Palestinian officials say 12 dead in Israel West Bank raids

Gunmen attend the funeral of five Palestinians killed by an Israeli strike on a vehicle in the West Bank city of Jenin, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP)

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Updated 06 August 2024

Reuters

August 06, 2024 08:52

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Palestinian officials say 12 dead in Israel West Bank raids

Five people were killed in the Jenin area and four in Aqaba town in Tubas district
At least 17 Israelis, including soldiers, 617 Palestinains have been killed in the West Bank since Oct. 7

Updated 06 August 2024

Reuters

August 06, 2024 08:52

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JENIN, Palestine: Palestinian officials said Israeli forces killed 12 people in three separate raids in the northern West Bank on Tuesday, as violence in the occupied territory showed no sign of abating.
Five people were killed in the Jenin area and four in Aqaba town in Tubas district when Israeli forces carried out early-morning raids, the health ministry in Ramallah said.
The Israeli army said three people were killed and two arrested in another raid in the village of Kafr Qud, west of Jenin.
The army added that its aircraft struck “armed terrorist cells” in the Jenin area, but did not give details on casualties.
The Palestinian Red Crescent had earlier reported deaths and injuries “due to the occupation’s shelling of two vehicles in the eastern neighborhood of Jenin.”
Aqaba residents said Israeli troops arrived at dawn and surrounded the house of Amid Ghanam, leading to clashes between troops and young Palestinians.
Ghanam and two others were killed in the clashes, while another teenager was killed near a hospital, Tubas governor Ahmed Assad told AFP.
“The army entered and surrounded the house as snipers took positions on nearby rooftops and shot anyone who moved,” he said.
The teenager was shot when the troops “entered the area of the hospital,” Assad said.
Aqaba mayor Abdel Razzaq Abu Arra said the teenager “was killed in cold blood.”
“This Zionist crime is a systematic crime that the Israelis carry out on a daily basis,” he added.
Since war broke out in October between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, tensions have soared in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967.
At least 617 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops or settlers in the West Bank since October 7, according to an AFP tally based on Palestinian official figures.
At least 17 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed by Palestinian attacks in the West Bank over the same period, according to Israeli official figures.
In a separate incident on Tuesday, police said they killed a Palestinian after he attacked a border police officer with a screwdriver at a checkpoint between Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
Police officers immediately “neutralized the terrorist with gunfire, and he was subsequently pronounced dead,” the force said in statement.

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Alleged Hezbollah financier expected to plead guilty in US sanctions case

Updated 8 sec ago

September 05, 2024 18:24

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Alleged Hezbollah financier expected to plead guilty in US sanctions case

Updated 8 sec ago

September 05, 2024 18:24

Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn said in a court filing on Thursday that lawyers for Mohammad Bazzi told them he wishes to change his plea
He pleaded not guilty last year to three felony counts, including attempting to transact with a sanctioned terrorist organization.

NEW YORK: A dual Lebanese-Belgian citizen accused by the United States of financing Lebanese armed group Hezbollah is expected to plead guilty in a criminal case charging him with sanctions evasion and money-laundering conspiracies.
Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn said in a court filing on Thursday that lawyers for Mohammad Bazzi told them he wishes to change his plea. Bazzi, 60, pleaded not guilty last year to three felony counts, including attempting to transact with a sanctioned terrorist organization.
Bazzi’s lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The US Treasury Department placed Bazzi on its sanctions list in 2018 over his alleged ties to Hezbollah, which Washington considers a terrorist organization.
Prosecutors said Bazzi covertly sold real estate he owned in Michigan and transferred the funds abroad, in violation of those sanctions.
Bazzi was extradited to the United States in April 2023 from Romania, where he had been arrested two months prior.
Prosecutors and Bazzi’s lawyers jointly asked US District Judge Dora Irizarry to schedule a hearing later this month for Bazzi to change his plea.

Lebanese-Belgian citizen Mohammad Ibrahim Bazzi accused by the US of financing Hezbollah is expected to plead guilty in a criminal case charging him with sanctions evasion and money-laundering conspiracies. (Photo/social media)

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‘Justice must be seen to be done,’ ICC chief prosecutor says regarding arrest warrants for Israeli ministers

International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan. (File/AFP)

Updated 05 September 2024

Arab News

September 05, 2024 17:09

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‘Justice must be seen to be done,’ ICC chief prosecutor says regarding arrest warrants for Israeli ministers

Khan told the BBC that he had been pressured by some world leaders not to issue the warrants
The request for the warrants has yet to be approved by ICC judges

Updated 05 September 2024

Arab News

September 05, 2024 17:09

LONDON: After seeking an arrest warrant for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in May, the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor has said that justice must be seen to be done.

Speaking to the BBC’s “Political Thinking with Nick Robinson” radio program, Karim Khan said it was important to show that the ICC would hold all nations to the same standard in relation to alleged war crimes.

He also welcomed the new British government’s decision to drop opposition to the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant.

“There’s a difference of tone and, I think, of substance in relation to international law by the new government. And I think that’s welcome,” he told Robinson.

Khan had also sought warrants for three Hamas leaders, two of whom have since been killed.

The prosecutor said the court needed to request warrants for leaders on both sides of the war to ensure people around the world saw that the court was applying “the law equally based upon some common standards.”

Khan said: “If one had applied for warrants in relation to Israeli officials and not for Gaza, (some would) say: ‘Well, this is an obscenity’ and ‘How on earth is that possible?’

“You can’t have one approach for countries where there’s support, whether it’s NATO support, European support (or) powerful countries behind you, and a different approach where you have clear jurisdiction,” he added.

Khan said in May that there were reasonable grounds to believe that Netanyahu and Gallant, as well as Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, and Ismail Haniyeh, bore criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity from Oct. 7 onwards.

The request for the warrants has yet to be approved by ICC judges.

Khan said Israel’s prime minister and defense minister were suspected of crimes including starvation of civilians as a method of warfare, murder, intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population, and extermination.

He accused the Hamas leaders of crimes including extermination, murder, hostage taking, rape and sexual violence, and torture.

Israel and Hamas have both rejected the allegations. US President Joe Biden said the application for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders was “outrageous.”

Khan told the BBC that he had been pressured by some world leaders not to issue warrants.

“Several leaders and others told me and advised me and cautioned me,” he said.

Khan also told the BBC that unlike his critics, he had reviewed the evidence the warrant requests were based on.

“I have one advantage at least. Hopefully, even they will concede, I’ve seen the evidence. They haven’t,” he said.

“The application is not public. It is confidential. It is filed to the chamber. So, they are guessing what evidence has been submitted,” he said.

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Topics: War on Gaza International Criminal Court (ICC) Karim Khan

UK may suspend more arms export licenses to Israel over war crimes fears: Report

Israeli military vehicles maneuver during an operation in the West Bank city of Jenin, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. (AP)

Updated 05 September 2024

Arab News

September 05, 2024 16:51

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UK may suspend more arms export licenses to Israel over war crimes fears: Report

Britain reportedly concerned also about Tel Aviv’s actions in West Bank
Govt had on Monday suspended 30 of 350 arms export licenses to Israel

Updated 05 September 2024

Arab News

September 05, 2024 16:51

LONDON: The UK may suspend more arms export licenses to Israel over fears that the weapons would be used to violate international humanitarian law in Gaza and the West Bank.

Export licenses are reviewed every six weeks and ministers could act again should more evidence of potential war crimes emerge, The Times reported on Thursday citing a government source.

“No one’s patting themselves on the back and declaring an end to the matter,” the source said.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said on Monday that Britain would immediately suspend 30 of its 350 arms export licenses with Israel because there was a risk such equipment might be used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law.

Lammy said the decision to suspend the licenses did not amount to a blanket ban or an arms embargo, but only involved those that could be used in Israel’s war on Gaza.

“We recognize, of course, Israel’s need to defend itself against security threats, but we are deeply worried by the methods that Israel’s employed, and by reports of civilian casualties and the destruction of civilian infrastructure particularly,” Lammy told parliament.

A summary of the government’s legal position published on Monday cited “credible” claims that Palestinian prisoners of war were being mistreated and “insufficient” supply of aid to Gaza as reasons for the weapons embargo.

According to the legal advice, the government was unable to reach a “determinative judgment” about Israel’s conduct of hostilities in Gaza, where there is an “opaque and contested information environment.”

There has been significant international coverage from the West Bank, unlike in Gaza where Israel has blocked foreign journalists from reporting on the conflict.

According to the government source, Lammy has condemned recent Israeli military operations in the West Bank, and a deterioration of the security situation in the occupied territory could prompt further action.

However, the source added there were few weapons exported from Britain that were likely to be used in the West Bank that have not already been covered by the existing ban.

Britain’s decision to suspend some arms sales to Israel was roundly criticized on Tuesday with some British politicians and Jewish groups accusing the Labour government of abandoning Israel, while others said the decision did not go far enough.

Although Britain is a smaller exporter of arms to Israel than the US and Germany, the decision was seen by some analysts as a sign of Tel Aviv’s increasing diplomatic isolation.

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Topics: War on Gaza UK Arms exports

Gaza teacher offers ray of hope with classroom in rubble

Updated 05 September 2024

Reuters

September 05, 2024 15:54

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Gaza teacher offers ray of hope with classroom in rubble

After a four-story building containing her home was demolished by an Israeli air strike, Abu Mustafa set up a classroom on the rubble under a tent
Her classes provide a sense of structure and routine in the chaos

Updated 05 September 2024

Reuters

September 05, 2024 15:54

GAZA: Gaza’s schools lie in ruins or have been turned into shelters for families displaced by a war that has killed tens of thousands. Yet teacher Israa Abu Mustafa refuses to let death and destruction deprive traumatized children of an education.
After a four-story building containing her home was demolished by an Israeli air strike, Abu Mustafa set up a classroom on the rubble under a tent.
Her impromptu school is one of the few remaining options for children in her neighborhood.
“During the war, we had to fill water gallons and collect sticks for firewood. Then Miss Israa found us and brought us here to continue learning,” said 10-year-old Hala Abu Mustafa.
The project began with 35 pupils and that number gradually increased to 70, ranging from pre-school to sixth graders aged 11-12.
Since the war began on Oct. 7, schools have been bombed or turned into shelters for displaced people, leaving Gaza’s estimated 625,000 school-aged children unable to attend classes.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Education, at least 10,490 school and university students have been killed in the Israeli offensive. More than 500 school teachers and university educators have also been killed.
The conflict erupted when the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking over 250 people hostage, according to Israeli tallies. Israel responded with the military campaign in Gaza, killing more than 40,861 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.
Israel says it goes to great lengths to avoid civilian casualties and accuses Hamas of using human shields and operating from schools, an allegation the group denies.
Abu Mustafa’s lessons go beyond just a curriculum. Her classes provide a sense of structure and routine in the chaos.
The tent is far from a traditional classroom where children once dreamed of one day studying abroad or becoming doctors and engineers who help the people of Gaza, which was impoverished and suffered from high unemployment long before the war erupted.
“We need chairs and tables so the children can learn properly instead of being forced to write on the ground,” the 29-year-old teacher said.
With limited resources, Abu Mustafa teaches basic lessons including religious studies, trying to keep her students engaged despite the relentless bombardment.
Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank have internationally high literacy levels, and the under-resourced education system was a rare source of hope and pride among Palestinians.
“What could be the child’s wish? They have the right to learn in a safe environment, they have the right to play in safe place, to not feel any fear,” Abu Mustafa said.

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Topics: War on Gaza Israel School children Education Gaza

US remains committed to Syria, will not withdraw its forces to prevent Daesh resurgence, Ethan Goldrich tells Asharq Al-Awsat

Updated 05 September 2024

Arab News

September 05, 2024 15:39

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US remains committed to Syria, will not withdraw its forces to prevent Daesh resurgence, Ethan Goldrich tells Asharq Al-Awsat

Updated 05 September 2024

Arab News

September 05, 2024 15:39

DUBAI: The US remains committed to its partnership with local forces in Syria to prevent Daesh’s resurgence and does not plan to withdraw from the country’s northeast region anytime soon, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs has said.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Ethan Goldrich said: “I know there have been reports, but I want to make clear that we remain committed to the role that we play in that part of Syria, to the partnership that we have with the local forces that we work with, and to the need to prevent that threat from reemerging.”

“So right now, our focus is on the mission that we have there to keep ISIS from reemerging. So I know there have been reports, but I want to make clear that we remain committed to the role that we play in that part of Syria, to the partnership that we have with the local forces that we work with, and to the need to prevent that threat from reemerging,” Goldrich said.

The official said that while there have been a lot of accomplishments since taking on the post three years ago, there was still a “lot that we have left to do.”

“At the beginning of a time I was here, we had just completed a review of our Syria policy, and we saw that we needed to focus on reducing suffering for the people in Syria. We needed to reduce violence. We needed to hold the regime accountable for things that are done and most importantly, from the US perspective, we needed to keep ISIS from reemerging as a threat to our country and to other countries,” he said.

“At the same time, we also realized that there wouldn’t be a solution to the crisis until there was a political process under Resolution 2254, so in each of these areas, we’ve seen both progress and challenges, but of course, on ISIS, we have prevented the reemergence of the threat from northeast Syria, and we’ve helped deal with people that needed to be repatriated out of the prisons, and we dealt with displaced people in Al-Hol to reduce the numbers there. We helped provide for stabilization in those parts of Syria.”

Goldrich also said that the US remains committed in its humanitarian role for Syria, noting the $593 million Washington has pledged during a fundraising conference in Brussels recently.

“Since the beginning of the conflict, have provided $18 billion both to help the Syrians who are inside of Syria and to help the refugees who are in surrounding countries. And so we remain committed to providing that assistance, and we remain keenly aware that 90% of Syrians are living in poverty right now, and that there’s been suffering there.”

“We’re doing everything we can to reduce the suffering, but I think where we would really like to be is where there’s a larger solution to the whole crisis, so Syrian people someday will be able to provide again for themselves and not need this assistance,” he added.

Goldrich also reiterated the US’s position regarding President Bashar Assad – with some countries signaling a possible reopening of ties with the Syrian regime – that “we will not normalize with the regime in Syria until there’s been authentic and enduring progress on the goals of Resolution 2254, until the human rights of the Syrian people are respected and until they have the civil and human rights that they deserve.”

“We know other countries have engaged with the regime. When those engagements happen, we don’t support them, but we remind the countries that are engaged that they should be using their engagements to push forward on the shared international goals under 2254, and that whatever it is that they’re doing should be for the sake of improving the situation of the Syrian people.”

“The US will remain true to our own principles and our own policies and our own laws, and the path for the regime in Syria to change its relationship with us is very clear, if they change the behaviors that led to the laws that we have and to the policies that we have, if those behaviors change and the circumstances inside of Syria change, then it’s possible to have a different kind of relationship, but that’s where it has to start,” he added.

If there is one thing that Goldrich wants to happen in Syria, he said that it was “to hold people accountable in Syria for things that have happened... and we’re trying to draw attention to the need to account for the missing people.”

“I’d like to see some peace for the families of the missing people. I’d like to see the beginning of a political process, there hasn’t been a meeting of the constitutional committee in two years, and I think that’s because the regime has not been cooperating in political process steps. So we need to change that situation.”

“The Syrian people deserve all aspects of our policy to be fulfilled and for them to be able to return to a normal life,” Goldrich said.

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Topics: Syria Ethan Goldrich

Palestinian officials say 12 dead in Israel West Bank raids

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Palestinian officials say 12 dead in Israel West Bank raids

Palestinian officials say 12 dead in Israel West Bank raids

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