjoy the full support of the US and countries like the UK and Germany. Shamefully Israel continues to buy coal from South Africa via Glencore and Patrice Motsepe. The Bogotá meeting is, though, a huge step forward for Global South-led diplomacy and for building a growing consensus that international law must apply to all states without exception. If, as expected, many more countries join The Hague Group and sign on to its measures, and if more countries in the Global North break ranks with the US, UK and Germany and ally themselves with the majority of humanity, Israel will start to reach the point at which it can no longer fuel and arm its genocide or assume that its impunity will be permanent. South Africa's decision to take Israel to the ICJ in late 2023 was warmly welcomed across the bulk of South African society, including by the mass-based organisations of the poor and the working class, including Abahlali baseMjondolo, which is now unequivocally the leading force on the South African left as it is the only mass-based left organisation to directly stand up to the fascism of Operation Dudula. However, the decision to take Israel to the ICJ was aggressively condemned by the US and the now rapidly weakening pro-West bloc strung across the media, NGOs and the academy at home. Inevitably various baseless conspiracy theories were floated about South Africa having been paid by Iran to become 'the legal arm of Hamas'. Naledi Pandor, one of the most principled people in our politics, was gratuitously slandered. But while the case against Israel at the ICJ was widely supported at home, the alliance between the pro-West bloc here and US power did pose a real threat to South Africa — a threat that went beyond Trump's attacks on X. The US has massive power and has the capacity to do serious economic damage to South Africa. For this reason, South Africa cannot afford to be isolated on the international stage. In this context the formation of The Hague Group was a diplomatic masterstroke. South Africa is no longer isolated and if the group can be further strengthened it will be the chief backers of Israel's genocide— the US, the UK and Germany — that are isolated. Principled leadership It is necessary to denounce the ANC government's failings at home — from endemic corruption to service delivery collapse — but that critique should not blind us to South Africa's principled leadership on the global stage. Nor should it obscure the strategy underpinning that leadership: the transition from moral witness at the ICJ to coordinated diplomatic action. South Africa's partnership with the progressive government in Colombia, and its growing alliances across Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, show that international solidarity can turn principles into power. The Bogotá summit set a deadline of 20 September for additional states to sign on to the six agreed measures, aligning with the UN General Assembly. South Africa and Namibia have already begun integrating arms embargo protocols into their domestic regulations. Governments are now considering national investigations under universal jurisdiction. States that support ICC arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant are developing legal strategies to enforce them. Of course, limitations remain. Implementation will require ongoing political will. Smaller economies may face economic retaliation or diplomatic pressure. But even so, the Bogotá summit is a massive step forward in the work of building a principled global alliance in support of the universal applicability of international law. In time the Bogotá summit may be understood to have marked the beginning of a new era in Global South diplomacy. While we must condemn the ANC's many failures at home, we can be hugely proud of what it is achieving on the global stage. DM
Al-Ahram Weekly
a day ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
World must unite to isolate Israel or Gaza genocide will continue: UN's Albanese to Al-Masry Al-Youm - War on Gaza
Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, called on the international community to unite in isolating Israel diplomatically and economically as the only effective way to halt the genocide and starvation campaign being carried out in Gaza. In an interview with the Egyptian media outlet Albanese Al-Masry Al-Youm, published on Thursday, the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories remained defiant, continuing her bold campaign to expose Israel's crimes of repression, forced displacement, and apartheid in the occupied Palestinian territories despite being targeted by Israel and sanctioned by the US. Albanese, an Italian legal scholar and expert on human rights who has served as the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories since 1 May 2022, was among the first international voices to label Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide, challenging dominant Western and pro-Israel narratives. When Israel banned her from entering its territory in 2024, Albanese described the move as a diversion tactic aimed at deflecting attention from the atrocities being committed in Gaza. Speaking to the Egyptian news outlet Al-Masry Al-Youm, Albanese emphasized that what is happening in Gaza today did not begin last month or even last year. 'Gaza has never been a normal place to live. Since 1948, it has been a ghetto for Palestinian refugees, and today it has turned into a full-scale prison camp,' she said. 'People there are being exterminated, starved, bombed, burned alive, and tortured by every means imaginable. This is not just a humanitarian crisis — it is an ongoing crime against an entire people,' she said. Albanese urged UN member states to impose sanctions on Israel as an essential first step, halting arms exports to Israel and banning the import of its weapons and surveillance technologies. 'This includes Arab states as well,' she said, 'which must end all forms of trade with Israel.' She called on Arab countries to return to their historic tradition of collective action against a state that systematically violates international law. 'Major Arab states are not doing enough to stop this genocide. I'm not even sure if they officially recognize what's happening in Gaza as genocide, which is a question that must be asked clearly,' she said. Albanese also indicated that she understands the harsh situation facing Egypt. "If the crossing is opened and aid is allowed in, Israel may bomb it. This is the harsh equation," she explained. She added that regional powers like Saudi Arabia and the UAE must use their influence to send a clear ultimatum to Israel: "Stop the bombing now, or we will sever all ties with you and with the United States. That is the only stance that can bring about real change.' 'Today, Israel and the United States are actively undermining the international legal order while committing genocide against Palestinians. Sadly, I see no real collective action from Arab or Western states to stop this madness,' she stated. Albanese warned that no country in the region is safe from Israeli violations. 'Israel has bombed Syria and expanded its presence there. It has bombed Lebanon and pushed further in. Anyone who thinks Egypt is safe just because it's not currently being targeted is mistaken. Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Yemen—no one is immune when there's a state so brazenly violating international law.' End the occupation Albanese demanded the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from all occupied Palestinian territories, stressing that Israel has no legal right to be in Gaza, the West Bank, or East Jerusalem. 'That should be the starting point for any political action. All states — especially powerful Arab countries — must bear responsibility. You hold immense leverage, but it is not being used to end the occupation, apartheid, and genocide being inflicted on Palestinians,' she expressed. She also underscored that ending the suffering of the Palestinian people will not happen through statements of condemnation, but through bold political decisions that dismantle the occupation and stop the crimes. 'People must understand: there's no such thing as a 'good Israel' versus a 'bad Israel in the settlements.' The Israeli state, through all its institutions, is committing crimes and must be held accountable. Now is the critical moment — otherwise, the killing and ethnic cleansing will continue,' she continued. Albanese also urged individuals to take part in collective pressure campaigns. 'This isn't just about statements. It's about examining our own homes — seeing what supports the killing, and boycotting it. It's about cutting financial ties with companies that profit from this war and saying, collectively: enough.' Mass death Albanese issued a stark warning: 'If the situation continues as it is, the people of Gaza will die — individually and collectively. What's happening is the systematic destruction of human life, physically and psychologically.' 'Palestinians are incredibly resilient — what continues to astonish us all is their endurance amid this ongoing hell. But what's being done to them surpasses human limits.' 'We are witnessing a genocide unfold before our eyes, and the world remains silent. The moral wound this silence will leave cannot be healed — not for the people watching, nor for the institutions failing to act.' 'In the end, nothing will make sense, and nothing will be justified, so long as the genocide continues. Whatever responsibility or humanity we have must be dedicated now to stopping this crime — otherwise, history will record that the world saw and turned away,' she warned. Ending genocide is non-negotiable! Albanese told Al-Masry Al-Youm she believes Israel is exploiting the ongoing Gaza ceasefire talks to entrench the status quo rather than change it. 'Israel is negotiating in bad faith — this is nothing new. For over 35 years, it has claimed to engage in peace talks while simultaneously committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. From forced displacement and population transfers to annexation of land, all this has now culminated in genocide,' she said. Albanese stressed that genocide cannot be addressed through negotiations. 'You cannot equate the oppressor and the oppressed at the negotiation table while bombing and starvation continue.' 'What's needed is an immediate end to the genocide, not talks about the terms of its continuation. These negotiations, while crimes persist, serve only as a delaying tactic that enables more killing and the slow death of Palestinians — whether under bombs or through hunger and disease,' she added. She called on the international community to take serious action: 'If the world truly wants to stop this catastrophe, it must isolate Israel diplomatically and economically. There is no other effective option.' Albanese also affirmed that all captives should return home — a universally recognized human right. 'But let us not forget that nearly 10,000 Palestinians are currently imprisoned, around half without charges or trial, held in inhumane conditions. Justice cannot be selective, and negotiations must not serve as a cover for impunity.' Palestinians deserve Nobel Commenting on campaigns to nominate her for the Nobel Peace Prize, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese said she feels deeply uncomfortable with the attention directed at her rather than the Palestinian people, who are being "bombed, besieged, and starved." "Still, I understand why some see a glimmer of hope in me at a time when most leaders — even at the United Nations — lack the courage to call what's happening a genocide, just as they failed in Rwanda and Bosnia, where the UN was present but protected no one," Albanese said. She emphasized that if anyone truly deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, it is the people of Gaza. "They are resisting amid an unimaginable humanitarian catastrophe. And if anyone must be honored, it should be the doctors and journalists there, for their sacrifices in the name of peace and human rights," she concluded. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
The South African
2 days ago
- Politics
- The South African
The Hague Group is gunning for Netanyahu
And about bloody time too, I say. It is now blatantly obvious that wanted war criminal, illegitimate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and his berserk blood-thirsty Zionist regime are officially going full Samson option. In the past few weeks, homicidal Israel has expanded its sickening, evil, ethnic cleansing holocaust in Gaza to include bombing Iran and Syria – reigniting a civil war in the latter. All part of the Zionist regime's expansive, imperial, neo-colonial 'Greater Israel' project. Thankfully, it appears more and more countries around the world are finally waking up and uniting against corrupt, psychopathic, mass-murdering, maniac Benjamin Netanyahu, and the neo-Nazi, genocidal, apartheid Zionist regime. Heck, I hear even pro-Zionist US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee is slamming Israel for their tendency to insult, assault and spit on…Christians. (No, I'm not making that up.) On 31 January, nine nations – Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia, Senegal and South Africa – convened by Progressive International met in The Hague, the Netherlands, to form The Hague Group. Their mission: 'Pursue collective action through coordinated legal and diplomatic measures to hold Israel accountable for grave violations of international law against the Palestinian people, and bring Benjamin Netanyahu to justice.' On 15 and 16 July, Hague Group members from 30 countries across the world converged for an emergency conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bogota, Republic of Colombia. They were united by a single purpose: end Israel's impunity, uphold international law and cease the genocide in Gaza. The conference was called in response to Israel's ongoing and escalating violations of international law in the occupied Palestinian territory, including the crime of genocide. The emergency meeting, co-chaired by South Africa, centred on the legal obligations of states as determined by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in July 2024; to stop all actions that assist the illegal situation created by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory and support the Palestinian people's inalienable right to self-determination. In his address, Zane Dangor, director-general of South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation, said: 'The impunity continues unabated. We are legally obligated not to condone internationally wrongful acts of the government of Israel.' Among the key attendees were ex-British Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, and UNHRC Special Rapporteur on Occupied Palestine Territory, Francesca Albanese. In her statement addressing the conference, Francesca Albanese said: 'The occupied Palestinian territory today is a hellscape. In Gaza, Israel has dismantled even humanitarian aid, to deliberate, starve, displace or kill a population they have marked for elimination.' She then called on all member states of the Group to fulfil their obligations under International Law. 'I am here to recount to you – uncompromisingly and dispassionately – the cure for the root cause', she said. 'We are long past the time to deal with the symptoms. The Hague Group has committed to obligations under international law.' 'Obligations, not sympathy, not charity.' She said. 'Each state must immediately review and suspend all ties with the State of Israel; military, strategic, political, diplomatic and economic, and make sure that their private sectors and other service providers do the same.' Albanese recently came under fire from Israel, the US and their Western pro-Zionist lapdog 'allies' for her astute, clear-eyed report on Israel's unhinged genocide in Gaza. Albanese filed her report Anatomy of a Genocide with the UN Human Rights Council on 1 July 2024. The report thoroughly documents Israel's holocaust in Gaza and cites the ICJ's order that Israel prevent and punish genocide and ensure humanitarian aid – which Israel has ignored. The report summary states (extract): 'After five months of military operations, Israel has destroyed Gaza. Over 30 000 Palestinians have been killed, including more than 13 000 children and over 12 000 are presumed dead and 71 000 injured or mutilated. 'Seventy percent of residential areas have been destroyed. Eighty percent of the population has been forcibly displaced. Thousands have been detained and systematically subjected to severe ill-treatment. The incalculable collective trauma will be experienced for generations to come.' The report concludes: 'There are reasonable grounds to believe that Israel has committed genocide.' (Duh! Ya think?) In that report, and a follow-up video for Double Down News released on 17 July this year, Albanese also revealed how Israel's economy thrives off the genocide in Gaza – particularly through weapons, intel and data companies. And what was the response by the so-called free and democratic US to Francesca's report? For doing her job? For documenting and criticising Israel's holocaust? On 9 July, bible-thumping, AIPAC-funded, rabid pro-Zionist and Eschatological Israel apologist, US Secretary of State, loco Marco Rubio released a press statement titled: Sanctioning Lawfare that Targets U.S. and Israeli Persons. In it, Rubio announced sanctions on UNHRC Rapporteur for Palestine OT, Francesca Albanese. Why? Well, according to Rubio… 'Albanese has directly engaged with the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute nationals of the United States or Israel, without the consent of those two countries, making this action a gross infringement on the sovereignty of both countries,' the statement read. Rubio claimed Albanese spewed 'unabashed antisemitism', expressed support for terrorism and open contempt for the US, Israel, and the West. It's worth noting that Rubio's sanctions on Albanese came the day after Donald Trump welcomed indicted war criminal Netanyahu to the White House – for the third time in less than six months. (Which was also around the same time that Trump's Department of Justice and FBI did a u-turn on releasing the Epstein client list.). Responding to the US sanctions in a text to Al Jazeera , Albanese said: 'No comment on mafia-style intimidation techniques.' But she did query why she had been sanctioned for exposing a genocide and denouncing the system. 'They never challenged me on the facts,' she said. Following Rubio's announcement of US sanctions on Albanese, many were quick to point out the hypocritical, tyrannical fascism being displayed by the US – as usual. Human Rights Lawyer and ex-UN official, Craig Mokhiber responded to Rubio on X: 'This is a lawless, vile act, Rubio. Your arrogance will catch up to you. The impunity that you are enjoying now will be gone within a few years, and you will be held accountable for your violations of human rights. There are millions who will work to ensure it.' Indie news publisher Chris Menahan posted a video on X of Israeli Likudnik politician, Danny Danon, openly ordering Trump, last April, to sanction and ban Albanese from the US for 'promoting hate'. And Trump did – through Rubio. Demonstrating, once again, Israel and the AIPAC lobby's stranglehold on POTUS and the US government. In another response to Rubio's sanctions, Iranian-born Swedish writer and activist, Trita Parsi, founder of the Quincy Institute and the National Iranian American Council, posted two photos on X, side by side. The first was of Syria's de facto (HTS) leader, jihadi ex-terrorist Ahmed al-Sharaa (also known as al-Julani). The other photo was of UNHRC Rapporteur Francesca Albanese. Above the images, Parsi wrote: 'The man below is the founder of Al Qaeda in Syria. The US just took his organisation off its terror list and lifted sanctions (and a $10M bounty) on him. The woman below is the UN rapporteur on Israel and Palestine. The US is about to impose sanctions on her. Let that sink in. In his article titled, The Persecution of Francesca Albanese, Pulitzer Prize-winning journo Chris Hedges wrote: 'The sanctioning by the Trump administration of Francesca Albanese is an ominous harbinger of the end of the rule of international law.' He also predicted, 'When the history of the genocide in Gaza is written, one of the most courageous champions for justice and adherence to international law will be UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese.' In a recent article by Truthout , Marjorie Cohn wrote: 'In the height of irony, war criminal Netanyahu nominated serial lawbreaker Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. But it is Albanese who deserves that prize.' Richard Falk, who served as UN Special Rapporteur on Occupied Palestine from 2008 to 2014, told Truthout that Albanese (above Trump) deserved the Nobel Peace Prize, not punitive targeted sanctions by the US. 'This was an intimidating attack on Albanese, an unpaid civil servant, for her brave truth-telling and expert knowledge – fully in accord with expectations of the job to report periodically to the UNHRC and General Assembly,' Falk said. 'Her well-documented reports have broken the mainstream silence in the West on Israel's genocidal assault, carried out before the eyes and ears of the world, shocking many by its transparency and sadism over more than 20 months. She has also exposed shameful patterns of U.S. complicity with Israeli criminality,' he added By the end of the conference, The Hague Group affirmed that the international community has 'a legal and moral obligation to act, and ensure that the orders of the ICJ are fully respected and implemented'. In a declaration issued after the meeting, the Group agreed to six specific measures aimed at 'restraining Israel's assault on the Occupied Palestinian Territories', including an arms embargo, a review of contracts with companies that benefit from Israel's actions in Gaza, and complying with arrest warrants issued by the ICC against Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu. The declaration also called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, unrestricted access for humanitarian aid, and the international prosecution of alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. The 12 countries committed to the measures are Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Indonesia, Iraq, Libya, Malaysia, Namibia, Nicaragua, Oman, St. Vincent & the Grenadines and South Africa. The declaration marked the strongest joint statement yet by the group, which has aligned itself with South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the ICJ. Of the emergency meeting, Riyad Mansour, Minister of the State of Palestine, said: 'This conference and others that will follow are the beginning of a new stage in the struggle of the Palestinian people.' Colombian President Gustavo Petro hailed the outcome as 'a milestone in the defence of international law and human dignity'. In her speech at The Hague Group conference, Francesca Albanese warned that the world is facing a 'critical test'. She also insisted that there was no more 'good' or 'bad' Israel. 'It is impossible to disentangle Israel's state policies and economy from its longstanding occupation. It has been inseparable for decades. This is the complicity. Now, that economy has turned genocidal. There is no good Israel, bad Israel ,' she argued. To illustrate her point, Albanese suggested the HG delegates and members consider this moment as if they were back in the 1990s deliberating the case of apartheid South Africa. She asked: 'Would you have proposed selective sanctions on SA for its conduct in individual Bantustans? Or would you have recognised the state's criminal system as a whole?' 'And here, what Israel is doing is worse. 'This is not just a legal matter – it is a moral one. 'The time for action…is now,' she added. Let us know by leaving a comment below or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Gaza: if the UK won't act now, then when?
As hundreds of thousands of people face starvation in Gaza, this week the foreign secretary, David Lammy, joined a chorus of global condemnation over Israel's actions, describing the killing of innocent civilians seeking food and water as grotesque. But when will his words be followed by action? John Harris speaks to the UN's special rapporteur on Palestine, Francesca Albanese. Plus, will the Tory reshuffle do anything to take the wind out of Nigel Farage's sails? The Guardian's senior political correspondent, Peter Walker, joins John to discuss
The National
2 days ago
- Politics
- The National
In the absence of formal accountability for Gaza atrocities, it's critical to shout the truth loudly
July 17 marked International Criminal Justice Day – commemorating the 1998 adoption of the Rome Statute, which established the International Criminal Court (ICC). For those of us working in the field of accountability – pursuing war criminals and justice for survivors – it should be a day of reflection and progress. Yet in 2025, it feels like an act of resistance just to believe that justice is possible. The odds are stacked against us. Criminals often walk free, shielded by powerful states. We see images of children in Gaza dying from malnutrition – victims of Israel's starvation policy as found by ICC prosecutors – while our mechanisms to stop it are blocked at every turn. The ICC Office of the Prosecutor has launched an investigation into Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the deliberate targeting of civilians and the use of starvation as a method of warfare. But progress is painfully slow. The Court has no jurisdiction over the US or Israel, and both actively obstruct it. During the 1998 Rome negotiations, the US refused to join, citing fears of 'politically motivated' prosecutions. Israel claims its military operates within the laws of war. Earlier this month, Mr Netanyahu travelled to Washington to meet with US President Donald Trump, defying international pressure. In retaliation for the ICC investigation, the US imposed sanctions on ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan – restricting his travel and freezing assets. The US has also targeted Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur, on the occupied Palestinian territories, who continues to speak out despite pressure. Journalists, investigators and human rights workers must keep the pressure high. It worked in Bosnia. It worked in Kosovo. It can work again While Mr Khan has remained largely silent, Ms Albanese has not. On the same day she was sanctioned, she condemned Italy, France, and Greece — ICC member states — for allowing Mr Netanyahu's aircraft to cross their airspace instead of arresting him. Meanwhile, the UN's top court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), has issued orders for Israel to allow humanitarian aid and halt military actions that risk genocide. Yet these rulings rely on enforcement by the Security Council—where the US has repeatedly used its veto to protect Israel from accountability. Still, the evidence grows. Just last week, renowned genocide scholar Omer Bartov, an Israeli Jew and former Israeli soldier, published an op-ed in The New York Times arguing that Israel is committing genocide. It was a watershed moment, not just for the clarity of his language but for where it was published. But even as the case against Israel strengthens, we must confront the painful truth: the very systems designed to deliver justice are being blocked or undermined. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has issued some of the strongest statements I've seen from a UN leader, and his adviser Melissa Fleming continues to condemn Israel's attacks on civilians. Still, several Security Council votes calling for a ceasefire have been vetoed by the US. On July 20, the General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a resolution, drafted by Spain, condemning the use of starvation as a method of warfare. Yet even as that resolution passed, Israeli forces bombed a Catholic church in Gaza and continued killing hundreds daily, many of them women, children and people waiting at feeding stations. In short, it would appear that Mr Netanyahu is mocking international justice. But it is not hopeless – if we accept that justice is a long game. Since the Second World War, alternative pathways for accountability have evolved. This is where civil society must lead. My team at The Reckoning Project focuses on creative approaches to accountability. We combine international courts, third-state prosecutions, UN mechanisms, and civil society pressure. Justice is rarely linear, but it is possible. Everything hinges on political will. Countries such as Spain and Ireland are stepping up. But when the US, UK and Germany actively block legal mechanisms, they become complicit. Britain continues arms transfers to Israel, and recent revelations show it is also sharing battlefield intelligence. This is where advocacy matters. Journalists, investigators and human rights workers must keep the pressure high. It worked in Bosnia. It worked in Kosovo. It can work again. The ICC case can and must be strengthened – with robust documentation, clear evidence chains, and legal submissions under Article 15. We must link Netanyahu directly to command decisions and demonstrate intent. Countries with universal jurisdiction, such as Germany, Belgium, South Africa, and Argentina, can open domestic cases. These can be reinforced by the ICJ's initial findings and ongoing proceedings in the genocide case. Targeted sanctions, such as Magnitsky-style bans – that is, laws providing for governmental sanctions against foreigners who have committed human rights abuses or been involved in corruption – should be imposed by countries such as Norway, Ireland and Spain. But this depends on political will. Which brings me to the most powerful tool we have: the court of public opinion. The truth must be told, clearly and relentlessly. In the case of Gaza, the horror doesn't need exaggeration as the facts speak for themselves. Free press can drive public protest and shift political inertia. The alternative is complicity in what has been described by legal experts as genocide, and as shown in the mounting evidence before the ICJ. I have witnessed three genocides in my lifetime. I cannot remain silent as another unfolds. To look away would be to abandon our shared humanity.
