https://www.middleeastmonitor.com Latest news from the Middle East and North Africa Tue, 08 Aug 2023 11:59:28 +0000 en-GB Middle East Monitor 30 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/favicon.png?fit=32%2C32&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com 32 32 116394717 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-africa-leaders-press-putin-to-end-ukraine-war-and-restore-grain-supplies/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 19:40:18 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656142 African leaders pressed Russian President, Vladimir Putin, on Friday to move ahead with their peace plan to end the Ukraine conflict and to renew a deal on the safe wartime export of Ukrainian grain that Moscow tore up last week, Reuters reports. While not directly critical of Russia, their interventions on the second day of a summit were more concerted and forceful than those that African countries have voiced until now. They served as reminders of the depth of African concern at the consequences of the war, especially rising food prices. "This war must end. And it can only end on the basis of justice and reason," African Union Commission Chairman, Moussa Faki Mahamat, told Putin and African leaders in […]]]> 656142 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230720-israel-moves-ahead-with-bill-removing-checks-on-govt-action/ Thu, 20 Jul 2023 15:02:32 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654176 The Israeli Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee advanced the "reasonableness bill" to the Knesset plenum last night for final readings after voting for its approval. The Knesset said in a statement that nine members of the committee voted in favour of the law, which prevents the Supreme Court from dealing with decisions made by elected officials, while seven members opposed it. However, the bill, which is part of the controversial judicial reform plan, must still be voted on in a second and third reading before it becomes law which, according to the Times of Israel, is expected to be approved and passed into law on Monday or Tuesday. The vote came after a marathon session with almost 28,000 reservations […]]]> 654176 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230720-pa-calls-on-palestinians-to-file-complaints-against-israel-via-icc-online-system/ Thu, 20 Jul 2023 08:30:43 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654064 Palestinian Authority (PA) called on Palestinian people, groups and individuals, to file complaints against Israeli crimes via the ICC's online platform. Speaking to Voice of Palestine, Minister of Justice Mohammad Shalaldeh said that the ICC is to launch an online platform to let people file their complaints against Israeli crimes. He said that this online gateway is to gather documentation of Israeli crimes. Meanwhile, Assistant Foreign Minister for the UN and its Specialised Agencies, Omar Awadallah, told Voice of Palestine that this platform will enable people to submit complaints online to the ICC supported by pictures and videos of Israeli crimes. READ: Hamas slams America's 'Israel is not racist' resolution He pointed out that the Israeli government continues its racist policies, […]]]> 654064 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230719-hamas-calls-for-judicial-intervention-to-stop-israel-crimes/ Wed, 19 Jul 2023 07:48:11 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=653389 Hamas yesterday called for international "judicial intervention" to stop crimes carried out by Israeli occupation forces and settlers against Palestinians. In a statement, Hamas called for employing "international accountability bodies, on top of which is the International Criminal Court, to guarantee the right to effective justice for all Palestinian victims, and prevent Zionists from evading appearance before international courts." The statement, which was issued by Hamas legal committee, stated that nine years have passed since Palestine joined the Rome Statute and the ICC declared the extension of its jurisdiction over the occupied Palestinian territories. "However, nothing happened," the statement said. "The lack of action in this regard led the Palestinian victims of racist Israeli terrorism to feel disappointed with the ICC and the international justice bodies," the statement added. […]]]> 653389 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230714-jenin-palestine-an-ongoing-catastrophe/ Fri, 14 Jul 2023 14:30:21 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=652310 Once again, the world has witnessed the escalation of violence, bombing, destruction and deaths perpetrated by the terrorist state of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories. This time it was against Jenin, one of the oldest Palestinian cities and one which is mentioned in the Old Testament. One of the largest Palestinian refugee camps is in Jenin, established by the UN in 1953 to house Palestinians expelled during the Nakba by Zionist militias. More than 24,000 expropriated Palestinians live in the camp, surviving and resisting the Israeli siege. Under the frayed pretext of "disarming terrorists", Israel directed an extensive military offensive into the Jenin refugee camp, mobilising more than 1,000 troops. This operation included a ground incursion that began on […]]]> 652310 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230714-icc-opens-new-probe-into-sudan/ Fri, 14 Jul 2023 12:30:30 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=652333 The International Criminal Court (ICC) has opened an investigation into alleged war crimes in Sudan, its Chief Prosecutor, Karim Khan, said yesterday in his briefing to the UN Security Council. "The office can confirm that it has commenced investigations in relation to incidents occurring in the context of the present hostilities," Khan said. ICC prosecutors are "closely tracking reports of extrajudicial killings, burning of homes and markets and looting, in Al Geneina, West Darfur, as well as the killing and displacement of civilians in North Darfur and other locations across Darfur." Khan told the UN that his office is also examining "allegations of sexual and gender-based crimes, including mass rapes and alleged reports of violence against and affecting children." The […]]]> 652333 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230714-europe-calls-on-pa-to-hold-free-inclusive-elections/ Fri, 14 Jul 2023 10:32:57 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=652313 The European Parliament has called on the Palestinian Authority to hold "free, credible, inclusive, transparent and fair" parliamentary and presidential elections without any further delay in order to strengthen its legitimacy. This came in a set of recommendations to the European Council, the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on relations with the Palestinian Authority issued on Wednesday. The Parliament reiterated the EU's "unwavering support" for the two-state solution, as the only viable solution to the conflict, with the state of Israel and the state of Palestine living democratically side by side in peace, complete with guaranteed security, mutual recognition under the 1967 borders, mutually agreed-upon equivalent land swaps and Jerusalem as […]]]> 652313 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230713-eu-meps-voice-support-for-palestine-with-call-to-back-icc-israel-probe/ Thu, 13 Jul 2023 11:30:57 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=652088 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) voiced their strong support for a Palestinian state yesterday in a set of recommendations while deploring Israel's continued violations of international law. European lawmakers also gave their backing to the International Criminal Court (ICC) probe into alleged Israeli war crimes and crimes against humanity and called on the European Union (EU) to commit to helping ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan. MEPs reiterated their unwavering support for a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as the capital shared with Israel. The parliamentarians called on the EU and its member states to support in principle recognition of Palestinian statehood in accordance with the parameters of the July 2014 European Council conclusions. These reaffirmed the […]]]> 652088 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230708-from-icc-to-sportswashing-the-wests-self-serving-narratives-must-be-combated/ Sat, 08 Jul 2023 13:07:41 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=650592 In March, the South African Communist Party (SACP) denounced what it described as the "imperialist bias" of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The denunciation of the ICC as a "supranational institution at the service of imperialist states" came two days after the Hague-based court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and another Russian official for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. The speed with which the case against Putin was lodged, discussed and followed by concrete action raised many questions about the integrity, balance and political agenda of the Western-inclined court. While Palestinians immediately, and rightly, protested the hypocrisy of the ICC as it continues to treat alleged Israeli war criminals with kid gloves, Iraqis, Afghans, but mostly […]]]> 650592 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230708-pa-icc-should-probe-israels-acquittal-of-soldier-who-killed-autistic-palestinian/ Sat, 08 Jul 2023 11:14:21 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=650515 The Palestinian Authority (PA) strongly condemned the Israeli court's acquittal of the Israeli policeman who killed an autistic Palestinian man, urging the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate the case. Following the acquittal of the Israeli policeman, the PA's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates criticised: "There is no justice or access to justice under Israel's illegal occupation and apartheid regime." The Israeli District Court in occupied Jerusalem on Thursday acquitted the policeman who killed Eyad Hallaq, claiming that he "acted recklessly" and that the killing was "a tragic mistake," while claiming that the officer "acted in self-defence," even though the victim did not have a weapon. "Israel, the occupying power, and its tainted judiciary system continue to sanction war crimes […]]]> 650515 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230630-european-parliament-committee-calls-to-charge-israel-with-war-crimes/ Fri, 30 Jun 2023 07:53:15 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=648240 The European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee called on the EU to help the International Criminal Court (ICC) to prosecute Israel for war crimes, in a resolution on EU-Palestinian relations on Tuesday, the Jerusalem Post reported on Wednesday. The resolution said the committee "regret[s] the limited progress on the ICC infestations in war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the occupied Palestinian territories and commit to help the ICC and its prosecutor move forward with the investigation and the prosecution." The illegal settlements, it continues, constitute a major obstacle to the viability of the two-state solution, including lasting peace and security, adding that the EU should consider measures that specifically address settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank. It also expressed concern […]]]> 648240 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230622-plo-calls-on-icc-to-expedite-decision-on-israel-crimes/ Thu, 22 Jun 2023 14:45:10 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=646646 The Secretary-General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), Hussein Al-Sheikh, called on the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, to expedite examining the files referred to the court regarding Israel's crimes against the Palestinian people. "We call on Mr. Karim Khan, the Prosecutor of the #ICC, to expedite the decision on the files referred to the court for the crimes of the occupation and its settlers against the #Palestinian people. Further procrastination, double standards and stalling in international institutions and subordination to the political will of superpowers are no longer acceptable," Al-Sheikh wrote on Twitter. We call on Mr. Karim Khan, the Prosecutor of the #ICC, to expedite the decision on the files […]]]> 646646 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230616-hamas-urges-icc-for-justice-for-palestinian-victims-of-israeli-terrorism/ Fri, 16 Jun 2023 13:07:22 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=645208 Hamas called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to ensure that a "legal remedy" is given to the Palestinian victims of the Israeli occupation's "terrorism", a statement issued on the movement's official website said. On the occasion of the ICC's new strategic plans for the years 2023-2025, Hamas urged the court to "demonstrate progress in the Palestine case." "We urge for an official investigation therein and the implementation of effective measures to ensure a proper legal remedy for the victims of the continuous acts of Israeli occupation's terrorism against the Palestinian people," Hamas said. "This includes, but is not limited to, addressing the issues of settlements and systematic killing of civilians, and a greater commitment towards achieving international justice and providing redress for the […]]]> 645208 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230524-why-karim-khan-froze-the-palestine-file-the-icc-and-israeli-war-crimes-in-gaza/ Wed, 24 May 2023 16:13:24 +0000 , Middle East Monitor , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=639271 Israel's latest war on Gaza, starting on 9 May , killed 33 Palestinians, including six children, and wounded hundreds more. Most of those killed and wounded were civilians. On the first day of the war, Maurice Hirsh, former head of IDF Military Prosecution, made a 'legal' case for the Israeli war. He wrote the following passage on Twitter: "Considering the military advantage gained by eliminating these senior terrorists, it is irrelevant to ask how many children were incidentally killed." Hirsh has used this kind of logic before. For example, in August 2022, he wrote an article in the Israeli newspaper, the Jerusalem Post, where he justified Israeli army attacks on the civilian population of Gaza. "In the world of anti-Israel […]]]> 639271 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230515-icc-urged-to-issue-arrest-warrants-against-leaders-of-apartheid-israel/ Mon, 15 May 2023 12:52:06 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=636936 South Africa's Minister of International Relations, Naledi Pandor, has called on the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for the "leaders of apartheid Israel", while accusing them of being responsible for "the massacre of the people of Palestine". "We really believe we want to hear the ICC indicating that an arrest warrant would be issued for leaders of apartheid Israel who are the ones supporting the massacre of the people of Palestine," said Pandor, who is a leading figure in the African National Congress party founded by the late Nelson Mandela. Pandor issued her message of solidarity in a video which was widely shared on social media. The 70-year-old began by sending condolences to the Palestinian people for the […]]]> 636936 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230510-british-ministers-to-advance-uk-anti-bds-bill-to-prevent-boycotts-against-israel/ Wed, 10 May 2023 14:08:51 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=635578 British Secretary of State, Michael Gove, is due to push forward the UK Government's long-anticipated plan to ban the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) to prevent further boycotts against Israel, reported The Financial Times. The British politician is attempting to curtail the freedom of public bodies from adopting "their own foreign policy" and expressed concern at how councils are financially supporting boycotts and divestment campaigns against foreign countries in the Middle East. The BDS and Sanctions Bill follows a 2019 Conservative Party manifesto commitment to preventing local authorities from "adopting their own approach to international relations" – a move that pro-Palestine activists say is in place to help businesses profiting from apartheid Israel. Moreover, according to officials, Gove and […]]]> 635578 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230504-rights-groups-call-for-international-probe-into-khader-adnans-death/ Thu, 04 May 2023 08:40:23 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=633659 Palestinian rights groups yesterday called for the formation of an international probe into the death of Palestinian hunger striker Khader Adnan inside Israeli jails. Lawyer Yasser Al-Dirawi, from the Himayeh Society for Human Rights, said: "Khader Adnan was intentionally murdered by the Israeli occupation." "The Israeli occupation and its leaders must be held accountable for this crime." He called for global powers to put pressure on the occupation to stop its use of administrative detention – where Palestinians are held without charge or trial for renewal periods of up to six months, and to force it to treat Palestinian prisoners in accordance with the Rome Statute and the Geneva Conventions. Lawyer Salah Abdul Ati, head of the International Commission for […]]]> 633659 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230502-profile-palestinian-detainee-khader-adnan-dies-in-search-of-freedom/ Tue, 02 May 2023 15:28:01 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=633225 Palestinian detainee, Khader Adnan, died inside an Israeli prison on Tuesday after an 86-day hunger strike in protest of his detention, Anadolu News Agency reports. The Israel Prison Service (IPS) said Adnan was found unconscious and was taken to hospital, but attempts to resuscitate him failed. Adnan, 44, from the town of Arraba, west of Jenin, started his hunger strike on 5 February, to protest his detention by the Israeli authorities. He was accused by Israel of membership in the Palestinian group, Islamic Jihad, and support to "terrorism". He had not been tried at the time of his death. According to the Palestinian Prisoner Society NGO, an Israeli military court, last month, rejected a request by Adnan's lawyer to release […]]]> 633225 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230428-how-sudans-military-factions-set-path-to-war-as-mediation-stalled/ Fri, 28 Apr 2023 14:50:05 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=632077 Alarmed that movements of rival military factions in Sudan could bring bloodshed, a group of mediators pushed for last-ditch talks between Army Chief, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, and paramilitary Commander, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, two weeks ago. But neither of Sudan's two most powerful men showed up to the meeting, convened at presidential offices in central Khartoum at 10 a.m. on 15 April, three of the Sudanese mediators said, in details revealed for the first time here. Instead, fighting was breaking out across the country. At about 8.30 a.m., shooting started at the Soba military camp in the south of Khartoum, according to three eyewitnesses and an advisor within Dagalo's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Reuters could not establish who fired the […]]]> 632077 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230426-sudans-army-denies-involvement-in-jail-break-by-ex-regime-officials/ Wed, 26 Apr 2023 11:09:21 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=631549 The Sudanese army has denied it has had anything to do with the release of members of deposed President Omar Al-Bashir's government from prison after an attack on the detention centre where they were being held. Omar Al-Bashir was overthrown during a popular uprising in 2019 and is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of genocide. After he was forced from power Al-Bashir was sentenced by a judge in Khartoum to a range of charges including corruption and the killing of protesters, however Sudanese authorities refused to hand him over to the ICC. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has accused the army of releasing him from prison as part of a plan to bring him back to […]]]> 631549 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230426-sudan-leaders-of-al-bashirs-party-escape-from-prison/ Wed, 26 Apr 2023 09:51:41 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=631429 Ahmed Haroun, a former Sudanese official in Omar Al-Bashir's regime, said that he escaped Kober Prison with other former officials and stated that they would be responsible for their own protection. Haroun, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), added in an audio statement aired on Sudan's Tayba TV channel yesterday, that he and other former officials are ready to appear before the judiciary when it is functioning. The statement follows reports that inmates at Kober Prison escaped earlier this week. Al-Bashir and his senior deputies were among those held in the prison. It was not immediately clear if Al-Bashir, who has repeatedly been moved to a military hospital, was in the prison. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) […]]]> 631429 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230413-factbox-the-struggle-for-power-in-sudan/ Thu, 13 Apr 2023 18:00:32 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=628896 The Sudanese Army on Thursday warned of the risk of confrontation with the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, as tension between the two groups puts at risk a pending deal to restore civilian government. The following outlines the struggle for power in Sudan in recent years: Who has been in charge in Sudan?  Sudan began its halting transition towards democracy after military generals ousted long-ruling autocrat, Omar Al-Bashir, amid a popular uprising in April 2019. Bashir, an Islamist long shunned by the West, had presided over the country for nearly three decades. Under an August 2019 agreement, the military agreed to share power with civilians ahead of elections. That arrangement was abruptly halted by a 2021 coup, which triggered a new campaign […]]]> 628896 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230412-palestinian-rights-group-calls-for-icc-to-take-issue-of-israel-crimes-seriously/ Wed, 12 Apr 2023 08:32:22 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=628563 The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) yesterday called for the ICC Prosecutor to carry out a "serious" investigation into Israeli crimes against Palestinians. This came one day after the Israeli occupation forces shot dead Palestinian minor Mohammad Awadat, 17, in the refugee camp of Aqabat Jabr in the occupied West Bank city of Jericho. In a statement, the PCHR said: "The crime committed by the Israeli occupation in which a Palestinian child was killed and three others were wounded in Jericho came as part of the Israeli war crimes and crimes resulting in excessive use of force." Defence for Children International –Palestine (DCIP) said in a report: "Israeli forces entered Aqbat Jabr refugee camp around 9:40 am that morning, and while withdrawing from the camp, fired live ammunition indiscriminately, striking […]]]> 628563 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230404-oil-exports-from-northern-iraq-to-turkiye-will-resume-iraqi-officials/ Tue, 04 Apr 2023 12:37:11 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=626489 Iraq's Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) announced on Tuesday that oil exports through Turkiye's Ceyhan pipeline would resume later in the day, following a pause of more than a week caused by a long-running international arbitration case between Iraq and Turkiye, Anadolu News Agency reports. Head of KRG Foreign Media Affairs, Lawk Ghafuri, said on Twitter that oil exportation through Ceyhan would resume today. READ: Iraq halts northern crude exports after winning arbitration case against Turkiye "Today, [KRG] Prime Minister @masrourbarzani [Masrour Barzani] will land in Baghdad to sign the final agreement with the Iraqi PM @mohamedshia [Mohammed Shia al-Sudani] to resume oil exportation through Ceyhan," Ghafuri said. Barzani also confirmed on Twitter that he would arrive in Baghdad to finalise […]]]> 626489 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230331-explainer-what-is-the-iraq-turkiye-oil-pipeline-dispute-and-who-is-on-the-hook/ Fri, 31 Mar 2023 16:10:01 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=625646 An international arbitration ruling on 23 March prompted the shutdown of Iraq's northern crude oil exports through Turkiye and sent oil prices back towards $80 a barrel, Reuters reports. Iraq, OPEC's second-largest oil producer, exports about 85 per cent of its crude via ports in the south. But the northern route via Turkiye still accounts for about 0.5 per cent of global oil supply. What is the origin of the dispute?  Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) began exporting crude from the semi-autonomous northern region independently from the federal government in 2013, a move Baghdad deemed illegal. KRG exports flow through a KRG pipeline to Fish-Khabur on the northern Iraqi border, where the oil enters Turkiye and is pumped to the Turkish port of […]]]> 625646 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230331-transitional-injustice-and-enforcing-the-peace-on-palestine/ Fri, 31 Mar 2023 15:44:25 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=625628 Brendan Ciaran Browne's contribution to the literature on Palestine is not only welcomed, but sharply focused. Veering away from the mainstream discourse that protects the two-state compromise at the expense of Palestinians, Transitional (in)Justice and Enforcing the Peace on Palestine (Palgrave Macmillan, 2023) discusses the convergence between transitional justice and settler-colonialism, noting the flaws associated with avenues obfuscating or eliminating the need for decolonisation. In the absence of the settler-colonial reality, 'the conflict' narrative which has usurped discourse on Palestine restricts resolution, due to a false equivalence between the coloniser and the colonised, even as Palestinians are deprived from the hegemony that decides their fate. Peace building approaches that do not address Zionist settler-colonial erasure, Browne notes that, "far from […]]]> 625628 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230330-israel-practices-apartheid-say-israeli-law-professors/ Thu, 30 Mar 2023 14:45:33 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=625413 The Israeli Law Professors' Forum for Democracy has found that changes introduced by the current government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "validate the claim that Israel practices apartheid." The group represents 120 of Israel's most prominent law professors. It reached the conclusion in a position paper titled "Implications of the Agreement Subordinating the Civil Administration to the Additional Minister in the Ministry of Defence". The forum is an ad hoc and voluntary group of experts on Israeli law and specifically Israeli public law. Under the power-sharing agreement signed in February between the Likud parliamentary faction and the Religious Zionism faction, Netanyahu agreed to transfer responsibility for, and management of, the occupied West Bank to civilian hands. The deal stipulated […]]]> 625413 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230330-why-is-putin-getting-an-icc-arrest-warrant-but-not-assad/ Thu, 30 Mar 2023 08:08:55 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=625301 The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court once proposed to issue an international arrest warrant for Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, noting that there was a "strong case" against him. In an interview with the Canadian national broadcaster CBC, he said that the implementation of this warrant could be entrusted to international and local forces. The prosecutor expressed his regret that it was not planned to put this into practice, not least because sending foreign forces to arrest Assad would not constitute an invasion, it would serve to achieve justice. He noted that Assad was defiant because we — the international community — do nothing but talk. To emphasise the latter fact, I must point out that the prosecutor in question […]]]> 625301 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230328-the-iccs-selective-approach-to-war-crimes-undermines-its-credibility/ Tue, 28 Mar 2023 09:30:04 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=624952 Given the slow and selective investigations of alleged war crimes in Palestine and Afghanistan, the International Criminal Court's speedy warrant to put Russian President Vladimir Putin on trial for alleged crimes in Ukraine begs questions about it becoming a partisan institution. Based in The Hague, the ICC is an independent and permanent war crimes court. It succeeded the ad hoc UN tribunals which tackled the 1990s Rwandan genocide and war crimes in former Yugoslavia. It is the only international body with the authority to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. It prosecutes individuals, not countries, when a member state is unwilling or unable to do so itself. On 1 January 2015, Palestine lodged a declaration at […]]]> 624952 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230324-the-politicisation-of-the-icc/ Fri, 24 Mar 2023 18:00:33 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=624553 It was a difficult labour for the International Criminal Court (ICC), which came to life in July 1998. Following the First and Second World Wars, projects to establish a permanent criminal court to eliminate the state of widespread impunity were set up. However, some countries which feared the prosecution of their officials stood against such a body, and the struggle continued until it was finally established. Diplomatic missions in Rome, including those of the United States of America and Russia, signed the Rome Convention establishing the ICC. In total, 123 countries became State Parties to the body. However, the US withdrew its support for the body, followed by Russia, and waged a war on the ICC that reached its peak […]]]> 624553 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230323-unpunished-and-unrepentant-the-war-criminals-who-get-away-with-murder/ Thu, 23 Mar 2023 13:45:03 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=624315 When the then British Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President George W Bush flouted international law and unleashed Shock and Awe on Iraq in March 2003, the attack and invasion had unintended consequences which could probably lead us directly to the equally illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia's Vladimir Putin in February last year. The only major difference is that, in Ukraine, the fickle international community has issued an arrest warrant for Putin accusing him of war crimes. Blair and Bush, meanwhile, are still at large, unpunished and unrepentant. There have been no arrest warrants for them; they're just two of many war criminals who get away with murder. This highlights the futility of war and what happens when […]]]> 624315 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230323-uk-urged-to-refer-israel-to-the-icc/ Thu, 23 Mar 2023 13:13:46 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=624384 The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) has called on the UK government to refer Israel to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes committed in Palestine, and to recognise the court's jurisdiction over the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories. In a letter sent today to UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and the Foreign Secretary James Cleverley, the ICJP called on Number 10 to urgently recognise that the ICC has jurisdiction in respect of the situation in Palestine, and for the UK as an ICC State Party to refer the situation and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the Court, pursuant to Article 14 of the ICC Statute. Article 14 stipulates that a State Party may refer to the Prosecutor a situation in which one or more crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court […]]]> 624384 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230322-irresponsible-china-blasts-israel-minister-denying-palestine-existence/ Wed, 22 Mar 2023 15:15:33 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=624226 China, on Wednesday, slammed Israeli Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich's denial of the existence of the Palestinian people, calling it "irresponsible", Anadolu News Agency reports. "The Israeli senior official is wrong and irresponsible to deny Palestinian people's existence and to display an 'Israel map' including Jordan and Palestinian places occupied by Israel at an event in Paris," said Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry. In a speech Sunday in Paris, Smotrich denied the existence of the Palestinian people, saying the Palestinians were "an invention" from the last century and people like himself and his grandparents were the "real Palestinians." "There is no such thing as Palestinians because there is no such thing as a Palestinian people," said Smotrich, triggering […]]]> 624226 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230321-pa-calls-for-icc-to-arrest-israeli-finance-minister-smotrich/ Tue, 21 Mar 2023 10:20:48 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=623662 The Palestinian Authority announced on Monday that it will demand that the International Criminal Court should arrest Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Anadolu has reported. The move comes after Smotrich claimed that, "There is no such thing as a Palestinian people." "We are following with utmost interest the irresponsible and inflammatory statements made by the hateful and racist terrorist minister, stemming from hatred, terrorism and the claim of racial superiority of the Jewish people at the expense of the rest of the world's nations, particularly the Palestinian people," said the PA ministry of foreign affairs. "We will ask the International Criminal Court to move immediately to issue an arrest warrant against this racist terrorist." The ministry condemned France for allowing […]]]> 623662 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230320-palestinians-rally-in-support-of-detainees-in-israel-jails/ Mon, 20 Mar 2023 17:09:15 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=623339 Palestinians staged a rally in Gaza City on Monday to show support for detainees in Israeli prisons, Anadolu News Agency reports. The rally comes as detainees plan to launch an open-ended hunger strike at the beginning of the fasting month of Ramadan, due to start later this week, to protest Israeli restrictions. Protesters waved the Palestinian flag and pictures of the detainees during the rally held outside the office of the International Committee of the Red Cross (IRCR) in Gaza City. "We need to work to internationalise the issue of detainees and expose the Israeli practices against them," Awad Al-Sultan, a senior member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), told protesters. He called on Palestinian authorities […]]]> 623339 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230222-military-warns-weakening-the-judiciary-will-allow-israeli-officers-politicians-to-be-tried-in-europe/ Wed, 22 Feb 2023 09:50:24 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=616736 The Israeli Military Prosecution warned that the plan to weaken the judiciary that Benjamin Netanyahu's government is proceeding with will expose senior Israeli military and political officials to criminal trials in Europe for war crimes. Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation Kan 11 said yesterday evening that the Israeli Military Prosecution has intensified the warnings in recent weeks, during sessions of the Constitution, Law and Judiciary Committee in the Knesset. The judicial advisers from the Mossad and Shin Bet agencies, and the Military Prosecutor in the Israeli army, also expressed these warnings. The channel reported that senior officials in the Ministry of Justice that specialise in international law, issued the same warnings, and made it clear during the parliamentary committee session that the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague operates based on the principle that cases related […]]]> 616736 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230122-palestine-hails-icjs-reception-of-request-to-assess-israeli-occupation/ Sun, 22 Jan 2023 12:40:32 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=608359 Palestine on Saturday welcomed an announcement by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on receiving a request from the UN to issue an advisory opinion on the legality of the Israeli occupation and its impact on the Palestinian people, reports Anadolu Agency. In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said it received an official letter from the ICJ Registrar, Philippe Gautier, informing Ramallah that it had "officially received the referral of United Nations General Assembly Resolution No. (247/77) requesting an advisory opinion from ICJ "on the nature of the decades-long Israeli occupation. The ministry called on all countries to submit their "legal depositions" to the ICJ on the legality of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian land. On Friday, the ICJ […]]]> 608359 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230117-the-pa-should-face-criminal-and-political-charges-for-banats-killing/ Tue, 17 Jan 2023 16:45:13 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=606923 The brother of murdered Palestinian activist Nizar Banat explained the family's approach to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in December. "For those of us who live in corrupt countries where genuine justice is out of reach, the ICC remains our hope for an un-politicised investigation and prosecution of criminals," said Ghassan Banat. Nizar Banat was one of the most vocal critics of the Palestinian Authority and a contender for the democratic elections which PA leader Mahmoud Abbas cancelled in early 2021. He was beaten to death by the PA security services in June the same year. The PA's military court released on bail the 14 security services members involved in Banat's killing, allegedly due to concerns about Covid-19 spreading in […]]]> 606923 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230107-mauritania-celebrates-nouakchott-as-cultural-capital-of-islamic-world/ Sat, 07 Jan 2023 12:41:17 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=604287 Mauritania on Friday commenced the first events since Nouakchott was chosen as the capital of culture in the Islamic world for 2023. Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, ministers of culture from many Arab and Islamic countries and professionals from the fields of culture, literature and media attended the opening ceremony held at the Conference Palace in Nouakchott. The opening ceremony, organised under the supervision of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO) and the Mauritanian Ministry of Culture, included artistic performances and cultural exhibitions besides a pavilion devoted to manuscripts and another for sites registered on the Islamic Heritage List. Mauritanian Minister of Culture Mohamed Ould Soueidatt shared in a speech that the declaration of Nouakchott as the […]]]> 604287 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221229-10-israel-rights-groups-to-help-icc-probe-occupations-crimes/ Thu, 29 Dec 2022 11:32:44 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=602964 Ten Israeli rights groups pledged to assist the International Criminal Court (ICC) in advancing its ongoing investigations into crimes committed in Palestine, B'Tselem said on Tuesday. In a statement posted on its website, B'Tselem said: "Ten human rights groups that operate in Israel sent a first of its kind joint letter to the Prosecutor of the ICC, Karim Khan, voicing support for his intention to visit Palestine and for advancing the Court's ongoing investigation, following upon his December 5 speech before the Assembly of State Parties." The letter said: "We warmly welcome your statement earlier this month, that one of your objectives for 2023 would be to go to Palestine." Adalah – The Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, B'Tselem, […]]]> 602964 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221215-israels-opposition-to-criticism-exposes-its-colonial-violence/ Thu, 15 Dec 2022 14:17:46 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=600995 The Times of Israel ran a lengthy article this week pinpointing the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese's criticisms of Israel, notably her use of the term "Jewish lobby" – a reference from 2014, years prior to her appointment by the UN. Yet, what stands out in the article is that Israel resents being called out for its colonial existence and violence, which have been extensively documented, even though the UN is too entrenched in its complicity with Israel to call for the decolonisation of Palestine. For example, one criticism directed against Albanese is her refusal to normalise Israeli colonialism as a "conflict". Undoubtedly, normalising decades of Israel's colonial enterprise as a conflict has been profitable not only for […]]]> 600995 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221214-arab-league-urges-icc-to-end-israel-escalations-against-palestinians/ Wed, 14 Dec 2022 13:38:20 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=600794 The General Secretariat of the League of Arab States yesterday called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to assume its responsibilities in the face of Israel's continuous and systematic escalation against the Palestinian people. The Assistant Secretary-General for Palestine and the Occupied Arab Territories in the Arab League, Dr Saeed Abu Ali, said in a statement that the Israeli occupation's targeting of children in Palestine continues, noting that the number of Palestinian child martyrs this year has reached 61 children. He added that Israel has arrested 815 children since the beginning of the year, and is still holding about 150 children in its prisons, noting that more than 50,000 children have been arrested by the Israeli occupation forces since 1967. […]]]> 600794 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221212-un-discusses-palestinian-icc-request-about-legitimacy-of-israeli-occupation/ Mon, 12 Dec 2022 14:15:31 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=600210 The UN General Assembly will today discuss a Palestinian proposal to ask the International Criminal Court in The Hague to determine the legitimacy of Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Jerusalem. According to Yedioth Ahronoth, Israel has expressed its concerns about the consequences of the proposal and discussions within the UN, as it is likely that the proposal will be accepted and the opinion presented by the court in a year or two. The draft resolution requests that the ICC should issue an advisory opinion, outlining the legal consequences arising from Israel's continued violation of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, its long-term occupation, settlements and annexation of land, and its adoption of discriminatory legislation and measures. […]]]> 600210 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221208-aohr-files-complaint-at-icc-about-attacks-on-al-aqsa-mosque/ Thu, 08 Dec 2022 13:40:01 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=599323 The Arab Organisation for Human Rights in the UK (AOHR UK) has today filed a complaint to the International Criminal Court (ICC) through its legal team headed by Professor William Schabas. The complaint concerns the systematic attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israeli politicians, soldiers and settlers aimed at changing the current reality. This complaint was submitted after decades of various crimes being committed in Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque by the Israeli Occupation, which has never been held accountable. It is worth noting that crimes are expected to increase following the Israeli elections of MPs who are keen on building their so-called Temple and legitimising current outposts, as well as building new settlements. For many years, Al-Aqsa Mosque has been targeted […]]]> 599323 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221208-how-far-can-the-icc-go-in-seeking-out-israel-for-its-crimes-in-palestine/ Thu, 08 Dec 2022 09:30:53 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=599069 Last February, the International Criminal Court (ICC) said it has jurisdiction over Gaza, Occupied Palestinian West Bank and East Jerusalem. The office of the Prosecutor, the announcement said, the "Government of Palestine" has accepted the Rome Statute, which established the Court over two decades earlier. This means the Government of Palestine is now an ICC member accepting, in principle, its jurisdiction. This important development came seven years after the Palestinian Authority first asked the Court to investigate crimes "in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, since 13 June, 2014″. In comparison, it took only six days for the same Court to start investigating Russia for the alleged crimes committed during the invasion of Ukraine. The comparison here begs the […]]]> 599069 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221206-sorry-mr-lapid-but-you-and-your-soldiers-do-need-lessons-in-morality/ Tue, 06 Dec 2022 15:38:39 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=598890 Al Jazeera TV Network has submitted the case of Shireen Abu Akleh's killing to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. It claims to have new evidence that proves that the Israeli occupation forces "deliberately" shot dead journalist Abu Akleh during an Israeli army raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin in May this year. The Israeli army has claimed that its own inquiry found no suspicion that any crime had been committed in relation to the killing of Abu Akleh. Several international probes found otherwise, and concluded that she was indeed deliberately killed by the occupation army. "The claim by the Israeli authorities that Shireen was killed by mistake in an exchange of fire is completely […]]]> 598890 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221206-israel-referred-to-icc-by-al-jazeera-for-killing-shireen-abu-akleh/ Tue, 06 Dec 2022 12:30:14 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=598836 Al Jazeera Media Network today submitted the case of Shireen Abu Akleh's killing by Israeli occupation forces to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. The 51-year-old Jerusalem native and US citizen was a prominent television correspondent with Al Jazeera for 25 years until her killing by an occupation soldier on 11 May as she covered an Israeli military raid on a refugee camp in Jenin in the occupied West Bank. In its submission to the ICC Prosecutor, Al Jazeera highlighted new witness evidence and video footage which it says show clearly that Abu Akleh and her colleagues were fired at directly by the so-called Israel Defence Forces. The submission includes a dossier of a comprehensive six-month investigation by […]]]> 598836 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221206-pa-gives-icc-file-on-israel-crimes-against-palestine-children/ Tue, 06 Dec 2022 09:23:51 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=598788 The Palestinian Authority (PA) has provided the International Criminal Court (ICC) a file on Israel's crimes against Palestinian children, Minister of Foreign Affairs Riyad Al-Maliki said yesterday. Speaking ahead of the 22nd session of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC in the Hague, Al-Maliki stressed the importance of the ICC and its role in achieving justice for the Palestinian people and holding war criminals accountable "in light of the rise to power of an extremist Israeli government that consists of terrorist settlers." Israeli ministers, he added, who "bluntly express their support for extrajudicial killing of Palestinians, their forcible expulsion and settlement expansion." "All of these crimes fall within the jurisdiction of the ICC," Al-Maliki explained, affirming […]]]> 598788 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221130-us-urged-to-withhold-american-taxpayers-money-from-notorious-israel-battalion/ Wed, 30 Nov 2022 16:33:47 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=597645 The US State Department has been urged to withhold American taxpayers' money from the notorious Israeli Netzah Yehuda Battalion, and to subject the group to Leahy Laws. Leahy Amendments, as it is also known, are human rights laws that prohibit the US Department of State and Department of Defence from providing military assistance to foreign security force units that violate human rights with impunity. Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) has presented a report of its investigation into "gross human rights abuses and war crimes" committed by the Yehuda Battalion to the US government. The report urges Washington to formally subject the group to the Leahy Law vetting process and add it to the list of military units ineligible […]]]> 597645 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20221128-icc-urged-to-investigate-israels-crimes/ Mon, 28 Nov 2022 11:54:16 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=597001 Almost two hundred Palestinian and international organisations representing civil society have called on the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, to investigate the allegations of war crimes committed by Israel against Palestinians, Wafa has reported. The resident of the Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court, Silvia Fernandez de Gourmandi, was included in the memorandum submitted to the court. The signatories called for public condemnation of Israel's designation of Palestinian civil society organisations as "terrorist" organisations and urged the government of Israel to reverse it. They also demanded that the crimes committed by the occupation state during its unjustified military attack on the Gaza Strip in August 2022 be included in the ongoing investigation into […]]]> 597001