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US-supplied GBU-39 bombs used in Israeli attack on Rafah camps: CNN

Al Mayadeen | May 29, 2024

The origin of the weapon used in the Rafah airstrike three days ago was the United States, a report published by CNN revealed. The revelation makes the US government a prime suspect in facilitating the war crime, especially as the US officials refuse to condemn the action.

According to CNN, an analysis of the video from the scene and a review by explosive weapons experts has determined that the origin of the weapon put to use by Israeli occupation forces is in fact the United States.

This is not the first time that US-supplied weapons have been used to commit acts of genocide against the Palestinian population and target internationally protected organizations, as Washington is the primary supplier of explosives, bombs, missiles, and various types of munitions to the Israeli military.

It is worth noting that the US has also supplied the Israeli regime with 328 fighter aircraft, which have been used to commit the bulk of war crimes and instances of violations of international law in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria in the past eight months.

In Rafah, the strike, which consisted of two guided munition bombs, eventually led to a fire breaking out, killing at least 45 and injuring 200 others, most of whom were women and children.

Moreover, the strike occurred after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered the Israeli regime to halt its military attack on the city.

What was the bomb used by ‘Israel’?

It also says that from a video shared on social media, it was able to detect the tail of a US-made and supplied GBU-39 small-diameter bomb (SDB), which has a warhead composed of around 17 kg of ATX 757 explosive material. ATX 757 is 1.65 times more powerful than TNT, and it is thought that at least two GBU-39s were launched at the campsite. The last assumption is based on the remarks of the Israeli occupation forces spokesperson, Rear Admiral David Hagari, who said that the Air Force used two small bombs with a 17 kg warhead each.

Although the GBU-39 is meant to be used in highly precise strikes for important point targets, the bomb is usually used to target military-grade vehicles and aircraft, due to its highly explosive warhead and bunker-busting capabilities, meaning that it is likely to cause casualties in densely populated areas.

Weapons expert Chris Cobb-Smith confirmed this to CNN, as he said that “using any munition, even of this size, will always incur risks in a densely populated area.”

Despite multiple weapons experts identifying the weapon as the GBU-39 bombs and serial numbers on remnants of the bomb in the crime scene matching the claim, the United States Department of Defense said that it could not confirm the origin or type of munition used in the attack.

“In terms of this particular strike, I just don’t have more information for you,” Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh told reporters.

May 29, 2024 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, War Crimes | , , , , | Leave a comment

US says Israeli massacres in Rafah not to impact aid, policy

Al Mayadeen | May 28, 2024

The Biden administration merely expressed deep concern on Tuesday over a deadly Israeli airstrike in Rafah, Gaza, labeling it “beyond tragic.” However, despite the death and paramount destruction, officials stated that the recent massacres do not signify a major operation that crosses established red lines.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, addressing reporters at the White House, reiterated the declared Israeli claim that the bombing of refugee tents in Rafah, which was said to be a safe area, was a “mistake.”

“The Israelis have said this is a tragic mistake,” Kirby noted when asked if the weekend’s events constituted the “death and destruction” US officials had warned against, completely adopting the Israeli narrative without the slightest bit of due diligence.

Kirby emphasized the absence of a specific “measuring stick” or quota for such incidents but stressed the importance of avoiding a major ground operation in Rafah that could lead to extensive damage and significant loss of life. “We have not seen that yet,” he said, continuing to ignore the civilian deaths and practically saying they would only count in light of an invasion.

When questioned about whether recent ground operations in Rafah would lead to the US withdrawing military aid, Kirby affirmed, “I believe that’s what I’ve been saying here.”

Vice President Kamala Harris, speaking at a ceremonial event in Washington, called the Israeli airstrike on Sunday “beyond tragic,” after it caused a fire in a tent camp in Rafah, killing 45 Palestinians, many of whom were burnt to death.

May 28, 2024 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, War Crimes | , , , | Leave a comment

Israel’s Mossad chief threatened ICC prosecutor and family in covert intimidation campaign

MEMO | May 28, 2024

The former head of Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency, personally threatened Fatou Bensouda, the former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), and her family in a series of covert meetings, the Guardian has revealed in a shocking report exposing the clandestine campaigns of the apartheid state to thwart ICC probes into war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Israeli leaders.

Several sources have revealed that Yossi Cohen personally threatened the ICC‘s then chief prosecutor, Bensouda, and her family in a series of clandestine meetings aimed at pressuring her to abandon her inquiry into possible war crimes committed by Israel against Palestinians in the occupied territories.

The covert campaign is said to have been authorised at the highest levels of the Israeli government, with Cohen using bullying, blackmail and intimidation tactics against Bensouda. Sources say Cohen raised questions about Bensouda’s security and that of her family in a menacing manner on at least three occasions between late 2019 and early 2021.

In one disturbing incident, Cohen allegedly showed Bensouda photographs taken covertly of her husband during a trip to London. On another occasion, he suggested that proceeding with a full investigation would be detrimental to her career. One source briefed on the meetings said Cohen told Bensouda:

“You should help us and let us take care of you. You don’t want to be getting into things that could compromise your security or that of your family.”

The threats were part of a coordinated smear campaign by Israel to undermine Bensouda, which also involved Mossad actively seeking compromising information on the prosecutor and her family members. The spy agency obtained transcripts of an apparent sting operation against Bensouda’s husband, which Israeli diplomats then unsuccessfully attempted to use to discredit her.

Bensouda was so alarmed by Cohen’s increasingly threatening behaviour that she took the extraordinary step of briefing a small group of senior ICC officials about the incidents. Three sources familiar with her formal disclosures said she revealed Cohen had pressured her on several occasions not to proceed with the criminal investigation.

Mossad’s targeting of Bensouda was just one part of a nearly decade-long covert “war” waged by multiple Israeli intelligence agencies against the ICC. Israel’s actions underscore the lengths it is willing to go to shield its citizens from prosecution for their involvement in war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Palestinian territories.

However, Cohen’s intimidation tactics ultimately failed to deter Bensouda or the court. In March 2021, she announced the opening of a formal investigation. The move infuriated the Israeli government, which had long opposed the ICC inquiry and even vowed to try to dismantle the court.

Bensouda began her work to open a war crimes investigation into Israel’s actions following the 2014 onslaught on Gaza, despite facing intense pressure and opposition from Israel and the US. In December 2019, the Gambian lawyer announced that she had concluded her preliminary examination and determined that all the statutory criteria under the Rome Statute had been met to open a formal investigation. This move was met with further condemnation and threats from Israel and the US, with the administration of former US President Donald Trump imposing sanctions on Bensouda and other ICC officials in response.

In February 2021, the ICC’s pre-trial chamber ruled that the court did indeed have jurisdiction over the Palestinian territories, paving the way for Bensouda to open a formal investigation in March 2021. The landmark decision was hailed as a victory for accountability and justice by Palestinian officials and human rights groups. Bensouda’s term as chief prosecutor ended in June 2021, leaving her successor, Karim Khan, to take up the investigation and build on her work to hold those responsible for war crimes in Palestine accountable.

The investigation has now taken a dramatic turn under Bensouda’s successor, Karim Khan. Last week, Khan announced he was seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, alongside three Hamas leaders, over the country’s conduct in Gaza. The landmark case marks the first time the court has taken action against leaders of a country closely allied with the US and Europe.

Khan himself has not been spared from threats, warning recently that he would not hesitate to prosecute “attempts to impede, intimidate or improperly influence” ICC officials. While declining to comment on specific allegations, an ICC spokesperson confirmed that Khan’s office had been subjected to “several forms of threats and communications that could be viewed as attempts to unduly influence its activities”.

The revelations about Israel’s covert operation against Bensouda have been met with outrage from legal experts and former ICC officials. Efforts by the Mossad to threaten or pressure the prosecutor could amount to offences against the administration of justice under the Rome Statute, the treaty which established the court.

One individual briefed on Cohen’s activities accused him of using “despicable tactics” in a ultimately futile effort to intimidate Bensouda, likening his behaviour to “stalking”. Another source said: “The fact they chose the head of Mossad to be the prime minister’s unofficial messenger to [Bensouda] was to intimidate, by definition. It failed.”

May 28, 2024 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, War Crimes | , , , | Leave a comment

Report: Israeli Settlers, IDF Team Up to Destroy Gaza Aid Amid ‘Full-Blown Famine’

By John Miles – Sputnik – 27.05.2024

Extremist settler groups are setting upon food trucks passing through the West Bank, assaulting the drivers and burning their cargo.

Video has emerged in recent weeks of Israeli West Bank settlers attacking and destroying aid trucks headed for the besieged Gaza Strip, reportedly with the acquiescence and even active participation of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and police.

A series of such instances was documented in a report by the Washington Post Sunday that described how extremist Israelis work together to plan the assaults with the help of security forces.

“The settler groups use a web of publicly accessible WhatsApp groups to track the trucks and coordinate attacks,” the newspaper reported. ”Groups of settler youth are tailing relief convoys, setting up checkpoints and interrogating drivers. In some cases, far-right attackers have ransacked and burned trucks and beaten Palestinian drivers, leaving at least two hospitalized.”

“Working off what they say are tips from Israeli soldiers and police, in addition to the public, members pore over photos to work out which vehicles might be carrying aid to Gaza and mobilize local supporters to block them.”

An attack on Thursday took shape after participants in a chat group with over 800 users spotted a truck carrying sugar. Israeli settlers descended upon the vehicle, tossing out its cargo, which its driver claimed was intended for a town in the West Bank. IDF soldiers cleared the scattered bags of sugar with a bulldozer before destroying them.

“The attack happened in front of the army,” claimed the owner of the truck, while its driver claimed IDF soldiers stood by as the ransacking took place.

“The environment around us is fed by hate and revenge,” lamented the chair of a Palestinian business group.

Other trucks have been burned by the settlers. One Palestinian driver suffered a broken nose, ribs and vertebrae after being attacked by a group of Israeli protesters who asked him whether he was “a Jew or Arab.” The driver’s vehicle was destroyed and his $200,000 worth of goods was lost.

“​​It’s not our job to stop them, it’s our job to protect them,” said one female IDF soldier, defending the military’s failure to stop the attacks.

An anonymous White House official claimed the Biden administration is considering sanctions on settlers involved in the incidents, although no action has yet been taken. Previous US sanctions on a handful of Israeli settlers were reversed after complaints from controversial Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, according to reports in Israeli media.

The World Food Program reports northern Gaza is in a state of “full-blown famine,” with food scarcity spreading south.

“I’m happy for every truck that doesn’t enter Gaza,” said 23-year-old Yosef de Bresser, a leader of an extremist settler group. “I’m also happy to see it catch fire.”

May 27, 2024 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, War Crimes | , , , | Leave a comment

Israeli jets open fire on Rafah ‘safe zone,’ killing dozens

The Cradle | May 27, 2024

At least 40 Palestinians were killed on 26 May in Israeli airstrikes on the camps in Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah.

The Israeli attack on Sunday evening, which was carried out with over six missiles, left several women and children dead.

“At least 40 were killed and others injured after occupation forces targeted, with at least eight missiles, tents of people sheltering in a displacement camp that was recently established near the UNRWA warehouses northwest of Rafah,” WAFA news agency reported.

According to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, the people inside the tents – mostly women and children – were burned alive as a result of the attack. The area targeted had been designated as a safe zone by Israel and was sheltering thousands of displaced Palestinians.

It was one of several displacement centers targeted by Israeli forces that day, including in the northern city of Jabalia and Nuseirat in central Gaza, with the attacks resulting in the deaths and injuries of over 190 Palestinians on Sunday, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office.

“The Israeli occupation army bombed more than 10 displacement centers within 24 hours, the last of which was committing a horrific massacre in the UNRWA Barkasat center northwest of the Rafah governorate, which claimed the lives of more than 40 martyrs,” it said.

The media office called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) and all international courts to pursue “the war criminals of the Israeli occupation, the war criminals of the Americans, the German war criminals, and all other war criminals involved [in the killing of Palestinians.]”

Israel claimed it hit a Hamas compound in northwestern Rafah’s Tel al-Sultan area and said the strike was carried out “within international law.” It added that it was probing reports that fires spread and caused injuries inside a displacement camp.

The latest massacre in Rafah came two days after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to halt its military offensive in Rafah as part of the ongoing genocide case filed by South Africa.

It also comes as the ICC faces the threat of US sanctions for its recent decision to seek arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

May 27, 2024 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, War Crimes | , , , | Leave a comment

Two Egyptian soldiers martyred in clashes with Israelis: Reports

Al Mayadeen | May 27, 2024

The Israeli Channel 13 reported an extremely unusual incident between the Israeli occupation forces and the Egyptian Army on the border in the Rafah border crossing area, adding that the incident comes at the peak of tensions and noting that the incident may have significant political consequences.

In turn, Israeli Channel 14 stated that Egyptian soldiers fired shots on their own accord at Israeli soldiers along the Rafah crossing and claimed that there were no injuries reported.

Moreover, Israeli media claimed that the Israeli occupation forces responded by firing warning shots, and it was confirmed that the military censorship of the Israeli occupation forces retracted all news about the incident between the Egyptian and Israeli occupation forces at the Rafah crossing.

However, the Israeli KodKod news site said there were no injuries among the Israeli occupation forces but two Egyptian soldiers had been killed in the incident.

The Israeli Ynet newspaper, meanwhile, claimed that only one Egyptian soldier was killed and several others were wounded in the cross-border confrontation.

Al Mayadeen’s correspondent reported that an agreement was reached to form a committee to investigate the incident between the Egyptian army and the Israeli occupation at the Rafah crossing.

The spokesperson of the Israeli occupation forces said an investigation was ongoing regarding the cross-border incident amid contacts with the Egyptian side.

May 27, 2024 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism | , , , , | Leave a comment

Request submitted to ICC against EU’s Von der Leyen for Gaza genocide

Al Mayadeen | May 27, 2024

The Geneva International Peace Research Institute, GIPRI, submitted a communication to the International Criminal Court (ICC), signed by two Transnational Foundation for Peace and Future Research (TFF) Associates, Professor Richard Falk and TFF director Jan Oberg, urging the Court to investigate the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen for complicity in war crimes in the occupied Palestine territories including Gaza.

On May 22, GIPRI sent a communication to the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC saying that reasonable grounds exist to believe that “the unconditional support of the President of the European Commission to Israel – military, economic, diplomatic and political – has enabled war crimes” and the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

They said that the various human rights and prominent academics and experts in international criminal law endorsed the communication and urged the prosecutor to launch investigations based on the information they provided against Von der Leyen.

GIPRI added that Von der Leyen “personally is criminally responsible and liable for punishment for some of the war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide,” which have been committed and are still being committed by the IOF in the occupied Palestine territories, emphasizing that she has “aided, abetted and otherwise assisted in the in the commission or attempted commission of such crimes” which includes giving the means for this commission under Article 25(3)(c) of the Rome Statute of the Court.

May 27, 2024 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, War Crimes | , , , , | Leave a comment

Palestinians’ Sacred Right of Return – Salman Abu Sitta

If Americans Knew | May 25, 2024

This edited audio is from a paper prepared by Professor Salman Abu Sitta as a speech to present to the Global Anti-Apartheid Conference on Palestine held in Johannesburg, South Africa on May 10-12, 2024. Images have been added by If Americans Knew.

To read or listen to the full speech: https://www.IAKN.org/AbuSittaFreedomS…

Abu Sitta is the founder and president of the Palestine Land Society, London, dedicated to the documentation of Palestine’s land and People. https://www.plands.org/en/home

He is the author of six books on Palestine including the compendium “Atlas of Palestine 1917- 1966,” English and Arabic editions, the “Atlas of the Return Journey” and over 300 papers and articles on the Palestinian refugees, the Right of Return, and the history of al Nakba and human rights. He is credited with extensive documentation and mapping of Palestine’s land and people over 40 years.

His widely acclaimed memoir “Mapping my Return” describes his life in Palestine and his long struggle as a refugee to return home. https://mondoweiss.net/2020/09/the-lo…

May 27, 2024 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Timeless or most popular, Video | , , , | Leave a comment

Al-Qassam Brigades: Our fighters captured Israeli soldiers in northern Gaza

Palestinian Information Center – May 26, 2024

GAZA – Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, announced on Saturday the capture of an unspecified number of Israeli soldiers during an operation in Jabalia refugee camp in the north of the Gaza Strip.

“Our fighters were able to carry out a complex operation on Saturday afternoon in the northern Gaza Strip, where they lured an Israeli force into one of the tunnels in Jabalia camp, clashed with it at close range, and killed, captured, and wounded its members,” spokesman for the Brigades Abu Obeida said in a recorded statement broadcast by Al Jazeera satellite channel last night.

“The occupation forces are digging among piles of rubble in search for the remains of some of their prisoners, whom they had previously bombed on purpose, and keep throwing thousands of their soldiers into the alleyways of Jabalia and elsewhere to search for corpses, sacrificing their soldiers for the sake of Netanyahu’s personal machinations and his extremist fascist government’s interests,” Abu Obeida said in his statement.

A separate video clip released by al-Qassam Brigades showed an individual being dragged in a tunnel, purportedly an Israeli soldier, but this has not been yet confirmed.

The video also showcased weapons and equipment seemingly belonging to three Israeli soldiers.

In response, the Israeli occupation army denied the occurrence of an incident where a number of its soldiers were taken prisoners by fighters from al-Qassam Brigades.

May 26, 2024 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism | , , , | Leave a comment

US Expends 530 Munitions, Over $1 Bln Fighting Houthi Hellfire Raining Down on Its Carrier Group

By Ilya Tsukanov – Sputnik – 25.05.2024

The US and Britain hastily assembled a coalition of the willing in December 2023 to target the Houthis, a month after the indefatigable Yemeni militia began a campaign of ship seizures, drone and missile attacks targeting Israeli-linked merchant vessels in the Red Sea, in solidarity with Gaza.

The Dwight D. Eisenhower supercarrier-led US Navy strike group has expended over 500 munitions targeting Houthi-launched missiles, UAVs and drone boats over and in the Red Sea, and positions inside Yemen, a new tally of Navy data has revealed.

The figures, seen by Business Insider, reportedly included almost 430 instances of US warships and aircraft engaging “planned and dynamic Houthi targets,” with the Eisenhower’s onboard F/A-18 Super Hornet strike jets flying over 27,200 hours across roughly 12,100 sorties, launching 350+ air-to-surface missiles and 50+ air-to-air missiles.

Guided-missile destroyers and cruisers accompanying the Eisenhower have reportedly launched 100 Standard Missile-2 interceptors and Tomahawk cruise missiles at Houthi aerial and ground targets.

The figures offer the most detailed insight to date into the expenses the US-led anti-Houthi mission in the Red Sea has sustained to date.

Last month, Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro told lawmakers from the Senate Appropriations Committee that the US had spent nearly $1 billion in the Middle East, including against the Houthis, since the Israeli-Hamas escalation in October, and asked for more money.

But the Navy figures cited by Business Insider suggest the costs could be much higher. For example, F/A-18 jets have an average per hour flight cost of more than $30,400, meaning if the Navy-provided data are correct, the US has spent close to $827 million on sorties alone, not counting expended missiles. The latter include AIM-7 Sparrow and AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, priced between $125,000 and $400,000 apiece, and AGM-88 HARM air-to-surface missiles, which go for between $284,000 and $870,000 each.
Ship-launched standard Missile-2 interceptors cost $2 million apiece, with the more advanced Standard Missile-6 – which the US carrier strike group has also deployed against the Houthis, costing $4.3 million each. Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles, meanwhile, have a price tag of roughly $2 million.

The Pentagon’s anti-Houthi strategy has recently taken flak from US lawmakers over its exorbitant cost.

“In the Red Sea, the Houthis are sending $20,000 drones and we’re shooting them down with missiles that cost $4.3 million. The math doesn’t work on that, gentlemen. It just doesn’t work. What are we thinking?” Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces chairman Angus King said earlier this month during a grilling of senior DoD officials on the (apparently) shambolic state of America’s air and missile defense capabilities.

US-led military operations in the Red Sea, dubbed Operation Prosperity Guardian, have failed to stop or even scale back the extent of Houthi attacks, with the militia ramping up its strikes in the Red and Arabian Seas in recent months, and expanding drone and missile forays into the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin hinted at the intensity of Houthi operations on Friday, revealing that the USS Carney guided-missile destroyer alone had had 51 “engagements” with Houthi missiles and drones over six months, “which is the most direct Navy engagement with a foe since World War II.”

The Carney returned home to Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, Florida on May 19 after its long Red Sea deployment.

Separately on Friday, the Houthis announced that they had targeted three more Israeli-linked ships, including the MSC Alexandra and the Greek-owned Yannis bulk carrier (which the militia said was heading toward Israel) in the Red Sea, and the Essex LPG carrier – a Liberia-registered vessel managed by Zodiac Maritime, owned by Israeli tycoon Eyal Ofer, in the Mediterranean.

The Mediterranean attack came just a few days after an anonymous Pentagon official confirmed to reporters that the Houthis have weapons that could reach the body of water – situated over 2,000 km from militia-held areas of Yemen.

Along with their attacks on ships, the Houthis have been stepping up their efforts to target US military assets operating over Yemeni airspace. Last week, the group downed its fifth MQ-9 Reaper drone using a “locally-made” surface to air missile while the $32 million aircraft was “carrying out hostile acts” over Marib province in western Yemen.

May 26, 2024 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Militarism, Wars for Israel | , , , , | Leave a comment

Israel bombs Palestinian families in northern Gaza school

(Photo Credit: Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu Agency)
The Cradle | May 25, 2024

Israeli jets bombed the An-Nazla elementary school in northern Gaza near Jabalia camp on 25 May, killing at least 10 Palestinians, among them several women and children.

“The children were playing in the schoolyard, and suddenly we were bombed,” one displaced woman whose daughter was injured in the attack told Al-Jazeera. “We lived something unnatural.”

An-Nazla School has been serving as a shelter for hundreds of refugees. According to eyewitness reports, a group of Palestinians were filling up gallons of water when Israeli jets bombed the school.

Soon after the attack on the school near Jabalia camp, Israeli jets bombed a group of civilians in the Al-Faluja area of northern Gaza, killing several.

Palestinians, including five children, were also killed in Beit Hanoon when Israeli forces raided a house.

On Saturday afternoon, medical sources in Gaza reported to WAFA News Agency that Israeli troops conducted five massacres against families in the Gaza Strip over the previous 24 hours, killing at least 46 and injuring 130 others.

Occupation troops are also regularly blocking ambulances and rescue teams from reaching the sites of the massacres.

The spike of Israeli violence in northern Gaza comes one day after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its military offensive in Rafah, where the army has also massacred dozens over the past 24 hours.

More than 900,000 Palestinians have fled Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, over the past three weeks after Israel violently took control of the city’s only border crossing and “expanded” its military offensive.

Israeli troops earlier advanced towards Rafah’s Kuwaiti Hospital and struck residential buildings in its vicinity.

May 25, 2024 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, War Crimes | , , , , | Leave a comment

Israel will not stop ‘this madness’ until we make it stop: UN rapporteur

MEMO | May 25, 2024

The UN’s special rapporteur on Palestine on Saturday urged member states to impose sanctions on Israel along with an arms embargo until it stops “this madness,” Anadolu reports.

“Let’s be clear. As the ICJ orders Israel to stop its offensive in Rafah, Israel intensifies its attacks on it,” Francesca Albanese said on X.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in its latest ruling ordered Israel to immediately halt its military offensive in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza where more than 1.5 million displaced Palestinians had sought refuge.

“The news I am receiving from the people trapped therein are terrifying,” she said.

“Be sure: Israel will not stop this madness until WE make it stop,” she added.

Albanese urged all UN member states to “impose #sanctions, arms embargo and suspend diplo/political relations with Israel till it ceases its assault.”

On Friday, the ICJ reaffirmed its previous orders and indicated further measures including, keeping the Rafah border crossing open and allowing access for investigators to the blockaded enclave.

Over 35,800 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, the vast majority being women and children, and nearly 80,300 others injured since October following an attack by Hamas.

More than seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

May 25, 2024 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, War Crimes | , , , | Leave a comment