“Israel has turned Gaza into a ‘mass grave’, top UN court hears – as it happened | World news”
Israel has turned Gaza right into a ‘mass grave’ and is destroying the ‘fundamentals of life in Palestine’ – high UN court docket hears
Ammar Hijazi, who’s Palestine’s ambassador to the Netherlands, has addressed the court docket in oral arguments. Listed here are a few of his details. Hijazi, who says he stands earlier than the ICJ on behalf of the persecuted folks (Palestinians) combating to outlive in Gaza, mentioned:
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Israel is unravelling “fundamental principles of international law” together with its obligations below the UN constitution.
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Israel is popping Palestine – notably Gaza – right into a “mass grave” for Palestinians and rescue employees.
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The World Meals Programme studies a close to 100% improve of Palestinians’ in want of meals assist within the occupied West Financial institution. “Impeding the presence and activities of the UN and the international organisations must be viewed in the context of erasure and forced displacement,” Hijazi mentioned.
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Israeli occupation has demolished refugee camps in Jenin and Tulkarm, forcibly displacing greater than 40,000 Palestinians. “Israel has announced the displaced will not be allowed to return,” Hijazi siad.
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Israel is destroying the “fundamentals of life in Palestine” whereas it blocks UN and different humanitarian organisations from offering “life saving aid” to the inhabitants.
Key occasions
Closing abstract
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The Worldwide Court docket of Justice (ICJ) is listening to submissions about Israel’s obligation to facilitate humanitarian assist to Palestinian folks in Gaza and the occupied West Financial institution. The hearings – on account of finish on Friday – started at this time with submissions from UN and Palestinian representatives. The court docket will probably take months to rule. However consultants say the choice, although not legally binding, may profoundly affect worldwide jurisprudence, worldwide assist to Israel and public opinion.
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In his arguments to the ICJ at The Hague, Ammar Hijazi, Palestinian ambassador to the Netherlands, mentioned Israel is unravelling “fundamental principles of international law” together with its obligations below the UN constitution. He mentioned that Israel is popping Gaza right into a “mass grave” for Palestinian folks.
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Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Monday alleged a US airstrike hit a jail holding African migrants, killing not less than 68 folks.
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The dying toll from an enormous blast in Iran’s southern port of Shahid Rajaeeh that occurred on Saturday morning was elevated from 40 to 46 at this time, in line with state media studies. Iran’s inside minister, Eskandar Momenim, later mentioned that the explosion was brought on by “negligence” and a failure to adjust to security measures.
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Unrwa faculties in East Jerusalem threatened with closure, company’s head says
In his post on X, Phillipe Lazzarini additionally mentioned that some Unrwa amenities, together with faculties in occupied East Jerusalem, are below risk of closure by Israeli authorities.
He wrote:
Some 800 youngsters are prone to miss out on ending the college 12 months if their faculties are compelled closed.
As an occupying energy, the state of Israel should present companies or facilitate their delivery- together with by Unrwa- to the inhabitants it’s occupying.
This can be a clear course from the worldwide group, by the UN basic meeting.
Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza has meant Palestinian youngsters have been denied entry to formal schooling since October 2023.
It’s estimated that over 95% of the 564 college buildings in Gaza have suffered injury, with relentless Israeli assaults on faculties killing many civilians in search of shelter from bombardments.
As of 31 December 2024, 12,035 college students and 492 schooling personnel had been killed, in line with the ministry of schooling. All universities and schools in Gaza have reportedly been destroyed. In displacement camps, tent faculties had been established, however there isn’t any assure of security wherever within the strip and kids’s schooling stays severely disrupted and successfully on pause.
Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner-general of Unrwa, the UN reduction and works company for Palestine refugees, has welcomed the worldwide court docket of justice’s (ICJ) listening to about Israel’s obligation to facilitate humanitarian assist to Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Financial institution.
As a reminder, the listening to – set to run for 5 days – is targeted on a request final 12 months from the UN basic meeting, which requested the court docket to weigh in on Israel’s authorized duties after the nation blocked Unrwa from working on its territory.
Israel’s ban adopted months of assaults on the company from Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right allies, who claimed it was deeply infiltrated by Hamas, the Palestinian militant group. Unrwa – the principle supplier of assist to Palestinians in Gaza – rejects that declare.
“Unrwa and other agencies are present in the occupied Palestinian territory to address overwhelming needs,” Lazzarini wrote in a post on X.
“The agency’s services must continue unobstructed until there is a just and lasting solution to the plight of Palestine refugees.”
Lazzarini added:
The legal guidelines handed by the parliament of Israel towards Unrwa affect the company’s capability to fulfil its mandate.
The no contact coverage below the Knesset legal guidelines bans Israeli officers from coordinating or speaking with Unrwa officers, obstructing the supply of important reduction companies and assist.
Since these restrictions got here into impact on the finish of January, Unrwa worldwide workers haven’t obtained visas to enter Israel.
That is banning them from coming into the West Financial institution (together with East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip the place over 2 million folks depend on the company companies and help.
Lethal Iran port explosion brought on by ‘negligence’ – inside minister
Iran’s inside minister, Eskandar Momenim, has mentioned the huge explosion at Shahid Rajaee that officers say killed not less than 46 folks on Saturday was brought on by “negligence” and failure to adjust to security measures.
“Some culprits have been identified and summoned … There were shortcomings, including incompliance with safety precautions and negligence in terms of passive defence,” Momeni informed state TV.
Shahid Rajaee is Iran’s largest industrial port, by which a lot of the nation’s sea-borne cargo strikes by.
Hovering costs of fundamental foodstuffs, diminishing shares of medical provides and sharp cuts to assist distribution threaten newly catastrophic situations throughout Gaza, Palestinians and worldwide assist officers within the battered territory are warning.
Humanitarian organisations together with the World Food Programme and Unwra, which provides meals and companies to greater than 2 million Palestinians throughout Gaza, have now distributed the final of their shares of flour and different foodstuffs to the handfuls of group kitchens within the territory that serve fundamental meals to these with no different possibility.
Assist teams’ warehouses had been crammed through the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that got here into impact in mid-January and resulted in early March. They’re now empty.
“There isn’t anything left to give them now, so once the last supplies have been used up, the kitchens will have to close,” mentioned one senior UN official. “At the moment people are holding up OK but we know from other crises that when things deteriorate, they deteriorate very fast, and we are not far from that point.”
You possibly can learn the complete story, by my colleagues Jason Burke and Malak A Tantesh, right here:
British prime minister Keir Starmer will host the top of the Palestinian Authority in a present of the UK’s “steadfast support”.
Starmer and his overseas secretary David Lammy will meet Mohammad Mustafa, the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, for the primary official go to since 2021, PA reported.
The UK authorities will unveil a help bundle together with £101m for humanitarian reduction, financial improvement and governance and reform.
The overseas secretary and Mustafa can even signal a memorandum of understanding outlining their dedication to advancing Palestinian statehood as a part of a two-state answer.
The doc will stress the significance of reunifying Gaza and the West Financial institution below the Palestinian Authority, saying it’s the solely professional governing entity within the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
It’s going to additionally underscore the Palestinian Authority’s dedication to prioritise delivering its reform agenda.
Iran says it foiled one of the ‘widespread and sophisticated’ cyber-attacks towards its infrastructure
Iran has thwarted one of the subtle cyber-attacks ever launched towards its infrastructure, Behzad Akbari, the Iranian deputy telecommunication minister, has mentioned, with out elaborating additional.
In a post on X, he mentioned:
By God’s grace and the efforts of the safety and technical groups of the communications infrastructure firm and the ministry of communications, yesterday one of the widespread and sophisticated cyber-attacks towards the nation’s infrastructure was recognized and preventive measures had been taken.
Akbari didn’t say who was behind the assault, however Iranian authorities have often blamed previous cyber-attacks on Israel.
Final February, Iran mentioned Israel was behind twin sabotage assaults towards gasoline pipelines that disrupted provide to not less than three provinces.
Iran accused Israel and the US in December 2023 of a cyber-attack which disrupted gasoline distribution throughout 60 % of petrol stations.
The US navy has not but commented on the lethal strike on Yemen. The navy has mentioned it won’t give detailed details about targets of its airstrikes for causes of operational safety.
In an announcement early on Monday earlier than information of the newest strike broke, US Central command mentioned:
To protect operational safety, now we have deliberately restricted disclosing particulars of our ongoing or future operations. We’re very deliberate in our operational strategy, however won’t reveal specifics about what we’ve achieved or what we are going to do.
The Guardian’s diplomatic editor, Patrick Wintour, has some extra particulars surrounding the US airstrike that hit a jail holding African migrants in Yemen in his newest report. Right here is an extract from his piece:
Yemen has lengthy been a key transit nation for the folks from Africa – primarily from Ethiopia and Somalia – making an attempt to achieve Saudi Arabia and Oman. One estimate claims there are greater than 300,000 migrants throughout Yemen, a rustic devastated by a 10-year civil conflict. The Houthis allegedly make tens of 1000’s of {dollars} every week smuggling folks over the border.
Monday’s alleged strike recalled the same assault by a Saudi-led coalition battling the Houthis in 2022 on the identical compound, which brought on a collapse, killing 66 detainees and wounding 113 others, a United Nations report later mentioned. The Houthis shot lifeless 16 detainees who fled after the strike and wounded one other 50, the UN mentioned. The Saudi-led coalition sought to justify the strike by saying the Houthis constructed and launched drones there, however the UN mentioned it was identified to be a detention facility.
The US navy has shifted ways for the reason that arrival of the Trump administration, which declared the Houthis as a overseas terrorist organisation in January. Since mid-March the US has mounted a way more sustained bombardment that’s geared toward not solely knocking out Houthi missile sties but in addition its political management, together with Abdelmalek al-Houthi, the Houthi chief since 2004.
Israeli assaults on Gaza have killed not less than 24 folks throughout the territory since daybreak, Al Jazeera is reporting. In Jabalia, in northern Gaza, 10 members of the family had been reportedly killed in an airstrike, whereas eight folks in one other household had been killed in a separate airstrike.
Iran accuses Benjamin Netanyahu of making an attempt to dictate US coverage in nuclear talks
Tehran has accused Benjamin Netanyahu of making an attempt to dictate US coverage in negotiations after the Israeli prime minister repeated requires Iran’s total nuclear infrastructure to be dismantled.
The US and Iran have to this point held three rounds of oblique talks, mediated by Oman, geared toward sealing a deal that will block Tehran from buying a nuclear weapon but in addition carry crippling financial sanctions imposed by Washington.
After talks in Rome earlier this month, Oman mentioned that the US and Iran had been pursuing an accord that will see Tehran “completely free” of nuclear weapons and sanctions however “maintaining its ability to develop peaceful nuclear energy”.
Netanyahu mentioned the one “good deal” could be one which eliminated “all of the infrastructure” akin to the 2003 settlement that Libya made with the west that noticed it surrender its nuclear, chemical, organic and missile programmes.
In a post on X on Monday, Iranian overseas minister Abbas Araghchi wrote:
Israel’s fantasy that it may possibly dictate what Iran might or might not do is so indifferent from actuality that it hardly deserves a response.
What’s placing, nonetheless, is how openly Netanyahu is now dictating what President Trump can and can’t do in his diplomacy with Iran…
Let me be clear: Iran is robust and assured sufficient in its capabilities to thwart any try by malicious exterior actors to sabotage its overseas coverage or dictate its course. We will solely hope our US counterparts are equally steadfast.
Many Iranians now not imagine the JCPOA (the Joint Complete Plan of Motion – the present nuclear deal) is ample. They search tangible dividends.
Nothing Netanyahu’s Allies within the Failed Biden Crew say or do will change this actuality. There isn’t a navy possibility, and definitely no navy answer. Any strike might be instantly reciprocated.
Dying toll from Iran port blast rises to 46 – studies
Some information away from the ICJ hearings. The dying toll from an enormous blast in Iran’s southern port of Shahid Rajaeeh that occurred on Saturday morning has been elevated from 40 to 46, state media is reporting.
“The death toll in the Shahid Rajaee Port fire has reached 46,” the official IRNA information company reported, quoting Mehrdad Hassanzadeh, the disaster administration director on the Hormozgan governorate. He mentioned that the overwhelming majority of the 1,000 individuals who had been injured have been discharged from hospitals (solely 138 stay in hospital).
The port is Iran’s most strategically necessary and chief artery for its world commerce. Early indications had been that the explosion seems to have been an accident reasonably than a deliberate assault.
Israel’s overseas minister Gideon Saar known as the hearings a part of a “systematic persecution and delegitimization” of his nation. Talking in Jerusalem because the hearings started in The Hague, Saar mentioned the court docket was “becoming completely politicised”, calling the continuing “shameful”.
Israel has turned Gaza right into a ‘mass grave’ and is destroying the ‘fundamentals of life in Palestine’ – high UN court docket hears
Ammar Hijazi, who’s Palestine’s ambassador to the Netherlands, has addressed the court docket in oral arguments. Listed here are a few of his details. Hijazi, who says he stands earlier than the ICJ on behalf of the persecuted folks (Palestinians) combating to outlive in Gaza, mentioned:
-
Israel is unravelling “fundamental principles of international law” together with its obligations below the UN constitution.
-
Israel is popping Palestine – notably Gaza – right into a “mass grave” for Palestinians and rescue employees.
-
The World Meals Programme studies a close to 100% improve of Palestinians’ in want of meals assist within the occupied West Financial institution. “Impeding the presence and activities of the UN and the international organisations must be viewed in the context of erasure and forced displacement,” Hijazi mentioned.
-
Israeli occupation has demolished refugee camps in Jenin and Tulkarm, forcibly displacing greater than 40,000 Palestinians. “Israel has announced the displaced will not be allowed to return,” Hijazi siad.
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Israel is destroying the “fundamentals of life in Palestine” whereas it blocks UN and different humanitarian organisations from offering “life saving aid” to the inhabitants.
Reside stream of ICJ hearings in The Hague
ICJ hears case on Israel’s obligation to make sure assist reaches Palestinians in Gaza amid assist blockade
As we talked about within the opening publish, the Worldwide Court docket of Justice (ICJ) is listening to about Israel’s obligation to facilitate humanitarian assist to Palestinian folks in Gaza and the occupied West Financial institution. We could have a reside stream of the proceedings up quickly.
The UN has requested judges to make clear Israel’s authorized obligations in the direction of the UN and its businesses, worldwide organisations or third-party states to “ensure and facilitate the unhindered provision of urgently needed supplies essential to the survival of the Palestinian civilian population”. The case was prompted by Israeli payments outlawing the UN company for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa) in October 2024. Unrwa was the key distributor of assist in Gaza and has offered schooling, well being and different fundamental companies to hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees throughout the area.
Over the ICJ hearings, attorneys from greater than 40 states will declare Israel’s ban on all cooperation with Unrwa is a breach of the UN constitution. The UN says Israel is obliged below worldwide legislation to make sure sufficient provides for the Palestinians residing in Gaza. Israel says it’s adhering to worldwide legislation.
For the reason that starting of March, Israel has shut off all sources of meals, gasoline, drugs and different provides for the Gaza Strip’s inhabitants of greater than 2 million Palestinians. It’s the longest blockade but of its 17-month conflict on Gaza, with no signal of it ending.
Israel claims the blockade goals to stress Hamas to launch hostages it nonetheless holds. Rights teams have known as the blockade a “starvation tactic” and a possible conflict crime.
Assist employees have stretched provides, however warn of a catastrophic surge in extreme starvation and malnutrition. The UN World Meals Programme mentioned final week it had depleted all its meals shares in Gaza, ending a foremost supply of sustenance for tons of of 1000’s of Palestinian folks within the devastated territory.
Listed here are among the newest pictures being despatched to us over the newswires from Gaza’s southern metropolis of Khan Younis, which was focused by lethal Israeli airstrikes on Sunday night:
Israeli airstrikes on Gaza kill not less than 17 Palestinian folks – officers
Israeli airstrikes on the northern Gaza Strip killed not less than 17 Palestinians early on Monday, in line with native well being officers.
An airstrike hit a house in Beit Lahiya, killing 10 folks, together with a Palestinian prisoner, Abdel-Fattah Abu Mahadi, who had been launched as a part of the ceasefire. His spouse, two of their youngsters and a grandchild had been additionally killed, in line with the Indonesian hospital, which obtained the our bodies.
One other airstrike hit a house in Gaza Metropolis, killing seven folks, together with two girls, in line with the Gaza well being ministry’s emergency service. Two different folks had been injured.
Benjamin Netanyahu, below stress on each the home and worldwide entrance, has been accused of manipulating Israel’s conflict on Gaza to attain his personal political ends.
The Israeli chief is on trial for corruption costs and his opponents say he’s intentionally discovering causes to lengthen the assault so he can cling on to energy as prime minister.
This consists of shattering the January ceasefire cope with Hamas by launching a lethal wave of airstrikes on the territory final month, which households concern makes the return of Israeli hostages (alive) much less probably.
No less than 68 folks killed after US bombs Yemen detention centre, Houthi rebels say
Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Monday alleged a US airstrike hit a jail holding African migrants, killing not less than 68 folks. The US navy had no quick remark, the Related Press reported.
Graphic footage aired by the Houthis’ al-Masirah satellite tv for pc information channel confirmed what seemed to be lifeless our bodies and others injured on the web site in Yemen’s Saada governate, a stronghold for the Houthis.
The Houthi-run Inside ministry mentioned about 115 migrants had been detained on the web site. African migrants from Ethiopia and different nations threat crossing war-torn Yemen for an opportunity to work in neighbouring Saudi Arabia. The Houthis mentioned 68 folks had been killed. There was no quick unbiased affirmation of the dying toll.
The airstrike is prone to renew questions from activists concerning the American marketing campaign towards the Houthis, often known as “Operation Rough Rider,” which has been concentrating on the rebels because the Trump administration negotiates with their foremost benefactor, Iran, over Tehran’s quickly advancing nuclear program.
The US navy’s Central Command, in an announcement early Monday earlier than information of the alleged strike broke, sought to defend its coverage of providing no particular particulars of its intensive airstrike marketing campaign. The strikes have drawn controversy in America over Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of the unclassified Sign messaging app to publish delicate particulars concerning the assaults.
“To preserve operational security, we have intentionally limited disclosing details of our ongoing or future operations,” Central Command mentioned. “We are very deliberate in our operational approach, but will not reveal specifics about what we’ve done or what we will do.”
We might be bringing you extra particulars as they arrive in. In different developments:
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Israel will come below sustained authorized stress this week on the UN’s high court docket when attorneys from greater than 40 states will declare the nation’s ban on all cooperation with the UN’s Palestinian rights company Unrwa is a breach of the UN constitution. The 5 days of hearings on the worldwide court docket of justice (ICJ) in The Hague have been given a recent urgency by Israel’s determination on 2 March to dam all assist into Gaza, however the listening to will give attention to whether or not Israel – as a signatory to the UN constitution – acted unlawfully in overriding the immunities afforded to a UN physique.
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A “new inferno” has been unleashed on Gaza after the restart of conflict within the Palestinian territory, the director basic of the Worldwide Committee of the Pink Cross (ICRC) mentioned Monday. “Gaza is experiencing and enduring… death, injury, multiple displacements, amputations, separation, disappearance, starvation and denial of aid and dignity on a massive scale, and just when the all important ceasefire led people to believe they had survived the worst, a new inferno was unleashed,” Pierre Krahenbuhl informed a Doha convention on safety.
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Rescuers in Khan Younis retrieved the our bodies of 4 Palestinian individuals who had been killed in an Israeli assault on a home within the southern Gaza metropolis yesterday night, in line with studies.
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