Latest news with #warCrimes
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Freedom flotilla doubles down and says 'we will not turn back' as Israel issues chilling warning after vowing: 'Greta Thunberg won't make it to Gaza'
The Freedom flotilla has claimed they 'will not turn back' as they journey to Gaza despite Israel vowing Greta Thunberg won't make it in to the war-torn city. Taking to Instagram, freedom flotilla member Yasemin Acar defiantly said the activists would not be returning to Catania, Sicily, from where they set off last Sunday. 'We are unarmed, we are peaceful, we are carrying only humanitarian aid, food, medicine, and supplies desperately needed by the starving population in Gaza,' she said. 'We are not a threat here, the threat is the blockade, the threat is the bombs, the threat is the ongoing starvation of an entire population. 'The threat is the systematic killing of civilians, the threat is genocide. If Israel was not occupying Palestine, if there wasn't nearly 80 years of ethnic cleansing, if our own governments weren't giving Israel full impunity, arming it instead of holding it accountable, if they sent aid instead of bombs we would not be here,' Acar added. 'We are here because our leaders have failed, because silence is complicity, because human lives are being treated as expendable. 'We are here for Gaza. If Israel uses violence against us, a peaceful humanitarian mission, it will be yet another war crime added to the long and growing list of Israel. 'We refuse to be intimidated, we refuse to be silent, we stand with Gaza, we stand with the people, we stand for justice, dignity and life. The blockade must end, the killing must stop, the world must act,' she concluded. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Yas (@yaseminacr_) The message comes after Israel issued an ominous warning to Greta Thunberg, claiming the environmental activist will not make it to the Gaza Strip on her 'freedom flotilla'. Ms Thunberg, 22, is among 12 activists on board the ship, hoping to 'break [Israel's] siege on the Gaza Strip' with a delivery of humanitarian aid. She is joined by Game of Thrones actor Liam Cunningham and Rima Hassan, a French MEP, aiming to raise awareness of the ongoing crisis in the region. The vessel is expected to reach Gaza this weekend, having set off from Catania in Sicily last Sunday. But the Israel Defence Forces has now been ordered to stop the ship in its tracks and has accused Ms Thunberg of being an 'antisemite travelling with Hamas propogandists'. Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Israel would not allow anyone to break its naval blockade of the Palestinian territory, which he said was aimed at preventing Hamas from importing arms. 'I have instructed the IDF to act so that the hate flotilla … does not reach the shores of Gaza – and to take all necessary measures to that end 'To the antisemitic Greta [Thunberg] and her friends who echo Hamas propaganda, I say clearly: You'd better turn back – because you will not reach Gaza,' he said. 'Israel will act against any attempt to break the blockade or to assist terrorist organisations – by sea, by air, and by land.' Responding to Katz on Sunday, they said: 'The statement by Israel's defence minister is yet another example of Israel threatening the unlawful use of force against civilians – and attempting to justify that violence with smears. 'We will not be intimidated,' it added. 'The world is watching.' 'We are monitoring the situation closely,' the Freedom Flotilla Coalition said. 'We remain calm, resolute, and prepared for the possibility of an Israeli attack. We reiterate our call to world governments to demand that Israel stand down. Israel has no right to obstruct our effort to reach Gaza.' The activists had said they planned to reach Gaza's territorial waters as early as Sunday. Thiago Ávila, a Brazilian activist on board the boat, posted a video on social media on Sunday afternoon saying someone appeared to be jamming their tracking and communication devices about 160 nautical miles from Gaza. Ms Hassan, who is of Palestinian descent, is among the others onboard. She has been barred from entering Israel because of her opposition to Israeli policies toward the Palestinians. It was previously reported that the IDF had begun deploying security forces in the area the vessel was due to land in, according to the Jerusalem Post. A senior Israeli defence source told the outlet that Israel will not allow the ship to enter Gaza, and that the activists face arrest if they disobey the military. Military sources said the activists will be told clearly not to enter the area, and that the elite forces are preparing for the eventuality they defy the order or 'provoke' the IDF. The IDF may take control of the vessel, arrest the protestors and transfer them to the port in Ashdod to be deported, the outlet reports. The Israeli Army said previously that it is 'prepared' to raid the ship, as it has done with previous freedom flotilla efforts. 'For this case as well, we are prepared,' IDF spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said. 'We have gained experience in recent years, and we will act accordingly.' The activists have already raised concern for their safety, noting a drone attack on a Freedom Flotilla Coalition ship off the coast of Malta in May. Thunberg's shipmate issued a drone alert on the 'third day of our journey to Gaza to break the siege'. An Israeli drone operated by Greece's Hellenic Coastguard reportedly followed the Madleen flotilla, hovering above it for two consecutive nights on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Heron drone, developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), is capable of carrying payloads up to 1,000kg and flying for 52 continuous hours. The Madleen, still crossing the Mediterranean east towards Gaza, reportedly changed course this morning to respond to a migrant distress call. Sources told Al Jazeera the ship had detected a migrant boat, estimated to be carrying around 40 asylum seekers. Ahead of their departure on Sunday, Thunberg said: 'We are doing this because, no matter what odds we are against, we have to keep trying'. 'Because the moment we stop trying is when we lose our humanity. And no matter how dangerous this mission is, it's not even near as dangerous as the silence of the entire world in the face of the live-streamed genocide,' she added. Israel, which was founded in the aftermath of the Holocaust, has adamantly rejected genocide allegations against it as an anti-Semitic 'blood libel'. Fellow activist Thiago Avila said: 'We are breaking the siege of Gaza by sea, but that's part of a broader strategy of mobilizations that will also attempt to break the siege by land.' Avila cited the upcoming Global March to Gaza - an international initiative also open to doctors, lawyers and media - which is set to leave Egypt and reach the Rafah crossing in mid-June to stage a protest there, asking Israel to stop the Gaza offensive and reopen the border. Israel imposed a blockade on supplies into Gaza on March 2, and limited aid began to enter again late last month after pressure from allies and warnings of famine. Food security experts one in five people in Gaza now face starvation after Israel enacted its blockade. Gaza is almost completely reliant on international aid because Israel's offensive has destroyed nearly all food production capabilities. In April, ActionAid reported that the price of flour in Gaza had soared to $300 a bag after more than 50 days without new aid deliveries. Most people are now surviving on a single meal per day, consisting mostly of pasta, rice or canned food, it reported. More than 3,700 children were newly admitted for treatment for acute malnutrition in March alone, it said, an 80 per cent rise on the previous month, per UNOCHA. UN Security Council members criticised the US on Wednesday after it vetoed a resolution calling for a ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access in Gaza, which Washington said undermined ongoing diplomacy. It was the 15-member body's first vote on the situation since November, when the United States - a key Israeli ally - also blocked a text calling for an end to fighting. The draft resolution had demanded 'an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza respected by all parties.' It also called for the 'immediate, dignified and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups,' and demanded the lifting of all restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. But Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement after Wednesday's 14 to 1 vote: 'Today, the United States sent a strong message by vetoing a counterproductive UN Security Council resolution on Gaza targeting Israel. 'The United States will continue to stand with Israel at the UN.' The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and abducting 251. They are still holding 58 hostages, a third of them believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Asylum seeker 'who recruited child soldiers' wins appeal to stay in Britain despite being refused refugee status in France because he's an alleged war criminal
An asylum seeker who allegedly recruited child soldiers has won an appeal to stay in Britain. The Sri Lankan, who remains unnamed after he was granted anonymity by the Upper Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber, faces claims he 'enlisted children under the age of 15' to separatist terrorist group Tamil Tigers. The tribunal also heard he was working for the Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation [TRO] - a refugee charity - but was secretly supplying information. The French Justice system previously ruled he should be denied asylum due to allegations that he was a war criminal. And the Home Office agreed, refusing the man refugee status and attempting to deport him. He then won an appeal against the decision in 2023, with a judge citing a lack of evidence to support the accusations. The Home Office has now lost an appeal of their own, meaning the asylum seeker can remain in the country. British judges stuck with the ruling two years ago and said there is not enough evidence to say the allegations are true. The Home Office's original case referred to the French asylum court's verdict that he 'ought to be excluded from a grant of asylum under Article 1F of the Refugee Convention due to his alleged involvement in war crimes in this case the alleged recruitment of children'. But a judge found that the government department 'had not shown serious grounds for concluding that [the Sri Lankan] was guilty of the war crime of conscription or enlistment of children under the age of 15 or using them to participate actively in hostilities'. The judge added: 'I am not satisfied even on the evidence of his own admissions, accurate or otherwise, to the French that this goes far enough to show that the [Sri Lankan] was effectively collecting information which he knew was going to be misused, and misused specifically for the recruitment of child soldiers under the age of 15. 'Nor am I satisfied that there are serious reasons for considering on all the evidence adduced that the [Respondent] has been shown to have knowingly materially assisted in the recruitment of child soldiers under the age of 15, by the work done by the T.R.O. in gathering information, possibly subsequently used by the L.T.T.E. for that purpose.' Home Office lawyers argued at the appeal in London that the judge had not attached enough wait to the French court's decision. But, Deputy Upper Tribunal Judge Adrian Seelhoff disagreed, saying: 'The Judge assessed that evidence to see if it supported the [Home Office's] case that [the Sri Lankan], whilst working for the TRO, supplied details which the LTTE used to recruit child soldiers. '[The Home Office's] position before us was not that the Judge was bound to follow the French Court decision, but that he had not given adequate reasons for reaching a different decision or that he failed to attach weight to the decision. 'We find that the Judge did give adequate reasons for not following that decision, and for the weight he attached to it and that accordingly there is no error of law in the decision under appeal.
The Independent
6 days ago
- General
- The Independent
The starvation of Gaza is a manmade catastrophe that shames us all
Whatever else may be concluded about the shooting of Palestinian civilians at, or near, aid centres in Gaza, they do not suggest that sufficient humanitarian aid is being delivered in a timely and efficient manner. As has been widely proposed, a fully independent inquiry is needed before the claims and counterclaims about responsibility can be settled. But, for the time being, the efforts of the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) to replace the United Nations have proved to be utterly inadequate. That, of course, may turn out to be a wildly generous understatement if it is indeed proved that the Israel Defense Forces committed war crimes in these most pitiful and unforgivable of circumstances. From what can be discerned from the reportage, the verdict of the International Red Cross on the situation appears accurate – 'worse than hell on earth'. It bears repeating that Israel, too, suffered its own atrocities on 7 October 2023 – but its conduct of the war waged since has become increasingly indefensible, intolerable and counterproductive to its interests. It is a total catastrophe for all involved, most of all the vulnerable non-combatants. The death toll across three major incidents at GHF sites amounts to about 60 people, and each and every case must be properly investigated. The Red Cross – not Hamas – says that, for example, its medical teams in Rafah treated 184 patients, including 19 people dead on arrival and eight others who died of their wounds shortly afterwards. This represents the highest figure for casualties from a single incident at the field hospital since it was established last year. And, of course, there are countless Palestinians far from even a GHF base, with no hospital facilities to speak of, and still under constant bombardment. They cannot all be terrorists – and they cannot be dismissed as mere inevitable collateral damage. These are human lives, and, as the universal phrase goes, they matter. In due course, a more comprehensive accounting for the actions of the Israeli authorities will also have to be made, taking full account of the terrorist threat they face, but not thereby absolving Israel's government and its agencies for everything they have done. Israel's friends and partners across the world, as well as its own people, cannot adopt a 'Netanyahu, right or wrong' approach, in which every single action and incident is justified by the 7 October massacres and kidnappings. Perhaps the most emphatic admission of failure by the GHF is that such operations as it has been undertaking – and they are grossly inadequate to the task – have been suspended. So, at least no Gazans will be shot trying to get their hands on food, but they and their families will stay hungry. Indeed, so hungry that malnutrition, especially of children among many thousands of people, and famine stalk the land. The Palestinians of Gaza, their homeland, face what the UN calls a 'hunger crisis' and 'critical famine risk'. The Israeli government knows this. The Arab states in the region know this. The whole world knows this. We see the television images of emaciated infants. Not even the White House can deny these realities. And yet nothing happens. We should be clear at least about how things will develop in this medieval-style siege if the world fails to pressure Israel into relenting and permitting the UN agencies and charities to resume their work immediately. For some, it is too late – but for the living, it is never too late. The aid is waiting to pour into the territory, all parts of it, not just the cynically misnomered 'safe zones'. To make the aid effort fully effective would mean a ceasefire, and the restoration of medical facilities and the means for a civilised existence – principally, shelter. It is not, in that sense, the kind of hopeless, overbearing situation that follows some environmental disaster – a flood, a terrible hurricane or a drought. This is a manmade catastrophe and could be stopped in short order with the political will to do so. Such political will does not exist within the Israeli government. One reason why the war has gone on for as long as it has, and with such pain and destruction, is that it suits Benjamin Netanyahu's domestic political interests. The secondary reason is that the United States has acquiesced in much of what he does, which was true of the Biden administration and is even more the case under Donald Trump. However, recent weeks have shown the limits to American forbearance and the failure of Mr Netanyahu to stabilise the situation. Some of the hostages have still not been released, and Hamas still operates, as it will even if every one of its leaders is eliminated. Israel has lost the chance to build peace with its neighbours, and is less secure than it was before 7 October, even if Iran is temporarily disarmed. At that time, it would have been inconceivable that Israel would stand accused at the International Criminal Court of such grievous atrocities, that more of its European allies would recognise the Palestinian state, or that they'd be openly discussing arms embargoes and sanctions. Since 7 October, Mr Netanyahu has played into the hands of Hamas, who wished for nothing more than for Israel to lash out, provoke Arab and Muslim opinion, outrage the West and become the perpetrator, not the victim, of terror. All the goodwill that was shown, rightly, on 7 October has been squandered. In other words, it is in the interests of Israel itself to cease the fighting and allow the aid to come through to what the UN calls 'the hungriest place on Earth'. But who can and who will make Mr Netanyahu see sense?
The National
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
Damaging week for Israeli diplomacy as allies vent criticism of Gaza war
Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza Israel is enduring a week of unprecedented international pressure as major allies condemn the country's expanding war and blockade in Gaza, paving the way for sanctions, trade boycotts and public diplomatic spats. Senior Israeli politician Yair Golan warned on Tuesday that his country 'is on the way to becoming a pariah state' after Canada, France and the UK issued a joint statement pledging they would take 'concrete actions' against Israel if it does not stop military actions in Gaza and allow humanitarian aid to enter. Shortly afterwards, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy announced sanctions on seven Israeli citizens and organisations involved in occupied West Bank settlements. He also suspended talks on a trade deal and summoned the Israeli ambassador. The calls by some of Israel's allies have prompted a mixture of panic and defiance in Israel, which relies a great deal on western powers for military, economic and diplomatic support. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an international arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Gaza, has pledged that his expanded 'Gideon's Chariot' campaign in Gaza is vital to secure complete victory over Hamas, which carried out the October 7 attack on southern Israel in 2023. Diplomats whose countries are involved in the steps against Israel widely say that the events of this week mark an important moment of deterioration in relations with the Netanyahu government and signal readiness to openly apply significant pressure in the days ahead. One source described the EU's recent actions potentially as a point after which it would be 'pretty hard to turn around'. There are concerns among some Israeli politicians that the desperate situation in Gaza is making it impossible even for close allies to stand by. Mr Golan also said that Mr Netanyahu's government is 'full of vengeful types with no morals and no ability to run a country in a time of crisis [which] endangers our existence'. Since the beginning of the week, Israel has also faced 25 western nations expressing concern over the war, Sweden's foreign minister attempting to implement sanctions, and the Netherlands gathering EU nations to discuss suspending the EU-Israel Association Agreement. Any suspension could have devastating effects for Israel's economy because the EU is its largest trading partner. After the joint UK, French and Canadian statement, Israeli Foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar said: 'What I want to tell to every country, mainly those who had a colonial past: This is a proud nation, an independent nation, fighting for its existence, and we will not get any dictates from outside with regard to our national security, this should be very understood'. Following Mr Lammy's speech in Westminster, Israeli Foreign Minsitry spokesman Oren Marmorstein said that trade discussions with the UK were already 'not being advanced'. 'The British Mandate ended exactly 77 years ago. External pressure will not divert Israel from its path in defending its existence and security against enemies who seek its destruction,' he added. There have been no words from the US, by far Israel's most important ally, throughout this wave of mostly European criticism. But Axios reported on Tuesday that President Donald Trump was growing frustrated with the Gaza War and telling Mr Netanyahu to end it. 'The President is frustrated about what is happening in Gaza. He wants the war to end, he wants the hostages to come home, he wants aid to go in and he wants to start rebuilding Gaza,' the outlet reported a White House official saying.
The National
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The National
Israeli army intensifies its Gaza offensive amid civilian evictions and high death toll
Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza The Israeli military, which has intensified its bombing and shelling of Gaza in the past days, has ordered more evictions across Khan Younis and northern Gaza, with humanitarian situation rapidly deteriorating and both casualties and displacements increasing. At least 67 Palestinians, including women and children, have been killed in Israeli air strikes since dawn on Tuesday, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. The Government Media Office in Gaza condemned the escalating attacks calling them 'barbaric massacres targeting unarmed civilians.' 'These attacks have escalated since dawn today in a concentrated and brutal manner, directly targeting residential homes, shelters, hospitals, and soup kitchens that serve the hungry and displaced. This criminal behaviour constitutes a full-fledged act of genocide,' the statement read. In the first five hours after dawn, more than 50 civilians were killed, including 33 children, women, and elderly people, the office said, 'In scenes that clearly amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.' In southern Gaza, Israeli eviction orders continue to force civilians from their homes in Khan Younis. Naji Abu Taimeh, 51, a resident of Bani Suheila in Khan Younis, described his family's repeated displacement. 'Evacuation feels like ripping your heart out. We've been through this at least 11 times since the war began,' he told The National. 'Every time we return to Bani Suheila, we have to flee again because it becomes a target.' Mr Taimeh, who is responsible for 34 relatives, explained how they tried to reach Al Mawasi, west of Khan Younis, but could not find space to set up their tents. 'We ended up on the street, all of us, young and old, women and children. We're still there, with our belongings around us. 'On top of the pain of displacement, we face hunger and helplessness. Before, we were worried about food. Now, we're just trying to find shelter.' Mr Taimeh and his family lived in a four-storey house before, now they sleep on the street. 'The world is watching us die. Hamas speaks of steadfastness and victory, but these are just empty words. People are dying every minute, and no one is doing anything.' Amal Abu Farhana, 29, also from Khan Younis, echoed similar frustration and despair. 'Since the war resumed during Ramadan, we've lived in constant fear of displacement. Being in the eastern areas, we're always the first to be targeted.' Ms Amal told The National. Her family of nine now share a single room at a relative's home near Nasser Hospital. 'The scenes of displacement are heartbreaking. Everyone is suffering, children, the elderly, women. And we've been living like this for 20 months. We keep telling ourselves it's almost over, but it never is.' 'The occupation is responsible, but so is the international community, and both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. Everyone stands by and watches as we're massacred again and again.' For several days, Israeli forces have been besieging the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, reportedly opening fire on anyone moving within or around the premises. A nurse at the hospital described intensifying attacks. 'Two days ago, Israeli tanks approached the northern side of the hospital and partially demolished its perimeter wall without entering the facility,' she said. Before that, drones had been hovering above, she said. 'Firing continuously at the hospital and shooting at anyone trying to leave. The Israeli military also increased its air strikes and artillery shelling around the hospital.' On Monday, Israeli forces shelled the hospital's power generators, setting them on fire. Civil Defence teams were prevented from reaching the site, allowing the fire to burn for hours. By early on Tuesday, Israeli military vehicles had withdrawn partially from the hospital perimeter but continued firing at anyone emerging from the building. 'Even a patient inside the hospital was shot by Israeli troops yesterday,' the nurse added. 'He sustained a new injury on top of an existing one.' The hospital is sheltering 55 people, including four doctors, eight nurses, and several immobile patients who could not be evacuated before the assault began. 'The situation is catastrophic,' the nurse said. 'With the generators destroyed, we now rely only on solar energy, which is not nearly enough to meet basic medical needs.' 'Food supplies are running out. We've already endured famine and shortages for weeks, how are we supposed to survive now under even tighter siege?
