International
Human rights organisations launch a campaign to urge Western countries to cut ties with Israel
Letters have been sent by the Geneva Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (GCDHR), the Geneva Council For International Affairs and Development (GCIAD) and the International Jurists Union (IJU) in Geneva.
The organisations reminded the governments of Britain and Switzerland and the European Union that the International Court of Justice had concluded that the crimes of apartheid, military occupation and annexation of Palestinian lands are illegal measures. This means that all states, local governments, companies and institutions must immediately end all forms of connivance with Israeli crimes and violations of international law, and break with the root and fundamental cause of the 76 years ongoing occupation.
The organisations expressed their deep concern about the serious and catastrophic situation in Gaza and urged the UK government to suspend any legal concerns regarding the International Criminal Court.
The correspondence, which has been reviewed by Arabi21, stressed that removing the barriers will allow the International Criminal Court to issue an urgent arrest warrant against Israeli officials responsible for the crimes committed in Gaza, according to the statements of the International Criminal Court and United Nations rapporteurs.
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It stressed the need for the UK government to stop all the challenges faced by the International Criminal Court and impose sanctions on those involved in the plausible genocide, as described by the International Court of Justice. It stated that it is important and urgent that the elected UK government supports the implementation of the measures advised by the International Court of Justice.
The correspondence recalled violations, including the statement of the Israeli Defence Minister in the first week of the Israeli attacks, when he said that there would be no investigation into Israel’s actions and that the Palestinians were like animals and there was a need to respond to them as animals rather than as human beings.
The organisations highlighted in their correspondence that what the Israeli occupation is committing in the Gaza Strip is a serious violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and most of these acts are considered war crimes and crimes against humanity that violate all international laws related to human rights. Cutting off electricity and water to about 2.2 million residents is collective punishment prohibited by all international human rights laws. Under these circumstances, the United Nations and international courts, such as the International Criminal Court and the bodies of the International Court of Justice, should be allowed to play an active and decisive role in defending the rights of civilians and preventing the genocide, without any hindrance.
These organisations stressed that, without the support of international law and international justice, Israel will continue its full-scale destruction of Gaza, its illegal occupation and blockade and continue to subject Palestinians to collective punishment measures, in violation of international law, while ignoring the international community’s repeated demands to stop the bombing and allow access to water, electricity, food and medicine.
They added that “all governments have a responsibility to uphold international justice and hold accountable those responsible for war crimes and genocide. For this reason, the organisations have called on the emergency of taking the necessary steps and fulfil the UK’s obligations under international law.”
They also urged the European Union to cut off commercial and military relations, and called on the Swiss government to assume its responsibilities and call on the parties to an urgent meeting in Geneva and oblige Israel to respect the Geneva Conventions sponsored by the Swiss state and whose implementation is ensured by the United Nations bodies, including the International Court of Justice.
The Geneva Council For International Affairs and Development (GCIAD) received a response from the British Foreign Office to its correspondence, stating that the killing and destruction in Gaza is unacceptable and that the UK government is pushing for an immediate ceasefire.
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The correspondence also stated that the UK government will support the humanitarian effort and provide more funding to trusted organisations, including UNRWA, whose support will continue after it has been previously frozen.
On 26 January, the new British government withdrew its objection to the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Galant, saying the case “concerns the court’s work”.
Last May, Starmer said on the issue: “The Court must be able to make its decision when the time comes. I support the Court and international law.”
The International Criminal Court’s Prosecutor, Karim Khan, announced last May that he had asked the Court to issue arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Galant on several charges, including committing “crimes against humanity” in Gaza.
In disregard of the international community, Tel Aviv continues the war, ignoring the United Nations Security Council resolutions to end it immediately and the International Court of Justice orders to take measures to prevent acts of genocide and improve the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Prior to that, the British Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, announced his government’s decision to resume funding the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
On 26 January, 18 countries and the European Union suspended their funding to UNRWA over Israeli allegations that Agency employees were linked to Hamas, but some of these countries began reviewing their decisions regarding the United Nations agency in March and released funding for it.
The Israeli allegations against UNRWA come as Tel Aviv has been waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip since 7 October, which has led to it appearing before the International Court of Justice on charges of committing “genocide”, after the war left more than 128,000 Palestinian martyrs and wounded, most of them women and children, in addition to an unprecedented humanitarian disaster and a massive destruction of the infrastructure.
Tel Aviv continues this war, ignoring the UN Security Council resolutions to stop it immediately and the International Court of Justice orders to take measures to prevent acts of genocide and to improve the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
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Michael Storc and his family had just survived a devastating wildfire.
Now they have to face a daunting new challenge that he had hoped to never experience again – the Los Angeles housing market.
After losing the Altadena home that he owned in the Eaton fire, he was scouring for a new place to rent, and having little luck.
“What’s available is not nice at all and the rents have gone up a lot,” Mr Storc told the BBC. “I told my teenage daughter we had to accept we would live somewhere not very nice.”
The Los Angeles area already has one of the most expensive real estate markets in the country. And with thousands now displaced by the Palisades and Eaton fires, Angelenos are anxious that the sudden surge in demand could make rents and home prices soar even higher.
California has an anti-price gouging law that prevents landlords from raising rents more than 10% after the governor declares an emergency. It applies to both existing and tenants and new leases.
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LA brain surgeon saves street from fires
Many Los Angeles County buildings are also covered by rent stabilisation laws, which prevent landlords from raising the rent for existing tenants above a certain percentage even in normal circumstances.
“It is illegal. You cannot do it,” California attorney general Rob Bonta said at a Saturday press conference. “It is a crime punishable by up to a year in jail and fines.”
Not everyone was certain that the law would be completely enforceable, however.
“We’re aware of that but my question is, how is that being regulated? And who’s monitoring that?” said Jessica Heredia, a realtor based in the high-end Brentwood neighbourhood for the last 20 years.
A Los Angeles brain surgeon who fought for almost a week to save the houses on his street from wildfires told the BBC he spent 15 years preparing for such an event.
Malibu resident Dr Chester Griffiths, 62, ignored evacuation orders to keep flames from the Palisades fire at bay with the help of his son and neighbour, until emergency services were able to reach them.
“We had always known that a fire would come someday – but we didn’t know when,” Dr Griffiths told the BBC’s Today Programme.
“We never fathomed it would be this catastrophic and apocalyptic.”
South Korea’s Constitutional Court has held its first hearing to decide if suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol should be removed from office after his shock martial law attempt last month.
The hearing ended within four minutes because of Yoon’s absence – his lawyers had earlier said he would not attend for his own safety, as there is a warrant out for his arrest on separate charges of insurrection.
In December, Yoon was suspended after members of his own party voted with the opposition to impeach him.
However he will only be formally removed from office if at least six of the eight-member Constitutional Court bench votes to uphold the impeachment.
According to South Korean law, the court must set a new date for a hearing before they can proceed without his participation.
The next hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
Yoon’s lawyers have indicated that he will show up for a hearing at an “appropriate time”, but they have challenged the court’s “unilateral decision” on trial dates.
The court on Tuesday rejected the lawyers’ request for one of the eight justices to be recused from the proceedings.
Yoon has not commented publicly since parliament voted to impeach him on 14 December and has been speaking primarily through his lawyers.
Investigators are also separately preparing for another attempt to arrest Yoon for alleged insurrection, after an earlier attempt on 3 January ended following an hours-long standoff with his security team.
Yoon is South Korea’s first sitting president to face arrest. The second attempt to take him into custody could happen as early as this week, according to local media.
The suspended leader has not commented publicly since parliament voted to impeach him on 14 December and has been speaking primarily through his lawyers.
Yoon’s short-lived martial law declaration on 3 December has thrown South Korea into political turmoil. He had tried to justify the attempt by saying he was protecting the country from “anti-state” forces, but it soon became clear it was spurred by his own political troubles.
What followed was an unprecedented few weeks which saw the opposition-dominated parliament vote to impeach Yoon and then Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who succeeded him briefly as acting president.
The crisis has hit the country’s economy, with the won weakening and global credit rating agencies warning of weakening consumer and business sentiment.
Former presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Park Geun-hye did not attend their impeachment trials in 2004 and 2017 respectively.
In Park’s case, the first hearing ended after nine minutes in her absence.
Roh was reinstated after a two-month review, while Park’s impeachment was upheld.
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