Evidence points to Israeli war crimes in Gaza attacks
A prominent researcher says evidence strongly indicates that Israel has committed war crimes in recent attacks on Gaza, Anadolu Agency reported on Nov. 22.Anthony Dworkin, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, reached the conclusion after conducting a comprehensive evaluation of Israel’s latest attacks on the Palestinian enclave.
Noting that the number of casualties in the Israeli attacks exceeds 14,000 and that Israel has conducted military operations against Gaza hospitals, Dworkin said European leaders are avoiding public discussions on whether Israel is committing war crimes.He said some leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, have not gone beyond expressing concerns about the impact of the attacks on civilians.“As the military campaign enters a new phase that may involve operations in Gaza’s now densely crowded south and raises increasing questions about how the operation will end, it is time for European leaders to speak more clearly about what international law requires,” he said.
Dworkin pointed to the existence of two sets of rules, namely the laws of war and international humanitarian law, which determine what can and cannot be done in times of conflict. Particularly, he pointed out that the violation of international humanitarian law constitutes a war crime.
CNN suggests weaponry found in Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital ‘rearranged’ by Israeli army
An analysis by CNN did not exclude the possibility that the Israeli army “rearranged” weapons it claimed to have found at the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City before the international media were allowed to visit the site, Anadolu Agency reported on Nov. 18.CNN said that according to a Nov. 15 video published by Israeli army spokesperson Jonathan Concricus, an AK-47 gun was seen behind an MRI machine in one of the buildings in the Al-Shifa Hospital complex.But when Fox News foreign correspondent Trey Yingst visited the site, he filmed two AK-47 guns behind the MRI machine, not one as appeared in the earlier video by the Israeli army.“It is unclear where the second AK-47 gun came from and why it is not visible in the earlier IDF clip,” said CNN.
It noted in its analysis that BBC was also granted access to the MRI room at the hospital and filmed the two AK-47 guns.“The discrepancy between the military’s own video and the BBC footage was due to the fact that more weaponry and terrorist assets were discovered throughout the day,” the Israeli army said in response to CNN. “Suggestions that the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) is manipulating the media are incorrect.”
Israel has long accused Hamas of using the Al-Shifa Hospital to direct military operations – an allegation vehemently denied by the Palestinian resistance group.The Gaza-based Health Ministry said dozens of patients, including premature babies, have died at the hospital between Nov. 11-16 due to a lack of electricity as the Israeli army cordoned off the hospital before storming.
Iran’s Prez calls for ‘int’l inquiry’ into Israel’s use of banned weapons
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi on Nov. 21 called for the creation of a “special international inquiry” into Israel’s use of banned weapons in Gaza. Raisi was speaking during a virtual summit of the BRICS group of emerging economies held at the organization’s headquarters in South Africa, reports Iran’s official agency IRNA.
The Iranian leader said the Israeli atrocities in the Gaza Strip are indicative of the West’s moral decline.
“Today, the whole world is in a struggle as we witness live the unprecedented violence and crime committed against Palestine in Gaza. What is happening in Gaza these days clearly reveals the injustice of the Western international system. The Gaza issue is a matter of humanity and justice,” he said.
In no uncertain terms, the Iranian President averred that Israel and its supporters not only violate humanity, morality and the law, but also try to mislead world public opinion by providing disinformation.
Countries Fighting Rohingya Genocide Case at ICJ silent on Gaza Genocide
Five European nations including Canada joined the genocide case that accuses Myanmar of committing genocide against the Rohingya Muslims. The United Nations’ highest court International Court of Justice (ICJ) announced on Thursday that Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Britain had submitted a joint statement of intervention in the case, which was brought by the Gambia in 2019. “The intervention of other countries in support of the Gambia strengthens the case, and increases the pressure on the Burmese military who are still committing genocide against Rohingya,” Tun Khin, President of the Burmese Rohingya Organisation said in a statement.
A U.N. fact-finding mission concluded that a 2017 military campaign by Myanmar that drove 730,000 Rohingya into neighbouring Bangladesh had included “genocidal acts”. Myanmar has denied genocide, rejecting the U.N. findings as “biased and flawed”. It says its crackdown was aimed at Rohingya rebels who had carried out attacks.
Ravi Nair, Director of South Asia Human Rights Documentation Centre, while sharing his perspective on the development, told Radiance, “A few European countries, Denmark, France, Germany along with the United Kingdom, which is not presently an EU member, joined the Rohingya Genocide case brought by Gambia in the International Court of Justice (ICJ). This is a belated recognition of the fast-changing ground situation in Myanmar. The Gambia case was filed in 2019.” He further said, “So much for the concern of the Europeans and North Americans! And of course not a word from these worthies about the continuing genocide in Gaza.”
ODI World Cup 2023 Final Witnessed a Moment of Global Solidarity for Palestine
On Nov. 19, all around the world, all the eyes were on the ODI World Cup 2023 final between India and Australia, played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. During the match, a young Palestinian supporter from Australia breached onto the field to meet the Indian cricketer Virat Kohli. He expressed being a huge fan and attempted to hug him, as seen in the video.
The young man, who jumped onto the field wearing a T-shirt with ‘Stop Bombing Palestine’ written on the front and ‘Free Palestine’ on the back, was soon arrested by the police as per the protocol after breaching security. They took him to the nearest police station.
In a viral video, the young man spoke to the media after his arrest. He identified himself as John from Australia. When asked about the T-shirt and why he was wearing a Palestine T-shirt, he stated that he supports Palestine, expressing solidarity with the cause.
South Africa votes to suspend diplomatic ties with Israel, shut embassy
South African lawmakers on Nov. 21 voted in favour of closing down the Israeli embassy in Pretoria and suspending all diplomatic relations until a ceasefire is agreed in its war with Palestine in Gaza, reports Middle East Monitor citing a Reuters report.
The resolution is largely symbolic as it will be up to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government whether to implement it. However, Ramaphosa and senior Foreign Ministry officials have been vocally critical of Israel’s leadership during its devastating military campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, calling on the International Criminal Court to investigate them for potential war crimes.
The parliamentary resolution was brought by the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party last week, when the governing ANC pledged to support what has been a central diplomatic stance for South Africa since Nelson Mandela became the country’s first democratically elected President in 1994.